Trinity News Volume 70 Issue 6

TR INIT Y NEWS ESTA BLISHED 1953

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Tuesday 6 February 2024

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Gaeilge Initiative referendum passes by landslide 90% majority TCDSU will now establish a fulltime Irish language officer along with the six other sabbatical roles Ellen Kenny Deputy Editor

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HE GAEILGE I N I T I A T I V E REFERENDUM HAS PASSED WITH AN O V E RW H E L M I N G 90% majority, creating a full-time Irish language officer (Oifigeach na Gaeilge) and funding for other College bodies to boost Irish on campus.

89.56% of the 1,590 voters supported the introduction of the Gaeilge Initiative, the largest majority a referendum result has seen in recent years.

A €4 levy will be introduced from the next academic year, creating a fund of up to approximately €80,000 each year for the initiative.

TCDSU will receive up to 70% of funding from the Gaeilge Initiative, while the Central Societies Committee (CSC) will receive up to 15% of funding to increase Irish visibility in College societies.

Trinity Sports Union will receive up to 10% of funding and Trinity Publications, the body responsible for funding several College publications, will receive up to 5% of funds.

TCDSU will now grant Irish official language status in its

Finding yourself - A concise guide

constitution and introduce a sabbatical Oifigeach na Gaeilge, dissolving the current part-time role.

Speaking on the success of the referendum, TCDSU Oifigeach na Gaeilge, Pádraig Mac Brádaigh now the last person to ever hold the position as a part-time role, thanked everyone who took part in the YesGaeilgeTCD campaign.

“As an Irish speaker who speaks Irish every day as a language of choice, I am happy that there is a new infrastructure in the College to provide my language rights,” he said.

Several student unions in Ireland currently have an Irish language officer, including Union of Students Ireland (USI) and the University of Galway Students’ Union.

The referendum saw the highest turnout for any union referendum in six years.

The 2018 Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) mandate referendum saw a total 2,050 votes cast and passed with a 64.5% majority.

This referendum was also the first major vote to take place in person since the Covid-19 pandemic forced the union to hold elections online.

A trial of paper ballots took place earlier this academic year with class representative elections.

The union’s first Oifigeach na Gaeilge will be elected along with the other sabbatical officers in the upcoming elections.

Following the announcement of the referendum results, nominations for the new role are now open to all union members and will close next Friday.

The other sabbatical election candidates were also announced on Friday.

Campaigning for sabbatical elections will begin Monday, February 19, with the Dining Hall hustings.

Vol. 70, Issue 6

14 candidates to contest TCDSU sabbatical elections

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RINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN STUDENTS’ UNION (TCDSU) HAS ANNOUNCED 14 STUDENTS WILL run in the upcoming sabbatical elections, the highest number of candidates in recent years.

Of the six races, only one – the Entertainments Officer election – will be run uncontested, with only one candidate running. Two candidates are running in each of the races for TCDSU President, Education Officer, and Editor of the University Times. Three candidates are running in the election for Welfare & Equality Officer, with four running in the Communication & Marketing Officer race.

The announcement of the candidates was made this evening on the steps of House 6 by TCDSU Electoral Commission (EC) Chair Conor Casey.

President Ralph Balfe is currently completing a masters in Psychoanalytic Studies.

He Continued on page 2>>

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Brian Cox visits LawSoc

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Emmy-winning actor and Succession patriarch Brian Cox was awardred the Praeses Elit award by LawSoc on Friday, February 2.

Photo by Alex Coghlan for LawSoc. Read more on page 8 and 9

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Anailís: Deis an oideachas dhá-theangach srianta aicme shóisialta a sharú

Features The rising wave of BDS in Ireland

Comment Healing in the wake of the Prague university shooting

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Sport

The enduring appeal of the cold water swim

The rise of five-a-side in Trinity

TRINITY NEWS EDITORIAL STAFF Editor Deputy Editor Assistant Editor Managing Editor Online Editor Deputy Online Editor Life Editor Deputy Life Editor

Kate Henshaw Ellen Kenny Ella Sloane David Wolfe Eve Conway Kay Williams Abby Cleaver Lara Monahan

News Manager News Editors

Aidan Cusack Evan Skidmore O-Reilly Charlotte Kent

News Analysis Editor Features Editor Comment Editor Scitech Editor Sport Co-Editors Eagarthóir Gaeilge

Alan Nolan Wilson Ruby Topalian Nina Crofts Sebastien Laymond Séaghan Ó Domhnalláin Jane Prendergast Tara ní Bhroin

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Get in touch at editor@trinitynews.ie This publication is funded by Trinity Publications, House 6, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2.

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14 candidates to contest TCDSU sabbatical elections did his undergraduate degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics in Oxford University, where he served as environmental and ethics officer of the Balliol JCR. Jenny Maguire is an English Studies student. She has previously served as Gender Equality Officer for TCDSU, as well as LGBT+ Rights Officer for TCDSU prior to this. She has also acted as a TCDSU class representative, and has written for Trinity News in the past. She is currently a coorganiser of Trans and Intersex Pride Dublin.

Education Officer Eoghan Gilroy is a Senior Sophister Law and Political Science student. He has been the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Faculty Convenor for the past two years, where he represents students at both the University Council and the Faculty Executive Committee. He currently serves as a student representative at the Undergraduate Studies Committee and previously served as Access Officer in TCDSU. Sé Ó hEidhin is a Senior Sophister Chemical and Molecular Modelling student. They are the current deputy STEM convenor of the union. They previously served as ethnic minorities officer and health sciences convenor.

Welfare & Equality Officer Hamza Bana is a Junior Sophister Computer Science and Business student and the current Ethnic Minority Officer of TCDSU. He is an Ambassador of the Trinity Access Programme which works to increase access to third-level education for underrepresented groups. Prior to these roles, he worked as a Student 2 Student (S2S) Mentor.

Nathan Harrington is a Junior Sophister Geography and Sociology student. He previously served as the second year Geography class representative for the union and of the Trinity Joint Honours board. He previously served as chair of Trinity Juggling Society. He is currently a volunteer

with Scouting Ireland.

Hannah McAuley Hannah McAuley is a Senior Sophister Radiation Therapy student. She has served as the TCDSU Off Campus Officer for the past two years where she has represented students who are based outside of the central Trinity campus as well as students who are on placement.

Communication & Marketing Officer Connor Dempsey is a Senior Sophister Philosophy, Political Science, Economics and Sociology (PPES) student. He is currently TCDSU engagement officer, a role he proposed creating at the final union council in April 2023. He previously served as citizenship officer. He was treasurer of the Student2Student (S2S) committee.

Dempsey is originally from Chicago.

Michael McInerney is a Senior Sophister English student. He is the current class representative for final year English Studies. He founded and runs a book club in Trinity. He also works as a tour guide for Cycle Dublin Bike Tours.

Sarah Murnane is Senior Sophister History and Politics student. She currently serves as Misc. Magazine’s Culture section editor and as The University Times’ Film and TV Editor. She has contributed articles to Trinity News’ Comment and Arts and Culture sections.

Beth Strahan is a Senior Sophister Drama and Theatre Studies student from Belfast. She has previously served as director of Trinity Musical Theatre, directing Sweet Charity in Hillary 2023. She was nominated for Best Individual at the 2023 Central Societies Committee Society of the Year awards. She also directed the Trinity Hall JCR musical Legally Blonde in 2022.

Entertainments Officer Peadar Walsh is a Senior Fresh Computer Science, Linguistics, and French student. He currently serves as the JCR Ents Officer.

Walsh has participated in the

Dragon’s Den final of the Trinity Entrepreneurial Society (TES) in which he won the third-place prize alongside his brother, Anthony Walsh.

University Times Editor Charles Hastings is a Junior Sophister English and Italian student. He is the current chair of the editorial board of UT. He previously served as music editor and assistant editor. He is the cofounder of Get a Grip magazine and contributed to the LA School Report and Annenberg Media while attending the University of Southern California on exchange.

He is also an S2S mentor in College.

Brídín Ní Fhearraigh-Joyce is a Senior Sophister student of English studies and a scholar.

Ní Fhearraigh-Joyce has served as deputy news editor of the University Times since September.

Last year she served as co-editorin-chief of TN2 Magazine, having previously been the magazine’s literature editor. She is also member of staff with Evergreen Magazine which became a full member of Trinity Publications last semester.

Campaigning will officially begin on February 19, with voting taking place between February 27 and February 29. The results will be announced on February 29.

For the first time since 2020, voting in sabbatical elections will take place in person, with remote voting online available by request.

Voting is open to all Trinity undergraduate and postgraduate students, by virtue of their automatic membership of TCDSU. The elections will be conducted via the single transferable voting (STV) system, with a ‘re-open nominations’ (RON) option available on all ballots.

Following the passing of the Gaeilge Initiative referendum, nominations for the union’s first ever Oifigeach na Gaeilge (Irish language officer) have now opened, with candidates being announced next Friday. The election will take place with the other races.

PHOTO BY NEASA NIC CORCRÁIN FOR TRINITY NEWS

1,200 students contact NiteLine in 2022/23

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TRINITY NEWS | Tuesday 6 February

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Domino’s Israel remove IDF posts in response to TCDSU ending sponsorship Domino’s outlined a number of steps it was taking to show “that we take your concerns seriously” Charlotte Kent News Co-Editor

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OMINO’S ISRAEL FRANCHISE HAS REMOVED ALL SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS EXPRESSING support for the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) after TCDSU severed its relationship with the company’s UK and Ireland franchise over the posts earlier this month.

In correspondence seen by Trinity News in late January, Domino’s Pizza Group PLC outlined a number of steps it had undertaken to address concerns raised by Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU).

These included hiring a Hebrew-speaking social media

monitor to review all social media content from Domino’s Pizza Israel, which identified a number of posts which they felt “may cause upset in Ireland and the UK”.

The group then liaised with the US-based Domino’s Pizza International Franchising, Inc., the master franchisor for the brand globally, to request that the posts be removed.

The flagged content included a Facebook post from Domino’s Pizza Israel on October 10 showing Domino’s staff donating food to Israeli soldiers with the caption “Domino’s <3 IDF”.

Trinity News understands that all of the flagged content has now been removed from the social media sites.

In a statement, Trinity Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (Trinity BDS) said that the response from Domino’s “shows the power of the BDS movement and its goals”.

“The BDS movement aims to exert pressure on the State of Israel in order for it to cease its

genocidal, racist and illegal regime on the Palestinian people.”

“This is an important step in showing corporations that they cannot be complicit in genocide without facing direct consequences to their profits. We must continue exerting pressure on complicit companies and institutions, in order to show that profiting from genocide and apartheid is unacceptable”, the statement continued.

The move signals that corporations are responding to pressure exerted by global consumer boycotts due to their Israeli franchises expressing support for the IDF and donating food to military personnel in Gaza.

Earlier this month McDonald’s reported that it had been hit with “meaningful business impact” following boycotts, particularly in the middle east. Starbucks also reported an effect on sales after it sued its workers’ union for expressing solidarity with the people of Gaza.

Trinity BDS reiterated their condemnation of College for its “complicity with the genocide in Gaza”, highlighting college’s connections with various Israeli institutions and corporations.

“College must follow in TCDSU’s footsteps, and the

footsteps of various other universities across the world in ending its ties with all complicit entities. Until college ends its own complicity, we students must continue to make our voices heard in opposition”, it added.

A spokesperson for TCDSU also commented on how this development demonstrated the power of boycotting, telling Trinity News: “No matter how small an organisation is, such as our student union in comparison to a global business, we all have a part to play.”

“This also shows that being a franchise is no excuse for multinational corporations to brush aside BDS demands.”

TCDSU did not confirm whether these moves would alter the union’s relationship with Domino’s going forward.

The union announced it was seeking to end its contract with Domino’s Pizza Group PLC in January, reversing a previous claim that its termination would leave the union open to legal action.

In a statement to Trinity News, TCDSU said that despite an earlier statement saying its contract with Domino’s was set to run until 2027, “we have now been informed that we are in a rolling agreement”.

“This means that the agreement

can be ended with adequate notice and we plan to engage in this discussion with Domino’s.

“As such, the TCDSU has started the process of ending the Dominos agreement at the earliest possible date.”

In a statement to Trinity News, Domino’s Pizza Group PLC reiterated that it hoped the union would reconsider its decision to end the sponsorship agreement.

“Domino’s Pizza Group PLC is a wholly separate legal entity to other Domino’s franchisors around the world, and therefore the only people impacted by the end of this partnership will be our Irish franchise partner, our diverse store colleagues and drivers in Dublin, and the students of Trinity College.”

“We hope the TCDSU will reconsider its decision.”

Additional reporting by David Wolfe.

Electoral Commission: Union voter registration campaign wording is “problematic”

Evan Skidmore O’Reilly News Co-Editor

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HE ELECTORAL COMMISSION (EC) HAS REFERRED THE CONTENTS OF A recent Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union’s (TCDSU) voter registration campaign to the Oversight Commission (OC) for possible breach of its constitution.

The material in question, a poster featuring the faces of the leaders of the three government parties, read: “They think students are too busy to vote. Prove them wrong. Vote them out”.

The campaign was launched this afternoon by TCDSU President

László Molnárfi and Citizenship Officer Ella MacLennan.

Ruling on a query put forward concerning the campaign, the EC said in its latest report that it would be acceptable to run a poster featuring the first two sentences alongside imagery of the party leaders as it concerns “the government’s approach and policy [towards] student engagement in politics”.

“With such a poster, it is clear that the campaign would be focusing on specific issues relevant to the aims and principles of the union outlined in Chapter 1.4 of the Constitution,” the EC said.

However, it concluded that the use of the phrase “vote them out” would be “problematic”, and could be interpreted as an “overarching political argument”, thus putting it in breach of the aforementioned chapter of the TCDSU Constitution.

As a result, the EC said it would refer the potential breach to the OC for “further consideration and possible action if it is deemed necessary”.

“If a breach of [the Constitution] has occurred, it is a matter for the Oversight Commission to determine in accordance with Chapter 5.3.5(c) of the

Constitution,” the EC clarified.

According to the TCDSU constitution, the aims of the union must be achieved “independent of any political, racial or religious ideology”.

The anti-government voting campaign encourages students to register to vote, noting the government has done “undeniable harm to our communities”.

Following the campaign launch, Molnárfi said: “Being neutral and lobbying them is not enough – we must, at the next general election, boot them out of power, remove them from their positions, every single last one of them.”

“The time for respectability, lobbying and sitting down with the Ministers for a cup of coffee is over. This government deserves to be called out at every possible occasion, wherever they go. Their representatives deserve to be held accountable in a public way, exposed, shamed and embarrassed in the press.”

Molnárfi and other union members have also campaigned to change the current wording of the union’s constitution to make it more explicitly political.

A petition to change the current wording to one that states the union will achieve its

aims “in a radical, egalitarian and autonomous way” reached the necessary signatures to go to a student-wide referendum, due to happen later this semester.

The proposed wording also clarifies the union will “not affiliate with far-right groups,

including, but not limited to, white supremacists and Christian extremists”.

A motion to change the constitution was previously brought to the TCDSU council, but failed to reach the necessary 60% support.

PHOTO VIA LÁSZLÓ MOLNÁRFI

The Oversight Commission will determine if a breach of the constitution has occurred

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Tuesday 6 February TRINITY NEWS

News

Explainer: The Gaeilge Initiative referendum

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AST FRIDAY SAW A REFERENDUM ON THE IRISH LANGUAGE IN TRINITY REACH record-high levels of support, with 90% of students voting in favour of introducing the Gaeilge Initiative.

This referendum saw the highest level of support in recent years and the highest turnout in six years, with 1,560 students turning out.

In 2018, a referendum to establish a partnership between Boycott, Divestments and Sanctions (BDS) and Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) saw a turnout of over 2,000, but passed with 64.5% of the vote.

This successful result will see several changes to “substantially increase the presence of bilingualism across student life”, according to the YesGaeilgeTCD campaign.

Gaeilge in the union As the referendum has passed, the constitutional status of the Irish language in TCDSU will be altered, giving it equal status to English and allowing students the right to interact with the union

through Irish.

This move is in line with the union’s recent efforts to increase the visibility of the Irish language in College, such as the union’s recent changing of its logo in order to feature the Irish translation.

The union already has certain provisions for the Irish language, such as allowing students to speak in both English and Irish at council. This referendum, however, will formalise the use of Irish in TCDSU. A significant change that a yes vote will bring is the creation of a full-time Irish language officer position within TCDSU, Oifeaghach na Gaeilge. Currently, the position of Oifigeach na Gaeilge is a part-time role within the union.

Speaking on the referendum, current TCDSU Oifeagach na Gaeilge Pádraig Mac Brádaigh stated: “This motion presents an incredible opportunity for a referendum to make Oifigeach na Gaeilge a sabbatical officer position and give the Irish language official status in our union’s constitution.”

According to TCDSU’s current constitution, the Irish Language officer is responsible for assisting “the other officers of the union with meeting the needs of Irish speakers in College”, including

translating email correspondence between the union and students into Irish.

The constitution also states it is the Irish Language Officer’s duty “to deal with issues faced by Irish speakers in Trinity”.

Mac Brádaigh and the YesGaeilgeTCD campaign have argued that the duties of Oifeagach na Gaeilge requires a full-time role: “No part-time Oifigeach na Gaeilge will ever have the time or resources to properly deal with all of the translation, meetings, casework, and lobbying the College.”

Several student unions in Ireland currently have an Irish language officer, including Union of Students Ireland (USI) and the University of Galway Students’

the student levy, which currently stands at €125 per year, creating a fund of roughly €80,000 every year.

The biggest recipient of this fund will be TCDSU, who are set to receive up to 70% of the Gaeilge Initiative fund. The CSC, the body responsible for student societies, will receive up to 15% of the fund.

10% of the new fund will be designated to the Trinity Sports Union, while the remaining 5% of the fund will be allocated to Trinity Publications, the body responsible for publishing and funding several student publications within College.

Chairperson of Trinity Sport Union Fergus O’Brien said the Sports Union intends to use the money to “fund translation services for Sport Union documents and media so that our students, opposing teams, club sponsors and all others may have the benefit of the choice”.

“Trinity Sport Union believes this act will play an important part in empowering Irish culture within the college,” he said. “We believe it is important that no aspect of College be without an Irish language option, whether that is part of students’ studies or extracurriculars.”

It has not yet been stipulated how the other capitated bodies will use their allocated funding.

This is the first major election taking place in person since the Electoral Commission (EC) did a trial return to paper ballot voting for the Class Representative and Postgraduate College Committee Elections.

TCDSU LOGNED BY AIESHA WONG

Alan Nolan Wilson News Analysis Editor

Union.

Gaeilge in academia Outside of union activities, the successful referendum will also present more opportunities for Irish to be used throughout College.

According to YesGaeilgeTCD, all students have the right to access their modules through Irish, but this is not fully implemented across courses.

Campaigners have said Oifeagach na Gaeilge “could bridge the gap between the classroom and practical use for both learners and fluent speakers”.

The yes campaign also argued a broad range of students could benefit from a yes vote, including those who do not speak Irish: “A full-time officer for Gaeilge would be a cheerleader not only for fluent Irish speakers, but for all those who wish to be one as well.”

Gaeilge across College These provisions for a referendum were first agreed at a TCDSU council meeting on November 7. The motion had also stipulated, however, the referendum was subject to consultation with the Capitations Committee, which oversees the College’s main student bodies.

Following consultation with Capitations the referendum also proposes the introduction of the Gaeilge Initiative, a dedicated fund for Irish language initiatives across the College’s other capitated bodies, the Central Societies Committee (CSC), Trinity Sports Union and Trinity Publications.

The Gaeilge Initiative will be funded through a €4 increase in

Renters Soliday Network announce intentions to escalate A petition created by the group calling to an end to College’s overnight guest policy has reached over 500 signatures Charlotte Kent, Gabriela Gazaniga News Co-Editor, Deputy Analysis Editor

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HE TRINITY C O L L E G E DUBLIN RENTERS S O L I DA R I T Y network, a grassroots organisation established by Trinity College Dublin Students’

Union (TCDSU) President László Molnárfi, have announced their intentions to “escalate [their] campaign” in a letter to Provost Linda Doyle.

The letter, sent on January 28, demands an end to the “restrictive, paternalistic and dangerous” overnight guests policy, a 30% rent reduction, free laundry services, and rent refunds for each day with serious maintenance issues.

The letter also requested more reasonable costs to replace key cards as well better communication in relation to staff visits and that “no disabled applicant be disadvantaged by having to pay more for an accessible room simply because cheaper rooms are not accessible”.

“We have mobilizing capacity, as demonstrated by the quick growth of our group, as well as the hundreds of signatures on the petition that we have recently put forward in relation to the overnight guest policy”, the letter read.

“We are therefore giving you

notice of our intention to escalate our campaign and are awaiting your official response on the demands that we have outlined”, it said.

An argument for student safety is also raised: “[the policy] is dangerous because someone might need to sleep at a resident’s place, such as in cases where they miss their public transport and cannot get home.

“Rejecting them from a safe place to sleep is unacceptable … this policy is ineffective and only serves to put us in danger”.

The network labels itself a “grassroots campus residents’ action group” aimed at targeting issues College residents collectively face.

The petition started by the group earlier this month calling for an end to Trinity accommodation’s overnight guest policy has reached over 500 signatures.

The group, which at the time of the letter had 114 members, “takes inspiration from the success of rent strikes in the U.K”, particularly

the rent strike by students in Manchester University in 2020, when 200 students refused to pay rent, resulting in a 30% reduction in rent.

A day prior to the sending of the letter, the Renters Solidarity Network held a demonstration on campus in which they distributed leaflets to tourists outside of the

“

[The network said] rejecting [students] from a safe place to sleep is unacceptable

Book of Kells Experience.

The leaflets which criticised College for “extortionate” rents urged tourists not to purchase tickets for the Book of Kells and to consider “leaving a one star review on Google, citing student issues”.

Under the policy, students living in Trinity Halls may not sign in an overnight guest to stay after 11pm of the same day, with this cut-off time being extended to midnight for students living in on-campus accommodation and Pearse Street.

Last November, the TCDSU called for an end to the policy, likening it to the 1960s-era ‘in loco parentis’ policy adopted by College in which they legally acted as the guardian of student residents who left their family homes.

The union also voted in November to campaign for the removal of the time limit on overnight guests.

Student residents are classed as licensees, restricting their rights in comparison to those of official tenants.

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TRINITY NEWS | Tuesday 6 February

News

Student nurses in Tallaght Hospital yet to receive government subsistence payment The School of Nursing promised the payment will be delivered during this coming week Emily Sheehan Assistant News Editor

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TUDENT NURSES CURRENTLY ON P L A C E M E N T IN TALLAGHT HOSPITAL HAVE yet to receive a government subsistence payment, which was initially due to be issued in November.

Announced in December 2022, the promised subsistence payments of €500 a year were introduced to target the extra costs of meals during clinical placements.

The support package also promised that the payments to eligible nurses and midwives would be backdated to September

2022.

However, inconsistencies in the distribution of the sum have reportedly left students on placement at Tallaght Hospital without the payment to aid in their placement costs. According to students, those on placement in St. James’ Hospital have received the payment.

The School of Nursing promised the payment will be delivered during this coming week, resulting in a two month delay for students on placement in Tallaght, with additional payments made on a later date.

In a statement to Trinity News, Junior Sophister class representative for Children’s and General Nursing Tara Ní Bhroin outlined the student perspective on the issue.

“The whole ordeal has honestly been so infuriating, frustrating, and draining since it started,” she said.

“It was some relief to know that we were being somewhat compensated for the long hours of placement we do, and that we had a definitive timeline as to when we should expect these payments.”

Alongside a lack of information regarding when the payment would be made, students faced a

“

[McAuley said] student nurses and students of other healthcare disciplines are expected to work in subpar conditions for delayed, reduced or no pay lack of communication with the Nursing school and representatives in Tallaght hospital.

“It constantly felt like we were speaking to the void as any communication we attempted to have with the school of Nursing and Tallaght hospital was unacknowledged and not replied to.”

“I sent many, many emails stating how unacceptable the delay in payments is, how stress inducing the situation is, and how disrespectful and unsupportive our supposed support systems have been. Again, I received barely any response” “This ordeal has made me feel immense negativity towards the school of nursing and Tallaght hospital. These people and groups are meant to be there as our advocates, as our support, as people we can go to when we need guidance and answers - and yet we have been left in the dark.”

“We all know student nurses work long hours and that many of us cannot work part time jobs when on placement- leaving us in financially stressful situations. We need clarity and communication when it comes to payments. We cannot be messed with like this and constantly kept in the dark.”

Though students claim to have received little communication from the Nursing department

or Tallaght hospital, the past week has seen an increase in communication to students, with the school of nursing expressing their mutual frustration and sympathy for students.

Speaking to Trinity News, Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union Off-Campus Officer Hannah McCauley said: “This issue is symptomatic of the disregard shown to student nurses who so often are required to form a supplementary staffing pool at reduced rates.

“Student nurses and students of other healthcare disciplines are expected to work in subpar conditions for delayed, reduced or no pay.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Health previously told Trinity News the HSE’s Allocation Liaison Officers (SALOs) “are leading the implementation of the revised subsistence payments for eligible student nurses and midwives”.

“Payments are either currently being made to those eligible or the payments are being processed,” they said.

“The HSE is prioritising the administration of the allowance in the locations that have yet to make payment.”

USI National Council unanimously passes motion against Proctorio The motion identifies that “discriminating factors with software like Proctorio include economical, gender, culture [and] race” Gabriela Gazaniga Deputy Analysis Editor

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N JANUARY 25 AT THE NATIONAL COUNCIL, THE UNION OF STUDENTS IN Ireland (USI) unanimously passed a proctoring motion proposed by Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) and the Vice President (VP) for Academic Affairs.

In a research document, “The Case Against Proctorio”, prepared by TCDSU, “considerable concerns” regarding the safety and ethics of the software were outlined.

Proctorio is one of many online proctoring softwares where

“the primary function … is to police academic performance by monitoring academic integrity during exams”.

Specifically referencing Proctorio, TCDSU notes: “Across the world, students, staff and institutions have decided against Proctorio due to how problematic it is, like the University of California, Berkeley.”

“We would not want to associate with such a company that so viciously persecutes any and all opponents, contrary to public debate and freedom of expression that we hold so dear as an academic community.”

The software requires students to share their image, audio, and computer screen, recording everything while in use. Proctorio then submits the recording to the student’s institution for review, flagging content and behaviours the software deems academic dishonesty.

In “The Case Against Proctorio”, TCDSU highlights various arguments demonstrating the danger of the software.

“There are considerable GDPR concerns associated with the implementation of Proctorio,” they said. TCDSU recall how in December 2020, after having trialled Proctorio for School of Medicine undergraduates in College, it was decided the software would also be utilised for postgraduates.

At the time the Trinity College Dublin Graduate Students’ Union

(TCDGSU) cited “that it would be contrary to data protection law and therefore the software was pulled for the postgraduate cohort”.

College’s School of Dental Science also experienced difficulty when attempting to implement Proctorio, experiencing “a lot of inflexibility … in terms of its settings”.

According to the 2020-2021 Trinity College Dublin Health Sciences Faculty review: “It is very labour-intensive, adding extra stress on our already overworked academic and administrative staff.”

Technological issues and financial costs are also cited as issues associated with the software.

“Common technological issues identified with the software … included students being thrown out of the system and losing exam time to get back in, something which may form grounds for appeal, and therefore lose various departments valuable time to manage day-to-day affairs.”

In terms of finances, the TCDSU research documents states: “There is a financial cost to using Proctorio, with an annual user fee of €12-15 depending on the volume of licences purchased”.

“If there are around 20,000 or so students at Trinity College Dublin, the yearly fee for us would be 20,000 €12 which would be a whopping €240000, almost €0.3 million. This money can surely be spent better elsewhere, such as on welfare supports, extra amenities

for students and infrastructure improvements.”

Both the research document and the National Council proctoring motion identify matters of “welfare, privacy, accessibility and bias” as crucial problems arising from the use of Proctorio”.

“The scanning of a student’s room and the collecting of information about a student’s home environment is a breach of privacy. Students become vulnerable by showing their homes to unconscious or conscious bias and future discrimination, bullying or even harassment.”

The motion notes: “An examiner viewing a student’s personal living space and living condition, decorations/posters, and potential iconography is unacceptable.”

“The detection system for flagging alleged academic dishonesty is unreliable and discriminates against living conditions. For example, if a student lives in a shared arrangement, and there are multiple people in the room, or noises are heard due to overcrowded apartments, this will trigger the system.”

The motion continues: “Acquiring the right infrastructure, including affording a private room, a computer, web-camera and microphone and stable internet at home is stressful and expensive for audio and visual proctoring.”

“Being monitored in this way places extraordinary stress on students, at a time when young

people’s mental health is in crisis worldwide, and this may affect academic performance as well as general welfare,” the motion explains.

The motion identifies that “discriminating factors with software like Proctorio include economical, gender, culture, race and disability status”. It states how Proctorio is “biased against certain skin colours” and “it has been reported that it struggles to recognize people of colour”.

TCDSU, in the research document, offers suggestions for practices to ensure academic integrity while protecting student privacy and welfare.

They state that open-book online tests with “creative questions” in place of Proctorio ensure that “cheating becomes impossible” and that answers cannot be AI-generated.

Exams that are limited in time hinder student ability to “Google answers or use their notes”.

Oral exams and continuous assessment are also suggested as they “give the examiners the option to see if students understood the subject”.

TCDSU also suggested that College and faculty “start trusting students”.

The Council mandated “USI to adopt a stance against the use of visual and audio proctoring of exams by third-level institutions in Ireland”.

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Tuesday 6 February TRINITY NEWS

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“Incredibly disappointing”: TCD Academics for Palestine’s wish to meet with Provost left ignored The group are calling for College to “cut ties with institutions that are involved with, and complicit in, genocide” Stephen Conneely Deputy Analysis Editor

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ARINITY COLLEGED DUBLIN ACADEMICS FOR PALESTINE, A GROUP OF AROUND two dozen academics

on campus, claim that their multiple requests to meet the Provost have been ignored, except for a recognition of receipt of their emails.

Dr David Landy, a representative of the group and Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology, says that the Provost’s office has “refused any more contact” with the group after the recognition of receipt, labelling this as “incredibly disappointing”.

He further opined that the discrepancy between College’s reaction to Israel’s assault on Gaza and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is “painful”.

In February 2022, College released a statement which read, in part: “Trinity College Dublin condemns the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation and stands in solidarity with the Ukrainian people at this most difficult time. A peaceful resolution

to the conflict is needed.”

In January 2024, an email exchange by the acting director of College’s communications office, obtained under a freedom of information request, read that their “stance is to remain neutral on issues such as this”.

TCD Academics for Palestine urges Trinity to take part in an academic boycott of Israeli universities and institutions.

This “is a boycott on institutions not individuals”, Landy says, “so if somebody is Israeli and is associated with a university outside of Israel, of course people can still keep academic ties with them and still collaborate with them”.

“It’s collaborating with those in institutions within Israel, that’s the problem”, particularly focusing on “research collaborations which bring money to these institutions”.

The group is currently conducting audits across various

schools and departments regarding their ties to Israeli institutions. Out of 228 research projects funded by the European Union that Trinity is participating in, only seven involve Israeli institutions.

Landy views this as “a grey boycott on Israel already happening in academia”, and further evidence of the desire for an academic boycott to be conducted by College.

He took issue with the “talk in Trinity about decolonising the curriculum”. “People are patting themselves on the back because we have renamed the library (formerly known as the Berkeley Library), you can’t talk about decolonising if you’re collaborating with institutions that are participating in colonial genocide”.

He claimed that Trinity “has a moral responsibility” to act on the situation in Gaza. “Trinity’s response to the killings has been

incredibly disappointing. It has been, to say, as little as possible”, he said.

Moreover, he commended student activists, such as the actions of the Trinity Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) Movement, for their “energy, conviction, and moral clarity”.

Landy hopes to see a similar amount of action from staff across College. “It’s just horrific to see this genocide being played out and our institution is doing nothing”, he said. “So it has been somewhat relieving that my colleagues are doing something, that we are standing up. I’d just like our college to do it as well”.

College declined to comment to Trinity News.

Trinity continues to have ties to at least 12 Israeli organisations through research collaboration and business relationships, including Tel Aviv University.

