http://acollegemiscellany.com/PDFs/2005/4%20tnt%20missing

Trinity News THE

INDEPENDENT

STUDENT

NEWSPAPER

OF

TRINITY

COLLEGE

DUBLIN

Ireland’s Oldest Student Newspaper

Est. 1947

Tuesday, November 23rd, 2004

www.trinity-news.com

Vol.57 No.4

I THINK I’VE FOUND MY FEATURES WALK

Trinity News takes a peek backstage at the PAGE18

Tia Maria Fashion Show

Students’ Union Hemorrhaging Cash * DUST deficit baloons to €55,000 * Shop intake falls by €12,000 * Record reports “mixed financial year” Michael Dowling The Students’ Union (SU) is facing a severe cash crunch after losing over €97,000 last year. The bulk of these losses arose in the Dublin University Student Travel company (DUST), the student travel service of the SU. Amazingly this loss is not the worst of the SU’s problems.

They have are currently owed €199,000 by DUST, at a time when the business is facing the prospect of liquidation.

The figures just released from the SU show a dramatic deterioration in finances across every area in which the SU operates. Both of the SU shops showed a huge drop in profits of close to €12,000, while DUST turned a €1,485 profit into a loss of €53,143. Even the humble JCR managed to lose some money.

While these losses are very worrying in themselves, an even more worrying aspect of the accounts is that the SU is potentially facing a €199,000 black hole of investment built up over time in DUST that could potentially wipe out all the SU’s financial resources and send the organisation spiralling into debt. The implications of such a financial crisis facing the main student union in College are stark.

Every college capitated organisation usually keeps some money out of the capitation grant they receive

every year from College for ‘rainy days’. If the doomsday scenario of a €199,000 loss hits the SU, they will have no spare financial resources to cater for any unexpected costs they might face in the future.While Union sources are confident that any money owed by DUST to the SU would be recovered from DUST’s debtors, the situation would certainly be a complicated, difficult one.

The DUST situation is the most pressing facing the SU. DUST currently has a mere €7,000 in net cash, while losses came in at €53,000 last year. The service has run into problems with falling sales, combined with an inability to cut costs. DUST’s losses fed into the SU’s losses for the year, as, despite DUST being a separate limited company, the investment value of DUST in the SU accounts had to be written down by €53,000 last year. DUST was set up with €90,000 of SU money, and this investment is now worth a mere €7,000.

The SU’s problems with DUST do not stop at last year’s losses however. While DUST’s accounts say that the company’s assets fully cover its liabilities, these figures are from June. There is no reason to suspect that losses have stopped since June. DUST operates in an extremely competitive market

An Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, making another visit to Trinity College for the Horizons Expo

place, and there is no sign of this competitiveness abating. The profitability of travel agents around Europe is deteriorating by the day as low cost airlines and even more up-market airlines, like Aer Lingus, are successfully convincing people

Last Wednesday the 17th of November saw the return of Trinity’s annual St. Vincent de Paul Day, more commonly known around campus as VdeP Day. It’s a day when the TCD VdeP Society mobilise their troops of close to 5000 members and try to raise as much money as possible for charity.

See page 3

One World draw attention to AIDS With an international ‘AIDS awareness week’ starting this Wednesday November 24th, One-World hopes to draw our attention to the problem that won’t go away.

On last year’s World Aids Day, the World Health Organisation (WHO) launched the ‘3 by 5’ initiative aimed at providing antiretroviral (ARV) drugs to three million people by the end of this year. See page 3

Fears over mumps encourages MMR In response to the growing number of incidents of mumps, particularly in colleges across the country, the College Health Service has decided to make the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccination available, free of charge, to all students.

See page 4

InternationalNews Walls and bridges through rugby See page 8

BusinessNews N o l o n g e r t h e t e f l o n Ta o i s e a c h

Hugh Roche Kelly critiques the ego of the man and asks how someone who basks in mediocrity has somehow achieved Dev-like staying power. See page 8

Features I think I’ve found my walk I have a dream where I am gliding down the catwalk, a paparazzi paycheque, adored by men of beauty and fame alike. I am rudely awoken by a scream of “HATS AND BAGS!” and the realisation that this is not Paris, Milan, or London but TCD. More importantly I am not Kate Moss but ‘alternative’.

See page 18

Comment Postgrads are the Second-Class Citizens

We Post-Graduates in Trinity are far too reserved for our own good. We’re not angry enough. We don’t shout enough! It is our fees that support College finances while undergraduate finances dwindle away as a result of government interference. It is our presence here that helps this College attract so much research funding. See page 21

Index Travel:11 Food & Drink:12-13 Listings:14 Careers:15 Science:16 Gaeilge: 24 SU & Societies:17

Every further month of losses generated by DUST will directly impact on its financial viability.

Questions will have to be asked about whether they will be able to repay their huge debt to the SU if they continue to lose money at the

Senior Dean faces College inquiry

CollegeDigest Cross campus fundraising for Vincent De Paul

College News: 1-5 News Features: 6 International Review:7 Business & Politics:8 Arts:10

to book their flights directly through their websites. DUST is making losses of about €5,000 a month based on last year’s figures, and it cannot afford poor trading conditions: it is running out of cash fast.

Features:18-20 Comment:21-22 Letters:23 Sport Feature:25-26 Sport: 27-28

David Symington A Board of Inquiry has been set up to investigate a complaint lodged on November 2nd 2004 by Dr Sean Duffy, a senior lecturer in Medieval History and a member of the Board of the College, against the current Senior Dean Prof Cyril J. Smyth and an unnamed postgraduate student. Asked about the matter, Trinity College Communications Officer Ms SallyAnne Fisher replied: “College is investigating it…No further comment can be made as to the nature of the complaint.” However it is

understood from sources close to the case that the complaint is of harassment on the part of the Senior Dean and the student against Dr Duffy. Since the Senior Dean is usually the one who investigates complaints against members of staff, a Pro-Senior Dean has been nominated by the College Secretary, Mr Michael Gleeson, whose name will then be put to the Board of the College tomorrow, Wednesday November 24th, for approval. Ms Fisher declined to reveal the pro-Senior Dean’s name claiming it “would be inappropriate” before the Board considers the nomination. However talking

to Trinity News, Prof Smyth said he believed a “former Senior Dean or Senior Member of the Academic Staff (e.g. a Faculty Dean) might act as Pro-Senior Dean.” Many persons closely connected to the case were surprised at Dr Duffy’s move, and only found out of the complaint when it was revealed in the Irish Times on November 11th, including, Trinity News understands, the post-graduate student.

Asked whether the case would continue for long, Ms Fisher replied that with “the pro-Senior Dean’s appointment next Continued on Page 2

USI letters news to Fianna Fail Marianne O’Reilly Friday November 12th saw the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) launch a letter writing campaign calling for redress in educational spending in the forthcoming budget. The letters are yet another effort by USI to highlight the financial difficulties of students and flagging on-campus resources. These problems have become all the more apparent in light of the 543% increase in registration fees and the governmental cutbacks in the university sector of 10% last year. The letters addressed to An Taoiseach and Ministers for Education and Finance, do not shy away from criticising the current government for failing to maintain the integrity of the free fees initiative introduced by their predecessors. The letters criticise the current grant scheme which is deemed wholly insubstantial given our economic climate. The highest level of maintenance grant available stands at €4,

855. The Union of Students of Ireland estimated in a 02/03 survey that an “extremely conservative student cost of living” adjusted for inflation to be approx. €6,700. The letters call for an increase in the maintenance grants to realistic levels. The letters also call for a reversal of the cutbacks, which “hit students hard”, through library hours, health services, counselling services and access programmes. USI President, Ben Archibald went on to accuse the Department for Education and Science of having a “less than fulsome desire to fully engage with students”. Reacting to a remark Minister Hanafin made at the time of the student protests of October 12th Mr. Archibald insisted he had not, regardless of attempts made, received “any response” to requests for a meeting to discuss concerns.

Speaking to Trinity News, Ryan Brennan (USI Development manager) outlined the importance of the letter writing campaign and the upcom-

ing student protest on December 1st.

He hoped such efforts would “embolden those senior staff in colleges to criticise the government’s privatization and cutbacks policy”.

Given the rumblings of controversy seeping through UCD at present Mr. Brennan was quick to highlight the dangers of corporate sponsorship.

Mr. Brennan emphasized the need for funding without vested interests.

Asked if there has been any favourable outcome from the letter writing campaign so far, he was positive, believing that the Minister had responded to the pressure by announcing the investment into teacher training colleges. He did qualify this by insisting that this move was merely just “a drop in the ocean in comparison to what is actually needed”. When contacted by Trinity News, the Fianna Fail press office was unable to comment as it was unaware of the letter writing campaign.

Photo: Eamon Marron

rate of last year. A further question will have to be asked about why the SU lent so much money to DUST in the first place.

Possibly the best move to safeguard the SU’s loan to DUST is to shut down the service, and there are

signs that this is being strongly considered by the SU. In a document submitted to a Capitation Committee meeting in college on Thursday, Continued on Page 2

“

This is what happens when you don’t go to an Ents event Niall Morris, Ents Officer

”

Accommodation Director naked on Halls campus Derek Owens

An unfortunate set of circumstances resulted in the director of Accommodation and Catering, Mr. Graham Daniels, being observed scurrying through the Campus of Trinity Halls in a state of undress in the early hours of Thursday, 4 November. Three Trinity Halls residents, returning from the ‘Odd Ball’ of Wednesday 3rd observed Mr. Daniels as he emerged from an archway near the front gates, before heading towards the security desk of Halls.

After presenting himself to the security desk, Mr. Daniels was escorted by guards back towards his flat in Halls, with a jacket around his waist.

It is understood that they then helped Mr. Daniels to enter his flat. The Secretary of College, when contacted

by Trinity News, issued a statement by way of explanation: “In the early hours of Thursday, 4 November the Director of Accommodation and Catering Services found himself locked out of his flat at Trinity Hall, where he is temporarily resident.

Unable to regain access he was obliged to seek the assistance of the Attendants on site to allow him to re-

enter the flat.”

One student who observed the incident described it as “priceless”, but expressed concern about a number of issues. “The first question,” the student remarked, “is how this happened. Also, why is he resident in Halls at the moment?” Questions were also raised over the route taken

by Mr. Daniels. The student was adamant that “there was a more discreet route that he could have taken” to the security desk.

Sources in the Halls JCR were more sympathetic to Mr. Daniels’ situation, remarking that “the panic caused by such an unfortunate incident may well have caused him to simply run for help without considering the route he was taking”. Pressed for a comment by Trinity News, Mr. Niall Morris, Student Union Entertainments Officer, simply remarked that: “this is what happens when you don’t go to an Ents event”.

When contacted, Mr. Daniels affirmed that the statement given by College was correct. He added that he was embarressed about the incident and that he wished to put it behind him.

TRINITY NEWS ONLINE www.trinity-news.com

2

Tuesday November 23, 2004

News Editor: Derek Owens

COLLEGENEWS

Trinity News

Restructuring offensive planned over Christmas Eimear Crowe Wednesday, December 14th has been set as the date on which a final decision regarding the proposed restructuring of Trinity College will take place. The Provost, John Hegarty, has issued a letter to all Students’ Union representatives and Heads of Departments outlining the proposed changes and assuring that all those involved will be consulted fully regarding these changes.

However, many staff members and students feel that the December deadline is too early, as not enough consultation with those involved has taken place.

According to the Provost’s letter, the problem with the cur-

rent structure of the College is that it is outdated. He states that there are too many small, unviable departments, meaning that the current system of administration is inefficient, the result being that many academics have to carry out administration work themselves instead of focusing solely on teaching and research. Also, College funding is still allocated as it was 40 years ago, causing an unfair distribution of resources, while government funding has become unreliable due to cutbacks.

The proposed solutions to these problems involve amalgamating faculties and departments by reducing the number of faculties from six to three, each faculty

being run by a Vice Provost/Dean, and replacing the current 60 departments with 18 or less schools. A new resource allocation model will also be introduced whereby financial resources will be distributed according to a student and research weighted formula so that “those that do the work for the College are rewarded”. However, academic staff members and students alike have expressed much concern over these proposed changes.

The letter issued by the Provost states that these proposed changes will “secure Trinity College’s reputation as one of the world’s top ranking universities.”

The Provost describes the heated debate that has been sparked by

the restructuring proposals as a “healthy and stimulating exercise” that has resulted in “constructive and imaginative suggestions”. He responds to criticism that many of those who will be affected are not being consulted fully by stating that “we are only in the middle, not the conclusion, of the process”. He concludes the letter by asking students and staff for “patience” while the final report regarding the restructuring is being finished.

Despite the Provost’s assurances, many staff members and students still feel that their concerns are not being listened to.

One academic described the letter as “idyllic” saying that it was “too vague: It is impossible to formu-

late any opinions or criticisms from it”. Giving his reaction to the Provost’s letter, Education Officer Daithí Mac Síthigh also complained about its vagueness: “The letter is difficult to criticise, it is far too vague, it would be like trying to ‘pick up mercury with a fork’. We cannot approve or reject anything at this stage”. He has also criticised the Provost’s “bottom-up consultative exercise”.

“The GSMS (Group on Structures, Management and Systems), say they are waiting for people to come to them, yet they appear to have a strong idea of where they want to go. We have not been consulted fully and it is very difficult for us to respond to rumours alone.” Mr Mac Síthigh

referred to the fact that following the publication of the Resource Allocation report last April, a number of board meetings and consultations took place, yet the Students’ Union have not seen “one new draft”.

Mr Mac Síthigh has also criticised the Provost for not addressing some of the main issues: “The letter doesn’t recognise the worries expressed by staff members.

It ignores the fact that the IFUT (the academic staff’s trade union) has effectively threatened strike action because of fears over job security”.

The last board meeting before the final decision is made in December will be held tomorrow, Wednesday November 24th. The

SU will attempt to postpone the December deadline so that all issues can be comprehensively addressed. They will also complain about the scheduling of the meeting in December, when students will be on holidays.

Following the board meeting on Wednesday a “questions and answers” session for all students will take place in the Edmund Burke theatre. The SU urge students to go along to voice their concerns. Mr Mac Síthigh hopes that the Provost will take on board all their suggestions: “There is a difference between being consulted and listened to. I sincerely hope we will be listened to, if we are not listened to, all that remain are ‘empty words’”.

10K Ltd. defended

by Student Union * Administration of 10K walk not a registered charity * Waterford IT, UCC Cork, NUI Maynooth pull out Jonathan Drennan In the same way it is hard to separate a hangover from student life the same can be said of the annual Student 10k walk; which has become an institution in the student calendar for the past four years. Raising funds for victims of Chernobyl, with educational institutions across the land taking part.

However, this year’s event has been overshadowed by the withdrawals of University College of Cork (UCC), Waterford Institute of Technology, the National University of Ireland Maynooth and the University of Limerick (UL). Frank Milling, president of the UCC Students’ Union argued that “Running charity walks for limited companies (no matter who they are) is not what we should be doing, as elected representatives”.

This begs the question as to why the sudden change of heart when it should be remembered that UCC have been an integral supporter of the scheme since its birth in 2000.

The problem unfortunately lies deeper than a question of duty to their union, with Milling stating: ‘UCCSU is of the opinion that even though audited accounts are to be published for 2003/4 as per company regulations, that does not go far enough’. UCC have felt that their energies in charitable fields would be better spent on local charities and they have signaled their intention to find other charities who are involved with Chernobyl so as not to abandon their commitment. Unfortunately it is not only UCC who have found moral obligations in taking part in the walk with Waterford Institute of Technology declining to take part citing similar objections; NUI

felt that ‘they have been given adequate time to prepare for this year’s campaign and would prefer to concentrate this year on a number of other charitable ventures in the local area.’

Deputy President of Trinity College Students Union Ruth Ní Eidhin maintained that the actions of these universities didn’t overshadow what was a highly successful day given the weather conditions. She expressed her relief that UCD had been persuaded in an eleventh hour meeting to reconsider their decision to follow UCC in boycotting the walk. Ms Ní Eidhin expressed her anger at UCC and Waterfords’ decision stating: “it upset me, with the fear that the kids in Belarus won’t get the help they need because of some political b******t, this action will be heartbreaking”. Her stance on the apparent dubious accounts of the

Participants in the 10K walk, refusing to be washed out by poor weather and Union abstentions Photo:Cassidy Knowlton charity was unequivocally strong stating that she was “110% behind the organisation” and had no reason to doubt their accounts.

According to Ms Ní Eidhin the universities aforementioned had ample opportunity to voice their

concerns on the project, ‘They had every right to ask questions and any they had were answered. They then stated they were happy so I can’t see how they can justify their actions’.

With external events and bad

weather threatening to overshadow the 10k walk it is safe to say it was a resounding success. With the students of Trinity turning out in force to support the children of Chernobyl walking to Phoenix Park in everything from drag to a

group dressed as the Village People showing that past events hadn’t overshadowed the 10k walk with the money raised being the sole concern.

Greens beginning gay marriage campaign Andrea Wickham The Trinity branch of Young Greens, in association with the Trinity Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual and Transexual (LGBT) Society and Young Greens in colleges nationwide, last week sought to open up the discussion on the issue of legislating for gay marriage in Ireland. A number of events were scheduled in order to promote the matter and to mobilise the student population to take a more active stance on the issue.

Last November 17th saw a debate on the issue with guests including Ciaran Cuffe T.D., the Green Party’s justice spokesperson, Dr. Fergus Ryan, a Trinity lecturer in Family Law and Tadhg O’Brien, former Union of

Students in Ireland (USI) LGBT Rights Officer. Both guests and audience members participated in a nuanced discussion which not only considered whether such legislation should be introduced, but the various possible strands of such regulations and whether some sort of “civil partnership” scheme would be required as a precursor.

Throughout the week, a stand in the Arts Block managed to acquire hundreds of signatures for a petition which calls upon the government to finally put in place legislation that would afford same sex couples similar rights to those of their heterosexual counterparts. The petition was handed into the Department of Justice, on friday morning by members of both the Trinity and UCD division of the Young Greens and attracted coverage on

the radio and in national newspapers. On Friday night a theatre piece relating to the topic was performed followed by an informal discussion between a number of young homosexual people on what the provision of legal recognition would mean to them.

Under Irish law as it stands, gay partners who live together are cut off from a number of the rights that so many married couples take for granted. Many legal experts argue that the current situation could be deemed to be in breach of modern equality law, as in the Irish Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights. The establishment of a system of legal recognition for homosexual couples, along the lines of existing legislation emerging in a number of EU countries, would automatically provide both partners with

rights across a wide range of issues including inheritance, taxation, pensions, in addition to rights as “next of kin” in crisis medical emergencies.

The opinion of Irish politicians on the matter is remarkably positive. The Taoiseach Bertie Ahern made a statement very recently in which he declared that although gay marriage in Ireland may still be a long way off, he did agree that the state should grant legal recognition to couples in same sex relationships. All of the other parties in the Dail have previously declared their support for such proposals, in a rare display of overriding consensus in Irish politics. Andrew Byrne, a member of the Trinity Young Greens told Trinity News that although “the issue has become topical lately, the Greens have been

Where the money went

advocating same sex marriage for many years now. We have always said that the LGBT community deserves the same civil rights and respect that is accorded to the rest of society.”

The Green Party and the affiliated Young Greens are rapidly growing political organisations which have seen their numbers greatly increase in the last number of years. For the past three years the Young Greens have been the largest political party in Trinity and this trend is being replicated across the country.

The Young Greens, from this strengthened platform have pledged their commitment to tackling both environmental and wider social issues in our society and the same-sex marriage debate is just one of many campaigns planned for the coming months.

Two 10K Walkers - making the most of the wet conditions

Student Views - Union Duffy case Money Loss continues David Symington Continued from Page 1 Wednesday 24th November it is hoped that the investigation of the complaint will come to a conclusion as soon as possible.” Asked whether he would be stepping down as Senior Dean, Prof. Smyth replied that he would if it was “the advice of the University” but added he had “acted in a proper manner” and had “nothing to fear or hide.”

In a separate development, College received notice on Thursday November 18th that Dr Duffy has

Michael Dowling Continued from Pg 1 November 18th the SU said about DUST that “the Union cannot

allow losses of this magnitude to continue”. The issue of the financial losses is also being discussed at the next SU Council.

A surprisingly calm article on

last year’s financial results appeared in the recent issue of the SU-run University Record. The article in the University Record made no reference to the losses of

€93,000 last year, and the potential doubts over the €199,000 investment in DUST. Instead, the article proclaimed last year to be a “mixed financial year for the SU”.

appealed his six-month suspension from his position as lecturer to the Visitors of the College. The Visitors are the external right of appeal for any decision of the College, and comprise the Chancellor of the University, Mary Robinson, and the Hon. Mr Justice Brian Moore McCracken.

According to Ms FIsher, “the basis of the appeal is not known, but Dr Duffy has three weeks to direct it.”

Seán Gilligan, SF Classics & Drama

Matt Pitt, JS Engineering

Trinity News has learned that the Union lost €97,000 last year. How do you feel? Oh my God. How did that happen?

Trinity News has learned that the Union lost €97,000 last year. How do you feel?

It shows they should let engineers run the place.

If the Union went under, would it make a difference to your life? Yeah, just to know they’re there makes a difference.

If the Union went under, would it make a difference to your life? We’d all lose a fine source of comedy I think.

Tuesday November 23, 2004

Assistant News Editor: Kathryn Segesser

3

COLLEGENEWS

Trinity News

Cross campus fundraising for Vincent De Paul Trinity students play Bond, play quizzes and drink coffee for the sake of charity.

Tara O’Leary * Cross Campus Events Raising funds for VdeP. * This year’s result “looks set to beat all previous efforts” Last Wednesday the 17th of November saw the return of Trinity’s annual St. Vincent de Paul Day, more commonly known around campus as VdeP Day. It’s a day when the TCD VdeP Society mobilise their troops of close to 5000 members and try to raise as much money as possible for charity.

This year, the second time VdeP day was run, Trinity was watched nationally with much attention and curiosity, as the plan for next year is to get every college in Ireland with a VdeP society to run a VdeP Day for the same date, based largely on Trinity’s example. This would be an enormous national event, comprising of TCD, UCD, NUI Maynooth, Sligo, Queens

Belfast and the University of Limerick. If everything goes according to plan most of the countries National and Secondary schools will also be involved through the organisation of events such as street collections and skipathons.

Several charities will benefit from VdeP Day, including St. Vincent de Paul (SVP) Ireland.

The charities were chosen by the committee for being what they considered to be extremely worthwhile causes. Money raised on the day will reach out to many lives through these charities. For example, SVP Ireland is the country’s largest provider of homeless services with 18 hostels and over 800 social housing units, and that is only one of their many endeavors.

Other beneficiaries include The Irish Hospice Foundation, the 10K Walk and Barretstown, a Kildare based organisation that provides activity camps for sick children from all over Europe.

The day is largely run by the VdeP Fundraising Committee, which was first established in 2003 because it was felt that many charities could benefit from students’ efforts, and because very little had been raised in previous years.

In the hope of increasing the amount of money collected, this year’s committee decided to try out

a few new ideas. The One World Coffee Morning and Pizza stalls in the Hamilton and Arts block were both new events.

Unfortunately, other activities including an iron stomach competition, a tug-of-war and inflatable games were cancelled on the day due to unforeseen circumstances and insurance issues. However, much help was received according to TCD VdeP President Damian Dowling; “We’d like to thank all the students who turned up, as well as the College administration and the Sports Department, who made an exception in allowing us to use the astro-turf for the soccer tournament”.

Other firm favourites such as a table quiz and the popular Bond Ball also made a return.

With so many charities competing for our attention I asked Damian Dowling what makes TCD VdeP special? “The reason that I decided to become so involved with the St. Vincent de Paul has to do with their mission statement, which reads “No charity is foreign to the society”. Whereas other charities often focus on a single social injustice, the SVP helps everyone. We believe in educating people to help themselves, and in doing so someday eradicating the need for charity. We take a really hands on approach”. Trinity’s

Above: Enjoying the Wednesday night ‘Bond Ball’ - all in the name of charity VdeP society is the largest SVdeP conference in Ireland, both at college and national level and so it’s a great society to become involved in.”Gill Smith, VdeP vice-president in charge of fundraising adds “It’s one of Trinity’s largest societies; we run 19 activities from home-

work clubs and visiting the elderly to social clubs for young adults with learning disabilities. It’s vital that we get new students involved, so that when we leave College the society will remain.

VdeP Day is mainly about gaining awareness and any money raised is

One World draw attention to AIDS With the approach of AIDS awareness week campaigners are optimistic despite failing to meet targets.

Helen Cranage With an international ‘AIDS awareness week’ starting this Wednesday November 24th, OneWorld hopes to draw our attention to the problem that won’t go away.

On last year’s World Aids Day, the World Health Organisation (WHO) launched the ‘3 by 5’ initiative aimed at providing antiretroviral (ARV) drugs to three million people by the end of this year.

Just recently Dr Lee Jong-wook, director general of WHO, admitted that the Global Fund was not on target.

The first report on the initiative, published in June 2004 described movement towards the goal as ‘disappointing’, with only 40,000 people receiving ARV drugs via the project, compared to the 500,000 hoped for by that point in time.

Some sources are now estimating that the target of three million may

not be achieved before 2009.

Some campaigners have been quick to criticise the target as being too low, considering that there are an estimated 6 million people in the world in need of life-prolonging ARV drugs (double the target for 2005) and, in Africa in particular, only 4% of those who need treatment for HIV/AIDS are so far receiving it.

A campaign led by South African economist Alan Whiteside and aid agency Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), among others, is calling for universal free access to all treatments via public healthcare systems. It has been claimed that this is a prerequisite for achieving the ‘3 by 5’ figure.

Whereas the WHO argues for free treatment for the poorest only, a document produced by the campaigners, entitled ‘Free by 5’ argues that the poor are in the majority and that it is not costeffective for poorer countries to do the means-testing and fee-collect-

ing that patient contributions demand.

Research has shown that, even when only a small financial contribution is requested from the patient, adherence to treatment is significantly reduced. This is hardly surprising when, in many situations, the cost of treatment may mean the patient is forced to decide between treatment and food.

In Malawi, for example, $10 a month is charged for treatment resulting in a poor 50% adherence, compared to 95% adherence in Haiti where free HIV programs are available through a community health clinic. Some countries have been quick to respond; Brazil, Uganda and Venezuela are all currently providing free ARV therapy and this year, Thailand also announced that ARV therapy will be provided.

Generic pharmaceuticals have so far been vital in the provision of free ARV therapy. AIDS treatments using generic pharmaceuticals can cost as little as $200 per person per year, compared with a best available price worldwide for brand name equivalents being $562 per person per year.

Most organisations providing funds for AIDS drugs require generics purchased with the funds to go through the WHO ‘pre-qualification’ process, which ensures among other things that the generic drugs are as effective as brand name equivalents.

However, the US President George Bush’s Emergency plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) does not recog-

nise this process and requires further Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for all generic drugs purchased with US program funds. This can often cause delay in availability of drugs and confusion regarding which funds can be used to purchase which drugs.

Further hindrances to the distribution of ARV drugs in the places where they are needed most urgently include the training of healthcare workers. Many healthcare workers opt to move overseas after training as they find better job and living prospects abroad.

Nonetheless, Dr Lee Jong-wook appears to firmly support the wave of optimism pushing for the target to be achieved. He pointed out that the ‘3 by 5’ initiative was likely to be slow-moving initially due to the

need to implement a delivery infrastructure. Dr Jong-wook also expressed excitement regarding future progress towards the target.

“What I see is the pressure from the people to their governments, to the international community - this will be huge’’ he enthuses .

With the anniversary of the launch of the ‘3 by 5’ initiative approaching rapidly (World AIDS day, 1st December), preceded by ‘AIDS awareness Week’ in College (running from Wednesday 24th November until Wednesday 1st December), perhaps now is the time for us to be swept up in the wave of optimism and start exerting pressure on organisations to meet this target.

Sci-Fi Soc uneasy at CSC reshuffling plans Niamh Fleming Farell Rumour has it following recent Central Societies Committee (CSC) executive meetings that plans are currently afoot for a reshuffling of society rooms in House 6. Tales that the Central Societies Committee plan to move the Science Fiction Society from their room on the 3rd floor of the building generated substantial uncertainty within the society.

Sci-Fi Soc occupy the third largest society room in House 6 and have done so since the society’s foundation in 1983. Robert Ryan, auditor of the society, grew worried at the rumours of a reshuffle, as a move would present him and his committee with a logistic nightmare. The society is classified as a large society with more than 500 members. It uses the room almost daily as a common room where most evenings find it occupied with

a substantial number of people watching movies. The society room also boosts a book library, which runs around its four walls and would be difficult to re-house in a smaller room.

Mr. Ryan and society secretary, Russell approached the CSC upon hearing the rumour.

Mr. Ryan claims that Mr. Joe O’Gorman, honourary treasurer of CSC, reassured him at this meeting that no move would occur until next April or May. However, the uncertainty regarding the move has made it difficult for the society to make amenities requests for the painting of and new shelving in their current society room. Effectively, these requests cannot be made with the doubt surrounding the situation at present.

Why request funds for improving a society room when there is no certainty as to how long it will remain your society room? Thus, Mr. Ryan explains that while the Science-Fiction Society in no way

a bonus. Hopefully if people enjoy VdeP Day they will decide to give some time to one of our activities.”

Further awareness was raised with the help of other societies, most notably Dublin Univeristy Rock Nostalgia Society (DURNS) who ran an awareness gig in the buttery

cares to come to blows with the CSC there is a definite sense of unease with the current inconclusive state of affairs.

When questioned by Trinity News, Luke Reynolds, Chair of

CSC, said that at the present the executive committee were not participating in any plans to rearrange society rooms in House 6. He did however point out that it does fall under the remit of the CSC to do so

Photo: Matt Pitt

should it feel the need for a restructuring of its resources in House 6.

For the minute though Sci-Fi Soc will just have to wait for their fate to become official before they can proceed with any certainty.

www.csc.tcd.ie/-vdepaul

Kid Gloves at the Phil Susan Ryan On Monday 8th November, the Taoiseach made an appearance at the Phil as he was presented with the honorary patronage of the society. Mr Ahern then gave a short lecture discussing the continuing developments of the Peace Process in Northern Ireland, and the place of the University in Ireland, focusing on the value of Third-Level institutions for Irish society as a whole. Mr Ahern’s speech centred on the Northern Ireland peace talks, with particular emphasis on the importance of the opportunity at hand at this time. Mr Ahern urged all political parties in the North to come to a common understanding in achieving normality for all people of Northern Ireland.

The Taoiseach warned against parties causing disruptions to the talks due to “unreasonable and unrealistic demands”. There can be no half measures at this crucial stage and parties must align themselves to peace and distance themselves from all paramilitary activity. He then continued his speech to encourage active student participation in such projects as the SUAS and MediaLab initiatives in Trinity.

SUAS promotes community development in developing world countries through education, and MediaLab are a global group which uses technology and invention to improve quality of life. Mr Ahern praised both projects for their wider off-campus community and the opportunities for disadvantaged people which have arisen as a direct result of involvement in the projects.

Despite his apparent enthusiasm for the university system, the Taoiseach’s speech was marked by

Photo: Eamonn Maron

a particular avoidance of the cost of this system for the Irish student.

Mr Ahern did not address the issue of fees or the escalating costs of education for students in Ireland, and did not offer any opportunity for questions from the floor. This was despite promises made earlier in the evening by the Phil President Mr Patrick Cosgrave that Mr Ahern would indeed be taking questions.

The reassurance followed on from anger expressed at last year’s event at the Burke Theatre with the Hist.

At that time, a similar incident occured in which Mr Ahern declined questions following his speech.

The unwillingness of the Taoiseach to answer questions has led to tension between the Philosophical Society and the Students’ Union. SU Welfare Officer Luke Ryder raised a motion at the Phil meeting on the 11th November stating his regret that Mr Ahern had remained unopposed and unquestioned throughout his speech. Mr Cosgrave, in response, declared that the Students’ Union had no authority to question the practices of the Philosophical Society and refused to entertain the motion.

Players grab €10k Maisie Lee

House 6, which may well be due a reshuffle if CSC have their way

the night before.The St. Vincent De Paul society reiterated that they are eager to recruit members, and urged anyone wishing to get involved with the society to look at their website:

Trinity College Players Society managed to win €10,000 prize for creating a play based on making science fun. Science on Stage was a project run by the Government agency Forfas in Conjunction with the Helix Theatre as part of National Science Week.

Universities from around the country were given a €1000 bursary to put on a play of around 50 minutes which aimed to make science fun, entertaining and relevent to the everyday lives of 11-15 year olds.

This age group is commonly seen as the most difficult target for science learning and related interests. Reports and research groups have often cited lack of interest among young teenagers as a reason why the health service is desperate for staff. The prize fund was €10,000 and the chance to perform the play for a week in Spring 2005.

With only a few weeks to create

and rehearse the show, Players opted for a workshop process. In this working atmosphere the script was devised by the cast.

Thus, Trinity’s entry “Scarlett Fever” became a detective story that was centred .around the kidnapping of a scientist. The play tried to explore the area of medical research and science in an entertaining and interesting way for the young audience. The play was performed in The Helix Theatre on Saturday 13th as part of a week long run coinciding with science week which began on Monday 8th.

Each university had one evening slot during the week with which to impress. The night of Trinity’s performance was also the last night of the week, so the awards were announced shortly after their show finished.

With much excitement the cast and crew of “Scarlett Fever” were over the moon to discover that their entry had won.

2

Tuesday November 23, 2004

Assistant News Editor: Liz Johnson

COLLEGENEWS

Trinity News Fears over mumps encourages MMR Anna Kavanagh * New fears for future outbreaks * USI lead compaign for universal vaccinations * 3 Known Trinity Cases In response to the growing number of incidents of mumps, particularly in colleges across the country, the College Health Service has decided to make the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccination available, free of charge, to all students.

Taking their lead from the Union of Students in Ireland (USI), the Trinity Students’ Union is currently campaigning to raise awareness about the prevalence and symptoms of this disease.

While many traditionally associate mumps, like measles, with children, it is still possible to contract disease at a later stage.

Again, as with measles, when contracted in adulthood, mumps can be much more serious.

Students are particularly at risk from the disease as it is transmitted by airborne or direct contact with an infected person such as sneezing or kissing. The communal living arrangements, crowded lecture theatres and classes and social activities synonymous with student life are all conducive to the spread of the

disease.

According to the National Disease Surveillance Centre (www.ndsc.ie), there has been a significant increase in cases of mumps among teenagers and young adults since the start of the month. In general, cases have been reported in people who either never received the MMR, or only received one dose as children. It is with this in mind that the Health Service has taken the step of providing the vaccine free of charge.

One of the main problems facing health authorities when trying to contain an outbreak of mumps such as this is the nature of the symptoms. Symptoms may not develop for up to 25 days following exposure. Some cases are asymptomatic (they don’t display any discernible symptoms) while in up to half of all cases of mumps infections the symptoms are vague and non-specific to any one disease, such as slight fever, muscle ache, loss of appetite, tiredness and headache.

The more well-known symptom, specific to mumps is that swelling of the cheek and jaw area, more specifically the parotid gland. Up to a third of all cases also experience swelling of other salivary glands.

In cases where there are no complications, the patient recovers spontaneously. However complications, the likelihood of which tends to increase the older the patient, can be serious. One of

the most common complications is symptomatic meningitis. This occurs in up to 15% of patients and adults are more at risk of this complication than children.

In addition, up to 40% of young men infected with mumps experience testicular inflammation or orchitis. The female equivalent, oophoritis (inflammation of the ovaries) occurs in just 5% of young women who contract mumps.

Further complications are very rare – deafness occurs in 1 in 20,000 cases while brain inflammation is even rarer.

However, the combination of non-specific symptoms and serious complications in young adults has led to the current immunization campaign. As the vaccine was only introduced in the Republic of Ireland in 1988, it is likely that many students in their twenties either received only one dose or none at A child suffers from symptoms of mumps. Vaccination is the simple answer all. attend college for 10 days after the Athlone Institue of double the total amount of peoThe NDSC are keen that immuparotid swelling due to the risk Technology were reported to ple who had mumps in the whole nization programmes are underof infecting others. have contracted the virus. of 2003. taken in 3 rd level colleges and It seems their concern These figures brought Vaccination proadvise that anyone who does may be justified. On the 18th the number of national cases to grammes have been carried out contract the disease should not November alone 40 students at around 120. This is more than in all the areas where the virus

has been contracted in an attempt to halt the spread.

For more information contact the College Health Service at:

http://www.tcd.ie/Student_ Health

“Don’t See A Great Life Wasted” say Expo group Liz Johnson Last Thursday 18th November saw An Taoiseach Mr Bertie Ahern launch the first ever Horizons Expo.

This event is due to take place in Trinity College on Thursday 25th November. It will be aimed at showcasing opportunities in the civil society sector to young people. Exhibitors include top Irish charities such as Concern Worldwide, Special Olympics Ireland, Barnardos, the Irish

Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC) and Amnesty International amongst others.

The Horizons Expo is being organised by the Washington Ireland Programme.

This scheme is a cross-border initiative that annually takes thirty Irish students to Washington DC for the summer. Once there they take part in activites such as government internships and leadership training.

Various Trinity students have taken part in this programme

over the years, including Ronan Lyons, Chair for the Alumni Network of the WashingtonIreland Programme, who is helping to organise the event.

He says: “the Horizons Expo shows that a few people, prepared to dedicate time and effort on a project, can really make things happen. And that’s the message we want young people in Ireland to take from it.”

The Expo has been endorsed by third level institutes nationwide and has also received approval from the highest levels

of government including An Taoiseach, Mr Bertie Ahern.

Mr Ahern said at the lauch of the programme: “A society like Ireland can only thrive when it has a healthy civil society built on active citizenship and people mobilising their energy and good will for the good of the community, country and world around them.

“The Horizons Expo presents an opportunity to harness such involvement by providing access to the options for volunteering that are out there.

“I look forward to seeing the Horizons Expo go from strength to strength.”

The inspirational ethos behind this event is ‘Don’t see a great life wasted’ , drawing on the idea that charity is an important sector of society. Hopefully, through Horizons Expo, more students will get involved in the civil society sector on leaving college.

Horizons Expo will take place in the GMB from 11am- 4pm on Wednesday 25th November.

Third Level investment rises Kathryn Segesser

You have read it Now write for it Be a part of Trinity’s Award winning Newspaper Contact our Editors to find out how to get involved Visit www.trinity-news.com

* End of Freeze on Capital Third Level Spending * Minister Hanafin announces new building plans * USI still unhappy with budget New education minister Mary Hanafin recently outlined new proposals for an EUR82million investment into third level education. Speaking on the 14th of November, Ms Hanafin, Minister for Education and Science, outlined 10 high priority capital programmes to proceed immediately.

The projects mark an end to a recent freeze on capital Third Level spending and include plans for the provision of radiography facilities at Trinity costing EUR3.5million.

