Hockey clubs defeat UCD in Colours p20
Blood has no voice p13
Tuesday, February 20th, 2007
Major overhaul of the Buttery announced
News Ireland urged to take nuclear option p2
News Students’ Union election candidates interviewed p4
Societies Trinity law students at Model United Nations p8
Opinion Rationalising the Trinity experience p10
Opinion College’s neglect of disabled students p10
Sport Rugby seconds defeated by Bective p19
Sport Rowers win in Belfast p19
Niall Hughes The Buttery is to undergo a massive renovation project costing €1.5 million this summer in an effort to modernise its catering operations and provide services which are demanded by students. The project, devised by Director of Accommodation & Catering, Graham Daniels, comes in the wake of a long consultation period and two separate surveys, carried out to ascertain what students want from College Catering. The proposed revamp of the Buttery has been approved in principle by the Finance Committee and the Board of College, with the only details to iron out now being the fine-tuning of architectural plans. Mr Daniels explained to Trinity News that the results of the surveys identified three types of customer: those looking for a hot meal, those who wanted a quick grab and go lunch and those who want to get a coffee and snack and relax. The whole physical structure of the Buttery is to be remodelled to accommodate for these different types of customer. What was the Buttery Bar is to become the “Chill” area which will act as a coffee and juice bar with lounge style seating as well as tables and chairs so that at peak times it can accommodate the overspill for the inspiringly named “Eat” area, to be in the main part of the cafeteria where the bulk of the seating currently is. The aptly named “Eat” area will not only include the current hot food counter, but will also incorporate an independent deli & snack counter so that those only wanting a sandwich will not have to queue with the dinner crowd. The third zone is the “Gather” area, which is to be in the part of the cafeteria between the cashpoints and the pool table. The “Gather” will be for those wishing to linger in the Buttery and may possibly include WiFi access subject to costs. Several challenges face Mr Daniels
Trinity News Two
TRINITYNEWSTWO 6
r winnning lecturer Dr Anil
Joey Facer talks to Osca
Kokaram, p3
Anatomically Correct PSAPP talk to Brendan McGuirk about penning s the theme song to Grey’ Anatomy and about cats, p10
www.trinitynews.ie
in taking on this project, not least of all the time scale that he faces. Work is due to commence on the Buttery immediately after the Trinity Ball and set to be completed by mid-September. This seems ambitious, considering that a number of walls are being knocked down, plumbing needs to be adapted and all the fixtures need to be replaced. During the construction process all catering activity will take place in the Dining Hall, a move which may upset several of Trinity’s Old Boys. However, this will be not of as much concern to Trinity traditionalists as the plans to move Commons from the Dining Hall down into the new “Gather” area in a move aimed at improving the efficiency of the catering staff during the summer months. Such action is likely to provoke a bitter response from Scholars and Fellows alike. At present, there are no plans for compulsory redundancies; however, the option has been left open by Mr Daniels that, should current staff members not wish to operate under the new system, redundancy terms may be agreed. With the Buttery due to have a dedicated delicatessen, Mr Daniels foresees the closure of the Arts Block deli counter and the remodelling of the Arts Block catering unit along a similar line to the new “Java City” coffee dock in Westland Row. This may result in Arts Block students taking the walk outside of College to nearby Spar and Centra for their sandwiches, as they are just as close as the Buttery. The development of the Buttery into a multipurpose food emporium will mean an end to its ability to host events such as table quizzes and gigs but with the closure of the Buttery Bar earlier this year, the amount of activity in the Buttery has been negligible. Plans are still to be fully drawn up on the use of Luce Hall. Mr Daniels hopes that Luce Hall will become the de facto venue for student events on campus.
Following a decision by the Students’ Union Council, a referendum is to be held to lift the ban on the sale of CocaCola products in the Students’ Union shop. A boycott on the sale of Coca-Cola has been in place since a referendum
held in 2004, which was prompted by fears of mistreatment of workers and repression of trade unions in the company’s Colombia bottling plants. The policy also prevents the Students’ Union from accepting sponsorship from Coca-Cola, and was the justification for their opposition last year to the company’s funding of two full-time posts in the College. The referendum is scheduled to coincide with the Sabbatical elections at
ISSUE
almighty single, p4 or writes in praise of the
Ciaran Gayn
• Toytronica • Yet another
Oscar winner • Student drama review
Niall Hughes
College Attendant Kenneth Gregg watches for the end of Commencements outside the Exam Hall last Friday afternoon. Photo: Martin McKenna
Students’ Union resurrects Coke debate Aaron Mulvihill
Anti-Coke protesters in Dublin recently
First acts announced for Trinity Ball 2007
the end of February, and campaign teams for both sides begin canvassing on Monday. A spokesperson for Coca-Cola in Ireland welcomed the referendum, saying “It’s a matter of disappointment and concern for us that a group of politically motivated individuals originally succeeded in banning the sale of our products by running what was an irresponsible campaign built on hearsay and fabrication”. They maintain that “the allegations made against the Coca-Cola Company are completely false”. The “No” campaign, which is urging students to maintain the boycott, leapt into action as soon as the motion was passed, and already boasts “an active campaign team of 27, with a wider network of around 45 students” according to their spokesman Gavin Bushe, elected on Friday. Members from Labour Youth, OneWorld, Anarchists, SWSS and the Greens, among others, support them. Their campaign kicked off on Monday with posters and manifestos being distributed around
campus, as well as a website outlining their arguments. Ray Rogers, director of the international Killer Coke campaign, as well as other prominent anti-Coke personalities have been invited to speak on the issue. Coca-Cola was asked whether it plans to make an appearance on campus before the referendum, their spokesperson said, “The Company is not going to enter a debate on campus. We respect the rights of students to hold referenda – all the Coca-Cola Company asks is that students are provided with the facts and are not prejudiced by a small group of politically motivated individuals”. A “Yes” campaign, calling for the ban to be lifted, has emerged with the support of Student Union Deputy President Simon Hall. Simon criticised the “selective morals” of the “No” campaigners, saying “Even if links were proven to exist between Coca-Cola and the abuses – and they haven’t been – I don’t think CocaCola should be singled out when many companies have been involved in • Continued p3
The date of the 48th annual Trinity Ball has been confirmed for Friday 11 May and Trinity News can exclusively reveal some of the acts that have been confirmed to play Europe’s Largest Private Party. Brazilian collective Cansei De Ser Sexy and Dublin band Director have both been confirmed, while Erol Alkan and Justice have been lined up to DJ in the Dance Tent, which with a headliner still to be announced looks to be one of the strongest dance line ups ever at the Ball. The full line-up of the Ball, including the headline act, is set to be declared on Monday 2 April, when tickets go on sale. Drawing an annual crowd of 6000 partygoers, the Trinity Ball retains its reputation as Europe’s largest private party. Not only is the Trinity Ball a hugely exclusive and eagerly awaited event, it is also Dublin’s longest night out with performances starting at 10pm and not finishing until 5am. The first act to be announced is Cansei de Ser Sexy. Having recently sold out the Ambassador Theatre and been a huge hit on the NME Indie Rave Tour with The Klaxons, CSS are now ready to rock the ball on 11 May. Cansei de Ser Sexy, which is Portuguese for Tired of Being Sexy, also known as CSS, are a Brazilian band from São Paulo. Their main musical influence is electro-rock, and this is blended with other media such as design, cinematography and fashion, and then augmented with humorous lyrics in English and Portuguese. CSS were one of the most talked about acts of 2006. Having toured with Basement Jaxx in November, CSS will descend on Trinity to claim the title of Party Band of the Trinity Ball 2007. The Japanese-Brazilian lead singer of CSS, 22-year-old Lovefoxxx, looks set to be the coolest character to grace the Trinity Ball since Kate Moss in 2005. She is known for stage diving during the band’s concerts. In 2006, Lovefoxxx was voted #10 in NME’s annual Cool List. Her solo album is expected to be released in late 2007 and is being produced by Timbaland. Malahide boys Director have also been confirmed for May. Since winning the Battle of the Bands in Trinity 3 years ago and playing the Ball, Director have gone on to win the Meteor Music Award for “Best Newcomer” this year, along with top 10 singles, and an album denied the top spot in the Irish album charts only by The Killers. Having played a sold out Freshers’ Ball in October with a set which many claimed outperformed the headline act, Director’s return to Trinity will no doubt go down a storm on the night of the ball. Dance acts Erol Alkan and Justice are two of the biggest names on the dance scene at the moment. Their inclusion in the line up will no doubt be welcome by Trinity’s large dance fanbase. With headliners still to be announced, there is sure to be a great deal of speculation about who is to headline the 2007 Trinity Ball. The next issue of Trinity News will provide you with all the info of who is playing the ball, the cost of tickets, how to get tickets and everything else you need to know about the Ball.
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2 NEWS
Trinity Lecturer Wins Oscar Dr Anil Kokaram, who lectures in Trinity’s Electronic and Electrical Engineering Department, has won an Academy Award. The award was presented in Los Angeles last weekend at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science ceremony. He and his group were rewarded for their work on developing visual effects software. Hailing from Trinidad, Dr Kokaram acquired his undergraduate and postgraduate degrees from Cambridge University. His work mostly centres on image and video restoration. His group has developed algorithms which can track pixels as they move between frames. This has significantly eased what was previously a very difficult postproduction task. The group’s method of image processing was used recently in Casino Royale, XMen and The Da Vinci Code. (Joey Facer)
“SHAG” week suffers from a low profile Last week’s “SHAG” week had a low profile. A deserted stand in the Arts Block was home to a petition to reduce the current VAT luxury tax on condoms. The stand also handed out “SHAG” packs to students, containing two condoms, two sachets of lubricant and some information about “safe sex”. The week was launched at a badly publicised comedy night in the Players’ Theatre on Monday. “SHAG” packs were also available from the Hamilton and House Six. Posters were allegedly littering campus with information on “what’s going on”, however, Trinity News was unable to locate further events, despite pressing the Students’ Union Welfare Officer Denise Keogh for information. (Sheila McCarthy)
Mohammed cartoon gets Clare College in trouble Clare College, Cambridge, has come under serious fire for its issue “Clareification”. The editor, a second year student, was forced to go into hiding following the backlash against a religious satire issue retitled “Crucification” in honour of its distastefully chosen provocative cartoons and its editorial opinion pieces on the gospels and the Koran. The Cambridge Muslim community were particularly upset by the publication. Chairman of the Mosque Committee in Cambridge, Hicham Kwieder, commented that the material “deliberately insults the honour of the Blessed Prophet Mohammed”. Conversely, Clare College has expressed shock at the vehemence of the treatment of the person responsible for the publication, as it values free speech and liberal policies, citing the Dawkinsian “right to be rude” about religion. (Joey Facer)
Some corrections In our January 23rd issue, it was reported was Mrs Jean O’Hara’s MA was jure officii and that she mistakes were made in the compliation of the DU electoral register during her tenure. Mrs O’Hara’s degree was honoris causa and the mistakes were not made under her supervision. We are happy to clarify these points. In our last issue, the article “Mystery Trip Mayhem” on page two was incorrectly attributed to Deirdre Roberts. The correct author was Niall Hughes. The article “EU Comissioner fails to pull crowd while O’Leary packs them in” on page two was also attributed to Ms Roberts. The correct author was Niall Hughes. The page four article “Report on the Foundation Scholarship generates more questions than it answers” was attributed to Deirdre Lennon. The correct author was Joey Facer.
TRINITY NEWS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2007
Annual Trinity Arts Festival brings out students’ creativity Kasia Murphy Following its debut last year, the second Trinity Arts Festival returned this year with a bang. Echoing last year’s inaugural venture the week retained a similar format, jam-packed with a variety of activities, including the week long “Campus Canvas” in both the Hamilton and Arts Building. This brought to light the College’s creative spontaneity and wit, as did the jewellery making, clothes customising, pottery demonstrations and life drawing workshops which ran virtually all week. Alongside these “hands-on” pursuits were architectural tours that included Front Square, the Libraries and the undisputed public favourite, the tour of the Provost’s art collection and residence. The opening night reception, held in the Atrium, offered a wine and cheese reception, courtesy of the Food and Drink society, lively jazz music provided by the Jazz Society, and a photography exhibition. This included works by Trinity students and by a variety of other students from an assortment of colleges dotted around the country, including Griffith College, NUI Maynooth and NUI Galway. This was all accompanied by a visual display by Rachel Sullivan. The festival uncovered much of the College’s artistic and creative talent, exemplified by the unusual performance arts pieces “The Sleeping Room” and “Bluebricks Performance Art”. The Pinhole Photography “small-scale” exhibition was scheduled to be held on
Tuesday but due to the high levels of demand was divided into two separate lots. However, despite limited availability it attracted much interest. On Wednesday, to add a Valentine’s Day flavour, a host of singers performed live music on the chapel steps. In the same musical vein, the Orchestral Society performed once more on the Chapel steps on Thursday, and on Friday an AfroCaribbean Drumming Workshop was organised and was fully booked. Throughout the week, nights out were also organised. The night “I Want To Score” was held in the Sugar Club. in association with DU Filmmakers and presented a range of silent movies “with live scores”. This attracted a massive crowd, and the venue reached capacity. After a tense competition, Ruth Fararr’s short film “…..” won the prize of a ticket to the Jameson Film Festival this weekend. TAF at Backlash presented an opportunity to see “real students making real live art”, and provided insight into various mediums, styles and techniques of some of Trinity’s finest artists. The night was topped off with an assortment of multicoloured glow sticks and UV face painting. The Filthy Dukes arrived for a one-off gig on the 7th February at Pod and impressed the crowd with their revolutionary new-wave indie, fused with disco beats. 3D glasses for the light shows and numerous glowsticks gave it all the makings of a great night. Over the course of two years the Arts Festival has established itself as a permanent fixture on the College calendar.
Ultra-violet face painting at last week’s Trinity Arts Festival.
Demands by student Ben and Jerry teachers for funding ask students to Joey Facer Two thousand student teachers campaigned outside the Department of Education on 7th February. They were asking to be assigned a training allowance of €88 a week. Trainee teachers are very rarely paid for their work placements, and must finance travel costs incurred in the teaching environment, as well as personal living costs, without a special government grant. Colm Hamrogue, President of the USI, commented that this situation causes “terrible financial anxiety and pressure”, and Trinity College’s Higher Diploma handbook also warns that the yearlong course can be financially taxing for many students. On the 8th February, the Green Party
Education spokesperson Paul Gogarty TD, called on the government to inspect the additional costs with which trainee teachers are saddled whilst undertaking work placements. However, he commented that he would not support a weekly bursary for training teachers so close to an election, adding that when the other areas of education in need of financial overhaul are taken into consideration this might not necessarily be a pressing area for major assistance. Gogarty’s solution was that of “vouched receipts” to “recoup any reasonable expenditure”, however he added that this would “not cover travel expenses”. In Trinity College, and also University College Dublin, trainee teachers are required to gain practice in schools that can be up to fifteen miles away from the university.
Taking into consideration that some students also travel long distances to get to College, claiming for travel expenses may not seem unreasonable. One training teacher of Trinity College Dublin told Trinity News of the “incredible financial strain”, adding that she also has three children for whom she must provide a minder. In England, teachers training for the Post Graduate Certificate of Education are entitled to claim up to 100% of the £3,000 (c. €4,380) tuition fees, and all trainee teachers may receive a bursary of £6,000-£9,000 (€8,760 – €13,140) for their training year. This is followed by a further sum, in the thousands, as a “golden hello” should they complete their first year teaching in a state school. Ireland may want to invest in its teachers to keep the best in the country.
IAEA head advises audience on nuclear power options for Ireland Gearoid O’ Rourke Mohammed El Baradei, Director of the International Atomic Energy Agency and Nobel Peace prize winner, speaking in Trinity last week, urged the Irish people to have a “sober rational discussion on the energy mix”. El Baradei, a noted supporter of civilian nuclear schemes, was speaking to a meeting of the University Philosophical Society in the Graduates Memorial Building. El Baradei, speaking on Ireland’s energy options, was eager to remind listeners that “every energy has its own risks and costs”. He also stated with particular reference to the Celtic Tiger that “without energy there is no development”. While on his visit to Ireland he is scheduled to meet the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Noel Dempsy, in order to advise the Irish Government on the nuclear power option. When asked by a student what his advice to the government on this matter would be he replied, “We are going to see major increases in nuclear power around the world in the next few years and there is a growing demand for energy”. He seemed to suggest that a nuclear program could be a positive development for Ireland. El Baradei was heavily involved in inspections in pre-conflict Iraq and his insistence that Saddam Huessin was not in possession of weapons of mass destruc-
Mohammed El Baradei at the Phil last week. Photo: Nicholas Daly tion is seen as a deciding factor in his being granted the Nobel Peace Prize. Nevertheless, the student audience questioned him thoroughly about the Iraqi conflict. He was asked whether he felt he had failed the Iraqi people and how he would handle the situation if confronted with a similar one. He seemed visibly uncomfortable when answering. He was also questioned on the current
situation regarding Iran, and stated categorically that “[they] do not have the capability to make a bomb”. El Baradei also expressed his belief that the Middle East has never been in such a bad state and insisted that the western world needs to “create the conditions to have more Mother Theresas and fewer suicide bombers”.
switch off Deirdre Roberts “When it’s melted, it’s ruined” was the message from Ben & Jerry’s Icecream Climate Change College last week. They were handing out free icecream in Trinity on Wednesday 7th February during Green Week 2007. The 5th Annual TCD Green Week included Frisbee competitions in College Park, nature walks and pub quizzes but the biggest enticement on Wednesday afternoon was the promise of free Ben & Jerry’s in the Arts Block from 12pm onwards. The entrance hall was crowded as hundreds of students formed a queue on Wednesday afternoon. The lure of free ice-cream was such that some had even made the trek from the Hamilton side of campus. With each free scoop, every student was given an information leaflet about the Ben & Jerry’s Climate Change College. The initiative was started by Ben Cohen, Jerry Greenfield, WWF and Polar Explorer, Marc Cornelisson who believe that “Ice Caps, just like Ice Cream are best kept frozen.” It involves people between the ages of 18 and 35 in the U.K, Ireland, the Netherlands and Germany. Six representatives are chosen annually to be part of a project that involves a sixonth programme of online tutorials, a three day lecture and workshop course and a ten day Arctic Field Trip. Once the course is completed, each ambassador is responsible for recruiting a minimum of 500 people to become online campaigners for the WWF Power Switch Campaign (an operation that pushes governments to switch to Green energy). The programme was a great success, and by 3pm on Wednesday the ice-cream supply had been exhausted. All that remained in the Arts Building were some straggling students and empty ice-cream tubs. The current ambassador for Ireland is Lesley Butler who aims to “reduce the environmental impact of initially 30 small businesses in Ireland.” Other Climate Change College representatives include
Neil Jennings whose project, “Student Switch Off”, encourages halls of residences in universities to compete against each other for the biggest reduction in energy levels. A number of prizes are awarded to the winning hall. There has already been an 11% reduction in energy levels in halls of residences that have taken part in this scheme. Joe Borza is a former student of TCD whose PhD thesis on environmental issues around Trinity was quoted in Trinity News last week. He believes that the Ben & Jerry’s Climate Change College is ‘a great initiative’. As one of the runners up in last year’s selection process for the scheme, he found ‘the experience of meeting others our age participating in this area was great for brain storming ideas.’ He was involved in the first Green Week of TCD in 2003. This year, the 5th Annual TCD Green Week, lacked the student involvement it needed. Only five students attended meetings and organised events in the run up to it. Future Green Weeks, Borza believes, “must be organised by students, for students.” Suggestions include a car-free campus day, an “eat local and organic day” and a “turn it off” day. Any student or society who wants to partake in Green Week 2008 can attend CREC meetings or visit www.tcd.ie/greenpages for more information.
NEWS 3
TRINITY NEWS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2007
Six Nations Cup in Trinity College
Student view: In your wildest dreams, what would you make the Buttery? “I think it should be different, because, at the moment, it just sells the same as the Dining Hall and the Hamilton Café. A pizzeria would be exciting, though. Perhaps Italian style rather than American style. However, perhaps Chinese would be even more exciting.” Luke Maishman JF Natural Sciences
“Nothing. I like my sausage-bean-chip. Maintain the status quo. I feel the Buttery in its current form provides a valuable service to the college which I don’t think anything else could equal.” Matthew Carrigan JF Natural Sciences The RBS Six Nations Cup appeared in Trinity last week for a promotional run in the Arts Building. The cup has three handles, one for each of the three rugby “kingdoms”. The top of the cup has fifteen sides: one for each of the players on a team,
which makes it a pentakaidecagon. The cup holds 3.75 litres, enough to hold exactly five bottles of champagne, one for each of the teams that made up the competition before Italy was added. Theirs is a different knob for each of the teams. As last
year’s winners, the French knob is currently mounted on the lid: the other knobs are stored in a secret compartment in the plinth. Photo: Martin McKenna
Trinity builds a virtual Dublin Deirdre Lennon Researchers from the departments of Computer Science, Engineering and Neuroscience have been granted 2.5 million euro by the Science Foundation of Ireland to help them in their project to create a virtual Dublin. A project of this scale, which will encompass a two-mile radius of the city, has never been attempted. All functional elements of the city will be included in the computer-generated model, including 50,000 realistic individuals roaming around the streets. The ultimate goal of the project is to ensure that the user has total immersion into the city in a larger environment than ever before. The setting aims to be as believable as possible so that the user can completely interact with the details around them, including traffic lights, lamp-posts, and the unique qualities of each particular street. It has been proposed that Trinity will be at the centre of Project Metropolis, providing the visitor with a detailed virtual campus and its atmosphere. In addition, virtual Dublin will have a practical dimension, with the potential for it to be used for planning and construction projects, or for pedestrian and traffic control. Another item currently being developed by the team is a handheld device which will allow visitors to navigate their way around the city or obtain directions from the virtual model. Long-term effects of urbanisation will be examined through research and the completed project so that Dublin can follow the example of other European cities that have created a computer-generated model. The technology involved in this project will be highly advanced, with a focus on authenticity. The replication of the city will include traffic noise and the portrayal of lifelike individuals, which is crucial for the future of entertainment. The games sector is a flourishing industry and Metropolis is destined to become part of the catalogue of eminent programs. The games industry may benefit greatly if the technology used in this project becomes widely available for the enhancement of
“Mongolian Barbeque! It’s self-service. You can take vegetables, meat, spices and sauce yourself. You give it to the chef and watch him cook it on a big stove. They do eight or ten at a time, using these big sticks. Sarah-Louise Hassett JF Natural Sciences
Virtual citizens roam Trinity’s campus in the Project Metropolis programme computer-generated motion. The team involved is also working with Sony Computer Entertainment Europe’s Team Soho, Demonware, Creative, Havok and others. The Cell Broadband Engine from IBM and similar technology used for the Playstation 3 system is also vital to this study. Work in gathering the correct data has already begun in an effort to ensure that the surroundings are accurately modelled. Aerial photographs taken at a low altitude in a chartered helicopter are being used,
as are detailed city maps. Textures, geometry and angles of the city streets as seen from above must be taken into consideration. Use of 3D positional audio will be essential for the immersive effect, as will the recordings of the street and transport noises. This way, the researchers can create a precise model of Dublin, with all its unique features. This research promises to not only be entertaining, but valuable for further studies. Over four years, advances in animation, artificial intelligence, computer
graphics and other areas will enable this multidisciplinary project to make Project Metropolis into a fully functional tool. Through the project’s advanced graphics, Dublin will finally be represented in a computer-generated format. Urban simulation will be a key factor in exploring applications for real time visual techniques for city planning and the examination of large amounts of data that need to be considered.
Referendum campaigning starts • Continued from p1 scandals over the years. If we were to ban products from all these companies we’d only have Fairtrade coffee and pencils for sale in the Student Union shop”. A Coca-Cola spokesperson asked why the company has been singled out for a boycott campaign, responded, “Unfortunately, this is not a question the company can possibly answer. The question should be asked of those who are behind the campaign”. Virginia Walker, another member of
“I’d say a pizza would be is pretty close to wildest dreams material. The food in the Buttery at the moment isn't that bad but there are plenty other places I’d rather be. I don’t think I could get tired of pizza.” Cian Chartier SF Mathematics
the “Yes” campaign, personally does not drink Coke for “ethical reasons”, but says, “I don’t believe in imposing my ethical principles on others by means of a Students’ Union boycott. It would be a stronger protest still if Coca-Cola were available and students didn’t buy it”. The “Yes” campaign counts a number of class reps and Students’ Union representatives among its members, many of whom, like Virginia, insist, “The Students’ Union should not take a political stance in support of one side or the other.”