Trinity debaters sweep up at Irish Times semi-finals Seven out of the 12 students who will compete in the grand final are representing Trinity societies

peers on January 26 with an argument on the opposite side of the motion, which judges deemed the only speech “to articulate why we should be so suspicious of the people behind the AI hype”.

Martha McKinney-Perry and Andy Cullinan from the Hist advanced from their semi-final last Thursday where they argued that “unification is not in the best interest of the people of the 26 counties”, impressing the judges by presenting “brave and original ideas”.

The Hist’s success continued the following night when committee member Athena Wu was named the best individual speaker in the last semi-final.

David Wolfe Managing Editor

PHOTO VIA JOHN OHLE FOR THE IRISH TIMES for the future of disability rights on the island of Ireland”.

The pair argued that disability rights are often sidelined by government in favour of more politically advantageous issues, which the judges praised for its “realistic interpretation of the systemic barriers” faced by people with disabilities in Ireland.

Ryan and Cullen told Trinity News that it was “definitely a surprise” to go through to the final as it was their first time competing in the competition.

“Given all of the excellent teams we competed against, we are absolutely delighted and honoured to have gone through”, Cullen added.

The next day they were followed

by Bram Stoker Club Chair

Stephen O’Sullivan and former Phil President Ellen McKimm who argued that though we might not know precisely how AI will change our lives, the scale of its impact will, like the internet, be too big to overstate.

McKimm said she was “absolutely over the moon” to make it to the final of the competition.

“We’re really excited for the next round,” McKimm said. “My granny is lighting candles so hopefully that helps.”

O’Sullivan, from Kerry, echoed his partner’s excitement: “When it comes to debating in Ireland, the Irish Times isn’t the Hogan Cup, it’s the Sam Maguire, so we’re very excited.”

Phil member Matilda Brewe progressed alongside her society

PHOTO VIA JOHN OHLE FOR THE IRISH TIMES

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RINITY STUDENTS WILL MAKE UP A MAJORITY OF FINALISTS IN THE Irish Times Debate final after contestants from several campus societies progressed from each of the four semi-finals.

A total of seven speakers from the College Historical Society (the Hist), Trinity Law Society (LawSoc), the University Philosophical Society (the Phil) and its affiliated Bram Stoker Club progressed from a series of four semi-finals.

Students debated topics including artificial intelligence (AI), Irish unification and disability rights in Ireland.

One pair and one individual speaker was selected to progress from each semi-final of 12.

LawSoc members Eoin Ryan and Louise Cullen were the first to go through the semi-finals on January 25, arguing against the motion that “this house has hope

The debaters will take part in the grand final of the competition later this month, where they will face off against competitors from King’s Inns, the Solicitors’ Apprentice Debating Society of Ireland (SADSI), and the Army Cadet School.

No debaters will represent University College Dublin (UCD) in the final despite a strong showing in several of the semi-finals. All finalists are from Dublin-based institutions.

Other Trinity debaters who had progressed to the semi-final include Eoin Connolly and Rehan Haneef from the Hist and Jonathan Kelly, Oisín Ward and Henrietta Vanni from the Phil.

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TRINITY NEWS | Tuesday 6 February

News

1,200 students contact NiteLine in 2022/23 academic year In 516 hours of conversations, college issues, loneliness and relationships were the most frequent topics Aoibhínn Clancy Deputy News Editor

Content warning: This article contains mention of suicide, selfharm and mental health.

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ITELINE, A S T U D E N T- RU N C O N F I D E N T IA L AND ANONYMOUS SUPPORT SERVICE were contacted by 1,200 students in the 2022/23 academic year.

According to NiteLine’s social media team, the helpline spent 516 hours in conversations with students.

The most frequent issues discussed were concerned with college, mental health, loneliness and romantic relationships.

Suicide, self-harm, assault and eating disorders were also discussed.

According to NiteLine’s website, the helpline received 1,776 contacts from students altogether in the last academic year, including text messages.

On Blue Monday, the third Monday of the year dubbed the “most depressing Monday of the

“

On Blue Monday, the third Monday of the January, NiteLine’s call volume was 80% higher than on the average Monday last year

year”, NiteLine’s call volume was 80% higher than on the average Monday last year.

Established in 1993 at Trinity and University College Dublin (UCD), NiteLine is a free service available every night of term between the hours of 9pm to 2.30am.

The volunteer base set out to create a non judgemental atmosphere in order to listen to one’s troubles in a non-directive manner. Offering confidential support and a compassionate ear the 100 plus anonymous volunteers serve ten colleges equating to around 130,000 students.

It now operates in several colleges across the country, including University of Limerick, Dublin City University and Maynooth University.

Many are familiar with the copious NiteLine posters which can be found scattered around campus. Be it on stairwells, notice boards or on the back of bathroom doors these posters are never too far out of student eyeline.

Speaking to Ayeh the Public Face of the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland (RCSI) and NiteLines Social Media Officer Mikayla I was able to delve deeper into the work being done at NiteLine and the people behind the phones.

Ayeh, a final year medical student in RCSI, got involved with NiteLine back in 2022 during her 3rd year: “College was really publishing NiteLine a lot, we had NiteLines contact at the end of lectures, we had their posters around college.”

Ayeh said she had been familiar with NiteLine from a distance, unsure of the work which was being done. It was when she spoke to a friend, a former public face for NiteLine that she became more familiar with the service being provided.

“During my third year of medicine a friend of mine was the public face of NiteLine and she talked to me about it and she told me exactly what sort of service it is. I had only been seeing it from afar at that point.

“I saw her doing her publicity stunts and she talked to me alot about it and what sort of job they do, what sort of service they provide. I found that to be really exciting and nice, especially during Covid.”

Public Faces are the only members of NiteLine who are allowed to disclose their identity.

“I’m the one who is going to be at the stands,” Ayeh explained.

“A big pillar of NiteLine is anonymity and we don’t want people to know who our volunteers are. You don’t want to talk and be afraid someone you know will pick up the phone. We don’t want to stop students from calling us for any sort of reason.”

Ayeh said Public Faces are a vital component of the organisation

as they can liaise and organise events in collaboration with other societies and workshops: “it is good to have a face to link the service to.”

Ayeh went on to say how “each Public Face for each college arranges a workshop. It can either be done on their own or as a collaboration with another society for example.”

Workshops deal with topics such as how to talk to a friend who may be distressed and how to manage stress.

“They are very chill and they are very easy to follow. They are not something very intense, ‘’ Ayeh continued.

Balancing the role alongside college should not deter those who want to get involved, according to Ayeh.

“I get that question asked a lot in my publicity stunts,” she said, “they always wonder how you can balance between doing your course and having our hours of 9

“

Sometimes as a student, you want to talk to a fellow student or you just want to vent... you don’t want advice

to 2.30am.

“It’s very doable to be honest, you can do the days that suit you best and if you have a spare weekend or a spare day that you can do that it’s kind of a nice break between studying and doing all the course work.

“You kind of have your own thing going on and something to look forward to. It turns out to be much lighter than what it sounds sometimes.”

NiteLine Social Media Officer Mikalya got involved in NiteLine as someone she knew was a Public Face: “I’ve been in NiteLine for about three years now. Initially what drew me too was one of the girls in the year above me when I was doing my undergrad in psychology, she was volunteering with NiteLine and she was a Public Face.”

She went on to say how she “just applied and went through the interview process and here we are”.

Speaking about the higher frequency of phone calls on Blue Monday, both Ayeh and Mikalya also echoed how NiteLine sees a spike in calls during exam period.

“It’s definitely during exam periods” said Ayeh, specifically referencing semester one in December.

“Because it’s cold, people are missing their families and course work is very heavy”, Ayeh said, students tend to become

overwhelmed and need an outlet to vent their worries. In many ways NiteLine is helping to alleviate the solidarity experience of student life.

NiteLine’s ethos is based around peer support and student voice. Mikalya detailed how the aforementioned peer to peer aspect is “one of the really great things about NiteLine”.

She continued saying: “I know that sometimes if you’re going through something it can be very hard to go to a parent or a family member or even spoken within the college facility to say hey look I’m having a really stressful time.

“Actually being able to talk to someone who knows what it’s like is really unique and really nice.”

Ayeh said: “Sometimes as a student, you want to talk to a fellow student or you just want to vent, that you don’t want someone to give you advice.

“It’s always good to have that opinion to be able to just talk and even have someone there at the end of the line to listen to you who understands what you’re going through. Student life is definitely a shared experience.

“There is no subject that is too big or too small for us,” she concluded.

Those who want to get involved with NiteLine can do so online.

At present they are not accepting new volunteers however one can register their interest via their website.

“You get interviewed and if you get accepted you get trained to be a volunteer” detailed Ayeh. Anyone with any questions can also reach out to Mikalya via NiteLine’s Instagram or email.

NiteLine are also hosting The Incognito Ball on February 22.

Tickets are currently on sale via Eventbrite.

NiteLine can be contacted at 1800 793 793.

PHOTO VIA NITELINE

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Tuesday 6 February TRINITY NEWS

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Limerick Voice honours “exceptionally talented” former editor at SPA Regional Awards Staff members paid tribute to Joe Drennan, who died in a hit-and-run last October at the age of 21 Aidan Cusack News Managing Editor

F

(GCN), and so determined to build a powerful future for himself.”

“We knew there was no doubt coming out of our degree that he would’ve been the one that got the job straight away. He would walk into anything with a strut and a hairflip and he was ready to go.”

Cantwell finished with a promise to “stay fighting the good fight for every under-represented voice as Joe would’ve wanted”.

Grant said that Drennan was the “brightest person” she had ever “had the honour of knowing” and “the greatest friend anyone could ask for”.

“He tackled everything he put his mind to with pure determination and unflinching confidence, whether this be his writing or his relationships with others. Anyone who knew or even met our Joe came away with something to remember, something impactful.

“He had this same attitude when it came to his journalism: no

story was too small and no story was too big, and most importantly, no story was too challenging.

“Joey had a knack for finding the most interesting things to write about, whether it be the furry community or BDSM, an LGBTQ priest at the height of the AIDS crisis in New York, and same-sex couples in Ireland fighting for parental rights.

“I had the honour of calling him my best friend, and losing him can only be described as losing a part of myself,” she concluded.

A man in his 20s was charged with dangerous driving leading to the death of Drennan.

Drennan was appointed editorin-chief of Limerick Voice just weeks before his tragic death, and just two weeks after his 21st birthday.

Limerick Voice won Best Digital and Best Article at the SPA Regional Awards, while Cantwell was highly commended for Outstanding Commitment.

“

PHOTO BY NIKO EVANS FOR TRINITY NEWS

ORMER LIMERICK VOICE EDITOR JOE DRENNAN, WHO DIED IN A HIT-AND-RUN LAST OCTOBER, WAS remembered as an “exceptionally talented and stylish” person at the Student Publication Association (SPA) Regional Awards for Ireland

by current staff members.

Managing Editor Molly Cantwell and Investigative Journalist Síofra Grant paid tribute to Drennan in the Graduate Memorial Building (GMB) ahead of the awards ceremony.

Cantwell described her coeditor as a “pioneer for student media” and said that she could not attend the SPAs “without sharing anything about him”, saying: “There are no words to describe the incredible sense of loss that Joe leaves behind”.

“As a group of young journalists, you never expect to become the story, to read an article that’s about the loss of your dear friend, or to be lost for words when it’s words that brought us all together.”

“Joe was a force to be reckoned with, his passion, talent, charisma and absolute grá for his work was so evident in absolutely everything he did.

“He was passionate about his work with Gay Community News

Joe was a force to be reckoned with, his passion, talent, charisma and absolute grá for his work

LawSoc honou The actor discussed his experience in the HBO phenomenon series as well as politics and the arts David Wolfe Managing Editor

O

N FRIDAY, C O L L E G E ’ S LAW SOCIETY ( L A W S O C ) PRESENTED ITS Praeses Elit award to renowned actor and Succession star Brian Cox. The award, which is given to those who make an “indelible impact” in their field was presented to Cox for his “fantastic and varied career” as well as his “unflinching dedication to justice and politics”.

Secretary Louise Cullen highlighted Cox’s diverse screen roles, from the Bourne franchise and Braveheart to a voice role as the Green Dragon Scooby Doo, as well as his long career on stage and

TCDSU campai housing program

Union President László Molnárfi said students and staff are being “priced Trinity News receives six honours at first in-person SPA Regional Awards out of education” Regional Awards on February 2.

Clara Roche for Best Journalist, Independent Journalist Áine Kerr Publications in Trinity News Editor-in-Chief Kiran Singh from the University and formal Assistant News Editor Madison Pitman Kate Henshaw won the award Times for the Highly Commended for The Journal and author Aoife Deputy News Editor Trinity received for Outstanding Commitment, article Racism, Mental Health, Barry spoke at the panel hosted by while Limerick Voice Editor Molly and the Urgent Call for Change in Henshaw. nine awards and Cantwell was Highly Commended. Trinity’s Counselling Services and Getting into student journalism, Features Editor Ruby Topalian TCD Misc for Highly Commended the changing structure of media honours overall received two honours: a Special in Best Publication. with the growth of the internet, Ellen Kenny Deputy Editor

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RINITY NEWS RECEIVED SIX H O N O U R S , INCLUDING ONE first-place winner, at the first ever in-person Student Publication Association (SPA)

Mention for her October 2023 article The USSR flag and student communism: A controversial combination, and Highly Commended in the Best Journalist category.

Arts and Culture Editor Jayna Roshlau also received a Special Mention in the Best Journalist category.

Trinity News also received a Highly Commended for Best Digital at the awards ceremony.

Other Trinity publications and writers who received honours include University Times Editor

The College Tribune from University College Dublin (UCD) won Best Publication, while the Limerick Voice won Best Digital.

Hosted in the Graduate Memorial Building, publications from Dublin, Limerick and Belfast gathered for the SPA’s first ever inperson Regional Award in Ireland.

Hosted by Trinity News, a panel featuring Irish journalists and media professionals also took place ahead of the awards ceremony.

Bauer Media Audio Ireland Chief Reporter Barry Whyte, Kinzen founder and former Irish

and how to stay motivated in the profession were discussed at the award.

The SPA also held Regional Awards in the UK, covering Scotland, Wales, London, the midlands and the southeast and the southwest.

The student publication organisation will host its annual conference and awards for students in the UK and Ireland in Bristol from April 12 to April 14.

Nominations for the award ceremony in Bristol are now open and will close February 19.

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HE RINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN STUDENTS’ UNION (TCDSU) CAMPAIGNS GROUP HAS CALLED FOR A universal public housing program for students and across the country at a banner demonstration on January 31.

Members of the union gathered in front of the Campanile at Front Square holding banners calling for a reduction in rent as College is “pricing students out of education”.

TCDSU President László Molnárfi told Trinity News the

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TRINITY NEWS | Tuesday 6 February

News

in Shakespeare productions.

Cox described the inspiration of working class and lower middle class British actors such as Albert Finney and Peter O’Toole who made it in Hollywood at a time when “it was all Americans” in movies.

Cox also played the corporate conglomerate patriarch Logan Roy in Succession which culminated in a highly anticipated final season last year.

He described the group dynamic of the cast as the best part of working on the show, though he alluded to the more solitary methods of one of his castmates: “There was only one person who had a problem with that. But I won’t say who.”

While he has been proud of the success of the series, noting how people have “become obsessed” with it, Cox told LawSoc that having played so many roles, he viewed it as “just another piece of work”.

Though, like his Succession character, Cox was born in Dundee in Scotland, he emphasised his Irish heritage which he discovered through a recent genealogy test made up 88% of his ancestry.

In a brief discussion about politics, Cox expressed his belief in an eventual united Ireland, as well as a breakup of the “preposterous” United Kingdom

in favour of a confederation of three independent Scottish, Welsh and English states respectively.

He expressed his regret that the Scottish people have a habit of “shooting themselves in the foot” when it comes to independence, lamenting the recent loss of momentum for the Scottish National Party and expressing his admiration for Nicola Sturgeon who unexpectedly resigned last March.

“They don’t [just] shoot themselves in the foot, they hold up their foot and shoot off each toe individually,” he quipped.

LawSoc, now in its 90th year, has had a strong showing this year, hosting a number of guests including singers Ellie Goulding and Maisie Peters, Lord Alan Sugar, former Senator David Norris and author and activist Reni Eddo-Lodge.

We, Law Society, were founded in 1933, and for 90 years, we have provided opportunities for our members to engage in a wide range of events to advance discourse, to socialise and to experience new phenomena.

Previous recipients of the Praeses Elit Award, founded by former Auditor Mary Robinson, include Jean-Claude Juncker, Stephen Fry and Daisy Edgar Jones.

PHOTO BY ALEX COGHLAN FOR LAWSOC

ur Succession patriarch Brian Cox with Praeses Elit award

ign calls for universal public m at banner demonstration union’s recent survey showed “what a failure this government is when it comes to housing”.

“We see students who are dropping out of their studies, students who are couchsurfing living in unsafe housing conditions, but we also see staff who are quitting lifelong careers in academia,” he said. “[The government] look at housing as a commodity rather than as a basic human need.”

He said student accommodation should be based on a “universal public housing program”, as should all housing.

“In Vienna 60% of all housing is social and affordable,” he said.

“If other European countries can do it, so can we.”

Molnárfi is also a member of the TCD renters’ group, which is demanding a 30% reduction in rent and that the overnight guest policy in campus accommodation is scrapped.

The group is seeking to organise a rent strike among students living on campus to see these demands met.

According to Molnárfi, this action is inspired by the successful rent strike by students

in Manchester University in 2020.

Over 200 students refused to pay rent, leading to a 30% reduction in rent.

Manchester University Students Union attempted a second strike including sit ins in management offices in 2023 which failed. There, 350 students refused to pay rent and barricaded themselves in a senior management office for 38 days.

The 2023 strike resulted in disciplinary action towards 11 organisers, and in October 2023 the students’ union announced it would not hold another rent strike that semester.

The network also launched a petition calling for an end to Trinity accommodation’s overnight guest policy, whcih has reached over 500 signatures.

In a letter to Provost Linda Doyle, the group has promised to “escalate [their] campaign” if their demands for student accommodation are not met.

Following the demonstration today, College told Trinity News it “respects students rights to protest peacefully”.

Additional reporting by Ellen Kenny.

PHOTO BY RORY CHINN FOR TRINITY NEWS

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Tuesday 6 February TRINITY NEWS

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Beyond Third of students unsure if they are Trinity tenants or licensees, TCDSU survey finds The findings of the TCDSU Housing Survey Report were launched on January 25 Charlotte Kent News Co-Editor

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NE-THIRD OF S T U D E N T S ARE UNSURE WHETHER THEY ARE TENANTS or licensees, raising concern that many students may be “unclear on their rights within their homes”, according to a new report from Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU).

The TCDSU Housing Survey Report 2023/24 was launched on January 25 in the Arts Building by union President László Molnárfi and Housing Rights Officer Siubhán Stockman.

32% of respondents were unsure whether they are licensees or tenants. Additionally, the report noted 35% of respondents who said they were tenants live in campus or private student accommodation, meaning that they would be licensees.

Asked whether the union has any plan to raise awareness among students as to the difference between licensees and tenants, Molnárfi highlighted the union’s partnership with the Community Action Tenants Union (CATU).

The findings are based on a survey of 857 students conducted by the union. 673 respondents were undergraduates, while the remaining 184 were postgraduates.

According to the report, twothirds of student renters in College have gone into financial difficulty in order to pay rent, while nearly 40% of undergraduates live at home with their families.

28% of students pay over €1,000 in rent a month, with the majority of those paying €1,200 or more in private student or rental accommodation.

Among students paying rent, 49% work to pay, with 72% of these people reporting that this has had a negative impact on their education.

Two-thirds of renters also rely on family members to help them pay rent.

Students living in campus accommodation, who made up just under one fifth of respondents, reported the most positive experiences of renting.

The most negative experiences were reported by homeless students and students living in temporary accommodation, followed by those living at home or in student digs.

The report also included a number of testimonials from students living in unsafe and unhealthy environments including mould and pest infestations.

“I have had rats, mice and a fly infestation. I am extremely clean, and have all my food in containers, but it’s just that the building is so old, any kind of vermin or insect can get in”, one student reported.

“I have also had neighbours that have threatened me, locked me out of the building, and engaged in antisocial behaviour, but any time I reported it to the landlord, he wouldn’t believe me”, the respondent continued.

Speaking at the launch this evening, Molnárfi said the survey was not conducted for Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien or the current government.

“It is for us – students, staff, trade unions,” he said. “To show what we have been saying for so long is true with statistics.

“We know very well the ministers and this government know the struggles we are facing, they just don’t care.”

He noted the costs students pay in rent and the amount they work to make ends meet is “utterly unforgivable”.

“Students deserve to have to have social lives,” he said. “We are not robots, we are people.”

TCDSU Housing Rights Officer Siubhán Stockman said she hopes that report brings to light “the extent of the housing crisis as

experienced by Trinity students”.

“We will continue to resist the profit-based housing system, and fight for an alternative based on justice, solidarity, and hope”, she added.

The union have called for the restoration of an eviction ban, rent reduction, universal public housing and a ban on sex for rent.

The survey also found that nonEuropean Union postgraduate students were the most affected by high rents, with 74% reporting getting into financial difficulties.

This demographic also reported the highest rents and the greatest difficulty in the accommodation search.

Of those living at home, 61% said it was having a negative impact on their student experience, while 79% of those commuting for over an hour (23% of overall respondents) reported the same.

Overall 73% of respondents working to pay rent, commuting, or living at home, said that their experience is having a negative impact on their education.

The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) also criticised the government for “engaging in smoke and mirrors” in regards to student accommodation by “announcing and reannouncing the same ‘news’ and ‘policies’ without any concrete plans or information”.

Additional reporting by Ellen Kenny.

TCDSU calls for overhaul of National Gender Service at protest LGBT+ Rights Officer Nina Crofts criticised College Health for refusing blood tests to transgender students Ellen Kenny Deputy Editor

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RINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN STUDENTS’ UNION (TCDSU) CALLED FOR AN overhaul of the National

Gender Service (NGS) at a protest at Front Gate on February 2.

Union members, Union of Students in Ireland (USI) members and activists from Transgress the NGS stood at Front Gate holding posters demanding “trans healthcare now” and called for an “informed consent model” to be adopted.

They also had a large banner stating the NGS and Health Minister Stephen Donnelly have “blood on their hands” due to the current model of transgender healthcare.

The NGS is Ireland’s only clinic that provides specialist support for people who are seeking medical or surgical “interventions to affirm their gender”.

The union also demanded that College Health break from the NGS, which advises GPs against providing blood tests to transgender students.

LGBT Rights Officer (LGBTRO) Nina Crofts said denying blood tests to students is dangerous and demeaning.

“That’s what kills people and is killing people,” she said.

“This doesn’t end until trans people have the same access to health care that everyone else has.

“Trans healthcare is healthcare.”

The union said students “continue to stand up for trans healthcare in mass numbers, and fight for widespread healthcare equality”.

Trans rights activists launched the Transgress the NGS campaign to call for a better model of trans healthcare and demand the clinic change their advice to GPs. The NGS currently advises GPs against providing blood tests or hormone therapy to patients who are self-medicating, such as by sourcing HRT online or accessing private trans healthcare services.

Blood tests are required by trans people who are self-medicating or accessing private trans healthcare services as a basic safety check.

TCDSU passed a motion last year calling for better transgender healthcare, mandating the LGBTRO and Gender Equality Officer to lobby for reduced waiting times at the NGS. It calls for a review of the “invasiveness” of the questions asked to transgender patients seeking healthcare.

People working in the NGS, including endocrinologist Dr Karl Naff, have previously said the clinic does not have the resources to see the 300 trans people being referred to it each year due to being shortstaffed.

The NGS are currently seeing people referred between three and three and a half years ago, according to its website.

University of Galway University of Galway Students’ Union are to hold a series of events this week for their annual Consent Week. Organised in conjunction with Active* Consent, the week aims to highlight the importance of consent, as well as the promotion of sexual health and wellbeing.

Among the list of events include a digital intimacy workshop, free screening and testing, an art exhibition, and a “Sex Toy Bingo” event at the college’s student bar, Sult. Students’ Union President Dean Kenny said: “We still have a long way to go in Irish society in terms of breaking down the taboo of talking about sex. We want our students to be educated about their sexual rights.”

Atlantic Technological University and Ulster University A memorandum of understanding has been signed between Atlantic Technological University (ATU) and Ulster University (UU). The agreement, signed at ATU’s Letterkenny campus on Monday, January 22, aims to “strengthen academic and cultural interchange” between the two institutions. Speaking at the signing event, Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris emphasised the need to “adopt an all-Ireland approach” to cooperation in higher education.

“These two universities already have long-standing commitments, but I know they want to do even more in terms of student exchanges, staff exchanges and joint awards,” he continued.

University of Limerick University of Limerick (UL) is to write down the value of a former supermarket location it purchased for €1.5 million above the value price in 2019. The city centre site, which had formerly been a Dunnes Stores outlet, was bought by UL almost five years ago for more than €8 million including VAT, despite a prior valuation for the property putting it at €6.5 million.

In an email to college staff, UL President Kerstin May said that a €3 million “financial impairment” had been caused by the cost of the overvalued sale of the property and the subsequent depreciation of its value, but defended plans to continue developing it, saying it “presents an excellent development opportunity for the university.”

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TRINITY NEWS | Tuesday 6 February

News

Anailís: Deis an oideachas dhá-theangach srianta aicme shóisialta a sharú

I

S MINIC A DHÉANTAR TAGAIRT D’ÉIRE MAR OILÉAN NA NAOMH AGUS NA NOLLÚNA. Muscalaíonn an frása fileata seo saibhreas oidhreachta agus oideachais na tíre seo ionainn.

Cuireann sé i gcuimhne fosta ceangal docht an oideachais agus na hEaglaise thar na blianta. Rud a leagann béim ar na hathruithe suntasacha sa chóras oideachais le breis agus céad bliain anuas.

Is cinnte ón litríocht go bhfuil baint oideachais an frása fós le braith toisc go bhfuil córas oideachais na hÉireann i measc na gcóras oideachais is laidre sa domhan thiar. Ach is cosúil freisin go bhfuil réabhlóid ciúin, ó thaobh na sochaí agus an creidimh de, tar éis sileadh isteach sa chóras oideachais. I dteannta le hathruithe ó thaobh teicneolaíochta, eacnamaíochta, creidimh agus sochaí de, tá tírdhreach an oideachais inniu scoilte ar bhonn aicme. San fholús fágtha i ndiaidh dífheistiú scoileanna faoi phátrúnacht agus ceannas ord religiúndach, tá gnéithe sochaí eile nua inniu a gcinníonn caighdéan oideachas, agus a bhaineann buntáiste do ghrúpa amháin, i gcoinne grúpa eile. Bíonn mórán do na cinntithigh tipiciúil d’oideachais rathúil na linne seo gaolta le fachtóirí socheacnamíocha - mar shampla caighdéan an fhoireann scoile, rannphairtíocht na tuismitheoirí, an teicneolaíocht agus trealamh ar fáil. Mar tír atá mórálach as a heaspa deighilt aicme, conas gur féidir linn an fhíric agus an meon seo a réiteach? Ceistítear an bhfuil bealach gur féidir ardchaighdeán oideachais a chinntiú, nach bhfuil ag brath ar bunús airgid. Léiríonn Liosta na Scoileanna Friothálacha

“

Is iad dhá instititúid a tháirgeann ardlíon daltaí ollscoile – sé sin scoileanna príobháideacha agus Gaelcholáistí

Aoife Ní Ríagáin Scríbhneoir ranníocach an Irish Times firící áirithe dúinn i leith réim an tionchar a mbíonn ag oideachas dara leibhéal ar dhaltaí in Éirinn agus a gcinneadh faoin oideachas tríú leibhéal. Feictear go bhfuil tionchar dearfach go háirithe sna gaelcholáistí.

Foilsíodh Liosta na Scoileanna Friothálacha i mí na Nollag seo caite. Is tomhas é seo a úsáidtear chun scoileanna dara-leibhéal a chuir in ord de réir líon na ndaltaí a théann ar aghaidh chuig oideachas triú leibhéal. Agus dá dheasca, úsáidtear é chun gnéithe áirithe d’oideachas dara-leibheal rathúil a aithint. Tá tábhacht agus meas an liosta treisithe ón bhfíric go dtagann tromlach do chlú agus moladh oideachas na tíre seo ón líon mór de dhaltaí a théann ar aghaidh chuig ardoideachas – uimhir atá 13% níos airde na méan an OECD. Mar sochaí, is léir go leagann muid luach ar oideachas triú léibhéal mar an céim nadúrtha i ndiaidh an Ardteist. Leagann muid béim ar shonraí an liosta seo, mar i mbealach is síneadh é don oideachas agus dearcadh a bhfaigheann daltaí ag dara leibhéal.

Má glactar leis gur siombal í ardoideachas d’oideachas rathúil, cad iad na coinníollacha faoi leith ina réitítear agus spreagtar í seo ag dara leibhéal ? Dar leis an liosta seo, is iad dhá instititúid áirithe a tháirgeann ardlíon daltaí ollscoile agus a mbíonn ag barr an liosta bliain i ndiaidh bliana – sé sin scoileanna príobháideacha agus Gaelcholáistí. I mbliana, tháinig trí Ghaelcholáisti in éineacht le seacht scoileanna príobháideacha ar barr an liosta, le ‘Catholic University School’ ar Sráid Líosain Íochtarach ag tógáil an chéad áit.

Gaelcholáiste is ea scoil ina mbíonn Gaeilge mar príomhteanga na scoile, agus déanann na daltaí staidéar ar na hábhair uile trí mhéan na Gaeilge. De gnáth bíonn siad maoinithe ag an Stáit agus ní bhíonn táillí i gceist leo.

Dar le figiúirí na bliana seo, chuir scoileanna príobháideacha an coibhneas is mó daltaí ar aghaidh chuig triú leibhéal, le 99% dá dhaltaí ag dul ar aghaidh go triú léibhéal. Leanann na Gaelcoláistí le 96% dá dhaltaí ag dul ar aghaidh, i gcomparáid le 82% dá chomh-mhic léinn a d’fhreastal ar scoileanna Béarla (níl scoileanna DEIS san áiremah san bhfigúir seo). I gcás an cinéal triú léibheal, leiríonn sonraí na gaelscoileanna

“

Tá stair, agus cuspoirí ag na scoileanna seo a chabhraíonn seo aitheantas agus cultúr áirithe a aithint ráta ard forchéimniú go ollscoileanna tradisiúnta i gcomparáid lena comhpháirti i scoileanna lán-Béarla. I gcás Rang Ardteiste na Gaelscoileanna 2023, bhain beagnach 60% dóibh cúrsa in ollscoil tradisiúnta amach, le 21% ag dul ar aghaidh chuig cúrsaí in ollscoil tecineolaíochta.

Chuaigh 14.8% eile dóibh ar aghaidh chuig institiúidí eile ar nós coláiste oiliúna múinteora.

Bliain i ndiaidh bliana, déanann an liosta seo aibhsiú ar an éifeacht a mbíonn ag fachtóirí socheacnamaíocha ar dhul chun cinn na ndaltaí. Ní hamháin go bhfuil daltaí na scoileanna

príobháideacha ag dul chun cinn ag ráta ard, ach léiríonn Liosta na Scoileanna Friothálacha go bhfuil dochúlacht i bhfad níos airde go mbainfidh siad cúrsaí le pointí airde amach. An deacracht ná nach féidir le déagóir a n-aicme shóisialta nó a gcúlra socheacnamaíocha a athrú. In ainneoin cúpla scoláireacht, is beag seans atá ag daoine ó cúlraithe áirithe freastal ar na scoileanna seo.

Is cosúil ó sonraí an liosta seo gurb í oideachas trí Gaeilge an bealach is fearr don gnáthdhuine taithí oideachais a fháil ar chomhchéim leis an oideachas a fhaightear sna scoileanna príobháideacha- ach cén fáth í sin?

Glactar leis gurb iad cúlra agus staid eacnamaíochta na ndaltaí na príomhcúiseanna le rath na scoileanna seo, ach is cinnte freisin go bhfuil éifeacht ag aidhm agus cuspóirí dírithe agus uatháil an scoil. Tá stair, nósanna agus cuspoirí uatháil agus láidir ag na scoileanna seo a chabhraíonn seo aitheantas agus cultúr áirithe a aithint, agus a chur chun cinn.