The plans include the development of the Clinton Centre for American Studies at UCD at a cost of EUR3.5million, a new building for the school of Pharmacy at the Royal College of Surgeons costing EUR2.8million and the first phrase of the provision of extensive new accommodation at St Patrick’s College, Drumcondra to the tune of EUR6.2million. Further afield UCC is to receive new buildings for the schools of Pharmacy, Health Therapies and Social Work to the cost of EUR15.9million, the University of Limerick will have a new building for Health Therapies costing EUR6.8million and there is to be a new integrated Health Services building for Clinical Psychology and Health Therapies together with new accommodation for social work in NUI Galway for EUR9.5million. St Patrick’s College and Mary Immaculate College of Education at Limerick are both to also receive funding for major expansion projects.

A report by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) proposed a five

year implementation period and looked to a total investment of EUR900million over a five year period. Most of the building projects are centred on the skills based disciplines of teacher training and those aimed at addressing what the Minister cited as “critical health skills shortages”. As such, they tie in closely with governmental health policy.

The projects also come in response to the recent Kelly report which stressed that many third level infrastructures were in need of renovation. The report claimed an investment of almost EUR1.9billion was needed over the next ten years to meet the building needs of the sector. Minister Hanafin claimed that the projects were “of high national importance” and were fundamental to her recognition of “the investment needs of education at all levels”. Economic prosperity and social cohesion were also given as rationale behind such large investment.

Speaking in Limerick, An Taoiseach, Mr Bertie Ahern, stressed the need to support “the significant expansion in recent years of teacher training places”.

The council of directors of the institutes of technology (IoTs) welcomed the move. Their chairman, Mr Paul Hannigan claimed he now “looked forward’ to the Budget and was hopeful of further third level investment. USI are also unhappy at the new Budget, despite a rise by EUR0.5 billion on overall education spending – taking this years total to EUR6.625 billion – making a nine percent increase in Budget allowance, one of the largest for any governmental department.

USI claim that the allocation of funds for third level education is “disappointing”. Minister Hanafin has also been criticised for standing by former Minister for Education and Science Mr Noel Dempsey in his decision to close St Catherine’s College of Home Economics at Sion Hill.

Formula One legend Eddie Irvine accosted by Journalists at the Hist

Student Views: Gay Marriage & Greens

Matthew Dillon, JF BESS

Tomás Irish, JS History

Are you in favour of Gay marriage? Gay people should be allowed to marry I think.

Are you in favour of Gay marriage? I’m as liberal as the next fellah, yeah.

Should students be the ones to start the debate? Someone has to start it – students may as well to be honest.

Should students be the ones to start the debate? I think students will, because that’s the kind of thing students do, really, with all the time on their hands.

Do you think gay marriage will happen in Ireland? I’d say within 15 years or so it will.

It’ll probably come in at a European level.

Do you think gay marriage will happen in Ireland? I don’t know. It seems people are pretty supportive of it… it’ll be interesting to see if it happens in the next few years.

6

Tuesday November 23, 2004

News Feature Editor: Paul Mc Gartoll

Trinity News

NEWSFEATURE

The wind is blowing and you live next door – a dialogue with Jesse Jackson

Civil rights campaigner Rev Jesse Jackson addressed a packed GMB on November 10th. Jackson used the occasion to touch on a wide range of issues from Fallujah to Northern Ireland.

For the past three decades Jackson has been the most recognisable African-American politician. A legendary orator, he is a world renowned political figure who consistently appears in the top 10 list of most respected Americans. Since succeeding Martin Luther King as champion of the civil rights movement he has campaigned tirelessly for equality in health care; a war on drugs; peace talks in the Middle East; an end to apartheid in South Africa and the list goes on.

The only black person ever to contest a US Presidential election, Jackson is still a hugely influential figure in American politics. He is credited for registering millions of black voters and plays a vital role for the Democrats in galvanising minorities’ vote. He worked closely with the John Kerry campaign.

Jesse Jackson’s message is ingrained in the American psyche. Here, Tara Keenan Thomson tells of her experiences of hearing Jackson’s ideals, growing up in white America.

Growing up in a conservative town in white America, Jesse Jackson was something to snigger at. His can-I-get-a-hallelujah style of speaking was something that made us wince, even in our childhood.

We were born after King, after a time that would have contextualized Jackson for us in a way that his presidential campaign in the early 1980s could not.

I remember as a child looking up at my father as he shook his head disapprovingly at the television watching an image of Jackson in a brown polyester suit and gold medallion take his place on the podium.

‘Vote for Jesse Jackson,’ I said. He looked down at me knitting his brow. ‘Why would you want me to do that?’

I hadn’t considered this. Why did I want Jackson to become president?

‘Because it’s time for us to have a black president.’

He closed his eyes slowly and exhaled. ‘Just because somebody’s black doesn’t mean you vote for them. That’s like voting for someone because they’re white.’

My first brush with a type of racism turned on its head. He stubbed out his cigarette signalling the end of the conversation. Fair enough.

Over the years Jesse Jackson would pop up every now and again, and I remember nothing of his message.

What does stick with me is that speaking style: parables and biblical analogies. Anyone other than King banging the lectern and extolling the virtues of Christian neighbourliness had no place in white suburbia and therefore no place in my reality.

Then one day it happened. I had just hit ‘print’ and was listening to my dot-matrix pound out every letter of my college entrance essay on neo-nazism in New York. It was probably an unconscious attempt at

showing the admissions office at liberal NYU that I was one of ‘them’, a good guy. Yes, I came from a right-wing town where blacks were routinely escorted to the town limits after dark. But this essay would prove that I could “fit in” and join the crusade against injustice and racism.

That day, as I waited for my essay to print, in Penn Station a man boarded a train heading for my town. Colin Ferguson, a black Jamaican with a score to settle. He loaded his legally purchased Ruger P89 9mm pistol and waited. As the train approached the station in my home town he jumped into the aisle and while backing up, he opened fire. Six people died that night and twenty-two were severely injured.

His legal defence team called it black rage. He was found guilty of loading up his pistol, mowing strangers down, reloading and doing it again. More would have died if three heroic men hadn’t taken a chance that night. They wrestled him to the ground when he paused to reload for the third time.

A few days later I was due to get on the train – what now seems like a frivolity: meeting friends in the city. Jesse Jackson had come to preach unity and healing at the local church and I passed it on my way to the train. I shoved my hands deeper into my pockets to hide them from the crowd, but it was no good. From across the frozen street they could see me, my white knuckled fists balled inside my mittens mirrored their own, which were wrapped around signs asking for understanding. I kept my eyes on the sidewalk swallowed hard and boarded the train.

That was a decade ago.

Just a few years ago I moved to Dublin. Wide-eyed and ready to embrace a new life in the hallowed

halls of Ireland’s oldest university, I stumbled through the first two weeks. When September 11th happened, I was at the post office off Grafton Street. Everyone knew I was American (about these things, you can just tell) and judging from my face, I didn’t know. Some kind soul took me aside and told me to ring home. I spent the rest of the day and night in McDaid’s (we still had not got television) unable to cry from the shock. My town was a high-powered hamlet one half hour outside Manhattan by train.

Everyone had family members who commuted and finance was the profession of choice. We all knew four, five, six people who never came home that night. I’ve gone back there and not much has changed. But the fear has become palpable. And it’s no longer the fear of the black on the street after dark. It has transcended racism.

The fear and the utter devastation of this suburb informs every gesture of its inhabitants, every decision made or unmade. And on one level, this post September 11th desolation is not unique to this place.

When September 11th happened, I was at the post office off Grafton Street. Everyone knew I was American.

But on another level, the racially motivated attack of ten years ago, coupled with the experience of being a town violently purged of a significant portion of its people just a few years ago, has devastated us.

We shuffle through the motions of life, afraid of actually living.

Jesse Jackson came to Dublin recently and I went to see him. I wouldn’t walk by again. I’d see what he had to say about this issue of racial hatred that I’ve been strug-

gling with my whole life and I’d ask him a question or two. At Trinity I queued up and got the last seat in the GMB. And then he spoke. He looked terrible -- his face ashen and his eyes sunken. He spoke slowly, as if he was unfamiliar with the subject matter. He spoke about levelling the playing field, fighting the virus of pre-emptive strikes, resisting lawlessness in the international community. As the speech wore on his voice grew louder, his eyes brightened and he seemed invigorated by his own ideas. He had a vision of the United States taking its position among the nations of the world as the kind of force it was meant to be.

He told us that we must all play a part in protecting our neighbours, sometimes even if it means protecting them from themselves, and none of us were in any doubt that he was talking about America.

Europe had a role, he said, in helping to balance our global trajectory; it could help rein in unilateral action. We must make our voices heard in order to bring balance back to the debate. Time for the obligatory biblical analogy that somehow, in the context of what we hear from George W. Bush, seemed eminently appropriate. He told us the story of the good Samaritan. A man who helps people of a different race and a different creed. A man who demonstrates unity through his actions. It occurred to me that I have a part to play too. And it is not here. Sure, the easy thing would be to stay in a country where most people agree with me. But there I sat, a world away from a decade ago, this time not walking by. My pen scrawled notes furiously across the page and my knuckles were not white. Part of me is terrified to go back. Part of me wants to wrap myself up in Trinity’s comforting stone walls

and fall asleep in the secret garden.

Any of my friends here could snap their fingers and in a heartbeat and I would agree to remain. But they know, and so do I and it’s time to go home. Jackson told us to dream beyond our circumstances. He said this ten years ago in that church and he repeated it at Trinity: beyond

colour, beyond culture, beyond creed, there’s character.

As the Trinity clock chimed, Jackson described a scenario: your neighbour is an alcoholic. He gets drunk and one night he passes out with his cigarette in his hand. His house burns down and he dies.

You’re on the news the next day: ‘I

knew it was going to happen. I said it. Don’t you remember, honey?’

‘Yes, dear. You said it.’ Jackson paused. The clock struck again.

He scanned the audience and said, ‘His house burned down and guess what? The wind is blowing and you live next door.’

POLITICAL PARTIES:

STUDENT MEMBERSHIP CONTRADICTS NATIONAL TRENDS

An examination of membership of political parties has revealed an astonishing level of student support for government minority parties. In this issue,Trinity News examines the state of the Socialist Workers Student Society and the Progressive Democrats.

Socialist Workers Student Society Paul McGartoll Kevin Moran, chair of Trinity SWSS (Socialist Workers Student Society) is upbeat and positive about the year ahead for socialists in College.

Their membership figures doubled this year and the SWSS stand during Freshers’ Week was inundated with people eager to get involved.

Moran says there has been a marked shift this year from other years. He cites the continuing chaos in Iraq, George Bush and “a general rise in left wing ideas” as contributing to this.

SWSS aim is to promote socialist ideas by having forums

and anti-war demonstrations as well as their weekly meetings.

Moran believes that there is a growing interest in “resistance politics” in Trinity, and that his society is best placed to gain from this. He is proud to point out that they are the only society on campus to provide anti-war literature opposition to the war and raising awareness about the US military’s use of Shannon Airport are the top priorities for this year. Moran assures students that they haven’t forgotten about fees either: “We are putting pressure on the Studens’ Union to step up their anti-fees campaign.” SWSS believe that the farcical demonstration against fees outside Leinster House at the start of the year was a “dreadful waste”, and blames the SU’s lack of effort for the poor organisation: “The demonstration was only 5 minutes around the corner, and out of 13,000 students only a handful turned up.”

SWSS do not see Trinity’s anarchism movement as being detrimental to their interests. Moran points out that there are large differences between them but also welcomes the group as “fellow activists”. As for Sinn Fein, SWSS endorse their socialist views but believe that their policies are too broad and that “it remains to be seen if they’ll produce”.

The society’s next event is a Marxism Conference in the college over the weekend of November 26th 2004. TCD SWSS are excited about hosting this flagship event for Irish socialism which will attract many well established speakers, including Richard Boyd-Barrett and Jamal Jumma. SWSS say the conference will showcase socialist thought on a wide range of issues from Cuba to global warming.

Trinity Progressive Democrats Paul McGartoll Last year saw the Central Societies Committee refusing to recognise Trinity PDs as a society.

Surely things could only get better for the college’s Progressive Democrats this time around; Colm Fahey, the party’s chair assures us that they have.

With 63 “enthusiastic new members”, his party are determined to make it a big year for Trinity’s forgotten party.

A tour of the Dáil, an EGM and a debate between Michael McDowell and the General Secretary of Sinn Féin have

already been organised by the party this year. These events, not to mention the policy meeting they held in preparation for the Progressive Democrats’ National Conference, are evidence that they mean business. The PDs clearly feel they have to make up for last year’s shortcomings, and the chair is proud to declare that they are “the most active political party on campus.”

The general consensus, especially among students, is that the PDs are a strongly right wing party. However Fahey robustly rejects this: “We have liberal economic policies. We believe in encouraging people to stay in our country, to bring business to our country and to sustain high employment levels.” Whatever one’s views are on this party, Trinity PDs definitely don’t lack confidence, drive or genuine belief in their own ideology. The party intend to plan a series of debates

with the other political parties, and Fahey makes no secret of the PDs aggressive plans to court support: “We will allow students hear the stance of parties and challenge the speakers when they are waffling or dumbing down policies.”

Fahey does not differ from national party lines in his views on the PDs arch enemy Sinn Féin, and proudly reflects on the debate held in Trinity between McDowell and SF, where a “packed GMB saw McDowell take the wheels off their propaganda wagon.” Fahey is eager to mention that this debate received front page coverage

from the Sunday Independent.

As for Fianna Fail, Fahey was determined to put right some of the accusations levelled at his party by FF in Trinity News. To say that there is no love lost between the coalition partners in Trinity would be an understatement. There is a mutual and visceral dislike between them. As regards to the health system, Fahey argues that Mary Harney is improving a two-tier system that FF created. He goes on to say that FF are a party with “absolutely nothing to offer the country” and that he is disappointed to see that “FF are spawning yet another generation of wafflers and b*********s”.

International Review Editor: Karina Finegan Alves

Trinity News

Tuesday November 23, 2004

INTERNATIONAL REVIEW

Walls and bridges through rugby As Rugby Union reaches its remarkable achievement of 150 years in Trinity College, it does so at a crossroads in world rugby. What does its future hold?

Will professionalism turn it into an inclusive or exclusive sport?

Philip McKinley asks…

In many ways Trinity’s rugby journey is an echo of the world game.

What began as a sport for the exclusive has become both professional and diverse. Perhaps in another 150 years, emerging nations like China and Russia, will have usurped powerhouses such as New Zealand and England.

If Rugby Union really wants to develop however, then it must ask itself some hard questions. Does its history allow for change and can professionalism be used to promote a vision for the sport that encourages the participation of all?

Some could say that things are looking divided for rugby at the moment. The Pacific nations have been excluded from a revised TriNations and Super 12, a gesture which acts as a nail in the coffin of one of the most exciting and productive regions in world rugby, all because of economic interests.

Also the South African rugby squad announced for their tour of the British Isles has been accused of positive discrimination because of the inclusion of the highest number of non-whites ever. Religious segregation has again reared its ugly head in Ulster with a controversial allegation of religious bias by an in-flight Aer Lingus magazine. As we stand on the verge of a crossroads, can we really conclude that rugby has become a global

game as envisaged by the International Rugby Board (IRB) Chairman Syd Millar? Can we really claim that the World is indeed in Union as long as standards remain so divided and traditions so

ments on his appreciation of discussing the Troubles with Ulstermen; “I feel my understanding of the Unionist tradition is far greater than had we not done so.

And it bred mutual respect”. Indeed when Ulster reached the European Cup Final in 1999, 30,000 Northerners travelled to Lansdowne Road, some citing it as their first trip to the South. It is somewhat ironic that rugby, which up North is the traditional preserve of Ulster Unionists, is a game which represents a united Ireland, sharing that distinction with the GAA, but not soccer.

And yet it would seem to make sense that rugby, like all team sports, should unite rather than divide. At the very heart of team sport is a co-operative sharing of talents and skills, which fundamentally undermines the mé féin culture of today. Sport it seems has a prophetic role to play in society.

Indeed rugby is virtually unique in its requirements of such varying shapes, sizes, skills and talents, all united to form one team. It teaches the value of difference and therefore the advantages of mutual sharing.

And yet although its very basis is multi-dimensional and multi-requisite, rugby has been used as a tool of exclusion.

It’s almost impossible to believe that had an apartheid government continued to rule South Africa for

Berlusconi behind bars?

In one of the most heated trials in Italian political history, prosecutors pushed for an eight year prison sentence for Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. The corruption charges are the most serious Mr Berlusconi has faced.

Mathilde Gerard Mr Berlusconi is charged with using his business group Fininvest to bribe judges in Rome so as to secure the purchase of a stateowned food conglomerate. Absent from the 12th November session, ‘Il Cavaliere’ might also be sentenced to a life-time suspension from holding public office. The final verdict is expected at the end of the year, after the Prime Minister’s lawyers have addressed the Court.

Opened in 2000, this lengthy trial is concerned with a case that occurred in 1986, several years before Berlusconi entered politics.

A judicial decision had then managed to stop the acquisition of the group SME by one of Berlusconi’s most serious business opponents, Carlo de Benedetti. Prosecutor Boccassini told the court room that Berlusconi’s Fininvest had had judges "on their payroll". The ten year inquiry also revealed a more generalized system of corruption within Rome’s magistrature.

Fininvest’s ex-lawyer, Cesare Pravitti, an old friend of Berlusconi’s and former Minister of Defence, was sentenced in November 2003 to a five-year prison term by the same Milanese

another ten years, that players like Jonah Lomu, George Gregan, Emile Ntamack, Jason Robinson and Colin Charvis would be refused permission to play simply because of the colour of their skin.

It is perhaps ironic therefore that the 1997 Lions victory over South Africa was sealed by a last minute drop goal by Jeremy Gusgott.

Trinity rugby has a link with South Africa that goes back to the time of the First World War. The

as being “the greatest forward Trinity ever produced”.

It is therefore notable to add that the first black African to play rugby for an Irish Senior club was John Coker from Sierra Leone, who represented Trinity on the wing, in the early 1960’s. He was apparently a formidable sight as he stood at 6’3” and had previously been an Olympic boxer.

The South Africans, however, aren’t the only ones who have used

Boers of South Africa were traditionally pro-German, so when students were awarded Rhodes Scholarships they refused to study in the country of their enemy (Oxford and Cambridge), so came to Ireland instead. 1919-1920’s team boasted six South Africans, with J. Van Druten being accredited

rugby as a tool of exclusion. The Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu used his favorite sport, rugby, to bolster the physical strength of his military. His financial assistance to the game, at the exclusion of others, marked a Golden Age for Romanian rugby, during which period they beat

‘if Rugby Union is to grow in Ireland and throughout the world, then the most important lesson it can take from its past is to never again become the preserve of one creed, one colour or one class.’ entrenched?

The origin of rugby, as shown by Trinity’s past is among the middle to upper classes. Just as Rugby League has traditionally flourished in working-class areas, Rugby Union has traditionally flourished in middle-class areas, with Limerick, Wales and New Zealand as notable exceptions. But being middle-class is not a bad thing.

Even at the height of political turmoil on this island, when religion divided, class was still a uniting force. When virtually no lines of communication were kept open with the North, rugby teams still crossed the borders even at the height of the Troubles.

In the book ‘150 years of Trinity Rugby’, edited by Prof. Trevor West, the former Irish rugby international Hugo MacNeill, com-

court. In 1991 Pravitti was charged with having transferred $434,000 via Swiss bank accounts to the judge Renato Squillone, who was the head of the inquiry judges in Rome.

The Prime Minister’s case was dissociated from that of his coaccused, given that his political obligations prevented him to attend the sessions. In June 2003, his majority managed to swing an emergency bill that granted immunity to the five highest statesmen during their term of office.

However this text, suitably named “Saving Berlusconi” was invalidated by the Constitutional Court last January and the trial resumed in April.

Bocassini has repeatedly underlined the current responsibilities of the defendant: “He presented himself as the guarantor of the Italian people, and yet he lies to them.”

The defence, outraged by such statements, sees here proof of the political bias of the prosecution.

"This request is the death of justice," declared Sandro Bondi, national co-ordinator of Berlusconi's Forza Italia party. He found it very degrading for the magistrature to “use the courtroom

7

to attack politically a Prime Minister who has been democratically elected by the majority of the Italians.” This sentence will actually fit within the Prime Minister’s rhetoric, haunted by the spectre of a leftist complot against his stand.

“This is a manifest judicial persecution, which I am proud to resist,” dismissed the Premier.

However, Berlusconi has good reason to worry. On top of these charges, his centre-right coalition is suffering seriously from bitter infighting and a struggling economy, whilst under attack for its continued support for the war in Iraq.

The Buttiglione scandal in the European Commission last month also contributed to Berlusconi’s isolation on the European scene.

Concerning this last case, however, Berlusconi learned his lesson and listened to the protests of his European partners, replacing Buttiglione by the current Foreign Affairs Minister, Franco Frattini.

This cabinet reshuffle will probably lead the Prime Minister to appoint the controversial Gianfranco Fini (Aleanza Nazionale) as head of Italian diplomacy.

France, Wales and Scotland. His rule however could not quite be described as a Golden Age for Romanian politics.

Indeed there has also always been a traditional mutual exclusion between Rugby Union and Rugby League, with players who changed codes, reportedly being ostracised by one group or another.

Strongly bound up with Rugby Union is its tradition. But is it a healthy tradition? For instance the landscape of world super rugby nations today is virtually the same as it was 100 years ago. There are some notable additions to Division 1 of the All Ireland League, such as community clubs like Carlow and Clontarf, and yet after 150 years of playing, Trinity can proudly say it is still in the top flight of Irish rugby. But why has this country not seen the emergence of a team from Tallaght, or indeed a rugby team for Travellers? If rugby is to truly become a global game, then it must learn to find a balance between its traditional heartlands and a redefinition of their ethos.

After 150 years of promoting the sport, Trinity rugby is in the driving seat as the sport reaches a crossroads. The team of 150 years ago was filled only with the Protestant Anglo-Irish elite. Now it is multinational, multi-faith and professional. Perhaps professionalism holds the key in opening up rugby to new viewers and new markets, or perhaps it will become the death nail to emerging teams, as the rich become richer and the poor become poorer. But if Rugby Union is to grow in Ireland and throughout the world, then the most important lesson it can take from its past is to never again become the preserve of one creed, one colour or one class.

Students design peace park Clíona Rattigan The Lebanese civil war finally ground to a halt in 1990. Ten years later, in May 2000 Israel withdrew from South Lebanon, bringing an end to twenty-two years of occupation. At times the most dangerous place on earth, South Lebanon had been the site of brutal warfare and intense resistance for over two decades. By the time Israel withdrew its troops South Lebanon had been reduced to a wasteland. Its infrastructure had been destroyed, its economy in ruins and its landscape dotted with landmines and unexploded shells. By 1990, an estimated 500,000 Lebanese citizens had been internally displaced.

One fifth of Lebanon’s displaced were from the south. Very few villages and towns in South Lebanon have returned to their pre-war population levels.

On Wednesday October 13th the Lebanon Daily Star ran a feature on five architecture students at the Lebanese American University.

The students had been placed in, but had not won a U.N. sponsored architecture competition entitled ‘Seeing the South.’ Entrants were asked to devise landscape design

projects for South Lebanon. The L.A.U. students’ creative efforts centred on the Lebanese border town of Khiam and their project drew widespread comment.

Khiam is a border village in the far south of the country. The town is associated in the minds of most Lebanese with Khiam prison.

Hundreds of South Lebanon’s residents had been incarcerated in the notorious Israeli-run Khiam prison during the war and occupation. A forerunner of Iraq’s Abu Ghraib, Khiam became a byword for torture and abuse. In May 2000 a BBC journalist reported that ‘torture involved beatings, electric shocks and being hung from the arms for hours.’ Prisoners were held without trial. Those held illegally in Khiam included members of the resistance, their relatives and civilians who refuse to co-operate with the South Lebanon Army or the Israeli army. The vast majority of prisoners were brutally tortured and some died as a result of inhumane treatment. Prisoners were only allowed out of their cells once a week for between fifteen and thirty minutes of sunshine.

L.A.U. students Antoinette Nammoure, Maya Freigi, AbdulAziz al-Azem, Amira Bizri and

Rasha Geiid designed a park for peace in Khiam. Box like structures made from crumbling old stone glass are a major feature of the peace park’s design. Words from the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights will be etched onto these structures. The students hope that the park will be a sea of green in a former wasteland. Olive trees and flowing water channels will form part of the layout. Soon after the results of the competition were announced the students met with a number of NGO’s and discussed possibilities for funding their design. Mercy Corps agreed to fund their project and construction is expected to be complete within the next few months.

The park will be built close to the site of the former prison. Their impressive design aims to introduce a forward-looking culture of life to a town that has lived in the shadow of death for so long. The students did not aim to erase the site of memory and mourning that the Khiam prison museum represents but rather they sought to provide an alternative public space in Khiam that symbolised hope and human dignity.

From rags to riches to dust Alan Richardson Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates since its foundation in December 1971, died on 2nd November 2004. Born in 1918, at a time when the region relied mainly on the sale of pearls for income, and consequently was among the poorest in the world, Shaikh Zayed was no stranger to suffering and hardship.

When oil was discovered in the 1960s, the region was still undeveloped. What are now its main cities, were no more than groups of wooden huts less than forty years ago.

As oil money poured into the country, Shaikh Zayed invested wisely in modern infrastructure, and transformed the region into one of the fastest developing in the world.

Shaikh Zayed was also instrumental in uniting the seven small Trucial States, into what is now known as the United Arab Emirates. The U.A.E. is considered to be one of its most stable and secure Middle-Eastern countries.

The success of his efforts is obvious. Cities such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi, largely unknown to the outside world until recently, are now recognised by everyone as being among the most important in the Middle East. Dubai for one is the fastest growing tourist destination in the world. The U.A.E. also enjoys one of the world’s highest per capita incomes. Shaikh Zayed, despite his impoverished youth, became one of the richest men in the world.

Shaikh Zayed undertook many other grand projects, such as transforming large tracts of desert by planting 100 million trees. His environmental conservation efforts played an important role in saving many species from extinction, and won him several prestigious environmental awards, including the ‘Golden Panda’ – the WWF’s most prestigious conservation award.

Shaikh Zayed also earned great international respect for his support of humanitarian efforts and advocacy of peaceful resolutions to global problems. Prince Charles and Prince Andrew both attended his funeral, and French President Jacques Chirac arrived shortly afterwards to pay his respects.

Colin Powell, US Secretary of State, said “Shaikh Zayed was a friend. He stood both at home and abroad as a symbol of benevolent and wise leadership characterised by generosity, tolerance, and avid pursuit of development and modernisation”. He, “was a model of generosity, wisdom and leadership. The whole world knew him as a man of development, justice and civilisation.”

Shaikh Zayed’s death has plunged the nation into grief and mourning. He was a leader truly loved by his people. His eldest son, Shaikh Khalifa, has now takenover as President of the U.A.E.

Arafat: Dove or Demon?

Noaa Baker Never speak ill of the dead has always been a policy I keenly espouse. However the gratuitous outpouring of syrupy sentiment sparked by the recent demise of Yasser Arafat is enough to irk even the most patient of temperaments.

Yasser Arafat is no martyr. Rather the world has now shed some of the dead weight it was heavily encumbered with and his departure may be construed as the greatest service he ever made to the Palestinian cause.

The prospects for peace have increased tenfold. His leadership skills or lack thereof were perhaps better suited to the fields of business and management. He discovered a lucrative enterprise in the terrorism industry (and as an aside perhaps also on the catwalks of Milan where a revival of military chic may indeed have been inspired by the army greens and olives look he so often sported).

While 22% of Palestinian children suffered from chronic malnutrition due to Israeli policies and 60% of Palestinian households lived in

acute poverty, Arafat and his posse of sycophantic sidekicks in the Palestinian Authority siphoned UN and EU aid funds into Swiss Banks accounts. On his death he held the rank of ninth richest world leader and the net worth of embezzled assets is estimated north of 200 million.

His inflexibility and lack of cooperation at Camp David were among the greatest losses Palestinians have to count and were perhaps the most counter-productive towards the struggle for nationhood.

He managed to descend to new and uncharted lows when shortly before his death the Palestinian authority faced allegations of selling cement to Israeli contractors constructing the 720km apartheid wall along the edge of the West Bank. Arafat’s death has relieved Palestinians of a spineless despot and created an invaluable opportunity for reform on the negotiating table undoubtedly enhancing the possibility of peace in the region. Simply put – the world is a better place.

Robert Lamontagne Palestinian President Yassir Arafat’s death is the final blow to the possibility for peace between Israel and Palestine.

On the US/Israeli side of the conflict, the Bush administration will continue to underwrite Ariel

Sharon’s rightwing government – which means, according to Sharon’s personal envoy to Washington, that the ‘road map’ to peace will remain ‘frozen’ by their mutual consent. Before Arafat’s death they claimed they had no worthy negotiating partner; now they claim to have no partner at all.

On the Palestinian side of the conflict, sporadic factional warfare between anti-Israeli groups will intensify.

Palestinian armed groups blockaded by Israel will attack each other instead of the Israelis. The Palestinian people, already poverty-stricken, will limp along on international aid until they must flee or die.

My own view is that Israeli settlements in the West Bank will grow over the next few years. The Palestinians, sealed by the Israeli army in their ghettoes of rubblereduced towns and refugee camps, will die off from violence, disease and hunger. The Israeli people will become hell’s jailors for the roughly four million Palestinians in the Occupied Territories.

BUSINESS&POLITICS 8

Tuesday November 23, 2004

No longer the Teflon Taoiseach

Northern Ireland has been due more to the unnamed diplomats, negotiators and advisors who really shaped the talks that have resulted in the great strides forward he spoke of, rather than what work he did.

Besides, having Northern Ireland as a legacy simply wouldn’t be good enough for Bertie. It’s a legacy that’s been divided up among too many names, names like De Chastelin, Hume, Clinton, for him to feel completely secure in remembrance of that great joint achievement. So Bertie moved on in his speech, having basked in the warm glow that comes to a politician when giving good news to voters, to something he obviously hoped the university audience would give a nice warm reception.

But here he backfired, not that he was able to realise this due the unfortunate bar on communication or questions from the floor. Preaching to students of a university that is facing a difficult financial future due to cutbacks introduced under his government, Ahern praised the work that had been done under his government to fund university research. Now, as I’m sure members of the Students’ Union would have pointed out, research funding is all very well, but if the university is too underfunded to provide students to actually do this research, the whole theory falls apart a small bit, doesn’t it?

And with that Bertie received something in common with Ron Jeremy, the Honorary Patronage of the Phil. Then, zoom. Time seemed to speed up as An Taoiseach fled the chamber, only pausing to shake one hand and receive one pat on the back.

Times are changing for Bertie. He is losing his ‘one of d lads’ persona. He’s no longer the Teflon Taoiseach, rather he’s that week-old lump of

Photo: Eamon Marron burnt lasagne that no matter what you do you just can’t seem to shift. It may not be that long since he came to power, but already he’s growing Devlike in his staying power.

And we wonder why? The reasons are twofold; first of all, whatever else he has, Bertie Ahern has got charisma in bucketloads, also known as ego. Secondly, and more importantly, he has got no opposition. The partnership with one of the least popular parties in the country really comes into its own in attacking and crippling the opposition parties. Michael McDowell seems to exist for this purpose; his attack on Fine Gael last week was inspiring and reminiscent of a time when politicians didn’t mince words.

Previous attacks on Sinn Fein have also shown the man to be, no matter what else you think about him, a dangerous man to be up against. On Wednesday Enda Kenny started off a fairly standard question to the Taoiseach about disadvantaged parts of Dublin city, but quick-

ly moved on to a tangent that he clearly cared much more about- his party’s, and his own, ego.

He criticised the Taoiseach for allowing such meanness and disregard for the poor opposition party’s feelings, and in doing so fell into the trap of McDowells actionshe showed just how desperately hopeless the party and the opposition parties in general are at the moment. It won’t be long before the Labour party comes into the mullah’s firing line.

The building - and I’d only use that term advisedly - of the mythical national sports centre would have been, to Bertie, the greatest thing he could have done. An enormous, state of the art stadium to hold his ego for years to come, he’d have loved it. What’s the betting that he called it the Bertie Bowl himself in private? It was reported last week that Ahern has been taking elocution lessons with the Gaeity School of Actings’ Patrick Sutton. Tese are tings tat te Taoiseach presumably tinks will help his speeches no

Insomnia coffee goes from strength to strength The well-known Irish-owned Insomnia Coffee Company has announced its takeover and acquisition of the Perk coffee shop chain, for more than €1m. This is Insomnia's first acquisition since it bought the Bendini & Shaw chain in 2002. The chief executive of the company, Harry O’Kelly, said that “this deal represents inevitable consolidation and creates a strong indigenous Irish coffee and sandwich chain.”

Insomnia, which was recently valued at €10m, currently runs 11 independent cafes in Dublin and Galway. It also has ‘concession arrangements’ with Hughes and Hughes, Texaco, Brown Thomas, and homewares store Meadows and Byrne. At the time of the valuation, the company also announced its intention to increase the number of outlets to 22 by next August, and create 100 jobs.

Perk, which is owned by Bobby Kerr, has 6 outlets in Dublin. Kerr, who is a former managing director of Bewleys, will be taking up the position of commercial director with Insomnia. Established in 1999, the six Perk outlets are equally divided between Dublin city centre and UCD campus. Speculation

Trinity News Bertie and Baghdad: Home and away from a left wing perspective

Hugh Roche Kelly critiques the ego of the man and asks how someone who basks in mediocrity has somehow achieved Dev-like staying power.

We are now seven years into Bertie Ahern’s tenure as Taoiseach of this country, and on Monday two weeks ago Trinity students in the GMB got an unfortunate opportunity to witness the man in full egotistical flight. At the very start of his speech, he enthusiastically told us that we would get to here about Northern Ireland’s peace process and, here was a shock, how Universities are a brilliant idea after all. But a third aspect of his speech that he probably didn’t mean to get across was his incredibly swollen head.

His shameless and very public flattering of certain egos present in the chamber was both sickening and revealing. Being a self-serving sycophant, An Taoiseach certainly didn’t waste his time hanging around for any questions from the floor. Why should he? Sure, everyone loves Bertie, don’t they? Right?

Well, it’s what he is and always has been most concerned with.

Anyone who believed that sickening Dail statement on his possible leaving for the top EU job during the spring was being naïve in the extreme. Not taking the head job in Europe wasn’t an act of political sacrifice, patriotism or humility; it was an exercise in building up the legend that is perceived as being our Taoiseach. It was part of a process of enforcing his ego on Irish politics that began long ago during the years when he was chief whip of Fianna Fail; years that led CJ Haughey to dub Bertie the ‘worst of the lot.’

But getting back to his speech, protected as it may have been.

He first talked about the fantastic work that has been done in the past decade in the peace process, work that Bertie is desperate to take credit for. But every success in the long-suffering peace process in

Business & Politics Editor: Sinead Redmond

is that the Perk stores will be rebranded in the early months of 2005. In an update on its previously announced expansion plans, Insomnia also revealed that it plans to open four new stores by the end of the year, at a cost of another €1m. Three of the new stores will be in Dublin, with the other being in Dundalk.

Expectations of these stores will be high, given that Insomnia said its newest outlet, in Meadows and Byrne, Dun Laoghaire, has been trading well ahead of expectations.

The openings of the new stores and the purchase of the Perk chain, then, has brought the number of Insomnia stores up to 21, already almost at the 22 promised

by August 2005, and has been predicted to see the company’s yield increase from €5m in 2004 to €10m by the end of next year.

The enlarged group will now employ 130 people. This follows recent fundraising by Insomnia that raised €2m through a rights issue, involving both new and existing shareholders, and €2m through debt finance.

Businessman John Clohisey, who is now on the Insomnia board, provided a considerable part of the funding.

end, and it is true that he seems to have gained some new found clarity, particularly on the Willie Walsh/ Aer Lingus situation of last week. But this clarity has a victim- Bertie’s vagueness has been a constant part of his political make up, and him suddenly laying down the law could, although I’d personally disrespect him a small bit less, result in a decline in popularity. Even his strong words on Aer Lingus’s future last week resulted in differences between the coalition partners that Pat Rabbite excitedly pronounced a schism, making up some nonsense about Bertie being in talks with Independent TDs. By the time the next general election comes along, most likely in 2007, I can only hope that either Bertie will have started to work for things other than his ego, or that the opposition parties will have ceased their squabbling long enough to really go on the attack, with real success following. Call me cynical, but I won’t be living in hope.

Comrades, we live in exciting times. The revolution is upon us! The foolish bourgeoisie never saw it coming, although come to think of it, neither did we. Turns out that Bertie was a socialist all along, and one of the few remaining ones at that. He’s so darned clever. The whole time the FF/PD coalition was a Trojan horse. Right under our noses they hastened the collapse of the capitalist system. By inducing social inequality unparalleled in the European Union they showed us just how dangerous unbridled market economics can be. McDowell; Harney; Brennan: dedicated revolutionaries one and all.

The building of the new society begins with Brian Cowen’s first budget. However, I wonder if utopia is really within touching distance. The People’s Commissar for Finance has been extolling prudence of late and it occurs to me that change may not come overnight. There are to be increases in spending, 6% in all, but then we’ve seen that before. A government that encourages people to save with the SSIA scheme and then intends to count the surplus towards tax liability, regardless of income level, needs to do more to convince me of a shiny new ethos. As an opponent of the coalition I believe they should be judged not on their claims, but on their deeds. This budget is an opportunity to prove to us all that there is a new ideology motivating our government and that the Taoiseach’s socialism is not merely cosmetic. A fair system of taxation is the key. If this chance is missed to construct a system that is equitable and proportional then no amount of rhetoric will suffice.

In Iraq the violence continues unabated. Margaret Hassan is almost certainly dead. I don’t think it has come as much of a surprise, but it does serve to reinforce the terrible wrath that the “coalition of the willing” has incurred for all Westerners. This was no soldier, no patriotic imperialist. She wasn’t even there to work for Western interests. She converted to Islam, spoke Arabic and devoted her life to helping the Iraqi people. They killed her anyway.

Is this the price that has to be paid for freedom, democracy and that holy grail of homeland security? Perhaps we should view it as evidence that these people simply cannot be reasoned with. They’ll like us when we win so let’s get on with it. That kind of imperialist thinking is deeply unsatisfying. There has to be a better way. If only there was an alternative to the flaming sword, something that may even prove more effective, and less barbaric, than carpet-bombing Fallujah. What the world needs is an example of foreign policy that has dialogue as its keystone, and that ladies and gentleman is precisely what we have recently been given.

In their infinite wisdom, the Bush administration neglected to deal with the potential nuclear threat in Iran and instead decided to overstretch themselves humbling the awesome military might of Iraq, and in the process further alienating the Arab world and dividing Europe. Meanwhile, the aforementioned theocracy remained a danger that the U.N. inspectors actually found evidence of. So the diplomats stepped in and lo and behold: success. Britain, France and Germany have actually managed to talk Iran into halting its programme of uranium enrichment. No bombing, no hostages and no bloodshed. Now I know that seems like a hollow victory because there were no medals or cool explosions but I’m thinking that it may just be the way forward.

Colin Powell (you might remember him as the one who thought that just maybe the U.N. might have something to say about a massive pre-emptive invasion of a sovereign nation) has resigned as Secretary of State, and so the only thing resembling a moderate voice departs from the Bush cabinet. Replacing him is Condoleezza Rice, Bush’s National Security Advisor and cohort of such progressive, forward-thinking individuals as the ever young Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld. But perhaps I’m being unfair.