The Students’ Union has been criticised by members of the “No” campaign for failing to provide students with adequate information on why the boycott was in place. “The Students’ Union didn’t deliver on their mandate” according to the campaign spokesperson. The “Yes” campaign, for their part, has promised to “place information leaflets and posters in the shops highlighting those companies with a good ethical record and those with a bad ethical record” if they succeed in lifting the boycott, according to Simon Hall.
Why the Students’ Union has not done this in the three years the boycott has been in place is a question posed by the “No” campaign. According to Gavin Bushe, the “No” campaign spokesperson, the referendum should not be taking place. To have the third referendum in four years on the same issue, for what is claimed to be a “long-term policy” is a “disgrace”, he said. “The Students’ Union is projecting its own indecisiveness on the student body.”
“It’s a good question. Maybe some sort of deli like the ones in Ballsbridge where you can see them make the food fresh rather than more fast food. You’re pretty well covered here if you want fast food. Sure, every Spar and Centra sells fast food.” Ian Gourley SF Engineering
“In my wildest dreams? Pizza would be pretty good. But have you heard of an ice cream pizza? You get a base – a biscuit or ice cream cone – and you can choose from different toppings. I saw it in America. It’s great.” Barry Murphy SF Natural Sciences
4 STUDENTS’ UNION ELECTION CANDIDATES
2007
TRINITY NEWS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2007
Students’ Union Election Candidates
President
One year on: the promises kept and the promises broken
Andrew Byrne Tell us a bit about yourself I’m a 4th year student of History & Politics. After joining about fifteen clubs and societies over the years, I picked on a few to make the most of. The Hist, Players and the Greens were the main societies and I go swimming with the Swimming Club at least once a week. I’ve worked with the European Youth Parliament since I finished school. So all in all, I’ve had a pretty good go at College clubs and societies. Why are you running for President? I think now is a time of pretty dramatic change for College. The Buttery has shut down, courses are being cut, terms are changing – a lot of issues that are really concerning for students. As President, I would want to see the Union help out students in practical ways as well as fighting the big fights for them. Giving them concrete things that help them out while they’re in Trinity. Students need someone who isn’t going to be a pushover and will have the courage to voice their opinions in front of the Provost and on Board. What experience do you have? I’ve been a class rep in the past, but I have a good bit of experience from outside the Students’ Union. If we want to see some change in the Union, I think we need people who haven’t spent their entire time in College in Union politics. I’ve worked on the committees of a number of societies, and this year as Secretary of the Central Societies Committee. That has been really interesting, just helping out a whole range of societies opens up your eyes to how many events are on around campus. Why should people vote for you for this position? If we want the Union to do more and be more, if we want change, then we have to elect someone who isn’t going to pursue the same policies that have been pursued in previous years. I know how the Union works, but I still bring a new perspective to things as someone who has strong experience from other areas of College. I want to see concrete changes that help students. I want to see an end to the stu-
David Lorigan Tell us a little bit about yourself? I went to primary school in St Bridgid’s in Killester and secondary school in Belvedere where I played some rugby and did some drama. I am now a 1st year TSM student studying Classical Civilisation and Spanish. I joined most societies in Freshers’ Week. The adventure societies and Players appealed to me the most but I haven’t had time to use them unfortunately. I plan to get more involved in the Surf Club and rock climbing in the future and hopefully the TradSoc and Cumann Gaelach. I have an interest in music and play piano, guitar and bodhran. I am also learning the trumpet (I got one for Christmas). I enjoy surfing and camping. Every summer my friends and I try to go somewhere on the West Coast or in Donegal. Last summer we went to Biarritz for a cheaper Leaving Cert holiday. There was a minor incident which left some of us with bruises and the odd scar. I also enjoy being challenged. I can confirm that I am a rower. Rowing takes up a lot of time but I have managed to be in two plays since October; the Co-op, which was great fun, and the hit Irish play “Snag”. It goes on tour shortly. Why are you running for president? Initially I put my name forward for all five positions at the suggestion of a friend (I am quite impressionable sometimes and took little convincing). As I talked to people about it however, I learned that many students feet the current SU council is quite cliquey and there is a need for change. I was advised to withdraw my name from at least one of the positions or I may not be taken seriously. I decided to run solely for President, as I believe I am in a strong position to bring about the change that many feel is overdue. What experience do you have? I have experience in positions of leadership and organization. After going on a pilgrimage to Lourdes for the elderly with the Oblate Youth Service, I was made the
dent travel card charge - why can’t we use our regular ID cards for travel discounts? I want to see longer opening hours in the library, so Trinity students get the same level of services other College students get. I also want the Union to reach out to the affiliate colleges, to students in St. James and to make sure the Union is a cross-campus presence. How do you think David Quinn has performed in this role? David has done some good work, especially on areas like working with USI. But I would have a different focus, I would be
contact person between the OYS and the students from my year who had gone. I was a prefect in Belvedere. I am the manager of Killester Boys soccer team. What do you think is the most important role of the Students’ Union President? I think the most important role of the SU president is spending time with the students of the college and meeting as many as possible. How do you think current President David Quinn has performed in this role? I think David Quinn has performed poorly in this role. I only know him because I am running for president. I really see him around college outside House 6. He has been known to make appearances in City Bar on (most) Tuesdays along with the rest of the current officers. Where do you think the current Students’ Union has been successful and where has he failed? I think the current Students’ Union deals with issues that are trivial. The Coke referendum seems to me to be a waste of time. If I become President I will spend more face time with students. Why should people vote for you? The biggest issue facing the SU is modularisation. I want to keep it the way it is. People should vote for me because I am a new face with new ideas. The decisions I make as president would affect me for the next three years. Why do you think young people are perceived to be so apathetic about politics? Young people do not realise how much power they have. Neither do political parties realise how important the backing of the young generations is. It is politically an untapped resource. I think young people are apathetic to politics as they are largely ignored by politicians. Also, life in Ireland is quite comfortable currently. Many Irish youths receive a third level
more focused on making the Union a little more outward looking, and working more closely with sports clubs and societies. Over the years all Students’ Union Sabbatical officers have been criticised for spending too much time in the office, I’d like to change that. As former chair of Trinity Greens, how successful do you think the current Green Week is? I think Green Week has been improving each year, and there’s definitely some more changes I would like to see. For one, having Green Week, Eigse na Trionoide,
education. Employment prospects are good. People begin too assume that this will always be the case and are happy to let someone e l s e take t h e
future of the country in their h ands. In other words, when life for young people is easy, they don’t see any need for a change. What do you think your chances are? If I am offered the position of president I will accept it and I believe I will handle it well. In horse racing odds I would say 9 to 1.
and Rainbow Week all on at the same time, probably didn’t do anyone any favours, so I would look into changing that next year, and coordinating the campaign calendar more. Why do you think there is so much political apathy amongst young people? To be honest, you hear a lot about youth apathy, but I see lots of young people doing great work in organisations like Amnesty, SUAS, in youth politics and other organisations like EYP. I think when an issue young people feel passionate
about comes up, you really see interest growing. I don’t think we’re any more apathetic than previous generations. How does it feel to be officially the 7th most powerful student in Trinity? And what’s this about you hating the PD’s? I have to say I was a bit surprised, no one has told me what exactly my powers are, but I really want to use them now! I thought it was a good piece for TN to do, it got people talking and it was a bit of craic.
With the Students’ Union candidates’ manifestos having come out yesterday and hundreds of dubious promises being handed out as encentments to the electorate, just how have the current incumbents delivered on the pledges they made this time twelve months ago? In his manifesto Quinn’s main concern seems to have been removal of the €775 registeration fee, with over a quarter of the written manifesto dedicated to explaining his commitment to its abolition. However, Quinn has utterly failed in this regard, as once elected, this issue lost all prominence. He also vowed to ‘bridge the gaps between the Students’ Union and DU Central Athletic Club,’ and work on greater cooperation between clubs and the SU. However, this too seems to have gone down the drain, with DUCAC riled over the proposed compulsory gym membership fees for use of sports facilities. Rather than focus on these core issues of concern, Quinn has chosen instead to focus on side issues such as the flying of the Irish flag, and reinstituting the Coke referendum, which, although harmless in themselves, take the focus away from issues that really affect students. Quinn has managed to fulfill one promise, however, successfully tightening the belt of the Students’ Union through rationalisation of the staff of House Six, after a period of sustained financial loss. The job of Deputy President is looking likely to undergo some much needed change, with a referendum set to go ahead to make the role more geared towards public relations and communications. Currrent Deputy President Simon Hall has partly suceeded in one of his stated aims, in seeking to improve the quality of layout and design of the Record. However his other main objective, to create a “short film about the workings of the Students’ Union” was definitely not achieved. Rob Kearns has had a tough year as Education officer, with many changes taking place in College as regards to restructuring and modularisation. He has, with Quinn, been heavily involved in hashing out the details of these important issues and sits on commitees such as the Modualrisation and Academic Year Structure Working Group representing student interests. Kearns has also overseen a successful recruitment drive of class reps and student convenors, with an especially significant increase seen in the number of class reps, as promised in his manifesto. Denise Keogh, has unfortunately not lived up to many of her promises. While a “How To” guide to College life sounds like a good idea, unfortunately we were unable to find any evidence of her pledged publication. Posting a timetable of her meetings on her office door also went the same way, with Trinty News ironically unable to contact Keogh for comment. Barry Murphy must be feeling slightly tetchy at Citibar and Pod nights outperforming Ents nights, judging by the length of his response Trinity News’ questions. However, fufilling some of the commitments made in his manifesto, Murphy has increased corporate sponsorship for Ents events, with the Freshers’ Ball and the Welcome Back Bash good examples of the success of this policy. It also looks as if RAG week this year is set to enjoy a higher profile than previous administerations, with Childline Rocks on Wed, and BellX1 providing entertainment on the Thursday. (Caoimhe Hanley)
STUDENTS’ UNION ELECTION CANDIDATES 5
TRINITY NEWS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2007
John Tracey Tell me about yourself I’m 22 and I study Theoretical Physics (in 3rd Year). I went to Clonkeen College in Blackrock and graduated in 2003. I’ve been heavily involved with the students union holding various positions over the years. I was a committee member of the DU PhysSoc last year and regularly attend Phil events. I power kite in Dolymount Strand (when the weather is nice) and I also race nitro powered cars for Ireland in European and World Championships. Why are you running for president? I’ve been working with the Students’ Union for two years now and over this time, I’ve seen how the Union can be run well and how it can be run badly. I believe that, given the opportunity to lead the organization, I can instigate the changes and improvements required to build on the work started this year by the current SU Executive. Essentially, I think I could do a good job! What experience do you have? I am the current Chair of Student Council which gives me a seat on the Executive of the Union and on the Electoral Commission. SU Council is the main decision making body of the union as all motions brought by class reps are passed or rejected there. I also sit on the Union Development committee and the Campaigns committee. I have been technology and copy editor of the University Record for the past two years. Oh, I am also a former sales director of an Irish based sales company in Ireland, this has given me good experience in management and negotiation skills over the past five years. Finally, I captain the Irish team for racing nitro-powered cars. How do you think David Quinn has performed in this role? Dave has been given quite a hard time over the past year, some justified but mostly not. When it comes to putting in
obscene amounts of time fighting for student issues, he’s your man. Love him or hate him, he’s done more work as president than any of his predecessors that I’m aware of. What, in your opinion, is the biggest issue facing the SU in the coming year, and how do you propose to deal with it? The biggest change facing the college at the moment is modularisation. Rob (Education Officer) has done some great work in making sure the student voice is heard at committee level. It is of paramount importance that the SU officers next year continue this work. I would also look to campaign against the rising cost of registration based on the fact the the Students Union budget is being cut! I would deal with this firstly at a college committee level and then look towards different types of campaigning through media and protest. Why should people vote for you for this position? How do you feel your policies differ to those of fellow candidates, and how are they better? I think people should vote for whomever they feel will do the best job for all students. As the current chair of council, I have been immersed in the workings of the union all year which gives me a unique and focused view on what is affecting all students in their college lives. I feel my polices on modularisation, the new sports centre fees, USI and many more are based on a working experience and not an idealistic view of how things “could” work. Because of this, I feel my policies will be more effective in their running as I know the advantages and limitations of the internal workings of the Union. You ran in this election last year, and didn’t get in. Why do you think this was? And why do you think you’ll get a different result this year? Running last year was a last minute decision I made. I had been involved with the Union development committee and the campaigns committee for the year and
believed the Students’ Union was at a cross roads in where it was headed. However, deciding to run the day nominations close has the downfall of not having a campaign team lined up to get you elected! I came third in the elections with only a few people on my side. Now I have a stronger support base so I hope it will work out for me this time. Why do you think young people are (or are perceived to be) so apathetic towards politics, and how can this be changed? Why? Young people (especially students), in their daily lives, are probably more concerned with things that interest them. Politics is not, in general, interesting; albeit necessary. How to change this? If it is possible, I’d say involving them in the issues that affect them most is probably the best way to start off. This could be implemented at a very young age and so they would then grow up with the interest. If you look to France, you will see that their students are extremely active when it comes to the issues that affect them the most. I think that if the Irish government started changing things that affected every student in a way you’d usually see in France, the so called perceived apathy would disappear quite rapidly. Is there anything else you’d like to get across to potential supporters? The Union hasn’t been in better shape for a long time. The finances are sorted and a new restructuring plan has been set in motion. Essentially, who the next president will be is paramount to how the union will develop over the next five years. So I would only ask two things of you. The first is to vote. If people continue to abstain from voting, College will not take us seriously enough. The second is that whomever you wish to put in the top job, make sure he won’t mess it up. We have a unique opportunity to make the Trinity College Student Union the strongest in the country, and we should take this chance while we can!
Deputy President Neasa McGarrigle
Claire Tighe
Tell us a bit about yourself I’m in third year TSM studying Art History and Archaeology. Most of my time is taken up with my work in the Students’ Union. I think its essential to get involved in something because it makes College so much more fun.
Tell us a bit about yourself A tea-dependent cailín from Mayo. Final year TSM English & History. When I’m not drinking the day away (with tea) in the Scéim Cónaithe and trying to get a decent degree together, I’m over in House 6 in the enjoyable pandemonium of The Record office. Or I’m immersed in the huge bean-bags at Trinity FM, boxing, or involved in the activities of the Cumann Gaelach (i.e. availing of cheaper pints in the Conradh & partaking in the traditional sessions that unfold in this year’s gaeltacht at House 9.)
Why are you running for Deputy President? I’m running for Deputy President because I have worked my ass off for the Students’ Union for the past two years representing students on committees and trying to publicise what the Union does as a faculty convenor. I would love the chance to do that full time for a year. I am also running because I really love writing for the Record and would love to help it get back on the road to success.
Why are you running for Deputy President? I’ve been part of this College for four years and have come to learn a lot about how it operates. I feel the Students’ Union needs greater transparency. Since the Deputy President is in charge of publicity, he or she is largely responsible for this. I feel confident that I can improve the communications between the student body and the Union that represents it.
What experience do you have relevant to this role? I have lots of Union experience from being on the executive for the past two years among other committees, helping out with campaigns, working with class reps and being part of the recruitment drive this year. I feel this experience is essential because I know how to get things done and I have experience in publicising Students’ Union events. I am also the current Arts Editor for the Record. Being on the Record staff helps in that I know its current structures and therefore I know where it is failings are and how to go about turning it around. How do you feel about the proposed restructuring of the role of Deputy President? I am completely in favour of the proposed changes to the role of Deputy President. I am the only candidate who turned up to the Union development meeting in which the changes were discussed. The role of Deputy President needs to be seen as more than just the Editor of the Record, and these changes highlight the others aspects of the job. What do you think is the main role of the Deputy President, and how do you think this will change if the proposals are passed? The main job of the Deputy President is publicity and communications. Whether that is done through the Record, the website, posters or communicating with Class Reps. Any Deputy President who is concerned with more than just the Record should be doing all this anyway. The changes are being proposed to clarify the fact that the full job must be done regardless of where the current Deputy President’s priorities lie. How do you feel the Record is performing at the moment? At the moment the Record barely stays
What experience do you have relevant to this role? I’ve written with the Students’ Union paper for three years and am its current News Editor. I’m also Irish Officer with Trinity FM (next broadcast next week!), hosting regular shows as gaeilge. Communication skills are absolutely vital and I know I can bring them to the job. Knowing the ropes counts for everything. Experience in publications and communications is simply mandatory.
afloat and is obviously overshadowed by Trinity News. The fortunes of the Record cannot be changed overnight as candidates have been claiming for the past few years just to get elected. It needs a recruitment drive to attract in particular first and second years, who would hopefully stay with the Record over their time in College. I think it is still appropriate for the editor of the Record to be the Deputy President because it is a Union publication. How do you feel current Deputy President Simon Hall has performed? There have been too many Deputy Presidents who solely focus on the Record and run only to be the Editor of The Record. While Simon Hall is part of a team that have raised the profile of the Union in general, he has not been the main person involved in this, despite
If elected, how will your policies differ from those of the current incumbent? In short I will be dedicated to getting all aspects of the job done.
How do you feel about the proposed restructuring of the role of Deputy President? I think it’s a good idea to restructure the role so there’ll be a clearer understanding of what it is the Deputy President does. At the end of the day, labels are there to clarify, not confuse or exaggerate. Credit where it’s due, I think the title of Deputy President should be transferred over to the position of Education Officer who essentially deputises and carries more of the responsibility within the Union than the current title suggests.
Why should people vote for you, and how do your policies differ to those of the other candidates? I am way ahead of the other candidate running in regards to my experience and long list of solid ideas for next year. People should vote for me because I genuinely care about the Students’ Union and the work it does. If that makes me a hack so be it, but it’s better to vote for a hack who knows what they are doing, are interested in, and have experience in, all aspects of the job rather than just editing the Record. Plus I’m really nice!
How do you feel The Record is performing at the moment? I think The Record has done well this year, but I want it to do better. Working behind the scenes has shown me there is more to compiling a newspaper than meets the eye. You depend strongly on your writers. If there’s one thing I’d like to change as regards The Record, it’s the sense of teamwork. I think the editorship of The Record and the job of Deputy President are inextricable from each other. If any change needs to be made, it’s the renaming of the position to
being a communications and publicity officer.
Communications Officer, which would be a more honest description of the job. How do you feel current Deputy President Simon Hall has performed? I think Simon has done a really great job this year and reinvented The Record’s image. It’s certainly difficult to compete with TN, but he has set solid groundwork for the future and I think much will come of it. As regards the rest of his performance, he’s been an identifiable figure around campus in my opinion and has thus promoted relations between students and Union. If elected, how will your policies differ from those of the current incumbent? I want to see increased transparency in the Union both on the ground and through its publications. I want to get a wider range of Trinity’s students on board so they can
mould these publications as they see fit. Simon wanted to make The Record a humorous, more radical newspaper. I think he remained true to these aims. My own policies are quite different. There are a number of fresh changes I’d like to make, like introducing more languages, republishing articles of famous alumni, and organising journalism workshops. Why should people vote for you, and how do your policies differ to those of the other candidates? I don’t think it’s solely the responsibility of the Welfare Officer to be approachable and open. I can’t speak for the other candidates, but I would make it my duty to be always on the front line as an open point of contact for students. This above all is vital. Open communication is the essence of the role. For this, experience, and energy, I say vote Tighe for Deputy President.
6 STUDENTS’ UNION ELECTION CANDIDATES
TRINITY NEWS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2007
Education Officer Bartley Rock Why are you running? As education officer I am to offering a lot of simple practical solutions to make students life easier. I want to see a change machine in the Arts Building, bulk buying of books to give Trinity students discounts on the books, and preventing timetable clashed though proper implementation of the current system. These kinds of things will make an actual difference to make everyday student life easier. That’s what the Union should be about. What do you hope to achieve? I want to implement simple practical solutions to problems students face every day. I want to publish exam timetables earlier people can plan their summer better. If you put mid-term exam papers online students, particularly in BESS and sciences, have a better idea of what is facing them and they can be better prepared. That can make an awful lot of difference to helping people study.
Neil McGough Why are you running? I’m running because I think I can do the job. I’ve been involved in the Students Union since first year. The things I got involved with in first year were education issues, and I think I can do the job well What do you hope to achieve? I have a couple of plans in mind, one of the things is to do with restructuring, semesterisation and modularisation, the Union needs to make sure that everything is done to get the best the students. New things, small and large include extra group study space as currently hardly any schools or faculties have any group study space. Students shouldn’t suffer because the provisions aren’t there. Also, I would like to see uniformity in relation to Schol. Exemptions. Some subjects have individual exemptions, where others its all or nothing. Whether its individual or all, I think it should be standardised for a fair and even standing for everybody when they’re doing schols. What do you think of your predecessor? I’ve worked a lot with Rob this year, I’ve worked with Donal the year before and
I’ve worked a little with Dathai in first year. They generally all have been very good, hard working people and they’ve done a lot of good work. They’ve kept their eye on the ball.
and learning committee with the senior lecturer and heads of teaching. Because I’ve been involved a lot in the education side of things I do think it will stand to me.
Do you think you can win? I think I can win, and I don’t think I’d be running if I didn’t think I could win.
Restructuring is on the agenda, what role do you see yourself playing in getting the best deal for students? I think the Education Officer has a huge role in deciding the student representation within the new restructured model, which is very important and we will have to be very wary about how college acts to make sure we don’t disappear. Basically, so far the Union has got it right, we are taking a pro-active approach to it, so far we as students are better educated as to what is going on with restructuring in college than most of the staff in college. We are in a good position to make changes now. We need to be proactive and we need to keep people up to date on what is happening so that we can make the best decision.
The SU is regularly accused of being its own little hackdom, how do you plan to engage with all Trinity students? I see the point that the Students’ Union is considered a little cliquey internal mix, I think that is something that really needs to change as it provides the completely wrong message to students. Its not council’s union, its everybody’s union. This last couple of years we are seeing the SU sabbatical officers making much more of an effort to get out there and by known. One of the most important jobs of education work is casework and if a student doesn’t know who you are how can you expect then to come to you? Do you have any union experience? I’ve been a class rep for the past 3yrs and I’ve sat on the education committee for the last 2 years, and this year I am school convenor for computer science and statistics school. I sit on the undergrad teaching
Irish Flag: yes or no? Yes Maintain the coke boycott? Depends what the students want. Who is the Minister for Education? Mary Hanafin
What do you think of your predecessor? I’ve had a couple of good chats with Rob, he’s a pretty cool guy. He’s done a lot of good work that has made a difference like restructuring and opening up extra study space. Donal was a very very hard worker, and Daithai, will go down as the single greatest Education Officer Trinity has ever had. Do you think you can win? Yes! The SU is regularly accused of being its own little hackdom, how do you plan to engage with all Trinity students? I take nothing for granted and you have to go out and meet as many people as possible the whole point of the Students’ Union is actually making a difference in the everyday lives of the students. As Education Officer my job would be to make academics and studying as easy and as simple for students in the College. The Education Officer needs to do things that make a difference in the lives of students, and a key role is academic case work. That is what it’s about. By doing everything and anything possible, to engage with students to find out what they want to change in College, to fix it and to provide solutions. Do you think your lack of Union experience will have a detrimental effect on your campaign? I do have a lot of practical experience in working with other societies, and I have worked very closely with a Trade Union,
I know how things work and I know how to get things done. Competency should not be decided on which subcommittee I sat on, competency should be decided on my manifesto and I am offering simple practical solutions to the problems students face. Restructuring is on the agenda for the next while at least, what role do you see yourself playing in getting the best deal for students? The whole process of semesterisation and modularisation is part of the Bologna process brought in though Europe, and by 2010 they want to create a European Higher Education Area so that degrees are
equally transferable at a set standard throughout Europe. That’s a good thing. But, as Education Officer, I will work for a solution that is acceptable to College and the students to get the best deal possible for everyone. Irish Flag: yes or no? Yes, if people want it. Maintain the coke boycott? I have no opinion on it. Who is the Minister for Education? Mary Hanafin
Welfare Officer Una Falkner
The Students’ Union is regularly accused of being its own little hackdom, how do you plan to engage with all Trinity students? The Students’ Union probably is a little bit of a hackdom, but I think its because they all have to work together and they see each other all the time. I am involved in other societies, and I have my lectures on D'Olier St and half my year is spend on placements in St James's and around the city so I’m out in the real world a lot. The best way to engage Trinity students is to get outside House, talk to the students in St James and Tallaght, and engage with the students in the classrooms.