Cosúil le léirithe an litríocht i leith aidhm corparáideach, is féidir le cultúr scoile láidir bheith ina ábhar spreagúil do mhisean na scoile, mar aon leis an bpobal scoile. Treoraíonn aidhm agus misean láidir forbairtí curraclam agus cinntí rialachas mar aon le stráitéisí oideachas. Tá aidhm dírithe agus uatháil, lastall de oideachas maith a chur ar fáil ag Gaelcholáistí. Sna scoileanna seo, déantar an Ghaeilge agus an cultúr gaelach a sháinniú i bpolasaithe oideachais na scoile, ón spóirt agus ceol go dtí an litríocht. Is minic gur bhunaíodh na scoileanna seo mar thoradh ar feachtas pobail, a chiallaíonn go mbíonn cultúr agus nósanna na scoile bunaithe ar luachanna an phobal tuismitheora.

Dá bhrí sin, bíonn baint níos mó ag tuismitheoirí i riarachán na scoile de gnáth. Uaireanta fiú feictear tuismitheoirí ar an mbord scoile, rud a chinntíonn go bhfuil riachtanais an phobal scoile lárnach i gcinntí rialachas a ndéantar.

An luach is mó a bhaineann le Gaelcholáiste ná gné dhátheangach dá stráiteas oideachais.

Ní hamháin go bhfuil an Béarla, Gaeilge, Fraincís, agus Spáinnís á réiteach ag daltaí mar ábhar don Ardteist, ach tá siad sáite i dtimpeallacht teangeolaíochat a tacóidh leo i mbealach iomlánaíoch. Tá móran litríocht a threisíonn na buntáistí luachmhara a thagann le oideachas dhátheangach tumthach, i gcomparáid le oideachas aonteangach. Léiríonn staidreacha go gcothaíonn oideachas dhá-theangach cumas cognaíoch méadaithe i dtaobh cuimhne, aird agus scileanna fadhbréiteach. Ar meán, léirítear go bhfuil cumas matamatice and litríochta daltaí dhathéangach níos airde na daltaí aontheangach.

Buntáiste nach féidir le scoileanna Béarla aithris a dhéanamh ar.

Nílim ag fógáirt gurb iad Gaelcholáistí an leigheas míorúilte do srianta aicme shóisialta- ach is cinnte gur ábhar machnaimh í sonraí an liosta seo. Ní haon rún é gur athsmaoineamh í an ghaeilge sa gcóras oideachas do mórán. Ach treoraíonn an liosta seo éifeacht an teanga i mbealach atá tomhaiste agus soléir, gan an sceipteachas, claonadh agus gáifeachas a mbíonn iomaí bainteach le comhrá faoi staid na Gaeilge sa chóras oideachais. D’’fhéadfaí a rá go bhfuil deis ann don phobal déagóra a mbraitheann teoranta de bharr a stádas socheacnamíocha chun oideachas atá níos cothromaí a fháil sna Gaelcoláistí.

GRIANGHRAF LE GAELCHOLÁISTE CHIARRAÍ

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Tuesday 6 February TRINITY NEWS

News

What they DUBES appeals for men to apply for said Valentine’s Day blind-dating fundraiser

“Hello.”

DUBES President Anthony Walsh said there has been a “dramatic increase” in women signing up for the event and urged more men to take part in the blind-date event Gráinne Ní Ailín Contributing Writer

D

U B L I N UNIVERSITY BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS SOCIETY (DUBES) has appealed for men to apply for its upcoming Valentine’s Day blind-dating fundraiser for Trinity

Vincent De Paul (VDP).

The “Trinity Cupids” Charity Blind Date Bash, also in collaboration with Trinity Fashion Society, will take place on February 13.

Students who sign up are asked to fill out an application about themselves to be paired up with another person for an hour-long date in one of 10 locations chosen

by DUBES and Trinity VDP. According to DUBES President Anthony Walsh, 300 people have signed up for the event so far, but the number of women signing up has “increased dramatically” and has called on men to sign up to the event.

“We’re delighted to be running this charity event alongside Trinity VDP,” he said. “It’s a fun concept.

“Initially, we had expected to see a strong male interest in the event, but as days went by we saw the number of female participants increased dramatically.

“As things stands I simply do not have enough fellas to ensure a match for all the lovely ladies who’ve signed up for a great cause.

“What does this say for Trinity’s single scene? Is this representative

of our university?”

Participants disclose their age, gender, College course and sexuality in the form, but there are currently not enough taking

“

Questions on the application include your age, gender, sexuality and if you think Jaffa Cake are a biscuit or a cake

part to match people to their ideal match.

He said women have taken “the initiative on this event and feel more confident and comfortable putting themselves forward for a blind date”.

“For all the guys reading this, we have a date for you and we would love to have you,” he concluded.

The charity event also includes an afterparty in Farrier and Draper where participants can continue on their dates if they wish.

Other questions on the participation form include what dance style describes the person best, from “expressive dance” to “loose hips”, and what pub or club in Dublin they would be.

Students are also asked what their major turn-on and turn-offs are, if they think Jaffa Cakes are a biscuit or a cake, and what their most important love language is.

Students interested in taking part in the event can apply online or via the link in the bio of the Instagram account @trinitycupids.

Tickets are €15 and all proceeds made will go to Trinity VDP. Additional reporting by Ellen Kenny

Printing House Scare: Campus residents get fright in the night as disembodied voice says “hello” One student said: “We got the life scared out of us” David Wolfe Managing Editor

R

ESIDENTS OF COLLEG’S NEWEST ACCOMMODATION, PRINTING HOUSE Square were struck with terror on Monday night as a male voice was broadcast directly into student bedrooms.

Around 0.45am on Tuesday morning, residents of Printing House Square heard strange noises in their rooms before “a really loud and terrifying ‘hello’” boomed over from the speakers in their ceiling.

Printing House resident Connor Dempsey told Trinity News: “It started off with a fairly loud click or thudding sound, like the door had opened or something had fallen. And then an inquisitive “hello”.”

Isobella Walsh, also a resident, described hearing “a really loud

rustle from the toilet and it genuinely sounded like there was a person in the room, [it] scared the life out of us”.

“Then a really loud and terrifying ‘hello’ came out and we got the life scared out of us.

We went into the hall and all my roommates were gathered there terrified that something was going on at 1am.”

Several residents reported congregating with flatmates in confusion following the incident, for which no explanation has been offered.

Dempsey added that it is “weird they have the power to speak directly into our rooms – we didn’t

know about that”.

“I felt like my space had been invaded a bit but of course I understand if it was a software error or unintentional.”

One resident told Trinity News that Printing House security had appeared equally confused by the incident, suggesting that it may not have been a member of staff who spoke over the intercom.

A spokesperson for College clarified that the Public Address and Voice Alarm (PAVA) system is a component of the fire alarm installation in Printing House Square apartments.

Residents said that during fire drills, the speaker would play an

automated voice telling them to evacuate, but they were unaware the speaker could broadcast live to their rooms.

Residents were disturbed again the following night when the fire alarm sounded for about two seconds at 1am.

In a statement to Trinity News, College said: “We are aware that PHS residents were disturbed on two consecutive nights. The incident has been investigated and has not reoccurred.”

“We apologise for the inconvenience.”

College have so far been unable to shed any light on the incident which is “being looked into”.

Disembodied voice in Printing House Square “What an outstanding contribution he has made to Irish public life.”

Provost Linda Doyle congratulating David Norris on his retirement from the Seanad “It emboldens me further about the need to move away from the over-reliance on the private market in relation to student accommodation.”

Higher Education Minister Simon Harris after a large private student landlord announced they were increasing lease lengths by around 10 weeks “Shout out to Derry, shout out to Cork, shout out to Killarney, shoutout to Dublin.”

Irish-born Emmy winner Ayo Edebiri “Because of the Good Friday Agreement that old state that they were born into is gone.

A more democratic, more equal society has been created, making this a better place for everyone.”

Sinn Féin vicePresident Michelle O’Neilland Northern Ireland’s first nationalist First Minister “If the upcoming referendums lose as a result of misinformation by conservative commentators it will give social weight and legitimacy to the far-right as well as to sexism and misogyn in Irish society.”

TCDSU President László Molnárfi “Those countries who have removed their funding from UNRWA must be reminded of the unavoidable consequences their actions are likely to have.”

Irish President Michael D Higgins

PHOTO BY NIKO EVANS FOR TRINITY NEWS

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TRINITY NEWS | Tuesday 6 February

News

The news in photos

Members of TCDSU at the banner demonstration demanding College cuts accommmodation costs, January 31. Photo by Rory Chinn for Trinity News.

Students gather to protest the National Gender Service and demand the introduction of a “informed consent” model of transgender healthcare, February 2. Photo by Lara Monahan for Trinity News

Welfare and Equality Officer candidate Hamza Bana (centre) and presidential hopeful Jenny Maguire (second from the left) at the announcement of candidates, February 2. Photo by Neasa Nic Corcráin for Trinity News)

Trinity gives away 100 birch tree seedlings to celebrate launch of new sustainability strategy Sustainability Strategy 2023-2030 aims to reduce Trinity’s greenhouse gas emissions by 51% by 2030 Ruby Topalian Features Editor

T

RINITY GAVE AWAY 100 BIRCH TREE SEEDILNGS WHICH SPROUTED NATURALLY ON campus lawns on January 24

following College’s “No Mow May” initiative. The seedlings were distributed from Front Square.

Any seedlings not collected will be made available to students and staff at a later date.

The distribution of the seedlings marks the launch of Trinity’s Sustainability Strategy 2023-2030, which “sets out a roadmap to embed sustainability in everything Trinity does”.

The strategy is focused on environmental sustainability, specifically, climate change, biodiversity loss and human health.

Under the new strategy, Trinity aims to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 51% by 2030, with net zero emissions by 2040 in all emissions categories. Trinity also aims to be “nature positive” by 2030 through conservation, management, and restoration of

“at least” 30% of its land area for nature.

Other targets set by the new

“

Doyle said the strategy “challenges us to go even further” for sustainability

strategy include taking actions to “support a culture shift in behaviours that promote and recognise the interrelatedness of planetary and human health”, such as improving access to plant-based diets and programmes that enable “active lifestyles”.

The Strategy includes an action plan divided into four areas: education, research, operations and community. Trinity aims to “embed” these issues in the curriculum in order to “prepare future generations to act as agents of change for sustainable development, in both their professional and personal lives”.

In addition to the seedling distribution, an event to celebrate the strategy launch was held in the afternoon at Trinity’s “Ideas Workspace”, Tangent. Speakers at the event included Provost Linda Doyle, Vice-President for

Biodiversity and Climate Action Jane Stout and law student Jenny Salmon.

Speaking at the event, Provost Linda Doyle said: “I warmly welcome the launch of Trinity’s Sustainability Strategy, which builds on the many projects and activities already underway across College. This strategy challenges us to go even further in placing sustainability at the heart of our research, teaching and day-to-day operations.”

“I am impressed by its holistic approach encompassing people, planet and health, and also the priority it gives to reversing biodiversity loss by becoming Nature Positive”, she added.

During her speeches she also thanked Professor Jane Stout and her team for “constantly placing sustainability to the forefront of our minds”.

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Tuesday 6 February TRINITY NEWS

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Students celebrate as Trinity Ball 2024 to remain on campus In a post on Instagram, Trinity Ents confirmed April 12 as the date of this year’s ball David Wolfe Managing Editor

T

RINTIY BALL 2024 WILL BE HELD ON CAMPUS, TRINITY ENTS HAS ANNOUNCED,

alleviating fears that the iconic annual event would be held off site.

In a post on Instagram, Ents said: “Trinity Ball 2024 will be held on 12 April 2024, and yes, it will be on campus.”

Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU), of which Trinity Ents is a part, last year announced that it may be impossible to hold the ball on campus due to the Old Library Redevelopment Project.

Access to New Square, the former site of the event’s main stage, has been lost due to the new Book of Kells experience, and it was expected that Fellows’ Square in front of the Arts Block would also be lost to construction work.

Last year’s main stage was instead located in Front Square for the first time in decades, in a move which was widely welcomed

by students, though capacity was reduced. It is not yet clear what changes may be necessary to hold the ball on campus this year.

Students have rejoiced at the news with the post garnering hundreds of likes in minutes.

Ents advised students to keep an eye on its Instagram page where it would be releasing information about ticket sales in the next month.

Current Ents Officer Olivia Orr had promised in her campaign last year that she would ensure the annual ball takes place on campus.

Last summer, an internal review by Ents on the organisation of Trinity Ball recommended a return to in-person ticket sales, however Ents has not confirmed whether it will be following this recommendation.

Write for us Join Ireland’s oldest student newspaper.

Follow the QR code below or head to trinitynews.ie/write-for-us

David Norris calls for peace in Palestine in Seanad retirement speech

Norris thanked the “very many graduates” for their consistent support Evan Skidmore O’Reilly News Co-Editor

S

ENATOR DAVID NORRIS HAS CALLED FOR PEACE IN PALESTINE IN HIS FINAL SPEECH TO SEANAD EIREANN after 36 years in the upper house.

In his final speech to the Seanad, Norris thanked the “very many graduates” for their consistent support over the years.

“I have tried to represent them to the best of my ability,” he affirmed.

“I would also like to mention all those people who, in the old days, mounted a progress line of people stuffing and folding envelopes, and all that kind of stuff. They were an essential element in the early days.”

Senator Norris also used his final speech to address the ongoing situation in Gaza, saying that he would continue to “advocate for peace” during retirement.

“What is happening to the inhabitants of Gaza is appalling and cannot be allowed to continue.

Man’s inhumanity to man is our greatest shame,” he said.

The senator condemned the actions of the Israeli government under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who he accused of leading both Israelis and the “unfortunate trapped citizens of Gaza” towards “death”.

“I deplore it completely,” he continued. “It goes completely against the Jewish ethic, which is L’Chaim – to life.”

Senator Norris concluded his speech by declaring his support for the upcoming referendums on the family and the role of women in the home on March 8.

“It is important that they succeed and even though I will be retired, I will be, to the best of my ability, campaigning for their success,” he said.

Provost Linda Doyle paid

tribute to Norris, saying College has been “so proud to call David a ‘Trinity Senator’”.

“What an outstanding contribution he has made to Irish public life,” she said on X (Twitter).

President Michael D Higgins also wrote an open letter to Norris thanking him for his years of service in Seanad Éireann.

“Your legacy as a champion for equality and diversity will continue to inspire future generations to come,” the president wrote.

“May I wish you every

happiness in your retirement and fulfilment as you begin this new chapter in your life, one that I hope will include a well-deserved rest in the knowledge that your work has helped make Ireland a better place for all.”

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar also praised Norris’ campaigns for equality in a letter, noting three members of the current Cabinet are openly gay.

Seanad Cathoirleach Jeremy Buttimer said the retiring senator’s final speech showed his “passion

PHOTO VIA THE SEANAD INDEPENDENT GROUP

“

What is happening to the inhabitants of Gaza is appalling and cannot be allowed to continue has not diminished” for social and political issues.

First elected to the Seanad by Trinity graduates in 1987, Norris was reelected as Senator for the University of Dublin constituency at every subsequent election, making him the longest serving Senator in the history of the state.

He studied English Literature in College, where he also formed the Sexual Liberation Movement in 1974, the first formal LGBT rights group in Ireland.

Norris took a human rights case against Ireland to the European Court of Human Rights in 1988, which eventually led to the decriminalisation of homosexuality in 1993.

Norris first announced his plan to retire in an interview to Trinity News last November, citing the need to “pass on the baton”.

A by-election to fill the vacant seat will be held in the coming months.

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TRINITY NEWS | Tuesday 6 February

Features

Empower The Voice Gabriela Gazaniga page 16

Europe’s right-wing shift Melina Rozehkhan page 19

Gianna Care: Misinformation on a bathroom door

Hazel Mulkeen Staff Writer

T

here are so many stickers and posters dotted around campus that they become easy to ignore. The battle for our attention never seems to stop and the backs of bathroom doors are a consistently popular target for advertising new societies, grinds, or student plays. But a significant number of these advertisements concern politics – and not always college politics. Although there appears to have been a recent crackdown within Trinity, students can still find stickers from People Before Profit, Irish Marxists, housing access campaigns, and lately, Gianna Care.

Gianna Care is a non-profit which claims to “assist women facing unplanned pregnancies in Ireland”. The organisation, however, reportedly has a history of offering misleading advice that might affect access to legal abortion.

“What they do is fob you off,” said Maeve O’Brien, an activist and organiser with Alliance for Choice Derry, a group of campaigners active across Ireland which O’Brien describes as a “radical, non-hierarchical, pro-abortion group”.

According to O’Brien, if Gianna Care can consistently reschedule your appointment or consultation until “about the 10 or 12-week mark”, you will be pushed past the point of legal abortion access in Ireland.

Until recently, stickers promoting Gianna Care could be seen around campus and on lampposts on College Green.

The stickers are simple: a pink background, with an elegant white font reading “Gianna Care”, and below, a 24/7 “crisis pregnancy support” helpline.

Multiple students were able to confirm that they had noticed those stickers in the women’s toilets on campus during Michaelmas term.

One second year student who preferred not to be named had seen a Gianna Care sticker on the back of a cubicle door in the Lecky Library’s women’s toilets.

“I didn’t pay attention to the sticker at first,” she told Trinity News. “I thought they were part of a college support programme.”

Later, however, at a talk she attended, Gianna Care was cited as an example of a pro-life pregnancy support provider.

Gianna Care, O’Brien said, can afford to pay for their results to appear high up on Google when people enter search terms relating to pregnancy and abortion.

Sometimes they even appear at the very top: depending on what you search, “you can expect My Options (the HSE’s resource page and helpline) to come up second or third,” she said.

But if Gianna Care can afford to promote its website so that it appears above the HSE in search engines, why put up stickers on bathroom doors? For anti-abortion groups like this one, constant marketing is an intentional tactic used to reach their target audience.

College students, particularly those who live away from home, are easier to connect with than older women with established support networks.

O’Brien explained that students and minorities “are the people who will fall victim to these kinds of centres because you do panic

“

Gianna Care, on the other hand, is likely aware that students are more likely to be pro-choice

when you’re pregnant and don’t want to be. So if you see a sticker, you’re gonna reach out to them”.

Political parties like People Before Profit might appear around campuses because members know students are likely to share their beliefs; there’s no need to conceal their aims or ideologies. Gianna Care, on the other hand, is likely aware that students are more likely to be pro-choice, O’Brien suggested.

“They use that handmade strategy to lure you in and make

PHOTO BY ASHLING SHARRY FOR TRINITY NEWS

How one antiabortion agency is using stickers, a staple of campus, to market itself as a women’s health organisation

you think this is gonna be endorsed by feminists”, O’Brien explained.

Gianna Care’s website is as sleek and non-threatening as its stickers. These organisations rarely publicise outright that they oppose abortion, and often describe themselves using modern feminist terminology. For example, Gianna Care’s Northern Irish counterpart, Stanton Healthcare, calls itself “a safe space where women are empowered to make their best choice”.

At the same time, their sites will discourage abortion in indirect ways, such as sharing “success stories” from women who realised they didn’t want to have abortions after receiving counselling. In information pages, they discuss “post-abortion traumatic stress syndrome”, which they describe as a “serious, widespread problem”, and say that “emotional side effects” of abortion “can range from mild regret to … depression.”

If you’ve been affected by someone you know having an abortion, they can counsel you too.

Misinformation has always been a tool of groups that oppose abortion. The Gianna Care website emphasises the potential trauma of having a medical abortion at home, stating “the woman may see her baby and need to dispose of the remains”. This is false; medical abortions can be done at home for up to nine weeks (and in hospital up to 12).

Photos available for free online

show everything that would be removed during an abortion at nine weeks, namely a white embryonic sac six centimetres long, in which no “baby” is discernible. O’Brien also pointed to another false claim made by such groups, stating that she has heard that medical abortions cause breast cancer.

A 2017 investigation by The Times alleged that Gianna Care advised women that contraception was a health risk, there was a link between abortion and breast cancer and sometimes sex may even lead to death.

This misinformation is difficult to regulate; groups like Gianna care are not technically health centres, but charities. In an “advice session” with a volunteer, what’s said is outside the control of healthcare regulatory bodies.

Putting up stickers or posters is not endorsed by College, and they’re both regularly taken down.

However, it seems there’s no way for College to prevent the spread of misinformation within this small ecosystem or control what organisations are being promoted.

Sometimes it can be difficult to tell whether a support provider has motives beyond your well-being.

However, closely examining the vocabulary used by its website or advertisements can reveal some red flags. Paternalistic expressions of care, such as the website’s text suggesting to you that you don’t know what you want, could be seen as an indicator that the site

opposes a woman’s choice to have an abortion. Another indicator is the use of the word “baby” when, in a medical context, “foetus” or “embryo” might be more appropriate.

Of course, such close reading of vocabulary can be difficult for someone who struggles with English or finds themselves under heavy stress. Moreover, students and young people with less realworld experience might be less inclined to investigate the political motives of their support providers.

An international student, for example, who might not be aware of Irish abortion laws, could be particularly vulnerable to misinformation.

Overall, O’Brien said the HSE service My Options is the only service that’s guaranteed to be trustworthy and unbiased. “This centralised pathway that offers non-directive advice and links you with abortion providers – it should be on the back of every door in the bathrooms at universities,” O’Brien said. “I’m surprised there hasn’t been a sustained communications campaign… How much money are they putting into other public health campaigns?”

My Options can be accessed by any student in Ireland, regardless of their situation, to be connected with a GP or get information on abortion services and continued pregnancy support.

You can call their freephone helpline at 1800 828 010.

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Tuesday 6 February | TRINITY NEWS

Features

How Trinity students are making history with chalk: A conversation with Empower The Voice

Gabriela Gazaniga Deputy News Analysis Editor

D

ublin is a city rich with history, and Empower The Voice Dublin is making it so. Sitting down with Esme Dunne and Grace O’Sullivan, Trinity students and founding members of Empower The Voice, their passion for the organisation and dedication to sexual harassment awareness was palpable.

Originally Empower Her Voice, Empower The Voice is a nonprofit group that prides itself on community building and raising awareness on the effects of living under patriarchy. On January 8, the Dublin branch officially changed its name to Empower The Voice as a step towards inclusivity for people of marginalised genders.

Originally from England, Dunne shared how the organisation was conceived at her secondary school and was “passed down from year to year”. During her final year, Dunne describes how she ran the group, which, at the time, primarily involved selling t-shirts, charity fundraising, and posting a “Talk series” where “we would have teachers and students talk on a theme … like short TED Talks chatting about your past experiences”.

When she moved to Dublin, Dunne recalls that she deeply missed the community and organisation, and “was telling all my friends about it, and everyone was interested”.

In November 2021, Empower The Voice held a launch event in the Workman’s Cellar to celebrate the establishment of the new Dublin branch. Dunne explains that Empower The Voice, following its inception at her secondary school, has spread across the United Kingdom and parts of the United

States, also holding virtual classes and events in other countries.

Dunne said: “Now, it is based in London, although I would say that our community in Dublin is a lot more local and grassroots than it is in London.”

Speaking on the Dublin branch, Dunne detailed the “events are what we do, it’s our bread and butter”.

The group hosts events like painting classes, exhibitions, meet-ups, and more. “It’s a space for creating, getting out of your head, where people have the same experiences as you and you don’t need to speak about them but you just feel understood,” Dunne stated.

Although community-building events are central to the Dublin branch, their #ChalkBack series is what put them on the map.

On 3 November 2023, the group made a post on Instagram describing O’Sullivan’s experience during a Trinity Fashion Society (FashionSoc) and Trinity Ents’ Freshers’ Week Pink Party event at Wigwam. On the ground outside the Wigwam entrance, she wrote in chalk: “I was groped here. The bouncer said ‘What did you do to instigate it?’”. Along with the post, they invited others to share their story, unknowingly starting a movement.

Discussing that night and the #ChalkBack series, O’Sullivan said: “The idea was never to boycott the

“

The idea was never to boycott the club, it was to draw attention and see that changes have to be made club, it was to draw attention and see that changes have to be made.”

O’Sullivan notes that education on sexual assault and violence is the key to making change: “If people are aware from a young age, it’s all it takes to make change.

And that’s just what we are doing: raising awareness.”

Following the post going

viral, the group was contacted

by Bodytonic, the company of promoters that runs events for Wigwam and other clubs around Dublin. Dunne and O’Sullivan detail that they met with Bodytonic and Wigwam representatives and were able to collaborate on modifications to their code of conduct for bouncers.

“They sent over their code of conduct for review and it included the implementation of a ‘latenight safety officer’ which was great because if you think about it, if you’re in trouble in the club, who is protecting you?” O’Sullivan explained.

She confided: “I think every single one of my friends has been groped in a club before. It’s very prevalent, it’s everywhere.”

Dunne and O’Sullivan noted the Wigwam situation was their “final straw”, prompting them to boost their activism in other areas. They share that for years, the persistent violation of the Molly Malone statue was something they wanted to take action on but did not know how to approach the problem.

Dunne commented: “Molly Malone represents the way we allow women and people of marginalised genders to be sexualised and treated in our society.”

“As we continue to talk about it, we get feedback from people saying, ‘She’s just a statue’. But if we’re treating statues this way, how are we treating real people? It’s indicative of how we treat women and marginalised genders, and how we allow them to be treated,” she explained.

Largely inspired by the Instagram account @ catcallsofNYC, Dunne shared how she had been a fan of their work for years and was surprised that nothing of the sort had made its way to Dublin. The account takes follower submissions sharing catcalls they have experienced walking through New York City, writes them in chalk on the sidewalk, and posts them.

With Molly Malone and Wigwam as fuel, Empower The Voice opened a Google Form, inviting victims of catcalling and sexual harassment in Dublin to share their stories to be written in chalk across Dublin pavements.

Thus, the #ChalkBack series was born.

In the weeks that followed the Wigwam post, Dunne and O’Sullivan detail how hundreds, if not thousands, of messages began to flood in.

“It’s a lot more attention than we were expecting. But just seeing the attention that it got, it just shows how much of a universal experience it actually is,” Dunne remarked.

“In Dublin, our culture is

PHOTO VIA @EMPOWERTHEVOICEDUBLIN ON INSTAGRAM

Trinity students Esme Dunne and Grace O’Sullivan talk Empower The Voice, sexual harassment in Dublin, and how they are advocating for change

yearning for change and looking to make that happen. We’ve come in at a time where Dublin wants to change, and I guess we just accidentally timed it really well.”

Dunne and O’Sullivan shared how they were recently contacted

by Barry Andrews, an Irish politician and Member of the European Parliament to discuss Wigwam, late-night safety officers, and improvement of safety measures across Dublin.

Dunne detailed: “[Andrews] was looking at Vienna and how they’ve done great work in city planning, widening pavements, and putting mirrors up on street corners to make people feel safer walking home.”

“He is sending out a letter to Dublin municipalities to see what they have to say and what they are doing in terms of safety. He put us [Empower The Voice] in that letter and the relationship is interesting to see how we can support each other’s work; for him to see what is being done on the ground and for us to see what work has been done institutionally,” she explained.

In terms of goals specific to the growth of Empower The Voice, Dunne and O’Sullivan agree that inclusivity is at the top of their agenda. The same week that they changed the name of the Dublin branch, Empower The Voice merged with Mind The

Gap Ireland (MTGI), a charity organisation dedicated to victim support and awareness of sexual abuse in Ireland.

On the merge, Dunne said: “I was talking to Destiny who runs Mind The Gap and said I feel like this is really great because we want to be intersectional, it’s my top priority for the year.

There is no way we can say we are a community for all people of marginalised genders and only have white people coming along.”

“Then she [Destiny] said we are for black women and we don’t feel we have very many white people or a queer community following us. So there is a space for us to help each other build that and collaborate on community diversity,” she continued.

Empower The Voice also plans to continue fighting for the implementation of late-night safety officers throughout Dublin, making it a goal for this year.

In just a few short months, Empower The Voice has already made strides in the treatment of sexual harassment in Dublin. As for what they have in store for the #ChalkBack series, Dunne and O’Sullivan hope to have others join them while chalking in Dublin.

Dunne shared: “I’d love to start going with the people whose story it is because I think there’s something really beautiful in that.”

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TRINITY NEWS | Tuesday 6 February

Features

The rising wave of BDS in Ireland

S

ince the launch of heightened military operations by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) in response to the Hamas attacks on October 7, these three words, “boycott”, “divest”, and “sanction”, or “BDS”, have begun to seep their way further into the public discourse.

Israel’s military response, and the well-documented civilian fatalities which have ensued, have engendered several direct-action response campaigns in Ireland and across the world. The IrelandPalestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) has organised protests across the country, including a march in Dublin on January 13 which drew several thousand demonstrators.

“

If a ceasefire and accountability for Israeli leaders are the central goals...

BDS has often been described as the most direct way of attaining them

the upcoming game against Israel.

Perhaps most crucially at this moment, however, has been the uptake by Irish consumers.

All of the protestors who spoke to Trinity News at the Dáil on Wednesday night were aware of and engaged with BDS. Crucially, the movement uses what it calls “targeted boycotts.” These involve focusing on a “smaller number” of carefully selected companies to maximise its impact, noting that many of the “prohibitively long lists” found on social media make having a meaningful impact more difficult.

Current targets of consumer boycotts include computer manufacturer Hewlett Packard, insurance company AXA and popular sports brand Puma. Tech companies such as Google and Amazon have also been identified as pressure targets. BDS also supports consumer-initiated boycotts against fast food chains such as McDonald’s and Burger King.

The need to keep action more closely targeted becomes clear in conversations with protestors. One explained to Trinity News how difficult it can be to keep up with a boycott when so many brands are owned by larger conglomerates and parent companies. This makes it easy to slip into buying from them without even noticing. The majority of protestors who spoke to Trinity News cite McDonald’s and Puma as the central targets of their boycotts, but others also mentioned Starbucks and CocaCola – two brands not currently on the BDS list but which have been targeted more by separate initiatives.

Crucially, the Palestinian BDS National Committee has emphasised that it “rejects, on

principle, boycotts of individuals based on their opinion or identity (such as citizenship, race, gender or religion)”, meaning that it will not target Israeli businesses simply for the fact of their Israeli origins, but for their role in contributing to the injustices against which they struggle.

Speaking with protestors, one gets the sense that these people feel they are making an impact which they would not be able to make without a campaign like BDS. Even if many of them are unable to visibly observe the

impact BDS has on events in Gaza, most can cite at least one success or another as evidence that their actions are having an impact. One such achievement could be Puma’s announcement in December, which stated that it would be terminating its sponsorship of the Israeli soccer team.

Thus, while this movement is incremental by nature, it has the enormous advantage of being both accessible and highly visible.

Anybody who wants to join in can, and their impact, however small, will be felt.

PHOTO BY RORY CHINN FOR TRINITY NEWS

Sam Walsh Deputy Features Editor

In November last year, Trinity BDS occupied Regent House, calling on Trinity to “adopt BDS principles” and to “cut ties with Israel and make a public statement denouncing Israel’s genocidal actions.” This call has thus far been ignored. If a ceasefire and accountability for Israeli leaders are the central goals of this movement, BDS has often been described as the most direct way of attaining them.

While public interest in BDS has undoubtedly increased since October 7 last year, the movement long predates Israel’s most recent campaign in Gaza. Following discussions with anti-apartheid veterans at the World Conference Against Racism held in South Africa in 2001, a network of 170 Palestinian unions, refugee networks, women’s organisations, professional associations, and popular civil resistance committees came together to call for a worldwide BDS campaign against Israel. In July 2005, this coalition established a national committee which continues to coordinate its campaigns.

From the beginning, the movement has called for an end to Israel’s occupation of Arab lands, the dismantling of the West Bank border wall, the granting of equality to Palestinian citizens in Israel and the protection of Palestinian refugees’ right to return to their homes. According to the BDS website, boycotts “involve withdrawing support from Israel’s apartheid regime” through the targeting of all “Israeli and international companies engaged in violation of Palestinian human rights.” “Divestment” involves urging investors, such as banks and universities, to withdraw investments from the State of Israel. Finally, the imposition of sanctions – the movement’s ultimate objective – would involve governments ending trade agreements and suspending Israel’s membership in international forums.