If Powell had had his weak, liberal way there’d be minorities running around brazenly enjoying civil rights and Saddam and Osama would still be sipping cocktails and rolling in their oil. Rice is a staunch proponent of U.S. unilateralism and I fear that the peaceful multi-lateral breakthrough with Iran may be lost on her. There is another way, a better way. During their regular prayer sessions I can only hope that President Bush and Ms. Rice, the top-ranking diplomat in the world’s only superpower, pray for a little wisdom, and that they find it.

Carl Fox

Foresight Business Breakfast Enabling achievement, sharing excellence and fostering links.

Founded in 1972, the Foresight Business Group is a Trinity College student body which, since its inception, has been driven by the vision to provide a forum for the interaction between leading individuals of the Irish business community and business students of the college.

Over the past thirty years, the group have continued to develop and grow in strength, attracting key-note speakers from leading companies in Ireland to attend many of its illustrious events. Events such as the Foresight Workshops provide a unique opportunity for students to meet senior business people and to learn more about a particular organisation or industry. The workshops have the specific goal of providing a high quality skills transfer to the undergraduate students of Trinity’s business school. Hilary term will see the launch of the annual Foresight Business Journal, for which submissions will be sought in January of the coming year.

Of Foresight’s many events, the business breakfast is perhaps the most celebrated.

Pioneered by students of the business school in 1972, the concept of a business breakfast has since been attempted elsewhere but rarely surpassed. Previous guests have

of booking their place beside a leading business person of their choice in advance of the breakfast.

Tickets will go on sale for this exclusive event from Thursday 25th November at the Foresight stand in the Arts Block, priced at €3. For further information, please visit www.tcdforesight.com.

included Maurice Pratt, CEO of C&C, Willie Walsh, CEO Aer Lingus, Mr. Richard Barrett, Director of Treasury Holdings and Mr. Sean Dorgan, Chief Executive, IDA Ireland.

November 30th will, once again, see the cream of the Irish business world attend a business breakfast in the East Dining Hall at which Chief Executive of NTR plc, Mr. Jim Barry, will deliver a key-note speech. Sponsored by PricewaterhouseCoopers, it is set to be an event not to be missed for all aspiring business students. Above: Jim Barry Students will have the opportunity Below: Foresight Committee 04/05

10

Tuesday November 23, 2004

Arts Review Editor: Edmund Gordon

Trinity News Hotpress as institutional authority

ARTS REVIEW Person Trinity

News Recommends FILM The Incredibles Pixar's latest feature isn't just the studio’s best film to date, it's possibly the funniest and most grown-up cartoon movie ever made.

Written and directed by Simpsons veteran Brad Bird, The Incredibles shares much of the same humour as its predecessor, but the animation - especially during the action sequences - leaves everything else standing.

Our first real music magazine -Hotpress has been around for over twenty-five years.

It’s hardly encountered any serious conflict from similar green setups, and has today reached a somewhat ‘institutionalized’ status within our own broad spectrum of Irish music culture. Yet such an unchallenged publication which is allowed to forge its own channels of native music criticism over this period, has inadvertently set itself up as a traditional authority on the subject. However if you care to read on this article will demonstrate that Hotpress’ authority is a false authority, as it does not represent the Irish music scene as a whole, or accurately enough to fully verify the bands it ‘hails’ and ‘fails’. It presently only serves for the survival of its own existence and that of the adjoined music industry it supports.

Brian Wyse The most obvious proof can be clearly seen within its heritage of music criticism, and its highly questionable editorial system of vindication and rejection. Like any magazine today this system is part-

MUSIC

ly determined by the demands of the sponsors, and as a result forces editors to set a mould for its own safe, market friendly figure of the ‘Irish musician’ and the ‘the art band’, in turn setting a censored context for their respective genres.

The benefit securing such a process is the regular attraction of the

How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb (U2) Probably the best U2 album for more than a decade, this might just rescue the boys from joining the likes of McCartney and Jagger among the ranks of faded old rockers who just won't let go. Out last Friday 19th November, the only way you able to hear the album was through the illegal internet sites it had been leaked to. But TN would never recommend something like that...

EXHIBITION Younger Irish Artists At The IMMA The Irish Museum Of Modern Art hosts this new exhibition showcases 27 works in a variety of media including DVD, video and installation by Irish or Irishbased artists who have come to prominence in the last two decades. Well worth a visit to see what's new in the (surprisingly vibrant) Irish scene.

FICTION The Artificial Marriage (Anne Tyler) Out now in paperback, Anne Tyler's latest deals with all her usual themes of repressed secrets, family tragedies and wasted lives, and does so in her usual gentle, haunting, surprisingly perceptive way. You'd think it would get boring, but with every new book Tyler reveals a new cast of characters, and with infinite subtlety reveals their tragic inner lives. And as always it's beautiful, heart-

Trinity News Warns Against FILM - Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason Not only do these people have the gall to rip off a classic Jane Austen plot line, they've now got the gall to rip it off twice, with exactly the same cast of characters as before.

Expect similar nauseating British romcom rubbish as last time, only now you've seen it all before.

desired demographic. For the press to remain a stable institution, contentment abides in the knowledge that the key to this safe formula is repetition. And further repetition.

And a few issues later repeat it again, only slightly modified.

Within it’s mould For example singer songwriter Davit Kitt certainly fits the mould clocking in a staggering 453 references since his Hotpress vindication in 2000. While The Frames tally a remarkable 864 mentions in some form or another since 1991.

It’s worth mentioning that the possible sparks of their success may lay in unique factors they possess which are preceding that of musical talent. The ever-happy front member of the Frames played a minor role in one of Ireland’s most successful movie exports The Commitments, only a year before setting up his band. David the son of well-known public figure and politician Tom Kitt, has immediate moral appeal to advertisers and press alike.

So what’s the cost of the safe play mould?

The real cost is the art of music itself. Once ordained, these acts tend not to test risking their creative tangents any longer. Thus the result can be found evident in song writing patterns which may on the surface appear different, yet within the over arching frame no radical paradigms are to be found. Tension no longer arises in their art but instead possibly appear as moral questions; “Have I sold out?” must hover occasionally as a dark, dark cloud over their heads every now and again.

Regardless of the arguments for and against magazine economics, or how these people are constructing ethical safe havens for the meaning of their art, the real questions still remain. Does music with significant substance exist in the minds and hearts of Dublin’s art bands al all? Or is contemporary Irish music condemned to the damnations of mediocrity for as long as Hotpress sits on the shelves?

The Prophets of Irish Art Music As you read there are a hefty hand-

ful of bands in and around the city rehearsing, and behaving in ecstatic modes exclusive, and entirely independent of the traditional, hierarchical structures of or media.

The Things, The Rags, The Urges, Humanzie, Mainline and The Mighty Stef are but to name a few.

Glance at the bass player of Humanzie on the right. The meaning of what Gary bears on his back and his belly is a serious message for all native music followers.

“Fuck Hotpress” and “Fuck the Frames”, I’ve forced you to read over 500 words so far and now admit that he put it better.

Within the above images a number of profound statements are being made about the state of our music press, and the industry it supports. There is no longer anything original about what Hotpress and the industry it supports are doing. Bands like Gary’s and all the others bands mentioned get over looked, as they don’t conform to the market safe mould Hotpress persisted in measuring them with.

These bands are forced to look abroad for recognition, and they duly find it. The Things are currently pursuing an offer to release a 7’inch EP by US punk label Big Neck Records. Music Mogul BP Fallon described them as “the most vital band in Ireland”.

Instead of sticking to the tried and tested formula these figures constantly display ecstatic behaviour during performances, constantly reinterpretting their music, and in the meantime entertaining their followers. Take Neilo for instance (above), he described this ecstatic experience he undergoes in his performance as a condition in which he transcends the outer social and personal realms.

The scenes they support with their followers are not characterized by stability, but instead is a shifting transience of members. Neither is the authority centralized in a single publication, it is dispersed among many members. Noticeably seen in charismatic figures, such as Neilo – the front man of the Things, and the one they call “The Mighty Stef” himself. These figures, and their music challenge the traditional

Above: Gary Lonergan Across: Neilo modes and accepted vindication structures of the Hotpress circuit.

Theres something happening here you won’t find at a Frames gig. It’s new music. Take Gary’s word for it and instead of following the predictable drap of Irish mainstream, go and check any

of these guys out for yourself. www.thethingsireland.moonfruit.com www.themightystef.cjb.net www.psychoticreation.moonfruit.com www.cpu.ie

Finding Neverland Clemen Macmillan-Scott I am never usually this girlie - the only other film I cried in was the Lion King- but as I walked down Capel Street one evening staring at the darkening skies I dreamt of Neverland (and partly Johnnie Depp) through glassy eyes.

Neverland is a place navigated by the roads and reefs of a child’s mind and its purity took me back to my own childhood mind. I cried as I thought of what I had lost, the magic I used to be able to see which grown-ups never could. As adults we all try and recreate a world of innocence but we can never come close to the enchantment that is the home of Peter Pan. This film is not another re-working of Peter Pan’s story but instead of his creator, James Mathew Barrie. We first meet Mr Barrie backstage at the opening night of one of his plays. He is childishly nervous watching the Victorian audience, theirs is a grown up world of judgement and boredom.

Depp’s Chaplinesque face peers from behind curtains and we wonder how Mr Barrie might have fit into such a social scene. In the film he is in his late thirties and married, with a moderately grand

home and the established respect of London theatre goers.

However, this is not the reality Mr Barrie chooses to indulge. He escapes the trappings of a civilised gentleman and an affectionately frigid marriage by taking walks in Kensington Gardens. He walks and writes in such a glorious evocation of London that I became quite homesick. His only companion is a great sheep dog whom we should recognise as the inspiration for the character of Nana in Peter Pan. Depp dandy-ishly gives in to the same type of naughty comedy I have seen in Pirates of the Caribbean but he adds a point of reserve expected of such a gentleman, as well as a seamless Scottish accent.

These walks in the park take Mr Barrie’s life in a new direction when he accidentally meets the sons of Sylvia Llewellyn Davies.

In their own ways each of these boys come to remind Barrie of the magic of childhood, or perhaps not to remind but to share in his understanding. The secret relationship between the man and the children is so convincingly portrayed on screen by the covered giggles of the youngest boy and the idolatry from Peter that I couldn’t help thinking that off screen the five of them must have had a ball.

Usually child actors, especially British or American ones, cannot help but annoy me, donning baby accents as if we don’t already realise they are too young to be earning what they earn. There were, in this film, moments of irritation as the young Michael makes a cute speech for his mother and the eldest boy forces faces of glee, even the main son is overly precocious. But they do at times show you just why, with their small faces and uncontrollable giggles, one might reject the company of adults.

This life which Barrie led with the children was looked upon suspiciously by the society of the day but Barrie could not abandon such happiness, and so he isolates his already estranged wife.

The quietly hurt expressions of the rejected wife played by the beautiful Rhada Mitchell is contrasted with the maternal and conspiratorial smiles Sylvia (Kate Winslet) shares with her four boys. Sylvia understands the games children play and we too are seduced by the friendship she has with her sons. Although the relationship between Sylvia and Barrie, is in my mind slightly underplayed and her effect on him is never properly explained, she is always an actress of great strength and reality.

The film is a journey in and out

of Barrie’s different lives. At times he is shown as a cowboy, adventuring in the English woods, or crossing waters seething with pirates. At others we are scolded into remembering grown-up life where Barrie must deliver a hit play for his producer (Dustin Hoffman). Barrie’s real life is the one in which he flies kites and imagines an old lady with a hook instead of a hand. We might wonder why he never lost hold of reality altogether and it seems that the only reason was that although he desired desperately to be a boy, he never pretended to himself that it wasn’t just pretending. He wanted to see the belief in magic as it is in its truest formthrough children-. never attempting to sully that belief with a ridiculous grown-up equivalent.

There is great tragedy in this film but the reason I cried was not because of the heavy plot line, it was more to do with Barrie’s motives for telling the story of Peter Pan. At the risk of sounding naff , I felt purified in some way afterwards; as if all that beauty and all that innocence had manifested something very sad and also very good in me.

Every day we see the adult world

making a desperate attempt to regain some of the joys experienced in y o u t h .

Te e n a g e shops like Topshop are packed with more thirty year olds than their target bopper audience.

They fall on tweed mini skirts, eyes

wide and gormless while their five year old is left staring into her pick-a-mix bag.

Switching on the television has become another kid- in- a -candy store experience with Carol Vorderman spinning in sequins

and

complaini n g childishly to other neon celebrities.

We all pretend.

No one likes the limitations of their age but now the problem we face is worse than it ever was for Barrie. Now we lack the imagination. Can we not train ourselves the way he did to experience the magic of an agelessness, to see unseen things?

We do not need a television or young brands. Peters’ directions are.’ Second to the right and straight on ‘til morning.’

Hopefully you will find yourself in a place which is “all rather confusing” a place of endless possibility.

Travel Editor: Anthony Thuillier

Tuesday November 23, 2004

11

Trinity News

TRAVEL Athens Games 2004: I Was There Jonathan Drennan The scene was typical of any Friday afternoon spent day-dreaming through your final period in school; urging the big hand on the clock to hit the number twenty-five soon. I sat with four friends and decided to formulate an idea for the coming summer, not wanting to waste this one as I had many others previously. With all of us being

Athens is a bit of an eye opener for any traveller, the pollution and architectural eye sores go hand in hand with the rich culture and history. We were all ushered to a holding hotel in the red light area of the city. However, sleep was the priority and we emerged the next morning fresh and ready to connect to the neighbouring Island of Aegina.

With the Olympics starting on the 13th of August, we had a

Puerto Rico pushed the stars of the USA to the limit, eventually winning the game and sending their fans into a furore of excitement. sports fanatics, the thought of the Olympics grew strong, but was thrown away at first as happens with most ideas like these. Soon the idea became more feasible and, after a bit of wheeling and dealing several weeks down the line, everything was put in place, with tickets for the events bought over the Internet.

Being the lethargic sort, this summer was to be my first working experience, so the Olympics would provide welcome relief from my summer job. After a long wait on the 6th of August, we boarded the plane to Athens extremely excited at the prospect of attending the games. Arriving in

Inter-railer’s Diary

week with nothing scheduled at all.

Aegina is about an hour from the port of Piraeus. The week started with a routine of lying on the beach and eating when we decided it was time to do something a bit more decisive. I don’t think I’ve ever met so many people in one week in my life, I think my pale skin acted like a beacon for foreigners who could be safe in the knowledge that I wasn’t from their island!

Some of the people we met included a Greek millionaire who insisted on wining and dining the group at a restaurant where everyone knew his name, with the bill coming to 150 euros, which seemed no problem to him.

When you’re on a Greek Island, the temptation to hire a moped can’t be underestimated. No matter how much you resist the impulse, you eventually find yourself trooping down to the local rent-a-moto as we did. We should have read the warning signs, but of course we didn’t and ended up paying 80 euros for minimal damage after a day’s riding. After doing nothing but enjoying ourselves, we decided the time was right for a bit of culture to be injected into the proceedings. We boarded the ferry to Athens and saw the Acropolis which was a sight to behold, apart from the omnipresent scaffolding, which unfortunately does taint your view slightly. We had noticed towards the latter part of the week that the island was beginning to fill with all sorts of nationalities, ranging from New Zealanders to Canadians.

The first event was water polo, which was really just to keep me happy as I was the only one who had played it or had an interest in it, that brought us to the Olympic Aquatic Centre in the main Olympic complex. This really is the centrepiece of the games as it houses the Stadium also. The match we were watching was Hungary v Serbia Montenegro, which turned out to be lucky for us as a week later they were playing each other in the Olympic final!

There is never really any love lost between players in a water polo match, but for brutality Olympic water polo has to rank up at the top.

It made me glad that I had played my final schools game months previously and had left with my face relatively intact, unlike the players in the games.

The next event of the day was watching the United States Basketball team go through the formality of beating Puerto Rico, or so we thought. The basketball was played across town in another complex called Hellinko, which wasn’t as polished as the Olympic Complex, but was impressive

nonetheless. We pushed past numerous ticket touts in time to get to the 2nd quarter of the game to take up our seats for what turned out to be a thrilling encounter.

Puerto Rico pushed the stars of the USA to the limit, eventually winning the game and sending their fans into a furore of excitement.

After a rest day, Tuesday the 17th brought hockey, to the delight of the rest of the group, who had all been on the all conquering 1st XI at school, (while I had to warm many a bench for the 2nd XI)! The match in prospect at the Olympic Hockey Stadium was Pakistan v Egypt which was billed as lambs to the slaughter. Egypt playing the role of the lamb gave everything, but the might of Pakistan was telling, ending in a 50 rout, with the score line sending their legion of fans delirious with excitement.

Wednesday happened to be the day before our A-Level results and tennis brought us a welcome distraction. The match we saw turned into a bit of a farce, as the players involved, Sebastian Grosjean and Felipe Lopez, didn’t seem to have the energy or will to play in the tournament. Out of all the events we saw, tennis was the most disappointing, with the stew-

the venues was understandably tight, but in no way extreme. It was similar to passing through any airport and it was a testament to the Greek organisation that this process was over quickly.

Thursday was our final day of events at the Olympics, to keep all parties happy, basketball and hockey had been arranged.

Basketball was first, with the USA taking on Australia, once again the United States were severely put to the test, with the men from Oz taking on the NBA superstars and very nearly beating them at their own game. The match went down to the wire with the USA eventually emerging victorious, giving their fans something to be proud of.

Anytime the USA played, I definitely noticed a lot of bad feeling towards them, throughout both basketball games they were booed whenever they got the ball. As we are Northern Irish, the American fans delighted in talking to us, I’m as fond of Americans as the next person, but when you meet a man who tells you in no uncertain terms that Croatia is the former Yugoslavia you have to wonder.

Our final event was meant to stir our patriotic senses, but watching Great Britain playing hockey was never really going to

When you’re on a Greek Island, the temptation to hire a moped can’t be underestimated. ards being rather jobsworthy. The commercial element of the games can’t be ignored, we were continually told not to wear any logos that would be compete with the sponsor companies, while food of any description was banned unless bought in the venue. The security at

be easy viewing for anyone. Sitting beside my four friends, who have all at some stage played high level hockey, their disgust towards our boys’ effort was obvious, as they stuttered against a superior Spanish side. Being British, the crowd cheered them till the bitter end, per-

haps taking a leaf out of the Northern Ireland footballer supporters’ book. The last match we saw was India v Australia, the eventual gold medal winners. The Indian and Australian spectators mingled happily and their love of the game was infectious to all. The game was a thriller, which ended 43 in favour of the Australians, with a last minute goal being the perfect end to both the game and our Olympic experience.

Getting the tram back to the port, a group of British supporters noticed our accents and struck up a conversation. I asked one man whether he had taken in any events, he said, amongst other things, boxing, as his son was competing.

With Britain only having one com-

petitor, Amir Khan, we had been talking with his father; Shah, giving us our sole claim to fame on the trip!

This brought an end to what was an unbelievable experience which surpassed any holiday any of us had been on before. The Olympics represents something unique, where all nations meet in the name of sport and I definitely think we all benefited from the diversity of the people we met at the games. After the hype about Greece not completing the venues on time, I can unequivocally state from a spectator’s point of view that these games will be hard to eclipse when they return in 2008 to Beijing.

Psycho stalks inter-railing duo

Alix O Neil Tuesday 20th July On the train to Ljubljana. It’s 7:30 am and I’m absolutely exhausted.

Had to share a single bed with Nikki last night in a one star kip in Venice. With no air-conditioning and a very vocal couple in the room next to us, there was no chance of any sleep. We were up at five this morning to catch the only train going to Slovenia. As the station’s a few minutes walk away, we left

Our correspondent reports on her not so Ljubli trip to me more right now than green grass, fresh air and ice cold lakes; general Walton’s mountain cosiness. We’ll have to spend yet another night as townies, but they say Ljubljana is as laid back as towns get.

Wednesday 21st July Met this weird guy tonight. You encounter plenty of lunatics when you’re travelling. They’re general-

The guy wasted no time in his transition from ‘normal’ to ‘nutter’. One minute we were talking food, the next Jesus. ourselves only fifteen minutes to get there. Big mistake. The senile receptionist who checked us in last night seemingly forgot she had a shift this morning and took off, locking all the guests in the hotel.

There was absolutely no one around when we came downstairs and after five minutes of waiting, we started to panic.

Just as I was about to put a chair through the window, two Spanish guys outside stopped to help. They ran over to the sister hotel across the road to fetch a spare key.

Completely forgetting to pay we raced to the station, stopping along the way to pick up passports and panties which were flying out of our overly crammed backpacks at a terrific pace. We made it just in time.

The past fortnight has been eventful to say the least. Florence was great fun, but two weeks of midsummer heat in a major European city can take its toll. Our minds are firmly set on a few days relaxation in the Julian Alps. Nothing appeals

ly wearing dresses and carrying the obligatory guitar but you’ll find this is due to an overdose of herbal refreshments. Will seemed relatively normal at first. English, Medstudent, no sign of cross-dressing or musical aspirations.

Weary after the hectic start to our day, dinner, ice-cold beers and bed were all we desired on arrival in Ljubljana. We were heading towards the old town centre when we met, or rather were accosted by Will. Running towards us, with a look of dementia on his face, he breathlessly asked if he could join us for dinner.Despite the strange manner in which he approached us, we felt sorry for him and let him tag along. The guy wasted no time in his transition from ‘normal’ to ‘nutter’. One minute we were talking food, the next Jesus. He wanted to know our views on life, S&M and the big man upstairs before the drinks were even on the table. He said he was training to be a Paediatrician- I wouldn’t trust him with my corns let alone my kids.

He stared intently at Nikki as he told us that you instantly know when you’ve met the person you’re going to marry. At first, I was mildly amused by his derangement.

Nikki, slightly more no nonsense than me, was clearly unimpressed and remained uncharacteristically quiet throughout the meal. Of course, this only encouraged more questioning from Will, rightly concerned that he was becoming a pest. Every five minutes the conversation turned from “the good lord” to something like this“Are you ok?”

“Yes, thank you Will.”

“Are you sure?’

“I am.”

“Are you sure you’re sure?”

“Yes.” “You’re very quiet.”

“I’m tired, that’s all.”

“Oh, I see. Are you thinking about your mum?”

By the end of the meal, he wanted us to change our plans and travel round Slovenia with him for next two weeks. I couldn’t understand why this self-proclaimed “free spirit” was so desperate for company

ward. We’re back at the hostel now, after five hours of complete head wreckage. Thank God that’s the last we’ll see of dear old Will.

Thursday 22nd July Oh dear God. I can’t believe this is happening. Will is sitting beside me in the Bus station. I was changing money when I heard it -that same goofy, irritating voice from the night before. It felt like someone was going over my spine with a cheese grater. I turned round to receive yet another assault to the senses. There he was, open-armed in the most hideous Hawaiian shirt I have ever seen.

“What are you guys doing here?”

Niks and I exchanged helpless glances. What do we do? I was about to come off with some ridiculous excuse when Nikki calmly informed him that we needed to use the Internet café, before catching our train at twelve to Zagreb. We’re actually getting the bus to Bohinj but if we tell Will this, he’ll come with us. The problem is, it’s now ten to twelve and Will is showing no sign of leaving. In fact, he’s

We tried our hand at everything: pony trekking (with a hot instructor), paragliding (strapped to an even hotter instructor) and kayaking (for three hours in a boat.) on the very first day of his trip. We politely declined, saying we were off to Croatia in morning. A blatant lie, but as he expressed an interest in heading up mountains in a few days time, the last thing we wanted him to do was put his plans for-

pretty adamant he’s going to wave us off. Damn. Nikki’s sneaking our bags out to the bus, so we’ve nothing to weigh us down should we have to leg it. So now I’m sitting beside this idiot, pretending to write a letter to my mum, who of

course, he wants to know all about.

Thinks our mums should meet.

Where the hell is Nikki?!

We did it! We escaped! Ha-ha! A remarkable piece of cunning. Ok, ok, we did a runner, but what else could we do? Let him come with us? Not an option. With about two minutes to spare, we said our goodbyes and pretended to head for the train station, hoping he wouldn’t walk outside with us. Of course we knew he would do just this. It’s Will. So, we simply ran. Jumped onto the bus as it was pulling out of the forecourt and slumped ashamedly into our seats. An understandably confused Will started running after us, like some halfwit hound, but alas he couldn’t keep up. Ah, well.

Friday 24th July En route to Split. Bohinj was fantastic. A real traveller’s paradise.

All log cabins and pine trees. We tried our hand at everything- pony trekking (with a hot instructor), paragliding (strapped to an even hotter instructor) and kayaking (with Nikki, alone, for three hours in a boat.) It’s a shame we couldn’t stay longer but when you discover a six-inch hole in the wall of your bedroom and an eager eye on the other side, you do feel it’s time to move on.

And what better place to escape roving eyes and Mum-loving med students than sunny Croatia? We’re hoping to settle in Hvar for a few days, the largest of Croatia’s many islands. It’s a bit of a trek from Bohinj. At the moment we’re festering in an overnight carriage, not unlike a cattle car. There’s an obscenely obese woman opposite me, sprawled across three seats, eating egg and salami sandwiches.

The air conditioning is broken and I can’t open the window.

The Slovakian guy next to me tells me he’s in the mood for “Party, Party, Party” and refuses to shut up.

He wants to play me a tune on his portable keyboard by Slovakia’s

“greatest pop singer.” It’s going to be a long night…

12

Tuesday November 23, 2004

Food & Drink Editor: Patrick O’ Connor

Trinity News Places to spend your pink money

FOOD & DRINK

Ciarán Rua Ó Néill steers us through the seedy and seductive bar and club gay scene in Dublin. With some dramatic commentary and exuberant prose this is a great guide to cruising, hanging and spending your well earned pink money.

Well, my fellow followers of the love that dare not speak its name, you’ve arrived in the metropolis of contrasts that is Dublin and you’re wondering how you can pursue your queer existence here and top up on your gaily allowance. So this is simply a brief guide to some of the gay places to revel in during the nocturnal hours. I must stress that this is simply my opinion and being a student of this prestigious university, I perhaps have not had the time to explore the gay scene fully.

Only in the past two years have I truly started to frequent these establishments and so there are plenty of places and particular evenings of which I have little knowledge of. Of course, I also must stress that as a homosexual man I can only give the male side of the gay scene. I haven’t managed to frequent any female gay nights so I wouldn’t dare to give an opinion on them, sorry girls.

So first of all, what gay bars are there? Of course there’s The George, The Front Lounge, GUBU, Yello and Out on the Liffey. The extent of my experience in The George has usually been under the darkness of night when it’s more reminiscent of a club than a bar, so I can’t elaborate too much upon its suitability if you just want to go for a drink. From my limited experience, I would say that usually it’s not too busy in the early evening during the week and wouldn’t be my favourite place to go for a quiet pint. The Front Lounge on the other hand would be. Although it’s under new management who’ve changed it slightly (if I wanted to watch TV I’d stay at home and where has grandiose piano disappeared to?) and now more heterosexually inclined people seem to be braving it’s door, it’s still to me retains much of its charm and original atmosphere. The décor is quite stylish, chandeliers and Romanesque statues, with a touch of the minimalism that is so common in the design of bars in Dublin today.

Why is this? I want to feel like I’m nestled in a cosy bar away from the torrents and wind of this fair isle, not at someone’s kitchen worktop, or the middle of an art gallery.

Anyway the red seats are plush and comfortable and art work that changes regularly adorns the walls.

All in all, the décor is inviting as is the atmosphere. This would certainly be one of my favourite places in Dublin to go for a quiet pint or a chat with a friend during

the afternoon. During the evening the place really fills up especially on Tuesday night when the elegant and witty Panti presents karaoke, called The Casting Couch. A fun night is had by all and the singers range from the professional to the downright drunken. Panti grades the performances from madra to go h-an mhaith ar fad ( dog to excellent in Irish). It’s usually a hilarious night so it’s a good one to take friends to if you want to introduce them to the gay scene. All in all, it’s a highlight in the gay week and I’d recommend anyone to go along. At the weekends, with its bar licence extended to 2am, it’s usually filled with people who seem to be becoming more heterosexual all the time. So, at the weekends, it seems more of a mixed gay/straight bar and although the music is quite impressive I usually wouldn’t stay there until late.

The George, 89 South Great Georges Street, D2 Out on the Liffey,: 27, Ormond Quay Upper, Dublin1.

Yello, 61-63 Capel Street, Dublin 1.

The Front Lounge, 33/34 Parliament St. Dublin 2.

GUBU, 7 - 8 Capel Street, Dublin 1.

GUBU is also quite a relaxed bar with dim lighting and low, once again, minimalist inspired seating.

There doesn’t seem to be that much cruising in GUBU so that way it’s also a place to go to feel comfortable if you’re not out to pick up a boy. There’s also a pool table downstairs for anyone who is interested, although I’ve never understood why anyone would want to play with balls and a long stick on a green table. Trinity’s jazz band, The Company, play there on Tuesday evenings and they’re excellent so I’d certainly recommend it, followed by Karaoke of course. Busty Lycra performs comedy and song at Busty’s G-Spot on Wednesday night but believe it or not, I’ve never had the pleasure of seeing the performance so I can’t really comment. Reliable sources

tell me that it’s also a fun and witty evening.

Next on our list we have Yello, the latest addition to Dublin’s gay scene. Again I haven’t had the pleasure of attending this new bar but from what I hear the crowd is mostly male, usually older and the atmosphere doesn’t seem to be very comfortable, with one friend of mine describing it as “very bright” and reminding her of “a granny’s sitting-room”. It has however only opened recently and perhaps it just needs time to find its niche and atmosphere. Whoever opened it must be thanked for adding another addition to our limited gay scene. Last on my list is Out on the Liffey. The few occasions I have found myself in this bar I have found the atmosphere not to be very pleasant and one may say, a little rough. GCN ( Gay Community News - well worth picking up if you haven’t heard of it) has taken it off its listings for reports of violent incidents there so that in itself would be a reason for me to not recommend it to anyone to frequent it. Now, my fellow homosexuals, I have given you a little insight into my experience of the gay bars in Dublin, I will move on to describe some of the events that take place during the week for all creatures of the night.

On Monday night, once the bar closes at 11.30 under our barbaric laws it seems the only option for the gays is Slam In Wax. This used to be quite a regular night of mine with DJ Karen providing the soundtrack to my teenage years but of late I have not attended. DJ Karen still plays and I’d certainly recommend it for that but unfortunately I don’t know much of its atmosphere and what sort of clientele frequent it. On Tuesday night however, you have two contrasting options for your nightly sojourn.

Once Panti leaves The Front Lounge, herself and the Luminous and infinitely cool Veda Beaux Reves are willing to attend to all your alcoholic needs at Candi Panti in Spi. Both lovely ladies serve behind the bar and although it’s usually quiet, with most of the queers heading up to Break for the Border, it’s a really good night. It’s got a relaxed and intimate atmosphere and probably not the place to go if you want to go cruising for boys. I’ve spent many a night, quite intoxicated and propped up against the bar, describing the intriciacies

of my life to the two queers behind the bar. Of late, I’ve managed to gain some semblance of control over my life and my behaviour hasn’t been so debauched, but the fact that I was able to sit at a bar and rant shows that it’s a welcoming place. I’d certainly recommend it as the more relaxed of the Tuesday night options. On the other hand, for all you poptastic queens and cruising guys Glitz is the perfect night. It’s brash, camp, tacky and glitzy. Loads of boys seem to be out cruising here and the dance floor is thronged with dancing queens. I must admit that although the music and atmosphere mightn’t exactly be everyone’s cup of tea I’ve had many a fun and crazy night here.

Wednesday night haunt is The George, Space N’Veda, with the fabulous Veda. Although it’s not always filled with people Veda manages to pull off this night with her typical wit and panache. I have to say I’m extremely susceptible to thelures of drag shows so I would certainly recommend this, even if it’s not quite as good as Sunday nights there. Again on Thursday night The George opens late and it’s quite the clubbing night, the music is pretty good especially when they play some eighties. The George also opens late on Friday and Saturday night for more clubbing at the weekend. It’s usually pulsing with bodies and plenty of boys, especially around the desperation hour ( before closing time).

It’s well worth going to for a fun night of dancing and intoxication.

Also on Thursday night one could head to The Hub for “Mostly B”.

Only recently opened, I have only been there once and unfortunately the experience wasn’t incredible.

There was only a small amount of people there but perhaps again this new night just needs to find its niche.

On Friday and Saturday The George can be reminiscent of a can of sardines there are so many people filling its floor. Certainly one of the best places to go on the weekend a night in the Pod called Ham is set to return but as of yet no one seems to know when. Upon its return I’m sure it will once again be throbbing with a young gay crowd and a real clubbing atmosphere if that’s your thing. So now we can round off your gay week on Sunday and the best place to go is definitely The George for Shirley Temple

ar’s bingo. For those of you who have seen Shirley on TV and weren’t too impressed you’ll certainly be impressed here. All the drag acts are excellent performers and I can guarantee that unless you’re a fascist or homophobe you’ll love a really wonderful evening!

SEARCH FOR THE HOLY GRAIL

I just want to conclude by saying that I’ve seen other drag acts and being to other shows such as Wigstock in New York, but nothing I’ve seen compares to the talent of our drag queens here. They are truly talented performers and just one of the great aspects of our growing scene. Irish society is

becoming more accepting and tolerant, although there’s still some work to do before we completely break from the Stone age. For anyone who’s insecure or not sure about their sexuality I’d strongly advise you to get out and enjoy our gay scene. You’ll have a truly gay time.

Guninness

The essence of this column is cheap. But a cheap pint doesn’t have to mean a bad pint. It is with this in mind that we are including a section on drinking on the bright side of three euro. If you are taste sensitive then turn away now. The sunny side of three euro per pint comes at a cost, the bar maids with hoof dentures, the funeral time music and the refreshing taste of anti-design. This is not Dawson street country.

I’ve cheated a little this week. You might even say I just shattered this column’s raison d’etre but with good excuse. The intending pub with its pint under three euro had been knocked down, presumably for that very reason. The only other place I knew where the pint got its kit off for under three euro was at the top of O’Connell’s Street, next weeks review destination. In lieu I found a place where the pint is 3.05 for stout, all brands. Consider it small print in our frugally-minded contract, reading adjustments for inflation may be necessary.

To keep track of saints and picket days they have a reliable Sinn Fein calendar on the wall which culled my friend’s sparkling accents.

Without sarcasm, the barmaid and the floor staff (collecting glasses), were exemplary, girl next door faces and efficient as tit mice in a cheese mongers. The carpet has an inch pile of fine soft burgundy wool so vomit at your peril. My English companion loved the quaint renditions of the para-military songs but they didn’t penetrate their imperial permeability. I on the

other hand was just plain scared.

The group however moved on and we were left with salt of the earth types. They were interesting by being so uninteresting. Their slow routine became a Spike Lee movie, their lack of dramatics a Woody Allen movie. All Oscar deserving, but not one a good excuse to go to the movies.

I felt weary from the piety of the people around. The lady next to me was carrying a torturous amount of excess weight, her cheeks red raw like a scorched earth worm. But she smiled at our silly scarves, made nodding mother like gestures while flooring vodka tonics. Her short dapper husband wore his Sunday best and slowly drunk his lager, tasting each sip and sighing ah with the contentment of grazing cattle.

Everyone was like this. They all looked as excited as a pre bingo drink.

The bar area has lumps of polished brown wood. It looks like a hall dresser. It runs along the middle of the bar so you can nod for a pint and they’ll send it down. By the

end of the night I had got the routine. Your coins are stacked like poker chips on the table and the floor staff draw from this kitty the price of the pint. The fire next to the middle wasn’t going, chairs were stacked up in front of it. Out the back there is a small smoking area that is covered by galvanised roofing. There are tables and chairs so you could stay out smoking the whole night. The toilets were toilets, that is the best I can say about them.

The problem with this pub is that it has nothing to offer the student type. It’s not cheap enough. It has no pool table, no snappy bar staff or sandwiches. It’s off the beaten path even though it’s only ten minutes from St. Stephens Green. It’s called the Harold House because it looks like a popular place act like husband and wife, sons and daughter. I can’t say I’ll be back. But somehow I don’t think they’ll care.

EUR3.05 a pint Harold House, off St Stephen’s Green

€3.05

Tuesday November 23, 2004

13

FOOD & DRINK

Trinity News

Dr Food and Drink: Gluttony, the glorious sin Your questions, his anwers.

crumbs His waste fed the poor and so on.”. This felt like a crude biology lesson. I don’t feel build for excess. So I went online to hear from those confessors on www.notproud.com. This is a website developed for the those who are in the habit of breaking any one of the seven deadly sins. People email in their confessions and are posted anonymously.

The Astounded.

“Sometimes I eat so much its amazing and unfair I’m not fat.”

The Considerate. “ I will finish my burrito and then stare at my girlfriend’s remaining bites until she lets me finish hers.”

The Analsyt. “ Smoke: 1.5 packs a day- Coffee: 12 cups a day- Meat: 2 pounds a day- Alcohol: 1.5 litres per weekend- Masturbation: 3 times a dayman this isn’t healthy.”

Last night over a passionate snog my recently acquired boyfriend told me he’d like to put a bun in my oven. He said he was ready to roll up his sleeves and get to work on it straight away. I was horrified to say the least. As the initial shock subsided I found myself rouging, I couldn’t help it with the embarrassment. With no fresh yeast in the house there was no way he was going to get the rise needed. I persuaded him that with my flat mate asleep it probably wasn’t a good idea. My question: when it comes to a rise is there any alternative to yeast?

The Realist.

“I eat chocolate everyday! Its beginning to catch up to me though.”

This is a hard one to solve. Yeast fresh or dried is essential for any student cupboard. However for the adventurous there is what’s called a self starter. It’s basically potato, water and salt that is left for a couple of days. You may needsome visual aid and it requires a lot of hand and arm work. The River Café blue book has an excellent recipe.

Norah W Jones JF Bess.

My fridge smells. I hate opening it. So now I put my milk in the cupboard, but it seems to go walk abouts when I‘m not there. My question: does cheese really give you a better complexion?

Sorry to hear about the milk. Yes cheese is the newest in hot male grooming products. Whip up an equal amount of mascarpone and feta.

Season generously with the sea salt, black pepper and cumin. Lather on your face and leave until it sets, generally about 48 hours. Wash off and you’ll be as good new. Caution: over seasoning may cause a rash so take it easy on the salt and pepper.

Tom Brosnan SF Computer Science.

One early morning I went into my flatmates room. She had left but her boyfriend was still in the bed. I couldn’t resist a peak. I searched his wallet and found two library letters explaining the non-return of a book I had requested. On the way out I got a whiff of his dirty runners and they reminded me of 1947 Chateau Palmer. My question: Is shoe reek a common smell in old clarets?

Yes old Bordeaux’s can smell like foot reek, it may be some sulphur when the bottle is opened, but that should go once the bottle has been decanted.

Tina Maher SF History.

out from the cavity.

“Let it said that of all the deadly sins that mankind may commit, the fifth appears to be the one that least troubles his conscience and causes him the least remorse.”

Along with Santa Claus and domestic violence, Christmas is also a time of gastronomic excess.

