The College View Issue 3 by The College View

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

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Increased uptake in class reps of 18.7 per cent

he number of elected class representatives grew by 18.77 per cent this year according to DCU’s Students’ Union (SU). Last year there were 389 class reps elected, while this year that number jumped to 462. In addition, DCUSU’s President Christine Farrell told The College View that 620 students ran for election this year. Farrell welcomed the increase in class reps but was unsure as to why exactly there was such an uptake in engagement. “We feel that a lot of emphasis was placed on class reps during orientation,” she said. “We have also seen a significant increase in the amount of online students running for class rep as this year was the first year that the Students’ Union spoke at their orientation induction and therefore they were made more aware of the possibility of becoming a rep,” she added. Caoimhe O’Carroll, the Humanities & Social Sciences rep, attributed the increase in class reps to the momentum from last year’s SU elections and a culture of activism in young people. “The youth movement is gathering

momentum and there appears to be a greater interest in current affairs and world issues. Freshers coming into DCU this year have been more exposed to protest opportunities,” she said. There are still some courses which have yet to elect any class reps though, such as fourth year actuary students. Courses which don’t elect a class rep could find themselves at a disadvantage, as according to O’Carroll they are “vital”. “Upon entering [sic] first year I was immediately taken aback by the power of the student voice. In comparison to the secondary school student council equivalent, the SU has so much influence over university decision at an executive level,” she said. This sentiment was echoed by many current class reps. Second year biomedical engineering student and class rep Warren Gonsalves said that his class rep last year was a great line of support between himself and his lecturers. Third year communications student Renée Mackey is her class’ rep this year and said it’s been a pleasant experience so far. “I’ve had emails following up, and then a meeting with our department... as well as the class rep council,” she said.

The first class rep council (CRC) was held last Wednesday, October 23rd. A number of elections took place, including the election of a new CRC secretary and eight electoral committee members.

However, no Officers of CRC were elected this year. DCUSU’s Vice President for Academic Affairs Callaghan Commons put forward a motion to review these positions, along with the constitution which is also being

reviewed this year. “In the past these officer roles have become somewhat redundant due to duplication of these roles with SU sabbatical and part-time officer roles,” he said in the motion.

is 20-24, which has had 525 total confirmed cases. According to DCU’s pharmacist, this is partially due to the huge volumes of people who are present at schools and colleges. There was also a mumps outbreak earlier in 2019, with cases being confirmed in South Dublin, as well as Trinity College. The disease itself is a viral infection, with symptoms that include fever, headaches and swelling of both the cheek and jaw. Mumps can be spread through both direct and indirect means, and the most effective way of avoiding the

infection is to have received two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. While the MMR vaccine is commonly received as a child, both teenagers and adults may get the vaccination if they didn’t receive the booster as a child. DCU student Kevin O’Meara discussed his experience with mumps with The College View and how it has affected his time in college. He recently began to experience sweats, as well as pains behind his eye before waking up one weekend with swollen glands. When he spoke to the doctor over the phone, he had O’Meara examine

himself and confirmed that it was the mumps. While he’s now over the worst of it, he explained how the after effects of the infection also take their toll. “Most of the swelling has gone now, but honestly the worst part is the fatigue,” said O’Meara. “I thought I’d be able to get some course work done, but I actually can’t get my eyes to focus on my laptop without giving myself a headache”. O’Meara also mentioned how supportive DCU lecturers have been while he’s been sick. “All [lecturers] have offered me extra resources over the next few weeks so that I don’t fall

behind.'' When young children are infected with mumps, the outlook is generally good with complications being rare. However, for teenagers and adults, there is a potential for complications, which include deafness, viral meningitis, painful swelling of testicles and in rare cases infertility in men. For students who have contracted the infection, it is recommended that they stay away from college due to how contagious the mumps are. To treat the disease, the HSE advises plenty of bed rest along with over-thecounter painkillers. A cold compress on the swollen glands is also advised.

Comment

Gaeilge

Features

Sports

Gene Editing

Twiggy

Trump

Fiona Tully

What does it mean for the future of our society? pg. 11

D’athraigh Twiggy rudaí le haghaidh cailíní ar fud an domhain

What would his impeachment look like? pg. 18

Trophies in the Handball Championships pg. 23

Credit: Sonja Tutty

Brendan Fernando Kelly Palenque | Editor-in-chief @BrendanFKP

Same-sex couples protested outside the Department of Health for equal rights

Dublin colleges hit with mumps outbreak Tadgh McNally | News Editor @TadghMN

n outbreak of mumps across the Dublin area has been confirmed by the HSE, with a majority of cases being centred in colleges across the city. According to the HSE, there have been over 700 cases of mumps reported within Dublin in 2019. Nationally, there have been 1,793 cases reported so far this year. Those between the ages of 15 to 19 have had the most cases this year, with 589 confirmed cases. Close behind

Highlights

pg. 15

Editorial

Contents

News Female Genital Mutilation prevention conference held in Ireland pg 6 Comment GDPR and the safety of our data and privacy pg 13 Features Burning fast, burning bright, and burning out pg 19 Sports Kate Mooney scores a hat-trick in debut pg 24

Inside The Hype Arts RuPaul’s Drag Race pg 5

European exceptionalism

Brendan Fernando Kelly Palenque, Editor-in-Chief

our Fine Gael MEPs recently voted down an EU resolution to step up search and rescue efforts in the Mediterranean; a resolution which didn’t pass by only two votes. Needless to say this is incredibly disappointing. Several of the MEPs have attempted to explain why they voted it down, but ultimately they are but excuses. There is no humanitarian reason to vote against such a resolution. Some have said they opposed it as it could have increased human trafficking. That must have been why Europe’s far right cheered when it was defeated - after all they famously care about the lives of immigrants. Whether they like it not, this vote has aligned Fine Gael with some of Europe’s most reactionary parties. Parties like Poland’s PiS and Spain’s Vox, who have complained about the “invasion” of immigrants. However, it really shouldn’t be surprising that this is the company which Fine Gael keep. One only needs to look at the state of

the direct provision centres in this country to realise Ireland is not as welcoming of immigrants as many would like to believe. According to the Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland (MASI), the food in direct provision centres is often “substandard or inadequate”. They have said that one centre even fed people food which expired months ago. Along with that MASI have also said queer immigrants often have to “prove” they are really LGBTQ+. Fine Gael’s past may also help to explain their MEPs voting decisions. Their first leader was Eoin O’Duffy, of blue shirt infamy. As much as they may have tried to distance themselves from this, the fact remains that without the blueshirts the Fine Gael we know today would not have existed. The fascism and nationalism from groups like the blueshirts was never defeated. If anything, their ideas are perhaps more prevalant now than they have been since Nazi Germany. The incoming EU Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen has created a new commission-

er portfolio for “protecting the European way of life”. What exactly is the European way of life though? Ireland has about as much in common with Hungary as Spain does with Morocco, if not less. Yet because both countries are European they share a similar way of life? This is nothing but an attempt to create pan-European nationalism - something which should be rejected at all costs. The very concept is absurd and European exceptionalism at it’s finest. European countries have been going to war with each other for centuries, but because we are now in a period of relative peace we are to believe that we share some kind of common philosophy? If the differences between European countries is of so little importance, then ask yourself why this logic can not extend to all of humankind. In the minds of the far right, what separates Europeans and the rest of the world? Perhaps if those dying in the Mediterranean were white Fine Gael would have voted to accept the resolution.

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

Anja Zauers | Social Media Editor @anja_zs

he DCU Eurovision society recently held their biggest event to date, the Eurovision Extravaganza. The talent show took place on Wednesday 23rd October, in the Venue on DCU’s Glasnevin campus all in aid of Pieta House. Pieta House is a non-profit organisation which provides a free, therapeutic approach to people who are in suicidal distress and those who engage in selfharm. “We chose Pieta House because it's a very important charity, especially nowadays in education where signs of depression are very high and the government doesn't give enough in the budget for mental health”, said Laurence Williams, chairperson of the

society. Laurence shared how he hopes the Eurovision Extravaganza will become an annual event. The society was originally set up by Alex Rice in September 2018 and consisted of intersoc karaoke nights along with DCU Eurovision and hosting their weekly radio show, “Eurotrash”. The night consisted of ten acts in total along with two interval acts which included an ABBA tribute band- Donna and the Dynamos and singer-songwriter Elina Felice. Acts had to impress not only the audience but three judges, one of which was former Eurovision winner, Linda Martin. The panel was also composed of Kazys Lengvinas, former Eurovision society committee member and VALACIOUSX an up and coming drag queen. The night showcased a range of

original talents with pop, rock, country and even an operatic performance. The voting process involved each member of the audience voting for their number one contestant, which was then counted and tallied at the end of the show along with the judges’ vote. Japanese Sword Fishing won the contest overall after performing an original rock song. The band had originally faced a few technical difficulties with Linda Martin commenting on the fact that ‘the sound wasn’t working’ and how ‘she couldn’t hear anything’. However, the band was then given a second chance to perform their song at the end of the contest. ‘We had a rocky start but thank you for giving us a second chance’ said the lead singer after hearing the results. The band won a €50 Marks & Spencer voucher along with a one-hour recording session, in a recording studio in

Nine of Ireland's maternity units do not offer abortion

ine of Ireland's 19 maternity hospitals do not offer abortion services. These hospitals are, Kerry General Hospital, St.Luke’s General Hospital, Wexford General Hospital, Letterkenny General Hospital, Mayo General Hospital, Portiuncula Hospital, Sligo General Hospital, Cavan/Monaghan Hospital Group and Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise. Some abortion services can be offered by general practitioners (GP), but in some later stage terminations, surgical procedures in a hospital are required. The HSE website tells people who are looking for an abortion to go to, a GP surgery that provides abortion

services, a family planning clinic that provides abortion services, a women's health clinic that provides abortion services, or a hospital that provides abortion services. Clarifying that not all GP’s family planning clinics, women’s health clinics and hospitals provide abortion services. The HSE states that not all doctors provide abortion services, as they are not required to by law. This may be because they conscientiously object to it. This is “when medical staff refuse to take part in a procedure if it goes against their religious or moral beliefs” The HSE also states that they may not provide abortion services for other reasons but does not specify what these reasons are. It suggests, “if your doctor isn’t helpful, try to see another one.” Through the MyOptions.ie page,

Credit: WikiMedia

Róisín Phelan | Features Editor @_roisinphelan

women can access information around abortion services, and if they choose to terminate their pregnancy, they will be forwarded onto a doctor who has “opted-in” Doctors who have “opted-in” can be GPs, or doctors in hospitals who wish to provide abortion services. They could also be forwarded onto a maternity hospital where staff have “opted-in”. But they will not be forwarded on to maternity hospitals where staff have not opted-in. For example, the National Maternity Hospital is taking referrals from General Practitioners and Community based services such as the Irish Family Planning Association in its catchment area, Wicklow, South Dublin and Kildare. Under Medical Council guidelines, if a doctor has not opted-in and does not want to treat the patient, they are required to transfer the care of the patient to a colleague. The legislation says, “a person who has a conscientious objection shall, as soon as may be, make such arrangements for the transfer of care of the pregnant woman concerned as may be necessary to enable the woman to avail of the termination of pregnancy concerned”. The issue that could arise from this is, if a large number of doctors in one area have to refer patients to other doctors then those patients could face waiting lists or be forced to travel to other parts of the country to receive treatment. Chair of DCU Femsoc, Eimear Kelly spoke to The College View and said: “I think any barrier to someone’s access to a medical procedure such as an abortion is a direct violation of human rights, particularly if it’s in the name of a Catholic ethos.”

Credit: DCU Eurovision Society

DCU host Eurovision Extravaganza

Dublin. With just one point in the difference, singers Niamh Devine and Keith Eastwood came in at a joint second place. The society currently has plans for

a Karaoke night in December, an ABBA Night in 2020 and are also in the works of organising a possible trip to Eurovision 2020/London Eurovision Party 2020.

Student accommodation in Cork could be blocked from renting on a short term basis Aoife O’Brien | News Editor @obrienaoife1

he Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) is attempting to block a student accommodation complex in Cork from renting out rooms on a short term basis. The IHF has complained that Amnis House was advertising year-round, short-term lets on Booking.com last April. It has asked An Bord Pleanála to rule on whether the use of the accommodation for year-round, short-term letting requires planning permission as it represents a material change in the use of the building. The IHF said that the grant of planning permission for the development of Amnis House imposed a condition that any change of use of the accommodation, including for other types of residential accommodation needed approval by Cork City Council or An Bord Pleanála. As a result, the year round short term letting of the accommodation would be characterised as unauthorised development. However, Amnis House called for the case to be dismissed on the basis the IHF had provided no evidence that Amnis House was being used for yearround short-term letting. It also noted that student accommodation can be used as tourist accommodation outside academic term times under planning legislation, which is

why Amnis House was available to rent on a short-term basis between June and August. Many other student accommodations rent out rooms during the summer months including the accommodation here on DCU’s Glasnevin campus. A DCU spokesperson said "The university rents out undergraduate student accommodation during the summer months to facilitate a range of activities including conferences, The DCU Centre for Talented Youth summer programme, DCU Language School and tourist visitors to Dublin. All of this contributes to the reduced student rental rates charged during term time to DCU students and is in full compliance with planning regulations." While Amnis House is still listed on the Booking.com website, bookings are not currently available as the accommodation is sold out for the 2019/2020 academic year. Amnis House was the focus of much media attention around the same time last year, as students from UCC and Cork IT protested over the cost of rent at the accommodation complex, which ranged from €210 to €225 per week. This year, rent in the accommodation increased again, and now costs between €228 and €244 per week. A ruling on whether the year round, short term rental of rooms in the student accommodation complex is in breach of planning regulations is expected by the end of the month.

News

Government officials clash over porn regulation

fficials from two government departments disagreed over who should be in charge of the proposed legislation that would stop children from accessing pornographic content online. According to correspondence originally reported in TheJournal.ie, the proposed plan was to be modelled on the UK’s planned “porn block,” which would require adults to use an official ID to prove their age before accessing porn online. The UK laws were originally meant to come into effect on June 15th but were initially delayed after the government failed to notify the European Commission of certain aspects of the legislation, before being formally shut down by the British government this week. Caroline West, a doctoral scholar in sexuality at DCU said that while a block like this is “good in theory,” she doesn’t see it working.