Irish involvement in this Palestinian movement is also longstanding. In 2018, Dublin City Council became the first European capital to endorse BDS and pledged to discontinue its contracts with Hewlett Packard, a tech company which provides services to the Israeli army. The Union of Students in Ireland (USI), meanwhile, voted to adopt a pro-BDS stance in April 2023.

Since the current wave of conflict began on October 7 last year, the campaign’s influence has become more and more visible.

Two contenders to represent Ireland in this year’s Eurovision (eventual winner Bambie Thug and Erica-Cody) came out in favour of Israel’s removal from the contest, while five members of the Irish basketball team have reportedly chosen not to play in

PHOTO BY NIKO EVANS FOR TRINITY NEWS

Following the escalation of violence in Gaza after October 7, a historic pro-Palestine organisation has been gaining ground in Ireland

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Tuesday 6 February | TRINITY NEWS

Features

Opening the big red box: Is the Book of Kells Experience a hit among tourists?

PHOTO BY RORY CHINN FOR TRINITY NEWS

After months of anticipation and controversy, the Book of Kells Experience is finally open - but are tourists happy with it?

Agne Kniuraite Contributing Writer

L

PHOTO BY RORY CHINN FOR TRINITY NEWS

et’s address the elephant in the room, or rather, on the campus – the glaring red, modernist, warehouseesque construction on New Square, the new Book of Kells Experience. Estimated to have cost €2.3 million, the “pavilion” was built to maintain tourism revenue while the Old Library undergoes reconstruction. Some students love it, more hate it. However, as with many parts of College’s campus, this new building was not made for students, but for tourists.

So, what do the visitors for whom it was built think of it?

The new tourist experience on campus offers a 90-minute exhibition using virtual imagery and sounds to take people through the history of the iconic Book of Kells and Old Library.

When asked what she thought of the new exhibition, Rochelle, a tourist from the United States, responded that she “thought it was beautiful,” and “really liked how

they brought everything to life and [she] got to see amazing detail.”

Her daughter, Claire agreed, stating that it was “really neat how they were able to make it kind of virtual reality”.

The virtual reality elements also stood out to visitor AnneMarie, who called the exhibition’s immersive experience the “icing on the cake”. She added that the accessibility of the presentation, particularly for children, was another impressive consideration, stating that they could visualise “the whole story of the Book of Kells that they wouldn’t get by just looking at the book in the glass cabinet”.

And it was not just the tourists who were impressed. Anthony,

a local tour guide, commended the audio-visual elements, which allow visitors to “see the journey of the Book of Kells”. He described the experience as “fantastic”.

When asked whether the construction of the new experience in such a vibrant box was a worthwhile investment by Trinity, tourists overwhelmingly said “yes” and expressed positive feelings towards the eye-catching appearance of the building.

Rochelle admitted that the building is “a bit jarring compared with the contrast of the university itself,” but thought that, as it is a temporary structure, this is not particularly problematic.

This impermanent nature of the structure lends itself to a more

forgiving attitude towards the red rebuilding, a view that Anthony and Claire also attested to. While Claire agreed the building may be “a little bit distracting for College students,” she argued that they are likely “used to it by now”.

Some visitors also thought that the building’s design is a suitable reflection of its high-tech contents.

While Anne-Marie acknowledged that the new building is “not in keeping with the style of buildings that are in Trinity”, she found that the “outside reflects the modernity of what is inside”.

Tour guide Suzanne expressed a similar position, saying “she can reconcile the red box a little better” now that she’s seen the exhibition.

One visitor even compared it to the Louvre’s pyramid: jarring when first built, but now a beloved symbol of Paris.

Yet, while most tourists who spoke with Trinity News liked the design, some were not fans of the cardinal red cube. Tour guide Fiona called the building “shocking” and expressed surprise at how “they got away with it.”

Moreover, there were plenty of tourists who were unhappy with other elements of the exhibition.

Many complained that the ticket costs were too high (one standard adult ticket is €21.50, €54 for a family ticket and around €17 concession tickets), while others experienced technical issues.

Some felt that the voice-over was unclear and that the rooms were too hot. Others expressed concern about the possibility of overcrowding during the busier

“

Yet, while most tourists who spoke with Trinity News liked the design, some were not fans of the cardinal red cube seasons. In addition, one tour guide felt the experience was too long, explaining that “90 minutes is quite a big chunk out of a visitor’s day”, especially if they’re only staying in the city for a day or two before visiting other places in the country.

Criticisms aside, tourists generally agreed that the new Book of Kells experience surpassed their expectations. While student discontentment with the new construction is unlikely to die down anytime soon, it is clear that those for whom the experience was constructed mostly love it.

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TRINITY NEWS | Tuesday 6 February

Features

Europe’s right-wing shift: The harrowing reality for BIPOC Europe is witnessing one of its most significant right-wing shifts in the last decades dividing European society more than ever before and increasing the feeling of alienation for BIPOC

T

he riots in Dublin on 23 November 2023 made many people feel unsafe, but also made many reflect on whether Black, Indigenous, and people of colour (BIPOC) will ever be able to live in Europe without experiencing alienation and xenophobia. Just a couple of weeks ago, the German nonprofit newsroom Correctiv leaked details of secret plans to deport millions of foreigners and BIPOC with German citizenship to North Africa.

Events such as these affect the well-being of BIPOC, by creating a sense of discomfort and estrangement, leaving them behind with the feeling of “the Other” in their own countries.

Despite this reality, some might question whether the situation is being overdramatised.

The riots in Dublin left students in Dublin with mixed feelings.

Blessing stated: “I’ve never once felt any real fear due to my race, or ethnic background to the extent I did that night. To know that messages were spreading about people from immigrant/nonIrish backgrounds being targeted made me feel very ashamed of the country that I was born and raised in.”

Pranav, a Teaching Assistant at College said: “It is a mistake to see that episode as a one-off reaction. It was a calculated, wellplanned mob that drew on the resentment that had been brewing for a long while due to immigrants in Ireland.” Others stated that they were surprised about the riots and anti-immigrant sentiments in Ireland, as they see Ireland as

It is a mistake to see that episode as a one-off reaction much more liberal than other European countries.

The events were an indication that, despite Ireland’s deep history of immigration and emigration, anti-immigration sentiments are not something that Irish society is immune to. Furthermore, the recent increase of xenophobia against Asians, anti-semitism and islamophobia has led students with an immigration background to feel more unwelcome in their own countries than ever before.

Jenny, a German-Vietnamese student, described her experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic: “I was actively avoided on the streets, I was spat at in school, people coughed at me - it was hell.

I wouldn’t wish [that] on anybody.

My mother, a grocery store clerk, was harassed by multiple customers asking whether she ate bats.”

Another student living in Ireland described how, while some of her experiences of racism have been “quite extreme and heavy, involving racial slurs and violence” the ones that affect her the most are the “smaller” encounters that they deal with on a daily basis.

Another interviewee agreed, adding that feeling truly at home in Ireland is more difficult than they had thought it would be: “I don’t feel like I fully belong, I have pretty much adapted the Irish accent since I moved to Ireland seven years ago but yet I still feel out of place most of the time.”

The events of the last couple of months have led BIPOC to feel not only unwelcome but also insecure; insecure about our place in society, the future of our families and how long we will be able to call Europe home. I asked students whether they would consider leaving Europe if the rise of the right continues.

Mariam, a student at Trinity with Egyptian roots says that she is considering leaving Ireland: “I do think that is an option for me, especially if I were to start a family where my future children will be of colour. Considering that racism has not improved and has become

PHOTO BY RORY CHINN FOR TRINITY NEWS

Melina Rozehkhan Contributing Writer

“

more prominent. If anything, this does make my future here feel compromised.”

While most agree that leaving Europe out of fear for their safety could be an option, others are resisting. Haluk, a student at Humboldt University Berlin with Turkish roots says that he would not know where to go: “I don’t want to leave, I was born here, went to school. I belong to this country.”

Farah, an Egyptian student who has lived in Germany for almost three years has already taken the step and decided to return to Egypt and continue her studies there: “Just as much as the high-level authorities seem very concerned about my presence and my opinions as a Muslim and an Arab, I have become very concerned about staying in Germany and wasting my energy and hope on a country that does not want me as I am. So, I have decided to return to Egypt, even if I have to settle for fewer material opportunities.”

Sakyie, on the other hand, described how she would prefer to remain in Germany as a kind of protest: “I don’t feel comfortable leaving Germany yet because I just

“

It is the responsibility of every citizen living in... Europe to defend democracy & protect those experiencing xenophobia

don’t want to make space for more racism and racist people. The more hostile the environment becomes for me and others, however, the

more I might consider this.”

Blessing said, “anti-racism needs to be discussed more often in political spaces in Ireland.”.

Nawal, a former Erasmus student at Trinity from Italy agrees: “I do feel like racism is not taken with the concern it needs [to be], at least not in Italy, where experiences of discrimination and blatant racism are a matter of everyday life …”

Even though each interviewee had a different outlook and feeling toward the current rise of right-wing populists, they did have one thing in common: most agree that Europe has an issue that is currently overlooked by politicians, governments and the mainstream media. The current President of Germany Frank Walter Steinmeier recently called for more solidarity against rightwing populism, saying “the future of democracy does not depend on the volume of its opponents but on the strength of those who defend it .” And according to many of these students of colour, it is the responsibility of every citizen living in Ireland, Germany, Italy or any other country in Europe to defend democracy to protect those who are experiencing xenophobia.

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Tuesday 6 February | TRINITY NEWS

Features

Behind the Buttery: An inside look into the food hub of Trinity campus PHOTO BY RORY CHINN FOR TRINITY NEWS

Though the Buttery is popular staple amongst the student population, few know the inner workings of how the Buttery functions to serve the student body and within the campus as a whole Boyd Stephen Contributing Writer

A

s most students at Trinity know, the Buttery is the place to go for an afternoon meal in between lectures for students and professors alike – the go-to catering facility on campus. Though the Buttery is popular among students, few think about how it is organised, or how it formally interacts with the College as a whole.

A dominant factor in the popularity of the Buttery is its offering of large hot meals from the comfort of campus. When asked to approximate just how much food the Buttery serves up, one employee said it is up to “maybe 300 plates” a day.

A similar sentiment was expressed by the Head of Trinity Catering Moira O’Brien, who stated that there is regularly “a line out the door for lunch”. It is due to this large workload that the effectiveness of the Buttery’s management is key to ensuring operations run smoothly.

It is important to note that the Buttery isn’t run independently; it is part of Trinity Catering, run directly by College. Trinity Catering is responsible for all other College-run catering facilities around campus, such as the Forum Café in the Business School, the Perch Café in the Arts Block, and the Dining Hall in Front Square.

As O’Brien points out, you could walk the length of the campus and find the exact same food being served.

As part of this centralised catering system, staff are, in most cases, employed by Trinity Catering as a whole, rather than just the Buttery. Because of this, most Buttery staff also work shifts

in Trinity’s other catering facilities, which means that they do a variety of jobs and work varied schedules.

One member of staff described how when she works in the Buttery, it’s usually from around 11am until 3pm. However, she more frequently works in the Dining Hall, where she is more likely to be working in the evening. The types of tasks involved in each job are also different. Another Trinity Catering employee, explained that the Buttery staff focus on cleaning, whereas waiting tables is the primary role during most evening shifts in the Dining Hall.

The timing of these shifts is a rough indication of when staff are needed in each location. One employee described how there are essentially two large Buttery rushes: the first run usually occurs for breakfast at around 9am, which is mostly managed by the relatively small number of more experienced staff that only work in the Buttery.

The part-time staff, typically students, often turn up to work at 11am, when the breakfast rush is ending, and help clean up. The second rush occurs around 1pm, during lunch time, and ends around 3pm. This can vary depending on the time of year. Most customers during the summer months are tourists and so the cafe’s schedule becomes more irregular. One employee also noted that it is busier at the beginning of the week, which she believes could reflect students’ enthusiasm to come into college lessening at the close of the week.

How these shifts are allocated to part-time workers has its positives and negatives, according to staff.

The available shifts are released to the pool of available part-time

staff at the beginning of the week and staff volunteer to work shifts of their choice. One employee explained that they like this system since it allows staff to choose their shifts and gain experience doing different jobs.

Another employee, while also complimentary of the system, pointed out the risk of job insecurity that comes with such a system. The releasing of shifts all at once can lead to difficulty in obtaining them; if you aren’t quick enough asking for hours, you might end up not working that week. However, she also states that supervisors are understanding and will “make up a shift for you” if you need money.

The working environment is a key attraction of working with Trinity Catering. The staff interviewed by Trinity News described it as friendly and relaxed.

One employee explained that his supervisors were very helpful when he started at Trinity Catering and said that the role has provided him with the opportunity to make friends with many other students.

Another student employee also praised her supervisors for their ability to work around lectures and willingness to offer employees free food while on shift.

This hospitable environment for staff is something that Trinity Catering takes great pride in, with O’Brien describing the staff at the Buttery as “like a family”.

Despite this praise, many other members of Catering refused to be interviewed. There was also at least one member of staff who said they’d be willing to be interviewed pending permission from management, which was denied.

Additionally, one employee claimed that Trinity Catering

staff were paid less than the wage paid by Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union, who voted to pay its part-time staff the living wage in 2022, at the time €12.90. When asked about this, O’Brien said that she wasn’t aware of the union’s payscale: “We pay the minimum wage, this has never been an issue.”

Nevertheless, the staff interviewed generally seemed happy with the working environment at Trinity Catering.

The flexibility of hours, the experience gained in the workplace while studying, and the obvious proximity to College, makes these students feel like their job is worthwhile. Moreover, a system designed around the two rushes of the day seems to be beneficial when attempting to feed large numbers of students rushing to get the meal of the day between classes.

PHOTO BY RORY CHINN FOR TRINITY NEWS

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TRINITY NEWS | Tuesday 6 February

Comment

We didn’t start the fire, but can we put it out?

Kate Byrne page 23

Editorial: There are no caveats to Trinity’s silence on Gaza Editorial page 26

PHOTO BY ADAM RAINBOL FOR TRINITY NEWS

Healing in the wake of the Prague University shooting Adam Rainbolt Contributing Writer

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n 21 December 2023, I entered the faculty of arts building of Charles University in Prague to attend what would become the last lecture of my Erasmus. To celebrate the rapidly approaching holidays, the lecturer had passed out a box of gingerbread while we discussed Ovid’s Metamorphosis and its depiction of the environment.

At 2.59pm, a gunman, a former student, entered the building.

Standing four floors above my own classroom, he killed 14 people and injured 25 others before killing himself.

Growing up in the American public school system, I’ve had the active shooter on a school campus routine drilled into my head since I was six years old: hide behind as much cover as you can, shield your head, stay as silent as possible, and

wait until you hear the authorities.

I’ve done it so many times that when we heard gunfire and scrambled behind desks, it felt, on some level, like the same drill I’ve done dozens of times before.

It was only in the evacuation from the building and the hours spent waiting in a secondary location, sitting on the floor with hundreds of others (all of us wrapped in foil trauma blankets under the watchful eye of heavily armed police officers), that I could begin to comprehend the tragedy which had just unfolded around me.

I’m still trying to comprehend it.

The enormity of the event is something that I’m still dealing with: the knowledge that students and teachers lost their lives so close that we could hear the gunshots, the unimaginable surreality of knowing that the fact that I am alive purely by chance, the anger at the complete senselessness of it all.

It’s something that I was entirely unequipped to handle, until I was there. You can’t help being changed

by tragedy, but you can work on choosing how it changes you.

When seeing violence from the distance of social media, it’s easy for its effects on individual lives to be lost in the breakneck pace of algorithms focusing on the most eye-catching aspects. Living through it has, at least for me, been a reminder that these events endure long after in the memory and culture of the communities they were inflicted upon. The aftermath of the shooting has been defined by an outpouring of support. When, long after night had fallen, we were finally able to leave the police zone, me and everyone from my building grouped together and made our way home. In the chaos of the evacuation, people had lost keys, passports, mobile devices, and more—so we huddled together and shared what we had to make sure that everyone could make it through the night. I had a spare bed, which I quickly offered to a man who had lost his keys. Someone

else handed me their phone so that I could text my family and let them know I was okay. We spent the rest of the night curled up in someone’s apartment, sharing snacks and finding comfort in knowing that we were home after the longest day of our lives. The support I’ve received from not only friends and family, but also Charles University, has been absolutely foundational to my emotional recovery since the shooting. The bonds formed that day–reaffirmed through tearful hugs, daily check-in texts and the quiet understanding of a shared experience–will stay with me far longer than my newfound tendency to jump at any loud and unexpected nearby noises will.

Trinity, too, has been incredibly helpful. Soon after learning about the shooting, the Global Room reached out to my emergency contact to let them know what happened and inquire about my safety. In the aftermath, the Global Room has been in close contact with me, offering multiple

resources to ensure my well-being, including access to the Student Counselling Service. My course coordinator, too, contacted me, not only expressing concern for my wellbeing but also assuring me that I should not worry too much about the academic complications of the shooting. Community support must be the answer to the alienating experiences of violence, grief, and fear. Earlier last year, I watched with pride from abroad while my friends and peers responded to the far-right, anti-immigration riots in Dublin with solidarity and prompt action, offering support for those affected and turning the experience into one which reaffirmed the unity of our campus and the city as a whole. As extremism becomes increasingly common, it is absolutely necessary for us to find ways to offer assistance to those in need, and build institutions which strengthen community and inter-community bonds on both individual and structural levels. Soon after returning to Prague, I joined hundreds of strangers in linking arms to form a silent memorial chain around the Faculty of Arts building, now ringed by layers of mourning candles. The coming weeks will be a time for me to continue to process my emotions and grief at the shooting—it's a comfort to know that I won’t be alone in that process.

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Tuesday 6 February | TRINITY NEWS

Comment

YesGaeilgeTCD – an tábhacht agus na buntáistí a bhaineann le vótáil “tá” Pádraig Mac Brádaigh Contributing Writer

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Tá pobal Gaeilge na Tríonóide ag dul ó neart go near rudaí ab fhéidir agus ba chóir a dhéanamh. Má tá a meas ceart le bheith ar an nGaeilge, caithfidh sí a bheith i ngach áit idir Bhál na Tríonóide agus Blackboard agus an Chlárlann Acadúil. Teastaíonn uaireanta iomadúla de hiarrachtaí seasmhacha ó na spriocanna seo nach féidir le haon duine

ach oifigeach lánaimseartha a chaitheamh. Tá AMLÉ agus Ollscoil na Gaillimhe tar éis an cinneadh seo a dhéanamh cheana chun ról an Oifigigh Ghaeilge a dhéanamh lánaimseartha. Ní caitheamh aimsire Gaeilgeoireacht–ach meán beatha agus fuinneog trínar féidir an domhan a fheiceáil agus a bhrath.

Tá pobal Gaeilge na Tríonóide ag dul ó neart go neart, agus tuillimid dínit agus urraim dár dteanga inár n-ollscoil féin inár dtír féin. Sin ráite, is amhlaidh is chun tairbhe cách a bheadh Oifigeach Gaeilge lánaimeartha.

Tá go leor cineálacha taithí leis an nGaeilge sa tsochaí, agus tá oifigeach lánaimseartha ag teastáil chun an bhearna is minic a mhothaítear ina measc siúd nach bhfuil rannpháirteach leis an teanga nó a bhíodh, ach a d’éirigh as.

Ní hamháin a bheadh oifigeach lánaimseartha don Ghaeilge ina thacadóir ag lucht na Gaeilge líofa, ach acu siúd ba mhian leo a bheith líofa fosta.

Mar mhac léinn idirnáisiúnta, is iomaí uair a chasaim ar dhaoine amhail mé féin a tháinig go hÉirinn agus suim acu sa chultúr agus atá ag lorg deiseanna a bheith páirteach i saol chéad teanga na tíre. Ní mór labhairt na Gaeilge a normálú i ngach suíomh acadúil agus sóisialta má táthar ar son na deiseanna céanna agus na cearta sibhialta seo a sholáthar do gach mac léinn.

De réir reachtaíocht nua, caithfidh 20% d’fhostaithe nua de chuid na státseirbhíse a bheith cumasach sa Ghaeilge. Is iomaí céimí ó chúrsaí ar nós an leighis, an dlí agus an altranais a mbeidh súil go mbeidh siad in ann a chleachtadh as Gaeilge, ach nach bhfaigheann teagasc trína meán.

Is é an t-aon bhealach chun fórsa oibre dá leithéid ná an seans a chur ar fáil do mhic léinn a bhfuil Gaeilge acu oideachas tríú leibhéal a fháil trí mhéan na teanga céanna.

Caithfear sruthanna cúrsa nua a chruthú le go bhféadfaí staidéar a dhéanamh ar an nGaeilge in éineacht le cúrsaí mar ghnó agus dlí, mar atá ar fáil faoi láthair in ollscoileanna eile. Is tábhachtaí ná sin, áfach, ná bheith in ann modúil nach mbaineann leis an nGaeilge féin a dhéanamh trí mheán na Gaeilge.

Is i bhfad Éireann ón lá sin atáimid i láthair na huaire agus sin an fáth a bhfuil gníomhaí agus urlabhraí lánaimseartha de

PHOTO BY NIKO EVANS FOR TRINITY NEWS

gColáiste na Tríonóide, ní bhíonn an ceart ag Gaeilgeoirí a saol a chaitheamh trí mheán a dteanga féin. Mar a chéile, ní bhíonn an deis ag mórán sa Choláiste, atá ag iarraidh foghlaim agus a bheith rannpháirteach i saol na Gaeilge, amhlaidh a dhéanamh.

Iarrfar ar mhic léinn Choláiste na Tríonóide vóta a chaitheamh i reifreann i dtaobh stádas na Gaeilge i dTríonóid. Is deis stairiúil agus thar a bheith tábhachtach atá sa reifreann seo do mhic léinn na Tríonóide an Ghaeilge a ghlacadh chucu féin agus Tá a rá ar son theanga bhundúchachasach na hÉireann. Dhéanfadh vóta Tá láithreacht na Gaeilge a mhéadú go suntasach i saol na mac léinn.

Chuimseodh na forálacha seo comhstádas don Ghaeilge i mbunreacht AMCLT (Aontas na Mac Léinn), rud ba chóir a bheith aici cheana féin; Oifigeach na Gaeilge lánaimseartha chun dul i ngleic le curaimí ilghnéitheach an róil agus maoiniú nua do thionscnaimh Ghaeilge do LCC, d’Aontas Spóirt na Tríonóide agus d’Fhoilseacháin na Tríonóide. Is gá seribhísí agus áiseanna trí Ghaeilge a láidriú agus a dhéanamh níos soaimsithe le freastal ar na leibhéil chumais Ghaeilge éagsúla sa Choláiste idir chainteoirí dúchais agus fhoghlaimeoirí úrnua.

Mar Oifigeach Gaeilge reatha an Aontais, tá a fhios agam go gcaithfidh an ról seo a bheith lánaimseartha.

Clúdaíonn freagrachtaí an phoist réimse anleathan lena n-áirítear oideachas, cumarsáid, leas, cásobair, aistriú agus beartas teanga, agus iad go léir fite fuaite le chéile sa ról. Ní bheidh an t-am ná na hacmhainní ag Oifigeach Gaeilge páirtaimseartha ar bith chun an post a dhéanamh mar is ceart agus tá an iliomad

dhíth ar aontas na mac léinn chun brú a chur ar an gColáiste agus

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Is léir go dtacaíonn mic léinn AMLCT le cur chun cinn na Gaeilge

comhoibriú leo go mbainfí na cuspóireacha seo amach.

Is léir go dtacaíonn mic léinn AMLCT le cur chun cinn na Gaeilge. Tar éis an tsaoil, tháinig vóta gan cur i gcoinne ar bith ar son an rúin seo ag Fóram an Aontais roimh vóta gan cur i gcoinne eile ag an gComhairle. Is céim lárnach é an reifreann seo chun Coláiste na Tríonóide a threorú ar shiúl óna ré choilíneach go todhchaí níos fearr ina ndéanfaí ceiliúradh ar an nGaeilge in ainneoin na gcéadta a d’fhulaing sí leithcheal tromchúiseach.

Táim thar a bheith bródúil as na hiarrachtaí ar fad a rinneadh chun an reifreann seo a chur siúl agus iarraim ar mo chomh-mhic léinn Tá a vótáil ar son deiseanna oideachais agus na gceart teanga.

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TRINITY NEWS | Tuesday 6 February

Comment

We didn’t start the fire, but can we put it out?

Kate Byrne

Deputy Comment Editor

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t's a terrible time to be 21!"

These words were uttered in a United States recording studio in 1989 by none other than the son of John Lennon, Sean. It’s no surprise that Lennon expressed such dismay; he had witnessed the Beirut barracks bombing, the AIDS epidemic, and of course, the assassination of his own father, all before his 21st birthday.

Lennon found himself in this recording studio with singersongwriter Billy Joel. Although Joel agreed with Lennon, he noted that in his youth, he had witnessed many more atrocities, including the Korean War and the Hungarian Uprising.

In order to really get his point across, Joel began to write down a list of historical events that occurred between his birth year in 1949, and that day in the recording studio. This list would eventually become the Grammynominated record We Didn’t Start the Fire. In this song, Joel references 118 significant events that occurred in this timeframe.

As Joel lists events such as the Watergate scandal and the Bay of Pigs invasion, he continuously reminds listeners that his generation “didn’t start

the fire”. And although his generation “didn’t light it”, they most certainly “tried to fight it”.

Fast-forward to 2024, it would not surprise you to hear Sean Lennon’s sentiment echoed by a student sitting outside the Arts Block. Before we graduate, we will have witnessed events such as the invasion of Ukraine, Israel’s assault on Gaza, and the Yemeni civil war. Closer to home, it has been reported time and time again that students have become politically disillusioned, be that by the crippling housing crisis, a failing healthcare system, or the consistent barriers placed to receiving third level education.

Lennon’s words were echoed

by TCDSU President László Molnárfi, in a campaign launched alongside Citizenship Officer Ella Maclennan in January of this year. The campaign aims to urge students to register to vote in the next general election in order to remove the current coalition. As Molnárfi listed the “undeniable harm” that the government has done to student communities, one can’t help but agree that it is a terrible time to be 21.

Like Joel, however, Molnárfi has tried to fight the fire that he believes we did not start. Posters have been placed around campus stating: “They think students are too lazy to vote. Prove them wrong. Vote them out.”In a statement about the campaign, Molnárfi concluded that students must use their

vote to “boot them out of power, remove them from their positions, every single last one of them”.

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To have a strong awareness of the ins and outs of this country's political system is a privilege Many students may find themselves questioning, however, who are “they”?

To have a strong awareness of the ins and outs of this country’s political system is a privilege, given the lack of mandatory political education in our schools and the lack of encouragement given to young people to get involved in politics. There are structural

barriers in place that hinder youth involvement with the Irish political system. This manifests as youth disillusionment with politics, or, as some may see it, laziness.

While campaigns such as the one being run by TCDSU are incredibly important in order to accelerate youth participation in Irish politics, and will no doubt be successful in their aims, simply asking students to boot “them” out does little to address the root of youth disillusionment with politics.

This is not TCDSU’s job however, nor should it be. If the root of the issue lies in a lack of political education, then clearly something must be done within this area to prevent another generation of students attempting to fight a fire that did not start.

In a comparative study of Germany and Ireland, political scientist Dr Jennifer Bruen found that as a result of a wide gap in mandatory political education in schools, Ireland falls short in its participation in voting, boycotting, petition signing and protesting.

Overall, the lack of mandatory political education in Ireland has led to what Bruen observed as significantly lower political interest amongst the Irish population.

Not only can mandatory political education in Irish schools teach us who “they” are, but how exactly we can boot “them” out. The voting process for general elections in Ireland is quite different to that of other EU countries and

can be confusing for those who are not aware of its mechanics.

Proportional representation by single transferable vote (PR-STV), is known for its ability to increase representation of minority groups in parliament. However, if students do not know how this system works, then it is impossible for them to manipulate it in their favour and remove unfavourable politicians from their positions.

While us students have little capacity to make any significant dent in the country’s current education system, we can still attempt to bridge this divide between “us” and "them”, i.e. the students and the government.

The language that we choose to use in our daily conversations, our students' union campaigns and our student journalism is incredibly important when it comes to minimising this alienation that we have observed amongst generations of young people before us. When we use vague terminology, such as “boot them out” or “remove them from power”, we mobilise our youth to run the race, but they will struggle to reach the finish line without clearer instructions.

Joel was right: his generation didn’t start the fire. And Molnárfi is also correct: the government has created a system that works against the needs of our young people rather than for. However, the pattern of creating a world in which it is a terrible place to be 21 will only continue without meaningful steps being taken in the mobilisation process of our students. Without increased mandatory political education and efforts by students to inform as much as they mobilise, the fire, as the song goes, will still burn on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on.

IMAGE VIA PEXELS

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Tuesday 6 February | TRINITY NEWS

Comment

College will try to increase Masters tuition fees and we must be ready László Molnárfi TCDSU President

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ach year, there are around 4,000 students enrolled in masters programmes at Trinity.

Many have just finished undergraduate degrees and have opted to continue their education at Trinity, pursuing their lifelong dreams and passions. These courses already cost us a fortune, between €7,000 to €36,000, and put many in financial stress, with over 65% taking up work in addition to their studies and others having to take

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Senior management will propose tuition fee hikes that will affect the 4,000 or so students who will entol at the time

up loans. This is actively pricing students out of education, and around ⅓ of (master’s) students have considered dropping out.

Despite this, our College is currently “reviewing” singleyear master’s fees, due for implementation for the 2025/2026 academic year. We know what this means. Senior management will propose tuition fee hikes that will affect the 4,000 or so students who will enrol at the time. This makes education inaccessible and places a financial burden on students that may contribute to them dropping out. They will inevitably claim that the increase will go towards student services, yet despite previous increases, our counselling and health services have monthslong waiting times, our studentstaff ratio is extremely high and our buildings are in severe need of repair. All the meanwhile, senior management are paid €2.5 million a year in total, salaries which ordinary students and staff cannot begin to comprehend.

It is further hypocritical that College tries to portray itself as allies with students in challenging the government.

True, the government is to blame ultimately, and they need to be opposed. However, if College truly is an ally of students in this fight against fee increases, it needs to stop using students as cash cows to plug the funding gap and it needs to take a harsher stance on the government’s underfunding

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We must take disruptive action against College, because we know what happens if we do not

over 4 years starting in 2023/2024.

The students’ union at the time dissented, but did not organise protests. As this is a historical decision, and already inscribed into the fee certainty policy, we cannot change this. It stands as a testament to the failure of seat-

at-the-table, passive politics, and as further proof that the power of the collective, and direct action, is needed to protect students. We cannot change legacy decisions, but we can fight decisions that College wants to force on us in the present.

Thus, the time is now to show our opposition to tuition fee hikes, and the use of students as cash cows as well as to oppose the upcoming proposal to hike one-year masters’ degree fees.

Nothing must be off the table. We must target the reputation and finances of the College, and make it impossible for them to increase fees. Join the campaign group here!

of the higher-education sector.

Senior management keep issuing timid condemnation of a for-profit approach to academia, yet practise the same ideology when it comes down to the bottom-line. We need to apply pressure on College, and consequently the government.

We must take disruptive action against College, because we know what happens if we do not.

Reflecting College’s utter disregard for the welfare of students, a decision was made years back, in 2021/2022, with regards to non-EU undergraduate and multi-year postgraduate programmes, with a 10% increase

PHOTOS BY NIKO EVANS FOR TRINITY NEWS

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TRINITY NEWS | Tuesday 21 March

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Head to Head

BookTok: A bane or boon to literacy?

Luke Fox Whelan: BookTok is a literary revival to be celebrated Contributing Writer

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wouldn’t be the reader I am today without BookTok. My secondary school reading list had plunged me into a reading slump. At 15, I was bored of atmospheric classics like Pride and Prejudice and The Grapes of Wrath. Frankly, I was sucked into fanfiction as my escape during the pandemic, or graphic novels. I’d read them off of my phone in between online classes.

BookTok seeked to appeal to that hunger, a type of fiction many teenagers were craving while locked inside. Many BookTok books of that early era highlight young love, or feature riveting plot twists. A niche online subcommunity had formed to platform the ‘hidden gems’ of modern literature and propel them to number one, and it took off quickly.