The kind shops remind us of the coming festivities by hanging Rudolf from the rafters around October, giving punters enough time for colonic irrigation and a spot on the latest diet program.

Christmas is furiously image driven with it’s sartorially knitted and layered guise, it’s a cocktail of blanket white snow and cerise shadowed hearth. The food is fabulous too, all garnished to the nines like a culinary debs. The turkey is squeezed onto an ill-fitting plate, ready to be sauced with thick brown gravy, its stuffing bursting

I have the stomach of a field mouse and the appetite of a small nation.

Gluttony rages in me. At every moment I have an “inordinate desire to consume more than that which one requires”. I remember in Bordeaux being alone in my hotel sweating because I ate too many sweetbreads (thymus glands).

In that moment I consoled myself by saying softly, never again, never again. Toss! Never again what?

Was I never going to eat again or never going to eat as I wished to eat? Gluttony is a natural and necessary condition according to Felipe Fernandez-Armesto. He says that our bodies are built for it.

“We have multiple fat deposits spread fairly evenly around our frame, whereas most animals have fat concentrated in one or two areas. Gluttony is a gift of evolution and food a social lubricant.

The rich man’s table recycled the

Having arranged you roast after this fashion, place it in a saucepan of proper size with onions stuffed with cloves, carrots, small squares of ham, celery, mignonette, several strips of bacon well seasoned, pepper , salt, spice, coriander seeds and two cloves of garlic.

Seal the pot hermetically with pastry and put in on the fire for around ten hours. Remove the crust and serve.

The Romantic. “ I love to drink instant soup. My love for that soup is insatiable.

Sometimes I wish I could take a long bath in that soup or maybe swim in a pool of that soup.”

The Scab. “ Sometimes when our family is nearly broke and hardly has enough money to put food on the table, I go eat at a restaurant alone and let them go hungry.”

Candour or not there is something awfully sad about our confessions.

Can we as applicant gourmands separate ourselves from sin on a technicality? Is that soiled precedent of learning good enough to keep us out of hell’s sin bin?

I took a savage ego beating when I went up against a quietly confident room full of whiskey lovers but the experience was worth it.

With its burger bun interior the Royal Irish Automobile Club on Dawson Street offers little in the way of aesthetic distraction from the serious business of whiskey tasting. It‘s competitive, but not whiskey versus whiskey but taster pitted against taster. They sit and straighten the rules and blank tasting notes that are ill-arranged on the table. Water glasses and whiskey glasses are positioned.

There’s routine here that belies what I’m hearing; “it’s only for the fun” and “sure it’s cheaper than a pint“. They’ve all come with hope but all will leave gutted except for one. The winner takes away a gold cup and some very good Connemara whiskey made by Cooley distiller.

The head of our table was a very nice elderly gentleman with a strong west brit accent. A John Wayne figure with hands like shovels. I reckoned he was going to outclass us, outsmart us and walk off with the prize. His thoughtful but private assessments were aired only through nods and grunts.

Sadly he came last. To his right was a man who’s hair colour was a blend of Irish and Scotch. To the old mans left was another ox of a man in his mid forties. He looked like the type of guy who owned property in Dublin in the early nineties, confident in his short sleeved shirt. The rest were inconsequential looking and it was in this bunch I thought I saw our ringer. Greying at the sides and neatly dressed but plain as a panther he was listening to everything.

The tasting began with a short

introduction by the owner of the Celtic Whiskey Store on Dawson Street and a sample of Glenfiddich 15 Year-Old Sloera Reserve. Next were trays of small plastic cups filled with one out of about a hundred possible whiskeys arrived. I sniff, glare at the reddish drop but nothing came to me. Couldn’t even place the country. Blank. It turned out to be a Jameson 18 Year-Old. This was followed by a medicinal (smelt like a vets surgery) Makers Mark. Next to me they scribbled, the joker in the group joking about its bourbonic nature. One point for Country of Origin, after admittedly a very big hint. Next Lagavulin 16 Year-Old. This I was told was peaty urine so I wrote down Scotland as Country of Origin. Now I was on the board ( two points out of twenty one) I felt confident that all the whiskey I drunk was going to pay dividends. Number four, a rare Connemara 12 Year-Old, and still no clue but it was delicious.

Number five was a Lockes 5 YearOld. One more point for the country of origin. Number 6 was a Macallan. Two points in total but I beat John Wayne. The ringer wasn’t much better. A young man in a sharp suit took away the prize, with some nice whiskey for second and third. It lasted about two hours and for ten euros I got to taste a range of whiskeys that are either not available or too expensive to buy in a bar.

The Celtic Whiskey Store on Dawson Street organise evening like this regularly. In a town where a whiskey can cost you four EUR4 and up this was both educationally and financially a well spent evening.

Wine Words

A recipe for a roast.

Take a large olive, stone it and stuff it with a paste made from anchovy, capers and oil.

Put the olive inside a trussed and boned garden warbler.

Put the garden warbler inside a fat ortolan.

Put the ortolan inside a boned lark.

Put the lark inside a boned thrush.

Put the thrush inside a fat quail.

Put the quail, wrapped in vine leaves, inside a boned lapwing.

Put the lapwing inside a boned golden plover.

Put the plover inside a fat, boned, red legged partridge.

Put the partridge inside a young, boned, and well hung woodcock.

Put the woodcock, rolled in breadcrumbs, inside a boned teal.

Put the teal inside a boned guinea fowl.

Put the guinea fowl, well larded, inside a young and boned tame duck.

Put the duck inside a boned well-hung pheasant.

Put the pheasant inside a boned and fat wild goose.

Put the goose inside a fine turkey.

Put the turkey inside a boned bustard.

The Optimist. “ I am 75 pounds overweight, lost an eye to melanoma, can’t hear out of my left ear after over 800 metal band concerts, and buy about 20 six packs of Bud a month. I just got a job selling cars. So, I am learning to put gel in my hair and slick it straight back. I think I can get a date with one of the hot chicks coming in to look at cars. In America anything can happen.”

Whiskey Tasting

Bordeaux Classification.

In 1855 Napoleon III requested from the Bordeaux wine brokers that they come to some decision as to who produced the best wines in Bordeaux. Napoleon intended to hob knob with the rest of Europe’s dignitaries at the Exposition Universelle and a classification of the best wines from the best wine growing region in France would help by not making the ignorant look ignorant.

The Trinity Guide to all your food and drink needs. Issue by issue we ingest the best, on your behalf.

Area by area we pick apart your locality. The marks next to the victors are to emphasis how well they do against the very best in Dublin. The total of the marks will give you an idea of which part of town is the real liver and legume of Dublin’s food and drinks scene.

George’s Street to Merrion Square Best for booze: BerryBros & Rudd, 4 Harry St. 4.5/5 Best for spices and exotics: Asia Market, Drury St. 3.5/5 Best for meat: Smiths Butchers, Stephen St. Lower. 4/5 Best for fruit and Veg: Asia Market, Drury St. 3.5/5 Best for stout: Kehoes,South Ann St, 1 Trinity St. 5/5 Best for atmosphere: The Pav, Trinity College 5/5 Best for the larder: Dunnes Stores, St. Stephens Green, Shopping Centre. 3/5 Best for bread and cake: La Maison de Gourmandaise, Castle Market St. 3.5/5 Best for cooking: Kevin Thorntons, Fitwilliam Hotel, St Stephens Green. 5/5 Best for cheap eat: Cornucopia, Wicklow St. 3.5/5

44.5 out of 50

The first classification was a five class structure of 61 wines from Medoc, Haut Brion ( a wine from Graves) , Sauterne and Barsac. The classification reflected the market price. In 1955 St Emillion was officially classified and reclassified in 1966. Graves was classified in 1959.

Pomerol is the only important wine region not to be classified even if it does have one of the world’s most expensive wine, Chateau Petrus. At around EUR15,000 a case it gives a long serious finger to the classification system. If you add the current crop of garage and boutique wine makers that command second growth prices without any classification then it becomes clear that there are forces beyond the old rationale of the French Bordeaux brokers. They never had to contend with Middle and Far Eastern taste for Le Pin, the sexing up of Chateau Tertre by an America avo-

cat or world recession.

First Growths (Premiers Crus) Commune Château Lafite-Rothschild (Pauillac) Château Margaux (Margaux) Château Latour (Pauillac) Château Haut-Brion Pessac (Graves) Château Mouton-Rothschild (Pauillac

First Great Growth (Premier Cru Supérieur) Commune Château d'Yquem (Sauternes)

First Growths (Premiers Crus) Classés — A Château Ausone Château Cheval Blanc

14

Tuesday November 23, 2004

Compiled by David Symington

LISTINGS

THE NEXT FEW WEEKS IN DUBLIN.......

Tuesday, November 23rd Fianna Fáil: Weekly Meeting (12:00 PM - 1:00 PM) An eclectic mix of political chat, laid back discussion and regular guest speakers. All welcome!

Location: Seomra 6, Atrium Amnesty International: Letter Writing (12:00 PM - 3:00 PM) Come along and help compose and handwrite letters for our ongoing campaigns and any urgent actions we receive. All welcome any time between 12 and 3!

Location: Amnesty Society Room, House 6.21 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Society: Tea & Coffee (1:00 PM - 3:00 PM) We provide tea and coffee in our Society room every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 1 to 3. For those of you who have not yet joined our lunchtime gettogether, come along, bring your lunch (friend/support group optional) and get to know the other members and committee. We are in house 6, the building in front square with the SU shop, and we are on the second floor. Just follow the signs.

Location: Room 27, House 6 Meditation: Meditation Class (5:15 PM - 7:00 PM) This class is a 6 week course which introduces two types of meditation : the mindfullness of breathing and Metta Bhavana (or Cultivation of Loving Kindness) meditation.

Course is free to all members.

Membership costs 3 Euro and you can join at the class. Don't worry if you miss any of the weeks - come along anyway - we will be repeating the course after Christmas.

Location: Room 50, Atrium Cards Society: Cards Tutorials (5:00 PM - 6:00 PM) come along & learn how to play poker, bridge, switch, shithead, 25s and other games Location: JCR Trinity Arts Workshop: Pottery and Ceramics (6:00 PM - 9:00 PM) Location: Arch 8, Goldsmith Hall Suas: Weekly Meeting (6:00 PM 7:00 PM) Come along to our weekly meeting to help us organise upcoming events and learn more about what we do. All welcome!

Location: Room 34, Goldsmith Hall Orchestral: Rehearsal (6:30 PM 9:00 PM) The weekly rehearsal of the D.U.Orchestral Society.

Location: Regent House Falun Dafa: Free Regular Class (7:15 PM - 9:00 PM) Teach the 5 sets of exercises of Falun Dafa. relieve stress, improve health, develope energy. Free of Charge. You can join at any week when you have time. Do not hesitate to get in even when you are late. Call 087 2980324 to enquire.

Location: Room 50 Modern Languages: Language Classes (7:00 PM - 9:00 PM) Classes in Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian and Spanish. Both beginner and intermediate levels, with experienced native speakers as teachers.

Only €35 for 8 weeks. Email modlang@csc.tcd.ie for more

This Week

information.

Location: Juggling: Juggling Workshop (7:00 PM - 10:00 PM) Beginners workshop! Come along and learn to juggle Location: Goldsmith Hall Trinity Arts Workshop: Life Drawing (7:00 PM - 9:00 PM) Life Drawing without instruction Location: 191 Pearse St Internet: Web Tutorials (7:00 PM 9:00 PM) The popular series of Netsoc tutorials covering all aspects of web design and development.

Location: PC Beckett Room, Arts Block Genetical: Table Quiz (7:30 PM 10:00 PM) Annual GenSoc Table Quiz downstairs in Messrs Maguire's Pub on Tuesday 23rd, starting at 7.30pm.

Teams of up to 5 cost E40. Great prizes!

Location: Messrs Maguire's Pub DU Music Society: open mic night (8:00 PM - 12:00 AM) After the huge success of the first of these, d.u. music society is having it's second open mic night in association with ENTS on Tuesday November 23rd in the Buttery, so all singer/songwriters etc. are very welcome to come along an show us what they're made of! There will be refreshments for the performers also. Free in Location: Buttery Wednesday, November 24th Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Society: Tea & Coffee (1:00 PM - 3:00 PM) We provide tea and coffee in our Society room every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 1 to 3. For those of you who have not yet joined our lunchtime gettogether, come along, bring your lunch (friend/support group optional) and get to know the other members and committee. We are in house 6, the building in front square with the SU shop, and we are on the second floor. Just follow the signs.

Location: LGBT Room - 2nd Floor, House 6 Labour: Branch Meeting (6:00 PM - 7:00 PM) All members and new members are welcome to come along to our weekly meetings at 6pm in room 3 of the Atrium. Come along to contribute to branch policy and also for general discussion.

Location: Room 3, The Atrium Trinity Arts Workshop: Pottery and Ceramics (6:00 PM - 9:00 PM) Location: Arch 8, Goldsmith Hall Choral: Rehearsal (7:00 PM - 9:00 PM) Rehearsal of Britten's St. Nicolas and other Christmas selections, with a short break for refreshments. Followed by relaxation in Doyle's.

Location: Regent House Visual Arts: life drawing classes (7:00 PM - 9:00 PM) visual arts society life drawing classes with model and qualified teacher. All welcome. classes cost 4euro for members, 5euro for nonmembers. Materials will be provided. please come early as places

Monday Poker night with the Card Society Starts at 6.30 Buttery Tuesday Mario Kart competition on the Big screen with the Sci fi Soc @at 6pm Followed by our very

are limited.

Location: Room 5052, the arts block Free Legal Advice Centre: Careers in Law Evening (7:30 PM - 12:00 AM) Our annual FLAC conference for secondary school students.

Speakers from every aspect of the legal profession. Get a real insight into the options a legal career offers. Advance booking advisable, EUR7 per student.

Location: Walton Theatre, Arts Block

Location: College Chapel Trinity Arts Workshop: Pottery and Ceramics (6:00 PM - 9:00 PM) Location: Arch 8, Goldsmith Hall Trinity Arts Workshop: Portrait Class (7:00 PM - 9:00 PM) Portrait Class with teacher Location: 191 Pearse St Dance: Dance Class (7:30 PM 9:30 PM) Weekly dance class. All welcome, new people and walk-ins encouraged.

Location: Regent House

Thursday, November 25th Amnesty International: Letter Writing Stand (12:00 PM - 3:00 PM) If you missed out on Tuesday's letter writing session, you can still stop by our stand in the Arts Block to sign a letter and pick up leaflets on the current campaigns.

Location: Arts Block

Maths: IMSA (7:30 PM - 10:00 PM) The annual Irish Maths Society Association meeting will be held this year in Trinity. Events will be held Friday night through Sunday afternoon. All are welcome.

Location: Maxwell Theatre, Hamilton Saturday, November 27th

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Society: Tea & Coffee (1:00 PM - 3:00 PM) We provide tea and coffee in our Society room every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 1 to 3. For those of you who have not yet joined our lunchtime gettogether, come along, bring your lunch (friend/support group optional) and get to know the other members and committee. We are in house 6, the building in front square with the SU shop, and we are on the second floor. Just follow the signs.

Location: LGBT Room - 2nd Floor, House 6 Racing: Race discussion (1:00 PM - 2:00 PM) We shall be discussing the weeks racing and what will be the hot tips for the week. This is a great way to for begineers to learn the basics and for experienced race goers to discuss racing with other enthuasiasts. There shall also be free tea and coffee for all those interested.

Plus the Racing papers to read and if you want us to have form printed out for any of the races please let us know before hand.

Location: Room 2, The Atrium

Maths: IMSA (11:00 AM - 5:00 PM) The IMSA continues... (see Friday for summary) Location: Maxwell Theatre, Hamilton Trinity Arts Workshop: Pottery and Ceramics (6:00 PM - 9:00 PM) Location: Arch 8, Goldsmith Hall Orchestral: Belfast Concert (7:30 PM - 10:00 PM) D.U. Orchestral Society will play Beethoven's Fifth Symphony in the Great Hall of Queen's University, Belfast.

Location: Great Hall, Queen's University, Belfast Sunday, November 28th Maths: IMSA (11:00 AM - 3:00 PM) The final day of the IMSA conference, held by Mathsoc.

Location: Maxwell Theatre, Hamilton Trinity Arts Workshop: Pottery and Ceramics (6:00 PM - 9:00 PM) Location: Arch 8, Goldsmith Hall Monday, November 29th

Classical: Discussion Group (5:00 PM - 6:00 PM) There will be a meeting of the discussion group on Socrates and his Influence on the History of Western Thought. All are welcome.

Location: Rm 4045, Arts Block Trinity Arts Workshop: Pottery and Ceramics (6:00 PM - 9:00 PM) Location: Arch 8, Goldsmith Hall Trinity Arts Workshop: Life Drawing (7:00 PM - 9:00 PM) Life Drawing with instruction Location: 191 Pearse St

Choral: Dress rehearsal (6:00 PM 10:00 PM) Members find out if they can still follow the music, despite formal academic dress and possible orchestral aggression. A record of attendance at previous rehearsals is required.

Location: Exam Hall Internet: Committee Meeting (6:00 PM - 7:00 PM) Metting to discuss matters related to the running of society. All members welcome. Do come if you want to get involved or have some advice.

Location: 3081 Arts Block

Friday, November 26th SF Society: Film screening at 5pm All welcomed to see Collateral and Supersize Me for free.

Location: to be confirmed

Orchestral: Recital (5:00 PM - 5:30 PM) D.U. Orchestral Society presents "Fridays in November" - a series of short meditative recitals every Friday in November at 5pm in the College Chapel.

own open Mic night Free Refreshent for all performers Wednesday Quix night in aid Of M.O.V.E Buttery at 8pm Thursday Free Live music with

Trinity Arts Workshop: Pottery and Ceramics (6:00 PM - 9:00 PM) Location: Arch 8, Goldsmith Hall Trinity Arts Workshop: Sculpture and Mosaic (7:00 PM - 9:00 PM) A course in sculpting a piece from plaster before covering with mosaic Location: 191 Pearse St Tuesday, November 30th

(12:00 PM - 1:00 PM) An eclectic mix of political chat, laid back discussion and regular guest speakers. All welcome!

Location: Seomra 6, Atrium

Juggling: Juggling Workshop (7:00 PM - 10:00 PM) Beginners workshop! Come along and learn to juggle Location: Goldsmith Hall

Amnesty International: Letter Writing (12:00 PM - 3:00 PM) Come along and help compose and handwrite letters for our ongoing campaigns and any urgent actions we receive. All welcome any time between 12 and 3!

Location: Amnesty Society Room, House 6.21

Trinity Arts Workshop: Life Drawing (7:00 PM - 9:00 PM) Life Drawing without instruction Location: 191 Pearse St

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Society: Tea & Coffee (1:00 PM - 3:00 PM) We provide tea and coffee in our Society room every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 1 to 3. For those of you who have not yet joined our lunchtime gettogether, come along, bring your lunch (friend/support group optional) and get to know the other members and committee. We are in house 6, the building in front square with the SU shop, and we are on the second floor. Just follow the signs.

Location: Room 27, House 6 Meditation: Meditation Class (5:15 PM - 7:00 PM) This class is a 6 week course which introduces two types of meditation : the mindfullness of breathing and Metta Bhavana (or Cultivation of Loving Kindness) meditation.

Course is free to all members.

Membership costs 3 Euro and you can join at the class. Don't worry if you miss any of the weeks - come along anyway - we will be repeating the course after Christmas.

Location: Room 50, Atrium Cards Society: Cards Tutorials (5:00 PM - 6:00 PM) come along & learn how to play poker, bridge, switch, shithead, 25s and other games Location: JCR Trinity Arts Workshop: Pottery and Ceramics (6:00 PM - 9:00 PM) Location: Arch 8, Goldsmith Hall Suas: Weekly Meeting (6:00 PM 7:00 PM) Come along to our weekly meeting to help us organise upcoming events and learn more about what we do. All welcome!

Location: Room 34, Goldsmith Hall Orchestral: Rehearsal (6:30 PM 9:00 PM) The weekly rehearsal of the D.U.Orchestral Society.

Location: Regent House Falun Dafa: Free Regular Class (7:15 PM - 9:00 PM) Teach the 5 sets of exercises of Falun Dafa. relieve stress, improve health, develope energy. Free of Charge. You can join at any week when you have time. Do not hesitate to get in even when you are late. Call 087 2980324 to enquire.

Location: Room 50 Modern Languages: Language Classes (7:00 PM - 9:00 PM) Classes in Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian and Spanish. Both beginner and intermediate levels, with experienced native speakers as teachers.

Only €35 for 8 weeks. Email modlang@csc.tcd.ie for more information.

Location:

Fianna Fáil: Weekly Meeting

Enzemi ( all the way from Iceland) and Immunise Starts at 8pm Friday Karaoke night with the L.G.B.T in aid of the children of Chernobyl Followed by Live Big band Music in the but-

Trinity News

Internet: Web Tutorials (7:00 PM 9:00 PM) The popular series of Netsoc tutorials covering all aspects of web design and development.

Location: PC Beckett Room, Arts Block Wednesday, December 1st Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Society: Tea & Coffee (1:00 PM - 3:00 PM) We provide tea and coffee in our Society room every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 1 to 3. For those of you who have not yet joined our lunchtime gettogether, come along, bring your lunch (friend/support group optional) and get to know the other members and committee. We are in house 6, the building in front square with the SU shop, and we are on the second floor. Just follow the signs.

Location: LGBT Room - 2nd Floor, House 6 Christian Union: Why Jesus? (1:00 PM - 2:00 PM) The speaker will be answering the question of why Jesus came, what he did and is he relevant for me today in 2004?There will also be a free lunch.

Location: TBC Labour: Branch Meeting (6:00 PM - 7:00 PM) All members and new members are welcome to come along to our weekly meetings at 6pm in room 3 of the Atrium. Come along to contribute to branch policy and also for general discussion.

Location: Room 3, The Atrium Trinity Arts Workshop: Pottery and Ceramics (6:00 PM - 9:00 PM) Location: Arch 8, Goldsmith Hall Visual Arts: life drawing classes (7:00 PM - 9:00 PM) visual arts society life drawing classes with model and qualified teacher. All welcome. classes cost 4euro for members, 5euro for nonmembers. Materials will be provided. please come early as places are limited.

Location: Room 5052, the arts block Choral: Concert (8:00 PM - 10:00 PM) The Society will perform Benjamin Britten's cantata St. Nicolas, selections from Handel's Messiah and a variety of carols.

Location: Exam Hall Thursday, December 2nd Amnesty International: Letter Writing Stand (12:00 PM - 3:00 PM) If you missed out on Tuesday's letter writing session, you can still stop by our stand in the Arts Block to sign a letter and pick up leaflets on the current campaigns.

Location: Arts Block

Buttery

Following week

Wednesday Simpsons Quiz in aid of the children of Chernobyl Starts at 8pm in hte Buttery

Tuesday Free live Comedy Starts at 8pm in

Racing: Race discussion (1:00 PM - 2:00 PM) We shall be discussing the weeks racing and what will be the hot tips for the week. This is a great way to for begineers to learn the basics and for experienced race goers to discuss racing with other enthuasiasts. There shall also be free tea and coffee for all those interested.

Plus the Racing papers to read and if you want us to have form printed out for any of the races please let us know before hand.

Location: Room 2, The Atrium Trinity Arts Workshop: Pottery and Ceramics (6:00 PM - 9:00 PM) Location: Arch 8, Goldsmith Hall Trinity Arts Workshop: Life Drawing (7:00 PM - 9:00 PM) Life Drawing with instruction Location: 191 Pearse St Law: Maiden Speakers Final (7:00 PM - 10:00 PM) The final of the Law Society Maiden speakers competition, followed by a reception and party.

Location: GMB Friday, December 3rd SF Society: Film screening at 5pm All welcomed to see Dodgeball and Anchorman for free.

Location: to be confirmed Trinity Arts Workshop: Pottery and Ceramics (6:00 PM - 9:00 PM) Location: Arch 8, Goldsmith Hall Trinity Arts Workshop: Portrait Class (7:00 PM - 9:00 PM) Portrait Class with teacher Location: 191 Pearse St Orchestral: Term Concert (7:00 PM - 10:00 PM) The Michaelmas Term Concert will be conducted by Niall Trainor.

The programme will include: Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, Tchaikovky's Marche Slave, Puccini's Crisantemi and Sibelius's Karelia Suite.

Location: Exam Hall Dance: Dance Class (7:30 PM 9:30 PM) Weekly dance class. All welcome, new people and walk-ins encouraged.

Location: Regent House Saturday, December 4th Trinity Arts Workshop: Pottery and Ceramics (6:00 PM - 9:00 PM) Location: Arch 8, Goldsmith Hall Sunday, December 5th Trinity Arts Workshop: Pottery and Ceramics (6:00 PM - 9:00 PM) Location: Arch 8, Goldsmith Hall

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Society: Tea & Coffee (1:00 PM - 3:00 PM)

tery

Monday Quiz night in association with DUHAC

We provide tea and coffee in our Society room every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 1 to 3. For those of you who have not yet joined our lunchtime gettogether, come along, bring your lunch (friend/support group optional) and get to know the other members and committee. We are in house 6, the building in front square with the SU shop, and we are on the second floor. Just follow the signs.

Location: LGBT Room - 2nd Floor, House 6

Thursday Free Live Music

Irish leg of the One Chance Tour A competition where young band fight it out for A record deal Friday Quiz night for the Trad Soc 8pm in the buttery

Careers Editor: Wendy Williams

Tuesday November 23, 2004

Trinity News

CAREERS

GRADUATE INTERVIEW:

Meav Ni Mhaolchatha

How to hit the high notes Meav Ni Mhaolchatha having graduated with a Law Degree from Trinity is now a professional recording artist proving that your degree does not need to be related to your career.

She currently has two albums on sale, ‘Silver Sea’, a follow up to her highly successful debut album ‘Meav’ and she is due to begin recording another. She also has an impressive list of achievements in her career which include being principle soloist with the Celtic choral group Anuna, touring South Africa for three months as the lead vocalist with the Lord of the Dance in 2002 and touring the US and Canada with the RTE Concert Orchestra. She has just finished filming a TV special entitled “Celtic Woman” which will be broadcast across the US in March 2005 and she is currently in Dublin performing with the National Chamber Choir.

According to her website (www.meav.com) “Singing in English, Irish, Gallic and French, Meav brings together a surprising blend of classical, traditional and contemporary tracks that reflect her eclectic musical background”.

She talks to Wendy Williams about her musical career and life after Trinity.

Studying Law may seem a strange thing to do for someone who would later follow a career in music.

Whilst she had been offered a place in the Music department Meav was unsure that this was the course for her, at the time she explains, "the profile of Dublin was very different" and it did not occur to her to pursue a musical career. She felt that Law had a broad interest that would be applicable in whatever it was she chose to do in the future. Having seen her brother study law and watch him having such a good time, Meav decided to follow in the family footsteps.

Even if the course later seemed irrelevant, Trinity still had a big impact on her career. Due to the nature of the course she had a lot of free time, which she was able to use flexibly, managing study and involving herself in many extra-curricula activities.

Whilst at Trinity, Meav became involved with the Trinity College singers and also joined the Music Society playing the role of Eliza in their

production of My Fair Lady. By becoming involved in these activities Meav was able to gain contacts in the music business that she points out she is still in touch with today. It was also through the Music department that she first became interested in singing chorally.

For Meav what she feels she gained the most from Trinity was the mixture of people and the wide range of courses available, she explains, “no-one is limited in what they do”. Being in the city centre she felt it was part of the action and she described it as a "living university".

Whilst Meav had never thought of a career in music as a possible option she had always sang and for her it was a part of growing up. Music was a big part of her family and there was a piano and harp in the household.

Her father is a composer and actually wrote one of the songs on her album entitled 'The waves of Troy'. It seems her family have had a strong impact on her career. And she explains that “both my parents, and my grandparents (on my mother’s side) had an interest in music and always encouraged me to sing”. She says that going into music was not such much a dream but more just "a very natural thing to do". She jokingly suggests however that there is still a part of her father that wants her to be a lawyer!

After graduating from Trinity she explains the decision to make a career out of singing was very gradual. There was a period when Meav was "double-jobbing" working for a company called Music Network, which organized concerts and focused on making music accessible to everyone.

As well as this she was also singing with the Celtic choral group Anuna. As a principal soloist with Anúna, she has toured extensively in Canada, Morocco, Spain and Scandinavia and has performed with big names such as Elvis Costello, Brian Kennedy and The Chieftains. As a soloist with Anúna she was also given the opportunity to sing at the inauguration of President Mary McAleese.

After joining Anuna work started to build up and Meav got involved with Riverdance. Music was increasingly taking up most of her time.

She describes Riverdance as the "catalyst" for her career as it was at this point she realised she had to decide, "If I was actually going to take this seriously".

She did and Meav has now been a full time singer for 10 years.

Riverdance gave her some financial security allowing her to pursue her dream but she feels the turning point in her career came when she joined the RTE Concert Orchestra. She ended up touring America with them for three years in a row and subsequently led to other things including introducing her to David Agnew. David Agnew, Oboist from the RTE Concert Orchestra, encouraged Meav to do her debut album. Asked if it was a daunting experience she explains that "it was a duelist project, he played and I sang and I think that meant it was not as daunting as he was experienced" she went on to say that because of this "the second album for me felt more like a first".

Her debut recording was released in 1999 selling 40,000 albums, 200,000 tracks on compilations and breaking into the charts in Korea, one place ahead of Ricky Martin making her the biggest Irish music star in Korea, an experience she described as "bizarre" and "very flattering". She explained that it was "a complete surprise. I hadn't done any singing over there although the album had been released and I wasn't sure how it was going". She went on to explain that "they don't have as much of a divide between classical and new age music over there. Tracks that we may not hear over here are given air time over there and so they recognised the tracks.”

Whilst in Korea she headlined at a major open-air festival in Seoul as part of the Korean World Cup celebrations.

She explains that this was "a big honour" for her and it "opened up in my own mind places that I could tour to. It was the first time I performed around there and have since gone back...it opened up that part of the world for me and I was also given time off to see the country". When questioned as to why she thinks the Irish sound appeals to audiences over there she explains that "it's hard to know." It may be an attempt to recapture a lost tradition "that as an island we were able to hold onto" she

also explains that there is a tradition of high-pitched singing and so the general sound of a soprano voice is familiar to them".

Meav is also a member of the National Chamber Choir, which is based in Dublin City University.

Having just returned from Riverdance she decided to audition, she came in as a deputy and was later made Soprano.

The National Chamber Choir is a big commitment; they rehearse for about 17 hours a week Monday to Thursday although this can vary and they are sometimes touring. The National Chamber Choir is the only year round job in Ireland for singers and she explains, “is a really good resource or springboard" for singers. Most people involved in the choir supplement it with other jobs although Meav explains that it can be hard trying to fit it around her solo career. She is soon to have touring commitments with 'Celtic Woman' that will have to be fitted in. She explains that it relies on "goodwill on everybody's part, it is possible, just tricky".

With such a range of accomplishments

she finds it hard to choose the highlight of her career so far although she particularly enjoyed the experience of the 'Celtic woman' program that will be shown across the US in March 2005 giving her a chance to sing to a wide audience.

And what's next for Meav?

She intends to begin recording a new album early next year only this time she has more freedom regarding musicians and she will be including more orchestral and choral tracks.

As far as her advice goes to students wanting to follow a similar path she basically says, "Go for it!" She advises students to "keep their options open and be flexible. It also helps if you can sing in different styles or sight-read well.

Also, the more experience you have the better." Meav also explained that "sometimes singers are encouraged to leave school early however I definitely wouldn't recommend that, go to college and find out along the way what's right for you. Immerse yourself into the atmosphere".

Whilst students who spend their holidays working may think they are just gaining some extra money for a big night out or a cheap holiday, actually the experience can put you at an advantage over all those candidates who will be competing with you for your ideal job in years to come.

More and more employers expect graduates to have already gained relevant work experience in their field. Nowadays, with so many students graduating each year, it will take more than your academic ability to impress employers. Increasingly, what sets graduates apart is not their degree, but the activities they have engaged in, outside of their studies.

You will not only improve your CV, but work experience means you will also get an insider’s view of the industry, giving you the chance to network and establish contacts which could help you to secure a permanent position after you graduate. Work experience however can be about more than just impressing future employers; from your own perspective, work experience can be a good indica-

tion of whether or not you want to pursue a career in that area. It may help you in making that crucial decision of what to do next.

Work experience can give students a fantastic opportunity to prove you have self-motivation as well as allowing you to earn some extra cash, and let’s face it, that always comes in handy. Even if your work experience is unrelated to your chosen career you will still have developed skills which are indispensable in most jobs.

Significantly, you will also prove that you did not just waste your holiday playing on your playstation. Used wisely, vacations can provide a chance to relax, earn some money and gain valuable work experience.

So, what’s on offer?

Internships: A paid work experience giving you an opportunity to experience up close, what it would be like working in a career area of choice and thus enabling you to decide if this is something you want to do in the long term.

Vacancies are predominately in the UK although a few can be found in Ireland. This is something to be considered in particular by Junior Sophister students. The majority of

internships are 8-12 weeks although some will extend to 16 weeks. A word of warning though, adverts have appeared on the CAS website since October with some closing dates before Christmas.

The majority of closing dates will be after Christmas. Even if summer seems a way off, now really is the time to plan for it.

Part-time work: Work experience does not have to be confined to the summer holidays. Some students work part time during the academic year to help fund and support their studies or even to help them explore a work area that interests them. For example, working in a shop will help you to gain knowledge of the retail industry and will enable you to develop communication skills and customer service skills. Part-time work will also supply employers with evidence of how you effectively managed your time for work and study.

Remember though, hours can vary and it is important to leave time for study. You are after all technically here for an education.

Voluntary work: This covers a wide range of options from helping the homeless to conservation work and from archaeology to sports ini-

Dream Jobs There was a time when a person’s career path was mapped out for them before they reached puberty. A time when farmers begot farmers and tailors begot tailors.

But times have changed, and this is no longer the case for most of us.

One enormous benefit of this change is that we can now follow our values to identify work that satisfies us both materially and emotionally.

The cost of this freedom is the necessity of choosing a career and being held responsible for the path we choose to take. Don’t worry though, nothing is set in stone.

Nowadays a wrong turn in your path can be corrected by career change at almost any stage in the journey.

Many employers appreciate the benefits of a broad base of knowl-

edge, so experience working as say, an accountant or any degree can be applied in a wide range of careers.

Follow your personality: Ideally a job should be such a pleasure that you’d do it for free if you could afford to. By linking your values with a career, the whole experience of earning, becomes a reciprocal process with you doing your best for customers/employers, and getting a lot out of it yourself.

List your values: Find out what you need in a job by first finding what you value.

You can do this by finishing these sentences: "I’d like to contribute ... to the world", "I admire people who ...", "I want to remember my life as ... when I look back on it" Identify your abilities and interests:

At the Intel Ireland postgraduate bursary programme in the Fab 24 plant, Leixlip were Eamonn P. Linehan (Computer Science, under Dr. Siobhan Clarke), Eamonn O. Hynes (Electronic Engineering, under Prof. J.K. Vij) and Ronan M. Hodson (Physics, under Prof. W.J. Blau).

Intel Ireland have just begun fabrication of the next generation of 65nm microchips at their new plant in Leixlip, Co. Kildare. A huge number of graduates with the right knowledge are required in order to operate such a high-tech facility unique to anywhere in the world.

The Intel Ireland postgraduate bursary scheme is expected to be expanded even further in forthcoming years strengthening relationships between the universities and industry. As of late, Intel Ireland has funded 25 postgraduate research projects and over 150 undergraduate scholarships in Science and Engineering since the programs establishment in 1994. Intel has also provided surplus process equipment and computer equipment to Trinity including a computer lab in the Department of Electronic & Electrical Engineering, fabrication facilities in the Sami Nasr Institute of Advanced Materials and the Physics Department.

The objectives of the Intel Higher Education activities in Ireland are to ensure a constant flow of future technical employees, to identify and fund research of value, and to provide opportunities for people to gain qualifications by working with the third-level educational institutions.

The Intel postgraduate open day was concluded by dinner which was attended by academics, students and representatives from Intel.

CAS Seminars/Talks Seminars are repeated weekly. Seminars are held in 5 College Green unless otherwise stated. Places are limited - please book early!

23/11/04 Completing Application Forms All disciplines & years 23/11/04 Selection Tests 2.00 - 4.00pm years 25/11/04 Interview Skills 11.00-12noon years 30/11/04 2nd Interviews & Assessment Centres All disciplines & years

11.00 - 12noon All disciplines & All disciplines & 3.00 - 4.00pm

Annual Fairs 10/02/05 PostgradIreland Fair 1.00pm, RDS, Ballsbridge

tiatives. It may also provide you with an opportunity to work on overseas projects which are often based in developing countries. Not only is this good work experience it is also good life experience which can be very rewarding. You could work in a local charity shop or train as a volunteer counsellor for a support organization in which case training is likely to be provided. The skills that you develop through volunteering will certainly help you in a future career and the work will illustrate these abilities on your CV. Longer-term programmes will have some specific deadlines whereas local programmes might have more flexible ongoing deadlines. There are also opportunities within Trinity as regards volunteer work with organisations such as Suas and TAP. Working abroad: Whilst language students are often the most likely to use such opportunities to improve fluency, anyone with any interest in living and working abroad can consider this possibility. Not only does this provide you with the chance to earn some money whilst travelling, meeting new people and learning about a new culture; but from the perspec-

tive of future employers, it can be seen as proof of your initiative and independence. This said, obtaining employment overseas is not easy and you will need to start early, preferably before Christmas, so get your skates on! There are some organized schemes such as Work America and Bunacamp. Also, USIT produces annual booklets which provide very relevant information.

Knowing what is available to you when deciding how to make the most of your summer is key, so I recommend you check out the Careers Advice Service in the East Chapel. The staff are there to give you advice and encouragement throughout your job search and the careers library contains a number of useful reference books. Also check out the CAS guide which has many useful tips.

We are already nearing Christmas and with essay deadlines and exams looming many of us are wondering where the first term has gone. A word of warning: before you know it, the summer exams will be over and the vacation will be here once again. Now is the time to decide what to do with it.

Choosing the ideal career for Your Personality by Myles Gutkin

Consider what you are good at, or feel confident you can become good at. Find a career which you can commit to, and excel at so that you can ascend or at least secure your job. If it doesn’t hold your interest, or if you can’t handle the work you might end up stuck at a low level or even fail to have your contract extended.

Take note of your personal and social preferences: To clarify the type of work environment which you will thrive in, find out about your personality. Try to answer these questions yourself or ask friends to help you: "Do I prefer conceptual or practical work?" "Do I like to work creatively or following routines?", "Would I prefer to work alone, or with many people around me?"

Get information and experience:

Intel Ireland post-graduate bursary programme

Whats On!

Work experience- Why bother?

Wendy Williams

15

A career looks different from the outside than from within. So talk to people who are actually doing it.

Try to get as much and as varied experience as you can within your field of interest. Consider volunteering in a new field to test if it suits your personality, because if you aren't getting paid to do it, chances are you won't stay unless you like it.

Do what it takes to succeed: When you’ve decided what you want in a career, find a way to get it and work for it. It may be that you have to take a job at lower pay to gain the experience needed for your ideal job. This shouldn’t be a problem as long as your lifestyle suits your current income, and not your ideal income.