Why are you running? I want to be a Welfare Officer who can offer something different to the students, for the position to be one where the students cannot only relate to you but who will also believe that you will fight a good fight on their behalf. I've seen what College is like on both sides of the fence; both the positive and negative aspects. What do you hope to achieve? A big thing would be to majorly increase the profile of Mental Health Awareness Week. With 20-25% of people in Ireland experience mental health problems some time in their life, it is such a huge issue to emphasise. One thing that is really important to make students aware of is the one in thirteen people in college suffer from a form of depression. To have those issues highlighted, and to create the awareness we can give students the tools to help their friends, possibly to give them that push to seek help. Basically use our resources that are already there for the benefit of the students. What do you think of your predecessor? I think she’s done the best job she can because its is a tough job. I have no preconceptions going into this job, I know its tough, I know at times I’ll be under pressure, but I am aware of the positive aspects of the job. If you can help one person stay in College, then you know you’ve done a good job. Do you think you can win? Yeah, I’m quietly confident The Students’ Union is regularly accused of being its own little hackdom, how do you plan to engage with all Trinity students? Well I would certainly never describe myself as a hack, because my Union experience has been at council. I’ve been more involved with Vincent de Paul, Trinity News, as well as helping out with Health in Sports Week last year. I think
Do you have any union experience? I am Health-Science Convenor this year and I have been a class rep for the past three years. I am also on the current Union Welfare Committee. I think it will help me, as I understand how the Union works, and I have an idea about how to get things done efficiently. I hope it will stand to me.
that there has been a huge effort by the current Student Union to be more inclusive and to be a representative body. I think that the Welfare officer can encourage people to become involved in the Union through things like the Peer Support Network, Do you have any Union experience? I’ve been a class rep for the past two years as well as being school convenor, and I do think it will stand to me when I approach all the different College committees. Restructuring is on the agenda what role do you see yourself playing in getting the best deal for students? Restructuring has been a slight embarrassment to the University because they
did it two years ago and now they’re doing it all over again. But this restructuring I think is going to be the best thing for the University because there are so many departments out there that are struggling to make ends meet, and if those courses continue with the current administrative structure then we could lose those courses very quickly. Irish Flag: yes or no? Yes Maintain the coke boycott? I still have to be convinced by either side. Who is the Minister for Education? Mary Hanafin
Ray Healy Why are you running? I think I’d be very good at the job, I have the experience behind me to make a difference in the college. I was chairman on Nursing Soc and, treasurer of LGBT and Nursing Soc. I am also welfare gender consultation on the welfare committee. Being a student nurse gives me a vast amount of experience in dealing with welfare issues. What do you hope to achieve? I want to promote general health awareness around campus, get more campaigns running to increase general health promotion. This includes physical health, gener-
al health and healthy eating. I also would like to see a healthier approach to dealing with mental health. I want to focus on dealing with stress before it becomes unbearable, and to stop it in its tracks before it becomes too much. I have worked closely with the Health Promotion Officer in college to work out a few ideas on how to help promote a healthier campus. What do you think of your predecessor? Denise is brilliant; I get on really well with Denise. I worked very closely with her on the Welfare Committee, particularly during Mental Health Week, Rainbow Week and SHAG week. She’s done a very good job this year.
Restructuring is on the agenda, what role do you see yourself playing in getting the best deal for students? As Health-Science convenor I am aware of the changes proposed to the HealthScience courses. I also sit on University Council I'm aware of the changes brought by restructuring across the campus but acutely so in health sciences. However as Welfare goes I will make sure that standards are being well kept and maintained for all faculties. My role as Welfare Officer would be to minimise the confusion and stress of the student body. It will be primarily the remit of the Education Officer, but I will have to be well briefed to provide correct information. Irish Flag: yes or no? Yes Maintain the coke boycott? Yes Who is the Minister for Education? Mary Hanifin
STUDENTS’ UNION ELECTION CANDIDATES 7
TRINITY NEWS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2007
Daire McNab
What do you think of your predecessor? She has a nice rack, and good breasts too.
Why are you running? Because the police are chasing me; who knew primary schools had security cameras?!
Do you think you can win? M’yes.
What do you hope to achieve? A clean getaway.
The SU is regularly accused of being its own little hackdom, how do you plan to engage with all Trinity students? By force if necessary, maybe spike a few
drinks. Do you have any union experience? Twice last year. Restructuring is on the agenda for the next while at least, what role do you see yourself playing in getting the best deal for students? A leading role
Irish Flag yes/no? Yes, there is an Irish flag. Maintain the coke boycott yes/no? No. Who is the Minister for Education? Robert Q Kearns Esq. Esquire.
Entertainments Officer Robert Donohue Tell us about yourself I am a 3rd year Law student, and I come from Dublin Which clubs or societies are you active in in College? Regional Manager JCR Why are you running for Ents officer? Mission from Christ, God told me to beat Stephen with a stick in the head twice in Ballbriggin on a Tuesday during lent. No but seriously Kent I am running because I think that I could be a damn fine Ents monkey. What experience do you have relevant to this position? I organised my mum’s birthday, my dad's birthday, my brother’s birthday (as little that's said about that the better!). I can work a phone and know what's fun and what's not. What do you think your chances are of winning? I probably won’t win because the CIA are all over me spreading lies and propaganda. But if some of my ideas get listed to and maybe whoever wins will use them I'd be glad to help them do it. I am just bored of the same nights and really want to see something new.
Barry Keane Tell us about yourself I’m a JS BESS student: business and politics. I’m from Shankill, Dublin (near Bray) but I live in a gaff in Ranalagh during term time.
Why are you running for Ents? What experience do have? The main reason I’m running is that I have a real passion for throwing parties! I want to make sure that any money that a student pays for a night out isn’t going to line the pockets of some middle man promoter. Along with doing gigs and nights out, I’ve got experience with sponsorship, getting freebies and random stuff like the signed oxegen guitar we’re giving away on BESS day. I also have expirence in teambuilding from the Phil: I put together the freshers’ week program for the Phil this year. Basically anything you ate, drank or went to that wasn’t debate-orientated at in the Phil, that was my stuff. I float around other societies too: been helping out VdeP’s fundraising officer Dave with a couple of bits, especially Rag Week. BESS day (Tuesday week 8, 27th February during RAG week) is another thing I’ve been working on and it’s shaping up to be a great day of events in aid of Oxfam! Pubs, clubs and Bellx1, you gotta
Ed O’ Riordan Tell us a bit about yourself I am a Bess Senior Freshman and I come from Limerick. I am also Trinity Hall JCR Ents Officer Why are you running for Ents Officer? What experience do you have? I’m running for Ents Officer because I love organising events and as is I spend most of my time organising events so it would be great if I could do it full time. As regards to experience - I’ve been running events since secondary school when I organised teenage discos. I started and continue to promote and run €2 euro drinks in Citibar on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I also organised Eddie Irvine’s birthday party in Cocoon in first year of college. What do you think your chances are of winning? I think it will be a tight race and I believe I have as good a chance as any of the other candidates. How do you think current Ents officer Barry Murphy has performed in this position? I think Barry organised a very successful mystery tour and I think it was a great coup to get Director for the Freshers’ Ball.
love it! How do you think current Ents Officer Barry Murphy has performed in this position? He’s basically put on things that have suited his own personal tastes and has neglected some pretty major sections of the College population. There’s been good dance events and some half decent bands in Michealmas Term but Hilary has been quieter. We haven’t seen anything new, and some important areas, notably comedy have been neglected. There are also loads of venues on campus that are going to waste from lack of use: printing house, the atrium, the sportshall, Goldsmith hall, GMB, the list goes on! Nights like the Trinity Ball, TAF and the Boxing Colours show how different events in our unique campus can be brillant and memorable. Why are we going to dingy nightclubs when some of the best venues in the country are at our disposal? What types of music are you into? Anything you really hate? Music wise I do have a pretty broad pallatte but particular favourites are mash up dance, a bit of dirty rock and roll and I’m a total sucker for the classics. Anything but emo: no one wants to see a grown man cry. Best club night in Dublin? Best club night in Dublin has to be
How do you think current Ents. officer Barry Murphy has performed in this position? He told me that he wanted to make homosexual love to me and that he says that I should say to you that he's a nice guy. I love you Barry. Where has he been successful, and where has he failed? College seems to be making the job of Ents. monkey more difficult with their new ridiculous rules especially in regards to Freshers’ Week, how are people meant to make friends when they first start College if they're not allowed have someone to hold their hair back while they are getting sick? He failed to utilise the glory hole to it full potential. Shame on you Barry, Shame. Do you think the current Ents cater to all the students of the College, or are they biased in favour of a few? They don't have enough paperclips. What, if anything, will you do differently to Murphy if elected? I will get my own bike and give people a go of it. What type of music are you into? Indie and super mad hippie acid house crunchy nut mega value corn flake rock and / or roll
Any genres you really don't like? That shout into the mic music. I hate that but I don't judge people that like it. I hate emo. What, in your opinion, is the best club night in Dublin and why? The Oak. Free in good music and because you can't get thrown out and the DJ's a ledgebag. What makes a really good night? I really like it when *some text missing* that makes it real cool. Which areas of entertainment away from music will you focus on and why? Mime I always loved Billy the Mime and his hair cut. Film nights we have a great film society and they have great equipment for making and showing films we could get them on board. We need to encourage societies with each other and Ents more they have a lot of cool people with good ideas look at the Trinity Arts Festival that was a great craic like in the Sugar club. Who would you love to see play Trinity Ball? I would love to get The Libertines but we couldn't get them for obvious reasons so I think I would like to get Babyshambles if people wanted or Joanna Newsom, Adam Green, The Zutons, Cat Empire Alabama3, Shane McGowan ,Mark McCabe and of course Joe Dolan
Tripod’s ‘Heat’ on Wednesday nights. However, the club scene is going through a flurry of evolution at the moment though, and as Ents Officer I plan to be in the thick of it and make sure Trinity students don’t get messed over by promoters.
What changes, if any, would you make to the ball? Silent Disco 'cause they're mad craic. Something to do after the balls what I always wanted it's a long night and you need time to get your head together after.. What do you think of your opponents? Stephen Mallon told me he hates the little people and if he get elected he's going to eat you all. How do feel about the TN power list naming Ed O'Riordan frontrunner for this position, in view of his Tues and Thurs nights at Citibar; How do you feel about these nights? I like Ed, I mean who doesn't? Speed of a Puma strength of a bear fluids of steal. I don't like the carpet in citibar. I'd sleep with him if he was more attractive. Only Joking Ed I love you. Why do you think people should vote for you for this position? I think that people should vote for me because I love them all and they can ring me day or night on this number: 086 3363927. Which of the candidates would you have sex with and why? Steven, because of his sexy arse.
website where people can straight away start suggesting bands and ideas for the ball. What do you think of the opposition? Ed O’Riordan’s Tuesday nights have been a full, but even if it was just Trinity students it would still be a small proportion of the student body. And would he manage to be constantly inventive and productive for a year: is Ents going to revolve around Citibar? I’m going to break away from the tired formula of booking a club and whacking up a few posters with a different theme each week. We need to be dynamic and move into new areas: film, new annual events and bringing back stuff that worked well.
Which areas of entertainment other than music are you going to focus on? Areas I plan to focus on are the flagging ones: comedy and gigs. There’s a wealth of Irish talent that really has been neglected as a source of quality, great value nights out. Policy wise I will aim to work with other Colleges’ Ents Officers over the summer and effectively turn College Ents nationally into a cartel. The Gigs and Giggles series that Niall Hughes ran combined a lot of these things; top quality acts, in College and being alcohol free it helped separate drunkenness and fun!
Why should people vote for me? A vote for me is a vote for someone who will get the common sense stuff done that isn’t being done at the moment. Since when have students needed help from Ents to get drunk? I love every aspect of the work and would not only work tirelessly on Ents but enjoy it at the same time. I know Ents is not just about my own personal opinion, there has to be something for everyone. .
Who would you love to play Trinity Ball? Lineup wise, it’s not unrealistic to look at acts like 2manyDJs, the Flaming Lips, and Bloc Party, galvanised by Irish and English talent. Its time to shift the focus from quantity to quality. It’s about creating an unforgettable atmosphere; this is why I would setup areas similar to the cocktail bars with beanbags/cushions in electric picnic. A tent that has a DJ/dancefloor setup would be good too. From day one of Michaelmas term, I want to have a
What, if anything, will you do differently to Murphy if elected? There are a few things I would try and do differently if elected Ents officer. Barry unfortunately didn’t have the luxury of having another on-campus bar in addition to the Pav like in previous years with the closure of the Buttery. I would ensure the establishment and successful running of an on campus student bar and gig venue in what is now Luce Hall when the new sports hall is built. I would also ensure that there events on there every night of the week. What types of music do you like? I like all types of music! What, in your opinion, is the best club night in Dublin and why? I think Twisted Tuesdays in Citibar is the best student night but then again I’m a bit biased as I organise it! I think other good student nights include Tripod on Wednesdays and Thursdays in Crawdaddy! However I think all these student nights including Citibar could be improved. I think if elected I could make a good night a great night. What makes a great night? I believe a great night consists of a number of things, among them being cheap booze, good music, and having all your friends around you and of course having a bit of change left in your pocket at the end
of a night. I believe I have combined some of these things in Citibar but of course there’s always room for improvement and I believe I could make an official Trinity night next year, (probably not in Citibar) with all these elements and more as I would have more time to organise things like vodka shooters and beer bong competitions etc! Which areas of entertainment will you focus on away from music? Away from music I would focus on comedy, I saw the success of Niall Hughes’ Gigs and Giggles in first year and Tommy Tiernan was also very popular when he visited Trinity so I would do my best to run a weekly comedy night featuring some of Ireland’s best comedians such as Tommy Tiernan, Colin Murphy, Neil Delamere, Dave McSavage and Jason Byrne. The obvious question- if you could get anyone to play the Trinity Ball, who would it be? Who do you think you could realistically get? If I could get anyone to play the Trinity Ball I would probably pick U2 or Snow Patrol or Razorlight. As for who do I realistically believe I could get for the Trinity Ball I think a lot depends on MCD as they as far as I know have a contract for the 3years to organise the Trinity Ball and as I have a good working relationship with Niall Maurice who organises the Ball
from the MCD side. I think I will be able to get the best acts for Trinity students. What changes, if any, would you make to the Ball? I would really like to take on board elements of other concerts such as Electric Picnic with its comedy tents, body and soul village, silent disco and other gimmicks such as flamethrowers, BBQs, in addition to a core of good music!
Despite repeated attempts to contact them, certain candidates did not take part in these interviews. Both Jessica Campbell, Welfare candidate, and Stephen Mallon, Ents candidate fall into this category and are not represented here.
8 SOCIETIES
TRINITY NEWS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2007
DU Law Society
Trinity lawyers head to US for Model United Nations conference Mark Thompson The Harvard National Model United Nations Conference is hailed as the most prestigious conference of its kind in the world and draws a wide range of participants from around the globe. This year, the DU Law Society in association with the Law School has entered a team who will participate and compete in this simulation of the United Nations. 13 students were selected by the Law School from dozens of applications and these will travel to Boston to represent one of the most important nations in the world: Oman. OK, so given that this is our first year in the competition, we would have been naïve to expect to represent one of the big global players like the United States or Russia, as such assignments usually fall upon Yale or U Penn. However, after weeks of preparation, we are happy to report that Oman has a strong and commendable foreign policy and we are more than ready to take on these Ivy leaguers with our Irish accents, undeniable charm and recently acquired expertise in Oman’s foreign policy. The idea of the simulation is that you become familiar with how the United Nations functions and operates, how countries relate, discuss and debate with one another, and how laws are inevitably passed. The conference is composed of various delegations and the team has achieved seats in some of the most prestigious committees. In each committee, a topic is put to the floor, debating and discussions ensue, various countries inevitably bond with one another based on the sharing of common policies, and then it is a race against time to create a resolution and have it signed by as many nations as possible. It proves to be a challenging and interesting process and all concerned are hopeful that this years team will rise up and
Trinity’s Model United Nations team with the Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr Dermot Ahern at Government Buildings last week. Photo: Maxwells represent. The Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr Dermot Ahern has given his seal of approval for the team and commented that our assigned nation of Oman was a very beautiful country as he has previ-
ously made two official state visits to the Sultanate. As a former law student, Mr Ahern was happy to meet with our group at Government Buildings. Everyone is bracing themselves for huge competition against many of the world’s
top universities as well as the incredibly cold temperatures in Boston this week.The team intends to uphold the high standards of Trinity College that we are all so accustomed to and looks forward to hosting a presentation on
campus in April based on the Harvard experience. The Law Society hopes to expand on this activity and plan further trips to Harvard in the coming years, but for the meantime it’s best of luck to the delegates of 2007.
College Singers
Society encouraging digital A concerted effort art media events Ian Lahiffe
Trinity’s Digital Arts Society was created to bring together like-minded students to share their interests in digital art forms. These include DJing, VJing, graphic design, music production and love for electronic music. 2006 saw a complete overhaul of the society with a new committee, reworked constitution and for the first time, CSC funding for equipment, including decks and a mixer. As a society, DAS hopes to encourage digital art media by hosting events both on campus and off, night and day, running workshops in DJing and music production, providing a means for creative indi-
The Boydell Singers are turning to the world of showbiz for their concert, “A Night at the Musicals”, which will take place on Wednesday 7 March at 8pm. The songs will range from oldfashioned classics from “Showboat”, “Oklahoma” and “Fiddler on the Roof”, through newer repertoire from “West Side Story”, “Phantom of the Opera” and “Chicago”, to the fabulous music from the recent smash hit “Wicked”. For all that jazz and much more, the Chapel will be transformed into Broadway for one night only.
Orchestra playing at National Concert Hall
TCD Digital Arts Society
Simon Hayes
Boydell Singers in a night at the musicals
viduals to meet and giving members an opportunity to play in Dublin clubs. Possible projects include future collaborations with other societies and colleges such as photography exhibitions, Trinity Arts Festival gigs, a “rent-a-DJ” service (available to all Trinity societies), lunch-time pool competitions and opendeck sessions in the JCR. Each of the committee members has extensive experience in the industry. Simon Hayes (chairperson) co-runs “Stasis”, a relatively new night (and soonto-be record label) combining live visual art and music. Riccardo Vegilanti (treasurer) is an Italian-born techno DJ, and has played with Dublin club nights such as Electric City, Stasis|Experiments and Beats On Repeat. Sister to the 91st-best
DJ in the world (Irishman Eddie Brennan,) Niamh Brennan has in-depth experience in club promotion, having worked for Electric City and Bodytonic’s POGO. Since November the trio have been concentrating on rebuilding the society and having secured funding for equipment, are now in a position to start hosting more events. The first of the off-campus parties “BashBash” was held in December in Wax and the follow-up is planned for the end of term. For more info, please see myspace.com/TrinityDAS or send an email to TrinityDAS@gmail.com.
Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue Following on from the overwhelming success of last term’s joint concert with Orchestra, Singers present something a little bit different. The programme for this term includes music from a huge crosssection of genres, old, new, borrowed, blue. The programme not only shows the choir’s amazing ability to conquer new works in a very short period of time, but it also shows the great flexibility of the choir. Eric Whitacre is the most fashionable choral composer around. He was a wild and reckless young man, until he settled into composition, and became quite sedate and self-contained. Singers will perform the most sedate of his works, entitled “Sleep” (he became very selfcontained). Britten is one of the best
known British composers, and his early works, which are very quirky, are often neglected. Last year, Orchestra played some early Britten, “Johnson Over Jordan”. Continuing in this vein, Singers will perform “Rosa Mistica”. The text is taken from a poem by the same title by Hopkins. The concert will include a world premiere “Viridissimissa Virga” by Colin Mawby. Mawby is a renowned Irish composer, who has worked extensively in Ireland and London. This is a work of immense difficulty, and it is a great tribute to the choir to perform such complex music. The most sentimental piece of the programme is entitled “O Happy Eyes” by Elgar, reminiscent of last term’s “The Music Makers” by the aforementioned composer. The concert will conclude with “something blue”, “Blue Moon”. Do not miss this choral extravaganza in College Chapel on Wednesday 21 February at 8pm.
Trinity Suas
A week dedicated to interculturalism Stephen Murphy
Andrea Wickham and Stephen Murphy at the exhibition in Fellows’ Square.
As you’re sitting in Fellows’ Square having lunch this week, staring at some bizarre large image of someone’s family, you might wonder what relevance it has to Trinity. German photographer Uwe Ommer spent a good three years travelling around the world taking photos of families he met along the way. The collection of photographs has been collated to form a “family album of planet earth”. The exhibition in Trinity is part of wider programme called “building unity through diversity”. The images themselves are simple: individual family portraits. A few months ago when I was looking through the “1000 families” book, I found that each image evoked certain assumptions and feelings. So what does that mean for Trinity? Irish society has evolved rapidly over the last number of years and we are emerging as a vibrant, young, multicultural society. The number of international students in Trinity has risen also. These changes are
happening quite quickly, and the great thing about this exhibition is that it gives us a chance to stop and take a look at how these changes are affecting Irish society and more specifically Trinity. And so we have Intercultural Week. All week we are hosting events to celebrate Trinity’s diversity, and take a look at some of the issues we are facing as more and more people immigrate. Of particular interest, the panel discussion: “Ireland’s Multicultural Society: Salad Bowl or Melting Pot?” which hopes to honestly explore issues such as racism and how we want Ireland to evolve as a multicultural society. On Wednesday night, the buttery will be open for the international music night hosted by the Afro-Caribbean society. Then on Thursday night, Dr Rumba (Africa’s answer to Michael Flatley) is doing a fusion of Irish and African dancing in SIN, which should be very entertaining. So if nothing else, enjoy this week, celebrate our cultural diversity and come along to some of the events! Check out interculturalweek.bebo.com for photos and the full timetable for the week.
Elegance, class, and stylish sophistication: just some of the things you can expect from an evening of music performed by the Trinity College Orchestra. The Orchestra will play its first concert of 2007 on the 26th of February in the National Concert Hall. This time, they will perform under the baton of Jessica Grimes, a JS Music student. Despite this being her conducting debut, Grimes is no stranger to the stage as she is an accomplished clarinettist with numerous prizes and scholarships to her name. Grimes has chosen an ambitious programme that includes Tchaikovsky’s “Hamlet” Fantasy Overture as well as the dangerously well-known piano concerto in A minor by Grieg. The “Hamlet” Overture is not as eminent as the other works in the programme. However, listeners may find it familiar as it contains musical references to some of Tchaikovsky’s other, more celebrated, compositions. The piano concerto is notoriously difficult to conduct and in some parts, seems to demand a sort of musical telepathy between the orchestra, conductor and soloist. Michelle Picardo, student of Dr John O’Conor and Lance Coburn at the Royal Irish Academy of Music will be the soloist for the concert.
A monkey is highlight of Bess Ball Organised by DU Business and Economics Society, the 2007 Bess Ball was held in the Burlington Hotel on Tuesday 13th February. Doors opened at 7pm and dinner was meant to be served at 7.30pm but things were predictably delayed. We were greeted at the door by male members of the Society’s committee who presented every girl with a red rose. The foyer had a chocolate fountain with platters of strawberries, grapes, profiteroles and marshmallows. There was an official photographer there taking photos for DUBES and a photographer from Image magazine was there for the event. To add to the extravagance, there was a guy who made weird and wonderful creations out of balloons. A highlight included a monkey (who looked like the monkey from Aladdin and was hence called Abu) and a pink poodle. The three-course meal was, if memory serves correctly, tomato and basil soup (not entirely sure) beef or chicken and veg for main course and some mousse thing for desert (surprisingly not the typical Baileys cheesecake that the Burlington usually serves). Fashion was out of this world with the freshers reusing their Debs dresses and the final years dressing up to make the most of their last Bess Ball. Guys scrubbed up well in their tuxes, with a couple of guys opting for ties instead of bow ties – the occassional chap getting into Valentine’s fever by choosing pink. Most Ball-goers attended the compulsory pre-parties, which tend to be in venues in close proximity to the Burlington. Everyone arrived merry, which is just as well, given the price of alcohol once inside the venue. Unsurprisingly, many had the old cheeky naggin brought in. The band was the house band from Tubridy Tonight – the Camambert Quartet – who had the crowds up and dancing away, as the dance floor filled up with revellers. I think you would be hard pushed to find someone who didn't enjoy the night. A lot of people went on to after-parties or Bucks after.