BookTok also introduced me to classics I can actually appreciate.

Emma and East of Eden have been organically rediscovered

by TikTok influencers, who saw the deficits in our secondary school English curriculum.

One of the reasons media consumption, be it films, novels, or television, is so rewarding is the connection we share with others when digesting it. Letterboxd and Goodreads serve as online platforms to express a love for your favourite media, and I view the extended world of BookTok as just an expansion of that.

A lot of the critiques of BookTok, frankly, lie within an intrinsic desire to gatekeep. I remember it, feeling superior at 14 years old for reading more than just school assigned novels.

In adulthood, those who had a continued passion for reading may simply feel superior for that and wish for it to stay their own niche interest, for “intellectuals.”

But reading has become so much more accessible recently, through more diverse genres and stories to a rise in audiobooks, and it feels strange to gatekeep something that so many can enjoy.

Don’t get me wrong, Colleen Hoover books aren’t my thing, and for a multitude of reasons can be

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The more people who have discovered reading can be their thing, the better seen as problematic. I won’t negate that some realms of BookTok I may find strange, or even off putting.

BookTok has sides to it, and it’s unfair to generalise; I’ve found myself receiving far more historical fiction recommendations recently,

while others may be wading in Bridgerton-esque romances.

For some people, those books are an escape and catharsis they never knew could be reaped from picking up a book. The literary community needs to realise that gatekeeping literature, and shaming first-time readers for appreciating introductory level books, is a surefire way to keep reading elitist and assure stagnation in content production.

The more people who have discovered reading can be their thing, the better. A healthier, more empathetic, less stressed population feels like a strange thing to be mad about, and I find it encouraging that publishers houses are now looking for unique talent to find ways to bring non-readers in as consumers.

Some of my favourite BookTok videos are “if you enjoy this… you may like this” videos, which are great ways to acquaint people with new genres or styles they might not have explored.

As selfish as it may seem, too,

BookTok has helped me to curate my TBR (to be read) list to be a lot more complimentary with my style.

Where I used to scour Goodreads, not knowing which reviews to trust, or ask my fantasy loving friends for recommendations of “fantasy-book-recs-thatweren’t-really-fantasy,” BookTok manages to provide much more pointed recommendations that I actually enjoy (turns out I just don’t like fantasy).

All in all, I believe that BookTok has massively revived the literary community, which I can’t see as anything but a positive. It has encouraged diversity, both in representation and style, and brought in new readers in droves.

Where the bookstore chain Barnes and Noble was on the verge of closing in many states, they have in fact been adding more stores in recent years. And, if not for BookTok, I probably wouldn’t be as enthusiastic about reading as I am now. What was once a chore is now a reward, and that’s something to celebrate.

Nina Crofts: BookTok should be viewed with suspicion Comment Editor

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t must be doing something right. Now four years on from the pandemic which brought it into existence, BookTok has shown itself not to be a fad. Rather than the killing of books by the scourge of phones and social media, as predicted by Facebook memes from the 2010s, they have reached a synthesis: a community passionate about reading, about taking pride in a huge bookshelf. BookTok has launched careers. Reading and social media is synthesised in five-second, rapid fire reviews of a truly staggering number of books read by these modern book reviewers, certainly putting my monthly bibliography to shame.

There’s something concerning in this output, though. The kneejerk reaction to BookTok is often that they’re bad romance schlock, low art if ever such a thing existed.

However, I believe there are more substantive, less snooty and patronising ways to criticise it. Not all books have to be candidates for an English degree reading list.

Looking down on no-stringsattached enjoyment is one surefire way to discourage reading, which is something none of us want.

These books should be assessed on their merits like any other,

which is where my defence of them ends. The platform’s biggest success story, Colleen Hoover, has been accused by critics of romanticising abuse and violent power imbalances in relationships. Another prolific BookTok success, Cassandra Clare, is haunted by various scandals including credible claims of plagiarism in her published books, as well as relationships bordering on incest (which originally were incestuous in the fanfiction she adapted them from).

These aren’t banned topics, but the issue is their romanticisation.

Discussing how we should interpret this work also reflects the worst aspects of the platform that popularised them. Shocking themes and relationships sell, just as extreme emotions in silent reviews of book hauls draw in TikTok engagement.

Criticism of authors and their past work turn into drama alert callouts. Allowing BookTok to be ignorant about the rest of the literary world will only breed these bad habits.

The authors that reach the star position of Hoover and Clare are also generally white. BookTok is the pinnacle of success for modern self-publishing, showing the power of a direct connection with an audience. Arguably, self-publishing’s greatest virtue is an ability to spotlight diverse authors who may find it harder to publish in the corporate culture of the major publishing houses.

Yet this does not happen on

TikTok, or at least not to the extent that industry insiders expected at the outset of the BookTok phenomenon. Speaking to Tyler McCall for The Cut, author Nisha Sharma expected, as did her peers in publishing, that a young adult audience which craved diversity would keep those tastes as they matured. Instead, “we’ve almost seen a regression.”

Perhaps it’s not white readers and content creators to blame, but the algorithm. Algorithmic racism is well-documented, and BookTok is no exception. Some Black creators strategise around this — it is a career, after all, and sponsors have to be satisfied with view counts, as Breana Newton details in the Cut article. Some forge ahead, writing and highlighting the kind of Black stories they want to see more of. But this comes with other challenges.

Longterm trends of racism in romance genres carry over, and when general audiences see Black books reviewed, they push trauma over romance.

This explosion in self-publishing is not making outsiders heard, it’s making certain genres and groups hegemonic and policing the borders of those genres strictly, as algorithmically successful books fit neatly into established tags.

There is one final issue with the other kind of BookTok book: the BookTok sad girl fiction canon.

This is the polar opposite of the kind of romance above. For better or worse, these are more literary, well-established books that could have an audience outside this platform — think Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar, Ottessa Moshfegh’s My Year Of Rest And Relaxation, or Sally Rooney’s Normal People.

Unlike the romance books, these are very limited. This is a reading list of essentials. And yet, by completing this checklist you become a literary aficionado. To hold up a stack of these books to the camera, spines fully intact, or have them tactically strewn across an unmade bed, instantly communicates the tragedy of being a tortured intellectual.

BookTok is improving reading levels, in the way a government might by investing in education.

But its message of a quick fix to media literacy should be at least viewed with suspicion.

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Tuesday 6 February | TRINITY NEWS

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Editorial: There are no caveats to Trinity’s silence on Gaza, it is unambiguously shameful PHOTO BY GORDII SPELLMAN FOR TRINITY NEWS

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t took just four days of Israel’s assault on Gaza for a university to be bombed.

On October 11, parts of the Islamic University in Gaza City were completely destroyed in airstrikes by the Israeli military, who alleged that the campus was being used by Hamas.

Several university buildings and other educational facilities were destroyed in the following days and months as Israel relentlessly bombed Gaza City and advanced south through the Gaza strip. Just weeks ago, Israeli forces blew up Israa University in an apparent controlled demolition after using it as a military base and detention centre for over two months.

In total, Gaza’s media officer estimates Israel has destroyed over 95 schools and universities completely and 295 schools and universities partially since the beginning of its assault on the Palestinian enclave.

Throughout all this, our university has remained silent.

Instead of establishing a visible and robust response unit to the crisis, it has remained silent.

Instead of issuing a public message of support to its Middle Eastern students, it has remained silent.

Instead of condemning Israel’s massacre of civilian lives, it has remained silent.

Worse still, it has assured anxious social media pundits that it is committed to neutrality on the matter, as schools continue to be bombed, as Palestinians continue to starve and as the death toll continues to reach unimaginable numbers day after day.

There can be no caveats to Trinity’s silence. It is unambiguously, embarrassingly

shameful.

Apologists for this silence will disingenuously point to concurrent conflicts across the globe in places like Tigray, the Congo and Nagorno-Karabakh and ask whether College should be outspoken on all of these as well; the answer is probably yes. There is no hierarchy of victims.

But the information economy which has surrounded Gaza since October, in which at least 85 journalists have been killed for their efforts to document the devastation, in which Palestinians are “broadcasting their own destruction in real time”, makes Trinity’s and other Irish institutions’ silence profoundly deafening.

What’s more, Trinity’s status as a university of sanctuary shows

PHOTO BY RORY CHINN FOR TRINITY NEWS

that it is not blind to injustice.

Try as it might to block out criticism by disabling comments on its social media posts, College is acutely aware of its own hypocrisy as it showcases its humanitarian credentials while remaining completely, blissfully passive to unfolding genocide.

Its assertive response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine appeared to show a university not only with a conscience but the courage to act on it. In fact, Trinity’s moral compass appears to be calibrated by geopolitical convenience, rather than genuine principles.

Its hypocrisy reveals a calculated PR strategy, not a commitment to justice.

Trinity’s deference to Zionist narratives doesn’t derive purely from its direct collaboration with Israeli institutions. Its reliance on industry collaboration also restricts its freedom for political expression. Israel’s prominent role in the tech industry, especially in emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, makes its goodwill highly valuable to a vast number of companies in the sector. The highly securitised state offers opportunities for lucrative contracts for technologies with military applications. For Trinity, with committed ties to industry giants including Microsoft and IBM, the potential losses in funding of taking a critical stance on Israel are not insignificant. But this fact excuses nothing; it merely boils down to an unconscionable sacrifice of the Palestinians on the altar of research funding. Trinity’s complicity will be a permanent stain on its history.

The Kalven Report behind which universities often hide their unwillingness to engage in issues of social justice emphasises that the university “is the home and

sponsor of critics; it is not itself the critic”. Universities less often remember that the purpose of this separation is to allow freedom of enquiry for its researchers, to allow the “widest diversity of views within its own community”.

But there are no acceptable reasons not to acknowledge the

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College’s vow of silence calls into question not whether it shares the values of its students and staff, but whether it has any values at all desperate plight of Gaza. No civilised scientific endeavour relies on a pluralistic environment in which the view that there are valid grounds for genocide is as acceptable as the view that there are not. There is no morally sound view of the world in which the massacre of thousands of children is an acceptable price for any goal.

There was a time when it was unquestionable that university was a male-only pursuit. Now

it is universally agreed that that thought is ridiculous. History will almost universally recognise the horror of what has been inflicted on the Palestinians. Millions in Ireland, and thousands on this campus, already do. This paper regrets that the college whose community it serves refuses to do the same. If institutions wait until it is acceptable or politically permissible to publicly acknowledge obvious injustice, it will already be too late.

If they read this at all, those with the authority to heed it will likely shake their head and assure themselves that unfortunately it isn’t so simple. But it is.

This isn't about anything as complex as an academic boycott, or even so drastic as seeking new suppliers for lab equipment. This is about the bare minimum of acknowledging the unimaginable loss of life that continues to take place in Gaza, and demonstrating support for students in a moment of extreme distress. College’s vow of silence calls into question not whether it shares the values of its students and staff, but whether it has any values at all.

In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the provost assured the college community that “our immediate priority has been our students and staff ”. Whether or not this was ever the case, it is incredibly clear that it is not now. College’s utter refusal to even engage in dialogue with hundreds of students and staff shows a disregard bordering on contempt. All the while Gaza’s civilian population are suffering daily bombardment, physical and psychological trauma and imminent starvation. A population of two million people is facing genocide. And our university remains silent.

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TRINITY NEWS | Tuesday 6 February

SciTech

Get in, the water’s freezing

Virtual reality and class

Ana Osorio page 28

Emma Hopkins page 29

Fair-feather friend: An ode to seagulls Anneliese Kenny Contributing Writer

I

t’s a familiar scene: you sit down outside the Arts Building after emerging, starving, from the afternoon’s lectures. Just as you are about to bite into your delicious lunch, a seagull swoops down and snatches it from your grasp. If it hasn’t happened to you, it’s happened to someone you know - it’s enough to deter anyone from eating outside ever again. There are countless victims of Dublin’s seagulls, and the feud between the student body and seagulls is a long-standing one.

However, despite their capacity for evil, seagulls are not quite the nemesis they are made out to be.

In fact, they boast many positive qualities.

The first place to begin is to debunk a common misconception: there is actually no such thing as a seagull. Instead, there are gulls, which are a large family of seagulls. What is usually understood as a seagull is, in fact, a herring gull - big, white, and grey. The first thing to note about gulls is their intelligence. Gulls are remarkably more intelligent than other species of bird - they are capable of recognising human faces. Not only this, but they can read human facial expressions and body language. They have

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vast memories, with the ability to remember other birds they have met before as well as where they have hidden food. They can retain this memory for a long period of time - important because gulls have exceedingly long life spans, with the oldest gull on record being thirty four years old.

In addition to their expansive memory, gulls put their brain to use - gulls have been recorded dropping pieces of food into the sea to act as “bait” to catch fish, and smashing shellfish against rocks to break them open. Gulls have also been recorded flying inland to take advantage of readily available earthworms lying atop the earth after heavy downpour, demonstrating knowledge of the weather and its implications.

But intelligence is not the only

ART BY ALICE GOGARTY FOR TRINITY NEWS

In defence of Trinity’s most despised denizens

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They also boast extreme physical prowess impressive quality gulls possess.

They also boast extreme physical prowess. Gulls, if seen up close as they steal your food, are huge.

With an impressive wingspan, gulls can fly up to speeds of almost fifty kilometres per hour.

They have an impeccable sense of smell, capable of detecting

food from almost five kilometres away. This means if you whip out your delicious lunch outside the Trinity Arts Building, a seagull as far as UCD can smell it. This isn’t the only impressive skill gulls possess; they can also drink seawater, something that is deadly for humans. This is possible due to a special gland gulls possess that clears the salt from saltwater making it safe to drink, therefore allowing them to embark on long journeys across the sea without having to fly inland to find drinking water. It doesn’t stop there - gulls also use their flying abilities to ward off predators.

Although it may surprise you, gulls are not aggressive birds like eagles or falcons. Instead, they use a technique called jinking to deter predators, which involves flying erratically to confuse pursuers.

Perhaps what is most impressive about gulls is how they have adapted to change in recent decades. Their typical coastal homes are under threat, with

rising temperatures and increased urbanisation making the seaside less safe to raise chicks and more challenging to find food. In the face of this precarity, gulls have moved inland. They have put their omnivorous diets to use; while this means that any form of outdoor dining in Dublin is at risk of a seagull attack, it also means that our rubbish can be eaten by gulls. Because of this, less food goes to waste and gulls can benefit from our consumerist lifestyles.

Cities and urban areas also provide safe places for gulls to nest and reproduce in the face of declining opportunities to do so by the sea - urban areas are safer from predators and offer more opportunities for food. Gulls are natural scavengers, feasting on dead animals and insects, making them an important part of the food chain.

Without a doubt, the signature call of seagulls makes up the soundtrack of Dublin. Being terrorised by seagulls is without a

doubt a traumatising experience, and this article is not trying to refute that. Instead, next time you

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The signature call of seagulls makes up the soundtrack of Dublin see a gull harass some tourists or snatch someone’s lunch, perhaps try to watch on with an air of admiration rather than downright hatred for the bird. Gulls have an important role to play in nature, and whether we like it or not, they’re here to stay.

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Tuesday 6 February| TRINITY NEWS

SciTech

Get in, the water’s freezing: Exploring the enduring popularity of cold water swims ART BY FAYE DOLAN FOR TRINITY NEWS

What makes cold water swims so appealing and what are the potential benefits?

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Treatment protocols have already been developed using cold water swimming as a treatment for depression

Ana Osorio Contributing Writer

P

eople in wintry Dublin flock to the many beaches along the coast on a daily basis for their cold plunge while university societies often plan sea-swimming events for members.

Plunging into the ice-cold water of the Irish sea at any time of the year may seem like an unnecessary discomfort at best for those of us who flinch at the thought of taking a cold shower, but it has become an emblematic part of Irish culture and student life. But what makes diving into waters as cold as 15 degrees such an addictive experience for many? Are there observable benefits to our overall health?

The use of cold water for health is not by any means new, but research into its longterm benefits has only been carried out in the last hundred years. The Greek philosopher Hippocrates hailed cold water immersion as a remedy for fatigue, while American president Thomas Jefferson is said to have submerged his feet in cold water daily for over 60 years for its alleged benefits to his health. Although these claims were unsubstantiated at the time, research into physiological bodily response to cold water in the 18th century led to the discovery of phenomena like afterdrop, hypothermia, and other effects of extreme temperatures on the body.

Given our greater understanding of human physiology, usual responses to extremely cold environments have been recorded. It is a widely accepted fact that exposure to cold water for long periods of time can result in hypothermia, but physiological responses to cold water immersion are much more complex, exhibiting different effects upon immediate contact and long-term practice of cold water swims. Our immediate response to plunging into ice cold water can explain the addictive and euphoric nature of cold water

swims often described by those who support it. The immediate cooling effect on the skin, the sudden rush of adrenaline, and the surge of endorphins result in a perceived rush of joy and excitement. Endorphins bind to opioid receptors in the brain inducing euphoria and pain relief, further dulled by adrenaline, which reduces the

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The immediate cooling effect on the skin, the sudden rush of adrenaline, and the surge of endorphins result in a perceived rush of joy and excitement sensitivity of our pain receptors.

These and other immediate benefits observed makes tools like ice tubs popular for athletes and health enthusiasts, due to the long-standing belief that plunging into cold water can help with recovery. Their effective use in sports recovery can be

explained by sensation of relief as decreased tissue temperature could reduce acetylcholine production which is involved in muscle contraction, leading to pain-relieving effects. Simply being submerged in water can also help reduce inflammation immediately by promoting the absorbance of fluid, in this case working similarly to compression socks. Studies have shown that people who practise cold water swimming habitually present lower inflammatory and stress responses than those who do not.

The benefits of cold water swims and plunges are not limited to sports recovery. Exercise is known to be an effective tool in mental health management, but cold swims can be especially beneficial. Besides the immediate increase in adrenaline observed, through persistent practice an enhancement of the synaptic release of adrenaline is observed. As this is one of the key neurotransmitters targeted by antidepressants, cold water swims can present a nonpharmacological alternative to increase the concentration of adrenaline in synapses and alleviate depression. In fact, treatment protocols have already been developed using cold water swimming as a treatment for depression. A 24-year-old woman diagnosed with major depressive disorder undertook such a treatment plan, practising sea swimming regularly for a few months. After one month her medication started to be reduced, and she was able to stop her medication without negative effects after 4 months of consistent practice. It is thought that cold

water swimming can have such drastic effects on mental health by working similarly to electroconvulsive therapy: providing an intense, brief stimulus to the brain with much less severe side effects while also stimulating the vagus nerve.

The popularity of cold water swims seems to know no bounds.

Sea swims, ice baths, and any of the constantly evolving forms

of cold water therapy provide substantial benefits to mental and physical health, making them increasingly relevant to students seeking holistic wellbeing practices in a time where a sedentary lifestyle is the norm.

As a more thorough physiological understanding of the benefits of cold water immersion develops, it is impossible to deny the reported benefits of jumping in.

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TRINITY NEWS | Tuesday 6 February

SciTech

Reality check: Unearthing the classism responsible for virtual reality’s failure Exploring why the growth of virtual reality has stalled in recent years Emma Hopkins Contributing Writer

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The only possible success for artificial reality as we know it is for people or businesses with deep pockets

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F

rom cinema to Metaverse, we’ve seen the emergence of virtual reality (VR) in a multifaceted perspective, as well as its constant evolution.

But in a world increasingly dominated by AI, why has virtual reality not garnered similar attention?In childhood, virtual reality was potentially perceived as something to do with video games or the newest Marvel movie – a brief spurt of discussion that may have quickly died down due to motion sickness. However, in recent years with the desperate development of Meta or the upcoming Apple Vision Pro headset, it leaves the question begged to be answered: who is this really for? Virtual reality is currently a tool crafted for an enriching experience, but only if you can afford it.

Currently, with headsets advertised up to $3,500 (around €3,240), the top-of-the-line hardware comprised of highdefinition resolution displays, motion sensors, and efficient,

powerful processing systems all lead to an increased production cost. Additionally, many VR technologies require extreme costs during development of specific softwares or programs that are passed on to the responsibility of the consumer. The only possible success for artificial reality as we know it is for people or businesses with deep pockets. Otherwise, the augmented reality (AR) available to the general public is shoddy at best – a highly superficial experience characterised by lowquality graphics and limited immersion. When watching a 3D movie, for example, the slightest sound of chewing popcorn or

movement of other attendees will remind the viewer that they are not truly experiencing the reality they’re a part of, while dually providing a mediocre – and sometimes even nauseating – visual experience. The VR that is marketed is over-saturated and uninspired. For virtual reality to properly have a place in daily life, there has to be some sort of balance between practical use that tech companies are striving for, as well as cost-efficiency to perpetuate increased accessibility of the product.

Virtual reality could reach the level of popularity of AI programs such as ChatGPT if it were free or low-cost. A huge portion of the

rise of AI demand is the fact that it can be an asset to individuals seeking a greater understanding of information, regardless of income or circumstance. AR could provide a similar resource if financially viable. For example, especially in lower-income communities, quality VR can provide immersive educational experiences, such as visiting historical sites or engaging in hands-on simulations that aid the subject matter. Improving access to this

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Virtual reality’s modern failure is one of countless examples of the intersection between tech and class

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technology could significantly bridge the growing wealth gap by increased content availability that affluent communities already have access to. Otherwise, the use of this technology is restricted to

individuals that may already be equipped with the ability to travel or simulate these educational or cultural experiences, furthering the experiential gap and class disparities between different economic groups.

The goal of broadened access to virtual reality is not an unachievable one.

As aforementioned, the cost of program production or manufacturing is currently being put onto the cost of the consumer.

Often-times, companies are profit-hungry, not taking into account the audience they need to have a mutualistic relationship with. Mark Zuckerberg’s vision for Facebook-turned-Metaverse is the perfect example of this socioeconomic pitfall. A tech-savvy dream of technological fusion, Meta in theory sounds like the perfect idea.

However, in practice with charging exorbitant prices to consumers to see this idea through, it was clear the board that approved this idea had no conceptualisation of who they were marketing towards.

If wealthy companies absorbed some of this cost and focused more on advancing the market of VR presently rather than filling their pockets even further, they could see potential demand for it in the future.

Virtual reality’s modern failure is one of countless examples of the intersection between tech and class. Like any new technological advancement, there must be a trial period where the idea becomes commonplace in modern society.

Without businesses fronting some of the cost of development, virtual reality will never take off due to its unaffordable and unfamiliar nature, and will continue to perpetuate the wealth divide.

Tuesday 6 February | TRINITY NEWS

30

Sport

J1’s overcome UCD challenge

Great demand for Trinity five-a-side places Séaghan Ó Domhnalláin

Séaghan Ó Domhnalláin page 32

page 32

College Sports: Club Notes Trinity News keeps you up to date on the latest achievements, events and activities from some of College’s 49 sports clubs Jane Prendergast Sport Co-Editor

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fter a busy Michaelmas semester for many of the College’s student athletes, the majority of our 49 clubs remain active and in training for the remainder of the season.

Should you wish to take part, memberships can be bought on FIXR, or contact your chosen club directly via email or Instagram!

Athletics The “Harriers” or distance group will train four times weekly this year - Mondays and Thursday easy run from the Science Gallery at 6pm, Tuesdays 6pm in College Park, and Saturdays 10am at Magazine Fort, Phoenix Park for a hill session. The Track & Field group will train on Mondays from 6:30pm - 8pm and Wednesdays from 7:30pm-9pm in Irishtown Stadium. Michaelmas Term saw DUHAC’s Ladies’ “A” team take bronze at the Intervarsity Road Relays, and a squad training camp to Lanzarote was enjoyed in January. DU Athletics are

Badminton DU Badminton enjoyed some great successes in 2022/23, reaching the finals of the Student Sports Ireland competition and the quarter-finals of Intervarsities.

Competing in the Dublin League, the ladies’ team saw a win in the Division 5 final and a narrow loss for the Division 6 team in their final. Social badminton sessions also saw regular turnout of over 30 students. Training this year will take place at the Main Hall of the Trinity Sport Centre; on Tuesdays from 8pm - 10pm, Wednesdays from 8pm - 10pm, Fridays from 7am - 10am, and Sundays from 9am - 11am. A purchased FIXR membership will give you access to either the social or competitive side of the club, including the opportunity to try out for their competing teams. To get in contact with the club, reach out via Instagram to @tcdbadminton or email dubadmin@tcd.ie.

Canoe & Kayak DU Canoe & Kayak Club runs training at the Trinity Sports Centre pool every Wednesday from 8-10pm and every Thursday

9-10pm, along with weekly openwater kayaking at Grand Canal Dock and monthly accessibility and women-oriented sessions.

Weekends are spent on river trips across the country, whether on the River Liffey in Dublin or out to Bundoran, Lahinch, and Kerry. DUCK is currently preparing to compete at the Irish Kayaking Intervarsities (taking place in Galway at the beginning of February), where they hope to improve upon last year’s fifth-place finish. Boasting a competitive polo squad (3rd in 2023) and bolstered by a number of Irish international paddlers and highly experienced freestyle and whitewater team, their hopes are now firmly set on a podium finish.

Always enthusiastic to see more beginners take up the sport and participate in their lively social scene, you can contact DUCK for more information via Instagram @ducanoekayakclub or email kayak.club@tcd.ie.

Climbing Trinity Climbing Club/DUCC hosts open climbing sessions twice a week at the climbing wall (T-Wall) in the Trinity Sports Centre, on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7pm - 10pm.

DUCC have thoroughly enjoyed the first half of the 2023/24 season, with an abundance of climbing completed by its enthusiastic

members, both in indoor gyms and outdoor spots like the Burren and Dalkey. The Club is particularly looking forward to the approaching Climbing Intervarsities, which will be held in Belfast in February. The Club’s €6 semester membership fee entitles members to attend sessions and learn how to climb and belay without additional cost, with additional charges only being applied to trips and some social events.

For more information, contact the club at climbing@tcd.ie or via Instagram at @trinityclimbing.

Fencing For 2023/24, DU Fencing will train in the Ancillary Hall of the Trinity Sports Centre on: Monday, 8pm - 10pm and Friday, 3pm - 5pm for Beginners; Thursday, 8pm - 10pm and Friday, 5pm - 7pm for Intermediates/ Open Fencing; Wednesday, 7am - 10am for the Development Squad (invite only); and Tuesday, 8pm - 10pm and Thursday, 7am - 10am for Squad Training (invite only). So far this season, DU Fencing saw both its Men’s and Women’s Foil teams win the Club National Championships and qualify to represent Ireland at the European Championships.

Fencing also sent 6 athletes to the 5 Nations in Scotland, organised Ireland’s first wheelchair fencing

competition and picked up over 30 individual national medals.

For more information, contact the club via email dufencing@gmail. com, or reach out on Instagram to @trinityfencing.

Golf DU Golf trains out of Portmarnock and Royal Dublin Golf Clubs.

Intercollegiate matches take place regularly, and a highlight of Michaelmas term was the annual US Tour, which saw DU Golf this year compete against Yale University, Columbia University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Social outings are provided for golfers of all abilities, as well as nights out.

For more information, contact the club via Instagram @dugolfclub, or reach out directly to secretary Mikey Mina-Royanane at 087 390 9936.

Handball DU Handball trains on Tuesdays and Thursdays, in the Main Hall of the Trinity Sport Centre from 5pm - 7pm.

A purpose-built handball/ racquetball/squash alley under Printing House Square is currently under renovations, however training will hopefully move back there once completed. Only established in 2022/23, the club has enjoyed a strong start to the 2023/24 season, claiming victories

PHOTO BY JIMENA ALVAREZ FOR TRINITY NEWS

Aikido DU Aikido was established last year, meaning 2022/23 was the first season which saw many participants learn Japanese grappling self-defence techniques.

DU Aikido will this year train on Wednesdays, from 4 - 6pm at Bell Centre Webster Gym. In order to join the club, join its GroupMe at https://groupme.com/ joingroup/89208174/mnkktJ0l, and follow their Instagram @ trinityuaikido to stay up-to-date.

Contact alagrone@trinity.edu for more information.

best contacted via Instagram @trinityathletics, where you can also sign up to the FIXR membership through the link in bio, or alternatively email harriers@tcd.ie.

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TRINITY NEWS | Tuesday 6 February

Sport at the 2023 WallBall Intervarsities and the ICHA 40x20 Doubles in Croke Park. To contact the club for more information, contact Cuileann Bourke, via email or phone - handballtcd@gmail.com & 086 2244 186, or reach out via Instagram to @tcdhandball.

PHOTO BY JIMENA ALVAREZ FOR TRINITY NEWS

Hockey - Men’s This year, DUHC 1s and 2s will train on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:30pm - 9:30pm at the Santry Sports Grounds, while the 3s will train at 5pm on Wednesdays in Botany Bay. To join or contact the club, use Instagram @dublinuniversityhc or email hockey@tcd.ie.

Hockey - Women’s DULHC will again train out of the Santry Sports Grounds this season. Sessions for the 1s will take place on Mondays and Thursdays from 7:30pm - 9:30pm, for the 2s on Mondays and Wednesdays from 7:30pm - 9:30pm, for the 3s on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6pm - 7:30pm, and for the 4s on Thursdays from 6pm - 7:30pm.

For more information, contact the club at trinityladieshockey@ gmail.com or via Instagram at @ trinityladieshockey.

Judo DU Judo trains thrice weekly, in Ancillary B of the Trinity Sports Centre - from 6pm - 8pm on Mondays, 8pm - 10pm on Wednesdays, and 6pm - 8pm on Thursdays. The Club have enjoyed a great first semester, with lots of new and returning members completing their gradings to advance to higher belts. DU Judo also held their first in-house competition of the year last semester, which was a resounding success, as well as hosting many enjoyable social events such as a trivia night, 5-a-side soccer, a pub crawl, and a charity sea swim.

A 1 month trial membership is available via FIXR, and for more information, contact the club at dujudoclub@gmail.com or via Instagram at @dujudoclub.

Karate For Hilary term, DU Karate will train in the Ancillary Hall of the Trinity Sports Centre, on Tuesdays from 6:30pm - 8pm, and from 9:30am - 11:00am on Saturdays. DU Karate travelled to Maynooth University in November to compete in Intervarsities, where a great day was enjoyed by all. Grading tests were also available to athletes who wished to progress their belts.

2022/23 saw continued growth for the club, with a presence at both the Dublin Intercollegiate and Intervarsity competitions.

The FIXR link can be found in the club’s Instagram bio @dukarate, and you can also email karate@ tcd.ie for more information.

Rowing - Men’s DU Boat Club trains daily, at the Boathouse in Islandbridge, the Trinity Sport High Performance Gym, and Blessington Lakes.

DUBC saw success in their season opener at Erne 4’s Head of the

River, placing 1st, 3rd and 4th in the Intermediate 4+ category.

DUBC are accepting both beginner and experienced rowers and coxswains to their squad; for more information, contact @ duboatclub on Instagram or email captain@duboatclub.com.

Rowing – Women’s DU Ladies’ Boat Club trains daily, at the Boathouse in Islandbridge, the Trinity Sport High Performance Gym, and Blessington Lakes. DULBC saw positive performances in their season opener at Erne 4’s Head of the River, claiming a 1st place finish (and fastest senior women’s time) in the Senior 4+ category, 3rd place in the Intermediate 4+ category, and 1st place in the Club 1 4+ category. Grace Healy also claimed the fastest women’s time at the Dublin Sculling Ladder.

DULBC are accepting both beginner and experienced rowers and coxswains to their squad; for more information, contact @dulbcrowing on Instagram or email dulbc1976@gmail.com.

Sailing DU Sailing trains four times weekly from Royal St. George Yacht Club. The 2022/23 season was full of highlights, including a dominant win against UCD at the Intervarsity Colours Championships. To join the Club, stay up-to-date on its activities or get more information, check out the Instagram page @trinitysailing or email info@trinitysailing.com.

Soccer – Men’s DU Athletic Football Club typically trains on Tuesday and Thursday at 3:30 p.m. in College Park, beside the Pavilion Bar. DUAFC has had a great start to the year, reaching the CUFL Premier Division Final for the first time in over 20 years. Both the Saturday and Sunday teams have made strong starts to their LSL league campaigns, with both teams hoping to gain promotion. The club looks to continue with their

momentum this semester as they turn their focus to the Harding and Collingwood Cups, which are taking place in the coming weeks.