Remember that the work you do will influence the development of

your personality and behaviour. So find a job that will help you to become or remain the person you want to be. When you’ve decided what you want from a career, make sure that you can be the person you want to be, while succeeding at work.

If you want to be carefree, then a stressful job which places you on call constantly won’t help. If you want to be active and vibrant, a data entry job might be counter productive. Developing your personality in synergy with your career will reduce conflicts and increase productivity in both spheres.

For professional advice on choosing a Career, see the CAS website: www.tcd.ie/Careers/students/plan _your_career.php

Employer Events / Presentations 03/12/2004 Informal Presentation McCann FitzGerald tbc, Offices By invite only 03/12/2004 Sales & Trading Women's Open Day Morgan Stanley 8.30am - 5pm, London interested students. Register.

06/12/2004 Presentation Analog Devices tbc, Jury's Doyle Hotel, Ballsbridge SS Engineering & Science.

Work or fun?

Work and funVacwork Alesya Krit takes a look at the Vacwork program You’ve just begun your third year at university, and you’re already dreaming of graduating. But what comes next? Getting a job? It’s not as easy as just going to the employer and getting it. Here I am- take me! It’s a long and quite complicated process, becoming the best that you are able to be. So why don’t you make your future life easier today?! Apply for a VACWORK! Make your CV more attractive to future employers!

WHAT? A job! VACWORK is a Trinity undergraduate summer placement programme. Trinity gives you a great chance to get some graduatelevel work experience for a period of four to twelve weeks in a company! Having a job doesn’t mean hanging around, but generally having a responsibility for a specific project and being required to make a presentation at the end of the internship.

WHERE? In the UK! The only disappointing thing is that these companies are mostly in the UK, so you don’t really have a wide variety of locations to choose from, but the professionalism of the companies are guaranteed. Besides, high level training is generally provided before they give their interns free reign within the company.

WHEN? Now! Don’t leave it to the last moment! The earlier you send in your application, the better a chance you have of getting a place,

or at least getting a chance to compete for the job of your dreams.

Even if it’s not your dream job, employers will love to see that you’ve got enough motivation to get the work experience even before you graduate. However, to make sure you get the one that you want you need to apply as soon as you can. Advertising for positions occurs from October to March. But the closing dates are quite early in the academic year, some as early as December. So you’d better go and have a look now!

WHO? You! Though target students of this programme are JS, applications for students from other years may also be accepted. The important thing is that students from absolutely all disciplines can apply, no matter what you are studying: law or medicine, PR or agriculture.

HOW? Difficult BUT possible!

Competition for places is rather tough, nevertheless some companies recruit up to fifty per cent of graduates from the Internship Programme. As a bonus point, the fact that you interned at a specific company often exempts you from their first round interviews if you apply for a graduate position in your final year. So what’s stopping you?

WHAT’S NEXT? That’s really up to you! It’s your life, it’s your choice!

16 Tuesday November 23, 2004

Science Editor: Kirsten Bratke

Trinity News Sexy Science Mumbai Memory

SCIENCE

This week, Jane Ferguson defies the norm yet again with a bout of (gasp!) Asexy science...

GAY, STRAIGHT, BI…it’s all passé. The new sexual preference is - not having any at all!

Following on from the efforts of gay rights activists, a new group are beginning to assert their right to have their sexual orientations recognised. Only in this case, the sexual preferences they are defending are absent. Asexuals have defined themselves as having no sexual attraction towards another person, and having no interest in engaging in any sort of sexual activity. For many people, this can seem strange, especially as sex is something that has a lot of importance placed upon it in most or all societies. A growing awareness of asexuality, however, is beginning to uncover evidence that, far from being a freak occurrence, asexuality is rather common. About 1% of the population defined itself as being asexual in a recent study, and the number of people who have had sexual experiences in the past, but are perfectly happy to live without sex is even greater. This indicates that asexuals are almost as large a group as homosexuals, but receive close to no recognition in society.

Asexuals are perfectly capable of physically having sex and orgasms. They may masturbate and many men will get erections in response to physical stimuli, but they do not feel the urge to act upon any sexual feelings with another person. They still feel love for other people, and can have committed relationships, but feel no desire for sex. In fact, many feel that without the complication of sexual urges, their love for other people can be deeper and more pure.

The Asexuality Visibility and Education Network (AVEN) is an online forum for asexuals to discuss their experiences, and to meet other people, who like them, have found themselves alienated by a sexual society. This website is showing us how many people there are who are resistant to sexual urges. Every day, new members from all over the world, sign up to the site. These are not people who have denounced sex as a result of negative past experiences; nor are they religious types who are swearing celibacy as an act of devotion. The vast majority of the self-declared asexuals are happy well-adjusted individuals, who merely have no interest in sex, and are sick of being thought of as dysfunctional for not wanting to participate in the human mating ritual.

So can there be any scientific explanation for the occurrence of asexuality? Certainly, humans are not alone in the animal kingdom in wanting to abstain from sex.

Studies undertaken on sheep have shown that among normal rams, not all of them are attracted to ewes. A number of them prefer to mate with other males, and others show no interest in mating at all.

The rams show a consistent preference across time, with those rams that showed no interest in mating during one test, still being uninterested in sex when observed at a later stage. Rodents have also shown there to be a variety of sexual preferences in a group, with some individuals consistently abstaining from sex, even when the opportunity is handed to them.

When a trait occurs consistently across populations, and across species, it is indicative of selection. But how could a trait such as asexuality be selected for? After all, asexuals before the advent of IVF technologies have had no opportunity to reproduce, and thus could not have passed on any predisposition for asexuality directly.

As asexuality is only beginning to become of interest to scientific researchers, it may be a while before evidence of a selective advantage for asexuality emerges.

It is only very recently that evidence has been found favouring a perseverance of homosexuality in the population, despite the similar barrier of a lack of direct reproduction among these individuals. It has been shown that the female relatives of gay men tend to be more fertile, so an increase in fecundity among the females makes up for the lack of offspring provided by the gay men in the family, and prevents the trait from dying out.

Maybe we will someday find something similar involved in causing asexuality to continue to flourish in the population.

Of course something as complex as sexual orientation, cannot be caused by a single gene, but is rather determined by a combination of genes and environmental conditions. In complex traits, there are many possible combinations, resulting in a wide spread of the trait between two extremes.

The increasing awareness of asexuality merely shows us that we must continue to re-evaluate the bell curve of “normality” under which we expect people to fall, and to stretch its boundaries as we discover the wealth of variety present in the population’s sexuality.

FANTASTIC FOODS Forget the Buttery ... here’s the A-Z of healthy foods

Ginger

AFTER A HARD NIGHT’S drinking, you could do worse than let a little ginger into your life. I don’t mean a small person with a much-maligned hair colour, but rather, the spicy root of the ginger plant. Ginger can help relieve nausea in those suffering from hangovers or morning sickness, and is also commonly used to prevent stomach cramps and sea-sickness (whether caused by a real boat, or just some wobbly walking!).

It probably originated in Asia, and came to Europe in time for it to be used as a remedy against the plague. (Admittedly, given the death toll, it can’t have worked on everybody, but don’t let that put you off.)

Ginger has anti-bacterial action, and as such can help stop food such as meat decaying. In lab tests, ginger actually was shown to inhibit the growth of Salmonella bacteria.

In the body, it can thus help against infections, and can kill intestinal worms.

If you’ve been reading any of the previous Fantastic Food articles, you’ll know all about anti-oxidants, and how they help protect against cancer. Ginger is no exception in being packed full of these.

Additionally, it stimulates the

immune system, and can be beneficial in autoimmune disorders such as rheumatism by reducing the production of hormones that trigger an autoimmune response. It also thins the blood and lowers cholesterol.

In Chinese herbal medicine, ginger is used to remedy a “cold body”, as it has a warming effect on the organs, and raises the body temperature, which helps to fight infection. It also improves circulation, and helps prevent the occurrence of chilblains, which, if you are part-reptile like me, is a useful property, especially as winter draws in. One of the main uses of ginger is in treating colds and flu.

The combination of anti-viral and bacterial properties, along with the increase in temperature and pain relieving effect is perfect for soothing your mucus-ridden body.

Ginger may also help lighten depression, and just the smell of it has been shown to be comforting and calming to people. It also improves migraine and gives some relief to regular headache sufferers.

So if you are feeling cold and miserable, some herbal tea containing ginger, or a fresh infusion made from boiling water and some grated ginger, is the perfect drink to warm you up and make you feel better. Add a gingersnap cookie, and you’ll be well on your way to health and happiness!

by Jane Ferguson

Tomás Ryan relates how a summer dissecting fly brains in India restores his passion for science.

JUNE 2004, I HAD JUST completed my Junior Sophister exams.

In less than a week I was frantically reading recently published biology papers in a restless state while sitting on a plane between Dubai and Mumbai (Bombay). I was to carry out my summer research project in India.

I have always taken a near romantic view of Science, but I must admit that the Freshman science courses in Trinity had left me somewhat jaded, until I attended a seminar in January given by an Indian Neuroscientist, which was nothing short of inspirational. I immediately decided I wanted to spend my summer working on that project.

The Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai was moderately detached from the chaos of the outside city and was surrounded by a stereotypically tropical atmosphere. The Professor I was to work under suggested that I begin early the next day. When I asked her how many hours per week I was expected to work she replied with “work as much as you feel”. A worrying statement. Out of the 60,000 applications for the summer program, only about thirty were accepted, including a classmate and myself and all pretension aside, we were accepted purely because we studied at TCD so it became necessary to prove our worth by working ridiculously long hours to do as good a job as possible. But as it was, no student there worked less than 60 hours per week. There were two modes of life: working and not working – weekends were meaningless. At the beginning we took Sundays off to explore the city, but within about three weeks I found myself working seven days. We would take half days every now and then but in general the workweek hovered between 70 and in extreme cases 100 hours. Unlike in Europe, nobody was trying to force science into a forty-hour workweek.The job was by no means drudgery because in Indian labs, efficiency is certainly not paramount. Because the students in the labs spend so much time at work they tend to be very sociable with

their lab-mates, and at any time in the work day people might just drop what they are doing and joke around. This is not to say that they didn’t take science seriously there, the first seminar I attended amazed me, with the level of interaction, between students and academics.

There was no status quo on who could speak and NO polite questions, the speakers were scrutinised to the utmost academic standard, and the discussions were always vigorous and intellectually stimulating.

The lab itself was small. There was eight of us working in it, were at a lab in Dublin the space would probably be sufficient for only three people. In order to save funds, corners were cut in every aspect of running the lab, but expense was not spared in any way that might compromise the quality of research.

My day-to-day work in the lab involved working with Drosophila (fruit flies) as model organism. I grew large populations of different strains of flies that carried various mutations in genes involved in long-term memory. The behaviour and memory changes of their offspring were tested and measured, the fly brains were dissected, illuminated with green fluorescent protein and observed under a microscope for any developmental defects. It took me two weeks just to get the fly brain dissection right; it has to be done with the same tools that Ophthalmic Surgeons use for humans. The rationale was that these brain pathways are conserved in different organisms through evolution and this might help understand the biological basis of memory in humans.

In general, even though the Tata Institute is one of the best places for biology in India and in Asia, most of the students were working desperately towards getting further positions in Europe and the USA, even though they were often inaccessible to Indian students due to funding and visa restrictions. Quite a few of the postgrads adhered strongly to Indian traditions and were closely tied to their families and their homes, others actively

renounced all Indian societal norms and tended to adopt a more western perspective on things (whilst still respecting and being proud of their culture and heritage). People in India were much more open about discussing their religion than in Ireland, once I managed to speak about the Hindu God Ganesh in an inappropriate way and was promptly told, “That is not an elephant Tom, it is a God!” Working and studying in India has changed my view of science and of the world. Indian scientists have an abstract and imaginative way of looking at problems. In Mumbai for instance, depressed, schizophrenic, and generally insane people are quite well tolerated despite their bizarre behaviour and live autonomously in the society, perhaps because the environment is chaotic and somewhat insane in itself. Such a culture that promotes abundant unconventional thought might naturally be the cause of (or a product of) the differences between India and the west in terms of art, religion, and science.

Their science is therefore very left of the mainstream of the west (the USA does tend to dictate what the “big” questions in biology are). To give just on example, I met one particularly eccentric Indian scientist who possessed the only mutant strain of Drosophila that was impossible to anesthetise and therefore useless for nearly all Drosophila work. This is conceptually comparable to engineering a

strain of mouse that is too fast to catch in the lab.

Indian scientists publish their work in the top science journals when possible, but in my opinion their work is often overlooked by the scientific community (perhaps due to publication bias). Much of the time because the top western journals simply will not believe that the data they receive is genuine and so ask (often unreasonably) for extra experiments to be done to confirm the research, to which most Indian scientists will respond by simply publishing their work in an Indian journal. This situation is injustice within science at its most absurd, it is of the nature of science to transcend national and cultural boundaries, and therefore to hold such backward prejudices of any kind against such a significant proportion of the world’s population is bad for science and the world. It is true that, even for a developing country, India places quite a small proportion of its capital into Science and this is manifest in the steady decline in the number of publications coming out of India.

In July of this year, Nature published a feature on the scientific impact factors of various nations.

They compared the wealth intensity to the publication citation intensity of each nation included.

Countries that excelled in scientific impact relative to wealth included the UK. India and China both exhibited scientific impact proportionate with their wealth, while the

USA and the Republic of Ireland represented the nations of seriously deficient scientific impact.

Academic injustices aside, Mumbai becomes a more bewitching and enjoyable city the longer you spend there. It is a place where extreme grandeur and extreme poverty coexist directly on top of one another in a manner unlike any other Indian city. The University was indeed an oasis of calm in a vast metropolis of chaos and the experience of studying there contrasted sharply with the subsequent time spent meandering around the country. Both experiences were invaluable but I am sure that my memory of working in India, and of course the friends I have made there, will outlast the more adventure-orientated experiences of traveling there. Even though my contribution to the project at large was minimal, Mumbai was the first time in my life where I was doing something worthwhile that I loved doing for itself, rather than always working towards something else and wanting to be somewhere else, and I would regard the Tata Institute as the ideal academic environment.

I strongly recommend any aspiring research scientist to seriously consider visiting India, or indeed anywhere of scientific merit in the developing world, to gain invaluable experience in science and a broader perspective on science and society.

Google this: all eyes on the web Daniel Kelleher What’s so great about Google?

ALMOST EVERY WEB USER has visited its homepage, and many of us use it regularly as our principal web ‘portal’ of choice.

Since Google was floated on the Nasdaq in August, its share price has rocketed by almost 180% in two months. Google has also earned the privilege of being one of few brand names to enter public parlance. Why exactly do we ‘google’ something but we never ‘lycos’, or ‘altavista’? What ethereal, secret reason caused this company to go in six years from a payroll of three in a garage in California, to employing over two thousand people worldwide and providing a service that many web users now consider indispensable?

It’s certainly no secret, it’s just that when Google was released, it was just fundamentally better than all the competition. Before I go into that, I should perhaps offer a quick overview of the web.

What’s so good about the Web? The World Wide Web is almost unique in information storage and retrieval media, because of its ‘hyperlink’ structure. Unlike in a library or newspaper, documents exist not in isolation, but in a dependent structure with other pages that they are linked to or that are linked to them. These linked pages can be stored on different servers in different parts of the world but in a metaphysical sense (or ‘logical’ sense for those that are afraid of that word), they are close-

ly related. This makes information access very easy as long as the user has a good starting point from which to explore the network of linked pages, and this is where search engines come in.

Web searching – A history Initially, web indexing (presenting the information in the web in an easily-accessible manner) was carried out much in the same

way as a library index. The user would be presented with a set of categories, and inside each category were a number of sub-categories, and so on. Search engines such as Yahoo! had great success with the directory approach for some time, before it became clear that the web was growing too big and search engines started putting more emphasis on the keywordbased searches.

The keyword-based search makes no attempt to classify the pages, but merely searches through

an extensive database of document texts for a set of keywords or key phrases that the user requests. It worked pretty well too, as long as the user knew the right keywords to search for and didn’t mind trawling through possibly thousands of irrelevant links before finding the information they were searching for.

Enter Google The designers of the revolutionary search engine were among the few to recognise that neither of these approaches made use of the unique hyperlink structure of the WWW. They understood that the links to and from other pages were a vitally important part of each page’s information content and that it could and should be exploited as much as possible. So they invented their PageRank™ system, that gives a score to a certain page based on both the number of pages that are linked to it, and their scores in turn. This meant that “Dave’s homepage” that mentioned the word ‘Microsoft’ one thousand times in its text would not score more highly in a search on ‘Microsoft’ than the Microsoft.com homepage unless Dave managed to solicit many other very important web-page

friends to link to it. This resulted in an improvement of the basic keyword-based search because the more ‘important’ pages would tend to float to the top, and the more ‘irrelevant’ ones would tend to get lost in page number 324 or so.

Fun with Google Of course this system can be abused from time to time, giving rise to the often-hilarious phenomenon of ‘googlebombing’, in which a large number of übergeeks would conspire to create pages containing a certain set of keywords that link to a specific page, thus artificially increasing its page rank. Examples are: (type into google.com and click “I’m feeling lucky”) * weapons of mass destruction (The famous “weapons of mass destruction cannot be displayed” page) * french military victories (“did you mean french military defeats?") * “miserable failure” and “unelectable” (send you directly to the biography of George W. Bush) * Buffone (Italian for “clown”, sends you to Silvio Berlusconi’s biography) Another fun and highly unproductive use of the Google search engine is the Googlewhack challenge; the objective being to find examples of words or sets of words that produce only one result when queried in Google. This is less trivial than it appears when the size of the Google index is taken into consideration (some four billion pages and growing).

The secondary objective is to make them humorous, at least to fellow über-geeks and, although this is typically more difficult, to the rest of the web-surfing community. Examples are: nihilistic agorophobia, carburettor logotype, quintuplet gorgonzola, octopi jujitsu, eponymic linux, hydroxylated marmalade and unlivable sextet.

Unfortunately, due to the nature of the challenge, most of the above examples can no longer be considered Googlewhacks, since they have been mentioned in other pages about Googlewhacks. As such the greatest Googlewhacks are all doomed to a life of transience, like the winter snowman.

They are, in fact, a perfect metaphor for the human condition.

Quite sad, isn't it?

Yes. In more ways than one.

Next Steps for Web Searching But the field of web-searching has probably not reached its pinnacle and a large amount of research is currently being carried out, including at Trinity College, with the aim of producing ‘the new Google’. Emphasis is being placed on a number of possible routes, including personalised or ‘intelligent’ searching, that tries to work out exactly what the user wants from previous searching experience. It appears that the current Google system may be yet another stepping-stone in the history of web-searching, and that before we know it, a new, ‘even more indispensable’ tool will be on the market.

Features Editor: Laura Fergusson

Tuesday November 23, 2004

17

Trinity News FEATURES Global Plutocracy, Anyone?

We all love democracy don’t we? From being glued to our TV sets until all hours of the morning as US states turn red or blue, to complaining about Fianna Fail’s latest policy shift or Fine Gael’s latest charisma-free leader. We are in the middle of ‘the third wave’ of democratic expansion as more and more countries join the liberal democratic fold, through choice or coercion, it is commonly thought of as a golden age of popular self-government. From the former communist countries to new kids on the democratic block Afghanistan and Iraq, freedom and choice is being brought to the world.

Carl Cullinane Unfortunately, little do we realise the foundations of Western democracy as we value it are under their biggest threat since the rise of totalitarianism in the early 20th century. This threat, while less dramatic, is both more insidious and possibly more damaging in the long term to our cherished form of rule by the people. (Tempting as it is to include a token George W. Bush joke here, I will refrain.)

only intersecting on occasions of tithes or taxes. It wasn’t until the advent of the Westphalian nation-state and the subsequent development of parliamentary democracy that states engaged in large-scale intervention in the economy, controlling trade tariffs, interest rates and then redistributive taxation.

In the latter two decades of the 20th century, economic globalisation has begun to dramatically affect sovereign governments ability to intervene in their economies. The advent

The foundations of Western democracy as we value it are under their biggest threat since the rise of totalitarianism in the early 20th century.

It is in fact globalisation, a phenomenon that many assume to be a force for ‘freedom’ and ‘choice’ that will paradoxically form the biggest danger to democracy over the next half a century.

Democracy as we value it is a nexus of equality, inclusiveness, choice and effectiveness. There must be political equality for any voting system to be fair and democratic, including as much of the population as possible; there must be genuine choice in government selection and an ability for the electorate to set the parameters of debate; and finally, an electorate’s choice should be effective in the policy direction of the country, otherwise there would be little point to voting in the first place.

Unfortunately, globalisation undermines all four.

Since the rise of sovereign rule, there has been a clash between the political and the economic spheres, with the two largely operating separately,

of a radically deregulated global financial market, in conjunction with both widening and deepening of trade and investment interdependence, is tying governments’ policy hands tighter and tighter. Globalisation and neo-liberal economics go hand in hand and have created a self-fulfilling prophecy. Countries that diverge from free-market orthodoxy are automatically punished by both the global market in investment and trade and also, by unashamedly ideologicallybased organisations like the International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organisation.

Mechanisms, like speculative currency attacks, trade sanctions, withdrawal of foreign capital all form formidable weapons to keep countries in line. The threat of these is usually enough to achieve their aims.

As state sovereignty over economic policy is eroded, inevitably democracy suffers as any non-neoliberal mandate

given to government is nigh on impossible to implement. Thus the effectiveness of democratic decisions are damaged.

Moreover, choice is narrowed as competing parties both have to accept the strictures of the global market in policy-making and certain policy options, regardless of whether an electorate may favour them, become out of the question entirely.

However, one should ask whether all this must necessarily be a bad thing. Nobody seriously proposes pure democracy where every decision is taken by ‘the people’. There has always been an element of technocracy (rule by experts) and bureaucracy in representative democracy. However, those elements have always been as characteristics of elites that have been popularly elected. The fundamental clash here is whether the economic realm of the “free market” should be allowed to supercede the political realm of free political choice.

Robert Nozick in his 1970’s classic ‘Anarchy, State and Utopia’ uses the famous

Nobody seriously proposes pure democracy where every decision is taken by ‘the people’.

‘Wilt Chamberlain example’ to argue that the sum of individual free micro-economic transactions leads to a legitimate macrolevel distribution. What I would argue though, is that an aggregation of individual economic choices (i.e. the market) cannot legitimately overrule an aggregation of individual political choic-

es (i.e. democracy). This comes down to the first two features of democracy outlined above; equality and inclusiveness. The economic sphere cannot claim any kind of idealistic basis in freedom and choice because actors don’t begin from positions of equality like in democracy, as one gets richer, one’s power in individual economic transactions and influence over general largescale outcomes increases exponentially. Most economic transactions have an element of coercion due to inequality between actors; bargaining power to a large extent determines value.

Furthermore, large proportions of domestic populations (and on a global scale, entire countries) have absolutely no economic power whatsoever and thus no say in decisions that will affect them directly. The technocracy of the economic sphere is undeniably plutocratic (rule by the rich) in nature. And thus, largescale incursion of the economic sphere into the decisions of sovereign democratically elected governments should be regretted.

Of course this is based on the assumption that democracy, political, equality, choice, inclusivity and effectiveness are valued. The extent of valorisation in the Western world of liberal democracy would suggest that this is true.

The examples of concrete damage done to democratic governments and countries are boundless. From the John Major government in Britain, despite a stated policy in the preceding election to remain within the European Exhange Rate Mechanism being forced to withdraw after a speculative currency attack; to Luiz Inacio ‘Lula’ da Silva’s popular left-wing Brazilian government being unable to implement the eco-

nomic policies it was mandated to carry out; to countless examples across the developing world of countries forced by the IMF to follow their narrow minded advice; to our own beloved Emerald Isle, unable to offer any opposition to the war in Iraq due to our over-weaning dependence on US investment.

The globalisation of economics has not been accompanied by a parallel growth in global democratic structures.

The fact that globalisation damages nation states and that a decline in state sovereignty damages democracy is undeniable. It must also be admitted that whether the influence of the global market on national economic policy is good or bad (and it can be both), the economic realm can never produce decisions that are legitimate according to our deeply held democratic values as the political. Thus any defence of economic global-

isation must be accompanied with an attack on democratic theory.

The question now is whether we change our concept of what democracy is and should be to fit the new globalising world, or whether we tailor this globalising world to fit our ideals of democracy and popular sovereignty.

Entertaining the English Laura Fergusson Travel as an English person (or rather British - my Scottish father will never forgive me if, despite having been born and brought up in London and speaking like Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, I fail to acknowledge that half my blood hails from north of the border), has its problems. Years of imperial arrogance do not wipe from the collective global memory in a mere couple of generations and I have often contemplated the potential advantages of claiming the Irish passport to which I am entitled thanks to my Kerry grandmother.

There are both the continuing perceptions of the English as behaving with the assumption of a power they no longer possess, and the almost more shaming new stereotype perpetuated by the football

From the slave forts of Ghana to Kilmainham Gaol I have bitten my lip and smiled at the guide, hoping to remain undetected hooligan and Ibiza-clogging perma-drunk brand of tourist. The Irish, by contrast, are welcomed by a world which embraces a greentinted vision of leprechauns, dancing red-haired girls, Guinness and the

craic.

As a Brit abroad there are constant reminders that our history was not all glory and honour. From the slave forts of Ghana to Kilmainham Gaol I have bitten my lip and smiled at the guide, hoping to remain undetected (slightly easier, as long as I keep my mouth shut, in Dublin than in Accra). And if I distance myself from the past and claim that we have moved on, people can and do respond “We know you’re not like that any more. Now you’re the stag parties taking over Temple Bar, the drunks starting fights and sleeping with a different person every night on Spanish beaches, the public-school kids following identical routes through India to find themselves, and maybe some dope along the way.”

But don’t despair. There are advantages to the second Bush term. People now hate Americans more than they hate Brits.

Now before the White House figures out a way to somehow extradite and execute me under the Patriot Act, let me emphasise that I lived in Boston for four years and I loved it. I have many very close American friends, I drink Coke, wear Maybelline and know all the words to the StarSpangled Banner. But Americans have performed a very useful function for Brits in recent years by taking over the mantle of imperialist superciliousness, and while I certainly would not want to encourage the blanket anti-Americanism adopted by many, I have to admit to being grateful that it takes some of the heat off me. Living in Seoul in the early 1990s, one of the first and most useful Korean phrases we were taught was “I’m not

American, I’m British”. The continuing massive American army presence in the South Korean capital generated conflicting feelings of gratitude and impatience, and it is difficult to like people to whom one is forced to be grateful for an

Americans have performed a very useful function for Brits in recent years by taking over the mantle of imperialist superciliousness. extended period. Britishness, on the other hand, seemed to be associated with such innocuous images as Alice in Wonderland and cups of tea.

Even in Ghana, where the legacy of the slave trade is all too evident, people seemed to be extraordinarily pro-British. As the first West African country to achieve independence, in 1957, Ghana seems to have since adopted a cosy, almost nostalgic affection for its former colonisers which is bizarre to anybody who has taken the English department’s PostColonialism course, or to anyone who visits the forts from which thousands of people were sold as commodities. Many taxis displayed Union flags, people told me proudly and firmly “We were a British colony, so we speak British English, not American English”, and Britain’s the first emigration choice for almost everyone.

Living in the States as a Brit produced an odd mixture of

responses. To many people we were an ‘adorable’ British family with ‘cute’ accents (my brother was told he could charge a fortune recording other people’s answer phone messages), and we did occasionally feel a bit like china dolls shipped over the Atlantic to be admired as products of the Old World. Fans of Monty Python and the Bond movies would talk to us about how great British television (of the 1970s) was, and every time I offered someone a cup of tea they were as thrilled and amused as if I were a character in a P.G. Wodehouse novel. Particularly given the timing of our residence there (1999-2003), people felt a huge solidarity with Britain, far greater than anyone on the other side of the ocean admitted to feeling with the States, and we were constantly thanked and congratulated for Blair’s loyalty, to which we weren’t quite sure how to respond. But even here the past would erupt and recast us as the enemies. Every Patriot’s Day we

We felt a bit like china dolls shipped over the Atlantic to be admired as products of the Old World. had to witness battle re-enactments of the start of the War of Independence, people would passionately cheer the retreat of the British Red Coats, and lines such as “The mighty British army were utterly defeated by the small but loyal band of Americans” gleefully

appeared in museum displays. But this was all sufficiently in the past that we never experienced any genuine anti-Britishness.

I was conscious that this might be more of an issue in Dublin, particularly as factors such as most Dublin students living at home and knowing lots of people already contribute to the cliquiness of the English (I’ll revert back to saying English here - there isn’t a particularly vocal Scottish or Welsh contingent at TCD, and I’m certainly not going to put the Northern Irish in this bracket) in Trinity. My accent, the fact that I went to

boarding school, was rejected by Oxford and do an Arts subject do combine to make me very easy to pigeon-hole, and I’m sometimes uncomfortably aware of the fact that the majority of my friends in Dublin are actually English. But as the only direct criticism of the English that I have encountered while in college was written by my boyfriend in this newspaper I think it’s safe to say (unless I really need to start worrying) that for the most part the worst reception the English in Trinity can expect is to be treated with an amused tolerance.

Which is an attitude that we’ve

always been rather good at ourselves and is certainly preferable to being vilified, although all those actors who have benefitted from Hollywood’s decree that every cartoon baddy must have the cut-glass vowels of the BBC in its heyday might disagree.

Wherever you’re from, if you’re concerned about international perceptions of your country travel with a confusingly multicultural group of friends. People are unlikely to have prejudices against all of you.

18

Tuesday November 23, 2004

Features Editor: Laura Fergusson

Trinity News I think I’ve found my walk

FEATURES

Chloe takes us backstage at the Tia Maria Fashion Show Chloe Sanderson I have a dream where I am gliding down the catwalk, a paparazzi paycheque, adored by men of beauty and fame alike. I am rudely awoken by a scream of “HATS AND BAGS!” and the realisation that this is not Paris, Milan, or London but TCD. More importantly I am not Kate Moss but ‘alternative’, and I can’t quite master my walk.

I stood in that frighteningly huge queue which stretched down three floors and out of the GMB doors, I struggled desperately to bring to mind what it meant to be a model.

This was what I came up with: 1. They’re tall - Well this I can do.

2. They’re beautiful - unconvinced and becoming more so as each new hopeful joins the queue.

3. They look like pre-pubescent boys who wouldn’t know a calorie if it hit them in their flawless faces - Do the words cheesecake, chocolate and cheesy chips mean any thing to you? Because personally I live by them.

4. They’re brainless - Well again this is achievable especially as my two brain cells are struggling to get off their neurological beds after a tequila hammering the night before 5. Finally it helps I believe if you hail from either a remote African village or spend a lot of time pacing in front of Top Shop Oxford St.hmmm well how does Essex sound to you? Although you’ll meet a lot of stupid people there, I’m not sure that leopard print and white PVC is entirely this season.

I have been assigned a number, I am photographed, questioned, strutting up and down, and out the door faster than it takes that Olsen Twin to throw up. Well that’s my attempt at model behaviour over and when I finally reclaim my mobile from a club cloakroom a week later I am a little confused as

to the message asking me to attend the first rehearsal for “the Trinity Tia Maria Fashion Show taking place at the end of this month.” You see I am no model and now I think I might just have to pretend like one!

Luckily when it comes to the fateful first day it is very much like the first day at school, or at least the first school disco. Thirty girls, and thirty boys line up on separate sides of the room exchanging pleasantries of names, years and courses as if any of us were actually taking it in, and we hope no one is questioning our reason for being

There are the veterans of course, you can see it in their walk. there. There are the veterans of course, you can see it in their walk.

And those who haven’t done much modelling before, just a few competitions and a couple of shows.

You thought it was all about getting from A to B? Well you were wrong, this is going to take the dedication of a twice weekly practice and a few furtive bedroom mirror sessions if I want to play with the big boys, or should I say the small girls of the industry.

What makes this entire process worse is that if I do manage to escape the lure of the late night munchies and cider induced calories there is still the worry of the night itself. I mentioned my dream earlier, well this is my nightmare. I am standing poised at the head of our chalk marked runway, the ‘beautiful person’ ahead of me completes a perfectly formed 360 degree turn and suddenly it’s my turn. I slide towards the awaiting crowds, when suddenly heel catches silly expensive dress and I fly head over stiletto to my fashion debut doom to land legs akimbo straddling the Provost, or John

Rocha, or both. This may be the Rock Scene but somehow I do not think that the designers are going to like crowd surfing one little bit.

Of course even if I do make it back to the dressing room who is to say that I’ll return in one piece?

The way I see it they are sending us into a war zone with only the flimsiest of outfits for protection. In the trenches of the dressing room I know that any second I will be sent over the top and have to face a barrage of unsavoury comparisons.

Why after all do most of us watch the fashion show channel, or sit all day outside a café, or more importantly stand on the Arts Block ramp; if not to asses every Tom, Dick or Chloe who wanders past?

My thighs may indeed be larger than the last girl’s dear audience, and my bum shares borders with a small country, but any mention of faces for radio and I am packing up my Jimmie Choo shoes and heading straight for Trinity FM. Now if you’ve read this far I will concede that I’m English and we like to complain. If you’re wondering why knowing all of this I chose to audition in the first place I’ll let you all in to a little secret. As you might have guessed I wasn’t led into the auditions at gun point or by a fame-hungry mother (not sure which is scarier), nor was it a case

find myself going to desperate measures. Intellectuals enjoy beauty in the form of art and literature, I choose men. My specialist subject the ‘Italian Stallion’ scene, and as my cards are now on the table, my legs are about to get on the catwalk and my mind is on another planet, I thinks it’s time we got back to the issue I mentioned earlier.

This walk, how hard can it be?

Most of us grasped it before we did the rudiments of toiletry, however what I’m concerned about is the ‘wobble’ and how exactly to get 6” of legs down two miles of catwalk,

Intellectuals enjoy beauty in the form of art and literature, I choose men. whilst holding stomach in, whilst attempting to mask confusion with attitude. Unlike Zoolander I am yet to grasp “Blue Steel” and am presently clinging on to nonchalant distraction coupled with near suicidal pout and hungover disregard for life. I shall call it “9 AM lecture”.

Luckily we do have a few helping hands on our quest for physical perfection. Firstly there’s the oblig-

I fly head over stiletto to my fashion debut doom to land legs akimbo straddling the provost, or John Rocha, or both. of “ Oh I just went along for a laugh” as you’ll hear many proclaim. Mine was a quest of purpose with the holy grail of finding men over the bench mark of 6”. Nicole Kidman may have got away with the short man, but hers was Tom Cruise, and even then it was only just. I’m a tall girl, always have been, always will be, and because all attempts to stunt growth through smoking have failed miserably, I

atory spray tan. Come next Thursday men and women alike will be splaying themselves to be sprayed by someone else all in the name of St Tropez. Next we will be treated to makeup artists and hairstylists all in the name of beauty and finally just in case the VPL fears should arrest our sleep I can assure you that all models (boys included) will be wearing thongs.

I do not want to give the impres-

sion that all we models do is walk up and down in a straight line. In the words of Miss World ’ I’d like to make the world a better place’ and so all proceeds from this year’s show will be going to charity.

Although 20 Euros may at first seem a bit of a strain on your student pocket, buy a ticket and every penny will be used to help homeless people who could have been models if they had only been given the opportunity. There are also some very strenuous compulsory drinking activities organised.

Strangely, although the mention of my modelling usually produces a battering of verbal abuse ranging from “Oh so you think you’re a model do you” to “Smoking- is that because you’re a model now” or my personal favourite “Are you sure you want to eat that now

you’re a model.” When it comes to persuading fellow students to join these evening excursions I sudden-

Show 2004 will be taking place on the 27th and 28th of November in the Dining Hall. There will be half

Just in case the VPL fears should arrest our sleep I can assure you that all models (boys included) will be wearing thongs. ly see that the word model does have its attraction after all. If this appeals to you we will be hosting our launch party in …. on the Wednesday the 24th . Although I think the salt sniffing, tequila downing, and lemon juice streaming eyes may not be doing much for my required flawless complexion, by three AM, stumbling across the cobbled streets of Temple Bar, I think I’ve found my walk.

The Trinity Tia Maria Fashion

naked men, there will be ladies prancing back and forwards all for your viewing pleasure, I will be probably dressed like a semi neurotic beach ball in taffeta. So come along and support a good cause.

Tickets are on sale all week from the Arts Block and if I do fall in a hungover induced state of malordination; well I suppose I will have become the model student.

Facing up to the stigma of ‘hippy’ liberalism Roisin Hood One of the main concerns that have arisen from Bush’s electoral victory has undoubtedly been the future of the Middle East peace process. Bush’s apparent disinclination to modify his policy and seriously address the situation immediately following the election laid Blair open to a renewed bout of criticism for the one-way nature of his prized ‘special relationship’ and deservedly so. Colin Powell’s retirement as Secretary of State will inevitably further disrupt any firm resolutions in aligning British and American priorities

for the Middle East, as it would appear Powell will not extend his tenure to revive the peace process following Arafat’s death earlier this month.

Blair’s pledged commitment to the peace process is unquestionably the only responsible course of action. After all, the British government supported the World Zionist Organization’s movement towards a Jewish Palestine and in the first half of the 20th Century promised the establishment of a Jewish homeland, despite the fact that statistically the Jewish population formed a small minority and this involved Arabs being ‘transferred from land not allocated to them’. Both Blair and Bush came under criticism for supporting Sharon’s ‘historic and courageous’

disengagement plan just a week after the Israeli Prime Minister publicly commented, ‘The Palestinians understand that this plan is to a large extent the end of their dreams, a very heavy

It really does seem that the ‘good old British’ PM has gone insane, even if his intentions are honourable. blow to them…in the unilateral plan there is no Palestinian state’.

Blair’s seeming failure to effect a viable resolution and to enlist a

serious commitment from the Bush administration is exposed repeatedly, and it is feared Condoleezza Rice’s appointment as Secretary of State would in all likelihood defer power to Rumsfeld and the Pentagon, away from the State Department, which would result in increasingly strained diplomatic relations between the US and the rest of the world. Blair’s persistent defense of his support for the Bush administration seems increasingly desperate, ‘call it a bridge, a two lane motorway, a pivot or call it a damn high wire, which is how it often feels. Our job is to keep our feet firmly on both sides of the Atlantic, use the good old British characteristics of common sense and make the argument’…oh, well if that’s what you’re doing… just to me, it seems like you spend a lot of time justifying an alliance that has been detrimental to both your career, and to Britain’s relationship with the rest of Europe, on which you have become strangely dependent for some motive that you are doing your best to conceal from the British electorate. OK, rant over, but it really does seem that the ‘good old British’ PM has gone insane, even if his intentions are honourable.