EDITORIAL AND LETTERS 9
TRINITY NEWS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2007
To the Editor 6 Trinity College, Dublin 2 Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Lying and cheating your way into a not-so-vibrant academic community Room applications are open again, and the usual gossip alleging unfair room allocations is doing the rounds. By their SS year, the wiser students have realised that changing their registered address to that of their holiday home in Baltimore is a good idea, and that canvassing will most likely not disqualify. They also know that it is a smart move to lie remorselessly about their involvement in College life – nobody will notice that “social secretary” is not a position mentioned in the club constitution. It is all worth their while when they move into their rooms, only a few minutes’ walk from the Ussher library, where they had spent most of the previous three years anyway. We also note that 50 one-year students will again be given rooms next year, despite not contributing to “a vibrant academic community in line with the vision of College outlined in the Strategic Plan”. The older practise of reserving the largest proportion of rooms for finalyear students is also worth questioning. Senior Sophisters have, of course, most of their hours taken up with studying for their degree examinations at the (unavoidable) expense of their extra-course activity. Perhaps students would rather take rooms in their JS year when the value of living in College can be appreciated. They can always hole-up somewhere else in the city centre for their fourth year. So next year’s “vibrant academic community” will consist of scholars, fourth years, temporary visitors and liars. Not so vibrant, really.
How to get more people to vote for the Students’ Union’s sabbatical officers The unrepresentative nature of the Students’ Union is proved every year when only a small percentage of students bother to vote for the group’s sabbatical officers. This year, of course, will not be any different. This shortcoming has affected groups hoping to represent students in College ever since the first students’ representative council was set up here. Despite this, the many Union enthusiasts (whose time would probably be more productively spent in a sports club or a decent society) do not appear to have pursued what should be an easy quick-fix for the low turn-out problem: why not implement an online voting system? If the well-paid IT experts working at this university can find the time to design directory-style web sites like “TCD Life” then surely they would cooperate in designing a voting system connected to users’ College accounts. The “turn-out” for Students’ Union elections would increase immediately, decreasing the embarrassment of successive election winners who, in reality, only manage a thousand or so votes out of a possible 15000.
“TCD Life” compartmentalises students into a tacky online Luce Hall DU Central Athletic Club’s dictators have decreed that all sports clubs’ websites must be moved to the tacky “TCD Life” web site. This decision was, no doubt, taken without any consultation of the Club’s elected committee, but this is normal in the capitated body whose employees have forgotten that they should serve students, not constantly impose ridiculous restrictions and rules on member clubs, many of which are older that the Central Athletic Club itself. The above is, however, beside the point. It should really be asked why “TCD Life” exists at all. Is there a problem with students, for whom the university exists, saving their web sites on the College’s main server? “TCD Life” seems to be something like an online Luce Hall – it compartmentalises the College’s students and removes them from where they belong.
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Editorial staff Editor: Peter Henry editor@trinitynews.ie TNT: Gearóid O’Rourke tnt@trinitynews.ie Copy editing: Joey Facer, Nick Bear, Sinead Fortune copy@trinitynews.ie News: Anna Stein, David Molloy, Niall Hughes news@trinitynews.ie Societies: Elizabeth O’Brien societies@trinitynews.ie Opinion: Kevin Lynch opinion@trinitynews.ie Features: Chloe Sanderson features@trinitynews.ie World Review: Robbie Semple, Robert Quinn world@trinitynews.ie Science and Technology: Niall Cullinane science@trinitynews.ie Business and Careers: Ann Stillman careers@trinitynews.ie Books: Jago Tennant books@trinitynews.ie Travel: Mark Thompson travel@trinitynews.ie Sport Features: Connel McKenna
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Front Square should remain at the heart of College life Sir, – I currently live in the Graduates’ Memorial Building, study in Front Square (music in House Five), chair a society which is based in Front Square (College Singers, House Six), work in Front Square (Organ Scholar in the College Chapel), and I have conducted the Orchestra which rehearses in Front Square (Regent House). Front Square may not hold so much for every Trinity student, but it is a wonderful meetingspot and is at the heart of College life. However, with trends in College
restructuring and relocation, I could return in five years to see Singers rehearsing on a squash court, Orchestra on a basketball court, and music students flung in with drama and film down in the Beckett Theatre (as planned under College restructuring). Who will be left in Front Square? Paper-pushers and office workers who see Trinity as nothing but a place of work. Yours etc, – Ian Lahiffe SS Music
Multiculturalism is no excuse for not flying the country’s flag Sir, – As the controversy concerning the flying of the Irish flag over Trinity unfolds, I find the reaction far from what I would have expected. As is to be expected, there are many uninterested students, which is hardly a new phenomenon when it comes to College affairs. What I do find surprising is that there are actually students in opposition. The argument against seems to pivot around Trinity’s multi-cultural environment, something which, I’m sure, nobody would want to jeopardise. Yet in this culturally diverse learning centre I would have thought that Irish culture should not be left out. I doubt that the Irish flag will offend any foreign students, especially when flown above an Irish university. And let’s not forget that despite Trinity’s lingering ascendancy ethos and
its origins, it is just that, an Irish university. Are we afraid that foreign students will suddenly become aware that they are in fact studying in Ireland, were the tricolour to be flown? Trinity, and other Irish universities, can boast a high number of foreign students because those students wish to come to Ireland to study. They do not come here with the pretence that while they will be attending a university in Ireland, it will not be an Irish university. Other culturally diverse universities around the world are not expected to play down their national identities to achieve such diversity. Why should Trinity College be any different? Yours etc, – Nigel Alexander JS Business Studies
Students’ Union doing nothing to prevent loss of prestige Sir, – In a college where the Students’ Union is rapidly losing prestige as well as recognition as a truly representational voice of Trinity’s students, it came as somewhat of a surprise, even to Union observers, of its behaviour towards Seán Conway. Conway was, up until last week, a candidate for Deputy President, until Union officials saw fit to remove his name from the ballot paper on a minor technicality. Surely it should be the case at a time when the Union is rapidly losing credibility that any candidate wishing to place his name seriously on an electoral ballot at least deserves some acknowledgment for the risk he takes in standing for an election. However, in the Union the logic applied seems to have been the complete opposite. Rather than regarding Conway as a bona fide candidate, officials in the Union took it upon themselves to remove his name from the ballot as a result of their failure to inform him of a required deposit of 60 euro. When he failed to make the payment he was unceremoni-
ously removed. Absolutely no allowance was made for the fact that Conway was out of the country at short notice. This situation must then lead us to ask the question of what were the possible justifications for the Union carrying out such an unjust action? Could it be that they believed that Conway had no intention of paying up; that simply officious Union hacks were indulging in a good old fashioned power trip; or the fact that Conway is something of a fresh face in Union circles? Unfortunately I believe that the second and third options are the most likely explanations, since at the Students’ Union Council last Tuesday, a certain sabbatical officer did not seem to mind acting in a manner which should have been regarded as unconstitutional. Rather, he was quite willing to overlook the technicality in an attempt to rush the motion through in time for a referendum to be held at the same time as the sabbatical elections. It was only thanks to Ross Wynne that he was kept in line.
The Agent Hello voters. Finally! After six long months, the moment every Students’ Union hack has been waiting for is upon us. Nominations are closed, the runners and riders are in, and the Agent got pretty much all of them right. The presidential election sees a battle between Andy “Camp, Green, and Gorgeous” Byrne, and John “I’m too sexy for my shirt” Tracey, and it promises to be a cracker. Byrne, for all his flaws (see the last edition of your favourite column) has lined up an impressive team, headed by Bart “Why haven’t I been canonised yet, so saintly am I” Storan, and other dogooder types, and will have impressive support from society plebs like the SVP, and the likes of “Power List number five” Tim Smyth. Byrne will take pretty much the same track as that worn by Dave Quinn last year, playing to the “I’m cute, camp, inoffensive, and just want to do good” angle that won Quinner so much support from the voting masses last year. In many ways, Byrne would be a similar President to Quinn – bland and ineffectual – except that Quinn could at least say he had some experience of how to do the job before running for it. Byrne, as far as the Agent can tell, is just in it for his CV, and has openly said as much to some of the Agent’s sources privately. John Tracey, on the other hand, has a powerhouse team of Union insiders, led by the popular and highly effective Hugh
Sullivan, as the Agent has previously mentioned. If Tracey can avoid the odd daft idea in his manifesto, and run a tight ship, highlighting his opposition to Quinn, his reforming instincts, and his experience, he should ease past Byrne. That said, it’ll be a hell of a race to watch. Deputy President is a less interesting race, at least on paper. Claire Tighe, best known in University Retard circles for her front page article alleging bullying by a senior society hack earlier on in the year (the Agent won’t criticise her for that, he’s said worse about the same bloke himself) is going head to head with Neasa “I’m really sweet, really” McGarrigle. McGarrigle has to be the runaway favourite here. She’s a Union insider, well known in her faculty, big campaign team filled with hot girls – a winning formula. The Agent won’t completely write off Tighe, as McGarrigle, if she’s not careful, could easily come across as a bitchy and negative campaigner. That said, it’s hers to lose. Education, as always, is a yawner, which could have been made interesting if Old Man Wynne (Ross Wynne, disability Officer, DOB 12/8/1592) hadn’t pulled out of the race citing his poverty and inability to fund a campaign as a reason. The Agent would have donated a few bob to the Wynne campaign if he’d been approached, as Wynne is that rare example of an SU hack who’s in it because he really cares. I mean, why else would he
Tim Cullen on editing Trinity News in 1967 The editorship of Trinity News was only held for a term, Hilary term for me, which meant I still had to go to lectures and attend class. The terms were only seven weeks long, so we used to put out an issue a week, typically between twelve and sixteen pages. Everything was written on typewriters, but then not everyone even had access to a typewriter and some pieces would be submitted handwritten. Laying-out was an inexact art. We had sheets with the columns measured out and used to count the words of articles pretty carefully, by hand of course! If a piece wasn’t long enough, we’d do what was known as “leading-out”: slipping extra lines of lead in between the lines at the printers. Cumulatively, this would give us an extra two or three inches at the end. If that didn’t work, I’m afraid we would just make up a few sentences! We had some good sub-editors. Our news editor John Armstrong went on to be news editor of the Irish Times. Of course, we had some late pages submitted – but that’s the nature of the beast. Hugh’s copy was illegible, so I was mystified that his column was the only one which the typesetter claimed he could read – until I discovered that Hugh regularly slipped him a bottle of his family’s whiskey. We had some regular pieces, including a gossip column by “Evelyn Tent”. Of course people wanted to be included – but then, our criticism was very mild. And people generally didn’t take themselves too seriously. That is, we never saw ourselves as “tomorrow’s journalists”. The paper would appear at Front Gate first thing on a Thursday morning and we sold it, not for very much. We moved around 800 to a thousand issues a week, which is fairly impressive with a campus of about 2500 students. We got a good revenue from advertisements in our yearly careers supplement, but every issue we would go around knocking on doors looking for ads. One cosmetics company even put sachets of shampoo in every issue, which was almost revolutionary!
Tuesday was the really awful day when everything had to be submitted to the printer. I would be exhausted by the afternoon and still have an editorial to write. I discovered the Royal Dublin Society had chamber concerts every Tuesday evening at 7:30pm so I would go and listen for a few hours and come home to write my editorial with a clear head. It always flowed. Our offices were in the basement of Number Six, and we would spend a lot of time on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Brunswick Press on Pearse Street. Trinity News was a bit like a club: you would start off writing for it, and volunteering to do things like getting advertising, and then would have to be elected to become a member. It was a bit cliquey, I suppose, and there were cliques within cliques as well. At the end of each term we would decide on the next term’s sub-editors and the Deputy Editor would be voted for. He always became Editor the following term. The voting was quite tense, but it was thought improper to campaign – we were gentlemen! A good many women were involved, but come to think of it, most of the editors were male. There were some notable run-ins with College. I did an editorial on drugs after a JF student passed out after taking some sort of amphetamines. My editorial was a call for action, as all good ones ought to be, saying that the Irish government should focus more on stopping drug smuggling and less on banned book smuggling. It got picked up by the Irish Times and was on the front page. As I had said in my editorial that those dealing drugs were widely known, the narcotics squad of the Gardaí came in to question me. Of course, like a good journalist, I refused to disclose my sources. In a way, I was disappointed to not be sent to prison – that hallmark of the best journalists! Editing Trinity News made you feel important. Everyone would debate my editorials when they came out. It was nice to feel one was actually important in College: there were automatic invites to so many things going on, and it gave you a better sense of what was happening in College. The editor was also called Chairman of the Business Board. There was a financial responsibility as well as an editorial one: making sure the paper was out on time, it was good, and it paid for itself. It was a great microcosm of the real world, as well as teaching me the power of the pen! (Tim Cullen was interviewed by Joey Facer)
If this kind of inconsistency is allowed to continue, it shall only mean that the Union can continue to be allowed to behave in a manner which gradually erodes away at the ability of the Council (and indeed students) to hold their sabbatical officers, and the justification of some of their more dubious decisions, to account. It shall also result in the Union losing its ability to attract candidates who have not been affected by years of Union red tape and a constitution which has become so convoluted that innovation and reform are practically impossible to carry out.
Unfortunately it now looks like it will be impossible for Conway’s name to be placed once again on the ballot paper where it belongs, a situation which reflects exceptionally poorly on the on the judgement of the Union. We can only hope that this error of judgement, when looking back next year, can be seen as a turning point in the internal working of a Union which at present leaves little room for representation for the students of this college. Yours etc, – Timothy Smyth JS History
have been in College for longer than Matt the Jap? As it is, Neil “I like the internet and all its message boards to an unhealthy degree” McGough will steamroll Bartley “It’s all about the children” Rock with about 65% of the votes. It’s a pity Bartley’s campaign fell to pieces in the way it did (again, see the Agent two issues ago) because if it hadn’t, he may have made a fist of it. As it is, the Agent is worried that it’ll be embarrassing. Welfare is the hardest race to handicap, with Úna Faulkner, formerly of this newspaper, squaring up in a four-way against Jessica “somebody” Campbell, Daire “Is he running as a joke or his he serious about it, nobody knows” McNab, and Ray “I have all the nurses’ votes” Healy. Realistically, this race will come down to Faulkner and Healy, with the former having the backing of Andy Byrne’s Presidential Campaign, and Healy once again being the quintessential Students’ Union insider candidate, with the huge advantage in a Welfare election of being Gay. The Agent is going to go for the Faulkner/Byrne ticket to lose both races and back Ray Healey to win this one with a few to spare. Ents? You say? Yawn, the Agent says. The Agent is always amused by Ents elections – they’re fought by outsiders, are bitchy, and in the end everyone who wins ends up doing exactly what the guy before him did when they get elected, which is pretty much nothing of any use. This year, as the Agent has said before, it’s pretty much Barry Keane and Ed O’Riordan, with a few joke candidates thrown in (although the Agent does rather hope we’ll be seeing just as much of Stephen Mallon as we did last year – seriously, girls, get to hustings!). The Agent expects Keane to win, but then, who knows? Or cares, for that matter? One more interesting piece of election
gossip – the USI (Union of Stupid Idiots) election nominations closed on Friday, and, would you credit it, John McGuirk is running against some bloke from Cork for President. This is the same John McGuirk who didn’t beat Dave Quinn last year, despite Quinn being, well, the worst candidate ever. Who knows, he might win. The bloke from Cork, incidentally, is called Richie Morrisroe – most famous in Trinner circles for condemning our beloved President after he got beaten by RON earlier in the year. The Agent reckons the thought of either of them winning must be giving Quinner nightmares. The even bitchier elections of the College’s clubs and societies a r e
approaching. Will the Phil’s president-in-waiting be president, or will the HMCs have their way? How will the Boat Club’s inner circle ensure the captaincy is returned to a deserving Englishman? Will anyone want to be auditor of the Hist? Send your moans to the Agent at the address below. Later, suckers. theagent@trinitynews.ie
10 OPINION
TRINITY NEWS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2o, 2007
Rationalising the Trinity experience Michael Ronson "Going to a new university isn't just about studying or work. It's about living" These are the words of College's newest launch, www.tcdlife.ie. This site is part of a broader College initiative to encourage and grow what has anachronistically been titled the "Trinity Experience".What is this "Trinity Experience" and are College's plans to nurture it really doing just that? The recently reported redevelopment of Luce Hall is one example. It illustrates perfectly that these plans are in fact, whether by way of ineptitude or by malignant intent, stunting and restricting the natural student experience of attending Trinity. Luce Hall was built as a sports and recreation centre. It is for all intents and purposes, a large, grey, windowless box tucked away where all eyesores should be, well out of sight. It inhabits a small corner of the College campus that would not currently be on the regular route of most students. This is where the College have decided student activity should be centralised - A small, tucked away corner of the campus, out from under the feet of administrators and technocrats alike. The plans for the development of this new "focal point" of student activity were proposed as part of the "Strategic Plan for Student Services". This document aimed to put Trinity at the top of the pile of Irish universities in terms of how students are treated. It is, in reality, a bureaucratic attempt to rationalise, codify and regulate the Trinity student experience. It is an attempt to shape and homogenise how you the students experience your years on this historic campus. The Luce Hall project aims to place all the "essential" student services in one central location. It aims to provide a point at which students could theoretically access their representation, their student societies, have their drinks, see their gigs and generally have the majority of their student experiences outside of academia. It aims very high and thus falls very low. The idea of placing a licensed bar on the premises is a microcosm of the project as a whole. Leaving aside the previous failure of the Buttery Bar, there is a fundamental question; where will the custom come from? Examples have been touted of the success of such bars in UCD, DCU, and UL. These, it has been said, are vital and well used resources in their respective campuses. They are places students gath-
House Six — one of the buidlings to be stripped of student activities under new plans. Photo: Martin McKenna er and socialize. They are places where student society flourishes. They are, unfortunately for those in College championing these "shining lights", all in campuses based on green field sites. UCD, DCU, and UL students have nothing close to the level of choice available to Trinity students. What student in Belfield, Limerick or Glasnevin has the dearth of bars, lounges and clubs within five minutes walk of their campus similar to that available to Trinity students? Bearing this in mind, what students will be willing to stay on campus to drink? Moreover will they drink in a location tucked in under a DART line, currently
off the beaten track and less accessible than the established Pavilion Bar? This bar cannot be viable especially with city centre bars crying out for student custom with drinks promotions every week. On another brief note, a report due to be submitted by those managing the bar in UCD shows that custom is actually falling in that student bar. This is even though there are few other options for these students. They seem willing to take a bus or taxi into the city centre. College authorities are suggesting Trinity students will not be willing to even walk. The Luce Hall redevelopment is ill conceived, that is certain. How else can we explain the inclusion in the building of
Students’ Union issues pale in comparison to the real plight of our disabled students Ailbhe O'Daly College policy states that every student has the right to appropriate accommodations and/or auxiliary aids determined in accord with the individual's certified or specific learning or physical disability and to be treated with respect and dignity. The college also recognises that it has the responsibility to ensure that its courses, programmes, services, jobs, activities and facilities are offered in the most integrated and accessible settings possible. While these policies look great on paper, College authorities fail woefully to meet this aspirations. Unfortunately, all one has to do to discover the lack of reinforcements of these words is open their eyes to the campus around us. On inspection of most buildings on campus, many lack the most basic of needs for wheelchair-using students like enabled toilets. It's quite horrific to discover that the majority of buildings lack many requirements for disabled people, unsurprisingly these are all the original Trinity College buildings. With all the attention given to the closure of the Buttery and the "lack" of facilities for the students on the west end of College, everybody has overlooked the fact that wheelchair using students have
no watering hole to avail of on campus. Ever tried ascending the Pavilion steps in a wheelchair - it's not an easy task. The building of the new sports centre over the last two years has disrupted all students coming or going in the Goldsmith Hall direction along the Hamilton pathway. The heavy flow can be intimadating for anyone, even without the added impediments of visual or mobility impairments. At times in both the Hamilton Building and the Arts Block (two of the few buildings on campus entirely equipped for physically disabled students), using the toilets has to be preplanned due to everyday obstacles and general ignorance. The busiest enabled toilets on campus have all been locked due to misuse, and all wheelchair users have been issued a master key. One may have noticed the huge demand for the lower ground floor toilets at peak times in the Arts Block with queues often out the door. This demand has lead to punters using the enabled toilets (where they have been left unlocked.) In the Hamilton, cleaning equipment has been left in the enabled toilet completely preventing a wheelchair user from closing the door behind them. The enabled toilet on the ground floor of the GMB is locked and used as a storage cupboard by the Examinations office and the
Housekeeping Dept. To add insult to injury, a wheelchair bound student can't even gain access to their student representatives to complain, since their offices are the first floor of House 6. Urgent action is needed for the recognition of disabled students' rights. Mr. Quinn, Miss Keogh and their colleagues in the Student's Union should realise that their efforts to fly the Irish flag over Front Arch or for each union member to wear a different coloured hoodie, pale in comparsion to the battles a disabled student faces every day. • Ailbhe O'Daly works for the Student Disability Service, based in Room 2054 in the Arts Building, which is fully wheelchair accessible.
Science Labs in the Hamilton Building and obstructions on outdoor paths are indicitive of the College’s attitude to disabled students.
a venue for Student Union Ents events that is too small and too restricted by College alcohol and security policies to be a realistic commercal proposition and that given the plans cannot possibly be any better? Or the inclusion of a bar with no clear target audience or plan to keep students on campus to drink during the six hour window that is available. Here we have a project aimed at centralising and, presumably, improving the student experience. Yet only one student sits on the committee planning it and at that he only attends periodically. It is project which should make it easier for student societies to operate and cater for the student yet it is currently suggesting
that student society space actualy be reduced. It is aimed at improving the student experience but the process has excluded both graduate students and those involved in producing all of the college's student publications. Are these groups deemed to be less than important? This student centre is being presented as the great hope for the future of student activity in Trinity. However if it is such a masterstroke in our favour why has it taken until 2006 to get moving on it? There have been similar projects in the other Universities listed above since the eighties. It stands to reason that there must be some cause why this has not been proposed before.
The cause is that it has indeed been tried before in Trinity and it has failed miserably. I would at this point like to direct your attention to Goldsmith Hall. This was meant to be a building for the students. It was designed with a cafe and a venue space. A bar licence was obtained. There was much back-slapping and grinning on behalf of College. That, like now, was all before they saw the result or considerd the conequences. There was one gig in Goldsmith Hall and that was on the opening night. It was at this point that that it was realised that the venue lacked ample sound proofing for its position under a DART line. It was hastily converted to a lecture auditorium for fear someone would realise the space was virtually useless for its origional purpose. The bar never got off the ground and the café has consistently underperformed. Walls were built in places that in no way corresponded to the plans and the great hope of a student centre never materialised. So now College returns with a "new" plan. Look at the philosophy behind these projects and there are striking similarities. It seems the plan is to marginalise student activity. To either send it down to Pearse Street or to tuck it away in the Luce Hall. The ideal for the College seems to be to consolidate it all in one place where it can be easily managed and contained. The current plan will see students entirely banished from buildings such as House Six and almost completely absent from Front Square. The patchwork quilt of student life that has served Trinity so well and has seen involvement by students in clubs and societies at a healthy level will be "rationalised". The idea presumably is that "rationalisation", the buzz word of the College administration, is good for our administration so hence it must be good everywhere else. The problem is of course that creativity, the heart of student society, cannot be rationalised. To do so would be to sterilise it. The most recent minutes from the committee planning the Luce Hall project declare that students will be consulted as the brief progresses. In lay-man's terms this effectively means students will be told what is happening after the real decisions have been made and will be required to nod in assent. If support is not forthcoming from the students, College will just point to the smiling faces on the promotional material and move the builders in.