“We don’t want children stumbling across adult content, because it isn’t for them but it’s just not going to work.” She says that it’s really sex education that we should be focusing on, not porn. In June, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told the Dáil about government plans to look into whether similar plans

could work here. “It is a matter of concern to all of us that pornography is now so accessible to young people and that many young people learn about sex through pornography, which is not an accurate representation of what is healthy in life,” said Varadkar. Much of the discussion over the introduction of legislation which would

Credit: Sonja Tutty

Sally Madden | Deputy News Editor

regulate access to online pornography has included specific reference to Ana Kriegel. A special advisor to Minister Flanagan mentioned Ana’s name in her inquiries into the UK’s plans, saying: “The Kriegal case has given rise to some debate on issues including (1) child access to pornography (2) online harassment & harmful communication.” On June 17th of this year, two 14-year-old boys, referred to in the media as Boy A and Boy B, were convicted of murdering Ana at an abandoned house last year. During the course of the investigation, gardaí seized a number of electronic devices belonging to Boy A, and the jury was shown a number of screenshots of search engine data showing requests by him to access pornographic content online. However, according to correspondence released under the Freedom of Information Act, the Department of Justice’s Cybercrime division insisted that such legislation did not fall within the Department remit, and was instead an issue for the Department of Com-

munication. The Cybercrime official claimed that as pornographic material is not illegal, and as the Department for Communication had chaired the National Advisory Council for Online Safety, they should be in charge of handling the legislation. The Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment claim that they “do not have any role in relation to child access to pornography or the UK law in relation to this matter…” The Department also claimed that while the issue of children accessing porn was a multifaceted one, which would concern multiple government departments, it was also sometimes a legal one. Both departments are now taking steps to tackle issues of online safety and pornography that fall within their scope of activity. Since the UK have formally shelved their proposed “porn-block,” it is not expected that the government will introduce such legislation here.

Megan Jones | Deputy News Editor @meganjones06

tudents from affluent backgrounds are far more likely to study high-point courses, according to a recent study. The research carried out by the Higher Education Authority found that courses such as medicine, business, engineering and finance have much higher proportions of affluent students while agricultural, social work, environmental and childcare programmes have larger numbers of students from “disadvantaged” backgrounds. The study, which is the first of its kind, included all publicly funded institutions in Ireland apart from Trinity College Dublin who declined to take part due to data protection concerns which have since been resolved. The Institute of Art, Design and Technology in Dún Laoghaire has the highest number of students from affluent areas enrolled, making up 35 per cent of their student body. The institute is followed closely by The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) and also UCD with enrolments mostly coming from the South Dublin Region. The Letterkenny Institute of Technology has the highest proportion of students from disadvantaged areas at

24 per cent with enrolments primarily coming from Donegal. Overall, universities have a much higher proportion of affluent students enrolled, while institutes of technologies are more likely to reflect the social profile of the national population. The study found that the socio-economic profile of the student body at the Institute of Technology Blanchardstown (which is now a part of Technological University Dublin) “most closely mirrors that of the national population”. The research also looked into the salaries of recent graduates from third level institutions. It found that despite studying the same course in the same institutions, students from affluent backgrounds earn up to 30 per cent more than their peers who come from less advantaged areas of the country. It also revealed that students who graduate from universities earn more than those who graduate from institutes of technologies. Catríona Ryan, Head of Access Policy at HEA, said she is satisfied with the institutions efforts so far to fix this issue: “We know that our higher education institutions are committed to increasing equity of access to higher education and have made significant progress over time,” she said. Ryan said that the efforts by third

Credit: Sonja Tutty

Fifth of DCU's student body comes from "affluent" areas

level institutions have been proven in the Progress Review of the National Access Plan. This plan showed that more students from DEIS schools are progressing to higher education and students from “disadvantaged CSO socio-economic groups” are showing higher education participation. Ryan said that these statistics show “progress towards enhanced equity of access”. According to the study by the authority, 20 per cent of DCU’s student

body comes from “affluent” areas and eight per cent come from more disadvantaged areas. With regards to DCU, the university claims to maintain “a strong tradition of creating equality of access to third level education for students from groups currently under-represented in higher education” through their ACCESS programme. Jonathon Lynam, a final year Journalism student here in DCU, is grateful for what the ACCESS Programme

has done for him. “The Access scheme has helped me out financially through the scholarship which has helped cover my travel costs to and from college as well as any other college expenses,” he said. Currently in DCU there are 1,300 students on the ACCESS programme and last year 252 students on the ACCESS programme graduated from the university with a higher honours degree.

News

DCU’s ties to Vietnamese university strengthened by STEM In Vietnam, like most places, there is a shortage in the recruitment for and teaching of STEM subjects which have a pivotal role in social and economic development. This partnership is seeking to break down the barriers to access STEM for all students.

Female Genital Mutilation prevention conference held in Dublin

kiDwA , Ireland’s network for migrant women, held a conference aimed at combatting FGM, last Tuesday in the city centre. Approximately 40 people from various occupations, attended the event in the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission building in Dublin 7 to hear speeches and Q&A panels from physicians, victims, and activists. The organisation warns that the number of girls at risk here continues to rise despite FGM being made illegal in Ireland in 2012. Speakers included Senator Ivana Bacik, leader of the Labour Party in the Seanad, and Aidan O’ Driscoll, the Secretary General of the Department of Justice and Equality. They were joined by representatives from Concern, the Cork Migrant Centre and the Irish Family Planning Association, during the five and half

hour long conference. “The conference will stir up discussion in relation to FGM and violence against women. I don’t believe that Irish people know enough about FGM,” Ashimedua Akonkwo, chairperson of AkiDwA told The College View. The organisation estimates that 5,795 women and girls in Ireland “have to deal with the consequences” of FGM, which the World Health Organisation defines as any procedure that involves the removal of the external female genitalia. FGM has no medical benefits and the tradition, which is practised in Africa and Asia, can cause long-term health issues and psychological disorders. A study of Kurdish girls who were forced into FGM showed that 44 per cent of girls had developed PTSD and 30 per cent had forms of depression. AkiDwA warns that consequences could be similar for survivors living in Ireland. Mariama Bah, a community health

ambassador, and FGM survivor spoke openly about how her mother forced her into the ritual, telling her “That is the tradition and you have to go through with it.” After relocating to Ireland she received genital reconstruction surgery and tearily told the audience how “I feel truly at home for getting the operation here, even though I’m in Direct Provision.” According to the organisation’s website, the conference seeks to build dialogue in Ireland’s migrant communities by exposing the myths that still surround FGM and provide a platform to address the challenges in communications about the issue. AkiDwa , derived from the Swahili word for sisterhood, was founded in 2001 and has since worked with local and national authorities to provide training to Gardai, social workers and health workers on how to sensitively talk to those affected by FGM, as well as other campaigning on behalf of migrant women.

Credit: Isabella Finn

Jamie McCarron | Contributor

In relation to the original collaboration, heads of the project Phan Nguyen Ai Nhi from the faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science at Ho Chi Minh University of Science and Joanna Ozarowska, Manager of DCU in the community said, “This unique Vietnamese-Irish co-operation in promoting SL and STEM for socio-economic development and active citizenship has huge potential”. Last week, Holmes welcomed Vice President International, Prof MinhTried TRANS, Head of Software Engineering and Artificial Intelligence Laboratories and the HCMUS delegation to DCU for the first time following the new agreement and first funded collaboration of the VIBE2019 programme. “The opportunity for collaboration is immense with the investment by your [Vietnamese] government in the

science and technology parks aligned to leading higher education institutions and their focus on ICT, bio-technology, medical devices and AI, all key strengths of this university,” said Holmes. The VIBE funds research projects based on their alignment with and relevance to Ireland’s Strategy in Vietnam and are funded by the Embassy of Ireland in Vietnam, according to Irish Aid. Holmes is expecting renewed funding for 2020/2021 through the VIBE programme which will strengthen links with HCMUS in years to come. According to Holmes, five conference publications which were co-written by DCU and HCMUS staff have been published since the start of the year and this number is expected to rise.

No smoking policy to be implemented on DCU campuses Tadgh McNally| News Editor @TadghMN

CU is planning on creating smoke-free zones across its three campuses, with smaller smoking shelters to be built within

each campus. According to maps made available online, there will be three smoking and vaping shelters across both the Glasnevin campus and St Patrick’s campus, with two on All Hallows. On Glasnevin, they are planned to be located in car parks behind the O’Reilly Library, near sports pitches and opposite the Helix and Henry Grattan. On St Patrick’s, they will also be located within car parks beside the student accommodation, next to Block A and within car park 5 next to Block E. On All Hallows, they will be located within the two car parks on campus. A majority of all three campuses will become smoke and vape free zones, with small areas where smoking and vaping will be permitted alongside the shelters. The smoke-free campus initiative is currently in a consultation stage until October 30th, and the planned locations of shelters are still subject to change. A referendum by DCU Students’ Union was held last year to decide

whether or not the SU should lobby DCU to create no-smoking zones. The referendum was passed by 1,224 yes votes compared to 560 no votes. Samantha Fahy, DCU’s sustainability manager, also said that 88 per cent of staff have also expressed that they are in favour of creating smoke-free zones across DCU campuses. The enforcement of the no-smoking zones is going to be the most difficult part of the implementation, according to Fahy. She expects that a lot of it will come down to peer implementation, as well as people acknowledging the increased signage that will be brought in. “We are not going to be heavy-handed on this. This is something that the community actually wanted to happen,” said Fahy. Fahy explained that, alongside the health benefits of creating the zones, the amount of cigarette butts that end up littering the campus is another factor. “They [cigarette butts] are the largest source of litter across our entire campus,” said Fahy. Alongside these changes, DCU will be promoting supports for both students and staff to help them quit smoking starting on October 30th. These supports being provided by Northside Partnership, and will offer a six-week smoking cessation course as well as one-to-one QUIT clinics every Wednesday.

Credit: Tim Parkinson

CU and Ho Chi Minh City University of Science (HCMUS) in Vietnam, have signed an agreement to further strengthen their academic links through research funded by the VIBE programme. Announcing the agreement on October 18th, Trevor Holmes, Vice President of External Affairs in DCU said that the Memorandum of Understanding between both universities demonstrates the increasing academic and enterprise linkages between both countries, particularly since the opening of an Irish embassy in Vietnam in 2005. Both universities have collaborated previously. In 2017 a bid by DCU in the Community and HCMUS as

part of the Irish Aid funded Vietnam Ireland Bilateral Education Exchange (VIBE) was accepted in the aim of developing an innovative community based learning methodology for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) in Vietnam.

Credit: Goodfreephotos

Shauna Power | Contributor

News

Guidelines on supporting 8,000 women with transgender students in school breast implants published in Northern Ireland warned about risk

orthern Ireland’s Education Authorities (EA) have published guidelines on supporting transgender students in school, earlier this month. The guidelines for schools in supporting transgender students – including non-binary, gender queer, and gender fluid students – were published after several schools asked for guidance and will apply to pre-schools, primary schools, post-primary and all other schools under the EA. DCU similarly introduced new guidelines this March on supporting transgender students, but DCU LGBTA Society’s Trans and Non-binary Officer Shane Barr says it is still not enough. Shane said DCU’s Student Gender Identity and Expression policy is effective and helpful for transgender students, and said it “ensures trans students are seen for who they are and feel safe to express themselves on campus.” Roughly 75 per cent of transgender students do not feel safe in their schools, according to a survey by Gay and Lesbian Independent School Teachers Network. Transgender Equality Network Ireland (TENI) supports individuals and advocates for legislation and social change in supporting the Irish transgender community. “Ireland’s healthcare system is not meeting the needs of our community”

they said in a recent statement, “We are waiting too long, we are navigating an often inaccessible system and our identities are often being questioned.” In order to access hormones in Ireland, a psychiatrists referral to a gender endocrinologist and diagnosis of gender dysphoria are needed. But, there are only three endocrinologists in Ireland who prescribe hormone replacement therapy. A HSE representative has said the waiting time is currently 13 months for an endocrinologist appointment, but many wait longer due to several factors including “capacity constraints.” Shane Barr added that DCU’s policy - while supporting transgender students - does not have the same support for other members of the LGBTQ+ community. “The policy doesn’t include non-bi-

nary students in recognising their gender identity due to its access routes.” Though mentioning non-binary students and preferred pronouns, the policy does not offer specific support for non-binary students. They went on to say that non-binary people are not recognised under Ireland’s gender recognition legislation and therefore cannot change their birth certificates or other documents - some of which DCU requires for student registration. There are current proposals in place to recognise non-binary people, and Shane said he hopes DCU ensures any legislative change is mirrored in the university. “In the meantime, [DCU] should work to make sure their accommodations and supports for trans students are inclusive of non-binary identifying students as well.”

Credit: Joy Nwagiriga

Sonja Tutty | Images Editor @SonjadeJourno

of rare cancer Sonja Tutty | Images Editor @SonjadeJourno

oughly 8,000 patients with a specific type of breast implant are being warned by the HSE that they are at risk of a rare form of cancer. Individuals who have received breast implants – for cosmetic or reconstructive reasons - are advised to be aware of any symptoms of the rare cancer of the immune system, which can be caused by complications with the implant. Breast Implant Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (BIA-ALCL) is a rare complication of breast implants associated with Allergan BIOCELL texture-surface implants. The risk of having BIA-ALCL is 1 in 3,300. Fortunately, the complication is diagnosed and treated early with a high rate of recovery and there has also been no reported case of BIA-ALCL in Ireland. As of October 9th, the HSE has sent letters to individuals affected which advise them of the risk. People who received implants in a private hospital or abroad should be contacted by their implant surgeon - or reach out to them - and follow their advice. They added that if an individual cannot contact their private implant surgeon or hospital, they should go directly to their GP.

A dedicated telephone helpline will be given in the HSE letters to guide concerned patients and organize appointment or a clinical review if necessary. Dr Vida Hamilton, HSE National Clinical Advisor and Group Lead, Acute Operations said, “The purpose of the letter is to inform people about this condition, and to ensure that individuals with implants are familiar with the symptoms and signs so they know when they should go and get a check-up.” These specific types of implants have been withdrawn from use in Europe and are now subject to a global recall. These Allergan BIOCELL implants have not been used in Ireland since December 2018. International medical experts have said that people should not have the implants removed except in rare cases of treatment of BIA-ALCL, according to the HSE. The Irish Cancer Society similarly said, “There is no recommendation nationally or internationally to have these implants removed.” But people are advised to be aware of new swelling, lumps, pain, and asymmetry of the breasts. The HSE noted that fluid can collect around the implant for reasons other than BIA-ALCL, and can often just be a part of the healing process. Dr Vida Hamilton pointed out that, “If you have no symptoms or signs there is no need for any action on your part.”

Róisín Phelan | Features Editor @_roisinphelan

he European Students' Union (ESU) and the Erasmus Student Network (ESN) have joined together to urge the EU to triple funding for the Erasmus+ programme. The funding for 2014-2020 was €14.7bn. These two European student organisations launched a joint position paper in Brussels on Friday, October 18th asking for triple of their previous allocated amount. This requested amount would be €44.1bn. The groups say they need this funding to “ensure a more equal access for a larger group of beneficiaries from all ages” in order to “respond to the high demand of smaller organisations and individual citizens, especially those from disadvantaged groups who will struggle to access and be successful in the current programme.”

Erasmus+ is an EU student exchange programme started in 1987. Over the last 30 years over nine million people have benefited from the programme through exchange, education and training. Erasmus+ offer grants to students who are on exchange and supports teaching, research, networking and policy debate on EU topics. The sports chapter of the program also promotes grassroots activities in sports. The Council of Ministers are offering only double the funding for the next program cycle, while the ESU and ESN are requesting triple. The join position paper was written in an attempt to convince the Council to increase the funding to triple. DCU were awarded the “Erasmus Charter for Higher Education 20142020” and agreed to provide guidance, support and assistance to all students DCU students who partake in an Erasmus program. This includes obtaining

insurance, visas and accommodation. DCU student Eoin Slevin is currently studying in Madrid as part of his Erasmus. “I think having an Erasmus as part of my degree has really benefited my education,” said Slevin. Only two months into his time in Madrid, Slevin feels as though he’s “learned more Spanish in the time that I’ve been here than I did in the years I spent studying Spanish in Ireland.” “Having Erasmus as part of a course definitely makes it more appealing to students... I know people in my course who chose DCU for this reason,” said Slevin. Although not all courses involve an Erasmus period, DCU offers formal recognition of time spent abroad for the courses that do, meaning that students receive academic credits that go towards a student’s final grade for their involvement in the Erasmus program.