Over fifty former British ambassadors and diplomats wrote to Blair accusing him of ‘abandoning the principles which for nearly four decades have guided international efforts to restore peace in the Holy Lands’ by describing Sharon’s disengagement plan as an ‘opportunity’. Richard Burden MP was less flexible regarding international law: ‘the West Bank and Gaza are both illegally occupied by Israel…it is simply not acceptable for Ariel Sharon to dictate to the world which parts he is prepared to quit and which parts he wants to incorporate into Israel.’ Bush’s endorsement of a non-negotiated settlement violated both a UN resolution and the clauses of the Geneva Convention, running contrary to the Road Map

and angering four million Palestinian refugees. So why is Blair so compromising in this ‘special relationship’? When will it bear fruition for the UK? I’m not trying to suggest that good diplomatic relations with the US are a waste of time- obviously that would be ridiculous. America is

As a student now, it is difficult to express any ideals without being written off as impractical and unrealistic. the most powerful country in the world- but I would like to see Blair use this ‘clout’ he claims to possess to bring into effect some of the ideals of the British government, and to reflect the interests of the British electorate. Blair’s deference to Bush makes me, as a British citizen, feel like I am not being represented, and that is why I will not be voting for him in the 2005 election.

As one of the millions who were concerned and disappointed

by Bush’s first democratic election this month, and one of a growing number of Britons who are disconcerted by Blair’s leadership, I feel a sense of duty to do something.

The problem though is, as ever, what to do… it seems so hard to find a constructive channel for this disillusionment. I’ve found that as a student now, it is difficult to express any ideals without being written off as impractical and unrealistic. It seems that as a reaction to the idealism and the activism of our predecessors in the 1960s and 1970s, protests against the Vietnam war, the CND, more recently with Tienamen Square, our legacy is to avoid the student stereotype, to be pragmatic and avoid the stigma of ‘hippy’ liberalism. And it genuinely is a stigma.

As a generation of students, we are mostly cynical and can be alarm-

ingly reactionary- surely in the past Bush’s electoral triumph would have led to a bout of activism? I don’t think it’s that we actually are less radical in our beliefs; I just think we, as students, are less inclined towards action. That is not a criticism, because, as I mentioned, I think it is hard to be taken seriously, and unless the student image is redefined this will continue to be the case. It is ironic that the generation who were the protesters of the past comprises the exact people whose derision we fear. It could be that our parents’ generation has produced a more conservative offspring, but I doubt it. I think we are just the product of an era where idealism is subordinate to pragmatism. In a different way though, I think we are a fairly responsible group of citizens. We may go out and drink excessive amounts of cheap wine and spirits, sleep off hangovers until late in the afternoon, skip lectures and avoid the library (I doubt though that this is a new phenomenon!).

However, we also read the papers, try to stay informed about current affairs despite being unable to

Left-wing people seem to feel almost ashamed to admit their stance without qualifying it in some way. afford a TV, and discuss Iraq, European Parliament appointments, and Sudan. Having felt guilty for years about the fact that I tend to be fairly inactive (embarrassingly the only protest I attended as a teenager was to legalize cannabis!) I eventually decided to try to set up a student society with a group of friends in college.

Whether or not this endeavour will be successful has yet to be seen, but the organization, War on Want,

seems worthwhile enough for me to overcome my embarrassment at conforming to the student stereotype, as it is both an anti-poverty charity and a political group, campaigning for global justice and the reshaping of the global economy, and to ‘confront the root causes of poverty’. Even while writing this, I’m aware how careful I am to qualify what should be a positive impulse to ‘make a difference’- I wouldn’t want to come across as a soppy lefty! This is a variation of the same stigma that enabled Bush to brand Kerry duhduhduh…a ‘Liberal’…possibly one of the oddest accusations of the election campaign, that secret weapon that Bush had been saving, what would the shock revelation be? That the Democrat candidate is might have some liberal ideas, wow, ground breaking. This fear of the negative connotations of liberalism is fairly widespread. Partly, perhaps, due to a recent awareness of a propensity, especially amongst the middle classes, to be overly liberal and politically correct. I don’t read The Guardian any more because I felt it was too biased in its coverage of the Rocco Buttiglione appointment and The Daily Telegraph seemed to be better journalistically. Left-wing people seem to feel almost ashamed to admit their stance without qualifying it in some way. But surely, in an age of sixteen-year-old suicide bombers, global warming related flooding, genocide in Sudan, uranium enrichment in Iran, and the construction of a separation barrier six times the size of the Berlin Wall in the Middle East, it is both appropriate and necessary to overcome the stigma attached to liberal ideology, and to do everything in our power to ‘make the world a better place’.

Any readers interested in the proposed Trinity War on Want society email hoodr@tcd.ie

Tuesday November 23, 2004

Trinity News

How low will they go?

Reality TV: Laura Fergusson goes from detractor to reluctant convert

Each new concept produced in the seemingly insatiable Reality TV market pushes me a little nearer towards becoming a Grumpy Old Man. Which, as a cheerful young woman, I find disturbing. It's as though (I feel in my most G.O.M. moments) the producers of each channel have an open bet on to see who can get away with the most tasteless, degrading idea and none of them dare to decry any suggestions for fear of being viewed as stuffy. Not satisfied with the results of the increased attempts with each new series of Big Brother to ensure on-screen sex, or at the very least violence, programme after programme has been commissioned ignoring even that show’s modest claims to screen more than such aims.

There seems to now be no necessity to pretend that a programme

is being made with any other intention than to humiliate its participants, horrify the fans of ‘family values’ and ‘genuine culture’, and include more nudity than its competitors.

My prudery was particularly ignited by the latest addition to the genre - the subtly titled Fool Around with my Girl/Boyfriend. Hmmm. That’s a tasteful outline around which to build an hour of primetime television. Let’s get people who are sufficiently desperate to be recognised, to snatch even a nanosecond of Andy Warhol’s five minutes of fame, that they are prepared to sacrifice their relationships, their self-respect and their employability by anyone other than whoever it is who hires Q-list celebrities to appear at graduation balls, in an hour of televised mis-

ery. Think about the premise of this programme for a moment.

People will not only agree to submit to watching their lover flirt, kiss and share a bed with someone hired specifically for their temptation factor, but they will actively encourage them to appear available in order that they might be mistakenly thought to be single and win themselves £10,000.

generating sexual tension and jealousy on-screen using real people who are so grateful to be in front of a camera that you don’t have to pay them anything.

Temptation Island, for example, didn’t even offer the inducement of prize money, and yet provided a potentially even more personally disastrous outcome. Couples were separated and provided with flirtatious and attractive potential conquests, in an exotic setting, then offered the opportunity to view their partner’s behaviour on the understanding that if they did so their own actions would also be subject to scrutiny. Recipe for catastrophe, you might think.

Recipe for megabucks, thought Sky One, while hundreds of couples across the UK saw television exposure and beyond that, for some illogical reason, fame and fortune. Instead what they got was the chance to observe themselves being cheated on, and have

My prudery was particularly ignited by the subtly titled Fool Around with my Girl/Boyfriend. Hmmm. That’s a tasteful outline around which to build an hour of primetime television.

They also accept, indeed embrace, the fact that people with nothing better to do across the world will witness this, albeit licensed, betrayal. And, more disturbingly still, the creators originate and promote this idea safe in the knowledge that there will be far more applicants for the dubious privilege of appearing in it than can ever be ‘successful’.

This programme, however appalling, is only the newest in a recent litany of variations on the theme of

their agonised responses and often resultant break-ups screened to millions.

And yes, I do mean millions, because our appetite for reality television seems ever-growing.

There seems to be no limit, either to the number of people queuing up to put their relationships and their reputations on the line for the chance to one day be recognised by Heat magazine coming out of McDonalds, or to the number of viewers each slightly altered formula will generate.

Having sat through all three Big Brother series, both I’m a Celebrity somewhere in Ant & Dec’s warped imagination, Get Me Out of Here, Temptation Island, Survivor and all the rest of them, audiences still appear to be hungry for more. The first Big Brother series almost seems innocent now, when the thrill was in the constant observation and psychologists, some more seriously than others, were extrapolating on the sociological and psychologi-

FEATURES cal insights to be gained. Back in 1999 we were content with the novelty value of watching a houseful of strangers interact. The fact that they would agree to participate still seemed extraordinary, at least to me, but it was an intriguingly new experiment.

Then people got bored. Where was the sex? The backstabbing?

The trauma? Reality TV had to get meaner.

Audiences tune in to the new generation of shows for different reasons, but most of these, even among those people who would be willing to appear themselves, are fairly malicious. Safe on our own sofas, we enjoy watching strangers voluntarily embarrass themselves. We enjoy it even more when it gets nasty, when people argue and when a couple split up. The enduring popularity of Eastenders indicates how much we like observing other people’s misery - how much more of a thrill then when it is not only real but comes with a get-out clause for any lingering guilt we might have regarding our own Schadenfreude: the participants all chose to be there. Therefore, we claim, they asked for whatever humiliation they get, and we are entitled to relish it, that’s why the programme was made in the first place. The fact that this encourages the most unappealing traits in both viewers and participants is an extremely grumpy old man thing to take note of, but when we reach the stage of encouraging people to competitively cheat on their partners it seems fair to suggest that the depths are being plumbed.

However, just when I had reached total despair at the state of the world as reflected by the numbers of people willing to pub-

vided by pollsters. If the question was left open-ended, Iraq emerged as the number one issue (chosen by 27 per cent), followed by the economy (14 per cent).

Moral values tied for third place with terrorism (both at 9 per cent).

Perhaps it's a case of damned lies and statistics. And, at the risk of simply furthering this unfortunate reliance on numbers, let me quote just one more set. You see, regardless of whether "moral values", however defined, was the number one issue for voters, what

licly demean themselves, I found an unexpected source of reassurance. Wife Swap, in which two wives as diametrically opposed as possible spend two weeks living each other’s lives, had struck me as the epitome of all that I hated about the Reality TV trend. And I

Darren McCallig gauges the mood of Christian Democrats in Seattle

grieve. Moreover, there's also a campaign to break the conservative's monopoly on the term "moral values". Typical of this view is the letter Kristina Aija Johnson wrote to the left-leaning Seattle Weekly. She refuses to allow the Bush supporters to take the moral high ground. "Actually, I think I have some pretty good moral values of my own," she writes.

"My morality says that over 1,000 brave American soldiers and 100,000 Iraqis shouldn't have died for an unjust cause. My

The local Seattle Times carried an article this week calling for the states of Washington and Oregon to rejoin British Columbia, from which they have been separated since 1846. is perfectly clear is that citizens who describe themselves as regular church goers were far more likely to vote for George W. In fact, Bush's success among various religious groups is astounding. Bush reversed Al Gore's 2000 win among Roman Catholic voters, getting 52 per cent of that vote - despite the fact that Kerry is a Catholic. Further, 78 per cent of voters who identified themselves as white born-again or evangelical Christians (that's 23 per cent of all voters in 2004) supported the president.

So, how have the Kerry-supporting people of Seattle responded to their man's defeat? The message appears to be: organise, don't

morality says that we should preserve global alliances and eradicate racism and homophobia, rather than preserving racism and homophobia and eradicating global alliances. My morality says that we should safeguard environmental regulations and do away with extra tax cuts for the wealthy, rather than safeguarding extra tax cuts for the wealthy and doing away with environmental regulations." Kristina quotes Martin Luther King's warning that silence is complicity: "We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the vitriolic words and actions of the bad people, but for the appalling silence of the good people."

Similarly, Monday's edition of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer carried a heart-felt opinion piece calling on "moderate" Christians to stand-up and be counted. It's as if members of mainline Christian churches are fed up with (a) being labeled as automatic Bush supporters and (b) being identified with the worst excesses of the religious right.

On the contrary, some Seattle churches are keen to celebrate the fact that being a Christian does not automatically make you socially conservative. One such group is the Wallingford United Methodist Church. They are currently celebrating 20 years of being a "reconciling" congregation. That's a church movement committed to making traditional churches more welcoming to people too often shut out - including gays.

Speaking to the Seattle PostIntelligencer, church member Tom Bernard described a typical Sunday: "At every service you can see straight members of over 40 years sitting side by side with single gay men, lesbian couples with children and every other conceivable version of family."

Another member of the congregation, Sue Sherbrooke, explains that while, initially, some members left the church over the issue, a lot more joined as a result. "And they weren't all gay," she says. "Just from the practical point of view, it was the right thing to do, never mind the Christian and moral thing." She feels particularly fired up by the

still find it incomprehensible that so many couples are willing to invite the cameras into the most embarrassing and personal minutiae of their own and their children’s lives. But for almost the first time I can see the appeal of watching these strangers form deliberate confusion in their worlds. I can’t imagine what would induce them to do it but watching the tidy husband of a compulsively house proud wife attempt to deal with the total embargo on all household chores imposed by her temporary replacement, or the respective wives of an Essex geezer who spends all day having facials and sun-beds, and a keen angler struggling and failing to put up with each other’s men is shockingly addictive viewing. More surprising though was the fact that a show whose title suggested the ultimate mockery of the whole concept of marriage frequently restores my faith in it. Time after

Unlikely though it sounds, Wife Swap generally leaves me musing benevolently on how even people who seem singularly unappealing manage to find someone who thinks they are wonderful enough to spend the rest of their lives with.

Bush has no monopoly on morality The Left Bank Book Shop is within ear-shot of Seattle's famous Pike Place market. The Tshirt in the window says it all; "Regime change begins at home" it declares, above a picture of George W. Bush. Seattle, the home of Starbucks, Microsoft and Frasier is now also home to a large number of disgruntled John Kerry supporters. Two out of every three votes cast in this city on 2 November were for the Democratic senator from Massachusetts.

The prospect of a second Bush term has led some to re-think their allegiance to the US. The local Seattle Times carried an article this week calling for the states of Washington and Oregon to rejoin British Columbia, from which they have been separated since 1846.

In the end cooler heads will, no doubt, prevail. But the question remains: has the US now become a cold place for progressives and liberals? The exit polls appeared to confirm this view. When asked the question, "Which one issue mattered most in deciding how you voted for president," twentytwo per cent chose "moral values," followed by the economy (twenty per cent), terrorism (nineteen per cent) and Iraq (fifteen per cent).

Nonetheless these figures have since been questioned. In particular, it has emerged that whether or not voters named "moral values" their key issue depended partly on whether that subject was included in a list of choices pro-

19

recent presidential election and is keen to spread the message that "I'm a Christian and I don't believe the messages of the Christian Right."

So, all in all, Seattle is picking itself up, dusting itself off and gearing up for 2008! No doubt, as good liberals, many Seattlites read the New York Times last Sunday. And if they did, they may have seen the interview with U2 about their forthcoming "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" album. As is customary, Bono spoke about more than the music.

His comments on the election have relevance on both sides of the Atlantic. "To have faith in a time of religious fervor is a worry," he said. "And, you know, I do have faith, and I'm worried about even the subject because of the sort of fanaticism that is the next-door neighbor of faith. The trick in the next few years will be not to decry the religious instinct, but to accept that this is a hugely important part of people's lives.

And at the same time to be very wary of people who believe that theirs is the only way.

Unilateralism before God is dangerous."

"Religion is ceremony and symbolism," Bono added.

"Writers live off symbolism, and performers live off ceremony.

We're made for religion! And yet you see this country, Ireland, ripped over religion, and you see the Middle East. Right now, unless tolerance comes with fervor, you'll see it in the United States." Amen to that.

time my flatmates and I have been contentedly engrossed in pointing out the flaws, physical imperfections and annoying habits of the people on this programme, but (with the exception of the grippingly entertaining episode last week when after a fortnight of liv-

ing with a normal woman a husband realised how awful his wife was and left her on-screen) even the most appalling participants tend to end up returning to the partners in a rosy glow of mutual relief and reaffirmed affection.

Unlikely though it sounds, Wife Swap generally leaves me musing benevolently on how even people who seem singularly unappealing manage to find someone who thinks they are wonderful enough to spend the rest of their lives with. Many couples also seem to gain positive benefits from the whole experience, having seen the patterns and rules which other couples live by. Either they realise how lucky they are to have the spouse they do, or they recognise that to emulate certain aspects of how other people structure their lives could improve their marriage - a fairer balance of housework, spending more time with each other etc. Either way it seems to leave me with a far more attractive image of marriage than I would have thought a programme which tackily exploits it to such an extent could possibly produce. Or it did until last night when an Australian house-wife and mother of six children attempted and partially succeeded in persuading the husband of a Manchester business woman that his wife couldn’t possibly love him or her children as much as she loved her own family because she went to work. I went to bed seething. Thank God, I suppose for a minute there I was becoming a fan.

20

Tuesday November 23, 2004

Trinity News SU & SOCIETIES When is a Ball not a Ball?

Luke Reynolds discusses why the Strauss Ball is the only Ball left truly deserving of the title.

What does the term ball mean? For many it calls up images from period films, of the novels and plays of Wilde and Austin, of ladies in fabulous ball gowns and men decked out in uniforms and tail coats swirling around the floor to the music of full orchestras in gilded halls and wonderfully decorated houses. It brings to mind images of opulence long ago condemned to our fantasies and to celluloid. Now compare those images to, say, The Traffic Light Ball. The gilded halls become a black-painted aircraft hanger, clearly designed for a Rammstein concert; the swirling couples revolve into freshers in jeans and designer T-shirts, still dancing, but only if one stretches the term to its most generous meaning; the music pounds rather than glides, transmogrified from the lilting bars of Strauss to the rhythmic thumping of Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, or whatever beautiful young thing is in this week. To many this is the idea of heaven, and criticisms of the type that I am making would have me immediately dismissed as an anachronism, living in, and yearning for, the past; this is a valid argument (particularly as some parts of it are undoubtedly true) the fact is we don’t have the gilded halls anymore, and I would estimate that only about a fifth of male Trinity students own their own formal-wear, let alone several suits of it. It’s expensive to rent, and let’s face it, most people will be planning to get so drunk that the likelihood of the suit making it through the night intact are

about as likely as finding space for a sit-down and quite chat in the Red Box. The main argument however, is, if events like the Traffic Light Ball sell out, and formal events do not, then we’re doing something right, and we should continue; I have no problem with this. My feelings, however, are that we should cut the rubbish and banish the false advertising, there are many things that the Traffic Light is, but it is not a ball. So why call it one?

When I first came to this university, I flipped open the student guide thrust into my hands by a manically smiling member of the SU. I was delighted to find at the back of it a list of all the major events run by Ents: The Traffic Light Ball, The Freshers Ball, The

Trinity Ball is a rock festival: it’s a formal drunken one night version of Witness, Glastonbury, or Woodstock. The rest are raves, parties and discos. Only the Strauss truly qualifies as a ball. So why are they all called Balls? Ironically, the most prominent reason at this point is probably tradition. If you went back far enough, you could probably find a Freshers’ Ball that was black tie, but in an era when the SU officers wear matching blue hoodies, it is clear that we do not need a formal freshers ball, however, we cannot rename it as it is theoretically the same event as it was all those years ago. Also, what else would you call it? Party sounds a bit lame, Disco implies 70s dress and Abba, and Rave basically guarantees illegality. As for that well known night

What else would you call it? Party sounds a bit lame, Disco implies 70s dress and Abba, and Rave basically guarantees illegality. As for that well known night out in May, could you imagine the Junior Dean’s reaction to college being plastered with posters for the Trinity Rock Festival?

Halloween Ball, The Christmas Ball, The Strauss Ball, The Black & White Ball, and of course, that mother of all nights out, the Trinity Ball. Of these seven events, only two require formal wear, and only one plays music that engenders dancing of a type to qualify it as a Ball. All seven are great fun, but only one of them is a Ball. The

out in May, could you imagine the Junior Dean’s reaction to College being plastered with posters for the Trinity Rock Festival?

I am known within this College as a bit of an elitist snob, and yet, I went to the Traffic Light Ball, Histeria, and both Club Philths this year, and enjoyed myself, and will no doubt grace such types of events again throughout the year, cheerfully delighting in them, but refusing to acknowledge them as Balls. However the night that I truly look forward to each year is the Strauss ball. The Strauss Ball, as the name implies, favours the music of Strauss; a full string orchestra playing waltzes and polkas, while couples glide (or in most cases stagger) beneath the austere gazes of ten foot tall portraits in the closest thing we have to a gilded hall in modern Ireland: the Dining Hall. This to me is a proper Ball: Formal wear that stays the same all night (no open collars and untied or unclipped bow ties) music that encourages both dance and conversation, and a wonderful setting that truly complements the atmosphere. It hasn’t sold out in 5 years. Why? Now I could lash out

in an elitist rant and blame all manner of things. Instead I’ll give you some of the reasons I’ve heard for people not attending, and a response to each one: “I don’t have a tux, and it costs too much to rent one.” It costs 40 euro to rent a tux.

Now I know students are hard up, but 40 euro is one night out, so, get in a video and cuddle up on the couch with your significant other.

“I don’t know how to dance” Learn. Every year, in the weeks coming up to the Strauss, The Dance Society runs classes in Viennese Waltz, come along and learn to dance. “It’s mid-week.”

What society event isn’t? I know people who will happily stay out till 2 drinking with their friends mid-week, but won’t attend a formalized event that finishes at eleven in the evening. Does something about a tux make you drunker? And if all else fails, go to your lecture in your tux. It’ll give you that attention you crave, and makes for a good finish to a story.

I’m aware that formal balls are not everyone’s cup of tea, but since you spend so much time going to great parties that are falsely labeled as balls, why not drop by at a real ball that’s also a great party? The Straus Ball: give it a whirl.

of November, the Dance Society will be teaching Viennese Waltz every Friday for the Strauss Ball.

Above: Trinity Ball Dance Tent.

Below: Fire-eater at the Trinity Ball 2001.

Across: Waltzing at the Strauss Ball.

The Strauss Ball is on Wednesday November 24th in the Dining Hall.

It is a formal masquerade ball, meaning black tie is required and masks are encouraged, from the 5th

COMMENT&OPINION

Trinity News

It was sickening ... Time to give Michael Moore Derek Owens and Karina Alves explain why Michael Moore should be first the once over against the wall when the revolution comes.

It was sickening. Bush had won the election we’d all been following eagerly for the best part of a year. It wasn’t November 3rd.

Bush had beaten off opposition with more backbone than the gummi bear from Massachusetts.

He’d just emerged victorious to claim the title of Empire Magazine’s Movie villain of the year 2004, for his inspired performance in Fahrenheit 9/11.

Words fail.

We chose this particular moment because with Fahrenheit 9/11 our liberating contempt of Michael Moore really found its wings. We actually parted with money and subjected ourselves to an onslaught of Moore’s reedy, plaintive voice and unsubtle editing. We surely deserved more than the one-dimensional cartoon villain Moore force-fed left-wing pinkos everywhere.

Bush is a far richer character than this, more reminiscent of Shakespeare’s Claudius than the lovechild of Darth Vader and Forrest Gump that Moore depicts. Yes, his early legitimacy as President hinged on ‘hanging chads’ in Florida. Yes, he is a warmonger. Yes, the Bush administration treats civil liberties as pot-fuelled flights of fancy,

dreamt up by those spineless ‘liberals’ that infest his nation.

Harping on about the lunacy of Bush’s America is now akin to publicly flogging a carcass. It has been done and overdone and then done some Moore.

He is not the antichrist, nor is there anything in Revelations about a strawberry blonde Texan precipitating the apocalypse (trust us, we’ve checked). By implying that this is the case, and by ludicrous innuendo linking the Bush family, the Bin Ladens and the Saudi government in an ‘Axis of Evil’ hell-bent on our enslavement, Moore trivializes the very real questions that should have been raised in the last few months.

Rather than attack the contemptible doctrine of preemptive warfare, Moore chooses instead to astound us with the revelation that yes, politicians do lie. There were no WMD and Santa’s not real. Making ‘Fahrenheit 9/11’ Moore exploits the political naiveté of a woman who has lost her son in Iraq, processing her as camera-fodder.

Rather than living up to his cultivated image as advocate of the voiceless, he fills her with the

hope of catching a quiet word with the President and drags her to Washington, reducing her tragically inarticulate sense of injustice to one more crude ‘human interest’ segment.

The man is a parasitic opportunist of the worst kind. This is hardly new though, the formula has been more or less regurgitated

since the early days of Roger and Me: Find an individual marginalized by economic circumstance, by poor education or just plain bad luck. Convince them you’ll fight their fight. Bring them, helpless to the arena. Milk the moment, exploiting every drop of melodrama. Package it, market it, make a mint.

And whatever you do, don’t forget to Synergize. There’s still plenty of money to be made in the printed word, once you ignore the restrictions imposed by reality. Thus, an inventive soul can conceive of natural solutions to the problems that plague: Northern Ireland (convert all Protestants to Catholicism), the Middle East (organize another Jewish exodus), and America’s current President (indulge in vicious personal attacks on his alcoholism, his family life and his academic record, before voting for Nader). That’ll show ‘em. ‘Stupid White Men’ is truly a triumph of ignorance over reason, objectivity and good taste.

On the subject of good taste, Moore recently announced his intention to film a sequel to Fahrenheit 9/11. One can pre-

sumably look forward to: A political message about as subtle as a brick in a sock, further undignified assaults upon congressmen and the reading aloud of soldiers’ letters that were never meant for prime-time. We might even catch a glimpse of Moore’s ‘Utopia’, an island founded on his own self-satisfaction, hypocrisy and artifice.

Although Moore raises valid points, he does so with a nauseating veneer of sincerity and zealousness that alienates those with little time for rabid polemic.

Many Americans disquieted by the last four years have surely been more unnerved by the increasingly shrill, moralistic, uncompromising tone he has developed. To borrow a phrase, you’re either ‘with’ him or ‘against’ him.

Ironically, both Moore and his Bushy nemesis have more in common than they would care to acknowledge. Both are self-righteous. Both relentlessly play upon fear to promote their own particular agendas. And both have played a part in relegating political debate to mud-slinging and denunciation. Bush-bashing is just sooo last-issue. It’s time for something Moore.

&

Comment & Opinion Editor: Rory Loughnane

Tuesday November 23, 2004

21

Trinity News COMMENT OPINION Postgrads are the Second-Class Citizens Why is Trinity the only university in Ireland with a separate SU and GSU? Michael Dowling We Post-Graduates in Trinity are far too reserved for our own good.

We’re not angry enough. We don’t shout enough! It is our fees that support College finances while undergraduate finances dwindle away as a result of government interference. It is our presence here that helps this College attract so much research funding. Without us, how many undergrad tutorials would be delivered? How many exams would be invigilated or corrected?

Post-Graduates make up 30% of the Trinity student population and we should make up about 40% of the student population within the not-too-distant years.

With our numbers and the money we bring into College we should be a force to be reckoned with. Yet College is still undergrad-centric.

College still acts as if everyone fits into that neat category of 18-21 year old kids.

I know this to be a fact: last year I was the President of the Graduate Students’ Union (GSU), the student body that represents Post-Graduate students in College. I sat on most the various college committees and represented Post-Graduate interests on these committees. I found a profound and worrying lack of understanding of Post-Graduate needs that permeated through every aspect of college.

The Problems Facing Graduates in College

Post-

Let me give you some examples of how college doesn’t look after Post-Graduate needs. A story I heard from a new Post-Graduate student at the beginning of last year will be a situation that will be familiar to many of you.

This student was a keen boater, and thus joined the DU Boat Society.

She was bewildered at the absolute absence of anything to do with boating in the first few ‘meetings’ she went to. As she said “all it seemed to be was a collection of first years playing drinking games,

I never heard anything about boating at all”.

College societies are given money out of your fees to cater for the needs of all students, including all Postgraduates, however very few cater for the needs of Postgrads. They instead tend to alienate Postgrads with their undergrad-centric drinking games and lack of actually delivering of what they were set up for.

Another example of ignorance of Post-Graduate needs is in the Careers Advisory Service.

When I read last year’s annual report from the Careers office, I was flabbergasted to find that the report virtually ignored anything to do Post-Graduate needs.

Everything seemed centred towards undergraduate recruitment. Don’t we need jobs too?!

The same is true of the International Students’ Affairs office. International Postgrad students entering this office are often directed instead to the Graduate Studies Office, because the International Students office is primarily set up to cater for international undergraduate students.

Don’t international Postgrad students have needs too?!

The huge investment in student accommodation in Trinity Hall was also set up with seeming ignorance of Post-Graduate needs.

For a while last year, no one in the Accommodation Office could tell the GSU if Post-Graduates (who normally study for the full 12month calendar year, instead of the standard 9-month academic year) could stay in Trinity Hall while they were studying during the Summer months. Quite simply, noone had thought about the issue of Post-Graduate needs.

The Root Cause of the Problem It would be easy to blame these problems on the ignorance of those faceless ‘College authorities’.

Certainly there are parts of college that display a wilful desire to ignore the needs of Post-Graduates.

However, usually these same sections of College also display the

same wilful desire to ignore the needs of undergrads. Their attitude is reminiscent of that old (vaguelyracist) joke about ‘France being a great country, if it wasn’t for the French’. To these sections of college; ‘Trinity would be a great university, if it wasn’t for the damned students’!

While it would be easy to blame College authorities for this vast ignorance of Post-Graduate needs; the reality is that most parts of college would bend over backwards to help and cater for the needs of all students. It really is one of the nicest aspects of College – the lack of divide between students, staff, and academics – all of us are usually genuinely united in a desire to work together to create a reflected aura of success on both ourselves as individuals and on Trinity College.

The unfortunate reality is that the main reason why PostGraduate needs are not adequately catered for in the college is because the GSU as an organisation in its current state is not the right organisation to represent Post-Graduates.

The Problems with the GSU The GSU over the years has done many great things for PostGraduates. In the last two years, following GSU pressure, the financial value of the Postgrad Awards has been significantly increased.

The 1937 Library has been reopened as an exclusive postgraduate reading room (much to the chagrin of undergraduate students!).

These are just two of the many contributions that the GSU has made towards improving the lot of the Postgrad student’s life.

However, the GSU just cannot adequately represent the full needs of Post-Graduates. It is far too small and resource-strapped to do the job that is expected of it. Our budget is approximately €45,000 versus over €500,000 for the Students’ Union (SU) (which represents undergraduate students).

Yet the GSU is expected to deliver the same level of service as the SU. The GSU has only one full time

officer, versus five full time officers in the SU. The SU officers also have a number of full-time staff to help them design and deliver services to the undergraduate population. The sad fact is that many departments, students, and service bodies in college are not even fully aware that the GSU exists.

As the GSU has only one full time officer, it often falls to this officer to implement everything from policy creation, committee representation, events organisation, welfare cases, publicity, financial management, and even fetching the milk for the GSU Common Room in the morning. This is the reality despite the sterling efforts of the various volunteers in the organisation.

These requirements on one officer inevitably stretch his or her abilities too thin, and leave the whole organisation dangerously relying on only one officer (who may turn out to be incompetent) to be responsible for nearly every decision in the organisation.

This situation is unsustainable. The GSU has to change. It has to change, because the needs of Postgrads cannot be adequately represented in college in the GSU’s current state. Contrast the GSU with the SU, where committee representation is divided amongst all the full-time officers, where there is one full-time events officer, where there is one full-time welfare officer, one full-time publicity officer, and one full-time staff member in charge of financial management.

In this situation, the President of the SU only has to be concerned with general management and representing student issues to college.

No wonder that Post-Graduate needs have consistently been ignored in college. We’ve probably been too busy fetching milk for the GSU common room to be able to adequately tell college what Postgrad needs are! We’ve been too busy organising poorly resourced events, to tell societies that they have to cater to the needs of Postgrads as well as undergrads.

We’ve been too busy dealing with individual Post-Graduates who are desperate because they haven’t

been able to find work, to have time to tell the Careers office that they had better start addressing the employment needs of Postgrads to the same degree as they address the needs of undergraduate students.

At the best, past GSU administrations have only been able to concentrate on solving a few select Post-Graduate problems a year, and sadly had to leave the rest of the problems for future GSU administrations to address. I am saying this with reasonable authority – I held the position of GSU President last year – this is the situation I faced and it was a source of much frustration to me. We as Post-Graduate now have to start addressing this issue and find good solutions to these problems which will inevitably recur. We have to set aside our traditional lethargy towards student and college politics and push for the necessary changes so that we can be adequately represented in college. In the next section I propose a solution to the significant problems of Postgrad representation in college.

The Solution: Merge the GSU and SU Why do we have a separate PostGraduate and undergraduate student union in Trinity? We are the only college in Ireland with such a situation. The question we have to ask ourselves is whether other student unions around the country, which do not have a separate Postgrad union, better represent their Postgrads than we do in Trinity. The answer to this is a resounding ‘no’. Post-Graduates are disgracefully represented in other universities around the country. The students unions are absolutely dominated by undergraduates and there is neglect through ignorance of postgraduate issues.

Despite the experience in other universities, there is a strong argument to be made for the GSU and the SU to merge for the purpose of student representation. This is not an argument for a subsuming of the GSU in an essentially under-

graduate SU. It is an argument for the GSU to become part of the SU, but also an associated argument that the SU has to change to become more of an umbrella organisation equally representing undergraduates and postgraduates.

In this new organisation, Postgrads and undergrads would be represented by partially autonomous units. However, both units would work together and would benefit from the merged resources of both organisations.

In this new organisation there would be a Vice-President Postgraduate who would be the primary person responsible for Postgrad affairs. There would also be a full-time Postgraduate Education Officer who would work with the Vice-President and also with the Undergraduate Education Officer on cross-education related issues. The Welfare Officer, the Events Officer, and the Publicity Officer would be responsible for dealing with their respective areas of expertise across all students.

In addition to the new full-time positions, there would be a number of Postgraduate volunteer positions. The policy positions of all the postgraduate officers would be determined by a Post-Graduate Council made up of Post-Graduate class representatives.

While the Post-Graduate organisation would be autonomous within the SU, it would also operate in full coordination with the other SU officers. There would be joint sabbatical officer meetings to manage the running of the organisation, joint executive meetings, and joint council meetings each term to determine cross-organisation policy. The current SU council which is only attended by undergraduate class reps would only be responsible for determining undergraduate policy.

The idea of the PostGraduate organisation acting partially-autonomously within the SU would address most of the issues in the current state of postgraduate representation in college. We would have access to greater resources, our full-time officers

would have more time to address the issues of real importance to us, and we would have fully coordinated student representation across college.

How would the SU benefit from such a change? The SU would have access to the resources of the GSU. This would pay for the cost of the two new sabbatical officers. The SU would also be able to claim when dealing with college that they are the sole student representative body; rather than the current situation where the two student bodies can conflict with each other and create a disharmonious image in the eyes of the college authorities.

I’m not talking about the end of the GSU. The GSU would continue as a Postgrad Society centred around the GSU Common Room. It would become a social forum for Postgrads. The Postgrad Society could become something similar to the Phil or the Hist Society; offering social space and running talks, seminars and other events for Postgrads.

Will These Changes Happen?

Will these changes happen? Only we can decide that. What I have presented to you in this article, is my personal opinion of some serious deficiencies in the current system of postgraduate representation.

Based on my experience, I have suggested a possible solution. I submit that this solution would greatly benefit Postgrads in terms of their representation in college.

This article is not intended as a stationary article, it is intended as an advocacy article. It is seeking change, and asking for you to get involved in making this change happen. If we just want to sit by and watch the same problems happen for many years into the future, then we will be condemning ourselves to more years of College ignorance of postgraduate issues.

If you are interested in seeing some change happen then please email me at Michael.M.Dowling@tcd.ie. We can then organise a strategy for seeking this change in college.

The Labelling of Irish Abroad An Interview with Mr. Eddie Irvine, noted playboy of the international scene and a leading figure in Post-Colonial theory, led to some further musings on the state of famous Irish people abroad.

Rory Loughnane On interviewing Eddie Irvine at last week’s Phil meeting, I posed a number of questions to the Northern Irishman on the notion of nationality. I asked him whether he mind which flag, the Tri-colour or Union Jack, was raised on the numerous occasions he reached the Formula One winning podium. “I didn’t care what flag went up. I’m not a fan of flags.” I considered this for a second and then re-asserted the question in another way- asking him was he too carried away in the elation of the moment to notice the flag situation? “No, I’m just not a fan of flags.” It was around this moment that I realised that Mr. Irvine was probably not applying for an ambassadorship anytime soon. For a man who was no stranger to courting controversy and the media for years, he seemed strangely apathetic about an issue which dogged his career. I asked him what the big plan was? “I’m quite happy just going around the way I’m going around. Go where I want when I want. I don’t know if I’ll ever get really stuck into doing something. Just keep going the way I’m going.”

I considered the similarity between Mr. Irvine and Darren Clarke. Whenever Mr. Clarke has a bad round he is invariably cast as Irish. However, while watching a series of triumphant performances by him in the Ryder Cup he was clearly defined as British on the BBC and in the British mass media.

I asked Mr. Irvine about the multi-

faceted labelling of the British media. Again he was reticent. “I don’t know…I never really saw that. I don’t know if it’s a myth or reality.” I cited pictures of him coming out of nightclubs recently and being portrayed as the wild Irishman. No response. Next question.

As for Mr. Irvine, I did enjoy his company over the interview, and the only thing I was surprised about was his original apathy about the idea of “nation.” He is someone with strong opinions about himself and of others but this doesn’t seem to transfer into the wider scheme of things. The interview brought to my mind that another bout of You’re a Star and the final weeks of The X Factor are in the works. Both shows have the display of Irish media-huggers as a key point. The BBC and Channel Four seem to make a point of including at least one Irish person in the final shake-up. I might point out that these tend not to be your average Irish person however but they are in ways displayed as such.

What is going on here?

On one side with the Anglicisation of Irish heroes and Irishisation (to coin a phrase) of minority Irish. This wouldn’t be an issue if it had happened only once, but rather we have streams of examples. In Big Brother we had two gay Irish contestants. In the X Factor we have the quite alternative gothic “I should be still skateboarding and looking moody in Temple-Bar” Tabby. Tabby, anyone? He couldn’t have been called John or Stephen or Paul like the

rest of the country. What sort of image do the British and beyond have of the Irish? Our latest representatives on the world stage have been a completely mental ex-priest who wrecked a Brazilian lad’s hopes of gold medal and a showjumper who seems to want to imitate another Olympic heroMichelle Smith. On top of this we have a Taoiseach who decides to wear a Mafia-esque white suit while meeting with the rest of the heads of Europe (all clad in solemn dark clothing). We have a top footballer who decides to walk out on his International team because the ridiculously well-paid FAI boardmembers are a complete shambles.

We have a President who really doesn’t do all that much and was actually worried about the threat of Dana. We have an ex-President who seems to be a little out of her depth in the real world of decisionmaking in the UN. Not to be outdone we have a fine pop music tradition of Chris Doran, wee Daniel and Six which we export to the European markets which really don’t seem to know any better. We have our version of Robbie in Bryan McFadden, sorry Brian McFadden, who wrote an album about loving his wife and kids and then promptly dumping her once he hit the top spot. It’s all a little dizzying.

It was with considerable delight that I discovered that Colin Farrell wished he had never mentioned the whole “heroin thing” last week. It was bad publicity, it seems.

However, one does tend to get a little sceptical about Mr. Farrell’s

Ciara Flood, Eddie Irvine and Aylish O’Driscoll before the Phil debate remorse. No news, would indeed be bad news, but I’m thinking that Mr. Farrell has been well-educated by reading the red-tops from Britain back home and knows that it’s better to be seen than not seen irrespective of what this entails. We Irish have watched as the proponents of “bad publicity” (bad as in deed and not ensuing cash flow) in England have made a mint out of making idiots of themselves.