DUAFC encourages prospective players to come down to training on Tuesdays or Thursdays at 3:30 PM, but in advance of doing so, please send an email to dusoccer@ tcd.ie, as training days can vary depending on matches. The club can also be contacted through Instagram at @dusoccer.

Surf DU Surf functions slightly differently to many Trinity sports clubs due to the lack of local east coast surf spots. However, the Club organises regular sea swims and other social events as well as the Club’s main attractions – its Irish and international trips!

The 2023/24 season has been business as usual so far, including the Wind Wave Rave trip in collaboration with DUDJ as well as the surf trip to Dunfanaghy.

Surf also ran a sold out collab night with UCD Surf Society and raised money for Movember with the annual “Dad Night”. Many shorter trips were also taken for sea swims and the Club competed in the Intervarsities “Belly Flop” competition, emerging as overall winners. Membership of DU Surf costs €5 and the FIXR link can be found in their Instagram bio @trinitysurfclub. For further information or with any queries, concerns, etc., use Instagram or email surf@tcd.ie.

Swimming DU Swimming holds swim training in the pool in the Trinity Sports Centre, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 7pm - 8pm. Water Polo training is held on Tuesdays, 8pm - 10pm; Thursdays, 8pm 9pm; and Fridays, 7pm - 8pm.

Michaelmas term was filled with lively social events, such as the Mo’squerade in aid of Movember, and competitions such as the University of Limerick’s Invitational Gala. To contact the

club, check out their Instagram @ duswimclub or email duswim@ tcd.ie. Their FIXR membership can also be accessed through their LinkTree, linktr.ee/duswim.

Table Tennis DU Table Tennis trains in Trinity Sport Centre’s Ancillary Hall B, on Tuesdays from 8pm - 10pm and Wednesdays from 6pm - 8pm. DUTTC is delighted to be starting regular coaching sessions this semester for team events, and also anyone looking to improve their skills. To contact the club for more information, email tableten@tcd.ie or reach out on Instagram to @tcdtabletennis (where the FIXR membership link is also available).

Tennis DU Lawn Tennis Club will this year train in the Botany Bay tennis courts on Fridays, 6pm 9pm for beginners; Wednesdays, 6pm - 9pm at Botany Bay for intermediates ; and Mondays, 6pm - 8pm for advanced players.

DULTC enjoyed a strong start to their 2023/24 season with an impressive performance at the HEC Clay Court Championship in Monte Carlo; the Club is now targeting intervarsity success in February before the season finishes in April. For more information, contact the club at tennis@tcd.ie or via Instagram at @trinity.tennis.

Trampoline DU Trampoline trains in the Main Hall on the third floor of the Trinity Sports Centre from 5pm - 8pm on Mondays and 8pm - 10pm on Thursdays. Trampoline enjoyed an impressive start to the 2023/24 season when they took home the Intervarsities Shield for the third year in a row. For further information, reach out to the Club via Instagram @dutrampoline or email dutrampoline@gmail.com.

Weightlifting DU Barbell trains at the Ancillary Hall in Trinity Sports

Centre from 2pm - 4pm on Tuesdays, from 11am - 1pm on Wednesdays, and from 7:30pm - 10pm on Thursdays.

Over the course of the 2022/23 season, Trinity saw its members compete in European and World Championships, as well as bringing home a number of national titles for the club. In order to get in contact with the club, DM their Instagram @trinitybarbell, or email duweightlifting@gmail. com or doherta4@tcd.ie to contact the President, Aisling DohertyMadrigal, directly.

Wind & Wake DU Wind & Wake’s training times are highly variable, given the weather requirements for safe participation. However, as much notice as possible will be given to members via the email list to members and on Instagram @ trinitywindwake. Wakeboarding sessions will be held on weekends, with travel to Ballyhass Wake Park in Cork or Let’s Go Hydro in Belfast. Kitesurfing sessions will be held on Dollymount Strand, and windsurfing in Dún Laoghaire. The FIXR membership can be found in their Instagram bio, which you can also reach out to for any questions about the club – alternatively email windsurf@ tcd.ie.

Are you a Trinity sport club? Want to let students know what your club is up to?

Email sport@trinitynews.ie to have your club updates listed in our issues.

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Tuesday 6 February | TRINITY NEWS

Sport

J1’s overcome UCD challenge Belfield’s seconds no match for a Trinity Pav Friday Séaghan Ó Domhnalláin Sport Co-Editor

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eating UCD RFC is no mean feat, no matter what level you are doing it at. If one was to go to a Senior Colours or a Division 9 Metro League fixture, the intensity and skill would vary greatly but the effort displayed would be the same; it’s a match that everyone involved wants to win. That was the case for Friday’s spirited affair under

lights in College Park.

As the terrace in front of the Pavillion Bar (Pav) was filling up with students enjoying the first Pav Friday of the new term, College and UCD’s J1 teams were warming up on the football grounds. An 8pm kickoff with little to no wind and dry conditions left no excuse. UCD lined out in their traditional St Patrick’s Blue while DUFC opted for a sleek black jersey with red trim.

UCD kicked off, kicking into the New Square side of the pitch. The first 10 minutes were dominated by the visitors, with College giving away five penalties and conceding a try after sustained pressure. However, College soon recovered, with a strong scrum giving them a penalty on their side of the pitch.

The subsequent line-out went DUFC’s way and after a strong

maul, scrum half Jack Atkinson crossed the try line in the corner.

Full-back Patrick Lysaght missed the conversion, but Trinity was now only two points down, 5-7.

For the next while, College gradually took control of the game, helped with strong running from Alex Cleary and firstcentre Victor Allen. However the sustained pressure was awarded when Donagh Hyland crossed to give DUFC a three point lead, with Lysaght’s conversion attempt unfortunately hitting off the post.

UCD managed to take the lead again seven minutes before half time with a well worked try, but that would be the last score for UCD RFC until the end of the second half. To DUFC’s credit, they reacted strongly, finishing out the half with an unconverted try and adding another seven points, five minutes into the new

half.

Another score for the men in black was added 20 minutes later,

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College gradually took control of the game helped with strong running from Alex Cleary with a penalty being converted

to put Trinity 11 points ahead, 25-14, but UCD rallied, looking for a score to save the match. A period of constant pressure off the restart gave them a penalty on DUFC’s 5-metre line. Opting for a quick tap, UCD scored on the sideline and a monster conversion soon followed; with ten minutes left it was all to play for at a four point game.

Out-half Zach Quirke restarted the match opting to go deep into the UCD half. UCD replied by kicking the ball once it was received, whereupon Trinity winger Will Twomey blocked the ball down and won the foot race to the ball bouncing towards the UCD try line, grounding for the all important insurance points.

Lysaght converted and the game was well and truly beyond UCD, who managed a conciliation score, with the scoreboard reading 32-26 at full time.

Great demand for Trinity five-a-side places Over 50 slots for the competition sell out within an hour Séaghan Ó Domhnalláin Sport Co-Editor

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Division 6 Brittos Boys,

GMBallers

Revived, LLM Giants, Laszlo Football Utd, The Galloping

Stallions, The Vincibles, To Be Decided, Kilberry Rovers

PHOTO BY ELLEN KENNY FOR TRINITY NEWS

laces for Trinity’s most popular social sporting event, five-aside soccer, sold out within an hour this year, according to organiser Tom Comer. 50 places for teams were up for grabs, with registration costing €100 per team. Due to demand an extra eight spots were negotiated from Trinity Sport, which duly sold out almost instantly.

For those that don’t know, five-a-side is a modified form of soccer where five players per team (four outfield players and a goalie) play on a small pitch with simplified rules to help the game flow. Free kicks are awarded instead of corners and there is no offside. In Trinity, games last for two 30-minute halves, are selfrefereed and are played in Botany Bay or the Sport Hall above the gym.

Due to the amount of teams competing, matches are played Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm, with around 29 matches taking place each week. The 58 teams are split into five leagues of

10 and one league of 8, and are graded based on ability in order to promote a fair but competitive atmosphere.

While organising the league itself takes a lot of work, Comer is currently looking at organising matches between Trinity and UCD and DCU teams: “we’re trying to get competitions between DCU and UCD lined up because they have a five-a-side league and in the past we have played games against them.”

Division 1 4.5 aside, CSB, Csbgm, DUAFC, FC Twente Benson, Stella FC, TP Titans, TikiTaka Embassy, Top Shaggers, Wanana Division 2 Armamentum Celtic, Bird 747 Pie, Close Contacts FC, FantabEdozie, George BESSt FC, Matletico Madrid, MedShaggers FC, Umbros, Whitecaps, Zindabad FC Division 3 AFC Deniz, AFC Billy Blargo, Barely Athletic FC, Borussia Snortmund, Champagne Chassis, Mathletes, Meath4Sam, Philanthropist XI, Trinbreds FC, Two Girls One Klopp Division 4 Brian Munich, Egg Fried Reus, Freded Fish, Naoise Team 2.5, No RISC No Reward, Paedihatrics, Run Time Error FC, The Essence XI, The Shady Bunch, Unathletico Madrid Division 5 AFC Trinitones, Arts Low Block AFC, Berkely’s Boys, Big Kahuna FC, Chiken Chasers, Linac Utd, Newry Monchengladbach, River Dodder Rodents, TP Traitors, The Squad

TRINITY NEWS | Tuesday 6 February

How to spend a Reframing semester at Saltburn queerbaiting page 5 page 8

Cuisine spotlight: Ukraine page 14

LIFE

Pullout Pullout section section PHOTO BY RORY CHINN FOR TRINITY NEWS

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Tuesday 6 February | TRINITY NEWS

Table of contents Our Life Editor tries Dry January

The economic horrors per

- page 4

Chomhábhair i gcomhair d’fhichidí - page 6 Reframing queerbaiting -pages 8-9 The Ozempic Epidemic

- page 11 Laid bare: A look inside CancerSoc’s naked calendar - page 13

A bloody triumph: BTS of TMT’s ‘Carrie’ - page 15

Life staff Editor-in-Chief Life Editor Life Deputy Editor

Kate Henshaw Abby Cleaver Lara Monahan

Arts & Culture Editors Deputy Editors

Jayna Rohslau Ciara Chan Ciana Meyers

Sex & Relationships Editor Deputy Editors

Anna Lyons Catherine Grogan Alice Matty

Societies Editor Deputy Editor

Honey Morris Sofia Rooney Siobhán Walsh

Student Living Editors

Emma Rouine Elisa Eckstein Akshita Hunka

Deputy Editor Food & Drink Editor Deputy Editors

Eoghan Conway Lara Bhakdi Hannah Viljoen

Sarah Shortall discusses the challenges faced by students at the beginning of a new term

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here are certain sayings associated with people from Cavan: “He would peel an orange in his pocket.”; “she eats the dinner out of a drawer.”; “he still has the Confirmation money in the bank.” The closest I’ve ever been to Cavan is Sligo, so I can’t verify the truth of these, and lately I would sooner say that they apply more to my dear friends. These sayings that I have heard time and time again have transformed into reality for me through my friendships. Is this what growing up is about?

Having graduated before me, I was alarmed to find what tight-fisted civil servants, consultants, and solicitors my friends had become.

Have you ever been sent a PayPal request for a portion of tomato ketchup? I have. Apparently, money makes people frugal, and rather mean.

This is not entirely their fault.

The cost-of-living crisis is real.

So, I took a long hard look in the mirror and decided that things had to change. I must pay my ketchup debts, and start living within my means. Changes have been made, here is the matter as it stands: My Prêt à Manger subscription (or pyramid scheme) has been ended, teabags dry on the clotheshorse for later reuse, and full-fat milk, when mixed with water, actually becomes low-fat milk. Dry January can be a real money saver if you manage to win the battle of will with the “fun half ” of your brain: “We will absolutely refuse to partake of any alcoholic drinks this evening, will we not? Yes, we will not. Not under any circumstances.” This is the internal argument I have whenever I feel the urge to spend half my weekly income on three pints in town.

Then, I remembered that as of January 1 2024, the minimum wage had gone from €11.30 per hour up to €12.70 per hour. Workers of the world, throw off your chains! This is a good thing for a few reasons: a full-time student working, say, 20 hours a week, will be able to afford things like food and clothing (not rent, obviously, and if you’re a postgraduate researcher then it’s still €8 an hour, sorry); staff shortages in the service industries may be alleviated; the lowest paid workers in the country, and those

who spend the majority of their monthly income on rent, will see their quality of living marginally improve. A further positive is that Liveline will become a lot spicier as big business owners ring into Joe Duffy to complain about not being able to afford their skiing holiday this year.

Although, the negatives are still overwhelming. There has been no increase in the subminimum wage rate that applies to those under 20 years old, who receive between €8.89 and €11.43 per hour, scaled according to age. Meanwhile, every member of Ibec has had a collective heart palpitation and proclaimed the impending collapse of society into anarchy – we should expect to see all businesses go bankrupt on the first payday of next month…

Not everyone will find their budgetary difficulties fully eased by this extra €1.40 per hour. It is the end of January and financial demands pull in all directions. If you find yourself like Buridan’s donkey, paralysed between a pint and a chicken fillet roll, you might like to reflect on how financial woes have been dealt with throughout history - don’t worry, this donkey will not starve.

In 1729, Jonathan Swift anonymously published ‘A Modest Proposal’, in which he projected that the economic trouble being suffered by the impoverished Irish

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TRINITY NEWS | Tuesday 6 February

rsist, but so do I

IMAGE VIA PEXELS

Bad date with a book Jayna Rohslau on the literary red flags that should strike fear into the heart of every Trinity student

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ll that glitters is not gold. Unfortunately, keeping in mind that they are paying for our college tuition, most parents do not shower us with expensive gifts, but rather socks, and books. Not to say that I’m complaining about either – both are great choices to get stuck into this year. To say nothing of a collective desire among Trinity

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In 2024, we should judge potential friends and lovers based not on their Catholics might be alleviated by There are many ways to deal looks, but selling their children as food to with being broke in your twenties be eaten by the upper classes. His in 2024. If you want to romanticise on the looks essay caused a stir in the House being broke you can imagine that of Lords, where the aristocratic you’re a starving artist or a waifish of the books speakers took a break from tearing bohemian intellectual, stealing chunks out of each other to wonder food from your housemates they are whether the Irish satirist might because you’ve spent all your have a point. Swift’s essay created money on Elf Bars. If you have reading a backlash against British attitudes and economic policy regarding the Irish. It may have been a bit over the top, but such creative problemsolving is to be admired.

In the Ireland of the 1960s, Flann O’Brien, in his Irish Times column, suggested that the economic strain of the “emergency” might be helped if the whole country were to take to the bed for one week of every month. By staying in bed, no energy would be expended.

This would help to save resources such as fuel and food as, in his own words, it is work that makes you hungry, “…and walking around and swallying pints and chawin’ the rag at the street corner.”

In the early 2000s, Carrie Bradshaw of ‘Sex and the City’ offered her advice on being broke in your twenties that was truly a summary of her times, saying, “When I first moved to New York and I was totally broke, sometimes I would buy Vogue instead of dinner. I felt it fed me more.” I would suggest gnawing on a copy of Trinity News instead – it costs nothing and is easier to chew.

financial stress, you can practice mindfulness and empathy by putting yourself in the shoes of oppressed landlords. Eating less meat can also help save money, your dinners might not be as interesting, but holding the moral high ground is delicious. If you start to waver in your resolve, you can blue-tack a copy of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs to your wall (use mounting tape if you are still practising Landlord Empathy), to remind yourself that self-esteem and morality come after breathing, food, and shelter.

As a student, the cost of living is particularly difficult. The defining moment of our day may be when the price of a flat white hit €4.

The raising of the minimum wage will certainly help, but when especially cash-strapped, you might choose to nourish yourself with magazines in place of food, go to bed for a week, or publish an ironic essay about the upper classes eating children. Remember that our predecessors found ways and means, and so will we.

students to lose our hearts in a new romance.

What romantic gifts shall we find? As it is a truth universally acknowledged that we will not find the matching sock, it is unlikely to find what we are looking for in the wash. It is also true that the socks we wear seldom provide a definitive statement about who we are – a nice thought for anyone who has ever found their stylistic choices to regrettably clash in the light of the day.

Books, to be unwrapped with the other hand, are mightier than socks as a statement of personality.

Note that the following relate to heterosexual men because people of other genders can be trusted to have better taste in both categories.

No man has ever claimed a polka dot motif as their personal style hero. If he’s really into wearing socks with the Nike insignia I doubt many would think less of him. If he is really into the works of Bret Easton Ellis, however, then

we have a problem. The media we consume doesn’t always say anything other than what we like to waste our time doing.

Still, books are a more damning indictment because they require more sustained effort.

Finding a suitable partner does not require rocket science.

Obviously, the study of romance is far too complex for such a neurotic discipline. Questions like “Are we exclusive?” and “Do I actually want to be exclusive with you when you study BESS?” prevail in these foreboding times and seldom have a simple answer.

Modern relationships are highly complex entities that necessitate extensive textual analysis. Reading the room, English majors can tell you if you should leave that room with the excuse that you have to go return some videotapes. This education is priceless.

If he doesn’t possess any books, beware. It is likely that he has burnt them all in a fire. Whether you are a practitioner of witchcraft or not, try and stay conscious of the possibility that he may throw you to the flames as well. Dating a man who likes to burn women is outdated, so try and resist the natural temptation to run towards the flames. Remember you are a woman, not a moth. Or if he is really hot, then try to remain at a distance so as not to let love consume you in its entirety. Opt instead for a light roast.

If on the other hand a man has many books with feminist titles or ideologies, these may have come from his past victims.

Tread lightly with the man who knows Judith Butler, Simone de Beauvoir or other figures of the Second Wave who are quoted in vague and solicitous musings.

They remind you of your second year course list for a reason. There is a strong possibility they have been extracted from a post-coital torture session.

Beware of men who are really into Kafka. In their eyes, you are a gigantic insect. Being squished is not a pleasant experience even if they are careful to do it

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Beware of men who are really into Kafka. In their eyes, you are a gigantic insect

with a gentle touch. It is equally infuriating to know that after they squish you they will wander off with bright eyes, clutching a crumpled napkin and scouring the corridors of Trinity for other bugs in need of squashing. It is enough to make you feel like you are not a woman but a moth.

Along the same lines, if his books are historical, be conscious that this may also nurse a dark past. World War II invokes the memory of love bombing. The Roman Empire indicates that they may be strangely into stabbings, poisonings and betrayal. Take the appropriate countermeasures and armour your heart. Poison his spice bag before he spoils your college experience. Prepare for the possibility that this could end in something really sinister, like ghosting you or sending a one word response in answer to your 2am Notes app poem.

A man may be self conscious that the books he reads are male manipulator books and ironically refer to his previous insufferable self that he has presumably left dead in an interior alley and/or ditch somewhere. You can respect the hustle without following him into an alleyway. Offer obscure words of advice to tearful women who may emerge. Pat yourself on the back for not falling into a ditch.

If he possesses colouring books, then he is a student in BESS. Tell him that you don’t believe in money and watch his eyes roll back like spare change. It may take him a while to calculate the perfect mansplain as a counterargument.

In the meantime, you can colour with the crayons his mammy sent from home.

Never underestimate the importance of paratext. In a literary context this refers to overthinking about the novel’s cover or font choice. When it comes to overthinking people, pay close attention to what people choose to wear. Hawaiian and other brightly coloured shirts show a lack of respect for the Irish weather. Fake tans show a lack of respect for one’s sheets. More pretentious men typically have better taste in fashion, which is always nice should you be forced to resort to theft as a necessary climate safety measure. Still, do you really want to get with the kind of sadist who wears Docs through airport security?

In 2024, we should judge potential friends and lovers based not on their looks, but on the looks of the books they are reading.

Before diving into the covers, a simple look at their bookshelf will indicate whether they are a decent human, or even human.

If not, you should probably make up an excuse and return them to the Hamilton. Self respect may not sparkle. That said, the discovery is sometimes old, sometimes new and just as satisfying as finding the socks inexplicably lodged to the side of the dryer.

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Tuesday 6 February | TRINITY NEWS

Dry January: How it went, and what happens now IMAGE VIA UNSPLASH

Abby Cleaver discusses the concept of Dry January and her own personal experience of it

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he rules for a Dry January are simple: no alcohol for the entire month of January.

The first reported Dry January was in 2008, inspiring a campaign by UK charity, Alcohol Concern, in 2012. Since then, it has grown year on year to become an annual phenomena worldwide with more than ever giving up drinking for 31 days. For some, it has become an annual tradition.

Sober curiosity is a trend that has blown up over the last few years, with celebrities such as Tom Holland, Zac Effron, and Robert Downey Jr. publicly opting for an alcohol-free lifestyle, and openly speaking about how giving up or limiting their alcohol consumption has changed their lives for the better. The science looks good too. Research carried out by the Royal Free Hospital in London investigating the benefits of Dry January on moderate drinkers found that participants showed an improvement in concentration and sleep patterns. Additionally, a reduction in glucose levels, cholesterol, blood pressure was seen in participants, as well as weight loss shown overall. The health benefits seem clear, and are a huge deciding factor for people considering taking part in the trend.

Health benefits were not the only reason I opted to have a Dry January this year. As well as negative health effects of alcohol on the human body, alcohol is not cheap. As a college student the extra money in my pocket was as much a motivator as the potential health benefits. Additionally,I have had frustrations with alcohol for a long time. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a drink, and even after a successful Dry January it never was and has not become about giving up alcohol entirely.

What I had worried about was the amount that I was drinking in college. Going out for a drink after class once or twice a week, a night out, a pub quiz, even a glass of wine with dinner… it all adds up quite fast before you even notice.

A lot of college activities, nights out, social life overall, tends to be quite drink centric. It is very easy to agree to go for just the one, and end up drinking more than we had planned or originally wanted because we were having fun. I felt it was an important part of Dry January for me to actually know

for myself that I could go out, not drink, and still have fun. That nightlife socialising did not have to lean on any crutch. That I could decide not to drink on a night out, and stick to my guns regardless of how much everyone else was drinking and how much internal pressure it put me under.

And I was pleasantly surprised.

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Going out for a drink after class... a night out, a pub quiz, even a glass of wine with dinner... it all adds up quite fast before you even notice I went out, didn’t drink, and still had a great time. I went out for dinner with a friend, and while a drink would have been nice to sip on, I opted for a mocktail instead, realising that it was less the actual alcohol I was craving and more

the experience of sitting, relaxing, and sipping from a fancy glass.

The month had really caused me to reflect on how much I drank just for the sake of it. A glass of wine after work on a Sunday, just because it was free was a drink I never really felt in the mood for, but also never said no to because it was the thing to do. Keeping up with rounds when out with friends may be the thing to do, but shouldn’t be when I’m drinking faster than I’m comfortable with.

This month didn’t just instil a better relationship with alcohol and my body but showed me that it was okay to do that, even if others had different habits. One of the main benefits of Dry January, I found, was in the power of an excuse that everyone seemed to accept quicker than simply not feeling like it. Are you not having a drink? It was less that Dry January was a concept that people were familiar with and were okay with, but for myself it was like a shield against anyone thinking I was weird for not having a drink.

Doing Dry January felt like a socially acceptable reason to skip the alcohol. As the month went on, I realised just how silly this fear had been before. No one really cares if you are having a drink or not. Or if you are drinking less than everyone else. While I now think differently (or just less) about how other people perceive me based on what I drink or how much I drink, I did initially appreciate how Dry January felt like a good excuse to say. How in saying I was doing Dry January, I worried a lot less about people just thinking that I was

being dry.

I also got to try some new things that I would not have otherwise.

Board is a new, non-alcoholic venue where you can go with your friends, play some of the multitude of board games they have on offer, and enjoy a soft drink, a coffee, or a selection of alcohol free beers and mocktails. There are also a variety of tea rooms to visit in Dublin, a cool idea if you want to sit and hang out with friends without the pressure to drink in sight.

For example, The Tea Garden has over 40 teas to choose from, and is a cosy, unique experience to try out with your friends. It also just opened my mind to activities to do with friends that are not just going out for a drink. Playing pool at The Hideout, or going to one of the many cheap ticketed small venue gigs around Dublin are great options. There are so many night out ideas that do not have to include drinking to be a great time.

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The month really caused me to reflect on how much I drank, just for the sake of it

From the health and wellness benefits, to the healthier relationship I formed with my own drinking habits, I would absolutely encourage everyone to give their

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It should be normal year round for people to take a break from alcohol and reap the benefits version of Dry January a go.

Sober curiosity should not just be okay during the months of Dry January and Sober October, but it should be normal year round for people to take a break from alcohol and reap the benefits of alcohol omission or minimisation.

While I still see myself enjoying a drink when I want, my feelings on how much, when, and most importantly why, has certainly changed. And trust me, waking up after a night out without a hangover is the best reward for putting yourself out there and giving it a go.

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TRINITY NEWS | Tuesday 6 February

How to spend a semester at Saltburn Jayna Rohslau interprets wholesome holiday classic Saltburn as a guide to making the most of this semester

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he New Year’s resolution doesn’t have to be boring. We all know you won’t start working out or develop a new personality. I know I won’t.

That’s why in 2024 I have resolved to steal someone else’s personality instead. My resolution is to live my last semester at College like I’m in Saltburn.

Reactions from friends have ranged from concerned to horrified. “Does this mean you’re going to drink someone’s bathwater?” one asked. My official answer to that question is ‘no’. In truth, I was disheartened by this reaction to my personal search for an Irish equivalent to Jacob Elordi. That said, it’s not like I don’t understand where they’re coming from. They’re coming from student accommodation that does not include convenient access to a clawfoot tub.

Being overserious is far worse than drinking contaminated bathwater. Situations like a TA leaving an unkind comment on your essay or a friend going on a reading week trip with someone else invariably feel like you have been disinherited and stripped of your birthright. Even worse, the trait denotes passivity and a fear of inaction due to the failure. Saltburn is the wholesome antidote to such sentimentality. Accordingly, here are recommendations to ensure a deeply pleasurable term.

You shouldn’t refrain from selfexposure. This may surprise people, but with time they will come to appreciate your candour. Being real means shedding your layers and giving yourself permission to do whatever embarrassing act your inner self has been holding back from. Befriend the Perch man. Speak in chamber. In one of the film’s most moving scenes, Barry Keoghan mourns his friend in an unconventional ritual. The haters might say he’s really weird for that, but it is imperative to ignore the haters. We all know someone at Trinity with delusional self-confidence, and we hate them precisely because whipping out their strong personality oftentimes guarantees success. Sometimes you have to trust your intuition and follow the call of the wild.

Thrust yourself into the world like no one’s watching.

Be the person you aspire to become. College is all about reinventing yourself. Oliver Quick deserves our admiration for taking this message to heart. In a room full of people from South Dublin, talk about how you went to public school. In a room full of Americans, let them talk. If they discover your treachery, you’re better off without them anyway.

The bad news is that this may mean you will soon be alone on campus.

The good news is you will always be able to find a spot in the library.

You won’t have to pay for rounds at the pub and in lectures, you won’t have to awkwardly slip through a cacophony of overachievers when entering late. Victoriously, you can dance through the prime real estate of the Arts Building.

Don’t be afraid of trying new things. It is easy as a final year to become settled in your ways, but relax knowing there’s no way you can afford the accompanying white picket fence in this economy, let alone a large brass gate. Launch yourself headfirst into new endeavours with full awareness that this may make things messy. Dive into messiness this term. Join a society like Surf Soc, go to your 9am, start leaping off small cliffs into the cold Irish sea. Other people will derive joy from your willingness to get your feet wet. Know that trying new things means life could go horribly wrong. For instance, you could drown. Still, Barry Keoghan adapted and overcame numerous obstacles in the name of novelty even as people doubted his ability to swim in a hostile environment.

If at first you don’t succeed, go at it again. Believing in yourself means you will always be ready to sink your teeth into a new challenge whether it be a surfboard or your best friend’s sister.

It may come as news, but networking doesn’t have to be a burden. Don’t focus on impersonal goals when empathy is an underrated skill in today’s workplace. It centres around your inherent ability to connect with other people and bring out the best in them. As an empath, Oliver Quick understands that networking is not only beneficial for advancing your career but can help one achieve a real sense of personal fulfilment. He connects with Felix and his mother on a superficial level, but using compassion leads him to connect with Venetia and Farleigh on a more profound note. If you are confused how to properly emphasise, take notes. Don’t just send a request on LinkedIn, as it is difficult to communicate your meaningful desire in an online format. Instead, look someone in the eyes following workplacesanctioned karaoke. Eye contact is essential for showing you really want to form a professional working relationship. Unlike

Saltburn, plan ahead and make sure the other professional wants to network with you before you proposition them for a coffee meeting. It is an unconventional method, but we promise you will achieve enormous results. If the eyes are the windows to the soul, close the curtains. Aim to network with as many people as possible.

Along the same lines, try to relate to people through seeing them in different contexts. College unites people who come from very different backgrounds. At the heart of Saltburn is the answer that some people will never see eye to eye. But if you stop taking yourself too seriously, you will be able to see other people in a new light.

There is often more to a person than what is apparent at first glance. Look at them from outside.

Look at them inside. Look at them through windows and especially when they’re not watching. You may be surprised by what you see, but it is important to refrain

from averting your eyes when exposed to personal truth. The reality is everyone has layers. Keep your eye on the prize and focus on what you share with everyone: humanity. Soon you will be able to understand that there is a beautiful and hidden side to everyone, even engineers and weird kids who lie about their family backgrounds.

If you feel weird about watching someone for a prolonged period of time, be reassured by the fact that Barry Keoghan did the same thing. Know that if you follow this advice, you will find your rock in no time at all.

We all know that student travel is rewarding, but with your newfound sense of adventure, perhaps it makes sense to visit less popular destinations. Although you can romanticise your life into a movie, your life doesn’t have millions of dollars invested into it and nobody cares about your life, let alone whether your meticulously curated reading

week dump is from the Louvre or New Jersey. Go to Eastern Europe, Iceland, or, for international students, what might be the furthest leap, the North of Ireland.

Venture into uncharted territories with the knowledge that nobody is watching, and if they are, so much the better for the perfect networking opportunity.

College life can be challenging.

The saying ‘Trinners for winners’ belies a dark culture that promotes unrealistic standards for working hard and playing hard in a way that is simply not sustainable for the average student’s stamina.

Fortunately, Saltburn shows that there are many ways to relieve stress, such as being yourself.

When you take everything too seriously, your grades may increase, but your discomfort will also grow when you could be frolicking in your friend’s English countryside mansion instead. Take a cue from Saltburn and remember that nothing is that deep.

IMAGE VIA UNSPLASH

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Tuesday 6 February | TRINITY NEWS

Na leideanna rúnda chun airgead a shábháil mar mhac léinn Cabhraigh do sparán le bealaí éagsúla a chuireann Tara ní Bhroin ós ár gcómhair

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airgead a shábháil ná na suíomh idirlíne Adverts, Freecycle agus Facebook Marketplace. Is áiteanna iontacha iad na suíomhanna seo chun tairgí cosúil le troscán, oiriúntí, teicneolaíocht, aon rud i ndáiríre a fháil saor in aisce nó ar phraghas an-íseal. Cheannaigh mé mo chinecheamara do €10 ar Facebook Marketplace dhá bhliain ó shin agus tá sé fós ag obair gan fhadhb. Anuraidh, d’aimsigh mé duvet geimhridh ar Adverts saor in aisce agus bhí mé breá compordach dona míosa fuaire. Tá taisceadáin, bálgúna, seilfeanna, taephota, gach rud atá ag teastáil d’árasán mac léinn aimsithe ag mo chairde ar na suíomh agus mar thoradh, tá a lán airgead sábhailte againn. Mholfainn do gach duine súil a chaitheamh ar na suíomh seo sula dtéann tú isteach sna siopaí.

Tá tú ag sábháil airgid agus ag cabhrú leis an dtimpeallacht!

Má tá teach nó arasán ar cíos agat, is féidir leat an bille leictreachais a laghdú dá mbainfá úsáid as na háiseanna sa choláiste ar fad. Fan go dtí go bhfuil tú ar champas chun do ghléasanna leictreacha a luchtú, tapaigh an deis chun cith a thógáil san ionad spóirt, bain úsáid as na citeal is micreathonnta atá ar champas.

Feictear difríocht gach am a dtógtar na deiseanna beag, agus fásann an difríocht sin thar am.