Credit: WikiMedia

European students urge EU to triple funding for Erasmus+

Lack of diversity in media discussed at “Women in Leadership” panel event TÉ broadcaster Áine Lawlor says that media is not as diverse as it should be. She spoke at a panel discussion on “Women in Leadership in Media” which took place in the Helix in DCU on October 23rd. The panel was part of the Mary McAleese’s Lecture Series called “Women in Leadership”. The series is in partnership with DCU and features a variety of high-profile women who will discuss their own stories of leadership in their workplaces and industries. Lawlor delivered a keynote address which was followed by a panel discussion between journalist and former Newstalk broadcaster Dil Wickremasinghe, Disability Sports and Irish language broadcaster Daráine Mulvihill and Emmy-nominated di-

rector and television producer Shauna Keogh. Dr Jane Suiter of the School of Communications hosted the panel and following audience Q&A. Lawlor said that although the industry in general is becoming more diverse with more women coming up through the ranks, there are still massive disparities when it comes to age and skin colour within the media industry: “Television has a tendency to homogenisation of the young and wrinkle free… colour and age are the glaring gaps.” The general consensus within the panel was that gender representation is not all that needs working on. Wickremasinghe, who is from Sri Lanka originally, said that the public and her employers were always shocked that her show, Global Village, which was on Newstalk, had one of the highest ratings on the station. She said that people rarely expect foreign women to do well in media,

because they are not the stereotypical successful broadcaster, even now. Daráine Mulvihill, who had meningitis as a teenager and was left with prosthetic fingers and lower legs, said that although she is a successful presenter for disability sports, it is still an ongoing battle for her to prove that she was capable of the work and

just as credible a broadcaster as any able-bodied person. To remedy these diversity gaps, Lawlor and Keogh encouraged the audience to support only media outlets that treat their employees fairly and actively work to have a diverse staff in all aspects, not just in gender representation. Keogh said the best way is to

“support female-made shows, spread the word and create traction.” Leadership roles in the media industry were also discussed as each panellist shared stories of the challenges they had faced while working in what was a very male-dominated industry.

Credit: Jennifer Keegan

Jennifer Keegan | Contributor

News

Students face over 10 per Same-sex parents cent rent increase in Dublin still not offered equal legal protections accommodation complex tudents in shared rooms, living in LIV accommodation complex in Dublin could face price increases between 11 per cent and 14 per cent, due to an administrative error. The 53 student residents signed contracts in the beginning of September, when the rooms were priced at €270 per week. However management has now revealed that the contract signed was for single rooms, and not shared. The students are now facing an increase of €18.75 per week, for those with bunk beds, and an increase of €15.62 per week, for those with a shared bed. This will lead to new rent payments of €150.62 and €153.75 respectively. The new increased rent rates will apply at the start of next month’s payment. This came out on September 20th, when the students were paying single room rates for a shared room, and only one signature was found to be on the contracts for the shared rooms. “After discussions and realising the obvious misunderstanding that had occurred between the students and the member of staff involved it was decided to arrive at a fair and balanced compromise that was then put to all the students involved,” said Simon Pollard, general manager of LIV accommodation in Dublin.

violation of the rent cap, they could face fines of up to €15,000, according to the board. Many students now face an uncertain future in their accommodation, as the now increased rent rates could force students to seek cheaper accommodation. “We’ve basically been told to either pay the increased rent or find somewhere else to live”, said one student. “We signed a contract, we shouldn’t have to pay increased rents.” “I have exams, assignments, classes, and now I have to look for a room”, said another student. “I have college five days a week, there’s no time for me to try and view properties.”

Credit: Liv Accomodation

Cian Dunne | Contributor

“My team and I are sorry that this situation has arisen and will ensure that there can be no repetition of this isolated and administrative incident occurring in the future.” Students were advised by the Department of Housing to refer the case to the Residential Tenancies Board dispute-resolution process, if they believe that LIV Student are in violation of contracts. LIV Student will now face an investigation from the Residential Tenancies Board dispute-resolution process to see if they have broken the four per cent rent cap on student accommodation. If found that LIV Student are in

Brendan Fernando Kelly Palenque | Editor-in-Chief @BrendanFK

oth parents in a same-sex couple should be offered the same legal protections according to Equality For Children protestors on Monday, October 21st. The Equality For Children campaign is a group made up of primarily same-sex parents who would like both parents to be registered on their child’s birth certificate. One of their spokespersons, Gearoid Kenny Moore, explained how only allowing one parent to be registered on their child’s birth certificate affects day-to-day life. “So on a practical basis this means that when we bring our children for medical appointments or try to enroll them in schools only one of the parents can consent to those procedures,” he said. In May of next year, same-sex female couples will be able to register themselves as their child’s parents under the Children and Family Relationships Act. However, this will only be possible for the couple if they used an Irish clinic to conceive their child with an identifiable donor. The Equality For Children campaign said this leaves many same-sex couples behind, and for that reason they staged their demonstration outside the Department of Health. After their protest, they had a meeting with

Minister for Health Simon Harris to discuss their concerns. Harris described the meeting as “positive” and said: “I share the views of the families here today that the current situation is not acceptable.” Another spokesperson for Equality For Children, Elaine Grange, said that Harris originally promised to enact the Children and Family Relationship Act on October 9th. “There’s a point where they are making it more complicated by trying to regulate every single corner of an ever changing shape,” she said. Grange - who is a mother of two - said that when she had to bring her son to the hospital due to an infection, she was worried about whether the hospital would let her sign his medical form. “That’s wrong. I should have been worried [about] why my child woke up at three in the morning screaming in agony with a roaring fever,” she said. Kenny Moore also has two children and according to him, Harris said it was unlikely that new legislation accounting for all families would be enacted retroactively to currently existing families. “It’s very likely that we’ll never get the rights that we look for,” Kenny Moore said. However, the Department of Health said that the new act would allow for retrospective parentage, but only for donor-conceived children born in Ireland.

News

Shauna Burdis | Deputy News Editor @ShaunaBurdis

ong-term exposure to the blue light emitted by smartphones, laptops and other digital devices can speed up the ageing process and may lead to brain damage, according to scientists. Experiments conducted on common fruit flies have shown long periods of exposure to this light impaired their mobility and caused brain cells to deteriorate. Jaga Giebultowicz, a professor at Oregon State University’s Department of Integrative Biology, said “humans are subjected to increasing amounts of light in the blue spectrum since commonly used LED’s emit a high fraction

of blue light. “But this technology, LED lighting, even in most developed countries, has not been used long enough to know its effects across the human lifespan.” Scientists say that their findings raise question to whether spending too much time in the artificial light can impact human’s overall health. The new study, published in the Journal “Ageing and Mechanisms of Disease”, found that even blind flies – who suffered from a mutation which stopped them from developing eyes - showed similar types of damage, which concluded that the flies did not have to be able to see the blue light to be harmed by it. Fruit flies were exposed to different forms of light. They spent 12 hours in light and 12 hours in darkness as part of their daily cycle. Another group of fruit fly was kept

in constant complete darkness. According to the researchers, the flies who were exposed to the blue light showed damage to their brain neurons and retinal cells and had shorter lives compared to the flies kept in darkness. The flies exposed to the blue light also demonstrated reduced climbing ability, which is a common sign of ageing. Relatively mild light was also seen to shorten their life span by five to 15 per cent. Professor Giebultowicz stated that this result cannot be applied to humans, as the human brain “would receive less light than fly brains”. “We can only say that long-term exposure to blue light has damaging effects on cells – and cells in flies and humans function in similar ways.” She also said, “it was very clear cut

Credit: Shaw Airforce Base

Blue light from smartphones may lead to ageing and brain damage

that although light without blue slightly shortened their lifespan, just blue light alone shortened their lifespan very dramatically.” For those wanting to protect their

eyes from the blue light, researchers advise wearing glasses with amber lenses that can filter blue light and changing phone and other device settings to block blue emissions.

Zuckerberg says Facebook will not police free speech acebook will not moderate political campaign ads even if they spread misinformation said CEO and Founder Mark Zuckerberg. Speaking to students at Georgetown University last week, Zuckerberg cited the right to “freedom of speech” laid down in America’s first amendment as the reason behind the call made by the social media company with 2.4 billion users. “Given the sensitivity around political ads, I’ve considered whether we should stop allowing them altogether,” Zuckerberg said. “But political ads are an important part of voice, especially for local candidates, up-and-coming challengers, and advocacy groups that may not get much media attention otherwise. Banning political ads favours incumbents and whoever the media

covers.” This comes at a time when Facebook is under investigation for possible anti-trust violations by the Justice Department of the US, as well as dwindling support for its proposed

crypto-currency program Libra. Zuckerberg’s defence, that “private companies should not have the right to censor political campaigns”, does not take into consideration the fact that the spread of misinformation has been

Credit: Heureka

Vishwajeet Gain | Contributor

aided in the past by Facebook’s lax regulation of content, most notably in the 2016 US Election and the Brexit referendum in the UK. “These tech companies have become so influential that they have to take some responsibility for the advertisements on their site,” said Dawn Wheatley, assistant professor in DCU’s School of Communications. “This is not a freedom of expression issue as these are financial transactions which Facebook are actively involved in.” “In that regard, it doesn't matter if the ads are political or for something more trivial. Facebook should properly check and verify the content in ads and not just take money from any advertising group willing to pay.” Several non-profit organisations criticised a number of Facebook policies, including those about hate speech and voter suppression. When discuss-

ing discriminatory speech, Zuckerberg repeatedly stressed his commitment to “free expression” and said he feared “potentially cracking down too much”. Facebook’s policies on allowing misinformation in political advertising have been the subject of intense debate in recent weeks, following the platform’s refusal to take down a Donald Trump campaign ad that made misleading statements about the Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. Elizabeth Warren, Democratic senator and 2020 presidential candidate, has called out Facebook for being a ‘disinformation-for-profit machine’. In response to the new policy, she ran a political ad claiming Zuckerberg supports Trump for the 2020 election. Unsurprisingly, the post hasn’t been removed by Facebook.

Abortion and same-sex marriage decriminalised in Northern Ireland Sally Dobie | Production & Podcast Editor @Sarah_or_Sally

bortion and same-sex marriage have been decriminalised in Northern Ireland after Westminster MPs decided to repeal the legislation. The Northern Ireland Parliament, also known as Stormont, collapsed in 2017 so the decision to repeal sections 58 and 59 of the Offences against the Person Act 1861 was made in Westminster.

Much of the campaigning took place online, with the hashtag “North is Now”. Dr Mary McAuliffe, UCD lecturer on Gender Studies and advocate for women's rights, congratulated the campaigners on Twitter, and said the DUP were told to “get back in their box.” “Yesterday’s shenanigans at Stormont was really ridiculous,” she said, “they were never going to be able to get the executive together.” Precious Life, a pro-life organisation based in Belfast, said the decision was “undemocratic”. Lucy Kelly, a co-ordinator for Precious Life’s project Youth For Life, said due to

parties like Sinn Fein not taking their seats in Westminster, the true opinions of the Northern Irish people were not recognised. “Over the years we have constantly voted for pro-life politicians and prolife parties to represent us and none of the politicians who voted for this law were from Northern Ireland or spoke for the people of Northern Ireland, so the irony is crazy.” Dr McAuliffe said there was “lots done, lots more to do”, and the effort by pro-choice campaigners could not be ignored. “Certainly the streets were very important,” she said, stating that the

“women-led, feminist grass-roots campaigns” contributed to the Repeal the Eighth campaign last year as well. Precious Life also said they will continue with their “Fight Back” campaign. “It’s a different type of battle now,” said Lucy Kelly. “Our fight will be continuing to change hearts and minds about this to expose the reality of abortion and provide that compassionate care for women” A press release from the Abortion Rights Campaign, a grass-roots group of volunteers, said the decriminalisation of abortion is “a momentous step for human rights in the North

and a testament to the unwavering dedication and determination of local activists.” On the change in legislation, a DUP spokesperson said: “These are both issues which should be decided upon and legislated for by the Northern Ireland Assembly.” “If other MLAs had joined our call back in August 2017 and since, to form an Assembly and have a talks process in parallel, then these issues along with the needs of our hospitals and schools could have been addressed in the Assembly.”

News

GDPR prevents schools UCD experts find from sharing vaccine information with HSE breakthrough in cure for EB

chools are unable to pass on information about their students including key health records to the HSE as a result of GDPR regulations. These new regulations were put in place in May 2018, following privacy scandals such as the Cambridge Analytica case. The enforcement of stricter privacy policies has resulted in drastic impacts for school systems regarding the exchange of the data of their students, especially records concerning their health. Paul Byrne, deputy director of the National Association of Principles and Deputy Principles told the Irish Examiner that as a result of the new regulations, schools can no longer “share certain information with the HSE or TUSLA,” as it does not follow the regulatory guidelines. In June of this year, the HSE published a data protection policy document that outlines their processes for data protection following the GDPR implementation, the storage management of the data they obtain and their policy regarding the education of this regulation to their members of staff. However, it does not detail any further education given to school bodies regarding their management and control of student data to ensure the school board understands its responsibility.

This has created a multitude of problems for schools across the country as they are unable to share records of student vaccinations to the HSE, which would aid in the targeting of areas where certain vaccines are not being taken in. This in turn results in a younger population becoming susceptible to different viruses and diseases. The reason behind this is to prevent school boards using the data of their students for marketing purposes without their consent and to ensure individual data is protected. In addition to this, schools are uncertain as to whether they are permitted to share the data of past pupils when asked for a reference. Byrne said that schools are per-

mitted to give the dates that the pupil began their education in the school to their graduation but are “now afraid to share any information,” as there is uncertainty about the limits of regulations. A website called GDPR for school’s details key changes for school boards including the necessary fulfilment of individual data requests within a month and mandatory reporting of data breaches. However, the promotion of this website has been minor. The Press Office for the HSE were contacted for a comment regarding the passing of information about these regulations to school boards but as of printing have yet to respond.