OPINION 11
TRINITY NEWS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2o, 2007
Is prohibition really the answer to all the problems of today’s youth culture? Edward Gaffeney Most of my articles are inspired by bad ideas I have heard on the airwaves or seen in print. A "youth" edition of RTÉ's Questions and Answers a few weeks ago proved a fertile source of such facile proposals, despite the ever-welcome presence of economist Ronan Lyons, formerly of this parish, on the panel. When that old reliable, underage drinking, arose as a topic, the old reliable responses came out also, criticising government funding for alternatives, etcetera, etcetera. As if "underprovision of youth clubs" is driving the teenagers of the nation to drink! But this is symptomatic of Ireland's blindness to sensible drug policy. Our approach is characterised by a moralistic refusal to acknowledge that drug-taking can be a legitimate source of pleasure, just like alcohol or anything else. This isn't just harmless posturing - our flawed policy causes more damage than it prevents. What follows is a critical analysis of drugs of all sorts, legal and illegal, and how best to address their social costs. Prohibition has a bad record as a social policy tool. The American experience of alcohol prohibition is informative for our modern policy on other recreational drugs, simply because it failed in its objectives so spectacularly. Like drugs today, demand for alcohol didn't go away when supply became illegal; instead, alcohol became expensive, unregulated and more dangerous. Firstly, expense: to the alcohol consumer, the costs of evading the law in production, distribution and retail drove the price of alcohol up. To the federal government, attempts to stop illegal production and importation cost the taxpayer millions of dollars, and only stopped a small fraction of the trade in the drug from taking place. What's more, lack of government regulation had multiple impacts on the quality of alcohol; it became stronger, consumers could no longer predict the strength of any particular drink they took, and the product became tainted with by-products or other harmful substances. Although alcoholrelated deaths declined during Prohibition, they also did so everywhere else in the world as part of a general
improvement in health. The ban strengthened gangs by giving them a lucrative criminal market; the ban corrupted law enforcement when police turned a blind eye towards drug activity by gangs who provided bribes or useful information. We can predict that these factors will apply equally to the illegal drugs of today; indeed, many have been demonstrated to exist. Such is the failing of a big-government solution to the problem of the excess of a small number of individuals. This doesn't mean that prohibiting drugs will fail in every case. Importantly, if a drug-taking culture doesn't exist, prompt government action will avoid many of the problems involving the continuation of consumption after the ban, because if drugs are harder to obtain, fewer people will start taking them. This applies to drugs like cocaine and heroin in Ireland, where they were banned before or shortly after their abuse was an apparent social problem. In addition, the addictions and harms relating to cocaine and heroin are so serious that their prohibition is supported by all but a few. Two points: firstly, we don't ban tobacco, even though it has a similar addictive quality and causes similar harms to health in the long-run an example of how drug policy is often makeshift and inconsistent. Secondly, a ban on heroin consumption shouldn't entail banning effective addiction-treatment programmes. In the Netherlands, heroin addicts are treated with the drug itself, rather than the weaker methadone which is used in Ireland. This encourages addicts to come for treatment, it makes it more likely that treatment will work, and it removes the incentive for drug dealers to get people addicted, since they won't make any money once the person is in a treatment centre. However, once a drug-taking culture exists, we are doomed to repeat many of the aspects of American Prohibition. The harms of repressing the consumption of cannabis, say, are particularly strong when compared to the minor harms resulting from cannabis. Policing an almost invisible trade is seen by many as a shocking waste of law-enforcement resources, in a country where much more serious crime exists. Criminalising cannabis forces its consumers to purchase
from drug dealers, some of whom may supply more harmful drugs also - a "gateway drug" effect which wouldn't exist in the absence of prohibition. Banning cannabis also trivialises law-breaking among the young, who see it as an example of a ridiculous law that it's okay to break. Some of these arguments also apply in the case of alcohol consumption among teenagers in Ireland. Firstly, banning alcohol for young people ignores the reason they choose to drink, which is the exact same as the reason older people choose to drink - because they want to get hammered, just like we do. Secondly, the recent trend in illegal underage consumption is even more harmful than the bingedrinking in superpubs that students are often guilty of. Drinking alcohol bought in off-licences, in a small group of young people, leads to a lack of restraint, and the total absence of an experienced peer group capable of helping somebody when the alcohol experience goes bad. American drug expert Mark Kleiman recently proposed repealing the minimum drinking age of 21 because of these problems. Though Irish law doesn't set so outrageously high a bar for legal drinking, Kleiman's proposal might be worth considering here as well; allowing parents, rather than law enforcers, to control their children's drinking could be a step forward. For all drugs, abuse tends to be the fate of a minority, be they strung-out junkies or alcoholics. Sometimes the moral majority imposes a moralistic solution on all of us; sometimes, common sense and harm-reduction win out. The harms of prohibition of any drug generally outweigh the harms that they do when legalised, regulated, and possibly taxed by progressive governments. A wise Irish government would follow a harm-reduction policy rather than continuing to ape the United States in waging a losing war on personal choice. On the other hand, no government can be too far in the vanguard ahead of its electorate. And it seems that it will be a long time before Irish public attitudes adjust to the reality that people want to get drunk and high, and no law or publicity campaign will stop that.
Policing an almost invisible trade in drugs is seen by many as a shocking waste of law-enforcement resources
With campaigns seeming ever more trivial has student activism truly lost its edge? Karl Whitney Call me old fashioned, but the recent news from the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) that it is supporting a campaign to retain free car-parking spaces for students at the Dundalk Institute of Technology doesn't strike me as particularly interesting or daring. In fact, it doesn't strike me as the sort of thing students should be campaigning for at all. This is probably the point at which you tell me I'm old fashioned. It seems to me, that students' unions have become little more than lobbyists, chasing whatever angle they can get. What with prosperity high, what are students to do except cut a better deal for themselves? But this is not necessarily the whole story: universities have traditionally provided a venue for student protests that encouraged students to reach out to the world rather than withdrawing into their own individual bubbles. These protests showed students' knowledge of pressing contemporary issues worldwide, and a willingness to take action to raise awareness of those issues. Protests like these happened in the sixties. Widespread student engagement that characterised student life between 1960 the 1990s casts a long shadow over the poor political awareness of students today. Students aren't what they used to be, it's said, and when you read about seemingly piffling local non-issues made national by a students' union, you begin to think that they may have a point. In the sixties, rather than small local issues being made national by students, the local was seen as a place where national and international issues were explored and addressed. In America, there were grassroots campaigns by students to politically educate army conscripts who would have gone on to serve in Vietnam.
Many of these students belonged to the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), a nationwide protest movement that had its roots in the Civil Rights movement of the early 1960s. In France, students forged links with workers, and the events of May 1968 illustrated this unity: workers joined students in their struggle, leading to a general strike which saw over 10 million people - about two thirds of the French workforce - go out on strike. The recent anti-CPE events in France in early 2006 resurrected something of the spirit and drama of 1968, with the left desperately wishing for a return to those heady days, and the right attempting a security lockdown of the major sites of protest: the whole of the Sorbonne was cordoned off by a 15 foot tall metal fence, and police were stationed at all times in the Latin Quarter. One high-ranking civil servant, who had been a student in 1968, remarked to me that these events were in no way identical to 68 - the events back then had been fun. This was different, motivated more by hate than by love. Another legacy of the sixties is an ambiguity to violence, one that has begun to be addressed by those who took part in student protests of the 1960s. Last November, Mark Rudd, a former leaders of the Students for a Democratic Society in the 1960s, was talking to an audience of students and locals in the small town of Madison, New Jersey. In his speech, he advocated a non-violent participation in protests, reviewing his own involvement, first with the broadly non-violent SDS, then with the Weathermen, a radical offshoot of the SDS that bombed government buildings, and which Rudd resigned from in the early 1970s. Rudd's words were being carefully noted by members of the New SDS present in the audience, among them Pat Korte, a Connecticut High School student who re-formed the SDS in January 2006. While listening to the counsel of older
Many see the student protests of today as trivial in comparison with their past members of the original SDS, Korte's group wants in no way to repeat the history of the original group, which dissolved into factionalism and violence at the end of the 1960s. Since its founding, the New SDS has taken on a life of its own, and expanded to campuses around the USA. The new SDS takes the current war in Iraq as a rallying point, articulating an
oppositional stance that is still largely lacking in everyday American life. It has organised marches and protests against the war. It has forged links with international protest movements, such as the anti-CPE movement in France. On-campus, anti-war demonstrations have come under pressure from universities, particularly in Pace University on the
south tip of Manhattan, which has effectively criminalised SDS on-campus protest. The SDS' counter-argument is that, as students of the university, they are exercising free speech. This tendency towards the criminalisation of non-violent protest can be seen in another recent case in the University of Sussex in England, where 50 students
have been threatened with legal action as a result of their occupation of the library at the end of November of last year. The university has also threatened to sue the students involved to cover the legal costs involved in their prosecution. University of Sussex has spent the last couple of years undergoing major restructuring in the face of the familiar, twin pressures of competitiveness and accountability. This restructuring included a proposal for the closing down of their highlyranked Chemistry Department, and numerous other cages have been rattled in the administration's attempt to balance the books. This has resulted in an upsurge in protests from both staff and students. It seems, though, that increasingly universities are dividing protest into good and bad, and are arbitrarily choosing which is which. The protests in Sussex were non-violent and peaceful and didn't result in the destruction of any property. The crime committed by the students was at most trespass, but that charge has been compounded by a costly court order procured by the administration just before the occupation. The actions of the New SDS illustrate that there is valid student movement in the offing. Issues have been identified, and links have been forged between these groups, nationally and internationally. The example of the New SDS shows that basic concrete oppositional political organising can yield results, if only the spreading of an awareness of the issues to other campuses. Grassroots movements are primarily about getting people talking to each other, and then keeping those lines of communication open. At Pace and Sussex Universities, efforts to organise on campus have been opposed by university administrations that, at best, deal awkwardly with protest movements and at worst are actively hostile to this form of political expression. And, most of all, these struggles seem a long way from jostling for car spaces in Dundalk.
12 FEATURES
TRINITY NEWS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2007
Mating rituals of the average student Chloe Sanderson The roses have wilted, the cuddly toys have already been lost down the side of the bed, and thank God the soppy couples have retreated back to their caverns of lust. It’s not that I’m a cynic, or I hope, an ugly troll rat (though I am from Essex), but I am heaving a heavy sigh of relief as the 14 of February is now tucked away in the calendar for yet another year. Romance may not be dead yet, but for the average student it is most definitely in hiding. What we have instead is unadulterated lust and a strange set of rituals which must be entertained in order to quench your thirst for a little lippage. I can’t help but feel it would all be a little easier if we were slightly less evolved animals. Take the average peacock for example. All the gent has to do is flash us girls a bit of tale feather and we’re all over it. As it is you and I appear to have no better arena of attraction than the Palace, or the arts block ramp. Let me introduce you to the mating rituals of the average arts student. Long gone are the days of daddy arranging a nice farmer for Nieve to settle down with, now sadly the onerous task of picking a mate is entirely ours. Luckily the wise provost has aided and abetted the task by giving the arts student a minutiae amount of time in lectures, a ramp of dreams for targeting potential mates, and BESS students. It appears that all we have to do to take advantage of it is apply a bit of fake tan. You see, when I think about it, us arts students aren’t that different from the peacock, it’s all about show. The rules are simple, you either have to spend a few hours each day primping and preening, turn yourself a deeper shade of orange and eat less calories than a small child, or take the ‘alternative’ root, spend hours trawling the charity shops, acquire a few ‘I bought this in Bolivia’ T-shirts, and wear some very very big bangles. Now that Aisling Arts student is suitably appareled she is ready to strut her
stuff through the arts block in search of Mr right now. Prime locations include the arts block café, the ramp, the computer rooms, outside the Pav on a sunny afternoon, and Lemon. Once a potential target has been selected it is imperative that they then be stalked on facebook. This little tool of seduction allows you to electronically get into the pants of your victim and give them a little poke. Natural selection ensures that the incompatible, and or socially inept are weeded out, and now the arts student is ready to actually engage in a little social foreplay, Darwin would be so pleased. There are three main arenas for the lust lunge to occur. Nightclubs are perhaps the most obvious, and should you ever make it to the front of the Palace queue on a Friday night, and then be lucky enough to be allowed entry, then your eyes can feast upon the rich picking of Trinity’s finest, accompanied by a saccharine drenched pop soundtrack. Unfortunately students tend to swap hormones, and from time to time a little saliva, more than they do numbers, and whilst it’s great to leave any juices that may have been flowing between Mr and Mrs Arts block in the club, the problem is they tend to haunt every return trip, as the all too familiar faces flock back week after week. The house party has less dark and seedy corners with the advantage of many soft sofas to canoodle upon after your eyes locked over a tightly clutched bottle of Buckfast. Indeed, it’s a fantastic chance to trap your intended victim in the kitchen and ply with beer goggles without spending an entire monthly budget, because let’s face it we’re all tongue prostitutes, male and female, it’s just a case of naming the price. Finally perhaps the most interesting place for the arts student to score is the society party. At least you know what you’re getting. Freshers’ Week saw the societys’ finest and fittest out in force, why do you think the Surf Club has so many members? At the subsequent parties the copious free ‘refresh-
ments’ allow for ideal lassoing of an arts block ride with the added safety net that those Hamilton kids don’t really go in for societies… well except for the Rock Appreciation Society. Thus it appears the Arts student is game, set and matched. A word of warning however to you nubile first years, in the land of lust you are the kings and queens. Once you hit the OAP status of third or fourth year the majority of your
friends are going to be smug soon to be marrieds. Suddenly your once vibrant pack of sexually ambitious friends have all decided to settle down and have a ‘serious’ relationship. For the arts student this means dinner parties. No longer the bump and grind of the Palace, Slapper Face Jacks, or Tripod, now Miss arts block can practice her wifely duties roasting a fine hunk of meat, an idea that came to her whilst snail picking in the Wicklow
mountains, whilst those still lusting after some meat of their own are forced to answer disparaging questions about their latest shenanigans out on the tiles. This may all seem a little daunting to some, indeed as a great man once said, the course of true love never did run true (but then he did have a beard). However, the rewards should satisfy the needs of the average Arts Block oompalumpa, at least until the photos go up on facebook and
she discovers that her Adonis appears to be more troll like than memory provided, or worst still a science student. Don’t take my advice though, otherwise you’ll never find that certain someone special to 2.4 it with and furnish your future D4 mansion. Ignore this slightly jaded journalist, go forth and try not to procreate.
The American dream Erol Alkan and Justice to be must-see acts at the Trinity Ball Oliver North
Across America from Washington to San Diego all the newsmen of any serious publication have already called the 2008 General Election in favour of the Democrats. Provided that is, they fail to nominate Joseph Stalin as their presidential candidate to run against whoever the Republicans might pick from amongst their assorted ranks of crooks, bigots and warmongers. The current whirlwind of excitement surrounding the various Democratic candidates is rooted in a firm belief that in 2008 the election will be won almost half a year before the November polling date- by the time the Democrat primaries finish on June 5th. At the minute only three people are considered serious candidates for the nomination; Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards, all of whom poll favourably against Republican counterparts. Clinton is currently way out in front and with the most heavyweight campaign team and massive funding already. Common sense still dictates that the election is hers to lose. Despite this though the majority of press attention has been directed toward 45 year old Illinois senator Barack Obama. Obama has been a US Senator for little over two years- an almost unprecedented level of inexperience- yet to date this seems to have caused minimal trouble to his campaign. The war in Iraq has irreversibly skewered this election, and Obama, having been elected after its start is the sole candidate with the huge advantage of a clean sheet on the matter in his senate voting record. Both Clinton and Edwards voted for it. However to date Obama's campaign has indeed been noticeably light on policy, and this is a factor that will be exposed later in the race if it is not rectified soon. Although only a fool would bet against Obama becoming US president at some point in his life, and though at the moment he is certainly riding the crest of the wave, without a serious Vision any knife-fight with Hillary will be one sided. Contrary to popular belief should Obama maintain his current momentum he will every cent the fundraising potential that Clinton has. However good looks and an ear for a soundbite should only get him so far. And in a world where serious politics is already dominated by the saccharine and the syrupy, the United States needs Barack Obama like it needs a shot of Candarel in the eyeball. Rumour has it that John Edwards
Fergal Madigan
Presidential hopefuls Senators Obama and Clinton, never sleeps. Instead he spends his nights wandering around downtown Des Moines allowing any card-carrying democrat to brutally sodomize him in an alleyway in exchange for the promise of a vote in the January 19th Iowa caucus. For some time now Edwards has been staking out ground on the left of the party, jumping on every bandwagon going, and running on a strong green/anti-war ticket. Whilst seeming a sensible stratagem in for a Democrat candidate this could well be the noose around Edward's neck should Al Gore, a man with considerable star power in the sphere of climate change, enter the field. A veteran of the failed 2004 Democrat campaign (when he was running-mate to John Kerry, a man so instantly forgettable that he is allegedly shocked and baffled every time he looks in a mirror) Edwards is a strong speaker, and, on paper, a strong candidate. Running with policies that make qualms of their intentions to throttle Big Business has never been the most successful fundraising tactic, but that aside Edwards' campaign will ultimately fail for two reasons: Firstly, though he may have basing much of his campaign around the internet and so-called 'Blogoshpere' in other crucial ways Edwards' campaign is still rooted in the past. To date much of his time has been spent whoring himself in Iowa and New Hampshire where he is polling considerably better than in the nation as a whole. But whereas fifty years ago a good showing in these two first states could provide the speedball to kickstart a serious campaign, in terms of raising funds, and gathering momentum, nowadays the primaries
are less spaced apart and much of the running has to be done beforehand. And secondly John Edwards' campaign will fail because he is running against the Democrats' desire to Make History. Clinton aims to become the first female president, Obama to become the first black one. To date history has been made almost exclusively by white men with mile-wide grins and effete haircuts such as John Edwards. The overwhelming desire for Something New should not be underestimated. And so onto the woman who always knew that just two terms in the White House was just not enough. As few as four years ago many of the most experienced veterans of Capitol Hill would have told you that Hillary Clinton was practically unelectable. The polarizing effect she had on the electorate was seen as an insurmountable barrier between her and the presidency. However the race proper for the 2008 presidency begun three months ago, after the November midterms, and this effect is yet to be seen. As a result Hillary finds herself clear frontrunner in a race that she has a good chance of winning. Much has been made already of the Clinton election Machine, based around a massively experienced campaign team and Hillary's unrivalled fundraising potential. And this is before even her husband has been released in earnest upon the unsuspecting public. Once he begins to slap the Democrat party around the face with his now legendary Manhood it will be hard to see Mrs. Clinton doing anything but romping to victory.
Trinity Ents this week announced that Erol Alkan and Justice will be two of the performers in the dance tent for the Trinity Ball. Erol Alkan is no stranger to the event having first played in 2005. Alkan has become a Trinity favourite over the past few years. He played the second ever Mash - Up night in February and has since returned to Dublin 6 times, selling out the Temple Bar Music Centre virtually every time. Alkan first made his name as resident DJ at his own Trash night on Mondays in the End Club, London. Over the past decade, Trash established itself as London's biggest Monday night and featured a whole host of internationally renowned guests like Tiga, Soulwax, Bloc Party and LCD Soundsystem. Trash has recently finished to allow Erol to focus on other projects. He is currently resident in chief of Bugged Out, one of Britain's oldest electronic music labels specialising in Electro and Acid House. Alkan released a compilation for Bugged Out in 2005 coinciding with a spate of remixes for the likes of the Chemical Brothers, Bloc Party and his famous re-edit of Alter Ego’s “Rocker.” Alkan has built his reputation as a proper party DJ who cuts across genres in his sets, from his early “mash-up” style, to indie-dance, to pounding electro. Over the past few years he has developed a high profile and has played for huge crowds at the likes of the Oxygen festival in Punchestown, Transmusicalles in Rennes France, and in front of 40,000 people at Bennicassim in Spain a set he described as “probably my proudest moment.” Having set such high standards it is not unreasonable to have very high expectations for next May. Joining Alkan will be Justice, a French electro duo consisting of Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay. Justice are signed to French electro stable Ed Banger records, run by Daft Punk's manager Pedro Winter aka Busy P Justice rose to prominence through their remix of Simian's “We Are Your Friends” Released first in 2003, “We Are Your Friends” was played by a whole host of DJs right around the world prompting it to be given a full commercial release in 2005. The
Dance sensation Erol Alkan in action track won the 2006 MTV Europe Music Award for Best Video famously antagonising a rather stroppy Kanye West in the process. Aside from their most famous track, Justice have built a reputation as world class electro DJs and released their first single in their own right, “Waters of Nazareth” in September 2005. An album is due to follow next June as well as their contribution to the "Fabriclive" compilation series which is expected by the end of the year. Justice made their debut in Dublin in autumn 2005. Since then they have
returned on a number of occasions most recently on the UCD campus last November. Expect them to deliver a suitably loud and hard electro set when they play at the Ball in May. The addition of these high profile acts is great news for fans of electronic music and those interested in good music in general. The rest of the line up has been finalised but will not be announced until the Ents gods allow it. With at least one more big name addition to the dance tent there is plenty to be excited about.
FEATURES 13
TRINITY NEWS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2007
Blood has no voice Jago Tennant outlines the different stages of the traditional bullfight It would be impossible to defend bullfighting in ethical terms. It is a cruel and atavistic sport – but it is also an interesting art form if you can stomach it. When I studied abroad for a year in Salamanca I had the opportunity both to attend an encierro (“a running of the bulls” like at Pamplona, albeit on a smaller scale) in Ciudad Rodrigo and a fullscale corrida de toros (“bullfight”) in Seville. The night-long fiesta in Ciudad Rodrigo involved staggering through the thronging streets of the medieval quarter with four Colombians and a couple of bottles of lethal aguardiente, but we did at one point get the chance to jeer at some other drunks jumping into the ring to tease eight juvenile bulls (rather than do them any physical harm) – in what is known as a novillada. The bullfight in Andalucía turned out to be a much more sombre affair than my two travelling companions and I had expected. It was a highly formal, family event: the Great and the Good of Seville were out in force and in all their finery. In the seats directly in front of us were a father and son duo; the son, around ten years old, must have been an initiate too as his father had to explain all the ins and outs of the intricate ceremony. And luckily we were able to surreptitiously listen in. Without this help we would have been completely at a loss. Some claim the bullfights were brought to Spain by the Emperor Claudius, while others claim they were introduced later by the Moors. What is clear is that they stem from an ancient Pan-European tradition of bull-worship and ritual: especially developed in the Minoan civilization of Crete. Fighting the bull on foot only originated early in the 18th century, the first matador “as we know it” being one Franciso Romero. Later, Juan Belmonte refined the matador’s art by getting as close as he possibly could to the bull – to maximize both skill and danger levels. Belmonte is generally regarded as the greatest matador of all time. Famous aficionados (an honorific term for a true follower of the sport, only rarely bestowed on a foreigner) of the corrida have included Goya, Picasso, Lorca and Hemingway. Hemingway’s non-fiction study of bullfighting Death in the Afternoon is still the definitive account in English. The season of the corridas runs from March through till October, with most major fights taking place in either Madrid or Seville. Tradition has it that three toreros, or matadors, will fight a total of six bulls in an afternoon. Each bull will have been raised on special fighting-bull
ranches must weigh around 600kg and be at least four years old. Each torero has 6 assistants: two picadores (“lancers”) on horseback; 3 banderilleros (“flagmen”) and a mozo de espada (“sword servant”). The fight is divided into three distinct phases, or tercios, each being heralded by a trumpet call. The Tercio de Varas (“Lance Phase”) Here the banderilleros play the bull with a large cape. The matador, resplendent in his famous traje de luces (“suit of lights”), watches intently to see the way that the bull runs and notes any possible weaknesses. Next, the bull is encouraged to charge the picadores’ horses; they attempt to weaken it by lancing the mass of muscle in the bull’s neck. The horses are blindfolded and heavily protected so are rarely hurt. They used to have no protection whatsoever and would be disembowelled by the bull’s horns (see Hemingway’s vivid recollections in the novel Fiesta), but luckily this no longer happens. Slightly weakened through loss of blood, now the bull will hopefully hold its head a little lower to make things safer for the matador. The Tercio de Banderillas (“FlagPlacing Phase”) Without the protection of cape, horse, or sword the banderilleros attempt to place their dart-like coloured flags into the neck muscles of the bull to further weaken it. The crowd will take note of the artistry and elegance with which this is done: the positioning of the flags is of the utmost importance and they should not fall out. A botched attempt is severely frowned upon. The Tercio de Muerte (“Death Phase”) The matador now takes to the ring alone. He carries his sword and the famous red cape, or muleta. The red of the cape is purely symbolic as bulls are in fact colour-blind – they are attracted by movement. The matador will often dedicate the bull to an individual or to the audience; he must kill it within a 15-minute period. This is where the real skill comes in. The matador tries to impress the crowd by getting as close as he can to the horns, all the while performing the widest range of well-recognised and choreographed moves. The crowd will either boo him or shout “Olé!” in approval. These theatrics are collectively termed the faena – every part will be carefully judged by the aficionados. The faena culminates with the bullfighter attempting to kill the bull outright with a single, clean lunge with his estoque (“sword”). It must be done by
Main photo: the bull is finally killed in the remate. Other photos, clockwise from top right: A bull gets angry as the crowd jeer at him; A matador faultlessly executing his faena; The banderillero leaps to place his flags; A picador enters the ring; and the matador talks to the bull before it charges Photos: Jago Tennant going straight in between the horns rather than from the side, and is highly dangerous. This is where nearly all the fatal injuries occur – hence the amount of superstition that surrounds the faena. You can often see the matador with his estoque poised, whispering things to the bull, coaxing or goading it, before the kill (see photo). If placed exactly right between the shoulder blades of the bull it is killed instantaneously. The sword will pierce straight through the aorta or even the heart. If not, then the matador must suffer the ignominy of getting one of his assistants to deal a coup de grâce to the bull’s
spine with a short dagger. In very exceptional circumstances, the crowd deems the bull brave enough to be saved – in which case it will live out the rest of its life in luxury as a stud. When a matador has performed bravely and gracefully the crown will give him a standing ovation and may throw hats, roses and white handkerchiefs into the ring. He may even be awarded one of the bull’s ears as a trophy. To be awarded both ears and the tail is the highest accolade. Alternatively, the matador may have to make a hasty exit under a barrage of booings and seat cushions.