Ag deireadh na seachtaine, nó fiú deireadh an lae, d’fhéadfá bia solofa a cheannach sna hollmhargadh ar phraghasanna

íslithe. Cuimsíonn é sin torthaí, glasraí, eogart, pasta úr, saléid agus a thuilleadh. Bíonn lascainí móra le feiceáil ar na hearraí sin ag deireadh an lae nó seachtaine agus is minic a bhíonn siad €1 nó níos lú. Agus ar an ábhar de bia, is rud atá ar eolas againn ar fad ach nach ndéanann mórán dúinn (mé féin san áireamh…) ach is caoi iontach é chun airgead a shábháil é ag ullmhú do lón. Feicimid ar fad an méid sin físeáin faoin meal prep ar líne ach is fíor é go sabháileann sé a lán airgead in

ionad bia a cheannach gach lá agus tú sa choláiste. Is saol daor é dúinn a bheith mar mhac léinn i mBáile Átha Cliath. Ní riamh cheap mé go mbeidh mé ag rá gur praghas ‘maith’ é €9 do toastie… Ach seo í an réadúlacht atá romhainn na laethanta seo. Caithfimid úsáid a bhaint as na cleasanna beag chun airgead a shabháil gach lá. Má tá aon leideanna eile agaibh, le bhur dtoil, roinn iad liom agus le mo sparán follaimh. Feicfidh mé sibh ar fad ar Adverts!

ART BY JESSIE HUANG FOR TRINITY NEWS

s minic a bhíonn ábhair airgid ar intinne na mic léinn agus muid inár gcónaí i gcathair le costas marachtála iomarcach agus na praghasanna ag ardú gan stad. Inniu, chuaigh mé chun bronntanas de seaclóid te a cheannach dom féín agus bhí orm €5.40 a íocadh… do sheaclóid te…. Mar sin, thosaigh mé ag macnamh ar na mbealachaí is fearr a féidir linn, mar mhic léinn, airgead a shabháil gach lá.

Cinnte, tá fios ag gach uile duine faoi na cleasanna coitianta chun ár leascainí mac léinn a úsáid agus muid ag siopadóireacht, agus go bhfuil an bia ar fad i KC Peaches ar leathphraghas san uair oscailte deireanach. Ach céard iad na féidireachtaí nach bhfuil mórán clú is cáil orthu a mbeidh mar buntáistí mór dúinn? Chuir mé ceist ar phobal na hollscoile, agus tharraing mé ó mo thaithí féin agus seo iad na freagraí a tháinig chugam.

Gan dabht, is é an caoi is fearr liom chun airgead a shabháil ná

úsáid a bhaint as na gruagairí faoi oiliúnt. Tá neart sciamhlainne i mBaile Átha Cliath a chuireann traenáil ar fáil do ghruagaireacht, agus bíonn mainicín do chleachtadh i gcónaí ag teastáil don traenáil seo. Agus seo dúinn an deis chun ár ngruaig a fháil déanta ar chostas íseal, saor in aisce fiú. Úsáidim áiteanna cosúil le Platinum ar Shráid D’Olier, nó SitStil ar An Bóthar Beag chun nigh, gearr, agus séidtroimiú a fháil saor in aisce. D’fhéadfá gealáin a fháil ar €50, nó dath a fháil níos saoire ! Nach iontach é sin? D’fhéadfaimis aire a thabhairt dúinn féin gan an cúntas bainc a bhriseadh.

Is mic léinn na Tríonóide muid agus ciallaíonn se sin go mbíonn leabhair á léamh (bhuel, deirimid go bhfuil sé á léamh) againn i gcónaí. Ach, faraor, tá ardcostas ar leabhair, agus chun an fhírinne a rá, níor cheannaigh mé leabhar dom féin ó a bhíos sa chéad bhliain. Faighim na leabhair ar fad ón leabharlann - ar champas nó na leabharlainne poiblí sa chathair. Tá cunúsach leathan ag Leabharlann na Tríonóide taobh amuigh d’ábhair oideachais. I mbliana, fuair mé “The Secret History”, “A Little Life”, “Swimming in the Dark”, “Conversation on Love” agus i bhfad níos mó saor in aisce ón leabharlann sa choláiste. Agus dearfacht eile a bhaineann le seo ná nach bhfuil mo sheomra ag éirí plódaithe le leabhair.

Slí eile a bhainim úsáid as chun

Chomhábhair i gcomhair d’fhichidí Eve nic an Phápa: An t-oideas atá de dhíth chun an tréimhse seo a mhaireachtáíl

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’fhéadfadh d’fichidí a bheith scanrúil, suaite, agus strusmhar. Ní rún é go mbaineann neart amanna deacra le tús an tsaoil mar dhuine fásta.

Ach, ag an am céanna, bíonn a lán draíocht, spraoi agus grá le feiceáil.

Chun bunús láidre a cruthú don thréimhse athraitheach, seo iad chomhábhair ba cheart go mbeadh ag gach duine le haghaidh d’fhichidí.

Ceamara scannán Mar tús láidir, ceamara scannán.

Cé chomh minic is a ghlacann tú pictiúr ar d’fhón? Is dócha gach uile lá. Má thagann tú ar cat ina suí ar leac na fuinneoige, an ghrian agus í ag dul faoi, nó suíomh idileach, céard a dhéanann tú? Ar ndóigh breathnaíonn tú orthu ach,

tar éis é sin, glacann tú pictiúr. Mo cheamara féin, thug mo mham é dom cúpla bliain ó shin. Ba léi é agus thug sí ceann díreach mar an gcéanna do mo dheirfúir. Ba le mo dhaid é. Fuair siad an cheamara céanna sna nóchaidí nuair a bhí cónaí orthu i Milwaukee. Ó Meiriceá go hÉirinn, ó glúin go ghlúin.

Sa lá atá inniu ann, mothaímid go léir an tarraingt chun níos mó ná leagan amháin don rud céanna a bheith againn- chur an lucht ar caipitleachas. Cén fá go gceannófaí ceamara eile nuair atá ceann ionsuite cheana féin ar do ghuthán?

Is áis speisialta é an ceamara scannán - níl ach seans amháin agat an radharc a thógáil agus níl deis agat é a fheicáil tar éis.

Is maith liom a bheith ag súil le na bpictiúirí- de gnáth bíonn an rolla scannán céanna istigh i mo cheamara ar feadh cúpla mí agus de bharr seo ní bhíonn clú dá laghad agam cén sort pictiúr atá ag teacht chugam. Chomh maith le seo, bíonn an deis agat nuair a fhaigheann tú an rolla réalta na pictiúirí a fháil priontáilte go fisiciúil. Is víb speisialta é an ceamara scannán. Is léir chun a

bheith cúl agus indie, níl na film insta dumps chun iad fhéin a chruthú. Cén fáth nach gcuirfeá brat gráinneach de Kodak Gold ar do phictiúr agus díreach mar sin, is tú an duine is cúla ar marthain.

Fáilte romhat.

Muga cuimhneacháin Más rud é gur thaithin an gné cumhach den ceamara scannán leat, bainfidh tú an-sult as an muga cuimhneacháin. Tagann tú abhaile agus tú tar éis lá iomlán a chaitheamh i léachtaí, i ranganna teagaisc nó sa leabharlann; tá tú tuirseach traochta agus ag lorg faoiseamh. Céard atá níos fearr ná cupán tae i do mhuga speisialta teolaí ag deireadh lá gruama?

Criogair. Sin cad a cheap mé.

Samhlaigh tú féin sínithe siar i do leaba agus cupán dírithe ar do chuid spéiseanna ar nós mise agus mé gafa le mo chupán yin agus yang (mar nóta, is as Urban Outfitters an cupán) atá do chaife amháin agus mo chupán cait atá do thae amháin… agus seacláid te nó dhó. In ionad súil… rithigí chun na cupáin is feiliúnacha a scioba agus leibhéal nua a chruthú de do chuid compordachas.

Teiripeair Má tá tú ag suí anseo ar nós,

‘cén fáth go mbeadh teiripeair uaim, níl aon rud cearr liom?’, sin mar a bhí mé cúpla mí ó shin.

Uaireanta, leis an gcoláiste agus le do shaol phearsanta, éiríonn tú an-chorraithe. Tarlaíonn sé do gach duine, agus cé chomh úsáideach is a bheadh sé más rud é go raibh duine ann chun cuidiú leat i rith na h-amanna sin? Tar éis cúpla seisiún, thosaigh mé ag mothú níos suaimhní agus mé suas na mballaí le mo chuid oibre.

Chomh maith le seo, thosaigh mé ag foghlaim níos mo faoi an chuí ina smaoiním, ina oibraím agus fiú an tslí ina marachtáilim. Tuigim go gcloiseann sé seo annnnn hippy dippy agus b’fhéidir go gceapfá nach bhfuil gá leis, ach molaim duit muna bhfuil fiú seisiún amháin teiripe déanta agat i do shaol, chun dul agus an taithí sin a fháil (agus má tá sé ar fáil duit saor in aisce anseo… caithfidh a mhór a dhéanamh de).

Muna gcaitheann tú muince, ná bac nó faigh ceann. Mo mhuince féin, is le mo mham an siogairlín agus is le mo shean mháthair an slabhra. An siogairlín ar ná an chrios ceilteach, ar ndóigh, an stairiúil. Chomh maith le seo, is chomhcheangal é idir mo thuistí

agus mo sheantuistí nach bhfuil fós linne. Coimeádann an muince iad gearr do mo chroí, gearr do mo thuistí agus gearr don gceiltis - Albain go deo.

Ag caoineadh ar do bhreithlá Níl aithne agam ar dhaoine ar bith nach bhfuil tar éis a bheith ag gol ar a mbreithlá, an bhfuil cúis le seo? Níor riamh caoinigh mé ar mo bhreithlá go dtí gur chas mé fiche.

Nílim ag rá go droch lá a bhíonn ann- táim i gcónaí sona sásta ar mo bhreithlá- ach fós tosnaím ag caoineadh ag pointe éigean. É seo ráite, nílim tar éis éirigh go maith le mo breithlaethanta i mo chuid fichidí. Ar mo 20ú bhreithlá, bhí mé spíceáilte. Ar mo 21ú bhreithlá, bhí mé díreach tar éis bogadh go ceantar an-bheag san Albain gan aithne ar dhuine ar bith seachas cara amháin a bhog ann liom. Agus ar mo 22ú bhreithlá, bhí mo shaol ar fud fad na háite. Mar sin, déanann sé ciall gur thosaigh na deora ag titim, ach tar éis labhairt le mo chairde, tá an rud ceannann céanna tar éis tharlú dóibh. Dá bhrí sin, creidim go láidir sa feiniméan go mbíonn na girseach ag caoineadh ar na bhreithlaethanta a thagann le na fichidí.

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TRINITY NEWS | Tuesday 6 February

100 years in Ronda Ciara Chan takes us on a historical and cultural journey through the Spanish town known as the “Eagle’s Nest”

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heap drinks. Coastal party towns. Crazy party islands.

The perfect destination for a lad’s holiday. Spain has a reputation and Ryanair will fly you right into its biggest party hubs. But what if you’re craving a chill Spanish holiday absolved of the fear of pickpockets lurking around every bustling city corner? Maybe you’re hoping for a holiday where you wake up feeling, not deathly hungover, but ready for a day of exploring. Maybe some of you can party all night and still rise for an 8am start, in which case you are of a different breed.

Regardless, Ronda, a town which rests atop a gorge two hours outside of Malaga by bus (only €10-20) provides the perfect escape from the city to a quiet town rich with history and adorned with stunning views. Known as “the Eagle’s Nest”, its high vantage point endowed it with strategic importance throughout Spanish history. Since Ronda is quite close to the Mediterranean, there is a surplus of seafood, and the drive from Malaga provides a beautifully scenic, albeit nerve wracking, tour of Spanish countryside through narrow mountainous roads.

History

One of the oldest towns in Spain, Ronda’s original name was Arunda. As an essential post during the Second Punic War, it prospered under Roman occupation. When the Moors invaded Spain in 711, Ronda served as the region’s capital; war was essential for the city’s peacetime development.

During the Moorish era, Muslim mosques replaced Roman and Visigoth buildings. When it was reconquered in 1485, the mosques were converted into churches; however, to this day, the Arab Baths Archeological site remains a top tourist attraction, an ode to the Moorish era. While it suffered under French occupation between the 15th and 17th centuries, its population today stands at 35,000 and its culture and historical sites perch proudly 750 metres above sea level.

Weather Considering its lofty position in the clouds, it’s no wonder that the wind takes centre stage most days.

That umbrella will be useless, but not to worry, its Mediterranean climate means dry summers and mild winters so despite the wind chill, temperatures are bearable all year round.

Puente Nuevo (New Bridge) While not a big city, Ronda still has beautiful sites to see and things to do. Its most distinctive feature is the Puente Nuevo. Standing at 98 metres tall, it is the largest of the bridges that connect two sides of the gorge over the Guadalevin River. Built in 1735 and rebuilt in 1759, Puente Nuevo is a sight to behold. From its towering viewpoint, the outline of the distant Spanish mountains create a glorious skyline which looks even more majestic as the sun lowers behind them at the end of the day creating orange and pinkish hues.

The setting sun’s golden light also

dances along Ronda’s own rocky cliff drops, creating the perfect photo opportunity.

Not out in time for sunset?

Not to worry. Once the sky goes dark, street lamps and lighting fixtures set the bridge aglow with a radiant and mysterious atmosphere. While the view from the bridge is incredible, the view of the bridge, as seen from the Paseo de Blas Infante provides just as enchanting of an experience. No matter what the time of the day, its towering vantage point provides breathtaking views of the beautiful surrounding countryside.

Casa del Rey Moro Located only a four-minute walk from the Puente Nuevo, the Casa del Rey Moro provides beautiful views of the new bridge, incredible hanging gardens and access to a mine that brings you down to the bottom of the gorge from which you can admire the heights of Ronda’s cliffs. With only a €10 entry fee, the gardens and mine are absolutely worth every penny.

The Moorish-style hanging gardens are reminiscent of a previous era in Ronda’s history in which mosques prevailed over churches. Situated in the old town, the gardens provide a clear view of the white buildings that adorn Ronda’s new town just across the gorge. In the distance, grape vines dot the countryside framed by darkened mountains.

If you’re willing, the gardens also provide access to a water mine fitted with 231 steps that take you down to the bottom of the gorge.

Built in the 14th century, the mine was originally used to supply the population with water in case of a siege. Climbing down through the side of the gorge, the mine spits you out at the side of the river that shaped the garage itself. Be sure

IMAGE VIA PEXELS

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Not out in time for sunset? Not to worry.

Once the sky goes dark, street lamps and lighting fixtures set the bridge aglow with a radiant and mysterious atmosphere

to carry a jacket, for even on the brightest of days, the bottom of the gorge falls into the shadow of the high cliffs that rise on either side, although after 231 steep and slippery steps, the cool air may come as a welcome presence.

Mirador La Hoya Del Tajo Up for a tame hike? Tajo is the ultimate lookout point. A one kilometre walk from the new bridge itself, Tajo allows you to view Puente Nuevo in all its IMAGE VIA PEXELS

glory. It is one thing to view the arches from the level height and proximity of Mirador de Ronda and the restaurants that line the top of the gorge, but to view its grandeur from afar elevates its magnificence. Its brick, dignified structure appears to cut through the cliff sides almost as if it itself is an extension of the landscape, proudly preserving and displaying the dignity and strength of the city.

Food Ronda is definitely a place to visit with a travel companion purely because paella is served for two. At first glance, the prices for the dish look exorbitantly expensive, but split between two people, the dish becomes much more affordable.

Coffee: the college version of the Big Mac Index. Ronda’s coffee is cheaper than its Irish counterpart with the average americano costing €1.90 and a cappuccino costing €2.40. The coffee shops on the Plaza de España, centrally situated next to Puente Nuevo, also offer gelato and breakfast options to pair with your coffee. While none of the coffee shops in the area have much indoor dining room, sitting out in the sun with a coffee and toast topped with iberian ham is a great way to experience Ronda’s chill yet vibrant atmosphere.

Ronda provides a very distinct experience compared to other Spanish cities. For the fast paced travellers, you may be able to experience Ronda, the abridged version, in just a day, but if you do decide to stay a couple nights there are absolutely things you can fill your time with. Between the unique scenery and rich culture, this fairyland in the clouds is well worth a visit.

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Tuesday 6 February | TRINITY NEWS

Finding yourself: A concise guide Emma Whitney guides us through an identity crisis and gives useful advice on adult identity

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have no idea who I am or how to even start this article. It has never been something that I thought about until I began to consider what I wanted to do after college, which triggered a wave of existentialism. I can’t truly say I know who I am or who I want to be. Now that I find myself firmly in my twenties, the question seemed a lot easier to answer when I was younger. Up until a certain point, we tend to largely be defined by school or perhaps the hobbies that we spend most of our time doing; but the hole left by a lack of external validation seems to have been filled by existential dread.

If you had asked me who I was five years ago, I would rattle off something along the lines of ‘My-name-is-Emma-and-I-amseventeen-years-old-and-I-goto-this-school’. But despite what some people would like to think, going to a particular college is not a personality trait; this seemingly simple question becomes much harder to answer when you get older, and rather the realities of looming adulthood begin to kick in. As someone who defined

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themselves by their academics, being dropped into a big pond as a little fish where I was no longer one of the strongest swimmers was a shock. Everyone in my degree is brilliant, curious, and intelligent.

If we were all smart and passionate about the same things, then how was I to now carve out my own individual identity?

The notion of loving and finding yourself is now a popular one on social media. There are thousands of videos, quotes and instructions on how to fall in love with yourself, and how to be the “Very Best Version of You”. There are some genuinely good pieces of advice floating around on the internet, yet plenty of it does seem to just be marketing attempting to encourage you to buy the latest skincare product, or perhaps that new ‘It Girl’ lipstick. In a sea of aesthetic day-in-the-life videos and pretty quotes in cursive, I have found a few tips to be particularly helpful.

a source of inspiration, but it can also reach a point where you begin to doom-scroll and compare yourself to the people and images that are portrayed online. You are real, but most of what you

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You are real, but most of what you see online is not. Taking some time out from the Go to Therapy ever-constant Everyone should go to therapy at least once. It can be uncomfortable presence that and scary, and takes a very long time to make progress, but it is so the internet worth it. Not just for the fact that we are in a mental health crisis as is in our lives a society, but being forced to talk about nothing but yourself, what can help us to makes you tick and what makes you sad, angry and confused, can remember this be very helpful for understanding yourself. As well as it being hugely beneficial for your mental health, you improve your communication and emotional skills, which are imperative for adulthood. You can learn so much about yourself and why you are the way you are.

The Little Book of Things You Like (About Yourself) Even though we must be careful not to fall into the trap of identifying solely with materialistic things and a carefully curated aesthetic, it can be helpful to write down a long list of things that you love and that bring you joy. A list of things that you like about yourself (i.e. your sense of humour, your hair colour) can help foster a sense of self-love, which is much needed to develop a sense of self. Personally, I have a range of things on my list that bring me joy from the charity shop wine glasses that I collect, to the compliments that I’ve been told which made me glow. No matter how big or small the things on your list may seem, it can be helpful to look back on it on the days that you’re not sure of anything about yourself.

see online is not. Taking some time out from the ever-constant presence that the internet is in our lives can help us to remember this.

Journalling Journalling is another thing that has seemed to explode in popularity in the last number of years. I have habitually journaled for most of my life, and it remains one of the best ways I have found to vent my frustrations and to bring myself clarity on a situation. It can be so helpful to look back and see how much you have grown, as well as recognise patterns within yourself which can teach you about your own personal emotional style.

Reframing queerbaiti Daisy Gambles explores the use of the term queerbaiting, and the damaging effect this can have if misapplied to celebrities rather than fictional characters

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ueerbaiting is a term that’s recently soared to prominence in discourse surrounding popular media and people in the public eye. The very definition of queerbaiting identifies it as a marketing technique that aims to attract LGBTQ+ audiences by hinting at queer relationships or characters, without alienating homophobic audiences or censors by not explicitly portraying those relationships. Though the concept of queerbaiting has become more common in public discourse

surrounding characters in popular culture, it is often forgotten that queerbaiting explicitly applies to fiction and entertainment. Misuse of the term occurs when it is applied to real people, often those in the public eye or entertainment industry, leading to speculation surrounding their sexuality and accusations of exploiting queer identities for financial gain.

One such figure that has been under fire for exploiting queer culture without clarifying his sexuality is Harry Styles. The British pop artist is known for his flamboyant style, often wearing looks similar to that of Prince, Billy King and David Bowie.

However, Styles has not publicly declared his sexual orientation, and fans were quick to theorise how genuine his connection is to the queer community. We can see this pattern cropping up time and time again. A more recent example of this is the young actor Kit Connor feeling pressured to come out; the Heartstopper actor was accused of queerbaiting because he was perceived to be straight whilst playing a bisexual character.

This misplaced outrage on individuals in the entertainment industry can potentially lead to feelings of isolation and anger towards the queer community, leading to further division rather than a supportive confluence of

Campus coffee kic Honey Morris dives into the coffee hours of Q-Soc and French Soc, thinking about what makes a good coffee hour, and how coffee makes everything better

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and go as they please. A committee member (or a few) will be there to host the event and answer questions if needed.

Since these are more low-key events, they are excellent ways to begin your involvement with a society. These social gatherings are a smaller, more laid-back way to meet new people, get to know other members of the society, and talk to some of the committee members. Coffee hours are also the prime event to bring a friend to; there is no expectation to be ‘“involved” in anything besides sharing a hot drink and perhaps a conversation with some other lovely people.

Q-soc answered some questions about their coffee hour – and French-soc about their “Café et Croissants” – to give insight to what newcomers can expect.

two hours and people can come

to do anything beyond being kind

This seemingly simple question Time becomes much Allowing time to cultivate your identity in your twenties is harder to probably the most important thing you can do. Adulthood is still very answer when new to most of us and with that eeting new people, going comes changing emotions as well to new places, and having you get older, as a huge change in day-to-day new experiences can be life with college and/or leaving overwhelming for anyone; but like and rather home. It is a confusing time for most things in life, coffee makes it the realities everyone and you might not feel better.

Mindfulness Q-Soc The internet is an all- like the same person you were in Honey: In your opinion, what Across campus, there are several of looming encompassing and overstimulating your teens. The process of finding coffee hours that are hosted by makes a good coffee hour? The abyss, something which can be your place in the world and within different societies. A coffee hour is coffee, the people, the place or adulthood helpful to take a break from. yourself is not an easy or instant a small event hosted by a society something else? for ten minutes to one. Taking the time you need (often on a weekly or monthly Q-Soc: People are what make begin to kick Unplugging simply sit with ourselves can help and being patient with yourself is basis) where members new and coffee hours the joy that they are. to restore a sense of inner calm and crucial as you navigate this new old are welcomed to attend. Being able to share a space with in to focus some time on ourselves. and sometimes daunting world.

Frequently, these will last one to people without paying or having The internet can certainly serve as

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TRINITY NEWS | Tuesday 6 February

ing: Why applying it to celebrities misses the mark societal ideals – people are perceived to be straight until they’re confirmed not to be. By assuming celebrities or individuals in the public eye are heterosexual unless they have explicitly come out, fans often jump to conclusions which serve as a base for their outrage. This outrage could also be an extension of the parasocial relationship fans often develop with their idols. Parasocial relationships are defined as onesided relationships between an individual who is extremely emotionally invested in another party who tends to be unaware of the other’s existence. Though it has been popular for fans to develop parasocial relationships

PHOTO VIA CREATIVE COMMONS

individuals.

We are now living in a world where, though there is extreme pushback against queer rights and identities, there has been a huge step forward in mainstream media recognizing the LGBTQ+ community and advocacy for positive and nuanced representation. We have seen characters in TV shows question their sexuality and gender identity, arriving at a variety of conclusions.

So why is it that we deny celebrities this same experimentation and exploration, and instead label them with an identity that may not even apply to their sexual orientation?

On one hand, it could be a symptom of heteronormative

cks and polite is something that makes coffee hours special. There’s a lot of value in knowing that there is always this place of community where you are welcome and wanted.

Honey: How would you describe the overall “vibe” of Q-soc coffee hours?

Q-Soc: Our coffee hours are very casual and relaxed. The tone in conversations generally stays light but naturally varies widely in subject. Since we are a society for a community as opposed to a specific interest, discussions can range anywhere from effective seagull CPR to how capstone projects are going.

Honey: If a new member was nervous about coming to one, what would you say to them?

Q-Soc: You really are welcome to come and join a coffee hour however you’d like. Whether that’s for five minutes, popping in midway through, or in complete silence, you are welcome and wanted in our coffee hours. They can be a great way to meet new people, break up the day a little, or even just for a free cup of tea or coffee on a cold day. Also, don’t be afraid to avail of our inclusion scheme! If you want

to go to any event or coffee hour with a guaranteed friendly face to go with, you can just email Lance, our Inclusions Officer, at qsocinclusions@csc.tcd.ie.

Honey: Do you think coffee hours help bring people closer within the society?

Q-Soc: Absolutely. I know myself and several others who are quite involved in the society started out by attending coffee hours. It’s quite an easy thing to become part of your schedule, as even if you can’t make the same day or time each and every week, you start to imagine it as a concrete part of the college landscape. Whenever you have a couple minutes to kill from one to three o’clock, there is always this guaranteed space where you can sit, kill time, and have a bit of chat. There’s a range of people showing up to each coffee hour but inevitably you do see the same people at other coffee hours or events and it becomes an easy way to fall into making friends. It also proves to be a pretty easy gateway into becoming more involved in the broader community beyond college, since you can really easily meet someone to go to other queer events with from Small Trans Library film screenings to protests.

French Soc Honey: In your opinion, what makes a good coffee hour? The coffee, the people, the place or something else?

French Soc: In my opinion the

with their favourite characters through physical manifestations of “headcanons” or fanfictions, it is dangerous to apply these standards to real people for several reasons. A character’s story will always have an ending that is open to interpretation – if an anime character dies, their fans will continue to write fiction about their survival. However, this cannot happen with a celebrity, as they are rooted in reality. Celebrities are also still people, and the commodification or objectification of them denies these individuals of their agency, ultimately resulting in them being a brand rather than a person.

The concept of a real person “queerbaiting” extends far beyond the desire for queer representation in celebrities and popular culture. By hounding and even harassing entertainers to state their sexuality in explicitly labelled terms, these “fans” are adopting a transactional approach for a one-sided relationship: I invest time, money and interest in you, and am therefore owed information about you. This is a harmful presumption, as it further objectifies people in the public sphere, and removes any privacy or security from their lives. This transformation of celebrities into spectacles rather than people results in a society where any

celebrity’s actions or relationships are open to the public.

people definitely make a good coffee hour. Because who doesn’t love spending quality time with others and chatting about life to unwind [and] take a break from everyday life? On another note, as a big coffee lover, I believe good quality coffee is also essential and contributes to this good chatting time. The place and the people can definitely make a good coffee hour.

The people to have a good chat, the place to lighten up the mood.

Nice people and a good setting can compensate for a bad coffee.

Honey: How would you describe the overall “vibe” of Q-soc coffee hours?

French Soc: I’d say it is very laidback, social and fun! We always meet nice people and have good chats. It really feels like the perfect setting for a break in between classes, not too serious and quite chill.

Honey: If a new member was nervous about coming to one, what would you say to them?

French Soc: I would tell them to come because it really helps to get to know everyone better and feel included and part of a nice team of people equally interested in French culture (and because of the free croissants, of course). Come to at least one and you’ll see it is a great weekly meeting, no need to speak French; no one expects anything from you. Just be there and enjoy, there are no reasons to be nervous as the people are totally welcoming and open.

Honey: Do you think coffee hours help bring people closer within the society?

French Soc: I definitely think coffee hours help bring people closer within the French society because it’s a moment where everyone gets to talk to each other

“

By hounding and even harassing entertainers to state their sexuality in explicitly labelled terms, these “fans” are adopting a transactional approach for a one-sided relationship This is not to say that celebrities cannot and do not exploit the

queer community for their own interests. However, this disingenuous support is referred to as pinkwashing, a strategy which promotes queer rights as supposed evidence of liberalism, and is a more accurate expression for the behaviours individuals apply the label queerbaiting to. By aligning themselves as allies or supportive members of the community and then acting otherwise, they are creating displays of false allyship which are far more harmful to the queer community than a celebrity who is reluctant to label their sexual orientation.

Ultimately, the term queerbaiting cannot be applied to celebrities: queerbaiting is simply a tactic used by the media to dehumanise and further force people in the public eye to be treated as objects of entertainment rather than people working in a public industry. This is a societal issue, rather than an individualistic problem, as it further perpetuates heteronormative standards and identifies being straight as the default, rather than another equal option. By extending compassion, privacy and understanding to the complex issue of identifying your sexual orientation, we can as a collective move towards a more inclusive and accepting society, leaving the queerbaiting to characters only in fiction. and we also often play games which helps create ties and connections with everyone!

With this insight, be sure to take a look through some society Instagram pages and pick a coffee hour that interests you!

IMAGE BY HONEY MORRIS FOR TRINITY NEWS

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Tuesday 6 February | TRINITY NEWS

I love Dublin, but Dublin doesn’t love me back Maïlé Monteiro reflects on how her perspectives of Dublin have changed over her time at Trinity

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have a very vivid memory of my arrival in Dublin. I had taken a late-night flight from Nice, France, and hopped straight into a taxi which took me through the city. I remember driving down a lifeless O’Connell Street, passing the Heineken building near O’Connell Bridge, seeing Trinity for the first time (an actual highlight), and watching the oncoming traffic slowly die down as we entered Rathmines. It was around 2 AM when I arrived at Trinity Hall on September 14 2020. The gate was closed. I rang the bell.

The security guard walked me to the flat I would be staying in for the next year, and I followed him mindlessly through the desolate Halls, struggling to lug my large yellow suitcase behind me. It was filled with sub-par winter clothing (woefully deficient for the conditions at hand), far too many

pairs of shoes, and instant noodles for when the homesickness hit (as it did, of course). COVID cases were peaking, leaving me plenty of time during those two horrifically slow weeks of quarantine to think long and hard about what my next few years in this new city would look like.

Starting a new life in an unknown city is a daunting task for anyone, and my first time living in Europe, nearly 13000km away from my home in Indonesia, added another layer of this unfamiliarity. In isolation, I anticipated my escape by watching (pre-lockdown) Trinity vlogs on YouTube and bookmarking some well-known kitschy Dublin blogs. From here, I developed various preconceptions about life in Dublin: lots of drinking (I am aware this is stereotypical), the wildest college nightlife, and the friendliest of people, among others. Most of these actually turned out to be true to varying extents. Of course, I imagined my Dublin life to be free of struggles.

I’d move out of Halls after First Year, find a sick flat to live in with 13 of my closest friends, we’d host a sesh to rival Chris’ house party in Skins, and this very real and totally affordable apartment would, of course, be located right across Trinity, because where else would I want to live? Note that I had freshly turned eighteen at the time. I want

PHOTO BY NEASA NIC CORCRÁIN FOR TRINITY NEWS

IMAGE VIA PEXELS

to blame COVID for this wishful thinking, but my naïveté really got the best of me Reflecting on my years in College, some of these expectations didn’t turn out to be so true.

Balancing my finances, academics, and social life in this city proved to be a lot harder than I initially thought. I had to abandon several much-anticipated nights out midway through to catch my last bus home, as I find myself increasingly wary of certain parts of the inner city after dark. I’ve lived in mouldridden flats and, contrary to my first-year expectations, student accommodation still has me in a pretty firm chokehold.

Dublin’s cost of living crisis is news to no one by now. Saddled with an economy primarily catered towards appeasing multinational corporations and landlords, and with a political caste that sticks up two fingers to workers, young people, public housing and infrastructure development, Dublin’s attempts at becoming a world-class city fall very, very, short. The inner city is ridden with promising yet painfully derelict properties and, wait, what? The last DART, the city’s only suburban railway network, passes the city centre before midnight? No way! Another vulture fund just snatched 85% of this brand-new housing estate? The city noticeably squeezes the life out of particularly vulnerable people: its rising homeless population, migrant workers, and many of its students as well. My Cities Skylines gamer days can often lead me to believe that most of the city’s shortcomings are very easily treatable issues, but then I remember the economic interest groups to which Dublin City Council sucks up.