Credit: Anne Karakash

Rachel Power | Advertising & Marketing Executive @Rachel_M_Power

Isabella Finn | Illustrations Editor @isabellafarfalla

team of gene therapy researchers from University College Dublin (UCD) have made developments in finding a cure for the skin disease Epidermolysis Bullosa – EB. EB is also referred to as the "butterfly" skin disease because those who suffer with it have "skin as fragile as the wings of a butterfly" for which there is currently no cure. Debra Ireland provides help to EB patients and extends support to their families. Debra Ireland describes EB as an exhausting battle with endless blistering stating “even gentle skin contact causes devastating wounds”. EB currently affects about 300 people in Ireland and is a result of a fault in the gene which prevents the proper binding of our layers of skin together. The sores and blisters produced by even minimal contact can be internal and external. The breakthrough solution composed by researchers from UCD uses gene therapy to repair bad cells and create themselves into functioning ones. This breakthrough has the potential to aid a permanent cure for patients with a severe strand of the disease, Recessive Dystrophic EB. Professor Wenxin Wang, from

UCD School of Medicine, has been researching EB for ten years with the help of Debra Ireland. One of the leading gene therapy researchers from Professor Wang’s team, Dr Jonathan O’Keeffe Ahern said “The best of this therapy is that it would not involve painful skin grafting procedures or risks associated with viral treatments in delivering functioning genes to the skin,”. Referencing the breakthrough as the “‘Fed Ex’ of gene editing”, Dr Jonathan O’Keeffe Ahern describes the process as “using a postcode” to send the programmed repairing gene treatment to where it needs to go. It then cuts out the non-functioning aspect of the gene and the repairing cells are programmed to fill the space and heal the gene. He added “the gel would be applied, absorbed and go to work. With further research, we could expand this to the other EB types and even other genetic conditions,". With more development this technique could be used to help find cures for diseases like cystic fibrosis or Huntington’s disease. Debra Ireland Head of Research Dr Sinead Hickey said “This is a very exciting time for people involved in EB research. We depend totally on public funding, and we are now at a stage where every euro can make a vital difference to the future lives of people living with this condition,”.

Sally Dobie | Production & Podcast Editor @Sarah_or_Sally

he first cases of electric scooters being driven with no insurance went to court last week. This is allegedly the first time cases like this were brought before a judge. According to the Irish Times, Sergei Maslov of Tallaght, Dublin, was charged in March with riding a “black electric unicycle” on a public road in Templeogue without insurance. Gheorghe Bidiac was charged with the same offence with a black electric scooter, at the same time in the same place as Mr Maslov. Mr Maslov’s court case took place in Blanchardstown District Court in front of Judge Gerard Jones, however he was not in court and the case was

delayed to December. Mr Bidiac’s barrister also requested his case be pushed back, reported the Irish Times. The popularity of electrical bicycles and scooters has risen greatly, and is a growing economy with the lowest prices on scooters normally being around €300. According to the RSA, "mechanically propelled vehicles" (MPVs) including electric scooters, bicycles, unicycle and skateboards must be "roadworthy, registered, taxed and insured." On the Garda website, they state in their Frequently Asked Questions that eScooters and other MVPs should be insured, taxed and the owner should be licensed to drive it, just as with any other vehicle as defined in the Road Traffic Act 1961. However since it is not possible to tax eScooters they should not be used in public places. YouTuber RazzaOfficial contacted his local authority to ask how much

tax he should pay after being stopped by Garda on his electric skateboard, who told him to check the Garda FAQs. In a YouTube video posted last year, he then contacted the motor tax office, who said they never taxed an electric skateboard before, but later replied and said MVPs are “required to be taxed as an electric cycle at the rate of €35 per year.” In the RSA FAQs, they said regardless of the type of vehicle or speed capabilities, “If they can be powered by mechanical or electrical power alone i.e. can go without you pedalling or scooting it, then they are considered to be a mechanically propelled vehicle (MPV)”, and should be taxed and licensed. However, RazzaOfficial was told by the Motor Taxation Office his electric skateboard does not require road tax “as it is not heavy or fast enough and has no registration number”.

Credit: Flickr

First e-scooter case brought to court

The end of the Brexit circus will reveal the government’s domestic failings Calum Atkinson explains how Brexit concluding could actually be bad news for the government

he end finally appears to be in sight to the Brexit negotiations which have dominated the agenda for the entirety of Leo Varadkar’s time as Taoiseach. Varadkar emerges from the negotiations with an enhanced reputation with both Michel Barnier and Jean-Claude Juncker paying tribute to the role he played. Recent polls show Fine Gael leading on 29 per cent but all may not be as it seems. While undoubtedly a crucial issue, Brexit has acted as a distraction from other major issues facing Irish society and given the government a ready made excuse for many problems. With the negotiations concluding, the government may finally have to face up to the domestic problems their policies have exacerbated. In August of this year 10,338 people were accessing emergency accommodation, 3,848 of whom were children. This is an 8.5 per cent increase on

August 2018 and the problem just continues to get worse. The government are having no success in tackling this problem and the minister is still in a job. More shocking than these statistics are some of the images encountered in Dublin. Homeless people sleeping in doorways and groups of people queuing for food from charities are regular sights in Dublin at night. This week a photograph of a young homeless boy eating pasta while sitting on the Dublin pavement went viral. The homeless crisis is a national disgrace but in many ways it now feels like old news. The crisis hasn’t gone away, it’s gotten worse. Brexit is so dominant in the media, other stories almost feel forgotten. The government’s poor performance also extends into the health service. Waiting lists grow longer and longer. The number of people on long-term hospital waiting lists has jumped by 800 percent in the last three years. The health service has also faced the cervical check scandal as well as the billion euro overspend on the new National Children’s Hospital. Health minister Simon Harris is also still in

his job despite numerous calls for him to resign. Fine Gael have been in government for almost a decade. In the first few years they blamed the banking crisis for the crippling austerity imposed on the Irish people. Since the vote on June 23rd 2016, “Brexit uncertainty” has been used to explain away many problems. No doubt they’ll find more excuses. The dominance of Brexit and the sense the Irish government handled the negotiations well explains at least in part how Varadkar is enjoying a 51 per cent approval rating. But when Brexit is no longer the dominant issue it will be easier for people to see this government’s failure in other crucial areas. When the compromised Brexit deal was reached, you’d expect a feeling of relief around government buildings. But in reality it was probably more like dread. Dread, that soon there’ll be no Brexit to distract from the ineptitude of the government and their ugly domestic policies. The Brexit circus will soon leave town and the public will be more clearly able to see the true state of many aspects of the country.

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With the negotiations concluding, the government may finally have to face up to the domestic problems their policies have exacerbated

What gene editing means for our future

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Clara Kelly asks what the development of gene editing technology means for society

ot long ago two little girls called Lulu and Nana celebrated their first birthday, the Chinese twins are the first humans to have every cell in their body genetically modified using Crispr-Cas9 Crispr is a revolutionary gene-editing process that allows the DNA in embryos to be edited to carry certain characteristics. Biochemist He Jiankui, and his colleagues used Crispr to introduce genetic mutations into otherwise healthy

embryos in an attempt to minimise the girls’ susceptibility to HIV infection. The procedure was deemed unnecessary and possibly ineffective, and in direct defiance of scientific morals. Which means these young girls could be likely to also feature health consequences. But we must also evaluate the ethical and moral concerns when it comes to gene editing. In the months following, he was labelled a “rogue” scientist by the scientific community. Meanwhile, governments rushed to assemble expert groups to develop regulatory guidelines that could prevent similar actions from other

Image Credit: Pexels

Clara Kelly|Comment Editor @clarabkelly

“outliers.” The global market for Crispr gene-editing products as medicine, to develop new crops and other uses is predicted to be 5.3 billion by 2025. Continued advances in Crispr precision and ease of use, are likely to make that number even higher. And while nobody is denying the positive impacts of being able to alter genes in ways that could possibly protect humanity from a range of disease. I would argue the technology is not developed enough to be used on real people or embryos just yet. Crispr gene editing has the potential to treat a wide range of diseases from sickle cell anaemia to muscular dystrophy and cancer. Parents may one day be able to genetically customise their children’s health, physical features and abilities. Meaning Crispr could become the genetic scissors that tailors the human gene pool, but at what cost? With such power in hand, we must ask, what type of future are we trying to create? Most people would support a future where Crispr is used to treat over 10,000 diseases that impact 75 million people every year.

With such power in hand, we must ask, what type of future are we trying to create?

Image Credit: Flickr

Calum Atkinson | Deputy Comment Editor @CalumAtkinson

But should Crispr also be used to eradicate deafness, for example, and by extension, eradicate a rich and vibrant deaf community? Should it be used to increase intelligence or muscle strength? What about changing children’s eye colour? Or their sexuality? The future becomes blurry when Crispr applications move beyond treating disease. And do we want to risk a future where everything that makes us unique is wiped away in some dystopian future like fashion. Uniqueness in all of it’s forms should be celebrated and it can be a slippery slope from changing one flaw, to creating societally “perfect” carbon copies. Not to mention the other reasons why gene alteration must be critically analysed. Gene-edited children will be expensive, creating the potential to further entrench the dominant view of the privileged. And in a society where there is already a divide in the classes as well as a disadvantage to those who don’t fit societal norms, we need to do everything in our power, to not widen that gap.

Comment

Are Extinction Rebellion’s methods damaging their message? Ross Boyd discusses if Extinction Rebellion’s recent acts are alienating the public

xtinction Rebellion has been in the limelight in recent weeks, following the conclusion of the International Rebellion Week 2, from the 7th of October, receiving criticism from the general public after activists stood on top of a metro train at Canning Town in London, and separately a Fast Fashion protest at Pennys and Brown Thomas in Dublin. It first must be noted that due to the decentralised structure of Extinction Rebellion, neither groups are linked and in the local branches, affinity groups perform their own actions under the banner of Extinction Rebellion but only with the memorandum of ensuring their actions fall under the ideals of Extinction Rebellion and their three demands and only update the main group with progress to allow support in any setup or idea blocks. This also applies to national and local groups, which while they do frequently collab, they all have their own groups independent from each other and must be noted that any actions, despite reflecting on the group, is representative of only a tiny minority of it. In relation to their demands, Extinction Rebellion has three main demands of governments, to “Tell the Truth”, “Act like it’s an emergency” and “Ensure a Just Transition”. Regarding both actions, it can be said that while it does

highlight the emergency of the climate crisis is likely to affect working-class people the most, they are the people most needed to be on their side. Yet, by stopping working-class people in Canning Town, an area in East London, and by creating a misinterpretation that Pennys is unsuitable for people to shop in, it can be seen as excluding lower-income families and people and creates a sense of hesitancy for people to back disruptive moments, even if it is Extinction Rebellion’s methods of creating awareness through non-violent direct action (NVDA). It also led to a social media frenzy with even those sympathetic to Extinction Rebellion noting the hypocrisy of pointing out fast fashion with the rationality of being a culprit to buying clothes from there too. Some even claimed to have pointed out that some seemed to be browsing the aisles while protesting. However, it is unlikely to be harming their message. They are aware they are not here to make friends, that they feel old ways of picketing and promises are shrouded in politics, and that any sort of climate action must be beyond politics. In reflection, the survival of the planet probably should be considered more urgently than carbon taxes, particularly when the IPCC report on climate change gives us only 11 years to reverse our harmful emissions and

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Image Credit: Aoibhin Meghen

Ross Boyd| Contributor

livelihoods, and with the Global South already facing the effects of climate change well before it became a literal “hot” topic. The rule of thumb also states that you need 3.5 per cent of the population in order to have enough political will to create substantial change. In Irish terms, that is around 175,000, which looking at the recent climate protests, is not an unrealistic number, especially when you include people who were unable to attend and wanted to go, and even just politically active citizens who find climate change as

the biggest issue for voters. If their overall message is being harmed by their tactics, probably not. Many involved in Extinction Rebellion do see some of their actions as being ineffective or losing their intended message, yet if you contrast their overall week of rebelling against the system and of successful actions, it is likely to be of a refinement of actions rather than a complete change of strategy, the Irish Branch’s next meeting on the 24th likely to affirm that and the entire week of almost full success.

It also led to a social media frenzy with even those sympathetic to Extinction Rebellion noting the hypocrisy

An adult psychiatric unit is no place for a child

Shauna Power| Contributor

he lack of psychiatric units specifically designed for children in Ireland, means children are being placed in adult psychiatric wards or worse, going untreated. This is resulting in an ongoing crisis of mental-health illnesses in young people that affects their quality of life as they get older Naturally, people have different needs depending on age and gender. Adult psychiatric units are often populated by people who may be verbally abusive, physically threatening or distressing to be around. In sound health it is often difficult to deal with mentally ill people, so why are we asking vulnerable young people to cope with them? They can’t and they shouldn’t have to. Having mental health problems is an agonising form of loneliness in itself and the help of friends and family is essential on the road to recovery. Many of these adult facilities are miles away from the Childs home. To put it bluntly, this form of care is inappropriate and potentially harmful.

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Children are our future, the leaders of tomorrow. If we are failing to help them now, they will fail to help us later

In 2013, the Royal College of Surgeons issued a report which studied a number of cases in children aged 11 to 24. They found that a third of children are likely to have experienced some form of a mental health disorder by the age of 13. Early detection of mental disorders is vital through public health nursing, primary care services, community care services, child care services and educational services. It is easy to link the lack of facilities to a lack of funding but there has been extra funds allocated to tackle the lack of mental health services in recent years. In the 2019 budget, an extra €55 million was given to improve mental health services around Ireland but yet there has been no increase in the amount of specialised childcare facilities or training for child psychiatric nurses, to help our countries’ most vulnerable citizen, a child. The government’s ‘Vision for Change’ mental health strategy was published in 2006 and outlined 100 CAMHS were needed to meet patient demand. In 2017, according to department of health figures, there were just 60 beds available nationally.

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Shauna Power discusses the lack of access to children’s mental health services in Ireland, and how the government must do more

Without adequate resources to help young people, they continue to suffer with their mental-health. Children have no place in Adult psychiatric wards, the system needs to change,

sooner rather than later. Children are our future, the leaders of tomorrow. If we are failing to help them now, they will fail to help us later.

Comment

GDPR and the safety of our data and privacy Rachel Power asks how safe our information is in the modern day in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal and the implmentation of GDPR

ith the number of social media sites and tech based firms on the rise annually, how safe is our data and privacy when we’re online? We’ve all had the experience of googling a certain restaurant or online shopping for instance, logging out of the basket and having the same items you were looking at appear on your timeline on Facebook or Instagram. It’s confusing, infuriating and in all honesty, a little bit creepy to think of how easily this happens. It’s all to do with tech companies harbouring our data from our search engines and selling it on to media outlets to use as a promotion device. The Cambridge Analytica scandal has shed some light on how this works and resulted in extra data protection measures being put in place to keep our information safe. In early 2018, a company known as

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Cambridge Analytica collected data without the consent of millions of people’s Facebook profiles and used it to sell on for political advertising. The company itself collects people’s data, analyses it and sells it on to companies to aim their products at. In its simplest form, the company is a prime example of how tech firms invade our online privacy and collect our data to sell to brands as a way of boosting their sales. It essentially gets you to think about that top you deleted from your shopping basket every time you scroll down your Facebook timeline for about a week. After the 2018 scandal, Cambridge Analytica was closed, but other firms closely related to it still exist, which means that our data is still being collected, but by different companies. The Data Protection Act 2018, or as it’s better known, GDPR Regulations were made and instantly put into place in May 2018, shortly after the Cambridge incident. These regulations mean more protection for our personal data, and that websites have to ask permission to use your data they collect from you while you view their

It’s confusing, infuriating and in all honesty, a little bit creepy to think of how easily this happens

page before you can properly browse them. This still doesn’t mean that all the tech firms in the world aren’t illegally collecting our data without our consent, but it does mean that a huge portion of them now have to follow

regulations that we give permission to. It’s a huge pond when it comes to data and firms collecting it, but by being careful and bringing laws into place, we can all rest assured that we’re a little bit safer online.