Bullfighting has always the sport of the more conservative and reactionary sections of Spanish society. Funnily enough, in his classic Spanish Civil War book Homage to Catalonia, George Orwell noted that bullfighting completely disappeared in Republican Catalonia because “all the best bullfighters were fascists”. When you talk to Spaniards who are against bullfighting, you often get the sense they are more against the associative social connotations of the sport rather than its inherent cruelty. Certainly today the sport is largely unpopular in Catalonia and on the north coast. Statisitics have it
that only 10% of Spaniards are actually in favour of the corridas. And it is probable that bullfighting will disappear quite soon due to European legislation: at least the killing of the bull is likely to be banned. So in this respect Spain’s corridas may become similar to their Portuguese and French counterparts. I enjoyed the spectacle of the corrida, and will hopefully have the chance to see one again someday. I think I’ll learn a lot more about it beforehand though. • Jago Tennant is Chair of Trinity Literary Society.
14 BOOKS
TRINITY NEWS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2006
Foul deeds in Amsterdam Kevin Breathnach Ask any drunken Dutch holidaymaker what he thinks of Ayaan Hirsi Ali, then argue vehemently against his opinion. Guaranteed is an evening of emoted, irrational and often angry discussion. This, tellingly enough, is how I came to learn the Dutch C-word, which goes far beyond ours: cancerous Nazi gets bandied about with seeming insouciance. As he cycled to work on November 2nd, 2004, Theo Van Gogh – the late iconoclastic filmmaker and nephew of Vincent - was murdered by an Islamic fundamentalist named Mohammed Bouyeri. He shot Van Gogh. He slashed his throat. Then, to Van Gogh’s corpse, he pinned a letter addressed to Ayaan Hirsi Ali. He made no serious attempt to escape, shooting only arbitrarily at police. Misplaced insouciance: a Dutch thing, perhaps. Once the shrapnel of any expression of Islamic fundamentalism has settled, there usually arrives a reasonable analysis of the preceding and proceeding events. Paul Berman’s Terror and Liberalism is required reading as far for anybody who claims a reasonable grasp on Islamism. Michael Gove’s Celsius 7/7 offers much the same, though it’s certainly not as measured, nor as extensive. Clive James’ Meaning of Recognition carries a very worthy essay on the Bali bombings. On Madrid, unfortunately, international bookshelves remain largely without the intelligent account. Ian Buruma’s Murder in Amsterdam poses as the comprehensive account of the Theo Van Gogh’s mur-
der and the climate in which the murder was committed. This climate, Holland - or Amsterdam, in particular - has for years posed as a quaint, liberal utopia of tolerant, internationalist minds: a melting-pot like New York or London. Since the massive influx of immigrants into Holland’s cities, though, over the edge of that pot, Holland’s broth is spewing. Home of Erasmus and Spinoza, Holland sees itself as a home - the home of the Enlightenment and its extension, liberal democracy. Islam, argue many, is entirely incompatible with liberal democracy on an issue or ten too many: women’s rights, gay rights, freedom of speech and belief, representative government, and even ideas of law. “A liberal democracy,” says Afshin Ellian, “cannot survive when part of the population believes that divine laws trump those made by man.” Despite this, Buruma delves not into the world of radical and political Islam (that is to say Islamism) as explicated by Paul Berman. Al-Qaeda too goes without mention, and don’t think the Muslim Brotherhood will be considered - not in any case beyond Hirsi Ali’s one-time membership thereof. Buruma, in other words, ignores the entire history of Islamism, the cause under whose name Mohammed Bouyari unrepentantly murdered Theo Van Gogh. How telling it is then that the book’s index throws everything germane under the one label (“Islam and Islamism”) as if one - a religion - was the same as the other - a fascistic political ideology based on the religion in question. Key figures in international Islam
are ignored: not once do we read of Sayyid Qutb, Ayman al-Zarahiri, Hassan al-Banna, Abu al-Mawdudi or even Osama Bin Laden. In a book about an Islamist murder. Not once. The book is composed almost entirely in the first person, a bad start, but a move apt to Buruma’s seeming unwillingness to condemn (or, perhaps, justify) disregard for enshrined Western values, like free expression, held by a sizeable proportion of Holland’s immigrants. Despite his evident diligence, there’s nothing at all clinical about this exposé, which reads as if composed under a cautionary cloud of political correctness. Despite this, Murder in Amsterdam remains a valuable – if fluffy – study into the roots of fundamentalism to be fought at home- discrimination, exclusion, poverty, etc. - but it should not be read in isolation to Paul Berman’s laudable study of, as it were, the problem’s other end the end in which all too often disillusioned Muslim immigrants find refuge. For it is in this end - Islamism and Islamist theory - that disillusionment turns to nihilism, and that a frustration with societal restrictions becomes a wish not for freedom in any normal sense, but a desire for – to paraphrase Buruma - liberation in death. Berman remains required reading on an international scale; Buruma, for all his scrupulous research, remains firmly within the realms of reportage, and as such on only a strictly local, specialised scale should Murder in Amsterdam be considered required reading.
Home of Erasmus and Spinoza, Holland sees itself as a home of the Enlightenment
Creatures of the earth Derek Cannon In the preface to this collection, McGahern’s last published work before his death in March 2006, he says that these stories ‘often began from as little as the sound of a chainsaw in the evening or a gold watch spilling out of a sheet where it had been hidden for years’. This perfectly sums up the drive behind this revised selection of short stories culled from the various individual collections throughout John McGahern’s career. The drama in these stories is in the small moments in life; the fleeting glimpse of a loved one or an overheard conversation at a train station. In many stories, the setting is a small town or city with small problems, but these towns and cities are actually representative of much wider universal problems people everywhere have; love, death, old age, loneliness. A complete patchwork of human existence is expressed. McGahern draws his characters and settings so eloquently that within a few short pages, the reader is plunged into a whole world of these characters. The sadness and death like experience of a broken heart is beautifully dealt with in My Love, My Umbrella. Creatures of the Earth chronicles the two extremes of humanity - violence and kindness - by way of a shifting narrative. The story is a vivid portrayal of both instincts. This is typical of McGahern’s balanced writing, acknowledging both sides of every coin. Other stories start off as idealistic fairytales of couples starting out a life together, but by the end, a cold dose of realism has been administered and characters ponder the life that never was. His style is
always grounded and frequently humorous while dealing with abstract topics as well. The philosophising and one-up man-ship of two farmers in Why We’re Here is a perfect example. Elsewhere, common themes include father/son relationships, family, death, sex and alienation. This all seems undoubtedly bleak, especially the sexual predator in Lavin or the cruelty of two young men’s treatment of a cat in Creatures of the Earth, but there is always a silver thread of hope running through the stories. This hope is in the fleeting moments of beauty and freedom that are scattered throughout the lives of characters. Thus, the end of a teacher’s school day in The Recruiting Officer is like a rebirth and the young man waiting for exam results in Korea seems ready to conquer the world when compared with the slow unwinding of the story as a whole. An explosion of violence or sadness too, however, can sometimes wake these stories from their slumber. It is this unexpectedness that makes these stories live in the memory. The real achievement in this book is highlighting the ordinary, routine tasks of life as, in fact, extraordinary and really what life is about. In one single sentence, McGahern can put words on an everyday experience that a thousand words never could. It has been said that upon finishing any of his works, the reader feels ‘as if they have been living’ and this is equally evident in these stories. Indeed, a fitting epitaph to McGahern’s life and work is in the last lines of Love of the World, the aptly titled final story he ever wrote: ‘there was no wind. The stars in their place were clear and fixed. Who this night would not want to live?’
Gore Vidal navigates his way through a second memoir Pádraic Lamb Gore Vidal is an immodest man; however, he has much to be immodest about: twenty two novels, five plays, numerous screenplays, including Ben-Hur, over two hundred scintillating essays, a life led among the rich, the famous and the beautiful, and this second memoir, Point to Point Navigation. The title is a reference to Vidal’s time served in Alaska during the Second World War. Poor weather conditions rendered compass redundant and the navy was forced to navigate by identifying landmarks, a dangerous business, which Vidal likens to writing this memoir. Not an autobiography, you will notice; the book floats from glittering episode to episode across time without ever wallowing in the mire of tedious detail. Vidal’s immodesty has a limit it seems; at the outset he reassures us that “Contrary to legend, I was born of mortal woman.” He was born in 1925 into a world of privilege and marital discord. He grew up, because of the marital discord in Washington, DC, a childhood attending Senate meetings with his blind
grandfather, Senator T.P. Gore; Virginia, the home of his mother’s second husband – when that marriage fell asunder, they were replaced by the Bouviers, of which Jackie Bouvier, later Kennedy, later Kennedy-Onassis. Vidal’s life is full of such connections and great names (Tennessee Williams, Truman Capote, all the Kennedys, Princess Margaret, Federico Fellini…) but there can be no accusation of gratuitous name-dropping. Quite simply, they are the circles he moves in. ‘The pen is mightier than the sword’ they say, but with Vidal, there is little difference. His prose is the sharpest, most withering in the land and he continues some long-running feuds in this book, with, among others, The New York Times, religion and literary theory. We think of the New York Times as epitomising liberal middle-class America. Would that it were always so! Vidal’s third novel, The City and the Pillar, which he helpfully points out is “sometimes noted in academic circles as the basis for a new discipline called ‘Queer Studies’,” was too scandalous to be allowed, in the eyes of the esteemed New York Times. The naturalistic novel presents homosexuality as some-
thing other than an aberration, with glimmers of the pen-as-sword which was to become Vidal’s trademark. He was blacklisted by the NY Times, who ignored his next seven novels, as well as smearing him Maoist red in his unsuccessful run for in Congress in 1960. He strikes back. When the Times played Freud on Vidal, he replied: “This is quintessential New York Times reporting. First, it is ill-written, hence ill-edited. Second, it is inaccurate. Third, it is unintelligent in the vulgar Freudian way… These demurs to one side, I am grateful to you employee for so beautifully demonstrating in a single sentence so many of the reasons why the New York Times is a perennially bad newspaper and bound to champion the disreputable likes of Judith Miller [name added later, obviously]” This book is more than a bitchy parting shot, however, from the eighty-one year old. Death is, perhaps inevitably, the leitmotiv; he uses Montaigne as his “ultimate touchstone” for reflections on death, how to die and deceptive memory. For a writer who once prided himself on never being his own subject (this he did, he tells us with “icy superiority”), he bares a
weaker side. Vidal and scorn we are used to, but sorrow is something new. The centrepiece of these reflections on the march “towards the door marked Exit” is the account of the death his “partner” (the quotation marks are Vidal’s), Howard Austen. But death is something which Vidal literally cannot escape: as he writes, his contemporaries die. So we read fascinating vignettes about Susan Sontag, Johnny Carson, Arthur Miller, Saul Bellow and the Polish pope, Vidal ensures that the morbid can still be mordant; of the pope he writes “His stern prohibition of contraceptives has crowded the Catholic heaven with African angels”; of Sontag, “Susan was admitted to the Montparnasse cemetery where she will join Sartre and Beauvoir, not too bad for a graduate of Hollywood High.” Point to Point Navigation is an exercise in style, a good introduction to this elegant and immodest writer and an intriguing literary history of the twentieth century. Vidal ends by quoting Pope and so shall we: “The proper study of mankind is man.” This memoir then is above all an intimate study of the world, with Vidal, as to be expected, at its centre.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 15
TRINITY NEWS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2007
Nanotechnology gets sporty eMark
Steacy
Nanotechnology, engineering on a scale of individual atoms and molecules, is a method to design new materials or improve already existing materials. Nanotechnology can be attributed to anything engineered at the nanoscale. A nanometre is a billionth of a metre, a typical diameter for a strand of human hair is roughly 100,000 nanometres. Today, nanotechnology is being used to design better sports equipment and clothing. The design of better sport equipment has been evident throughout the history of sport. In tennis, rackets were made of wood up until a few decades ago. At the end of the 1960’s, a company called Wilson mastered a new design of tennis rackets made from aluminium. By the 1980’s tennis rackets were made of graphite. Each new material was making the rackets stiffer and lighter which favoured speed and power serves. Now it’s nanotechnology’s turn to revolutionise the sporting world. One area of particular interest is carbon nanotubes. Carbon nanotubes are essentially hollow tubes of pure carbon atoms which are one hundred times stronger than steel, at only one-sixth of the weight. This material meets both the essential attributes of designing better sports equipment incredibly well. However, carbon nanotubes do have one major flaw. They do not bind readily to other materials and stubbornly resist incorporation in the majority of production processes. In tennis rackets, carbon nanotubes are incorporated in a small proportion in the yoke at the base of the racket which is the area that bends slightly upon impact of the tennis ball. The rackets tend to bend a lot less during ball impact when the material is reinforced with carbon nanotubes. This increases torsion and flex resistance within the racket which strengthens the racket overall. Tennis rackets aren’t the only sports equipment to benefit from adding carbon nanotubes to the already existing material. Golf clubs are also being revolu-
Tennis is one of many sports to benifit from nanotechology. Carbon nanotubes can be incorporated at the base of the racket increasing its torsion and flex resistance leading to stronger rackets. tionised with the integration of carbon nanotubes into the resin system of the shaft which dramatically improves the strength properties. This improved strength and consistency from carbon nanotubes results in a golf shaft that delivers the longest, straightest, most con-
sistent drives ever. Bicycles are also benefiting from the inclusion of carbon nanotubes which radically improve strength and toughness in critical areas. The weakest areas in a traditional carbon-fibre bicycle are the tiny spaces between the fibres that contain
only resin. The carbon nanotubes impregnates this resin/fibre matrix which strengthens the whole component overall. Hockey sticks, baseball bats, and softball bats also benefit for the same reasons. Other forms of nanotechnology are being used to benefit sports equipment,
not just carbon nanotubes. The next generation of golf balls are using nanotechnology to construct balls that transfer energy from the club head to the ball more efficiently. This generates extra lift and distance without as much spin which leads to hooking or slicing. Through
selection and control over material properties, the ball can be designed in a way that it behaves like a wide-track tyre when putting; breaking less on incline and less prone to being nudged “off-line” by imperfections in the surface of the green. Skis wax is using nanotechnology to improve high gliding and sticking properties in the form of a nanowax. The structure of the nanowax remains free of actual wax so the ski can glide optimally. The ultra-thin coating changes according to temperature and adapts perfectly to the surface and snow crystals. It’s not just sports equipment that’s taking advantage of the nanotechnology era. Nanotechnology is currently being used to cure perhaps the oldest problem in sports, smelly clothing and accessories. A research group at the State College in Pennsylvania have developed silver nanoparticles that can mesh with the nylon, cotton, or plastic material in jerseys, socks, shoes, pads, helmets, or other items of sports accessories. The nanoparticles kill the bacteria and microbes that cause bad odours. Even at this early stage of nanotechnology sports products production, there are already a number of products available on the market. Babolat currently have two types of rackets on the market that have carbon nanotubes incorporated into the composite at a cost of just over €90. According to the NanoBusiness Alliance trade group, it is predicted that by 2014 a total of $2.6 trillion worth of sports products will incorporate nanotechnology, 15% of that year’s manufacturing output. However, not everyone within the sporting world thinks that this is the way forward. Outspoken former men’s champion at Wimbledon, John McEnroe, is of the opinion that modern rackets have ruined the modern game by making men’s serves almost impossible to return. Whatever the future may hold for nanotechnology in the design of sports equipment, one thing is certain however. It’s going to become even more dangerous to be a ball boy/girl on Centre Court at Wimbledon.
Shut your Studying the Sun by looking at our atmosphere mouth David Cummins Sophie Murray The ionosphere is a name for a layer of the Earth's atmosphere that is ionized by solar radiation, and its structure is strongly influenced by solar activity. It is continually blasted by particles and energy from the Sun. The ionosphere reacts strongly to the intense X-ray and UV radiation released by the Sun during a solar flare or solar storm. These solar disturbances can be examined by monitoring changes to the Earth's ionosphere. Recently, an AWESOME (Atmospheric Weather Electromagnetic System for Observation Modelling and Education) monitor was installed on the roof of the SNIAM building here in Trinity. It was designed by the Very Low Frequency Research Group at Stanford University in California, and monitors changes in the ionosphere from radio waves being reflected off it. From the data obtained by the monitor it will be possible to observe daily changes in the ionosphere, solar events such as flares, and also Earth atmospherics, eg lightning strikes. The receiver in Trinity is the first of many that are to be installed throughout the country. It is all due to the International Heliospherical Year 2007, the objective of which is to advance ‘‘our understanding of the fundamental heliophysical processes that govern the Sun, Earth and Heliosphere,’’ as their website states. Some of the main organisers of IHY Ireland are here in Trinity, Dr. Peter Gallagher and his Astrophysics Research Group. They hope to promote physics in schools throughout Ireland, by giving various talks around the country, and setting up five Sudden Ionospheric Disturbance monitors in a number of schools. The reason for the installation of these is not only to get students interested in physics, but the data can be sent back to Trinity for research into the effect of the Sun on the Earth. So what sort of results will these monitors get? The monitors can detect when lightning strikes and solar flares have occurred, and the data received can be used to analyse these events. When a solar flare occurs, X-rays travel towards the Earth and penetrate through the layers of the ionosphere, causing significant ion-
The AWESOME monitor on the roof of College’s SNIAM building can detect solar flares by looking at fluctations in the Earth’s heliosphere isation in the lower layers. This means that radio waves that reflect off the ionosphere lower down, and signal strengths increase. Measurements from amplitude changes and examinations of various spectra produced show many different things, such as the changes in electron density, heights of the ionosphere, and the times the solar flares and lightning strikes occurred. Even simple things like determining times of sunrise and sunset can be calculated. What is really interesting about this project is that not only will there be several installed in Ireland, but many other countries will be doing the exact same thing worldwide. The data will be compared and combined with data from other
receivers around the world, to give a “map” of the ionosphere, and provide a clear picture of the effect Solar Activity on the Earth. But what is the benefit of all this research? The ionosphere has a massive impact on radio and satellite communications. Radio waves ‘hop’ from the Earth to the ionosphere and back to the Earth. International broadcasters use the ionosphere to reflect radio signals back toward the Earth, so that their TV and radio programmes can be seen and heard around the world. The ionosphere provides long range capabilities for commercial ship-toshore communications, for trans-oceanic aircraft links, and for military communication and surveillance systems. Solar events such as flares or coronal mass ejec-
tions can lead to worldwide communication ‘blackouts’. Any sort of ionospheric irregularities can have a major impact on system performance and reliability, and commercial satellite designers need to account for their effects. Some research has already been started on examining changes in the ionosphere in order to improve communications, such as HAARP (High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program), which is trying to use high power radio transmitters to modify the properties of the ionosphere. The IHY should be a good way of promoting solar physics as well as hopefully expanding research in the field. There’s certainly more going on up in the sky than meets the eye, and it’s definitely worth investigating.
Why do 95% of us breathe too much and how can an alternative approach to breathing can have positive implications for asthma sufferers? Consider the following: “The more you breathe, the closer you are to death, while the less you breathe, the longer you will live”. While this theory may sound somewhat absurd at first, it holds true according to the teachings of a Russian scientist, Doctor Konstantin Buteyko. Buteyko developed a drug-free method to treat sufferers of asthma that would return the physiological parameters of the body to their normal state. The “Buteyko Method” can be practised anytime, anywhere. It has scientific backing, and years of research have proven that following this method can significantly improve general health and overall quality of life. The method focuses on the need to employ correct breathing patterns in everyday life. Proper breathing involves breathing that meets the body’s needs and provides optimal conditions for health. Increased breathing does not necessarily equate to increased health levels, similar in kind to the notion that proper nutrition is not achieved by eating more. The Buteyko Method is based on the theory that hyperventilation, or overbreathing, is the cause of many of what Dr Buteyko termed the “Civilization Diseases”. Traditionally, we are taught to breathe deeply with a view to inspiring as much oxygen as possible; the more oxygen we inhale, the better, right? Not exactly. There is a need to maintain a balance between carbon dioxide and oxygen in the body. So what exactly constitutes overbreathing and what happens when we overbreath? In normal circumstances, haemoglobin (the carrier of oxygen in the body) is saturated with oxygen by 9698%. By breathing more, or hyperventilating, you increase oxygen saturation negligibly, but lose carbon dioxide which is essential for oxygen utilisation. Due to the Bohr Effect, when the level of carbon dioxide in the body decreases (through overbreathing, excessive carbon dioxide is lost), haemoglobin does not release oxygen to the cells and tissues of the body. Hence, the more you breathe, the less oxygen is actually passed to the tis-
sues of your body. The body knows what is happening, even though the brain may not fully understand its significance. Defence reactions serve to limit the amount of carbon dioxide lost through the airways. A blocked nose is an example. But people just open their mouths. Problem solved? Unfortunately not; this just forms part of a vicious circle leading to the narrowing of the windpipes or bronchitis, and excessive mucous formation. A Catch 22 if you like. Symptoms widely associated with asthma. These restrictions are simply the body’s way of protecting itself. So would you be correct in concluding that asthma itself is not a disease, but more a collection of symptoms? Put simply, yes. And these symptoms may be alleviated by following the Buteyko Method which involves the following: Breathing through your nose; Using the diaphragm rather than the chest to breath; taking slow, shallow breaths reducing your rate of breathing. Overbreathing is classified as taking more than twelve breaths per minute in a resting state. The Buteyko training challenges you to test how many breaths you take in a normal resting minute. You may also wish to attempt a control pause; follow a normal inhalation over two seconds with a three-second long exhalation. Then hold your breath and time how long elapses until the temptation to breathe sets in. Anywhere under 25 seconds means that your health requires attention. This control pause was developed following years of research on the part of Dr Buteyko. Through correct training in the Buteyko Technique, asthmatics are able to prevent attacks from occurring. This training focuses on the need to relax the breathing process, with the intention of slowing the rate of breathing and reducing the volume of air being inspired. As carbon dioxide levels increase, your body gradually learns to deal with the ventilation response. Resisting the temptation to breathe is often quite difficult, but is an important element of the training. With perseverance and persistence, chronic diseases and ailments can be overcome. This article is not a substitute for medical advice. It should be stressed that asthma sufferers are encouraged not to discontinue use of preventative medication straight away.