Jordan, Kate Moss, Stan Collymore and all the rest have been ridiculing themselves for years in the hope of earning some cash. And it has worked. Now the people in Ireland who have been incapable of making any impact at home, (see Farrell making Ballykissangel but not Boyzone), are being exported to England, Europe and beyond to display a most skewed notion of what it is to be Irish.

It would be an unusual supposition that we Irish, really do know what we’re doing. We’re exporting those

Irish that we never really wanted in the first place. The multi-cultural and multi-ethnic society that is being presented abroad is a nice liberal image of Ireland, irrespective of its basis in truth. The red-top British media is able to have a quiet laugh, we’re able to resume our basically protected lives a sea away from the media-huggers who are earning huge sums of money trading on false Irishness, and everyone is happy.

Well, personally, I’m sick of hearing Darren Clarke and Eddie Irvine being described as Irish if they have a bad day at the office. I’m fed up hearing Tabby moan about how he misses all the folks at home and then hearing all the crowd cheering. What sort of mental image does that project: Hundreds of men and women dressed all in black with eye-shadow drinking Guinness and talking about the “Troubles?” We, as a nation have moved on quite vehemently over

the past eighty years from the imagery imposed upon us by Britain, of a backward country. We have so much to be proud of here so why are we substituting one set of falsities for another. The closest I have seen to accurate is the Mastercard ad which belittles the aforementioned quaint image of Ireland. Basically, we are fully selfaware of the tourist potential but also the underlying falseness of the quaint leprechaun image. It reminds me of Mr. Irvine’s quote, “Just keep going the way I’m going.” Are we going to keep going the same way too?

I have nothing against the lifestyles of Brian Dowling, Anna, or Tabby but surely they should realise the alternative image of Ireland which they are being forced to present or have presented.

It has to be viewed in some small way, as sheer manipulation by the British media, because it is in their power to present whatever fashion-

Photo: Eamon Marron able or controversial image of Ireland that they deem will get ratings. And, I guess, it also runs the gauntlet of re-possession of image in a post-colonial sense. They are retrieving their colonial power of labelling through different means.

Admittedly, this does sound a little bit like paranoia and in effect we have nothing really to gain or lose by labelling except for maybe a few surprised Goth hen-parties who turn up expecting to see Tabby-alikes roaming our fair green fields. However, the point had to be made and next time you see Darren Clarke on the BBC, and he’s having a great round, listen out for “Rule Britannia” playing softly in the background.

By the way, for sports fans, Mr. Irvine insisted that he understood Ferrari’s decision to favour Michael Schumacher. But, I guess Mr. Irvine has learned a trick or two about media manipulation too

Trinity News COMMENT&OPINION Driving the Jews into the Sea

22

Tuesday November 23, 2004

Donnchadh O’ Liathain Can the demise of Yasser Arafat really be the catalyst to a genuine peace between Israel and her neighbours, with the creation of an independent Palestine in the West Bank and Gaza providing the basis for a region of peace, prosperity and neighbourly cooperation, if not love?

Yes, if one believes United States

Comment & Opinion Editor: Rory Loughnane

President Bush, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, the UnitedKindgom’s right-wing Daily Telegraph and France’s left-leaning Le Monde, to name but a few.

Indeed, stuck here on the furthest western extremity of Europe, I have not perceived a single dissenting voice to this view.

And yet, I find myself thinking of Mrs. Muhammad Atwan. I have made up the name but Mrs. Atwan is real. She would be about 70 today if she still lives which, God

Trinity News Archive

Front Square Corporation

Sold

to

Staff Collge News February 20th, 1969 Editor’s Note This satirical piece from the late sixties revealed that Trinity’s financial problems and resultant penny-pinching have been age-old problems. The measures suggested here to solve our College’s finances from turning Front Square into a car-park and College Green into high-rise flats are, of course, ridiculous, but the underlying question is just how far is the Trinity Board willing to go to cut costs? This question still exists, as department employees are falling in number and the remaining educators are being over-worked. Trinity is max-ing out its resources.

During the past week, Front Square has been the scene of activity as workmen have been pruning the trees to their felling. This is part of yet another inner plan devised by the Board to supplement Trinity’s governmental grant in an attempt to save the College financial insolvency.

On student’s return next term, we will find that the whole of Front Square has been tarmacced and that it is being used as a public car park.

The spokesman for Dublin Corporation commented, “Central Corporation is in great need of a car-parking facility and we were delighted when Trinity College approached us with an offer of land, especially as it was in such an ideal situation.” However, he refused to disclose the precise figure which the Board demanded, though he admitted that it was “a considerable amount.”

The plan also involves the demolition of the 1937 Reading Rooms, as a new entrance is to be constructed, leading in from Nassau Street. It was felt that the Pearse Street gate alone would not be adequate.

The College Porters, who are to act as car-park attendants will be paid by the Corporation and therefore money will be saved in wages.

A member of the Board when questioned on these points, remarked: “The 1937 Reading Room was due for demolition and we will be gaining so much by the whole transaction that we feel that we are serving the best interests of the students.”

However, when asked if students would be entitled to free parking facilities, he replied that this would not be possible and that students wishing to use the car-park would be able to do so subject to the normal rate.

If this project is a success two giant blocks of flats will be erected in College Park by the Corporation. “Trinity is too isolated from the rest of Dublin,” said a Board spokesman, “and by doing this we could bring students into everyday contact with the people of Dublin.”

He went on to say that the present rate received from D.U.C.A.C. is far too low and the proposed six-figure rent from the Dublin Corporation would free Trinity from it’s present financial difficulties.

Sourced by Rory Loughnane

willing, she does and in good health. She told me in 1982 that there would be a final solution to the Israel problem and that solution, in her exact words to me, is: “We will drive the Jews into the sea.”

She meant all the Jews in Israel, at that point between three and four million, and the sea is the Mediterranean.

We were seated next to each other at a posh official dinner in Amman, Jordan. It was spring. I was there as a journalist. Mrs. Atwan’s husband was a senior Jordanian official. Like his wife, and most of the officials at the dinner and in the Hashemite Kingdom, Muhammad Atwan was a Palestinian Arab who had been born before 1948 in what would become Israel. The majority of Jordan’s population was composed of refugees from Israel. His wife, she told me, had been born in Jaffa. Inter alia, she said to me of the world famous fruit marketed under her native town’s name: “They are not Israeli oranges.

They are Palestinian oranges!”

There was anger and defiance in those words. I had never come across a person with such a passionate feeling for fruit before. I have never since.

In most, perhaps all, parts of Western Europe in 1982 it was criminally illegal to advocate a final solution to the Jews, whether

by Zyclon B gassing or drowning in the Mediterranean. I was shocked by Mrs. Atwan’s image of four million men, women and children being driven into the sea to terrible deaths. I said immediately in reply: “Well, Mrs. Atwan, after listening to you, if I were an Israeli, I would vote for Menachem Begin.”

Mr. Begin was Israel’s prime minister at the time and a hate figure for all Arabs and for all members of the ruling liberal-socialist elite in Europe. Mrs. Atwan smiled but said nothing. Two days later I was informed that she had told her husband that I was “a fanatical Zionist, a supporter of Begin,” and had instructed him to have me deported that night.

I was not deported. With hindsight, I feel rather sorry for Muhammad because hell hath no fury like a wife scorned and he must have spent a long time in the dog house for not obeying the order. I don’t think pragmatic reasons about the inevitable repercussions for poor King Hussein and his fragile regime were a visiting European journalist to be deported straight from an official dinner, cut much ice with Mrs. A. Never mind. I am sure that eventually Muhammad transferred from the dog house back to the Atwan spousal bed. But that incident is what sprang to mind when I read all the confident predictions that, now that Mr. Arafat is dead, all will be well for everybody and peace will arrive and reign supreme.

What has changed for Mrs. Atwan?

Has her burning hatred for the Jews softened? Has she finally reconciled to the reality that she will never again see, let alone live in, the family home in Jaffa she last saw as a child almost 60 years ago now? Are the oranges any less

Palestinian today in the autumn of 2004 than they were for her in the spring of 1982?

I think the answer is No. And I can see Mrs. Atwan’s big, fiery eyes blazing before me as I write as they would be were she in this room with me, and I can hear the passionate hatred with which she would spit out that: “No!” It is a routine criticism of Mr. Arafat that at Camp David, and after at Taba, the then Prime Minister, Ehud Barak, offered him the maximum possible concessions any Israeli leader could make to the Palestinian Arabs and that, had Mr. Arafat been serious about a longterm peace based on a two-state solution, he would have agreed.

He not only did not agree to Premier Barak’s terms, he never once put forward an alternative which would have led to further negotiation.

He lied. He deceived.

He was duplicitous even to his own close political associates, and of course, at all times to his enemy, Israel.

I agree up to a point but I have always thought that Israel’s leaders who have believed they could do a deal with Mr. Arafat, especially those such as Shimon Peres, the late Yitzhak Rabin and Ehud Barak, failed to understand the Yasser Arafat phenomenon. Why would he agree to it? What was in it for him?

Mr. Arafat was a unifying force in the Palestinian world. Before him, the Palestinians were divided, spent their time in futile internecine strife and had no significance. He changed all that. A decade ago, he returned to Gaza and the West Bank as a de facto and de jure leader of a separate political entity which the entire world, apart from Israel, calls Palestine. He won a Nobel Prize for Peace. He isn’t the first terrorist to do so. I doubt if he will be the last.

At Camp David in the dying days of the Clinton presidency, Mr. Arafat remarked in an aside that, were he to sign up to the agreement offered by Ehud Barak: “I would soon be drinking coffee with Rabin.”

The remark was interpreted as cowardice. I doubt that. Terrorists can be brave. I think he was just stating the obvious.

My view is that Yasser Arafat was a rare political genius. He always operated within the political realities that faced him. Starting from worse than zero, he unified and built up the Palestinian Arabs by skillful maneuvering. Terrorism was a tool of his trade. Diplomacy was another tool, first with the Arab regimes, all of whom despised the Palestinians when he started, by his death they feared them; then with the various foreign governments and the United Nations.

He lied. He deceived. He was duplicitous. Duplicitous often to his own close political associates, always to foreign governments and the UN, and, of course, at all times

to his enemy, Israel. His duplicity led to the debacle of the Barak government and the demise of Ehud Barak’s political career. Mr. Arafat did not shed a tear. He could not care less about any of these people.

I believe that he lied when he assured successive UN secretarygenerals, European leaders and United States presidents that he would agree to recognise Israel’s right to exist as part of a comprehensive peace settlement. He fooled the fools on the Nobel Peace Prize Committee.

I believe that he never for one moment contemplated such a comprehensive peace settlement. There has never been a Palestinian state.

The Ottomans ruled the region until the British took it during World War One. When they left in 1948, it was partitioned between the new state of Israel and the existing Arab states. Between 1948 and 1967 Gaza was occupied by Egypt and the West Bank by Jordan.

Then Israel took over.

Mr. Arafat overturned history.

Starting with no power and no assets, by skilful tactical moves, by a supreme confidence trick in which he persuaded the entire world that he wanted a peace which would be acceptable to Israel, he obtained the impossible.

He obtained the realisation of a legal, internationally-recognised Palestinian political entity in part of Palestine. He literally put Arab Palestine on the map.

He defeated Israel, the regional superpower which had repeatedly smashed up all the existing Arab states in successive wars. How did the victorious Israel of the 1967 Six Day War, end up letting Mr. Arafat and his Palestinian Liberation Organisation back into Gaza, Judea and Samaria of Eretz Israel?

Where was the crushing military defeat on the battlefield by the PLO, the force majeure, which obliged Israel to cede for ever a huge part of the land of Israel that the God of the Torah had given his chosen people?

There was no such defeat. Mr. Arafat knew he could never defeat Israel on the battlefield.

Israel is too strong. So he looked to where Israel is weak. And he used diplomacy to exploit the inherent weakness inside Israeli society, divided between Secular and Religious Jews, and outside to appeal to the whole world for justice for his cause.

A generation ago, the father of the settlement programme in Judea and Samaria, Ariel Sharon, had planned to move two million Jews into that part of Eretz Israel. Only 250,000 answered that call. And so it is that in that part of the land that the God of the Torah had given as their own to the Jews for all eternity, the reality is that there are three to four million Arabs and, given their birth-rate, that will soon be ten million.

Mr. Arafat learned from General Sharon’s tactic of ignoring international opinion and instead creating facts – settlements – on the ground.

Mr. Arafat’s achievement is that he was able to persuade the international community that the fact of four million Arabs and only 250,000 Jews in Judea and Samaria is the one that

mattered. And he also persuaded it that, if only Israel could be made to offer justice to these Arabs, he and his people would allow Israel to live within its pre-1967 border, recognise its right to exist and end the violence against it.

The international community bought it, including Israel’s only ally, the United States. And so Mr. Arafat returned in triumph to a new Palestinian polity in Judea, Samaria and Gaza. And he continued to negotiate with Israel’s gullible leaders and an equally gullible US president. And in 2000 and 2001, at Camp David and Taba, he said No! President Clinton, Premier Barak and Mr. Arafat’s co-Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Shimon Peres, were shocked. More fool them.

Mr. Arafat had been lying to them all along. He didn’t want their peace. The Palestinian people didn’t want it. He was their leader. He did his job. He had tricked the enemies, Israel and the United States.

They had given him much that he had sought and could not take it back. He had given them nothing in return. As I said, more fool them.

And, having said No! to peace, he launched a war, the intifada, which has brought huge casualties to Israel and her people, both in lives and by exposing the deep fissures within Israeli society.

His own people have suffered much, much more in lives lost and maimed in the course of the intifada, but the Palestinian Arabs don’t care. They think they are winning, that ultimate victory is theirs. That their dream of getting back all the land they lost in 1948 is close to fulfilment.

That is Mr. Arafat’s achievement.

That is why his people loved him in life and mourn him in death.

Taking charge when they had no

hope, at his death he had brought them much of what they want and they can see a day not far off when they will get it all. That is the Yasser Arafat phenomenon.

When I stayed in Jerusalem this past summer I occasionally drank in the bar of an Arab hotel. The young waiter who would serve me, Abdul, was a university-educated engineer. We would talk about stuff. Abdul adored Mr. Arafat. To him, Mr. Arafat was the heart and soul of Arab Palestine. At our final meeting, as we shook hands when we said goodbye and God bless, Abdul said to me: “One day, we will be free, inish Allah!”

He meant the free Palestine of Yasser Arafat. Not just Judea, Samaria and Gaza but all of Palestine, with Israel gone. Not the two-state solution, with Gaza physically separated from the West Bank mainland, with peace, prosperity and harmony between Jewish Israel and Arab Palestine.

Mr. Arafat was offered that many times, most recently at Camp David and Taba. He rejected it always. He rejected it because it is not what he and the people he led wanted.

No. That is not the peace and the freedom that Palestinians want.

They want what Mrs. Muhammad Atwan wants. It is not rocket science. I have known this since not later than that posh official dinner in Amman in the spring of 1982.

Mrs. Muhammad Atwan told me. I believed her then. I believe her now. For the Palestinian Arabs, there will only be peace when: “We will drive the Jews into the sea.”

Revision of War-time Remembrance Bart Connolly Last Sunday was Remembrance Sunday. The Right Reverend Michael Mayes, The Bishop of Limerick preached at Matins in the University Chapel. He began by stating that Remembrance Day is not what it used to be. What follows is my interpretation of what was said and my own thoughts on the subject.

Nowadays, while we still commemorate sacrifice, we have the information to question whether a war is just and we do not see things as simple as the justified “us” and some evil “them”. We can abuse the virtue of those prepared to sacrifice. Technology has added another dilemma. Should it, through the availability of information, lead us away from a position where we do not wish to risk our young people dying in war, it may lead us into another dilemma.

Avoidance of threat to our own forces may well lead to overkill by newly developed weapons on our part.

I think we adapt our language and tactics, to accommodate this. It all sounds so modern, just, and scientific. We may use “surgical” strikes and ”clinical” methods to “sterilize” regions ,while we use terms like “freedom” and “justice” in naming such operations. We may use high level bombing or other methods such as neutron bombs which annihilate humans (civilian or otherwise) from a distance but preserve buildings at no threat to our own forces.

Bishop Mayes referred to one Japanese naval officer, John Watanabe, who had seen the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Since he had no other way to travel home to the far North of Japan he had passed through the devastation wreaked by it and saw the burnt corpses of people still standing in ruined Hiroshima streetcars. He

met his family in Kyoto on his way home and they stayed there with an uncle. An American missionary doctor showed him kindness and this made him wonder about Christianity. He didn’t understand why the “evil enemy” was being kind; why the conquerors should show him charity. This led him to learn about Christ. He became a Priest, Anglican Bishop of Hokkaido and eventually Primate of the Nippon Seikokai.

Remembrance had changed for him too. Once, he would have died for the Emperor, but that day was gone. Indeed in the seventies he actively opposed the resurgence of militaristic nationalism in Japan. Eventually driven by his abhorrence of endless administration he resigned and returned to the sea - a seaman’s mission in Africa returning home to die just over a year ago.

It seems to me that fifty years ago we would have viewed the “Jap” of WWII or the “Hun” of

WWI as a separate race of “baddies” and ourselves as “goodies”.

Such analysis today seems simplistic? Or does it? Since WWII we have had “commies.” Today we have “fundies”. We categorized Eastern Block people as threatening commies. Now, we have softened on Orientals and commies, while Arabs and Muslims are lumped in with “fundies.” When it comes to Christian fundamentalists however, it seems we prefer to elect them! We see to forget that Medieval Arabs were literate, when we in the West were busy infighting and manipulating our ignorant illiterate masses. Of course, that was long before we got around to wiping them out piecemeal!

I believe the time for revision has arrived. We need to revise our view of wartime remembrance. More Nationalists and Southern Irish died in WWI than Northerners or Loyalists. A cultural impasse prevents nationalists from referring to their sacrifice. Isn’t it

time we did commemorate them?

We also need to revise the view of the West as always being morally superior and bringing freedom to backward countries. Surely we have learned something form the treatment of aboriginal natives such as the original Americans.

Oriental and Middle Eastern people have also shown us before what “moral virtue” means. Given the chance they will continue to do so.

Maybe our economic and political interests would prefer to resort to just crucifying them as we did in the past? Or will our occidental penchant for justifying aggressive enforcement based on our certainty of moral supremacy hold sway?

Photo: Garden of Remembrance, Parnell Square D1.

Tuesday November 23, 2004

Trinity News

Trinity News EST. 1947

Ashes to ashes…

The recent capitation committee meeting held last week brought to light some serious financial problems within the SU. The losses that were suffered centered primarily around DUST, the Dublin University Student Travel agency, with it alone loosing €53,000. Although the rest of the operations that the SU engaged in also made losses that can at lest in some way be put down to year to year fluctuations but the financial hardship that DUST is experiencing is crippling.

The most alarming part of the financial saga that the Union are embroiled in is the loan to Dust of €199,000. It is astonishing to think that the Student’s Union feels that it in any way owes it to the student body to prolong the trading of a company that is suffering in a highly competitive market. The only explanation that can be given for the initiation of this loan is that no one from the Union was prepared to make a decision to break ties with DUST. The point should be made that this is not an accusation that members of the Union are ineffective but that the transient nature of the main posts in the SU means that those people are always less likely to make a tough decision like, severing ties with DUST. The case for the end of Dust is simple. Firstly, the SU have no mandate or reason to provide this type of service to the students that seems self-explanatory. Secondly the service is not cheaper or more convenient for the average student to use with the increased usage of the Internet for flight booking. And thirdly, it is operating on losses that will effect students in the short term with losses of around €5,000 a month another year of this will certainly effect the expenditure of all other operations of the SU. The only real justification for the continued support for DUST would be in the fact that it was highly profitable as a sideline for the organization. Although DUST might be able to recoup some of its losses the argument against it does not end there, as the likelihood of it turning over good profits again in such a saturated market are limited and even if it making small profits it would still only represent dead weight within an organization that should be primarily student focused.

The DUST issue also raises the question of how the SU should operate. It seems to be divided about whether the Union should conduct itself as a company with one of its main aims of providing students with what they need for cheap (with the shops, DUST and Publications) perhaps typified by Ents in the way it seeks corporate sponsorship or whether it should operate as a Union in the sense that it completely represents the interests of students and therefore it can operate on behalf of everyone in such instances as the banning of Coca Cola. It is understood that the Union plans to make further moves on ethical trading within the SU shops but is this really mandated by the students themselves? The focus of the SU through its services seems to be moving away from providing students with what they need and towards telling them what they need. The SU shop could quite easily go the same way as DUST if the people really providing the students with what they want are off campus. Union for the Union, and not Union for the students.

The Students’ Union has to learn that charity begins at home Ireland and her students are generous and active. Trinity’s St Vincent de Paul society is one the largest in the country, boasting close to 5,000 members and as VdeP President Damian Dowling explains, the society raises substantial amounts of money for “nineteen different activities from homework clubs and visiting the elderly to social clubs for young adults with learning disabilities.” Trinity students are caring and ready to sacrifice time, money and sweat for the benefit of others, for which Trinity can only be lauded and admired. However if the students can do the job, why must the Students’ Union launch itself into the same endeavour? Why pay thousands of euros of student money to send off the Students’ Union’s Deputy President to a country whose name many find hard to pronounce, let alone know the capital of? Trinity’s SU does good work at publicising charity events for orphans in foreign countries, but what about our needs? Does Trinity really want its representatives to spend hours, large amounts of money and energy towards causes that students do even better themselves?

Last year current Students’ Union President promised Trinity that if elected, he would put water-coolers in the Arts Block and Hamilton buildings. Has it happened yet? No. Instead the Students’ Union have organised pointless and ineffective protests such as the one at the bottom of the spike on the 27th September, directed against the lack of student accommodation. Fair enough.

But what about the lack of funds to finance a 24 hour library?

What about the lack of money to fund extra reading space in Trinity’s increasingly over-crowded libraries? The Berkeley Library is in dire need of refurbishment, and yet the Students’ Union thinks nothing of throwing almost EUR200,000 to a redundant, failing and nearly-bankrupt student travel service.

Education Minister Mary Hanafin has announced a rise of EUR500 million for Third Level education, despite the Kelly Report into the Third Level sector claiming that at least EUR1.9 billion is needed. The Students’ Union has just announced that they are organising a “pre-budget protest” on Tuesday 30th November, to demand more funds and the abolition of the registration fee. That’s fine – but past protests have been poorly attended and many students feel that something more is necessary than mere placard-waving. Why are the Students’ Union not lobbying the private sector for more sponsorship? Ah it’s because they’ve been organising the poorly-attended 10K Walk to raise money for a few hundred orphans in Eastern Europe. Never mind that organisations such as St Vincent de Paul, Amnesty and SUAS can do the job themselves and even better.

When Trinity elected its representatives, it expected them to work for them. Not lose money to defunct businesses and raise money for non-Trinity students. Dear Mr President of the Students’ Union, Francis Kieran, start work on helping Trinity students. You can begin on ensuring those water-coolers get installed.

23

LETTERS Dr Duffy’s Suspension Good old English ...

Sir, I have just read with shock and consternation the report' of the suspension of Dr Sean Duffy, FTCD. Until very recently it was virtually unheard of for our most eminent scholars (as the Fellows are) to be subjected to these quasijudicial processes. These are grave matters for they strike at the heart of a scholar's credibility, namely, his or her integrity and the love of truth. I know nothing of Dr Duffy's case (which I gather has been under way now for already the best part of a year) apart from what I have read in 'Trinity News', in the 'University Record' and in the national press in the last two weeks. There are a number of features here with which I myself am all too familiar.

Dr Duffy's name and reputation are exposed to public view whereas that of 'the postgraduate student concerned' is protected. Further, 'a senior source within the college administration' is quoted under the protection of anonymity. In these matters there has to be transparency and justice has to be seen to be done. Even Fellows of the College are entitled to a presumption of innocence until guilt is established beyond all reasonable doubt.

I have discovered in the last two years that there are only a few people in College who are deeply concerned by matters of innocence and guilt and of truth and justice. And there are fewer still prepared to make a public stand on these issues in the face of authoritarian pressures within College. Trinity is no longer the liberal institution that I came to in 1968, and this is surely evident in the processes leading to the present restructuring of faculties, schools, and departments. On the 6 October 2002 I was falsely (I would say, absurdly) accused of physical intimidation and harassment by a female colleague in the English Department. Even worse, I was suspended from all my teaching duties and banned from the Arts Building on 7 October 2002 by the

present Senior Dean who, by not waiting to hear my version of events, showed a scandalous partiality and a reckless disregard for due procedure. I too am entitled to a presumption of innocence. Further, I continue to insist (as I have always insisted) that I am entirely innocent of such a charge. I resigned my Fellowship in protest, but the only effect of my resignation was to make my Fellowship itself an object of dispute (as it still is). I was quite unable by such a drastic action to bring the College administration to its senses.

Instead, I have been obliged to go through the High Court and the Supreme Court in the (so far) vain pursuit of justice. The reason that I am not back in the High Court at the moment is simply that I have not the financial resources to match those of College (even College in its present impoverished state is prepared to pay sums of, I would estimate from my own expenses, well over EUR200,000 on two teams of lawyers). The College cannot afford (in any sense) to treat its eminent Fellows in this fashion. I know that I am innocent and in consequence I am entirely prepared to believe that Dr Duffy is innocent, although that is a matter for him to pronounce on, as no doubt he will in due course. But there is a need for everyone in College to take serious note of these developments. Our sense of an academic community has been seriously eroded, and if these developments are allowed to continue unchecked the future will be bleak indeed. Scholarship can only flourish in an environment free from fear. Very best wishes.

Yours sincerely, Gerald Morgan, FTCD

Trinity News Editor:

Ian Carey editor@trinity-news.com Deputy Editor: David Symington deputyeditor@trinity-news.com Photography Editor: Eamon Marron photoeditor@trinity-news.com TNT Editor: Neasa Cunniffe tnteditor@trinity-news.com Editorial Team News: Derek Owens news@trinity-news.com News Feature: Paul McGartoll newsfeature@trinity-news.com International: Karina Finegan Alves intnews@trinity-news.com Features: Laura Fergusson features@trinity-news.com Comment: Rory Loughnane comment@trinity-news.com Business&Politics: Sinead Redmond busandpolitics@trinity-news.com Arts Review: Ed Gordon arts@trinity-news.com

Issue 4 Volume 57

Dear Sir,

Welsh, not English. On the other side of the argument, the English are indebted to an Irishman for the victory at Waterloo. It is surely time for the English and the Irish to settle their differences(largely a matter of unprofitable myths on both sides) and opt instead for a relationship of equals.

This is how Swift and Wellington can be admired on both sides of the Irish Sea. Ever since I have been in Trinity the prosperity of Ireland has been undermined by a continuing civil war (scarcely noticed by the English). It might be a good idea for Trinity students to put their combined understanding of Englishness and Irishness together in a fruitful partnership to address the causes of civil conflict in Ireland. This would be far better than retreating into national or intellectual ghettos, and far better than offering unheeded advice from within the safety of these walls to American politicians. The conflict in the North/Northern Ireland is ironically a conflict between the Irish and the Scots (or Ulster Scots). Let our English and Irish students put their petty squabbles behind them in an effort to secure the peace in Ireland that we all desire. Surely that is a cause worthy even of 'Trinity News'. If we can achieve peace and reconciliation be democratic methods on the island of Ireland, then perhaps politicians in America will be only too eager to emulate our example.

I can sympathise up to a point with your English correspondent who is saddened and depressed by manifestations of antiEnglishness in College. I am English myself and I came to Trinity in 1968 with a young English wife. I know only too well and at first hand the distress that can be caused by anti-englishness.

Interestingly, it is seldom (if ever) accompanied by anti- Scottishness or antiWelshness, even though the British politicians most inimical to Irish interests have been Welsh and Scottish (Balfour, Bonar Law). What is it about the English that makes them peculiarly responsible for the injustices perpetrated by British governments?

The presence of significant numbers of well- educated English and Irish students on a single campus is surely an opportunity to come to terms with outmoded and inaccurate stereotypes based on historical ignorance. In this respect I am disappointed that your English correspondent (he or she) writes anonymously. Had he or she not done so I doubt whether the note of English superiority would have been quite so much in evidence. It is good to know that in Oxford and Cambridge these days it is illegal to mock at a provincial accent. I do not believe that Trinity needs to feel any sense of indebtedness to the English (as distinct from the Anglo - Irish) for its existence. Our great writers (Swift, Burke, Wilde, etc.) and scholars (lecky, McDowell, etc.) are Irish. Our great buildings are the product of Irish architects and Irish craftsmen and were made possible by the generosity of an Irish, not a British, parliament. If the reference of your correspondent to our present indebtedness to the English is a reference to our founder, then I could say that the Tudors/Tudwrs are

Yours Faithfully, Gerald Morgan, FTCD

November 23th, 2004

Travel:

Anthony Thuillier travel@trinity-news.com Food & Drink: Patrick O’Connor foodanddrink@trinity-news.com Careers: Wendy Williams careers@trinity-news.com Science: Kirsten Bratke science@trinity-news.com Gaeilge: Tony Quigg gaeilge@trinity-news.com Sport Features: Andrew Payne sportsfeatures@trinity-news.com Sport: Eamonn Hynes sportseditor@trinity-news.com Sport Photography: Matt Pitt sportsphotos@trinity-news.com Webmaster: Alan O’Reilly webmaster@trinity-news.com TNT Team Film Editor: Becky Jackson film@trinity-news.com Music Editor: Ruaraidh Conlon O’Reilly music@trinity-news.com

Books Editor: Theatre Editor: Fashion Editor:

Klara Kubiak books@trinity-news.com Laura Dixon theatre@trinity-news.com Jeananne Craig fashion@trinity-news.com

For information see our website at www.trinity-news.com All serious complaints can be made to: Trinity News DU Publications 2nd Floor House 6 Trinity College Dublin 2 Phone +353 1 608 2335

Photograph of the Fortnight

All participants in fine form despite the conditions at the start of the 10k walk in Trinity.

Photo: Cassidy Knowlton

24

Tuesday November 23, 2004

Eagarthóir na Gaeilge: Tony Quigg

Trinity News

GAEILGE

Ollscoil na Saol na Gaeilge ag dul i Trioblóide! bhFeabhas san Ollscoil?

Tony Quigg Bhuail mé isteach chuig cara de mo chuid ar na maillibh, atá ina cónaí i nGaeltacht na Tríonóide atá suite i dTeach 36. Is minic a chuala mé agus a léigh mé béarlóirí ag déanamh gearán faoin scéim seo, ag rá nach bhfuil sé cothrom go dtugtar na harasáin seo chuig daoine ar leathchostas. Ach is í an fhírinne í go bhfuil pobal fairsing sa choláiste a bhfuil gaeilge acu agus i bhfad níos mó a bhfuil suim acu sa gaeilge agus chuile rud gaelach. Déanann na gaeilgeoirí seo sár-obair chun stadas na gaeilge a chur chun cinn ar fud na hollscoile. Reachtálann siad imeachtaí an Chumainn Gaelaí, eagraíonn siad ócáidí móra dírithe ar ghaeilgeoirí an choláiste agus trína gcuid oibre agus iad a bheith lonnaíthe ar champas, spreagann siad daoine níos óige agus iad nach bhfuil mórán focal acu a gcuid gaeilge a úsáid. Mar sin is fiú iad a bheith inar measc go lán-aimseartha cóngarach le chéile in áit a bheith scaipíthe ar fud na cathrach, rud a chuirfeadh maoil nó lán stop lena gcuid oibre gaeilge sa choláiste.

Is fiú é a luaigh fosta nach bhfaightear na harasáin seo gan dua. Caithfear agallamh dian a dhéanamh agus a chruthú go bhfuiltear dáiríre faoin ghaeilge a chur chun cinn sa choláiste trí obair sna cumainn éagsúla. Tá scéim chónaithe den chineal chéanna acu in UCD, áit a bhfuil pobal gaeilge beo bríomhar ann. Is í mo thuairim í go bhfuil fiúntas ar leith leis an scéim guí nach raibh mé páirteach de riamh ar chor ar bith. B'féidir go bhfuil mé giota beag claonta ionas go bhfuil mé ag déanamh staidéir ar an ghaeilge ach tá mé cinnte go mbeidh sibh ag aontú liom ar an ábhar seo.

Agus is docha go mbeidh béarlóirí mí-shasta leis na pleananna atá ag Comhairle Chontae na Gaillimhe agus iad ag tabhairt tithiochta do dhaoine a bhfuil an ghaeilge mar príomh-theanga bhaile acu! Tá cúrsaí den chineal cheanna ag dul ar aghaidh i gContae Thír Eoghain, áit a bhfuil tógálaí (a bhfuil gaeilge aige) ar tí eastát mór tithíochta a thógáil faoin tuath in áit iardhúlta, tithe nach mbeidh ar fáil ach do dhaoine a bhfuil an ghaeilge mar teanga an teaghlaigh. Tá súil aige mion-ghaeltacht a athbhunú sa cheantar sa dóigh seo. An é seo an dóigh chun an ghaeilge a athbheochaint? B'fheidir é. Tá gaeltachtaí na tíre ag teipeadh orthu. I gceann chúpla ghlúinne, tá an cuma ar an scéal nach mbeidh na gaeltachtaí chomh fairsing agus atá siad anois. Mar sin, cad é an dochar gaeltachtaí bhreá nua a chruthú, fiú má's gaeilge foghlamtha a bheas a labhairt ann?

Ceantar eile atá ag cuartú stadas gaeltachta ó Rialtas na hÉireann ná Iarthar Bhéal Feirste. Bhí mé ag cruinniú le déanaí in Ollscoil Naomh Mhuire, an coláiste traenála do mhuinteoirí ar bhothar na bhFál in Iarthar Bhéal Feirste agus duirt duine de na léachtóirí liom go bhfuil pobal iontach na gaeilge thart faoin cheantar. Agus ní gan cúis a deir sé liom: tá achan chomhartha ar na sráideanna sa cheantar dá-theangach. Tá an dá-theangachas a úsáid ag achan dlíodóir, achan bhúistéir, achan fhiaclóir, agus achan radharceolaí, rud nach bhfaighfeá de ghnáth ach i ngaeltachtaí amháin.

Ahh bhuel, is léir go bhfuil an ghaeilge le fánacht linn ar feadh treimhse éigin cé chomh fada is atá. Tá an ghaelscoilíocht agus meáin cumarsáide na gaeilge ag dul ó neart go neart. Agus anseo sa bhaile, tá na sár-ghaeilgeoirí sa scéim chónaithe ag déanamh a ndícheall le saol na gaeilge a dhéanamh níos fearr dúinn uilig.

Fionnuala Nic Cormaic Trí bhliain ó shin, cuma iomlán diffriúil a bhí ar shaol na gaeilge anseo i gColáiste na Tríonóide. Bhí trí chéad ball, ar a mhéid, ag an gCumann Gaelach. Ní raibh a leithéid de rud le scéim cónaithe do ghaelgóirí ar fáil, cé go raibh scéim dá chuid faoi lán seol thíos a mbóthar i gColáiste na hOllscoile.

Bhí sé rí-dheacair teacht ar ranganna gaeilge sa choláiste munar macléinn de chuid scoil na gaeilge a bhí ionat. Ní raibh eagarthóir na gaeilge ag ceachtar den dhá nuachtán sa choláiste agus, ag an am céanna, rinneadh dí-ríalú ar an gcumann ceol traidisiúnta toisc go raibh an coiste tar éis ocht gcéad euro de chuid Phriomh-Choiste na gCumann (CSC) a chur amú. Tá sé fior le rá gur bocht an scéal a bhí ann ó thaobh shaol na gaeilge de.

Ní amháin nach raibh cúrsaí na gaeilge beomhar sa choláiste ach

seisear déag ag fáil deontas de míle euro. Is gá agallamh a dhéanamh le áit a fháil ar an scéim seo agus is é Oifigeach na Gaeilge sa choláiste, Mícheál Ó Murchú, atá i bhfeighil na scéime. An aidhm atá leis an scéim seo ná go mbeadh áit ann, ar a gcampas, do phobal na gaeilge.

Déantar cinnte de freisin, i rith na

Trí bhliain níos déanaí agus is deacair a chreidiúint an dul chun cinn atá déanta ag an ghaeilge. I mbliana, tá níos mó ná cúig céad ball ag an gCumann Gaelach.

Bíonn ciorcal comhrá á rith acu go seachtanúil agus líon ollmhór ócáidí eile le tacaíocht a thabhairt do dhaoine gaeilge a labhairt, céilithe agus turais ina measc.

Gach oíche Máirt casann grúpa le céile i seomra an gcumann áit a chuireann daoine aithne ar chéile trí mheán na gaeilge.

Níl aon amhras ach go bhfuil an ghaeilge beo, láidir sa cholásite inniu. Tá na heagraisí á rith go gairimiúil agus is féidir linn a bheith bródúil astu.

Tá scéim cónaithe coláiste na tríonoide sa dara bhliain anois le

bliana, go bhfuil na baill den scéim ag cabhrú le cur chun cinn na gaeilge sa choláiste agus go bhfuil siad ag freastal ar na hócáidi gaelacha a bhíonn ar siúl.

Anuraidh, i rith seachtain na

Gaeilge agus Éigse na Tríonóide, ar éirigh thar barr leo, bhí ciorcail comhrá á rith go laethúil i árasáin na scéime agus ag deireadh na seachtaine bhí bronnadh fáinní na g a e i l g e .

Tá sé i bhfad níos éasca teacht ar ranganna gaeilge sa choláiste anois freisin, le Mícheál Ó Murchú ag

múineadh rang go seachtanúil. Tá eagarthóir na gaeilge ag an dá nuachtán sa choláiste anois agus bíonn leathanach iomlán an ceann á líonadh i gach eagrán. Bíonn uair a chloig i ngaeilge ag Trinity FM

gach lá den seachtain nuair a bhíonn siad ag craoladh agus maraon leis seo ar fad tá grúpa micléinn, i mbliana, tar éis iarracht a dhéanamh an cumann ceoil thraidisiúnta a ath-bhunú. De ghnáth nuair a dhéantar dí-rialú ar cumann ní féidir é a ath-bhunú ar feadh cúig bliana ach tá seans ann go ligfí dóibh é a ath-oscailt roimhe sin má éiríonn leo an t-ocht gcéad euro a íoc ar ais don CSC, rud atá siad ag iarradh a bhaint amach faoi láthair.

Níl aon amhras ach go bhfuil an ghaeilge beo, láidir sa cholásite inniu. Tá na heagraisí á rith go gairimiúil agus is féidir linn a bheith bródúil astu. Tá sé glactha gur tomhas é de láidreacht teanga, an líon daoine a mbíonn á labhairt go laethúil. Go buíoch beannachtach, tá an ghaeilge le cloisteáil go forleathan ar champas coláiste na tríonóide agus is cúis áthais é sin do chách.

Cothromaíocht sa Chóras Oideachais - An bhfuil sé Dodhéanta?

Antaine O Cuaig Is minic a dhéantar gearan faoin choras oideachais sa tuaisceart mar atá ag an ísealaicme. Agus mar sin, d'fhógair an tAire Oideachais ag an am, Mairtín Mac Aonghusa go raibh sé chun pleananna a chur i bhfeidhm a chuirfeadh stop leis an scrúdú aistriúcháin (nó an 11+ mar is fearr aithne air) ag deireadh na bunscoilíochta, rud a rinne sé. I gceann dhá bhliain nó mar sin, ní bheidh an scrúdú sin le déanamh ag scoláirí níos mó, dá thairbhe.