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Rachel Power | Advertising & Marketing Executive @Rachel_M_Power

Sports and politics will always be interwoven From the protests in Hong Kong and Catalonia to the war in Syria, Ruairí Carberry discusses how sport and politics are nearly always inextricably linked

or some, it is taboo, for sports to become embroiled in the often negative area of political discourse. The reasoning provided by many is that sport can transcend barriers and unite people, and politics has the opposite effect. However many people may wish for this to be the case, it is naïve at best and disingenuous at worst to argue this point. Politics is interwoven into all sections of our world, whether you

wish it to be or not. Three events that occurred this month have combined to unravel the thread, holding the “sport and politics, don’t mix” viewpoint together. Firstly, the general manager of the Houston Rockets, Daryl Morey tweeted his support for those in Hong Kong, protesting against mainland China’s interference in their domestic affairs. The response from the Chinese government to Morey’s tweet was swift and consequential. Pre-season games in the country were cancelled, several Chinese businesses severed ties with

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Ruairi Carberry | Contributor

Houston, and the Chinese version of NBA League pass (the NBA live streaming service), Tencent offered its subscribers a chance to change their streaming pass from the Rockets to another team of their choice. The conflict even drew in the sports biggest superstar, Lebron James, who was roundly criticised in the United States, by Republican politicians such as Josh Hawkley and Rick Scott who accused him of “kowtowing to Communist China and putting profits over human rights for Hong Kong.” Secondly, Cenk Sahin, a Turkish footballer who played for German club FC Sankt Pauli of Hamburg, posted on Instagram, declaring his support for Turkey’s disastrous decision to invade Syria. Sankt Pauli, a club renowned for its anti-fascist politics, and its’ supporters immediately distanced themselves from Sahin’s views, due to the fact Turkey’s incursion into Syrian territory, has put thousands of civilians lives at risk. In the past week, supporters have made their feelings clear on the issue as Ultras Sankt Pauli, called for Sahin to be released by the club. In their statement, the ultras group gave their support for the Kurdish people and outlined their opposition to the war

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Sport is also weaponised by states to whitewash human rights abuses

politics of Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Last week, the club responded to their supporters and released Sahin saying in a statement that they; “reject actions of war, without discussion. Such messages are against the clubs values.” This is an admirable stance, considering the incursion has reportedly led to 200,000 Syrians becoming displaced. Finally, in Catalonia, nine political leaders, including Oriol Junqueras, the former vice-president of Catalonia, received prison sentences for their involvement in the 2017 independence referendum.

Their punishment has drawn thousands to the streets of Catalonia, in protest. Since the decision was announced one week ago, there have been numerous incidences of violence, and police have used tear gas and rubber bullets against people congregating to oppose the sentence. FC Barcelona commented on the situation in a statement aptly titled “Prison Is Not The Solution”. Barca expressed the wish shared by many across the region that the imprisoned leaders must be released. Sport is also weaponised by states to whitewash human rights abuses. In December, we will see an Anthony Joshua and Andy Ruiz, boxing rematch, hosted by Saudi Arabia. The upcoming 2022 World Cup, due to be held in Qatar, has been promoted and defended by FIFA, despite evidence linking the construction projects to numerous migrant workers deaths. Both of these countries have a dubious record concerning human rights. Instead of continuing to deny the influence of politics, states and their proxies in the sporting arena, perhaps supporters, associations and sporting clubs should unite and begin to take an active stance against racism, war, and inequality.

Comment

Why the Facebook ‘graveyard’ problem must be addressed Roisin Cullen discusses how Facebook is impacting people even into the afterlife

any now refer to a Facebook as a “dead” social media site. This may be exactly what we are heading towards. The number of dead users could outnumber the living in the next fifty years, leaving us with a social media graveyard, a vast amount of valuable archives and a moral dilemma. A University of Oxford Internet Institute journal entitled “Big Data and Society” illustrates the power that Facebook now has in our society by referencing George Orwell’s dystopian novel “1984”. “We, the Party, control all records, and we control all memories. Then we control the past do we not.” Throughout history, it has been those that collect records that have been the most powerful within society- entrusted with the power to protect the legacy we leave behind. This heavy task was once entrusted to historians, census collectors and of course, religious institutions. When we all first logged in to Facebook in the 2010s, we made an irreversible step, a step we cannot erase. We willingly gave away our personal data, the names of our friends. We decided to share our most treasured memories with the world, and with Mark Zuckerberg. Facebook’s user growth is no longer what it used to be, leaving us with a site full of middle-aged women looking for cheap sofas and a soon to be an eternal online graveyard. Social

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We decided to share our most treasured memories with the world, and with Mark Zuckerberg

PxHere

Roisin Cullen | Contributor

media is still a relatively new concept within our lives. It is in the background for countless birthdays, new job announcements and of course, the inevitable, the end. When writing a will, many forget to detail their wishes in relation to their social media accounts of choice. Legislation has failed to keep up with ever-changing technology. Humans have not had time to adapt, to accept the massive role that social media now plays in our lives and deaths. We need to set down a line between what is morally right and what is morally wrong instead of letting a multinational company draw it for us. Facebook has now introduced the ability to create “In Memory of” pages with the help of a “legacy contact”, a person you entrust to run your page after you are gone.

A legacy contact cannot view old or new direct messages or delete posts from the past. They have the ability to post-funeral arrangements and delete testimonials that may deem inappropriate. Friends will not be asked to wish a legacy account a happy birthday. This is an alternative to simply deleting an account, something that can only be done when a death certificate has been sent to Facebook. This may be a step in the right direction for us as a society. The dream of immortality maybe well within our reach. We have the ability to live on within our profile pictures, our good times with friends, the passionate opinions we decided to share with the world, our Farmville requests for new watering cans. In the past it was usually only the rich and

famous who achieved the very human dream, to live on long after one’s demise. A pharaoh’s legacy was marked by pyramids, tombs of untold riches. A member of the gentry had their looks captured within a portrait, their thoughts detailed within the binding of a biography. When we look for information on our ancestors we are often presented with a single wedding photo or an announcement in a local newspaper. We feel a distant connection with a person that once had very real opinions and aspirations. There are now far fewer photo albums, love letters, and diary entries. Everything exists online. Is our online legacy one that we would want a historian to find?

Does the aging population of Ireland mean the youth get a bad deal?

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Sally Dobie asks if Ireland’s ageing population means young people are suffering politically Sally Dobie | Production & Podcast Editor @Sarah_or_Sally

reland as a country has an aging population, a fact proven in the Central Statistics Office’s (CSO) census in 2016. But how does this affect younger generations? According to the census, the average age of the population rose 1.3 years to 37.4, which doesn’t sound like much. But when you realise the population of people over the age of 65 rose by 19.1 per cent, it’s something to think more seriously about. Of course, with the advances in healthcare and the decrease in birthrate, an ageing population is inevitable. But this doesn’t mean the younger generations have been completely forgotten. The 2020 budget was announced last week, and the Department of Employment Affairs and Social

Protection announced €21.2 billion would be spent on social welfare from January next year. There were no plans made to increase the Contributory and Non-Contributory pension, but the Jobseeker’s Allowance and the Supplementary Welfare Allowance for 25 year-olds and independent people under 25 both increased. But the budget isn’t the only reason people think the youth are being forgotten about, there are also less young people in employment. The unemployment rate according to CSO for 15-25 year-old males has risen from 16.2 per cent to 18.3 per cent. For females between 15 and 25 years old, the unemployment rate fell from 14.4 to 12.9 per cent, but this is still an overall increase in unemployment of 0.3 per cent. The employment rate for men between ages 25 and 64 increased, and the rate for females between 45 and 64 also increased. So is this problem also to do with the older generation?

Perhaps one of the causes of youth unemployment is qualified older people who are still physically able to do the jobs, and as a result, less qualified younger people are not being given the same job opportunities. That is not to say the older generations should stop working to give young people more chances, but this could be a contributing factor to the youth unemployment rate increasing. Another factor linked to the ageing population problem is the opinion of older generations of the youth of today. It’s an age-old saying, “kids these days”, permeating throughout pop culture for decades. But there is truth in it. In recent years, the legislation and religious population of a once staunchly Catholic Ireland have rapidly changed. Understanding the vastly different political beliefs and interests of the youth today is probably difficult for the majority of older people. With that could come misrepre-

The youth need to stand up for their rights and the ageing population of Ireland should listen

sentation of the youth. For example, if there are more older people than youth, their voices are more likely to be heard in such events as an election or referendum. This leads to a government and legislation reflecting the older generations’ beliefs, despite the youth being the ones to deal with the consequences of these decisions in the future. Some great examples of this are climate change and Brexit: More older people turned out to vote in the Brexit referendum and as a result, the youth will have to live with that decision to leave the EU even after the older generation are no longer here. And as Greta Thunberg rightly pointed out, the older generations made decisions and now the pressure is on the young to make the changes they could not. No-one has the answer, and talking doesn’t do a whole lot to help. But the youth need to stand up for their rights and the aging population of Ireland should listen.

Twiggy, an mainicín bídeach Teacht chun cinn an D’athraigh Twiggy rudaí le haghaidh cailíní ar fud an domhain

na 60idí, bhí gach uille mainicín ard agus galánta. Ach sa bhliain 1966 bhí cailín nua ag teacht ar an láthair. Ainnir d’arbh ainm Lesley Hornby, ach tá sí cáiliúil leis an ainm ‘Twiggy’. Bhí Twiggy 5’6 in airde agus bhí stíl andraigíneach aici. Roimhe sin bhí gach uille mainicín dea-labhartha agus múinte ach bhí Twiggy ó Neasden le cabáiste an mhadra rua agus blas an lucht oibre aici. Inniu tá níos mó caoi ag na mainicín gearra, agus is féidir leo buíochas a ghabháil do Twiggy le haghaidh na feabhsuithe seo. Féach ar an mainicín Amina Blue, tá an bean seo ó Meiriceá, 5’1 in airde ach tá sí ar an mainicíneacht ardáin le haghaigh Kanye West go mion minic. Bhfuair Twiggy bearradh gruaige ón gruagaire clúiteach ‘Leonard of Mayfair’ agus ní raibh gruaig fada aici níos mó, bhí sé gairid agus faiseanta. Bhí stíl iontach, nua ag Twiggy agus mar gheall ar sin sheas sí amach sa slua. Bhí Twiggy sé déag agus scríoch iriseoir leis an nuachtán an Daily Express alt ar an cailín seo, bhí teideal an píosa “The Face of 1966” agus tá a fhios ag an saol Fódlach cad a tharla ina dhiaidh sin. Tá an aibhleog ‘Victoria’s Secret’ anois ag tosú cnuasach mórthomhas, beidh níos mó éagsúlacht le feiceáil ar na cláir fógraíochta mar gheall ar sin. Beidh sé an-tábhachtach do chailíní timpeall an domhain an teachtaireacht sin a fheiceáil. Bhí Twiggy i ngach áit tar éis an alt

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Is féidir gach uille duine féinmhuinín a fhorbairt mar gheall ar an mbean seo

sa nuachtán agus bhí gach duine ag iarriadh féachaint cosúil leis an mbean iontach seo. Bhí sí i ‘Vogue’ agus ‘Seventeen’ agus thosaigh sí siopa éadaí chomh maith. D’éirigh go maith le Twiggy sa ghnó agus beagnach tríocha bliain i ndiaidh sin tháining mainicín beag eile ar an radharc, Kate Moss. Bhí slí bheatha aici ar an stáitse agus ar an scáileán. Bhí sí sa scannán “The Boyfriend” agus bhuaigh sí dhá ‘Golden Globes’ do bharr an cheoldráma. Is duine ildánach í Twiggy. Gan amhras ar bith, is mórphearsa chultúir agus faisin í Twiggy. Léirigh sí go bhfuil áilleacht nádúrtha níos fearr ná máinliacht phlaisteach agus go bhfuil daoine beag galánta. Tá sé soiléir is geal leis an bhfiach dubh a ghearrcach féin. Is féidir gach uille duine féinmhuinín a fhorbairt mar gheall ar an mbean seo. Bíonn brú ort bheith ar nós gach duine eile sa tsochaí ach ní chloíonn sí leis an bhfaisean. Anois is féidir Twiggy a fheiceáil ar bhfógraíochtaí don miondíoltóir mórshráide ‘Marks & Spencer’. Tá branda faisean aici leis an gcomhlacht agus cúpla bliain ó shin bhí an brabús níos airde ná mar a bhí roimhe sin mar gheall ar Twiggy. Ta sé soiléir go bhfuil an mbean seo eiseamláir agus inspioráid do chailíní níos mó ná riamh mar tá go leor daoine cotúil de bharr na suíomhanna meáin shóisialta. Ní breáthacht a dhéanann brachán ach min. Tá féinmhuinín an rud is tábhachtaí agus níor mhaolaigh na blianta a áilleacht. As na tithe beaga a thagann tithe mór!

Credit: TwiggySarahStanley

Naoise Darby | Irish Editor

séanra coirscéalta firinneacha

Fás gan stad an séanra coirscéalta firinneacha

Beth Molloy | Irish Editor

uair a bhrúim cnaipe na teilifíse nó nuair a fheicim timpeall, tá sé i gconaí ann. Cad atáim ag caint faoi, taim ag caint faoi coirscéalta fírinneacha. Tá sé i ngach áit, ar an idirlíon, ar an teilifís agus ar an raidió. Tá suim mór agam i coirscéalta fírinneacha, éistim ar podchraoltaí ar Spotify agus feachaim ar cláir faisnéise faoi coireacht ar Netflix go minic. Níl mé róthógtha leis an mbás, ina áit sin, tá spéis agam sa fiosrúchán, fiannaise agus an síceolaíocht.

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Cuireadh ina leith gur mharaigh sí a hathair agus a leasmháthair Áfach, níl mé i m’aonair. Tá antóir ar phodchraoltaí go háirithe. Tá coirscéalta fírinneacha podchraoltaí cosúil le “Serial” agus “The Doorstep Murder” na podchraoltaí is mó a íoslódáil sa tír seo. Bhí lucht féachanna ollmhór ag an clár “Making a Murderer”. Bhí an clár seo an chéad uair a d’fhoghlaimid faoi próifíliú DNA agus tástáil DNA. Bhí sé fíorspéisiúil agus bhí cultas bunaithe ar an tsraith seo. Níl an spies atá i gcoirscéalta fírinneacha aon rud nua. Tháinig an dúspéis chun cinn ar dtús sa 16ú haois.