16 TRAVEL
TRINITY NEWS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2007
Mesmerised by the wild, rugged, and romantic scenery of Wales Maureen Lowndes I love watching sport and I love to travel, so my journey to Cardiff for the Ireland Wales match on Sunday February 4th gave me the best of both worlds. Our journey began on Friday evening when we stayed the night in Castleknock and were picked up there by our travel company the next morning at 5.20am to drive to the ferry in Rosslare. After getting off the ferry we set off by coach and the beauty of the scenery in Wales was breathtaking. We checked into our hotel near Swansea city centre and took a taxi to the city centre were we had dinner in a Chinese restaurant which offered us a buffet with all the food you can hold for a set price. I was a bit peeved when I got the bill as I was billed as a senior citizen and it annoyed me even though I got my meal for a song. I knew I should have got my hair done before I went. After dinner in Swansea we got a cab back to the hotel and a few of the lads on our tour were going clubbing. I might be a senior citizen but that wasnt going to stop me clubbing so we booked a cab again and off we went back to Swansea city centre. The buzz is like Temple Bar on a Saturday night, were the girls of Temple Bar go out with nothing on them. Well here is news for you young Trinity guys, the girls wear even less in Swansea. I spotted one girl with a tiny shorts and a bra top and nothing more and another girl had a black hot pants and bra joined together with bits of strings. What a sight! The next morning after breakfast, we set off from Swansea to Cardiff and the
scenery is wild, rugged and romantic. We were in Cardiff in an hour with loads of time to spare before the match so we decided to do the tour of Cardiff Castle which was owned by the Bute family. According to our tour guide The third marquis who was one of the richest men in Europe at that time and owned the coalmines, the railway and most of Cardiff were employed to redecorate the castle in 1866. He had several homes but only stayed in the Castle six weeks per year. He employed the architect William Burgess to design the interior and he spent a fortune decorating the place using gold and precious stones. Some of his staff only earned eight pounds per year so grandeur came before the welfare of the workers as it did with most other aristocracy. The highlight of the visit was of course the game in the millennium stadium. It was so great to be there for the atmosphere and as “Ireland’s Call” rang out across the pitch it certainly got the emotions going. I felt so proud to be Irish that day. It was a great win and the Welsh fans were lovely to us even in defeat. After the game we came back to the hotel and as last orders were called four guys from the West bought 26 pints and they were all laid out in front of them with the Irish flag and it was some sight. I had three glasses of wine to celebrate. They were large glasses and when the fire alarm went off in the middle of the night, I had to get out of bed full of the gargle. It was however a memorable trip and Wales is one of my favourite places in the world so it is unfortunate that I am now back writing my boring old essays.
Most of Cardiff was employed to redecorated Cardiff Castle, pictured here, in 1866. Photo: Maureen Lowndes
A good scorching sends the Will tourists return to Beirut? Sicilian scuttling undercover M Thompson
Emily Hogan The adventure thus far had been largely hazard free. Despite my sun cravings, I had heeded popular advice and confined all roasting activity to dead species of fish and meat. I neglected to keep my eye on the Sicilian however wrongly assuming that years of concentrated exposure would have inured his skin to the effects of the sun. A twinge of pink in the morning of that particularly hot day, had increasingly darkened throughout the afternoon and by evening the Sicilian informed me that he could not go anywhere until the swelling went down. The back of his legs, in particular his calves, were red and sensitive to touch, becoming blanched when light pressure was applied. It appeared to be a mild case of first degree burns. We were both at a loss as to how this could have happened. I had somehow managed to emerge from our days lounging unscathed. A playful taunting of my friend, “Il Mediterraneo” was not received well. Offering helpful advice from my own personal experience only added fuel to the fire. Initial distress turned to anger and he began to accuse me of foul play. What burn inducing cream had I smeared on him? Did I think this was funny? This is exactly the type of thing that an Irish person would find funny. Just because Irish skin suffers similar broiling all the time does not mean that it was not potentially fatal for a Sicilian. Should we go to the hospital? Onde l’hospitale? What had possessed him to go away with someone who didn’t know how to drive? That was so unbelievably short sighted. An emergency like this was bound to happen. Well could I at least phone home for him? The Sicilian was staying in the tent until the swelling went down. He was not to be disturbed. There are worse towns than Ericeria in which to be left at a loose end. In fact if you’re a girl without a car and no one to mind you, it is possibly the best place in which you could be landed. It is a small town, about an hour north of Lisbon, perched on a rocky ledge thirty metres above a series of dramatic beaches. In amongst the plethora of over-developed tourist resorts, Ericeria stands out as the genuine article. Somehow it has managed to preserve traditional Portuguese charm without being twee. Its streets are narrow and cobbled, whitewashed houses are framed with bright cobalt blue and yellow borders. The small main square, shaded by trees and with a wooden grandstand, is a frenzy of activity from early morning onwards. Locals stream in and out of the
Ericeria during the World Surfing Championships. Photo: Leonardo Marino small shops lining its sides. They stand cheek-by-jowl at the counters of the pastelaries drinking coffee and buying bread and pastries. The general hustle and bustle makes for a buoyant, laid-back atmosphere as opposed to a town besieged by tourists. Moving away from the Praa da Republica it is easy to get lost in the warren of small streets, all teeming with funny little shops ideal for exploration. After stooping in under low wooden doorframes and adjusting to the almost complete darkness, you find pokey little haberdasheries, basket shops and
swimwear that has not been shifted since the seventies. It is also rich hunting ground for somewhere to graze. Everywhere is full of character, with cosy no-frills décor and the freshest of seafood. As I wandered around making mental notes of things I would have to relay to my friend quarantined in the tent, I began to notice a lot of people milling around looking uncannily alike; long shorts, even longer bleached hair and an enviable way of moving in flip-flops. This must be fate. We had hit Ericeria the week it was hosting the World Surfing Championships. I
returned to check on the Sicilian and to inform him of the exciting goings-on and that I was off to one of the beaches a few kilometres south where proceedings were taking place. A quick zip and the Sicilian was out of the tent like a shot. Under no circumstances was I to go anywhere by myself. We would go and watch the surfing together. Ordinarily he would try and compete himself were it not for his sensitive skin issue. But it would be nice to get out of the tent for a little while. He didn’t mind keeping me company at all.
I was in Beirut for the Summer of 2006: the summer that 50 Cent rocked out to a sell out crowd; the summer that more private beach clubs opened than you could count on both hands; the summer that saw the city hailed as the party capital of the region, the Ibiza for the Arabs. Yet it was also the summer that the bombs arrived, thousands of nationals and tourist alike had to flee the city and hundreds of people were killed. This was July 2006, a month which marked yet another huge step-back for Lebanon and added to a long line of conflict, unrest and war which has so often marred this beautiful country. For a nation which had just begun to welcome more than 1 million tourists in a year since the previous civil war and an economy becoming fast dependent on this tourist industry, how can Lebanon ever hope to rebuild its status as the place to be seen? With a steady influx of wealthy Arabs from the neighbouring countries in the Middle East and the Gulf, Beirut has a reputation for being a place to spend money, show-off your money and basically party as if Daddy owns half the oil reserves in Saudi. The Four Seasons is currently building a super-swish hotel on the waterfront in the city and scores of other luxurious brands have recently opened in this bustling metropolis. One suspects that no-one envisaged that Israel would be sending in a few bombs when such lavish plans for development were being discussed. The chain however has stated that it will push ahead with its Beirut development proudly claiming that even after September 11, it stuck by its future plans and didn’t pull the plug on any of its new openings. The question is, will it get the clientele to fill it super luxurious beds? Likely not in the next few months at least, as the current situation in Lebanon is anything but stable. With speak of a governmental overthrow, worries of yet another civil war and whispers of further attack, it isn’t the most desirable place for even the most trepid of tourist to venture. And that remains a problem: Beirut didn’t make its money from the trepid adventure thrill seeker seeking a holiday in an infamous warzone: Beirut made its money from the super rich who liked to be collected from the airport in the hummer, they liked the beautiful Lebanese girls decked out by Dolce and Donnatella and they lived for the super slick night clubs offering all night parties able to rival any of white isle’s finest. With many of these clubs now closed, the beaches destroyed from
Edde Sands oil spillages following the bombings and a new sense of fear of what is to come the tourism forecast for Summer 2007 looks bleak. There is one key point to note however. Beiruti’s live for today and worry not for tomorrow. Gemayze, Mono Street and Rouche are still drawing the weekend crowds with there undeniable selection of bars, clubs and exciting restaurants, and those that fled in the summer are slowly starting to come back given their undeniable draw to this small but incredibly warm country. There is something special about Lebanon. The people are inherently proud of their nation, their nationality and their warmth and it is this that keeps pulling the people back. Take Edde Sands for example: a super luxurious private beach club where the Beiruti socialities come out to play. It is like nothing I have ever experienced before. Numerous staff on call to meet your every demand, an amazing selection of swimming pools and the piece de resistance – full king size double beds adorned with cushions and pillows completely encircling the pool. It takes the idea of lying in the sun to a completely new and unparallel level. Am I desperate to get back to Edde’s next summer? Without a shadow of a doubt… I just need a little more confirmation that there won’t be any more bombs. So the question remains to be answered as to whether Lebanon can pick itself back up and piece together its shattered tourist industry? I guess that if New York can remain popular after the devastating and shocking events of September 11, then maybe there is some hope for Beirut, for Lebanon and for it’s people.
SPORT FEATURES 17
TRINITY NEWS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2007
Cricket
Into the west for planet’s finest as Cricket world cup rolls around again David Lydon As the ICC World Cup 2007 rolls into action over the upcoming weeks, Ireland prepare to take their place amongst the big boys in the sport’s premier competition. The structure of the tournament, hosted for the first time by the West Indies, is designed to profit the best eight teams, with four groups of four each containing two established teams and two weaker ones. (This is the first time sixteen teams have taken part, with only fourteen at the previous world cup.) The top two from each group progress into a round-robin ‘Super Eight’ round, from which the four semi-finalists are drawn. Still with me? Good. To put this into perspective, Ireland have a tough job ahead of them, with matches against hosts West Indies, perennial dark horses Pakistan, and the entirely unpredictable Zimbabwe. If Ireland can get sneak a result against either of the seeded teams and win against Zimbabwe, they could feasibly qualify for the super eight. Whist the ICC World Cup has been criticised for rewarding the established teams and offering nothing but a formality to the weaker nations, Kenya reached the semifinals in the 2003 event, and Sri Lanka, far from fancied in the 1996 tournament, triumphed against the pre-tournament predictions, beating odds-on favourites in the final. Whilst there is hope for Trent Johnston’s team, they will have their work cut out. Ireland are one of the six non-Test playing nations at the Finals, along with Kenya, Canada, Bermuda, Scotland and the Netherlands. Ireland’s road to the final (this journalist’s jinxing notwithstanding) begins with a warm-up match against tournament outsiders South Africa on the 5 March, followed by a more reasonably matched game against Canada on the eighth. The real action begins against Zimbabwe on the 15th. Here is a preview of Ireland’s, as well as the chances of the other fifteen teams. Group A Australia enter the tournament as favourites, hoping for a third successive victory. However, England showed up the reigning champions in the recent triseries, proving their vulnerability when put under pressure. Both Adam Gilchrist and Andrew Symonds, potential match winners, are missing the opening stages of the competition, which might have long-term repercussions for their momentum once they (presumably) reach the knockout rounds. They have both the batting and bowling to deserve their tags of favourites, with old chunterer Glenn McGrath promising to sign off after the tournament. Given Shane Warne’s perfect retirement after the Ashes, you’d have to be a brave man to bet against a fairytale ending for one of the best bowlers to ever grace the game. Prediction: Finalists South Africa must fancy their chances after seeing Australia slip at the vital moment against England. Promising form against Pakistan as well as possibly the best fielding in world cricket could see them progress to the final, although their match against the Aussies is saved until last, by which point either team may have slipped. It’s hard to see them finally winning a World Cup (their best chance was in the last tournament when they exited early despite being hosts) but in Makaya Ntini and Shaun Pollock they have two of the most reliably attacking bowlers, and boast the batting strengths of Jacques Kallis, Herschelle Gibbs and Graeme Smith at the top of the order. Write off at your risk. Prediction: Semifinalists Scotland make a welcome return to the world cup after missing qualification for the 2003 tournament. They impressed despite making an early exit in the 1999 championship, and a second place finish in the recent ICC World League places them only behind Kenya in the minnow stakes. An ability to win at the death is perhaps Scotland’s strongest calling card, beating Ireland on the last ball of their recent encounter. In Dougie Browne, a regular in the British County setup, they possess a bowler capable of turning a match on its head. Prediction: Early exit for the plucky Scots Netherlands are making their third appearance at the finals, but are yet to succeed in reaching the second stage. Whilst they have some excellent attacking batsmen, most notably the prolific Ryan ten Doeschate and Bas Zuiderent (who ply their trade for Essex and Sussex respectively), their only real hope is beat-
The form of the “little maestro” Sachin Tendulkar will be vital if India are to challenge for glory in the West Indies. Tendulkar will be hoping to confirm himself to be the world’s finest batsmen at this year’s World Cup. ing Scotland, and that match is sure to make for interesting viewing. Prediction: Early flight home
at their best when faced with adversity, so let’s just hope they meet Pakistan in the second round. Prediction: Super Eight
Group B
Bangladesh have proven to be whipping boys at previous world cups. However, they have come on leaps and bounds since the last tournament even beating Australia in a memorable match in Cardiff two summers ago. Just their luck that they have to be pooled with two of the pre-tournament favourites, meaning that, unless a minor miracle is on the cards, they will have to return home early again. A real shame, as they could probably give England and New Zealand a run for their money. Prediction: Unlucky draw sees the Tigers limp home early Bermuda are, on paper, the weakest, and most improbable, team at the World Cup. Like Namibia before them, they are unlikely to trouble the points table too much. In David Hemp (the captain of Welsh County Glamorgan) they have a more than adequate batsman who looked like being the George Best (or more appropriately, the Ryan Giggs) of cricket, and would never play in a World Cup. However, he will see this platform as a great opportunity to show the world that Bermuda, like the other five associate members, can put up a fight. Despite this, he seemed to be on his own in a disappointing ICC World League campaign, where Bermuda finished last. Oh well. Prediction: Back to the triangle before the Super Eight.
Sri Lanka cannot be ignored. Since winning the finals in 1996, they have developed their own brand of quick-fire batting and aggressive bowling. In Muttiah Muralitharan they have one of the biggest (literally) names in cricket, with the unorthodox spinner able to change the course of a match in the flick of a fizzing off-break. Veteran Sanath Jayasuriya will return to a squad captained by Mahela Jayawardene, and should these two fire, they might be unstoppable. Youngster Upal Tharanga will offer an extra dimension at the top of the order, and potential player of the tournament, wicket-keeper Kumar Sangakkarra, could get Sri Lanka to the final on his own. Prediction: Finalists India have three potential reasons for hope in this World Cup. One, they play as much, if not more One Day Internationals than anyone else, meaning that they have a squad of experienced players. Two, Indians live, sleep and eat cricket, and their passion alone should carry them a long way. Cricket for them is far more important than life and death. And most importantly, the third reason is the little maestro that is Sachin Tendulkar. He quite simply is the best batsman in the world (especially in the world cup, where he has been top scorer before and hold the record for a staggering eight man of the match awards). If the little genius fires, India could prove unstoppable. However, India always play
Group C New Zealand looked to be the dark horses of the tournament until recently. This
observation was not just based on their All-Black attire (with a recent tendency towards Beige), but their surprise defeat at the hands of England in the recent Triseries tournament. Stephen Fleming’s men are fortunate to be in possibly the weakest group in this World Cup, and should they regain form against Kenya and Canada, they do have the batsmen in Jacob Oram and Craig McMillan who can take a game away from the opposition. The recent retirement of Nathan Astle is a big blow, but the recovery of maverick paceman Shane Bond is a huge plus. They will have to form more than the sum of their parts to reach the semifinals, but if they do achieve it, there’s little stopping them from recording their first World Cup victory. Prediction: Super Eight England, until recently, looked like they would once again underachieve and take the first available flight home to greener pastures. However, a renaissance during the aforementioned Tri-series has given pundits a new outside bet, with Paul Collingwood, Trinity’s own Ed Joyce, and the ever-reliable Andrew Flintoff piling on the pain against the Aussies. Whilst their pace bowling attack is unsettled, they do have Monty Panesar, who is probably the best left-arm spinner playing at the moment. Should Michael Vaughan return to captain the side, they have the tactical as well as the mental prowess to triumph. England are blessed with an easy draw in the group (another example of this journalist jinxing a team) and, if they can beat New Zealand again, could prove to be unlikely semi-finalists. Prediction: Super Eight
Kenya proved to be the surprise package in the 2003 World Cup, losing to India in the Semi-finals. Since then, financial and coaching troubles have prevented their development, and they have only recently returned to their former glories. If Steve Tikolo and Thomas Odoyo make the impact they have threatened to do for a long time, they could easily beat either England or New Zealand to a second round spot. Kenya were the best team at the ICC World League, but their lack of strength in depth, coupled with their fixture list (they play England last) could prove to count against them. It could be another fairytale for the Africans, but could be over before it begun. Prediction: Near misses for the Super Eight Canada have the mix of hard-hitting batsmen (South Australian-based John Davison holds the record for the fastest World Cup Century) and wily bowling to cause an upset, but their hit-and-miss form in the World League would suggest that it will be an early exit. Given the potential weakness of all four of the teams in their group, Canada could prosper, but they are likely to give the three other sides plenty of batting and bowling practice for the later stages. Prediction: Oh, Canada. Early exit. Group D Pakistan could prove to be eventual winners, providing their bowling attack hold strong. This, however, is looking increasingly unlikely, with the speed merchant Shoaib Akhtar looking a doubt and deputy Umar Gul potentially sidelined. In Mohammed Yousef, Younis Khan and Inzamam ul-Haq, Pakistan have the holy
trinity of middle-order batsmen, and could wreak havoc against any bowling attack. However, Pakistan lack a quality one-day spinner, a position that has become increasingly important in the middle stages of the 50-over game, However, in part-time spinner Shahid Afridi (who incidentally played for Ireland last year) they have one of the most destructive batters in the history of the game. Afridi boasts a 37-ball century, and has been showing recent signs of replicating this kind of form. Likely to trouble the more favoured sides, Pakistan could reach the semi-finals if the players can stay fit and injury-free. Prediction: Just missing out on a semi-final berth West Indies are setting out to defy the stigma preventing host nations from winning the World Cup. The Windies can blow hot or cold, but recent form has improved their chances. They have, in Brian Charles Lara, one of the greatest players the game has produced, and coupled with the equally competent Chris Gayle (possibly the coolest cricketer in existence – now that’s pretty cool) could take the host nation all the way. Dwayne Bravo, the young all-rounder of the moment, could turn matches with both ball and bat, and higher-order batters Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan (included for their names alone) are equally adept at winning matches. In a World Cup already surrounded by controversy, it would do the West Indies no end of good to win in their own back yard. Prediction: Super Eight, possibly semi-finals Zimbabwe are widely tipped to flounder spectacularly at this World Cup, given their recent defeat to Bangladesh. However, they were also tipped for failure at the 1999 World Cup, where they reached the last six and surpassed all expectations. The main difference between now and then is that world-class players Henry Olonga, Heath Streak and Neil Johnson were still playing for Zimbabwe in 1999, before retiring in protest against Robert Mugabe. Such stances, coupled with financial irregularities have also accounted for star keeperbatsman Tatenda Taibu, who has left to play for Namibia. A gaping hole has been left in Zimbabwe’s lineup, and one cannot help but feel a little short-changed at the prospect of an under-strength side floundering at an early stage. Prediction: Off-field politics prevent a young side from progressing Ireland have reached the finals for the first time in their long and esteemed history. Whilst recent showings at the World League were disappointing, an improved performance against the United Arab Emirates (who else?) has given the Irish lads some confidence before the finals. The harsh reality is that Ireland could lose all three games, but, being an eternal optimist, and remembering how good Ireland were in qualifying for the World Cup, a win against Zimbabwe (quite likely) as well as sneaking a win over one of the two big boys would get Ireland through to the second round. This seems unlikely now, but anything can happen in the group stages, as Kenya showed in the last World Cup. In Eoin Morgan and William Porterfield, Ireland have two highly effective top-order batsmen, and both Dave Langford-Smith and skipper Trent Johnston could offer vital wicket-taking options. All-round spinner Andre Botha provides valuable runs and can take the wickets of dangerous batsmen, and Jeremy Bray hit useful runs in the World League. It would be a monumental achievement for cricket in this country if Ireland did their nation proud, especially on St Patrick’s Day, when they face the West Indies. Prediction: Heart says final, Head says first round. Five players to watch Shoaib Akhtar (Pakistan) If fit, the world’s fastest bowler can tear opposition apart. Paul Collingwood (England) Can bat, bowl and is the best fielder in the world. A triple threat, and perhaps the key to England’s chances. Ricky Ponting: (Australia) If Australia do retain the world cup, skipper Ponting will be integral, both as a batsman and a tactician. Chris Gayle: (West Indies) Showed what he can do in the Champions’ Trophy, and a home-based World Cup would be the perfect opportunity to showboat his extraordinary talent. Kumar Sangakkara: (Sri Lanka) If Sri Lanka do reach the final stages, they will rely on the batting heroics of the irrepressible wicket-keeper batsman.
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TRINITY NEWS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2007
DU Amateur Boxing Club
DU Squash Rackets Club
A decade straight of intervarsity wins for squash players David Lowry
Pat “The Bear” Wheen in the ring at last week’s boxing Colours match which took place in the exam hall. Wheen lost his fight. Photo: Jago Tennant
History was made (in a minor way) when the DU Squash Rackets Club completed an unprecedented tenth intervarsity Championship victory in a row. Such is the magnitude of the feat the squash club can lay legitimate claim to being the most successful sport’s club in Trinity. The Intervarsity’s were hosted this year by Trinity and DCU with the use of a third venue (Leinster Cricket Club) being required due to the large numbers of participating teams and the lack of courts in Trinity that one can referee matches from. The ladies’ section saw only five full teams in the draw. Trinity put forward two of these teams with our A team hopeful of retaining the trophy they lost narrowly the year before. The strength in depth was key and the ladies went undefeated into Saturday’s final with impressive performances from all involved. The final on the Saturday was against DCU who benefited this year from having two seasoned juniors join their team. The final couldn’t have got off to a better start with Trinity’s Harriet Johnson winning in straight sets at position five. The DCU hit back with a victory at position two, Trinity’s Patrica Burns unlucky to lose in four sets. Catherine Graham the ladies’ captain played a captain’s role, strolling to a three love victory. Trinity’s best Katie Wilson pushed Claire O’Brien of DCU close in an impressive squash match but failed to win. The tie was delicately balanced at two points each with only one match left to play. Darsini Ramasubba, however, failed to come out on top meaning the DCU ladies won the title for the first time in their history. The men’s B event was staged in Trinity College. With seven teams entering, the format was a simple two group format. Trinity had two participating teams in this section and both had a realistic chance of qualifying from their respective groups. The men’s C team started Friday’s play with impressive performances and wins from Ruairi Brown and Paul Biggar but failed to win any ties. The men’s B sailed through the group stages without dropping a single set. On Saturday, the final group rounds were
The intervarsity trophy, showing Trinity’s unbroken run of victories. Photo: David Lowry played and Trinity C did well to win a close tie against the Royal College of Surgeons but it wasn’t enough for them to qualify for the semi-finals. The men’s B faced UCD in the semi final and won 4-1 with only Kevin-Francis Humphreys losing to UCD’s Tommy Bread. The other semi-final saw UCC take on Queen’s with UCC progressing. The final was played to a very high standard of squash. Robbie Woods leading the team to a comprehensive 5-0 demolition of UCC. The men’s A is a tournament that Trinity had won for nine years going into this year’s event, so the pressure was on this year’s captain David Lowry to secure an historic victory. Trinity drew Queen’s and DCU in the group stages and won all matches on Friday without the loss of a single set. The semi final against UCC wasn’t as close as the tie the previous year with Trinity winning easily again. It was UCD and Trinity that met in the final for the ninth time in the past ten years. UCD were very strong this year and Trinity knew it would be a close affair. Karlis
Zauers playing in his fifth intervarsity event turned up the heat on UCD winning in a close five set encounter while Trinity’s Ben Ramasubba lost in straight sets. Trinity’s number one is Brian Byrne; such is his standard he hasn’t lost a match for Trinity in the four years he’s been playing. This year was no exception. This left Nicolas Cano, a talented Spanish player, to round up the tie, which he did in style dropping only a handful of points. The trophy was retained and the Men’s team breathed a collective sigh of relief, safe in the knowledge the tenth title in a row was achieved. This year’s captain David Lowry collected the trophy on behalf of the men’s A team in a presentation on the Saturday evening. The squash rackets almost did a clean sweep this year with the only title escaping our grasp being the Ladies’ Intervarsity Championship. Special praise goes to our coach Elvy D’Costa whose dedication over the last number of years has almost single handedly led to the success of the squash club.