With the announcement of exciting and ambitious projects such as the expansion of city- and nation-wide public transport or

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I’m left with a bittersweet feeling of the Dublin cityscape and, more and more often, I find myself thinking about how different my life would have been if I had picked somewhere else to go to college the pedestrianisation of vibrant central urban streets, there lies a glimmer of hope, but I have accepted that I will not be living in Dublin long enough to see a lot of

these projects to their completion.

“I love Dublin, but it doesn’t love me back” keeps ringing true.

This year, I’ve entered my final semester, feeling very lucky to be able to say so, because I know that for so many other students, it has not been the same. I’m left with a bittersweet feeling of the Dublin cityscape and, more and more often, I find myself thinking about how different my life would have been if I had picked somewhere else to go to college. My bank account would probably be in better standing, and I want to believe I would have found a home to stay in for the long term. However, without Dublin, I wouldn’t have met some of my closest friends, or my boyfriend, or received lifechanging career opportunities.

In spite of its flawed government, as some of my friends would say: “Dublin’s still a great place with a great bunch of lads.” It remains a city brimming with culture and rich experiences. Looking back on my 4 years in the city, I have had my fair share of memorable nights out (a few definitely rivalled Chris’s house party) and snug pub nights – enough memories to call Dublin my home.

I have long critiqued this city for its disappointing value-for-money but, nevertheless, this city feels young. I still love it for its walkable city centre and, above anything else, for the city foxes you meet at the end of a night out (if you’re lucky). I look back very fondly at the memories I’ve made in Dublin, clinging on to them despite the fact that my presence on the island may only be fleeting. Once I leave Trinity, I still have plans to stay in Dublin for the meantime – that is, if I manage to find a place to live next year… Any gaffs?

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TRINITY NEWS | Tuesday 6 February

Nostalgia: This year’s Senior Sophister companion Zaynab Zaher explores the complex college experience and nostalgia of this year’s senior sophister students

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ith the end of our time at Trinity approaching, many Senior Sophister students find ourselves struggling with varying emotions. From anxiety over the unknown, to excitement over new things to come, being conflicted is part of the package deal for graduating students. While balancing our Capstones, group projects, essays, extracurricular activities, and work (basically, all of our various stress-inducing responsibilities), we are likely to experience the full spectrum of human emotions.

In this process of tackling our never-ending to-do list, however, nostalgia proves to be our constant companion.

Although in the past SS students have undoubtedly been susceptible

to bouts of longing for a return to their first year as undergrads, this year’s batch is particularly vulnerable to such attacks. Here is the crutch of it: we did not get enough time. Unfortunately, because of the pandemic, we were deprived of our entire first year and basically a half of our time on campus. We still shudder when remembering the pre-recorded lectures, the WhatsApp group chats, the rare, socially-distanced meetings in which masks and hand sanitizers were a must, and, of course, the Zoom classes in which the equivalent of showing up to the Arts Building and seeing its trendy denizens was looking at people’s various creative backdrops.

Even living in university accommodation was an entirely different experience — a ghost town compared to the way it is now, with numerous restrictions due to COVID-19. Students living outside of Dublin were especially isolated, finding it more difficult to get to know their classmates; particularly with the scarce socially-distanced meetings also being hard to make it to, with everything going on.

International students had their own set of challenges as well. Not only did some move away from home during a pandemic, but they also had to find accommodation, which was already difficult due

to the housing crisis. Many struggled with homesickness

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Such reminiscing makes one feel robbed of their time at College... the time we spent being denied a classic university experience has led to this sense that our time at Trinity is unfinished while dealing with the isolation that the pandemic guaranteed,

trying to make friends with such limitations in place. Classes in the huge lecture halls of the Hamilton and the Arts Building were a shock to our systems; indeed, anything beats the muted, blank squares on Zoom or Microsoft Teams, even late-night cramming at Kinsella Hall.

While walking through campus, it’s easy to recall a time when it was empty, when we had to book appointments to go to one of its libraries, when we could only daydream about attending university on campus. It’s even funny to remember having to give campus tours as newly-minted S2S mentors and barely having any idea what to say to the new firstyears, since we were just as new to campus as them. Needless to say, there is a world of difference between College during the lockdown, in which any form of contact with the outside world was very much a luxury, and after it. Knowing what it feels like to go from staring at the same four walls and waiting to be permitted an authentic university experience makes us especially susceptible to stretches of sentimentality.

Such reminiscing makes one feel robbed of their time at College.

Unfortunately, the time we spent being denied a classic university experience has led to this sense that our time at Trinity is unfinished.

Naturally, there are various mechanisms fourth-year students pursue in order to try and gain closure. Some try to fill their time with social activities to make up for the lack of them in their first year — from society events to nights out with the gang, even a quick drink at Chaplin’s. Others spend every waking minute on campus while they still can. There are also SS students who decide to apply for a master’s at Trinity; anything to soak in the college experience we have left. Inevitably, walking around campus feels like drinking in every moment we missed, going back to a time when such an accessible experience was a luxury we were not yet afforded.

When recalling the way things were during the pandemic, the loneliness we faced then turns to an appreciation for what we now have, which, in turn, shifts into wistfulness for it, since we know it will soon be over. Having been on campus for two and a half years, and knowing that there’s only a semester to go, one cannot shed the suffocating nostalgia that creeps up sometimes. At the risk of being incredibly sappy, I’ll say this: we (or at least I) will miss it. Terribly.

Luckily, we’ve still got some time left, and we’ll gladly make it count, so long as our endless to-do lists allow it, that is.

The Ozempic epidemic: What is it and why is it popular? help reduce appetite, leading Thana Elshaafi to decreased food intake which to weight loss. By looks into the origin contributes slowing down stomach emptying, Ozempic can also create a sense of the popular of fullness, which helps to further weight loss. medication and the support Ozempic initially sparked controversy around 2021, as reason behind its its use became widespread Hollywood celebrities, surge in popularity among skyrocketing the demand for the

O

zempic has become a heated topic in recent years, both among healthcare professionals and the public. Also known as Semaglutide, it has been hailed as a miracle weight loss and diabetes medication by both doctors and the pharmaceutical industry. However, there are many concerns regarding the widespread prescription and use of Ozempic as an “easy” method of weight loss despite its original purpose as a diabetes medication.

So, is Ozempic really worth the attention it has received?

Ozempic belongs to the class of drugs known as glucagonlike peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists. It works by imitating the action of GLP-1, a hormone that is responsible for regulating blood sugar levels. Ozempic can

medication and resulting in an international shortage. Those who require Ozempic as part of their diabetes treatment were then

“

This fuelled rumours of the return of the “heroin chic” trend from the early 2000s to celebrity culture

unable to find it. This triggered a huge response across several social media platforms, with many critiquing the celebrities’ use of an essential medication to lose weight despite their already slim figures.

Many celebrities faced backlash from fans, with accusations that they were further promoting diet culture through extreme weight loss. Images began to circulate of celebrities at events, having lost an extreme amount of weight. This fuelled rumours of the return of the “heroin chic” trend from the early 2000s to celebrity culture.

Concerns around the misuse of Ozempic were extensively highlighted by doctors and dietitians online, especially considering many were not aware of the potential side effects or how the medication works.

While usually well-tolerated, Ozempic is not without side effects. Nausea, vomiting, and gastrointestinal issues are common symptoms. Some patients may find the side effects too difficult to deal with and are unable to continue on the medication. Some healthcare professionals argue that the potential side effects and the limited data on long term effects, warrant a more careful approach when prescribing Ozempic, particularly for patients with a history of gastrointestinal

issues. Some also experience a complete loss of appetite resulting in extremely rapid weight loss This rapid shedding of weight results in a loss of muscle that can bring more harm than good in the long term and is not advised by nutrition professionals. Therefore, more monitoring of those who have been prescribed Ozempic may be required to prevent such side effects and ensure some education is provided to patients on nutrition beforehand to avoid over-restriction.

Many fitness and wellness influencers have also been critical of the use of Ozempic as an easy way out from the difficult weight loss process, claiming there is less need for self control due to Ozempic’s appetite suppression effect. Rather, some influencers claim that lack of self discipline is the cause of obesity. This is a problematic viewpoint as weight loss is a challenging and complicated process, regardless of whether or not Ozempic is used. Moreover, these influencers often have not undergone any type of nutrition education and do not provide advice based on nutrition research. Considering the increasing rates of obesity and the struggles people face to lose weight, the use of Ozempic may be beneficial to help regulate appetite,

eventually leading to weight loss.

There is a growing divide among healthcare professionals about whether Ozempic is truly worthy of the publicity it has received for weight loss. Some doubt the true efficacy of the drug: some research studies have shown that once patients have lost weight and stopped the medication they end up regaining their weight. The true effectiveness of Ozempic is a highly debated topic, especially since the use of Ozempic has become so widespread and many individuals have shared their experience with using the medication.

Overall, Ozempic represents a significant advancement in the treatment of diabetes and obesity.

The wide range of benefits it provides, including blood sugar control and weight loss, make it valuable as an option for diabetes and weight loss treatments. As research continues on Ozempic’s long-term effects, it remains a promising development for weight management medications.

However, Ozempic is clearly far from a miracle weight loss drug.

Its use has become widespread due to social media but its potential side effects should not be ignored.

Those considering Ozempic or any other weight loss medication should consult their doctor for advice.

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Tuesday 6 February | TRINITY NEWS

The girls who dream: Students entering the film industry Ciana Meyers interviews Trinity student and filmmaker Lena Streitwieser on the realities of studying film at Trinity and female leadership within the industry

2023, Streitwieser is not only a member of Trinity’s academic scene but a luminary of women’s leadership and the adventure it promises.

The single honours film degree at Trinity allows students to explore film analysis and the practical side of making them.

Knowing that her passion lies in pursuing independent projects, she appreciates the college focus

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Streitwieser second year Trinity is not only film student in the Dual BA a member programme with Columbia University, of Trinity’s Lena Streitwieser is a name academic now circulating throughout international film festivals. Having scene but a lived in the cities of Chicago, Berlin and Washington D.C., luminary her background speaks to her immense cultural knowledge of women’s and sophistication. Speaking to Streitwieser, she describes her leadership artistic process as a way to reach

A

diverse audiences: “I want to reach people from all around the world, of all backgrounds, and have them experience emotions and reactions to my films that they never could have anticipated.” Having directed her film Pennies, a thirty-minute short, during the summer of

PHOTO VIA PEXELS

on the multifaceted reasons behind a cinematic choice: “assessing their legacies gives me a broader understanding of the significance of the medium, and provides a useful balance of practical versus analytical, when I then go and

make films during breaks.”

Streitwieser also reminds us to take college work into everyday reality, since the cloisters of academic thought can reimagine both evening cinematic experiences and daytime conversations. Films seen in cinemas that have cemented her path include Wonderstruck (2017), Rocketman (2019) and La La Land (2016). “I think film is one of the most versatile and influential art forms, and its potential is unlimited,” she expresses, “I hope to give people films that they may not realise they connect to or need until they see them.”

Her own story is multifaceted.

As an accomplished jazz singer and pianist who also sings in the University of Dublin Choral Society, Streitwieser shares that “making films allows me to directly contribute to the artistic fabric of the world, and carve out my own space for reflections and musings on life told through my own lens.

Every time I make a film, I feel like I’m really living, and everything else going on in my life before or after the filmmaking process is just preparation and inspiration for the next project. Learning that about myself made me certain that I not only wanted, but needed to pursue this professionally.”

Streitwieser speaks with a special authenticity. What is so inspiring is that she believes her career can be embedded in what she loves. It is encouraging to think that happiness and

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Every time I make a film, I feel like I’m really living fulfilment can come from following your emotional compass and the endeavours it takes you on. Streitwieser believes “life is tumultuous and surprising and beautiful, and trying to capture every facet of it through film is not only cathartic, but productive.”

Discussing her early film making experiences, Streitwieser shares: “My first narrative short film beyond iMovie, which I worked on from pre-production until reception, was titled Gravestones. It was a five-minute horror film based on a short story I wrote for English class in seventh grade, and premiered at the D.C. Student Film Fest in my native Washington D.C. From there, I was hooked, and have continued to make as many films as I can.”

In her film Pennies, it is clear that Streitwieser has truly celebrated the extent of her artistry.

Her musical calibre enabled her to write the film score, while her brother Max, whose artist name is Nicknames, has an original song It’s Alright that plays at the ending: “I find the marriage between sound and image fascinating, and love exploring the ways music buttresses a narrative, and communicates subtle details about characters’ thoughts or feelings.”

She involved other family members for acting purposes, but her mother Mary Beth Warner “wrote the script, and served as Executive Producer. She even started a production company, Pennies Pictures, LLC, to produce the film.”

Streitwieser explains her love for the film, citing the strength of the script: “The story follows a man named Ian, as he returns to his rural hometown following the death of his mother, in order to stand up to the bullies from his youth, who are conspiring to steal his inheritance … A worthwhile script, in my opinion, does just that — it condenses multiple ideas into a single line or sentence, which gives the reader a very clear and instinctual sense of who the characters are, what they want, and what the world they’re living in is like. It was a joy to be able to create the world of Pennies from script to screen, and see it come to life in that way.”

Streitwieser dedicated a lot of time to pre-production to promote efficient production time, a period which included rehearsing with actors and speaking with the cinematographer: “I found

that personally I work well with cinematographers, since it comes easier to me to describe what I’m thinking through visuals on a screen instead of description or dialogue on a page.”

Although this self-awareness would suggest complete confidence, Streitwieser speaks openly. She says that it was anxiety-inducing to not only shoot two of the most important scenes on the first day but that she “was unsure if more experienced actors, specifically males, were going to take me seriously.”

Only 18 at the time, Streitwieser reveals that she was aware that her youth may have resulted in uncertainty among both the cast and crew. She states: “Respect goes both ways, so I knew that in order to gain the respect of the actors and crew members, I had to show that I respected them as well … I remember one of our professional union actors asking me on the first day if he could chew gum in a scene, since he felt it was right for his character. I agreed, and at that moment realised that he must value my direction since he was asking me such a specific question about the minutiae of his character, so that was a reassuring moment … When I did give direction, I made sure to be kind, but firm, and confident.”

When asked to offer advice to peers and younger women, she observes that “I guess what I’ll say is that the worst thing you can do for yourself is not even try …

There are so many people around you who look up to you and believe in you, even if you think you’re all alone. Do it for yourself mostly, but also do it for them.

And do it to prove to your haters that you can!”

Commenting on the film world today, Streitwieser believes we need to be concentrated on realities. The human truths of loneliness and ageing are examples she offered: “I personally feel that the most powerful stories are those that portray an intimate microcosm of a larger theme or issue … I want to do the same for other dreamers and over-thinkers like myself through my own films, especially in portraying people in the process of growing up who feel like no one understands them or takes their problems seriously.

I want to show that someone is listening, even when it feels like no one’s there.”

In response to the aftermath of the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, Streitwieser voices her belief in making smaller-budget films that commit to depicting human experience far better than the underwhelming blockbusters.

Speaking boldly, Streitwieser drives us to reflect on what is truly genuine in this world, and reveals how it comes from within ourselves as the decision makers.

Here’s to the ones like Lena, who dreams truth into silver screen reality.

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TRINITY NEWS | Tuesday 6 February

Laid bare: The annual CancerSoc naked calendar PHOTO VIA CANCER SOCIETY

Louise Cullen sits down with Cancer Soc to learn the ins and outs of their annual naked calendar

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o people actually want to look at naked Trinity students?

Apparently, yes – if it’s for charity.

The annual Naked Calendar, organised by the Trinity Cancer Society, is now entering its fifteenth year of publication. If you’re not familiar with the concept, the calendar contains pictures of 12 student societies and sports clubs, all photographed posing in nothing but their birthday suits. This year, the calendar has been organised by Krista-Marie Ramkalawan, Social Secretary of Cancer Soc. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Ramkalawan to discuss the making of the calendar.

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Do people actually want to look at naked Trinity students?

Ramkalawan has been involved with Cancer Soc since she was in first year. Last year, she worked closely with the person overseeing the calendar, and was inspired to be in charge of it herself. As part of her role, Ramkalawan oversees the Naked Calendar subcommittee, which reaches out to different societies to gauge whether they would like to be photographed for the Naked Calendar. However, the Naked Calendar isn’t invite-only – absolutely anyone can get in touch with Cancer Soc if they would like to take part.

“We do get a lot of people who contact us,” says Ramkalawan.

“They’ve done it last year and they want to be in it again.” Repeat participants include Trinity Climbing, Trinity Hiking, VDP, and the men’s rugby team – the latter of whom usually poses in the gym.

How does the actual production of the calendar occur? Ramkalawan organises a photographer, and then the society or club is photographed in an area of their choosing – “a lot of societies or clubs might have an area that represents them.”

When photographing the Boat Club, for example, Ramkalawan

and the photographer went to Islandbridge, where the rowing teams practice and where they keep all their equipment. Other times, clubs may simply book a random room on campus.

Notably, Ramkalawan tells me, one brave society even posed in Front Square!

At the shoot itself, society members being photographed firstly pose in their clothes, “just to get an idea of where everyone should be.” Then, everyone strips and covers themselves with a prop, or a book. For some societies, however, things are a little more complicated.

“When Climbing does their shoot, there’s usually two or three people on the climbing wall, so what they might do is have a towel around themselves, and when it’s time to take the picture, everyone has to look away and then they throw the towel away.” But don’t worry – in general, people are never naked for too long.

“It’s not an easy thing to do,” Ramkalawan notes, “but I have noticed that the people who do it, the committees, they’re often really close friends, or even if they weren’t close friends, they are bonding over [the photoshoot for the calendar].”

It should be noted that

all photography sessions are chaperoned by a Cancer Soc committee member. This is done “just to make sure everyone feels safe and that they still want to do it.”

It is completely fine if an individual has second thoughts and no longer wants to be photographed. Furthermore, not every member of a committee is

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For those on the fence about getting involved, know that while you will be naked, the more intimate areas will still be covered

required to take part in the Naked Calendar photograph – there only needs to be a minimum number of people.

Ramkalawan prefers to have “at least four, just to make it even and make it look like the society’s really pumped to be in it.”

Not having viewed a Naked Calendar myself, I had to ask how much we get to...see. My initial assumption was that, akin to Barry Keoghan in Saltburn, we would be getting “the works”.

Instead, however, Ramkalawan informs me that the calendar “is very classy and tasteful”. Having now been afforded a sneak peek, I can confirm the veracity of this statement. The Juggling Society, for example, posed with artfully placed circus props. For those on the fence about getting involved, know that while you will be naked, the more intimate areas will still be covered!

The TCD Trust usually helps with funding the Naked Calendar; this year, they donated 500 euro, which goes directly towards the costs of printing. This tasteful calendar may be purchased in the Pav on the Friday of Rag Week (February 9). If you miss it though, Ramkalawan tells me that the week after, Cancer Soc will normally set up a stall in the Arts Block – “or

people can just message us on Instagram.” The calendar will cost between 10 and 12 euro, with a discount if you are in the calendar.

By buying the calendar, students will be helping to raise awareness of cancer and provide support to patients suffering from the disease.

“We’re affiliated with the Irish Cancer Society,” says Ramkalawan.

“Whatever we raise goes to them.”

The Irish Cancer Society provides information and care for cancer patients and their families in Ireland, and funds research to find better treatments for cancer.

With an estimated 120 people a day receiving a cancer diagnosis in

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Everyone is welcome!

Ireland, there couldn’t be a better reason to witness Trinity students getting naked.

For those clubs or societies interested in getting involved next year, reach out to Cancer Soc via email or Instagram. Everyone is welcome!

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Tuesday 6 February | TRINITY NEWS

Cuisine spotlight: Ukraine G J Cusworth discusses how land affects culture and culture affects cuisine in Ukraine

T

he political and national history of Ukraine is not one of stability.

What we know as present-day Ukraine was only defined on the 30 December 1922, after the SovietUkrainian War came to an end and Ukrainian Bolsheviks established the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (the UkSSR, rather than the USSR for all of you who hate misnomers!). Under the control of Russia, Ukraine only gained independence after the collapse of the Soviet Block in late 1991, thus becoming the Ukraine we know today.

Before this, the landmass of modern-day Ukraine was owned by various worldly powers: Imperial Russia, the Hapsburg Empire, the Ottoman Empire, the PolishLithuanian Commonwealth, the Mongol Empire, and even before that, the Greeks, and the Romans.

Ukraine has a history of instability, constant warring over its territory and global superpowers fighting for dominance. The coveted nature of the landmass comes for many reasons, one being its geographical sandwiching between historic “East” and “West”, with Istanbul as its southern counterpart.

Predominantly, however, Ukraine’s importance and value to all these empires and colonisers, came from its soil.

Two-thirds of Ukraine, a vast area as Ukraine is the secondlargest country in geographic Europe behind Russia, constitutes of “chernozems”: rare black soils,

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This element of Ukraine’s history is exemplified in another national dish of the country, varenyky. These simple boiled dough dumplings originated as a staple food for the tribes that roamed the region that is current-day Ukraine, being both portable and filling. Once again, the agrarian culture of Ukraine is paramount, as varenyky were created to make the most out of all ingredients, using a simple dough of flour, water, and salt, and filling the dumplings with whatever ingredients were available. As time went on, these roaming tribes spread varenyky across Eastern Europe and various regions, much like with borscht, began to add

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These roaming tribes spread varenyky across Eastern Europe shifting in power dynamics, holds a rich history of differing ethnic groups.

their own twists and flavours.

Varenyky fillings and flavours range; in Ukraine, they have been adopted as a symbol of hospitality, often being filled with potatoes and cheeses, once again reinforcing the arable culture. However, no matter what they are filled with, varenyky, like borscht, remains a staple of Ukrainian cuisine and exemplifies how the history and ecosystem of a country greatly influence both its culture and food.

Of course, the question must be asked of, arguably, Ukraine’s most renowned dish, the chicken Kyiv.

However, as it turns out, this dish which gets its name from Ukraine’s capital city is, in actuality, French.

Some argue that it came from Russian high-end chefs being sent to Paris to learn French cooking in the mid-19th century, some argue that it was French chefs in Russian courts that created it. Either way, this dish’s origins not being Ukrainian reinforces the idea of their arable and dairy-based cuisine and complements France’s far more poultry and meat-centric cuisine.

To finish, Ukraine’s history is one of instability, one of constant variation and an ever-changing people. The one stability of the country’s past is its agrarian culture, the people’s focus on the arable and dedication to the fertility of the land. Both these ideas are echoed in its cuisine, with a focus

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The ‘breadbasket of the world’ is unable to produce what so defines both the country’s culture and cuisine on vegetables and dairy products, making the most of ingredients, and ever-changing recipes from ever-changing people. However, the one thing that stands out the most regarding their cuisine is Ukraine’s powerful agricultural community; a community that now greatly suffered since the Russian invasion in 2022, causing significant damage to crop yields, potentially cutting them in half.

Thus, the “breadbasket of the world” is unable to produce what so defines both the country’s culture and cuisine.

PHOTO VIA PEXELS

Throughout the unstable history of Ukraine, the only true stability can be found in this agrarian culture

rich in carbonates and humus and, vitally, the most fertile land on earth. This, along with its temperate climate, makes Ukraine the superlative ecosystem for arable farming, thus why it earns its title as the “breadbasket of the world”.

Before the war that currently engulfs the country, Ukraine was the world’s fourth largest corn exporter and fifth biggest wheat seller, the number one sunflower and sunflower oil exporter and the fourth-largest potato producer.

Ukraine’s economy is pillared by its agricultural practice and culture, with 41% ($27.8bn) of its exports in 2021 being agricultural products. Indeed, throughout the unstable history of Ukraine, the only true stability can be found in this agrarian culture, a country and people rooted in land and nature, and this is very much echoed in Ukraine’s cuisine.

Determined by the land and agrarian culture the cuisine of Ukraine is not meat-centric, unlike many other European countries, and treats arable and dairy ingredients as pivotal. This is best exemplified in Ukraine’s national dish, red borscht. Originating as a simple cow-parsnip broth – the vegetable from which it gets its name (borshch meaning cowparsnip) – and popular amongst Ukrainian rural communities, borscht was created sometime in the Middle Ages. It then developed over time, with different herbs and vegetables being added to the traditional recipe by various tribal groups. The famous red borscht that is Ukraine’s national dish today came about by beetroot being added; various myths about Cossacks adding beets during sieges and raids for want of other vegetables sprung to life, but it most likely began in the late 17th or early 18th century. Borscht is made with a huge variety of vegetables and, sometimes, pork fat, but its primary ingredients and those that give it such a unique flavour are potatoes and beetroot. All borschts are different depending on family and area.

Thus, borscht epitomises Ukraine’s history of differing ethnic groups occupying one land. However, all share a common theme, that of utilising the land for sustenance, using every vegetable available, whether that be cabbage, onions, celeriac, carrots or mushrooms and often served with sour cream all types of borscht epitomise the agrarian culture of Ukraine, and its different variations the rich and unstable history of the country.

This instability in the history of the country influencing the culture and therefore cuisine is echoed throughout Ukrainian dishes.

Ukraine, due to its geographical location, was and is influenced by both Eastern and Western powers and, as it was occupied by tribal colonies constantly moving and

15

TRINITY NEWS | Tuesday 6 February

A bloody triumph: The team behind Carrie the Musical Siobhán Walsh sits down with the team behind TMT’s upcoming musical Carrie to discuss the cast, the crew and the artistic decisions made

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n a year where studios seem bizarrely eager to hide the musical parts of their movie-musicals (looking at you Mean Girls…) it’s great to see that love for musical theatre is still alive and well. I was delighted to sit down with some of the team behind TMT’s upcoming production of Carrie the Musical - director Makena Margolin, musical director, Erica O’Reilly, Musical Director and choreographer Grace Skowronski to talk about the show.

When Carrie the Musical originally debuted in 1988, it was, according to Margolin, “one of the most prolific, infamous Broadway flops.” Closing after just five performances, the show became a cult phenomenon, despite the fact that there existed no cast recording and no trace of the script.

Eventually, its cult grew until the original writers decided to create

This wasn’t the only decision that took a lot of deliberating.

O’Reilly, the show’s musical director, recounts the audition process to me. Auditions took place over two days in September. O’Reilly explains, “we did vocal auditions, we did dance auditions, and then we spent a very long time trying to whittle it down. It was extremely hard.” Margolin points out that this was only for the callbacks, which were held the next week.

That night, O’Reilly tells me, was when they had to make a final decision. “So we went to Burger King… and stayed there until 2 A.M. deciding… I've done three main TMT shows, and [I think] this year was the hardest show to decide the cast.” Margolin echoes the sentiment, explaining that with a cast of 37, a huge amount of talent had to be cut. Skowronski tells me “we get it because we've all been in a position of auditioning, and being on the other side.

It's like, you really sympathise with people… but you have to whittle it down.”

The work only increased after the cast was chosen. Margolin explains that the Carrie crew had an extra month to work with since they held auditions earlier

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The actors also play as much a part in the creation of the show as the production team. As Margolin puts it, “at the end of the day, we’re not on the stage. They are” than other TMT shows. They’ve been working on it since September, but one seminal time in the

production/rehearsal period is Boot Camp, “a four day, nine to five rehearsal.” Margolin explains, “We're a workshopping team. We will go back and redo something or rework it if we feel we can do better... We spent Boot Camp finishing the show, doing a run through. So we now have a good exoskeleton.” The actors also play as much a part in the creation of the show as the production team.

As Margolin puts it, “at the end of the day, we’re not on the stage.

They are.”

The team also has so much love for the original Carrie novel.

Margolin explains that if she ever had any questions when working on the dramaturgy, she would go back to the book, in her eyes the foundation of it all. As well as the original novel, there are two musical versions, multiple films, and even TV episodes. So what makes their adaptation special? For one thing, it’s not created by men. The team points out, nonjudgmentally, that when an adaptation is done, it is usually focussed on a central theme. For Carrie the Musical (the 2012 revival), that theme is anti-bullying. Some other adaptations have focussed on religion or violence. Margolin points out that

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Whether you see it once or twice (or more!), there is so much to enjoy in this production

So how did Carrie get chosen in the first place? the 2012 revival that TMT is working with.

So how did Carrie get chosen in the first place? The answer, in short, is Margolin herself. Margolin was chosen as director in July, with the production team being selected in September. Margolin says that she pitched Carrie to the Exec Committee “on basically a gut feeling because… I knew I wanted to do something kind of dark because [her last production] was so not. I didn't know [Carrie], but there was something about it.

I pitched it. Half the committee hated it. Half the committee loved it.” This contention only further convinced Margolin that it was the right choice. It took a while, but eventually the rest of the committee came onboard too - after nine hours of debating, the decision was ultimately unanimous.

the plot of the original novel is none of those things: “It's a story about a girl with a period. She has a mother that called her sinful.

She has peers that call her weird.

She’s being told when she gets her period that it's cursed, it’s horrific.

Being a woman is bad… We're not putting any feminist agenda on it. That's the fucking plot.” Stephen King’s website supports her description: “the story is largely about how women find their own channels of power and what men fear about women and women's sexuality.” At first, given the Irish context of this production, they considered a religious lens but once they realised this gap in the various adaptations, the decision was made. “This is now like, we have no choice. Not to say that nobody's done it right before, but we have an opportunity to tell the story the way it was meant to be told.” Their production uses the same libretto and score as the 2012 revival, but takes a different visual approach.

The show is also grounded through the actors. Every ensemble member has a name, taken from the book. As O’Reilly says, “everyone has a reason to be onstage.” With a cast of 37, theirs is the largest ensemble in Carrie’s history – the show usually has around 15 cast members. Somewhat ironically, this is also one of the smallest in TMT’s history.

The team I spoke to all agreed that alongside their exploration of

PHOTO BY SHANNY CORCORAN FOR TRINITY NEWS

the novel’s original theme, one of their adaptation’s biggest selling points is its ensemble. Margolin even recommends seeing it twice: “Watch it first, have the impact of it [as a whole], enjoy it. Second time, go watch our ensemble.”

Whether you see it once or twice (or more!), there is so much to enjoy in this production. So much passion and hard work has gone into the show and I for one cannot wait to watch it. Carrie the Musical is on stage in the O’Reilly Theatre from 14th-17th February (Valentine’s date, anyone?).

Tickets can be purchased online at trinitymusicaltheatre.ie as well as through QR code links which will be posted around campus.

16

Tuesday 31 January | TRINITY NEWS

Puzzles

CROSSWORD BY RANDAL HENLY FOR TRINITY NEWS

Across

1. The most south-westerly building on the TCD campus (8,5) 8. ... Baba and the Forty Thieves is one of the stories in One Thousand and One Nights (3) 9. i.e. in full (2,3) 10. Six-legged organisms (7) 12. Florida city or a character in Shakespeare’s As You Like It (7) 13. Theatre at the far end of Dame Street, or a town in Greece (7) 14. In short, the company that ran the Dublin to Belfast railway, before it became Irish Rail (3) 15. Epic poem by Homer (7) 17. Fluid container found on all school desks in the 19th century (7)

19. Symmetrical open curve formed by the intersection of a circular cone with a plane at a smaller angle (9) 22. Accounts or records books from Gelders (7) 24. The evening meal served each weekday in the TCD Dining Hall (7) 26. A spike, dowel or skewer (3) 27. The period of history that followed the Victorian era (8) 31. Gives ear to (7) 34 & 36. Arts awards conferred at graduation (2,7) 37. Summer game played in Botany Bay (6)

Down 1. One of the two societies housed in the GMB (13)

4. A group of three related novels, plays or films (7)

11. Shy, modest or bashful (3)

2. The TCD institute that is located in Westland Row; alternatively a Dublin theatre in Great Denmark Street (7)

5. Not the Phil (10)

16. Dickens’ skinflint in A Christmas Carol (7)

3. Frequently (5)

6. A popular place in Howth for perambulations (4,4) 7. An autumn daisy or a academic term in TCD (10)

18. Leinster House is in this Dublin street (7) 20. Machines for moving liquids and gases about (5) 21. Watering places in deserts (5) 23. Ribonucleic acid (3) 25. A measuring instrument (5) 28. In short, the Internet (3)

29. A ten-digit number assigned to and printed on every book on publication (1,1,1,1)

32. Frozen water (3)

30. The county town of 18 down (4)

35. Preposition expressing location (2)

33. It signifies a married woman’s maiden name (3)

Crossword solutions from Issue 5