D’fhoilsigh fíor scéalta faoi coireanna go mion uafásach. Chuir an paimfléid fainic daoine gan peaca. I rith an 17ú haois chuir an cás de míchluiteach chluiteach Lizzie Borden faoi dhraíocht. Gabhadh í ar amhras go ndearna sí dúnmharú. Cuireadh ina leith gur mharaigh sí a hathair agus a leasmháthair. Choscair Lizzie an beirt le tua. Bhí cultas bunaithe ar an triail. Bhi speis mór ar daoine agus theastaigh uatha an fhaisnéis go léir a fháil. Mar sin, bhí go leor cainte faoin triail sna meáin. Bhí na nuachtáin ag an am lán le comhcheilg agus sonraí fuilteach. Nuair a shrioc an scannan “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile” ar ár scáilein, chuir an scannan faoi Ted Bundy an lucht feachanna timpeall an domhain faoi dhraíocht. Chonaiceamar mionsonraí gráiniúla an scéil go léir. Thug an scannan léargas dúinn ar an aigne na dúnmharfóir srathach. Oibríonn a lan léiriúcháin coirscéalta fírinneacha chun cásanna a réiteach. Go háirithe an podchroaladh “The Teacher’s Pet”. Tá an óstach, iriseoir Hedley Thomas, ag fiosrú conas a chuigh Lynette Dawson ar iarradh. D’imigh sí sa bhlian 1982. Is é a fear céile an príomhamhrastach agus ciadreamh drochídeach a bhí eatarthu. Mhaígh sé i gconaí nach raibh sé ciontach. Tá níos mó ná 17 milliún íosluchtú ag an podchroaladh seo. Ba mhaith Hedley Thomas go dtabharfaí faoin bhfiosrúchán arís mar tá an cás fós gan réiteach. Éistim ar an podchroaladh “My Favourite Murder” go minic. Tá an podchroaladh seo meascán de coirscéalta fírinneacha agus coiméide. Tá sé saigheas aisteach ach oibríonn sé go maith. Gach seachtain pléigh an óstaigh cás difriúil. Tá ag méadú ar an spies atá ag daoine i coirscéalta fírinneacha agus féachtar air mar rud maith. Chuidigh daoine ag caint agus ag plé teoiricí atá bunaithe ar thuairmíocht cás fós gan réiteach a réiteach. Tugann podchroaltaí agus tsraith teilifíse coirscéalta fírinneacha níos mó eolais faoin cora crua an tsaoil dúinn.

Gaeilge

Lig do scíth, le do thoil! Cúpla moltaí chun do shláinte a cabrú

úpla nód chun suaimhneas intinne a fháil, bain sult.

Léitheoireacht: Cúpla seachtain ó shin, léigh mé an úrscéal ‘Wuthering Heights’ ón t-údar Emily Brontë. Cruthaíonn an t-údar atmaisféar iontach le scríbhneoireacht thuairisciúil. A thiarcais, bhí sé scanrúil. Rinne mé dearmad ar mo chuid fadhbanna ar feadh cúpla uair an chloig.

Féach ar scannán: Is aoibhinn liom beagnach gach uille scannán grinn rómánsúil mar shampla ‘The Princess Diaries’agus ‘Love Actually’. Is fuath liom scannán fuilteach mar go hiondúil bíonn siad lán de charachtair mhaide. Ach tá eisceachtaí , is ea ’The Godfather’ ceann de na scannáin ab fhearr riamh.

Céard faoi siúlóid?: Tá an tsiúlóid go hiontach mura mbeadh ann ach imeacht as an teach. Tá go leor roghanna agat, an trá, an pháirc, béidir na sléibhte? Tá siúlóid in ann cabhrú le na ionoirfin sa choirp. Beir leat do sheaicéad báistí agus do hata i gcás drochaimsire

Folcadán te: Tá sé seo iontach tar éis staidéar nó do shiúlóid. Tá salann folctha iontach ar fad agus suaimhneasach. Tá sobal folctha dochloíte agus tar éis an folcadán níl aon údar imní ann. Tá táirgí ‘Lush’ dochreidte agus bíonn boladh breá sa seomra folctha.

Cóireáil spá: Tá a fhios agam go bhfuil sé costasach ach bheadh sé oiriúnach le haghaidh ócáid speisialta. Is bronntanas iontach é le haghaidh breithlá, is féidir leid a thabhairt os comhair do mháthair.

Credit: PxHere

Ceol: Bigí ag éisteacht le ceol timpeallach, tá suim agam i ngach gné den cheol clasaiceach. Tá Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart dochreidte, is cumadóir bisiúil é. Tá an píosa is fearr, i mo thuairim féin an píosa neamhchríochnaithe d’arbh ainm ‘Requiem in D Minor, K.626: Lacrimosa: Larghetto’. Bhí Mozart ina ghinias agus é ina bhuachaill.

Credit: Pixabay

Naoise Darby | Irish Editor

Machnamh: Thosaigh mé ag déanamh roinnt teicnící machnaimh cúpla bliain ó shin. Éistim le Mark Williams, ‘Guided Body Scan Meditation’ agus ‘Breathing Space Meditation’. Déanfaidh machnamh tú a bheochan gan amhras ar bith. Tá go leor scannáin teagaisc ar YouTube chun cuidigh leat.

Tá sláinte mheabhrach antábhachtach, tabhair aire duit féin i gcónaí. Tá intinn fholláin i gcorp folláin riachtanach.

Tá "The Crown" ar ais ar ár scáileáin Tá an teaghlach ríoga ar ais!

’eisigh Netflix tréiléar nua don tsraith duaiseanna buaite “The Crown”. Tá sé an triú séasúr den tsraith agus tá athru suntasach ann ar foireann aisteoiri ag an clár. Is é an data saortha de séasúr nua den “The Crown” an 17ú Samhain 2019 ar fhail ar Netflix. Tá Olivia Coleman ag glacadh ról na Banríon Elizabeth sa chéad sraith eile den “The Crown.” D’imir Claire Foy an pháirt roimhe seo agus bhuaigh sí Emmy don ról. Mar gheall air seo, beidh sé suimiúil a fheiceáil cad a deanfaidh buaiteoir Oscar, Coleman sa pháirt. Comh maith leis sin, glacfaidh Tobias Menzies páirt den Prionsa Philip agus glacfaidh Helena Bonham Carter an páirt den Banphrionsa Margaret. Glacfaidh Jason Watkins páirt den Príomh-Aire, Harold Wilson. Clúdóidh an chéad séasúr eile den chlár Netflix ábhair cosuil le an díchoilíniú na hAfraice agus an Muir Chairib agus an tuirlingt ar an ngealach sa bhlian 1969. San am céanna díreoidh an drámaíocht ar ceisteanna i Sasana cosuil le an príomhaire Labour, Harold Wilson agus an tubaiste Aberfan sa Bhreatain Bheag

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Beidh sé suimiúil a fheiceáil cad a dheanfaidh buaiteoir Oscar, Coleman sa pháirt

Credit: Netflix

Beth Molloy | Irish Editor

nuair a fuair 144 daoine bás. Taispeánfaidh an séasúr an iubhaile cúig bliana fichead den Banríon Elizabeth agus fás agus forbairt leanúnanch de na teilifíseán. Tá na rudaí seo ag tarlu athruithe cultúrtha ag dul ar aghaidh sa chúlra cosuil le ardú na Beatles agus bua stairiúil Corn an Domhain ag Sasana sa bhlian 1966. Ó thaobh an caidrimh, pléifidh an chlár an pósadh idir Banphrionsa Margaret agus an grianghrafadóir Tiarna Snowdon. Comh maith leis sin, buailfidh an lucht féachana na páistí fasta de Banríon Elizabeth agus Prionsa Philip, Prionsa Charles san áireamh. Pléifidh an séasúr nua an caidreamh idir Prionsa Charles agus Camilla. Glacfaidh Josh O’Connor páirt den Prionsa Charles agus glacfaidh Erin Doherty páirt den Banphrionsa Anne. Glactar go mbeadh priomh ról ag Prionsa Charles sa tsraith seo. Fógraíodh go n’imreoidh Emma Corrin páirt den Banphrionsa Diana sa 4ú sraith den clár. Glacfaidh Gillian Anderson an páirt de Margaret Thatcher. Beidh deich eipeasóid sa tsraith nua. Tá séasúir a haon agus dó de “The Crown” ar fail le sruth ar Netflix anois.

Fast fashion is so last season

The fast fashion industry and buying from it goes hand and hand with the marking of important events. Through it we can afford to buy masses of cheap clothes easily and as regularly as we do.

he fashion industry is one so massive, that the extent of its effects are difficult to comprehend. Especially in countries like Ireland, buying from the fashion industry is a pillar of everyday life. On average every year, the Irish public spend €2.5m on clothing, according to Fashion Statistics Ireland. When we have a big upcoming event, such as a wedding, we naturally go and buy a new suit or dress. At Christmas we buy clothes as presents, when we go on holidays we stock up on a new wardrobe for the heat. The fast fashion industry and buying from it goes hand and hand with the marking of important events. Through it we can afford to buy masses of cheap clothes easily and as regularly as we do. However, with 35 per cent of materials in the supply chain of this industry ending up as waste before they even reach the customers, fast fashion is taking a toll on our environment. Three fifths of all clothing items end up incinerated or in a landfill within a year of being produced according to a 2016 Mckinsey report, and in the years since the fashion industry has grown in size and value. This is a result of the mass purchasing of cheap items of clothing that are not intended for long term use. We are beginning to see a trend towards ditching fast fashion and shopping more sustainably with swap shops and sustainably created clothing becoming more fashionable especially among the Irish student population. An example being the UK clothing company, BATOKO who produce swimwear made 100% from recycled plastic and have so far, recycled the equivalent of 220,000 plastic water bottles into swimwear to date. Secretary of DCU’s Sustainable Living Society Ríonach Hurley told The College View she is opposed to the fast fashion industry. “The fast fashion industry coerces us into thinking that we have to have the latest “on trend” clothes to be worthy,” she said. “It’s important to me to shop sustainably because I can’t have the suffering of others and the environment on my conscience every time I buy an item of clothing.” Hurley said she encourages students to “find the fun in sustainable fashion”. She said most universities have

eco societies that “organise really fun events like swap shops or charity shop crawls.” Hurley believes that there needs to be a “societal change” in our attitude to clothing if any real shift is to happen. It needs to “become socially acceptable again to wear the same clothes again and again.” Reports of the conditions factory workers of the fast fashion industry face have also spiked concern. According to the Human Rights Watch, World Report 2018, “factory owners and managers often fire pregnant workers or deny maternity leave; retaliate against workers who join or form unions; force workers to do overtime work or risk losing their job; and turn a blind eye when male managers or workers sexually harass female workers.” The report also claims that such factories often have structural and fire safety issues, leaving to mass fires and collapses. The collapse of the Rana Plaza garment factories in Bangladesh in 2013 killed over 1,000 people and brought global attention to the hazardous conditions and treatment of the factory workers. For Evoke entertainment editor and RTE radio presenter Fionnula Moran, learning of these conditions forced her to switch to sustainable fashion. Her decision to ditch fast fashion was “an overnight switch” after she watched the documentary “The True Cost”, a 2015 documentary giving insight into the lives of the people who work in large scale clothing factories, like the Rana Plaza one. According to “The True Cost”, there are roughly 40 million garment workers in the world, “many of whom do not share the same rights or protections that many people in the West do.” “I just thought it was absolutely horrendous, I’d never questioned it before, how we can go out and buy our outfits for like ten or 15 quid or whatever…have them be made out of crappy material and then just get something else for a new night out.” Moran said “your money is so powerful and the way you spend it tells businesses what you stand for and what you won’t.” Referencing the lack of fair wages, clean and safe work conditions and workers’ rights in countries like Bangladesh. “My personal style isn’t worth

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My personal style isn’t worth someone else’s life

Credit: Trudy Feenane

Róisín Phelan | Features Editor @_roisinphelan

someone else’s life,” she said. Moran often promotes sustainability on her own social media, and showcases sustainable shops, charity shops and swap shops that she recommends to her followers. Moran inflicted a six month buying ban on herself in an attempt to “consume way way less.” After these six months, Moran found herself “feeling the need to shop way less and just being content with what I own”. However some people have said that shopping sustainably simply isn’t as easy as it seems. One Twitter user “@ CovenOfRollies” said: “I’m starting a new job in a few days. I will be going to Penneys to buy some new work attire before I start...I cannot afford to go elsewhere. I refuse to feel bad about it, because it’s out of my control.” Green Party TD Saoirse McHugh has recently been voicing her opinion on fast fashion in Ireland. She told The College View, that she thinks the “government will have to intervene.” “It has to do with the intentionally disposable nature of fashion nowadays. The high street now has up to 50 micro seasons of fashion and unsold clothing is mostly incinerated to keep the price up.”

“I would love to see Ireland leading on something like a global minimum wage. Legislation that would force companies to be transparent about how much the clothes producers are earning would be great too.” McHugh said she wonders what would happen if it were made illegal to dump or incinerate unsold clothing. However, she agreed that “we as a country are slowly becoming more aware. There are several influencers trying to highlight the issue and I think people are looking more and more at what they are wearing.”

Features

Explainer: What would Trump's impeachment look like?

What exactly does presidential impeachment mean? How does the process work? Why is Trump being impeached now, and what consequences is he likely to face? Here’s what you should know.

Sally Madden | Deputy News Editor

ince President Donald Trump took office in January of 2017, impeachment has loomed over him. However, it seems that Trump’s recent Ukraine scandal was the final straw for Democrats, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announcing on September 24th that the House of Representatives would be launching a formal impeachment inquiry. Since only two presidents have been impeached in U.S history (Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton, Nixon narrowly avoiding it by resigning), and the U.S constitution has little to offer in the way of impeachment procedure, it is a point of confusion for many people. What exactly does presidential impeachment mean? How does the process work? Why is Trump being impeached now, and what consequences is he likely to face? Here’s what you should know. What is impeachment? Before you understand what impeachment is, it’s important to understand the difference between the two legislative branches of the federal government; the House of Representatives and the Senate. The House, which is currently controlled by Democrats, represents individual districts, while the Senate, currently controlled by Republicans, represents individual states. Impeachment technically refers to a vote by the US House of Representatives to charge a high-ranking government officer (including but not limited to the President) with misconduct, beginning the process of removing him or her from office. The House then passes the articles of impeachment, which are akin to charges in a criminal trial, on to the Senate. It is essentially the adoption of charges by the House, which triggers a trial in the senate. How does it work? The impeachment process begins with the launch of a formal impeachment inquiry. The House Judiciary Committee is currently at this point in their attempt to remove Donald Trump from office. This stage consists of House lawmakers gathering evidence, subpoenaing witnesses and reviewing information about the president. Once this investigation is complete, (we do not know when this will be) House Lawmakers will suggest whether or not articles of impeachment, should be brought against the

president. The House judiciary committee would vote on these charges and then the rest of the House would vote on them too, which would require a simple majority to pass. If these articles of impeachment are passed, the Senate will hold a trial and decide to either convict or acquit the president. To convict a president and remove them from office, a two-thirds majority of the senate is required. (67 senators.) The U.S Constitution says a president may be impeached and removed over charges it describes as “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanours.” The constitution lays out the need for a two-third majority of the Senate in order to remove a President from office but is apart from this, silent on procedures. Although impeachment is a political process, it is seen to be akin to a judicial process. In parliamentary systems, it is perfectly normal to trigger a vote of no confidence

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Only two presidents have been impeached in U.S history

and topple a prime minister over policy disagreements. Impeachment is not like this. It is a punishment for perceived grave wrongdoing. Why has the House launched an impeachment inquiry into Trump? While there has been much debate on whether or not to impeach the U.S President, particularly after the publication of the Mueller Report, which investigated Russian interference into the 2016 election, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (Democrat) was originally against it. She feared it would put moderate democrats, who feared their electorate did not want impeachment, at risk. Thus, Pelosi feared a formal impeachment inquiry would not have the necessary support within the House. However, following the Ukraine whistle-blower’s complaint, there was a cascade of support for impeachment among all democrats. Here is a brief explanation of the TrumpUkraine scandal; A whistle-blower from the US intelligence community voiced a concern involving the president

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pressuring the Ukranian government to investigate his political rival, Joe Biden and his son Hunter, using military aid as a bargaining chip. The whistle-blower, who remains anonymous, accused the president of “using the power of his office to solicit interference from a foreign country in the 2020 U.S. election” in a July 25th phone call with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump ordered his administration to withhold a nearly $400 million military-aid package from the Ukraine just days before the phone call. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, the U.S has consistently provided aid to Ukraine to foster military and political links with a country boarding on Russia. Trump and his personal attorney, former New York mayor Rudi Giuliani, are peddling a conspiracy theory that is as such: in 2016 Joe Biden, in his official role as vice-president, forced the firing of Ukraine’s top prosecutor in order to prevent an investigation into Burisma Holdings (a holding company for a group of energy companies) and thus shield Hunter Biden from criminal investigation. However, several top Ukrainian officials have made clear the investigation was dormant by that time and there is no evidence the younger Biden did anything illegal. The central question is not whether or not Trump pushed Ukraine to investigate his political opponent but is whether or not in exchange for Ukraine investigating Biden, Trump’s administration was promising the release of the much depended on military aid. This is what the impeachment inquiry is focusing on. What happens next? Support for the impeachment of Trump has increased since Pelosi announced that the House would be moving forward with a formal investigation. In a Politico/Morning Consult poll conducted October 7-8th, 49 per cent of respondents supported the current impeachment inquiry, while 44 per cent of respondents opposed it. At this point, republican senators seem to be backing Trump, with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell condemning democrats for pursuing impeachment. The 47-senator Democratic caucus would need at least 20 Republicans to join with them if they wanted to hit the necessary threshold for removing Trump in the Senate. To this day, the Senate has yet to convict any sitting president.