DU Ladies’ Boat Club
Player Profile Lois James
Female pugilist sets her Ladies’ eight clashes with sights on “The Bear” Lois James of DU Amateur Boxing Club. Lois is 23 and reading SS Psychology.
this weight are fast and in the time it takes to muster up a big hay maker swing, their opponent could have got in two or three points and managed to block their punch. It is different for girls with a lot of experience who can punch extremely fast and hard at the same time (like Katie Taylor) but it takes a lot of experience to get to that stage.
What prompted you to get involved in boxing? I always intended on starting a martial art when I came to college. A group of us were touring Front Square during Freshers’ Week and I saw the boxing stand and just thought “yeah that looks like fun”. I certainly didn’t think that I would end up taking it as seriously as I do now. What is your greatest achievement so far? This year has been good. I got junior and senior intervarsity champion. But I think my greatest personal achievement in boxing is still my first fight last year. It was only an exhibition bout but I was so scared! It was over in Cambridge against a girl who was an awful lot heavier and more experienced but I did ok. Our coach (Dan Curran) was proud of me and that is one of the best feelings I think a boxer at any level can have. What do you think of the new Rocky video? I am very ashamed to say that I haven’t seen it. Mostly because I haven’t actually seen any of the Rocky films (call me a boxer, I know!) but I hear it is the best of the bunch. I did think that Million Dollar Baby was unbelievable though. Probably not the best film to watch if you are girl looking to get into boxing seriously, but
If you could challenge one college figure to a boxing match, who would it be, and why? Definitely the Bear! (Pat Wheen). He is about twice my weight and so is as different in his boxing style as you could possibly get. Would be hilarious!
Lois James of DU Amateur Boxing Club still! How does it feel to be in a male-dominated sport? It feels fine. In fact, I think at times I have an advantage; when you are the only girl at a championships with a big bunch of guys fighting, you do tend to get a lot of praise when you win. But Dan treats us all the same which is fantastic, he doesn’t try to over-protect me any more than he would the guys. Also there has always been a female interest (admittedly on and off) in boxing. The first girls to box for Trinity were Ebhnat and Tina and they
certainly inspired me to want to win for the college, and I hope that I will do the same for other girls. There are a couple of girls fighting now which is great. Roisin and Evette had their first fights in the Colours just recently and both did superbly well, so maybe the door is open for more and more girls to get into boxing competitively. Have you ever knocked a guy out? Yeah I knock my fiancé out all the time! No really, college boxing for girls at my weight (57/60kg) isn’t about trying to knock the other girl out. Generally girls at
What’s the biggest misconception about your sport? I think what I said about speed over power, about it not really being about knocking someone out. Now don’t get me wrong, a lot of the guys get knock downs or knock outs and I’m sure some of the heavier girls would too, but I think that in general (probably through films like Rocky and Million Dollar Baby) people have a misconception that a boxing fight always ends with a knockout. Future aspirations? In terms of boxing, I’m not really sure. This is my last year in Trinity but I’m going to do a master’s in the States so hopefully I will box over there. As for going on to box more seriously, we will have to wait and see!
Queen’s crew in Belfast Aine Feeney DU Ladies’ Boat Club has begun this year’s season with much promise of success as the year proceeds. On Saturday 10 February at Neptune Head of the River, two novice eights, an intermediate eight and an intermediate four raced at Blessington Lake. In the morning race, the intermediate four came up against other university crews and following a good row, were disappointed to lose by four seconds to a crew from UL, a likely boat of competitors who will be met again at the University Championships in April. The novice eight raced unchanged in both pre and post lunch events and put in gutsy performances in the testing conditions, bettering their own time on their second outing. In this race the intermediate eight raced well in tough waters as the wind picked up to take home the Women’s Intermediate Eight pennant, beating two UCD crews on the way. The success of the previous week’s excursion was built upon last Saturday through Belfast City on a clear crisp day
at Lagan Head of the River. The senior eight lost out on the title by seven seconds to a senior quadruple scull of accomplished crew women from Queen’s University. The eight’s progress along the grueling course was considerably hindered by unsporting behaviour from a crew being overtaken, resulting in the clashing of oars and thus the halting of the DULBC boat midway. The eight was not discouraged, however, and raced on admirably following the collision. The positive performance of the senior eight was emulated by the first year novices, who have been improving at an impressive rate over the past few weeks’ racing. They finished third in their category. Another near win was had by a DULBC novice four, who missed out on the pennant by four seconds. The presence of Trinity in the top rankings of their categories thus far is illustrative of the diligence and commitment of all crew members. With the Colours race just three weeks away (10 March) and the regatta season beginning in eight weeks, the dedication and success to date will no doubt be maintained.
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TRINITY NEWS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2007
DU Football Club
Rugby seconds defeated despite effort and determination Patrick McCullough Dublin University 5 Bective Rangers 46 Though Trinity seconds cannot be faulted for lack of effort, or indeed determination, a second heavy defeat on Sunday the 18th of February, following their 56-10 drubbing at the hands of a well tuned Newcastle University touring outfit two days previously, won’t do much for team confidence, let alone league position. The truth is that on both occasions, Trinity, despite endeavouring to play gutsy and, at times, attractive rugby were well and truly outclassed. This was a Bective Rangers side playing to the peak of their ability and their increasingly cavalier attitude in opting to spread the ball wide and attack from deep as the game progressed reflected the confidence and self-belief with which this team is playing. Having comprehensively put the match to bed in the pack midway through the first half, they looked to their talented backline to run in some superbly crafted tries. In fact, it was the students who struck first, taking advantage of an early overlap down the right wing to send outhalf Simon Doherty over in the corner. Although the conversion attempt was missed, the early indicators looked favourable for the home team, the backs having displayed quick wits and soft hands to take advantage of what would turn out to be a rare scoring opportunity. Little did they, or the twenty or so spectators lining the avenue know, it would be their first and only score in what soon became a thoroughly one-sided affair. Bective responded almost immediately, spreding the ball quickly after an opportunistic turnover, courtesy of Frenchman Damien Faber in midfield, to send Robbie Becker free on the left to score. The scramble defence never had time to think. From here on out Rangers set about imposing themselves on the match, upsetting Trinity’s rhythms wherever possible, the students’ set-piece coming under consistent pressure to point that hooker Mark Cooney was forced to throw to two from nearly every lineout, a ploy that by no means guaranteed success. Meanwhile the Bective backs were beginning to pull away and when after several attempts, they converted some good field position and consistent possession into five points through Edmund Saul, the winger taking a beautifully timed skip pass from his number twelve to cross for his first of three, there was a sense of inevitability about proceedings. Tries followed from
More rowing Colours nominees The list of nominees for Boat Club Colours in the last issue was incomplete. Eoin MacDomhnaill, Ian Hussey and Michael Daly were omitted from the list of those proposed for Junior Colours at the Club’s Trial Eights dinner. Daly was reportedly swathed in a new Junior blazer within minutes of his nomination being announced at the dinner. MacDomhnaill is already hoping to be upgraded to Senior Colours – he has rowed in the first eight at the last three time-trials, as has fellow second-year novice Henry Tindal.
Tennis players getting ready for varsity competition DU Lawn Tennis Club will field its first teams at the annual intervarsity competition taking place in DCU from Wednesday to Saturday of this week. A contingent from each of Ireland’s leading academic institutions is expected at the event. Each team – ladies and men – will contest six singles and three doubles matches. While Trinity’s men will go into the competition as underdogs, Elis Lunny’s team is expected to reclaim the ladies’ title they captured last year.
Rugby thirds out in the cold
The home team can take solace in the knowledge that they were beaten by a very, very talented set of opponents. Bective Rangers beat DU’s second rugby team 46-5. Photo: Kirstin Smith fullback Mark Harris and outside centre Ken Copeland as well as a second from Saul, before the half time whistle provided Trinity with some sorely needed respite. If the first half didn’t go well for the Dublin University side, then things weren’t about to get any easier in the second. Bective looked to pick up where they left off and after some good pressure close to the Hamilton line Copeland crossed for his second of the day as well as Ranger’s sixth. The two points were duly added to make the score a dismaying 32-5 against the home team. Trinity, to
their credit, however, never threw in the towel and despite the score line they fought on bravely looking to take something out of a game that in all reality was already out of their grasp. Inevitably however it was their inability to hold onto the ball that cost them, and Bective seemed ready to pounce on every turnover or spilled possession that came their way, not least when Ed Saul capped an all-round fine performance with a length of the field try courtesy of deft work in midfield by the outstanding Damien Faber at seven, to rip possession from Simon Doherty and release his sup-
porting backs on the blindside. This, possibly the outstanding score of the afternoon completed Saul’s well deserved hattrick. Trinity may count themselves unlucky, when shortly afterward, after some good time spent in their opponents 22, centre Bill Walsh’s pass to fullback Eoin Mac Namara was ruled to have been forward, preventing what may have turned out to be a deserved consolation try. In the end, however, despite repeated penalties in their favour, as well as long periods of pressure in Bective territory throughout the final quarter, the Students
failed to breach what looked to be a relaxed Rangers defence and when Robbie Becker crossed for his second at the other end to close out proceedings, the difference in finishing ability between these two teams out wide was underlined. All in all, a disappointing day for Trinity, but full credit to a classy bective outfit who continue to make good strides in the Metropolitan league and fully deserved to leave College park as 46-5 victors; the home team, meanwhile, can take solace in the knowledge that they were beaten by a very, very talented set of opponents.
DU Boat Club
Another Colours success on the cards for Boat Club crews Gavin Doherty Neptune Head of the River race at Blessington saw a below-par performance from Trinity’s senior eight. There were, however, encouraging results from the novice boats. The second-year novice eight, stroked by Julian Hand, won their category and finished just three seconds behind UCD’s top boat, their intermediate eight. DU’s senior eight finished three seconds behind the winning intermediate eight from Commercial Rowing Club in the first time trial. There was a strong tailwind in the first head, which aided some fast times. In the second head, a change of weather conditions and crew saw the senior eight row better together, but actually clock a slower time than in the first head, going two seconds slower. This was a disappointing result, but will give the squad some further motivation. John McCabe braved the elements and sculled both heads in the intermediate single category. He performed better in the second head, but his current lack of fitness led to his defeat by a fast junior girl in the first. The first-year novices performed well and, as is customary for new novices at Neptune Head, more than a few crabs were caught. However, messy oarsmanship did not slow their progress and they recorded times to put them in second and third in the novice eight categoSatisfied: Friedrich Wetterling and Brendan Guildea of ry, just behind the second-year crew. It DU Boat Club’s first novice eight after their win in Belfast will be interesting to see if they can catch
the second-years this season, a feat last achieved twice in 2004, at Commercial and Trinity regattas. One of the positives was that the senior eight was between 55 and 40 seconds quicker over the 3.7km course than UCD’s crew in the first and second heads respectively, which augurs well for the Gannon Cup colours race on March 10. At the Lagan Head in Belfast last Saturday, Trinity’s main opposition was Belfast Rowing Club, a quick crew who were narrowly defeated by Trinity’s intermediate eight at the Irish championships last year. For the race, Eoghan Kerlin was promoted to the stroke seat of the senior eight, following a loud and spirited performance in the six seat the previous weekend. On his home stretch of water he did not disappoint, and despite a few steering errors, the Trinity eight finished 23 seconds ahead of BRC and 32 seconds ahead of Queen’s University in a time of 15:13. Belfast were fast off the start, reeling Trinity in by a few lengths and capitalising on steering mistakes, but their speed waned in the last third of the race and Trinity pushed on and finished hard, rating about 35 over the line. The UCD eight was well off the pace, finishing the 4.2km course 43 seconds behind Trinity. The second-year novice eight won their third pennant this year out of three, finishing 40 seconds ahead of the first year novice eight. The second-year novices beat their UCD counterparts, which will give them a confidence boost coming up to the colours race.
The second head was a two-oared affair, with the top six single scullers in the club racing. The six were chosen on the merit of their performances in the CV Fox Memorial Cup which took place in Seville in January. Certain scullers, chief among them Joe Calnan, were eager to knock Rob Swift from the top spot he has occupied since January. Although they were racing other clubs, the competition was mainly internal, with pride at stake. Due to illness, Swift was unable to race and Gavin Doherty took his place instead. This left the race wide open. Joe Calnan went off hard and finished in a time of 12:44, but a time of 11:52 was attributed to Dave Cummins. This time put him three seconds behind top international oarsman Richard Archibald. This was probably due to a timing error, but Dave did not mind, with his time beating Joe’s and winning the intermediate single category. All the scullers took interesting lines, with Rory Horner nearly crashing into the riverbank and a bridge. At times the sterns and bows of various scullers were bumping off each other as one tried to overtake the other. A straight line course would definitely have produced different results! Overall, it was a successful weekend, with a solid result that puts Trinity back where they belong. DU Boat Club’s senior eight at Lagan Head of the River: David Cummins (bow), Gavin Doherty, Eoin MacDomhnaill, Henry Tindal, Rory Horner, Edward Roffe-Silvester, Joseph Calnan, Eoghan Kerlin (stroke), Gabriel Magee (cox)
Trinity’s rugby thirds saw their first floodlight match take place against Old Belvedere on Wednesday 7th February. The night started off extremely cold and the temperature descended to -3 degrees as the game went on which was probably worse to bear for the spectators than the men on the pitch. Trinity scored the first try of the match after a hard fought 20 minutes. The ball was well retained by the forwards throughout the game as Trinity dominated possession and a well co-ordinated move amongst the backs saw the ball being touched down in the corner. Soon after, however, Old Belvedere responded by utilising a dominating rolling maul Trinity couldn’t contend with. The Trinity pack were pushed back a substantial amount off a lineout and the Old Belvedere forwards continued the drive allowing for the ball to be easily carried over the line. The second half produced the same momentum as the first as both sides played brilliantly. Old Belvedere had realised their power over Trinity with their rolling maul and Trinity were desperately trying to disrupt it. The first score of the half came from a beautifully placed drop goal from the Old Belvedere out-half who posed a large threat for Trinity throughout the game. He scored himself a try soon after, making a break after a pounding attack from the Belvedere pack, and touching down under the posts for an easy conversion. The remaining time in the match saw a powerful effort by Trinity who again held Old Belvedere on their line but after conceding a penalty the ball was kicked to touch in the midfield. The dying minutes of the match were played around the halfway line with Trinity desperately seeking a score but Old Belvedere continued to put up a strong fight. Both sides put in an exceptional performance but Old Belvedere came out on top. The final score was Trinity 19 Old Belvedere 24.
Association Football Club successful in Harding Cup The DUAFC freshers’ team of 18 secured silverware in the annual Harding Cup, this year held in Queen’s University in Belfast. The team travelled north early after a slight delay caused by a member of the coaching staff’s alarm clock not working on Wednesday 7 February to play their first of four matches. The annual Colours match takes place today on College Park. Kickoff is at 12:30.
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TRINITY NEWS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2007
DU Hockey Club and DU Ladies’ Hockey Club
Trinity confirmed as Dublin’s premier hockey university Kirstin Smith Malcolm S Forbes, of Forbes Magazine, once said: “Victory is sweetest when you’ve known defeat.” Well, from 2002 to 2005, DU Hockey Club had known defeat. For those four years, the Club narrowly lost each Colours Tournament to UCD, foregoing the chance to claim superiority in every aspect of life. While in educational and social arenas our dominance is unparalleled, sporting honours eluded us. However, things changed in February 2006. The Hockey Clubs of Dublin University overcame the odds and took home Colours. This year, the stakes were even higher. UCD were determined to prove that last year’s defeat was just a minor blip while Trinity were equally determined to prove their worth. Unless you’ve taken part in a Colours competition before, it may be hard to understand the actual height of the stakes involved. Bragging rights for the year are a fairly sought-after prize and after acquiring them last year, Trinity’s hockey clubs certainly did not feel like giving up those rights. The teams were briefed by their captains before each match on the importance of a win. Veterans did not need to be told twice, but innocent freshers, about to embark on their first Colours, were eager to hear inspiring words. Things kicked off almost two hours late after, once again, the pitch was frozen. Eventually, the men’s and ladies’ third XI took to the field. The men soon put the spectators nerves at rest as they played UCD off the pitch, proving why they are top goal scorers in Leinster Hockey – a 4-1 win providing the evidence. Two goals should be accredited to Andreas Gilmore. The first, Gilmore received from a reverse pass from Willy Wilshire and he took his goal with a good strike at the top of the circle. Over on the other pitch, the ladies’ thirds started off strong, keeping their opposition under constant pressure. Indeed UCD never really seemed to threaten much, as any break made into our half was soon cleared away by Laura Binions and her defence team. Attacking opportunities were mainly provided by the ubiqitious Martha Purcell whose efforts paid off when Juliette Gilligan slotted home in the first half. Trinity dominated the second half for the most part, but a short lapse in concentration allowed UCD back in the game with a cheeky goal early in the second half. Not happy with a draw, the thirds rallied and after Sinead Sheerin waltzed through the opposition’s weak defence, her pass found Amy Fryday in the circle. Fryday held the ball until the goalkeeper stupidly left her line and then a nicely timed pass to Holly Jones on the post ensured the winning goal. With minutes left in the game, UCD were not able to equalise and the final score ended 2-1. Bearing in mind that this UCD team plays in a higher division than Trinity, the result was an outstanding one. The second set of matches saw the ladies’ fourths and seconds in action. The fourths had already played UCD early this season and had beaten them 1-0, but unfortunately Rebecca Wood’s team could not recreate this win, and came out with a 0-0 draw. Still, the half points were important. Meanwhile, the ladies seconds were having a hard time on the other pitch. The final score saw them lose 3-0 but any spectator will tell you how UCD were just simply better at taking their opportunities in front of the goal
Above: Trinity’s Stephen Findlater is taken out by UCD’s goalkeeper moments before team-mate Richard Miles picks up the loose ball and puts it in the back of the opposition’s net. Photo: Kirstin Smith Right: Adrienne Da Costa and other hockey fans cheering-on Trinity’s men’s first team. Photo: Matt Pitt while Trinity struggled to find the backboard. After two rounds of matches, Trinity were ahead 2 fi to 1 fi. The third cycle of matches began with the ladies’ fifths and the men’s seconds taking to the pitch. The fifths unfortunately lost 2-1 but they certainly weren’t lacking in spirit. However, things were better on Belfield’s water-based pitch. The men’s seconds were putting UCD to shame. A 3-0 drubbing was just what Trinity needed to increase our overall score. Richie Miles picked up the pieces after Stephen Findlater was taken down by the UCD keeper, but Miles was there to slot home the rebound. Findlater later got a goal of his own to make up for the stolen chance earlier and Beverland added insult to injury by tallying up a third. Trinity 3 fi, UCD 2 fi - everything was still to play for. The first ladies took to the pitch while the crowd waited with baited breath. Could they recreate last year’s last minute equaliser which helped secure the trophy? The game was close throughout and Trinity proved very effective in most areas of the pitch, but unfortunately could not put the ball in the back of the net. Four short corners were attempted and although Rebecca Murphy struck all four precisely and cleanly, the
UCD goalkeeper was on form and saved all attempts. Trinity’s defence was impervious for the most part, defending three short corners and clearing all three. The game could have gone either way, but UCD took their chances and scored on the break, finally cracking the generally solid defence. Trinity tried to equalise and came very close on more than one occasion, even hitting the post, but could not find that last-minute goal. It should be said that in a league game the week following Colours, Trinity came away with a draw against UCD and this was a fairer reflection of what the Colours result should have been. The end of the ladies’ firsts game brought the start of the final two matches. On the sand-based pitch, the men’s fourths took to the field. Bela Hanratty’s men have been playing well all season so were confident of coming away with a win. They dominated play right from the whistle, with the first goal scored by Jack Mills with a sweetly struck shot from the top of the circle, giving the goalkeeper no chance. If UCD had any aspirations to try and equalise, they were soon put down when Peter Blakeney took to the nets. While not playing for the men’s firsts anymore, on the advice of his Irish team coaches, Peter couldn’t resist playing in
his final Colours. To put the game beyond doubt, Robbie Woods slotted home another goal to secure the win. Final score 2-0. On the water-based pitch, the men’s firsts were up 1-0, Barry Glavey scoring a penalty stroke, much to the chagrin of the opposition. Having Captain Jason Bryan back from injury definitely helped
the cause, as did the recent addition of coach Arul Anthoni to the team. At this point, the overall score was 4 fi to 3 fi to Trinity. With the men up 1-0, all we needed was a draw to secure a victory. That wasn’t enough for the men’s firsts who wanted a win, so a win they got. Ben Hewitt extended the lead with a nicely worked goal and the final nail in the cof-
fin was a tap in from the back post by Chris Tyrell. The crowd needed no further encouragement. Choruses of ‘Stand up if you won Colours’ could be heard throughout Belfield. UCD walked away with their pride dented, and rightly so. Trinity had won Colours again, for two years in a row. All is well in the world.
DU Harriers and Athletic Club
Cross-country runners disappoint at Colours Denis Tkachenko On 10th February, DU Harriers hosted the Colours Cross-Country match against their eternal rivals, UCD. The race course was laid out on the Trinity grounds in Santry and consisted of a slightly modified loop of the course that accommodated the Cross Country Intervarsities last year. Due to the earlier than usual scheduling of the intervarsities this year, DU hosts had little choice but to pick the aforementioned date for the Colours match. This was unfortunate, as a big
national competition was held on the Sunday of that weekend, preventing many athletes, both ours and UCD’s, from taking part in the traditional contest. Those who did brave the chill and drizzle on that Saturday morning were treated to a proper cross-country race, complete with hills, swampy forest trails, and lots of mucky areas, thanks to the dense rainfall in the run-up to the race. UCD did not disappoint by bringing two complete teams, a feat they have been unable to manage on a few occasions in the past. It soon became apparent that the
Harriers would have to fight hard to retain their trophies. The ladies’ teams were first into action in a 3 km race, the outcome of which was decided based on the positions of the top four finishers from each team. Trinity’s five competitors, headlined by Captain Fodhla Treacy, were up against UCD’s team of six. The race started at a frantic pace, with the three leaders quickly leaving the rest of the field behind to battle for positions. Halfway through, it became clear that, despite the inspirational run by Fodhla Treacy (who eventually finished runner-
up only seconds behind UCD’s Ruth Mills), our team simply could not compete on experience and overall quality. As a result, UCD ladies scooped the trophy, which had been held by DU Harriers for the previous two years. Trinity men, who had also managed to keep UCD at bay for the last 2 years, faced an even bigger challenge, with 6 km to run on the racecourse dug up by ladies’ spikes. UCD boasted a rather strong squad, while our team lacked many experienced athletes due to injuries and national competitions scheduled for the next day. These fears were realised
when UCD managed to get four men over the finishing line before Aubrey Storey crossed it to finish first for the DU team. Despite subsequent Trinity runners finishing pretty much back-to-back, UCD already had a huge advantage, and ended up lifting the trophy on the day. In reality, they ended up lifting an empty teapot at the nearest pub instead, owing to the fact that they have forgotten to bring the actual trophy for the third consecutive year! Despite relatively low participation rates and a seemingly lacklustre performance by both DU Harriers squads, there
was at least one positive aspect about the weekend. Both cross-country captains were delighted to see so many new athletes (seven out of twelve competing the ratio has been much lower to date) run their first cross-country race for the Club. The valuable experience gained that day will no doubt help to shape the future generation of athletes and ensure that someone will step up to replace their graduating teammates in the years to come. In the meantime, the Club has its sights set firmly on the Intervarsity Cross Country Championship in Athlone on 24 February.