Features

Burning fast, burning bright, and burning out More and more we see how “workaholism” has been glorified in the media, to the point where it is becoming the expected norm for graduates entering the workforce.

opular television series and films have begun to show the workaholic as an inspirational character type in recent years. Shows such as Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal and How to Get Away With Murder place career-fixated women at the centre of the drama, equating their feeling of achievement to their success in the hospital, White House and court-room, respectively. But how often do you see the results of these lifestyles portrayed on the screen? Whether you’re driven by trying to emulate the type-A personality on your favourite tv drama, out of spite from listening to another lecture on how your generation is “entitled” and “lazy”, or just by the necessity to pay the bills; sooner or later reality sets in and begins to take its toll, both physically and psychologically. For civil servant Stephen, burning out has led to a feeling of “having a fog take over your brain, like short circuiting, where you become unable to even order thoughts in your head properly.”

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My feet literally bled coming home from work. I had constant headaches. I worked more than 65 hours a week

A combination of taking on too much and not resting enough were significant factors to this feeling. “[This] results in a cycle where as soon as something is completed you start to worry about how long it might take you to finish another piece of work,” he said. The surnames of those quoted in this article have been changed to protect their employment. As is the reality for a lot of young people entering the workforce, a set 9-5 work week schedule just isn’t practical. Retail manager Mary, describes the unspoken pressure that wasn’t stated in the fine print of her contract: “I would stay for extra hours, do more work than was required of me... I always told myself ‘I love working here so much I would love to be a manager here eventually’ and then when that happened I began to feel run down… Last year during our busy season, my feet literally bled coming home from work. I had constant headaches. I worked more than 65 hours a week.” Are there any fields of work where burning out isn’t seen as an inevitability? Stephen believes that those in the

creative field (journalism, the arts and design) often have to work on crunch deadlines, with many individuals working in freelance roles, so the media emphasises burning out in creative field over traditionally non-creative roles. However, he states that, “the amount of work done by non-creatives in workplaces, which do not facilitate proper healthy practises of time management, can be ignored.” The Irish Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (IACP) have found that burning out affects men and women equally, though often it seems that women are portrayed to experience these feelings more than men in the media. This was a finding that political consultant Larry found all too real, when he first began his job. “I was a huge fan of The Good Wife back in the day and as the series went on I fell in love with Eli Gold’s character and what he stood for… When it actually got to the point of working on or running my own political campaigns, I found it very by the numbers and kind of soulless… it was nothing as exciting as how the media had portrayed it.”

Credit: Pexels

Dylan O’Niell | Contributor

Despite this, Larry attributes his competitive nature as the drive that fuelled him through the times where he felt burnt out. “I’m quite competitive so I like to feel I’m working at a better rate than co-workers, I never compete overtly but I prefer to finish project quicker, be doing more, doing it better,” he said. While the passion behind our ambition to succeed in business may be how popular media frames the demands of employment, factors outside our control are more present in real world working decisions. “It’s the pressure to pay bills. I live very close to Dublin City and so my cost of living is much higher, even though the cost of living in Dublin is already monumentally high,” according to IT supervisor Padraig, who says it’s not feasible to move outside of Dublin due to the long commute. Padraig is someone who didn’t enter their “dream job” from college, instead opting into “the area I had most experience in…I definitely wanted to work in technology, but ideally something more than just helpdesk first level support.” Mary agrees that the current renting market in Dublin has made her lose the love she once held for her role. “I used to stay back in work just to help out because I felt it was such a fun and rewarding atmosphere, but now every minute I work past my shift I feel myself getting more and more agitated.” This feeling is exacerbated by the “pressure social media can put on people makes you think no money is enough.” Bad habits, such as “lack of exercise, skipped meals, Netflix until 4a.m. and slow mornings can snowball until you’re barely hanging on.” Grainne Clancy and the IACP advise people who are experiencing burn-out to, “slow down take some time away from work, meet up with friends and family, do something that they find fun and seek advice from a psychotherapist or counsellor.” A consistent mantra from many people is: Remember that your work is not your life. Others who have experienced burning out suggest attempting to establish boundaries between work life and personal life, even if that means seeking career alternatives. Taking time to just be by yourself, has even been suggested as a coping mechanism, “the experience of pure insulation without distractions from your phone or other people means you can completely switch off.”

The greener the company, the greener their pockets

Credit: Jonathon Lynam

Features

As consumers become more and more environmentally aware, there is call for companies to become more ‘green’

Jennifer Keegan | Contributor

he world of influencers is something that we have all become aware of over the past few years. Influencing is the latest way that marketing and advertising is being done in the 21st century. From promoting apps, to makeup, to online shopping brands, there’s very little that influencers have not yet advertised through the use of their social media platforms. Over the years, as the growth of social media increased, so did the amount of people who were coined “influencers” These people have thousands of followers who would buy into whatever they were promoting, and soon, influencing was a viable career option. According to Influencer Marketing Hub, the influencer industry is expected to grow to a worth of $5.6 billion. Depending on the size of their following, influencers can generate the media value of a brand up to $18 dollars for every $1 spent by a brand. As consumers become more and more environmentally aware, there is call for companies to become more “green”. For example, McDonalds are changing their machinery to be energy saving that are to cut their energy waste by 25 per cent. They are also rolling out their first ever vegan burger in a bid to please more costumers and reduce their reliance of animal based products. This push to be more green is also extending to influencers. Some are changing and some are not. This

throws up the question: should influencers do more for the environment with their power? Or is it even up to them? Since the climate crisis and the strive for environmental living has really become part of the global agenda, more and more influencers are being called out for promoting brands that are not environmentally friendly. The main area that people are criticising influencers for is the promotion of fast fashion companies such as PrettyLittleThing and Boohoo. According to nature.com fast fashion outlets are said to be the cause of 5% of global carbon emissions. One Irish youtuber, Keelin Moncrieff has been known for her frank and honest manner with her audience on the platform. She often speaks out against influencers and bloggers who promote fast fashion “bloggers are basically ruining the planet by selling us this crap shit plastic clothing…they [online fashion outlets] just give bloggers a load of clothes…so it makes you want to buy hundreds of euro worth of shit quality clothes”. She goes on to make the point that sustainable fashion wouldn’t be difficult to do for any influencer, ‘just be more conscious, you don’t need an outfit just for a night out’. But it’s not just fast fashion that is getting called out; any brands that source their products in an unethical or unsustainable way are being shunned, and so are the influencers that promote them. American youtuber and influencer Emma Chamberlain, has an 8.5 mil-

lion subscribers. As an avid coffee fan, in almost all of her videos she seen with a single use coffee mug. Often the comments centre around how she doesn’t seem to own a disposable mug, considering how much coffee she consumes in each video and chooses instead to use single use cups. More and more influencers are actively becoming greener and promoting sustainable fashion brands while many are simply showing support for the likes of Greta Thunberg and asking their followers to recycle more and try to use less waste in their daily lives. Hugely popular on Instagram with 1 million followers, Grace Beverly, a fitness influencer, often talks about active wear that is sustainable, wearing a gym outfit from her own sustainable fashion line Tala which is made from recycled plastics. She posted “this is made out of material that would otherwise have gone into a landfill…look cute and help the planet”. Similar work has been done by influencers such as Taz Kelleher, who is the owner of Dublin Vintage; a shop that sells second hand clothing that is a sure way of being a more sustainable fashion consumer. ‘Sustainable influencing’ also includes accounts that promote living with as little waste as possible such as Laura Young and Stevie Van Horn. Others such as Irish influencer Leanne Woodfull look at cruelty free and ethical makeup brands as well as encouraging followers to eat environmentally friendly diets or becoming vegetarian or vegan.

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this is made out of material that would otherwise have gone into a landfill… look cute and help the planet

On one side the argument is that anyone who has any power to influence any number of people should use it to create positive ends by encouraging people to think twice about their daily routines and what they could do to help the climate crisis. 3rd year urban planning student Shalva Harshman thinks they should be doing more, “because young people don’t necessarily watch the news or read newspapers like older generations…but get a lot of their information from influencers who hold a lot of persuasive power.” On the other side, however, influencers are just normal people and surely aren’t responsible for the habits of their followers. They are not political leaders or activists. Are they not just making money whatever way they can and we’re all just privy to it? Is it really an influencers job to make us more eco conscious? DIT 2nd year student Leah Kilby said, “they should but I don’t think they will as long as there is money and influence to be gained.” In an Instagram survey of 337 people between the ages of 15-25, 92 per cent of people voted that influencers should do more to promote more environmentally friendly products and brands. 77 per cent said they would be more likely to follow an Influencer that was actively more green that other influencers. There is clearly a push for Influencers to use their power to help bring change to our environmental habits and do their bit to help the planet.

Sport

DCU to host European DCU Volleyball hoping to continue and Dialysis Sports their success Championships without O'Regan

Credit: Conor McCabe

Courtney Fitzmaurice | Deputy Sports Editor @courtneyfitz100

CU will host the European Transplant and Dialysis Sports Championships 2020, 10 years after the event first took place in Ireland. Transplant Team Ireland team manager and Irish Kidney Association (IKA) National Projects Manager Colin White said DCU is the perfect hub for the competition. “The location of DCU for access into Dublin is convenient, and from a personal perspective I would lean towards DCU because I like their approach of practical courses,” he said. White said that DCU’s accommodation, sports facilities and access to the airport made it a great location. The championship’s opening ceremony will be held in the Helix, which he said was a great asset. From August 2nd to August 9th 2020, over 500 people from over 25 nations will compete in the various games, which include athletics, swimming, tennis and golf. The event is open to people who have received a transplant or who are on dialysis. Transplant Team Ireland athlete and member of the Local Organising Committee, Peter Heffernan has competed in the games in various swimming

events. “When you’re on something like dialysis, what happens is your quality of life reduces and reduces. Maybe you might get up and you go for a half hour walk, and you’re exhausted for the day. When you get your transplant, you discover that you can do stuff, you can get involved in a whole range of things,” he said. Heffernan remarked how Transplant Team Ireland are an inspiring group of people who encourage him to get involved in things and feels there are people within the team who he can relate to. “Wherever you are, and maybe more so on dialysis, you’ll realise that you’re not alone. You realise there’s loads of other people around who have similar experiences to you. “What can happen is you can focus on what you can’t do, whereas when you’re with Transplant Team Ireland, you suddenly realise what you can do,” Heffernan said. Michael Dwyer, member of the Local Organising Committee, said everyone should chat with their families about organ donation. “When it hits you, it’s a shock because you think you’re fit and well. Unfortunately in my case, somebody had to lose their life for me to get a second chance at life. I’ll be forever grateful for the donor and their family for making that decision,” Dwyer said. White feels the IKA want to use the championships to show transplant

recipients and people on dialysis that they can be active and healthy. He said that they also want to illustrate to the public the benefits of organ donation. “I could do a newspaper advert and say X number of people are awaiting transplant, this number of people die every day waiting for a transplant, somebody would look at it, probably get terribly depressed and that’s it. “Whereas we’re gonna have 500 or 600 stories coming here, that could be your neighbour, could be your husband, could be your wife...and it’s going to be “wow, these people have benefited from the gift of life, many from a complete stranger, and look at what they can achieve,” he said. Seven of the 13 sport events will take place in DCU, with other locations including the National Aquatic Centre and the Phoenix Park.

CU Volleyball is under new coaching staff this year, after Benny O’Regan, an Irish international volleyball player who coached the team for three years, moved to Waterford IT. “It has been a memorable chapter for me with fantastic times created both on and off the court with all of those who shared my presence. “The success on the court has been phenomenal over the three years and the memories won’t ever be forgotten by me and all of those involved,” he wrote in a farewell post on Facebook in September of this year. Gerry White has taken over the team from O’Regan. White has “over 35 years experience” and DCU volleyball club chairperson Anna Colwell says she and the team are “very excited” to see where White and his two coaching assistants, Ronan White and Conor White, will take them. DCU women’s and men’s volleyball teams have secured wins against Dundalk IT (DKIT) with the exact same scores, beating the opposition 3 sets to 0, however, both losing to Royal College of Surgeons (RCSI) 3 sets to 0 last week. DCU volleyball men’s team played at home on Wednesday, while the women’s team played away in RCSI on Friday. Colwell said that the teams played very well, despite their circumstances preceding the matches. “We were very proud of how both teams played together, especially considering that we had about one hour of training as a team prior to the games.

“Everyone was able to pick it up and play together and look like they had been playing together for years, despite only two girls and four boys actually having played together before,” she said. The women’s team are due to play another match against RCSI, as well as Griffith College, next week in round 3 of the Student Sport Ireland (SSI) Volleyball League in RCSI. The teams have been quite successful over the past year, with the women’s team winning first place in the intervarsity’s plate competition, and the men securing first place in both the junior and mixed category of the VAI Championship. Additionally, both teams ranked first and second in cup and plate in the first ever Beach Volleyball competition. DCU women’s team currently sit second in the league table, behind RCSI, with DKIT in third and Griffith College in last place so far. The final league results will be decided in mid November, with quarter finals being played the week of the 18th of November and finals on Thursday 28th of November. Colwell says that the club have “big plans” to boost volleyball in DCU, as last year “the majority of the team were international students who have since left DCU.” “We are excited that this year we have so many new joiners who will be staying in DCU for several years, as it will definitely help the club improve,” she said.

Credit: DCU Volleyball

Dara Browne | Video Editor @dara_b_

Sport

DCU and Na Fianna form partnership Aoife O’Brien | News Editor @obrienaoife1

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Our collaboration will enable links to flourish between the club and DCU’s Fiontar & Scoil na Gaeilge

Credit: DCU Sport Twitter

new partnership between DCU and Glasnevin-based GAA club Na Fianna will provide DCU students with opportunities for paid partnerships, volunteering and cultural opportunities. The seven-year community partnership was launched on October 17th and is based on the shared values of sport, healthy lifestyles, Irish language and culture. It is the first strategic partnership between a university and a GAA club in Ireland. The agreement will provide DCU students with the opportunity for paid placements with Na Fianna, in areas of marketing, communications and sports science. In return, the partnership will provide the club with access to playing and training facilities at DCU’s Sports Campus in St Clare’s. They will also have access to the astroturf pitch that is planned to be built on St. Patrick’s Campus in Drumcondra next year. Despite the fact that DCU are already set to lose six astroturf pitches on the Glasnevin campus with the proposed development of seven new residential buildings, DCU students are hopeful that their training will not be interrupted by sharing the use of their sports grounds. DCU Computer Applications student, Éamon Goonan plays with the DCU Freshers Gaelic football team. He said he is confident that Na Fianna’s use of DCU’s sports ground “will be organised in such a way that it doesn’t interfere with any existing

DCU training or matches.” “I think the work placements are an amazing way to gain relevant experience” and stays true to DCU’s providing real world experience in fields that students are passionate about. The partnership also includes an agreement to collaborate on the promotion and development of the Irish language. President of DCU, Prof. Brian MacCraith acknowledged that CLG Na Fianna is widely regarded for their commitment to promoting the Irish language and culture. He said that they will team up with DCU’s Irish language school, Fiontar agus Scoil na Gaeilge which is renowned for its scholarship and pro-

grammes in the Irish language and its various initiatives employing digital technology to promote Irish language and culture. “Our collaboration will enable links to flourish between the club and DCU’s Fiontar & Scoil na Gaeilge. For example, we are exploring the idea of facilitating Irish Language Certification to Na Fianna’s Irish learners,” MacCraith said. The partnership also feeds into DCU’s strategic effort to develop a North Dublin Cultural Quarter. DCU’s arts and cultural initiative, Anam will work closely with Na Fianna on the production and hosting of a series of events at the club. The collaboration allows DCU to

demonstrate their seriousness in addressing the University’s strategic goal to “pursue active engagement with our communities,” President MacCraith said. Chairman of CLG NaFianna, Cormac Ó Donnchú said, “We are very excited about this new Community Partnership and we look forward to Na Fianna and DCU working together over the next seven years on a number of novel initiatives in the fields of cultural, community and sporting activities.”

Grigoryan shoots down opposition to win at Trinity

CU Archery were all smiles after their successful outing at The Trinity Archery Open with Hasmik Grigoryan taking first place in the beginner women’s recurve. The 27-year-old from Armenia scored 176 points in the first round and 192 points in the second round to bring her overall score to 368 points overall. Grigoryan, who is currently doing her PhD at DCU in law and government, only took up the sport of Archery little over two years ago, but has started to fall in love with the game due to the great commitment and team spirit within DCU Archery. Speaking to the College View about her success, Grigoryan thanked the support of her teammates and coaches both past and present. This was only Grigoryan’s third competition at University level and her second at Trinity. While she was the winner of the beginner women’s recurve, she unfortunately came up short

on pushing up to intermediate level, as she did not make the 400-point cut-off mark. “I wasn’t too disappointed as winning first place was a great reminder of all the hard work I had put into training. It was a great event hosted by Trinity and the category I was in was very challenging. I would like to thank all my teammates who encouraged me on and helped me in training,” Grigoryan said. On the same day, the DCU Archery team placed third in the team recurve competition, with experienced archer Oskars Veide placing second in the Advanced recurve. This high level of success for Veide continues from his gold medal win at the Student Nationals last year. DCU will now host the first Intervarsity’s of the season on the second week of November however, Grigoryan will be absent due to commitment to her college work. “I’m annoyed I won’t be able to be there but I’ll try to help my teammates out in any way that I can in preparation for the Intervarsity’s. I hope will can be as successful as a club as we were last year,” Grigoryan said.

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Winning first place was a great reminder of all the hard work I had put into training Credit: DCU Archery

Conor Breslin | Sports Editor @conorbreslin10

Sport

DCU student Fiona Tully won both the Ladies Singles and Doubles Open tournaments at the Irish Collegiate Handball Association (ICHA) in Wexford last week. In the Ladies Singles Open, Tully played against fellow DCU women Aoife Holden and her doubles partner Ní Dhálaigh. After defeating colleges such as UL and LIT, it was an all DCU final between Tully and last year’s Ladies Single winner Aoife Holden. “It was a bit weird playing Aoife, but I am used to playing her outside of college in county competitions,” said Tully on the Irish Collegiate Handball final. Tully won the first round with the score of 15-9, but Holden fought back, winning the second round with a score of 9-15. There was a fierce challenge in the tie breaker, but Roscommon woman Tully came out on top, winning the ladies single open with a score of 15-12. “It was great to win because I have lost the ladies single open twice, to two people from Kilkenny. I lost last year to the girl who I beat this year (Aoife Holden),” said Tully. Tully and her teammate Meadhbh Ní Dhálaigh entered the Ladies Doubles hoping to retain their title from their victory last year. Beating WIT in the semi-final, the duo moved onto the final, knowing it would be a harder game against UL. After a close two games the DCU women came out

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There was a fierce challenge in the tie breaker, but Roscommon woman Tully came out on top

victorious, winning the Trophy. Tully, who now holds both the Double and Single Ladies Open trophies, began to play handball when she was nine years old after seeing her sister play the sport. She then followed along and soon after fell in love with the game. Tully, who trains five to six times a week with both college and county teams hopes to progress in the Ladies Irish rankings, where she is currently in third place. “My plan for the future is to get into the top two in the Irish rankings, I will hopefully make my breakthrough soon enough,” Tully told The College View. Tully knows it will not be easy getting into the top two and said that Caitriona Casey and Martina McMahon, who currently hold the top two spaces in the rankings, are “amazing handball players.” Ladies handball in DCU has been very successful in recent years, with three different DCU women winning the ICHA Handball ladies single open tournament three years in a row. The DCU handball club also flew over to the United States last February to take part in the USHA handball tournament, where they arrived back to DCU with many medals from the competition.

Credit: DCU Handball

Aoife Breslin | Contributor

Phillip O'Kelly and Jamie Keatley pull their weight at Junior National Championships Students from DCU took part in the Irish Powerlifting Federations Under-23 Junior National Championships.

Credit: Philip O’Kelly

Fiona Tully wins both Singles and Doubles trophies in Handball Championships

Daniel Phelan | Contributor

CU students took part in the Irish Powerlifting Federations Under-23 Junior National Championships. Phillip O’Kelly and Jamie Keatley who are part of the Powerlifting club at DCU were competing for A.B.S Powerlifting. The event which took place in the A.B.S Powerlifting Gym in Dublin, requires all competitors to challenge themselves to lift to their maximum capacity in three different lifts: the squat, bench press and deadlift. While it was a club competition, familiar foes Trinity College Dublin and University College Cork were represented in the form of Trinity Barbell and UCC Powerlifting Club. Keatley began lifting on the platform this time last year, at a mock meet between DCU and Trinity. This was set up to encourage beginners who have previously never competed to get a feel for what it is like without any real pressure of getting on a scorecard. His first taste of competition was in April of this year when representing DCU at intervarsities in Cork and from there, “that’s how I ended up getting into competing'' said Keatley. Keatley trains between two and three times a week and had been preparing all summer for these Junior Nationals. Competing in the under 59kg category, “I didn’t do as well as I would have liked”, he said. Coming into the competition with a quad injury, there was a reluctance to push the boundaries and potentially risk further injury and a lengthy spell out of competition.

Somewhat disappointed by his performance - although hampered by injury – Keatley felt he could have done better, “I felt I should have improved since intervarsities but I ended up lifting the same amount.” However, there was a silver lining in the form of his deadlift. “I was very happy with that, because I achieved my goal of getting a Junior National Record... I felt like I could have lifted more too." he said. The other DCU scholar competing, Phillip O’Kelly, also acts as the Public Relations Officer for the DCU Powerlifting Club, he took part in the men’s under 66kg category. O’Kelly first started competing in April 2018, he had been a regular gym goer but wanted a more goal oriented way of lifting, "I had been in the gym for a few years previously but I’d gotten into strength training. I was tired of kind of just faffing about in the gym," he said. He trains four days a week, with one day focused on each of the three lifts while the extra day is used to work on weakness areas. O’Kelly performed exceptionally well at the Junior National Championships. Speaking on his performance he said, “I was really happy with it, I beat my personal records on the squat (140kg) and deadlift (180kg) not on the bench, but sure I’ll get that next time.” O’Kelly must wait and see if he qualifies for the National Championships in February of next year. The top seven of each weight class qualify; he’s currently placed sixth and in contention.

INSIDE Grigoryan shoots down opposition to win at Trinity pg 22

Kate Mooney scores a hat-trick in debut Mooney hopes to catch the attention of senior Irish coaches

CU and Shelbourne star Kate Mooney believes DCU can go a step further than previous years, and compete with some of the top college sides in the country, such as Carlow IT, or Maynooth. Having netted a hat-trick in her college football debut against TU Dublin, Kate Mooney is targeting a place at the Women’s Intervarsities competition, hosted by Waterford IT in March. Indeed, the future does look bright for a team hosting several players from across the Women’s National League, including Lynn Craven and Niamh Farrelly, who captains the side, as well as Mooney. These experienced players can have a strong impact on the team, assisting others who have slightly less experience, but more than enough determination, according to Mooney. “From playing that first match, the one thing I noticed, actually is they [the team] are a bunch of fighters.” Mooney drew inspiration from her teammates and channeled that drive that led to her winning goal against TU Dublin. “It helped me as well, cause I was like OK, let’s go and get this winning goal,” she said.

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DCU ladies soccer team are a bunch of fighters Having been deployed as a left full at club level, Mooney is reveling in a role at DCU that has seen her play further up the pitch, at centre forward, a role that she believes will allow her to have the maximum effect possible in her new team. If Mooney can repeat her recent goal-scoring feats in the coming months it will surely catch the eye of coaches at the senior international level, a goal that is in sight for a player who has represented her country at

Credit: Kate Mooney

Ruairi Carberry | Contributor

youth level. “I’ve always played underage internationally, but you always want to get to the senior level. I guess if I can maybe perform at DCU, and one of the coaches see it, at senior level, maybe I can have a chance. Playing with DCU will help me perform better with Shels,” said Mooney. While the standard in college football may not be at the level of the ladies’ international sides, or indeed the national league, it will continue to

improve, and Mooney feels that the current DCU team, would compete with sides that her club team play against regularly. “As a team, we could give a game to Limerick and Kilkenny in our [club] league. Once we get promoted and get more players in next year, if they want to come to DCU, we’ll just improve and improve.” With the climax of the Women’s National League fast approaching, and with Shelbourne battling with

Peamount United for the title, and the college football season has got underway, there is little time for rest for Mooney. However, the 20 year old would not have it any other way, due to the fact that football has been a constant passion throughout her life from an early age. A passion that Mooney lets consume her, as she continues to work diligently towards her goals.

DCU held all the aces in facile win over UCD DCU’s Oisín Gallen scored eight points

Conor Breslin| Sports Editor @ConorBreslin10

addy Christie’s men rarely had to get out of second gear in their facile 13-point win over local Dublin rivals UCD in St Clare’s GAA ground last Wednesday night where they won by 2:20 to 2:07. Leading by five points at the break (1:07 to 0:05) the men from North Dublin completely overran UCD in a match that was completely one sided and lacked any form of senior university football intensity. It took less than 45 seconds for DCU to open the score with 19-yearold Oisín Gallen landing his first of what would be eight points from a 13 metre free. UCD were able to dominate the kick outs in the opening quarter of the game to land scores from all three of their inside forwards, Keenan Donohue, Conor Moriarty and Gary Walsh.

However, DCU were able to counter this by mastering their quick long ball system into their full forward line resulting in two points for Gallen and one for Mark Barry to bring the match level after 20 minutes. While DCU had seven wides in the first half, it didn’t come back to haunt them and by the 26th minute of the first half the match turned in their favour. A simple passing error from UCD’s half back Barry O’Sullivan ended with Brian Stack driving through the heart of the UCD defence and ending with the Roscommon man slotting the ball low into the left side of the net. The final act of the first half resulted from a relentless and overpowering DCU defence turning over half forward Fiachra Clifford, driving in numbers down the field with corner back Conor Morrison on the end of a fisted point to bring DCU to the dressing room at half time with a five-

point lead. There was no way back for UCD in the second half, with the boys in blue only registering four scores in the second thirty minutes of the match. DCU on the other hand started in great fashion with Mark Barry and Stephen Smith landing the ball over the bar in the opening sixty seconds of the second half. Gaps were appearing in the UCD defence with midfielder Shane Carthy and corner forward Oisín Gallen, who seemed “unmarkable” at this stage, taking advantage and slotting over fine points to their names. DCU’s second goal arrived in the 40th minute of the match and it was substitute Paddy Small at his absolute best. Receiving the ball from midfield, he drove for centre. After playing a one-two with Mark Barry to open possibilities, Small superbly picked his spot with a pin point finish pass UCD keeper O’Rourke.

UCD were not going down easily and were able to pull out two amazing goals from Evan Calfield and Sean Egan in the final 15 minutes. With both men surrounded by an army of DCU players, under pressure both goals, somehow, managed to bomb passed Evan Comerford into the top right corner of the net. This was no way near enough for UCD to come back and final scores, what looked like target practice at this stage, from DCU’s Brian Stack, Oisin Gallen and Shane Tierney put a final thirteen-point deficit between the sides. With TU Dublin up next in the league, manager Paddy Christie doesn’t want his side to get carried away. “The league is about trying players out. I don’t believe that to be UCD’s best side. We had perhaps our strongest team out and we still made simple mistakes in turnovers and wides so we still have a lot to work

on,” said Christie. DCU Team: Evan Comerford, Conor Morrison, Brendan McCole, Daniel Corcoran, Neil Matthews, Mark Plunkett, Kevin Flynn, Shane Carthy, Sean McMahon, Brian Stack, Michael Bannigan, David McEntee, Stephen Smith, Mark Barry, Oisin Gallen Subs Used: Shairoze Akram, Paddy Small, Owen McDonnell, Paul Tolan, Thomas Donohue, Nathan Gavigan, Mark Curran, Billy Mannion, Mickey Gordan, Shane Tierney. UCD Team: Gerard O’Rourke, Sean Egan, Stephen Cowan, Paddy Larkin, Ryan O’Toole, Emmet Maloney, Barry O’Sullivan, Michael Breen, Dara Kennedy, Fiachra Clifford, Evan Calfield, Keenan Donohue, Conor Moriarty, Gary Walsh