An droch-rud é seo? Nach dtugann an 11+ deis do dhaoine ón íseal-aicme na féidireachtaí chéanna a fháil ná achan dhuine eile sa tsochaí? Nach gtugann sé léargas maith dúinn ar chad é an sort scoil is fearr do dhaoine éagsúla? Nach scoilteann sé go maith ag aois breá na hóige scoláirí maithe ceardlainne ó scoláirí maithe acadúile? Is léir gurbh é sin an aidhm a bhí leis an chóras nuair a chuireadh é in aithne don tuaisceart sna 1940idí mar chuid den chóras nua trí-pháirteach ag Rialtas na Breatainne, agus bhí sé éifeachtach go leor ag an am (ar feadh tamaill, ar a laghad).

Ach ina dhiaidh an tamaill sin,

d'éirigh leis na huasal-aicmí agus na meán-aicmí an córas nua a mhúnlú dá gcuid buntáistí féin. D'aithin siad nach raibh ceisteanna an scrúdú bunaithe ar intleacht nó eolas an pháiste ach ar ábaltacht na dtuismitheoirí túitéireacht bhreise agus níos mó ábhar léitheoireachta srl. a fháil dá gcuid páistí. De réir mar a chuaigh na blianta ar aghaidh, léirigh na staitisticí go raibh daoine ón uasal-aicme agus ón mheán-aicme ag aimsiú thorthaí níos fearr go ginearálta sna scrúduithe.

Chomh maith leis an phointe seo, tá go leor leor táighde déanta ag shiceolaí ar an ábhar seo leis na blianta. Deir siadsan go mbíonn mórán éifeachtaí ag an timpeallacht ar pháistí go háirithe ag an aois íseal seo, agus go háirithe bainte leis an roinn shóisialta ina saolaítear iad. Tá spreagadh ar leith ag páistí a bhaineann leis an uasalaicme nó an leis an mheánaicme, de thairbhe an bhrú a chuirtear air nó uirthí leanstain i dtreo a t(h)eaghlaigh roimhesean. Bheadh isliú céime i gceist le páiste a ghlacfadh ceard macasamhail an tógálaíocht nó an lónadóireacht, agus go ginearálta bheadh stadas sóisialta níos ísle le teacht leis seo ná

mar a bhí ag a (h)athair. Níl an brú chéanna ar pháistí den íseal-aicme agus mar sin níl an spreagadh chéanna acusan.

Agus chomh maith leis seo, níl fonn orthu bogadh amach ón stadas atá acu san iseal-aicme, rud a mbeadh coimhthíos agus scaradh óna timpeallacht mar thoradh leis. De dheasca sin, bheadh ar réiteach na faidhbhe seo bheith bunaithe go domhain i bhfreamhacha an tsochaí. Is léir go bhfuil taithí maith ag Máirtín Mac Aonghusa agus é ag teacht ó chúlrá íseal-aicme é féin. Ach an bhfuil an fhadhbh socruithe ina iomlán aige?

Deir Marxaigh, go bhfuil fadhbh na mí-chothromaíochta fréamhaithe in institiúd na scoile. Deir siadsan gur institiúidí go hiomlán meánaicmeach atá iontu, reachtáilte ag an mheán-aicme, sin iad na múinteoirí mar is ón aicme sin a mbíonn an chuid is mó acu.

Mar sin, is iad na scoláirí ón mheán-aicme a fhaigheann na torthaí is fearr agus iad sa chóras seo.

Ní aon ionadh é go bhfuil cuid mhór taobhanna leis an argóint seo, agus nach fadhbh í atá furasta a réiteach, ach is léir go bhfuil fáinne fí i gceist anseo.

Ní comh-tharlú é gur tháinig oideahas saor agus riachtánach ar an tsaol taobh le taobh le

Rinne an tIar-Aire Oideachais Máirtín Mac Aonghusa iarrachtaí nach beag chun réiteacha Tuaisceart Eireann a fháil fa choinne fadhbhanna Tuaisceart Eireann nuair a bhí na hInstitiúidí á reachtáil i Stormont teacht an chló agus aois na tionscalaíochta. Ní comh-tharlú é ach oiread, nuair a bhí barraíocht oibrithe ann, gur tháinig deontais do dhaoine sa tríú léibhéil agus an córas trípháirteach ar an tsaol le níos mó daoine a spreagadh chun na hollscoile. Agus ní comh-tharlú é ach an oiread sa lá atá inniú ann go bhfuil barraíocht daoine ag teacht amach ó na hollscoileanna agus céim bainte amach acu, agus gantannas oibrithe oilte, agus go bhfuil deon-

tais ollscoile - chan amháin íslíthe - stopáilte ina iomlán ag Rialtas na Breatainne Tchífimid i gceann chúpla bhliain cad é an difir a bheas tagtha ar an chóras oideachais gan an 11+, agus tchífimid cad é an dréimire féidireachta a bheas ann in áit an 11+, agus an mbeidh sé cothrom do chách, nó an mbeidh sé ina chaibidil eile i sean-leabar na mí-chothromaíochta i sochaí na hÉireann?

Dráma Grinn den Chead Scoth!

Ciarán Mac Fhearghusa Fear darbh ainm Breandán (Brandy) Mac Gearailt a scríobh an dráma seo agus ar nós beagnach gach ógánach sa tír, ní raibh sé ach in airde glúin nuair a chuir sé iall i mbróg caide don chéad uair. Fear a raibh dílseacht dá chumann a bhí ann agus fear a raibh a chroí sáite sa pheil agus sa chumann i gcónaí, cé go raibh sé ar deoraíocht le roinnt blianta. Agus é ag caitheamh a chuid ama le foireann na Gaeltachta, d’fhoghlaim sé anchuid faoi thréithe na ndaoine a bhí mórthimpeall air agus mar a duirt se féin is iad na carachtúir shuaithinseacha, shaoithiúla, éisceachtúla a spreag coincheap an dráma seo i ‘scioból’ a shamhlaíochta.

Lár-núcléas ghaeltacht naTrínóide i dTeach 36 sa Chearnóg Nua. Ceantar breá lán-ghaeilge a bhfuil an-éileamh ar arasáin ann!

d’fhéadfaí a rá go raibh droch-chlú uirthi, go háirithe de bharr eachtraí cosúil le dí-rialú an cumann ceol traidisiúnta. Obair crua a bheadh ann leis an scéal seo a athrú mar bheadh níos mó ná cuplá ócáid gaelach ag teastáil le cruthú do chách go bhféadfadh gairmiúlacht dul lámh le lámh leis an ngaeilge.

Cé gur dráma é ‘Scaoil leis an gCaid’ atá bunaithe i gclub amháin is léiriú thar barr é, daar liom, ar mheon chlubanna tuaithe ar fud na tíre. Dar le Mac Gearailt, ní fhaca sé aon chluiche páirce ar dhroimchla na cruinne a d’fhéadfadh com-

paráid a dhéanamh lenár gcuiche dúchasacha maidir le sprid, croí paisean, oidhreacht, stair, agus atmaisfear. Nach féidir le himreoirí spoirt phroifisiúnta , agus go háirithe an sacar, coinneal a choiméad le gaiscigh na caide agus na hiománaíochta a thugann a bhfuil iontu ar mhaithe le honóir agus glóir a gclubanna agus a gcontaethe.

Iarracht atá sa dráma seo ar choiscéim coiligh áirithe a ghlacadh i dtreo an aitheantais chirt a bhronnadh ar imreoirí an Chumann Luthchleas Gael. Is dráma é seo a bhfuil féith an ghrinn le sonrú go smoir ann ó thus go deireadh. Is minic a bhí mé ag titim ar an úrlair ag gáire agus mé ag léamh an dráma seo. Déanann sé cuir síos den scoth ar phearsantachtaí agus ar mhothúcháin na gcarachtúr. Is féidir liom comparáidí a fheiceáil go rí-soiléir le hiompair an drong amadán atá i mo chumann féin anseo i mBaile Átha Cliath! Agus ní gá dom a rá leat nach raibh sé cúthalach agus é ag cur síos ar mhothúcháin na gcarachtúr agus é ag baint úsáid as caint nádúrtha

shalach na bhfíor-dhaoine.

Mholfainn daoibh go léir an dráma seo a léamh má éiríonn leat an deis

a fháil. Tá an leabhar ar fail ar chostas íseal go leor (€5.00) i siopa leabhar Chonradh na Gaeilge, Sráid Fhearchair. Tá an

siopa seo suite os cionn an phuib sin ara bhfuil clú agus cáil i measc meisceoirí Gaeil Choláiste na Tríoblóide! (An Conradh Abú!)

RFoireann peile na Gaeltachta (Co. Ciarraí) ar an bhunaítear an drama grinn “Scaoil leis an gCad?”

Sports Features Editor: Andrew Payne

Tuesday November 23, 2004

25

Trinity News SPORTS Kerr’s tactics are something to Croat

FEATURES

Jonny Walls This day last week Brian Kerr’s Ireland wrapped up their 2004 fixture list with a low-key victory over Croatia. It was the 13th game the home team had played over a 12 month period that has seen a significant improvement in the fortunes of the boys in green. A solitary loss to Nigeria in London’s Unity Cup was the only blip on a year that witnessed Irish victories over the likes of Romania, the Czech Republic and Holland, as well as clean sheets against Brazil and France.

It was therefore somewhat disappointing that last Tuesday’s victory over eastern European opposition should lack much in the way of entertainment, and once again led to question marks over the way Brian Kerr approaches friendly internationals.

Since the former youth manager took the reigns of the Senior squad most aspects pertaining to its set up have improved. Roy Keane remarked that there was a much more professional attitude in the camp since the departure of Mick McCarthy. It appears that training facilities, travel arrangements and accommodation for away trips are now to a much higher standard.

Moral in the squad appears to be as good as ever while the results are now more than satisfactory, after a poor conclusion to European qualifying.

Despite all that the tactics Kerr employs in friendly matches can, at times, seem more than a little baffling. When it comes to blooding new caps and experimenting with different formations the Dubliner often affords his fringe players little chance of making a telling impression.

Although this has been a feature

throughout his tenure, it was never more apparent than in this month’s victory over the Croats.

The Irish boss decided to implement a different formation for the match with a 4-5-1 system that could be changed to 4-3-3 depending on how the game was going.

This move was undoubtedly a sen-

was a huge success he is hardly likely to use Elliott in that formation during an upcoming competitive match. The Sunderland man should have been played up front alongside Robbie Keane in order to give him a genuine opportunity to strut his stuff.

Although the U-21 inter-

“The tactics Kerr employs in friendly matches can, at times, seem more than a little baffling” sible one as it is hugely useful for any one team to be able to execute a variety of game plans when the need arises. What was highly questionable however was Kerr’s decision to employ new cap Steven Elliott on the right flank for most of the evening. It is difficult enough to make a real impression on one's debut without being played out of position in a formation with which the team is unfamiliar. Even if the manager had felt the new system

national didn’t get a fair crack of the whip, at least he started the game. Graham Barrett of Coventry and Aidan McGeady of Celtic played just nine minutes of the game between them. This seems a totally pointless move. How anyone can be expected to make a case for their inclusion in the team in such a short space of time is beyond me. It seems an even more ludicrous scenario when one considers that Robbie Keane took a

full part in the game while Kenny Cunningham and Shay Given came on for cameo appearances. The three aforementioned players have close to 200 caps between them so why Kerr feels they needed to be used to such an extent is hard to understand. Jonathan Macken must feel particularly disappointed that he didn’t get a chance to add to his single cap. Recalled for the first time since August’s friendly with Bulgaria the Manchester City man must have felt he was in with a shot of playing.

It must be said however that the Sven-Goran Erikson tactics of playing eleven untried youngsters in the second-half of particular games is even more non-sensical. To get the best out of novice players you must have veterans around them. More importantly though you must give them time.

Harte of Levante

Photo: Reuters

Keane Goal Sees Off Croatian Challenge Republic of Ireland 1-0 Croatia 16th November 2004 David Long 24 year-old Robbie Keane’s 24th international goal in the 24th minute gave the Republic of Ireland a 1-0 friendly victory over Croatia at Landsdowne Road securing an unbeaten run in friendly matches for the entire year.

Following successful victories against Holland, Romania, Czech Republic and a draw against World Cup winners Brazil, Brian Kerr’s team boasted six changes from the last World Cup qualifier against the Faroe Islands yet they still managed to gain a solid if unspectacular victory over a Croatian team ranked nine places below Ireland in the current FIFA World rankings.

Kerr made a bold tactical decision and started with a 4-3-3 formation allowing 20 year-old Sunderland striker Stephen Elliott to make his senior international debut. Elliott looked comfortable playing at the highest level and set up some good chances for Ireland’s record goalscorer Keane and Damien Duff. Paddy Kenny of Sheffield United made his 4th start under Kerr while Kevin Kilbane became skipper for the night marshalling the midfield with Manchester United’s Liam Miller.

Ireland made a tentative start when Richard Dunne made a mistake, playing a suicide pass straight to Croatian striker Ivan Klasnic, who fortunately missed saving big Dunne’s blushes.

Ireland were slow and pedestrian in their play with little backup from midfield to help out the three frontmen. The Landsdowne crowd were quick to get behind the team after that with choruses of “Come On You Boys in Green” and it seemed to have some effect when Finnan, Elliott and Keane combined to create a chance which was blocked by Jurica Vranjes. On twenty minutes

Duff got the crowd going when he hit a powerful shot inches wide of the right hand post.

Elliott made his first significant contribution when he played a fantastic through-ball allowing Keane a scoring opportunity but Keane’s attempt to chip Croatian goalkeeper Tomislav Butina failed even if Butina did not know a whole lot about it. The proceeding corner produced Ireland’s breakthrough as Duff displayed his supreme talent waltzing by two Croatian defenders, Josip Simunic and Vranjes, then zipping a lovely ball across the face of the goal

kung fu style. Breen was then replaced by Kenny Cunningham five minutes after the restart due to being sore at half time, Kerr explained at the post match press conference.

Ireland changed back to their traditional 4-4-2 formation fifteen minutes into the second half with Duff falling back to the left wing, more goalscoring chances were created as a result. Just after the hour mark Steve Finnan played a precise long ball towards Robbie Keane who managed to control it with his chest leading him to a one on one with Butina which he shamefully missed. Four minutes later the 32,300 crowd were brought to their feet when another crisp cross from Finnan saw Duff

“Richard Dunne continued his rich vein of form and could possibly challenge for Andy O’Brien’s place” allowing Keane to convert a simple tap in and perform his signatory cartwheel. Duff would go to become man of the match. Almost straight after the goal Croatia had a chance to equalise when Klasnic’s cross was headed wide of the target

by Niko Krancjar of Dinamo Zagreb. Moments later Keane tried to repay Duff’s favour by crossing for Duff but the Chelsea star failed to convert.

On the half hour mark, the windy conditions made life difficult for Kenny who kicked the ball straight to Darijo Srna but that was the only blunder from the Sheffield United goalkeeper. The second half started dramatically for Ireland as Miller was forced to head off the line from former Aston Villa striker Bosko Balaban.

Ireland had a penalty claim rebuffed when Duff was brought down in the area by Juventus central defender Igor Tudor.

Gary Breen’s last contribution to the game proved comical as he and Paddy Kenny acrobatically cleared a Croatian attack

hit the upright. Duff blamed the positioning of the floodlights at Landsdowne Road for the miss but in reality it was more to do with the fact that Duff had caught it with his wrong foot, failing to make clean contact.

Shay Given replaced Paddy Kenny to win his 66th cap with ten minutes to go but was quickly called into action when Brazilian born Eduardo Da Silva produced a low powerful drive which went under Given’s leg only for Manchester City’s Richard Dunne to make a tremendous goal line clearance. Dunne had exorcised the ghost of his fifth minute embarrassment. Da Silva was making his debut for Croatia after being called into the Croatia squad for the first time under the residency rule.

Brian Kerr stated after the match that he was “more than happy” with the result considering it was not his strongest team and the wind swept conditions. He praised newcomer Elliott for his “good touch”. Kerr was full of praise for Dunne who made up for his early mistake with a superb

goal line clearance noting that Dunne was in “good shape”. When asked about the 4-3-3 formation, Kerr admitted that it was something he had wanted to do for a long time and this friendly match presented him with an opportunity.

Robbie Keane did not think Ireland played that well but was happy for Elliott describing him as “one for the future” and praised Duff’s contribution for the goal.

Overall it was an impressive result for Ireland considering they had changed the formation and had made six changes. Stephen Elliott proved he has the credentials to play at the highest level while Richard Dunne continued his rich vein of form and could possibly challenge for Andy O’Brien’s place now that O’Brien seems to be struggling to prove himself with a new manager at Newcastle in Graeme Souness.

Croatia looked more of a threat in the 2nd half but the important thing for Ireland was to keep the momentum going. Kerr is now 14 games unbeaten at Landsdowne Road and lost just one out of the 13 match schedule in 2004. It was a “good year” according to Kerr who was happy that his team had been competitive and “hard to beat”. He knows that his side will have to keep that form going if they are to reach the World Cup in 2006.

er Fabio Celestini (who famously scored the winning goal for Switzerland at Lansdowne Road against Ireland in Mick McCarthy’s final game in charge). Levante also secured the services of the explosive young Spanish forward Sergio Garcia on a season long loan from Barcelona along with our own Ian Harte.

Harte has had a mixed carear at both club and country level. He has had many highs including several goals for Ireland, big European games with Leeds, as well as being credited with being one of the finest dead-

Indeed many eye-brows were raised when Harte moved to the little known Spanish club on a It is not unusual to see a team free transfer in the summer. from Valencia close to the top of Indications in an upturn in Harte’s the Spanish First division. fortunes were clear from his debut However it is very unusual when for Levante when he scored a fanthat team is not the reigning tastic thirty five yard free kick to champions Valencia CF but in snatch a late equaliser against fact, their lesser known neighReal Sociedad. Since then both bours Levante. The success of club and player have defied their this unfashionable club is particucritics and maintained consistenlarly interesting to Ireland fans cy and presently occupy a given that the forgotten man of European spot. Harte’s personal Irish international football Ian performances have also been Harte plays left back for them. excellent and it seems quite Levante are managed remarkable given his current form by the experienced and well that he was not recalled to the respected German Bernt Ireland squad by Brian Schusster.

Schusster “Indications in an upturn in Harte’s Kerr for the recent friendenjoyed a glittering against Croatia. career in Spain playing fortunes were clear from his debut for ly Certainly a recall to the for both Madrid teams as Levante when he scored a fantastic thirIrish set up ought to come well as Barcelona alongty five yard free kick” soon for Harte. side Diego Maradona.

One cannot say whether Schusster was a notoriously difficult player to manage yet is ball specialists in the European Levante will continue to conmaturing into one of Europe’s game. However the lows have found the pundits and stay near most respected coaches. Similar been equally dramatic; a string of the top of La Liga. Much will to English clubs like Charlton and poor defensive performances for depend on them staying clear of Bolton the success of Levante is Leeds and Ireland resulted in him injuries but their present progress not due due to high finance but losing his place at international shows once more that teamwork, through high work rate, determi- level and contributed to his club a strong work ethic and good nation, and shrewd dealing in the Leeds being relegated from the organisation can go along way in transfer market. Summer signings Premiership in England last sea- football and if Levante can mainincluded experienced Swedish son. Harte has been labelled by tain their high standards in these centre back Johan Mjallby, the some commentators as a full back areas the prize of European foottechnically gifted Swiss midfield- whose greatest weakness is his ball may await them and Ian ability to defend.

Harte at the end of the season.

Patrick Nulty

John O’Shea challenges for the ball against Croatia’s Darijo Srna

Kenny Cunningham: Un-necessary cameo?

Republic Of Ireland: Kenny (Given, 79): Finnan, O’Shea, Breen (Cunningham, 51), Dunne: Kavanagh, Kilbane, Miller; Elliott (Barrett, 83), Keane (McGeady, 90), Duff Croatia: Butina; Srna, Simunic (Neretljak, 73), Kovac, Tudor (Balaban, 45); Vranjes (Leko, 64), Tomas, Babic (Pranjic, 58), Kovac; Klasnic (Da Silva, 58), Kranjcar Referee: Gylfi (Iceland)

Thor

Attendance: 32,300

Orrason

Ian Harte: The forgotten man of Irish football

Photo: Levante UD

26

Tuesday October 23, 2004

SPORT

Sports Features Editor: Andrew Payne

FEATURES

Trinity News

Business as usual for Spurs defence As Martin Jol’s term as manager begins with a blitz of goals, long suffering fan Andrew Payne reflects on life as a Spurs fan I support Tottenham Hotspur. Don't look at me like that, you probably know a few fans yourself. You might even be one, in that case you'll understand all too well the things I'm going to say. You see supporting Spurs isn't like supporting most clubs. It isn't your routine success of being a Man United fan since the early 90s, the past glories of being a Liverpool fan, or the bandwagon jumping of being an Arsenal or a Chelsea fan. Neither is it the never any good but never relegated feeling of supporting Southampton or the sheer devastation of the Swindon fan who saw their team concede 100 goals in their solitary season in the Premiership. Supporting Spurs is something special. Something perhaps only Manchester City fans can properly empathise with. It's a club where you win the odd trophy, have the knowledge of league titles and European trophies either before you were born or are too young to remember, you live with the frustration of constantly mediocre league finishes, but most of all you have a love for attacking, reckless, suicidal football whatever the cost.

It all started when I was just a young kid. My next door neighbour, himself a Spurs fan, convinced me that I should support them too. Shielded from the impulses to support Liverpool as was the glory-hunting norm of the time, or United as most of my family do, I so set off on life as a Tottenham fan. For the first couple of years things went quite well, the 1989/90 season saw Spurs finish

3rd in the League (behind Liverpool and Aston Villa), while in 1990/91 the team lifted the FA Cup for a record breaking eigth time. Progress as far as the quarter finals of the European Cup Winners' Cup followed as the days of Division 1 being England's top division drew to a close. As the inaugural Premier League season began Spurs weren't in a bad way Lineker and Gascoigne had left but the side still looked a good team to follow. Since then however the times have not been kind.

Despite almost always having a player of exceptional talent in their team Spurs have been in a decade long injury crisis. This has led to consistent failure with just the League Cup victory of 1999 to show for their strife. The players who have been there however have done much to add to Spurs' glorious attacking history. Ask someone to name a famous former Spurs player and with the honourable exceptions of Danny Blanchflower or Pat Jennings the chances are they'll name an attacker. Ardiles, Hoddle, Waddle, Gascoigne, Greaves, Lineker, Villa.... the list goes on. Ardiles, during his tenure as manager in the mid 90s did his utmost to keep this tradition alive with the 'Famous Five' attacking line of Jurgen Klinsmann, Teddy Sheringham, Nicky Barmby, Darren Anderton, and Illie Dumitrescu. Of this quintet the standout player was Klinsmann, one initial glorious season made him a club legend before a return for a second spell in 1997/98.

Ardiles' style of play was typical Tottenham - attack and try to outscore the opposition. The 4-3 victory over Sheffield Wednesday on the opening day of the 1994/5 season was a trademark example of this.

Ardiles' succesors Gerry Francis, Christian Gross, and George Graham all tried to kerb this suicidal streak in favour of a more measured attempt to grind out victories with solid defending. The efforts were rarely successful however with Spurs looking their best when turning to their flair player of the time. In the late 90s this flair player was David Ginola, one of the greatest foreign wingers to grace the English game whose moments of brilliance, such as the winner against Barnsley in a 1999 FA Cup tie, were almost as superb as Ryan Giggs' goal against Arsenal in the semi-final replay that same season. In the end all these managers failed, leading to the club calling for Glenn Hoddle to try and replicate his successes as a player in the manager's hot-seat. This brings us nicely to the first of three examples of typical Spurs matches I will present you with.

On the 29th of September 2001 Spurs took on Manchester United in a home league game at White Hart Lane.

As the first half moved into injury time Christian Ziege converted a Gus Poyet cross to put Spurs 3-0 in front at half time. The team had been completely dominant over one of the best teams in Europe and if anything looked ready to extend

their lead even further. As the second half started, almost immediately the game began to fall apart. One minute into the second half Andy Cole pulled a goal back. What followed was arguably the greatest comeback in Premiership history as Laurent Blanc, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Juan Veron, and finally David Beckham scored to seal the most unlikely of 5-3 victories. The result was sickening. How could a team be so dominant for 45 minutes and then fall apart so completely? It was so horribly, typically, Spurs. But surely such an occasion could only be a never to be repeated again once off? Couldn't it?!

Hoddle was dismissed from his job as manager in the autumn of last season and was replaced as manager on a caretaker basis by David Pleat. It was under Pleat that Spurs took on Manchester City in an FA Cup 4th Round replay early last February.

Man City being who they are - the only team ever to be relegated from England's top division as the League's top scorers and defending champions - this game always had the potential to be a thriller. Like in the United match two and a half years before the first half could not have gone better for the home team as once again a Christian Ziege strike left them three nil up at half time against Mancunian opposition. Not only this but on the stroke of half time Man City's Joey Barton was sent off leaving ten man City with an apparently impossible to overcome challenge. As is Spurs' habit however that brilliant first half was followed by a nightmare

second as Shaun Wright-Phillips' 80th minute strike pulled the score back to three all. What was to come next was perhaps unavoidable at this stage - in injury time Ireland's Jonathan Macken slotted home a 4th to win perhaps the best FA Cup tie of the century so far. And Spurs, once again, were left in disbelief. If there was any consolation it was that this time, surely, would have to be the last.

Over the summer Jacques Santini, fresh from France's disappointing quarter final exit from Euro 2004, was installed as Spurs' new manager. Early matches suggested that yes those type of matches were a thing of the past. Boasting one of the better defensive records in the league the only problem was that the team couldn't score. Though he never really had time to fully prove himself ahead of his resignation Santini's play was just too negative and didn't allow Spurs' attacking duo of Robbie Keane and Jermain Defoe to flourish. This all changed upon the appointment of Martin Jol as his replacement a fortnight ago.

In his first two matches Jol lost 3-2 to Charlton and beat Burnley 3-0 in the League Cup, this set up a clash with reigning champions Arsenal in his first league match officially in charge. Here the Spurs of old returned with full force.

Tottenham completely dominated the first half, limiting Arsenal to just one shot on goal in the entire first half and that in injury time. The only problem?

Thierry Henry scored with it pulling the score back to 1-1 after a first half Spurs could have ended

David Ginola celebrates Spurs’ 1999 League Cup two or three up. The second half was to be a throwback to the type of game thought dead since the 1950s. The two teams traded goals with Arsenal three times going 2 up only for Spurs to each time peg them back one. The final score was 5-4, the first time a Premiership game has ever seen 9 different scorers in a match. Typical Spurs.

The crazy thing however is this although I would have obvisouly preferred a Spurs match the game was incredibly satisfying. There is

an old jibe that Spurs fans would rather lose in style than win in a boring fashion and this is perhaps true. Martin Jol has said he intends to continue to attack in the true Tottenham tradition so are more of these types of results on the cards?

Never say no. So in the end rather than raise alarm bells Spurs' 5th successive league defeat has instead sparked optimism, and what other club could say that?

The girls’ guide to football: Everything you never wanted to know about the beautiful game Christine Bohan The Girls Guide to Football Week 4: Footballers and stupidity Q: How can you tell ET is a Rangers fan?

A: Because he looks like one Q: What do you call a Liverpool fan with no arms and no legs?

A: Trustworthy Q: What do you get when you cross a Chelsea fan with a pig?

A: I don't know, there are some things that a pig just won't do.

Professional Wrestling: The most dangerous lifestyle in sport?

Don’t try this at home Andrew Payne If you watched the WWF when you were younger you'll probably remember The Big Bossman, Hawk from the Legion of Doom, Ravishing Rick Rude, Yokozuna, Crash Holly, The British Bulldog, and Mr Perfect. What you might not realise however is that all of these wrestlers are now dead.

Many of those who have died have had heart trouble, but how can this be in a world of presumably fit and in-shape young athletes? The problem is typical of a business that is not so much based on sport but around entertainment.

Professional wrestling is largely based around the notion of bringing in TV ratings. This is to ensure that shows such as Raw and Smackdown produced by the WWE (formerly known as the WWF before a legal battle with the World Wildlife Fund) aren't dropped from their TV networks.

In the past the problem was compounded by the fact that the WWE was in direct competition with a rival organisation, WCW, in which the two would try to outdo each other each week. In pursuit of these ratings the professional

wrestling business has moved away from sport and instead centred around the notion of 'sports entertainment' where the draw is not just wrestling matches but also storylines. On top of this the direction of wrestling has moved towards more dangerous, and watchable, types of matches such as the 'Hell in a Cell' whereby two wrestlers are locked inside a cage together and fight using the cage as a weapon. In one of the more famous of these matches one wrestler, Mick Foley, was thrown 20 feet off the cell into a commen-

very real. In order to compete for the top companies such as the WWE, wrestlers must compete 4 or 5 times a week, often despite injuries. To keep going many wrestlers turn to painkillers, often becomign quickly addicted. Added to this is the desire of many of the competitors to 'look the part'. To fulfill this desire most wrestlers want to become more muscle bound and 'ripped'. The easiest way to do this is through steroids or, more dangerously, human growth hormones. Scott Levy, better known as 'Raven' to wrestling

“If you want to be a wrestler, you have to be a big guy, and you have to perform in pain” tary table by the Undertaker and then later 'chokeslammed' through the roof of the cell. This type of match is deemed a big draw viewers-wise, so is usually kept for pay per view events.

Here it is time to draw a line through a frequently spoken of myth about professional wrestling - the idea that it is all fake. While the events are clearly not a sport as such - the fights are orchestrated and outcomes pre-decided - the pain many wrestlers go through is

fans, admitted to formerly using steroids and painkillers to the USA Today newspaper. As he explained, 'If you want to be a wrestler, you have to be a big guy, and you have to perform in pain. If you choose to do neither, pick another profession'.

In 1991 the United States passed a law making the purchase and possession of anabolic steroids illegal except for medical purposes. Shortly thereafter a urologist called George Zahorian

was convicted of 12 counts of selling steroids and painkillers to several bodybuilders and professional wrestlers including Hulk Hogan and Rowdy Roddy Piper. Piper has since claimed that 'the doctor had shopping bags with our names on them that were filled with steroids and prescription drugs'. Vince McMahon, owner of the WWF, was also indicted but acquitted of conspiring to distribute steroids to wrestlers, though doubts still remain in some quarters over his innocence. These events led to drug testing in the WWE for a few years but in 1996 the programme was abandoned.

The health consequences of this cycle of painkiller and steroid abuse, made worse by wide recreational drug use, is difficult to understate. Professional wrestlers have been found to be 12 times more likely to die from heart disease than other Americans aged 25 to 44, and 20 times more likely to die before 45 than professional American Football players. It is time that the wrestling industry had a drastic rethink of its values and attempted to place more safeguards on the lives of its workers.

Football humour, as evidenced above, is proof that humans are Top 10 greatest (or stupidest, depending on how you look at it) football quotes of all time: 10. 'The 33 or 34-year-olds will be 36 or 37 by the time the next World Cup comes around, if they're not careful.' - Kevin Keegan 9. 'I was watching the Blackburn game on TV on Sunday when it flashed on the screen that George Ndah had scored in the first minute at Birmingham. My first reaction was to ring him up. Then I remembered he was out there

not as advanced on the evolutionary scale as we like to think we are. Just a step above 'your momma' jokes, football jokes usually relate to the deviant sexual practises of a club's fans, the promiscuity of said fans' mothers, and the overall intelligence - or indeed, lack thereof - of the team.

The reason for this is that footballers as a whole are not very bright - for many, counting the number of zeroes in their weekly pay packet represents their pinnacle of intelligence. It's as if God decided to use the tough love method, giving the players prowess on the football pitch and pretty faces and then leaving them to fend for themselves.

Now I don't mean to be cruel - of course there are some footballers who buck the trend, Eric Cantana for example, maybe Graeme 'I read the Guardian' Le Saux at a push. Unfortunately they're the only examples I can come up with, the exceptions that prove the rule, if you will. It seems all the rest of them are consigned the talented-but-dim category - men whose skills you admire on the pitch but wouldnít really want to copy lecture notes from.

This argument is nothing without something to back it up. So here, for your reading delectation are the definitive greatest utterances by footballers of all time. Ever. I rest my case.

playing.' - Ade Akinbiyi 8. 'I can see the carrot at the end of the tunnel.' - Stuart Pearce 7. 'I've never wanted to leave. I'm here for the rest of my life, and hopefully after that as well.' - Alan Shearer 6. 'I always used to put my right boot on first, and then obviously my right sock.' - Barry Venison 5. 'One accusation you can't throw at me is that I've always done my best.' - Alan Shearer again 4. 'My parents have been there for me, ever since I was about 7' David Beckham

3. 'I'll never comment on referees and I'm not going to break the habit of a lifetime for that prat' Ron Atkinson 2. 'Very few of us have any idea whatsoever of what life is like living in a goldfish bowl, except, of course, for those of us who are goldfish.' - Graham Taylor 1. 'I remember so clearly us going into hospital so Victoria could have Brooklyn. I was eating a Lion bar at the time' - David Beckham

David Beckham: Enjoyed a Lion Bar as son was born

Sports Editor: Eamonn Hynes

Tuesday November 23, 2004

Trinity News

SPORT

Ladies Hockey on top of its game Kirstin Smith Into its second month of the season, Trinity Ladies Hockey is as strong as ever. After the disappointment of last season’s relegation to Division 2, the 1st XI are firmly back on track to regain their rightful place in the premier division.

After many of last year’s players left the club to seek greener pastures, the task of promotion looked like it would be harder than should have been, but the addition to the squad of Fresher Vanessa Buckley and the return of Una Budd have strengthened the side.

Cecilia Joyce’s side have been putting in many fine performances, most notably in the Irish Junior Cup, where for once the students’ youth and fitness stood to them, and they came out as convincing winners against a strong Northern team from Banbridge, with a 3-0 scoreline - Danielle Costigan, Una Budd and Cecilia Joyce claiming the goals in that match. They now go on to play Knock II in the second round of the Cup, and hopefully will continue with their good form and go all the way to the final.

Unfortunately the team was unable to recreate their winning streak at this year’s Intervarsity Competition which was hosted by UCC. A win, a loss and a draw was not enough to see the girls through to the semis, to try to reclaim the Chilean Cup that we last won in 2002, but it was enough to secure a place in the plate final, where despite a fine performance, they lost to QUB. The flooding in Cork during that week didn’t manage to dampen the spirits although a few cars were left smelling of dead bodies on return to drier Dublin, and the squads once again enjoyed the apres-match festivities that University of Cork had organised for them.

The 2nd XI started the season on an excellent note as they also seek promotion. Being placed 3rd last season, the determination of players to gain promotion this year has inspired a series of excellent wins against tough opposition. Currently ranked 3rd in the league, victories over the much-fancied sides such as Naas, Corinthians and Pembroke Wanderers have instilled a confidence in the players, who are anxious to make up for last year’s shortcomings. Suffering only one loss (a tightly contested affair with arch rivals UCD) since the beginning of the campaign, Captain Gillian Lewis’s team are setting themselves up for a season of vic-

27

Capoeira: Someone please give us money Members of the Capoeira squad are the latest body seeking to get a hold on DUCAC funding. For those not familiar with Capoera, it is some sort of South American dancing ritual. Just last week the organisation was granted provisional society status but not sport status. Again we are being faced with the eternal knotty question of what exactly is a sport? Those

against sporting affiliation would argue that there is no national sporting body for Capoera, it is not an Olympic sport, dancing is more artistic than sporting and should surely come under the auspices of society status rather than that of sporting? This argument would seem logical enough, but when you consider those dormant sports clubs still affiliated to DUCAC

and the fact that Oxford University Central Athletic Committee (OUCAC) allow ‘sports’ such as cheerleading, one can see the case for Capoera. For now though it looks very unlikely that the DUCAC budget will extend to a 50th Club. There’s only one DUCC and it ain’t Capoera.

DUCAC launch website Competition In a bid to increase the standard of club websites, DUCAC have launched a website competition.

The winning site will win €500 in vouchers for a club expense (kit, equipment etc.). Trinity News did

a quick survey of the club websites at noticed a varying standard from club to club. Front runners for the elusive prize should be the Canoe Club, Museum Players, Boat Club, Harriers and the Tennis

Club. The competition is to be judged before Christmas with criteria based on content, accessibility and technical design.

Equestrian Club host Intervarsities The weekend before last, the DU Equestrian Club co-hosted the National Tetrathlon Intervarsties which took place in Cork. The event was an enormous burden on this year’s Committee with Captain Elva Phelan doing an excellent job managing the event.

Tetrathlon, unlike other Irish sports such as rugby, is a minority sport that doesn’t get much recognition. This meant that the mem-

bers themselves bore most of the financial cost of running such a competition through fundraising.

DU Equestrianers completely dominated the event winning the team event, individual men (Fearghal Mulvihill) and individual women (Brianne Mulvihill).

DU Equestrian Club are unique in that members usually train in their own areas and riding schools using the name of ‘Dublin University’ as

a platform to compete. Believe it or not there are stables on the south side of the Provost’s House, although this magnificant fine cut granite building which was built in 1842 has been out of action for some time now. It’s unlikely that this facility would ever be revived since it’s hard to imagine Gardens and Grounds taking too kindly to horses trodding all over College Park.

Bouncing around in Limerick Ladies Hockey: as popular as ever tories, hopefully culminating in a trophy and promotion.

Laura Binion’s 3rds were hit hard by the loss of some of last year’s players, but newly drafted freshers are making name for themselves, both on and off the pitch and the team is beginning to settle and hopefully will soon begin to notch up a few victories.

The 4ths is the team of the moment. Retaining 10 of the players from last year, has meant that Eithne Lairde’s team is executing a brilliant attempt at promotion for the second year in a row. Currently they are top of division 8, and are still undefeated this year. Top scorer comes in the shape of the ubiquitous Louisa Beresford who still

manages to find time to sub for the seconds and thirds.

The role of the 5ths captain is notorious for its difficulty in getting 11 players together but Kate O’Donnell is doing an excellent job of recruiting players for the Saturday matches and the team’s mid-table position in Division 12 is testimony to the players’ commitment and dedication this year.

Some may call it brave, some may call it stupid. Those who attended would just call it a triumph of the highest order. The club’s first social of the year was held last Wednesday and took the form of a Toga Party. Students enjoying a pint in the Pav were ambushed by a bunch of scantily

Photo: Henry Joyce clad hockey players wearing little more than their bed sheets, as they braved the winter cold and descended upon the Trinity watering hole. Some even donned coloured togas in a bid to make themselves feel more ‘royal’ and one or two even wielded a homemade sword. Freshers can safely assume, that all DUHC & DULHC socials will be of the same calibre as Wednesday night. The merry students bumped and grinded against each other on the dance floor and olive branches were being offered as scandal was being created, ensuring that there will be much to talk about during the week. Let’s just say, they came, they saw, they conquered.

Coach Corner: Rugby Eamonn Hynes

Tony Smeeth last Friday

Photo: Matt Pitt

Tony Smeeth, Director of Rugby, has transformed the game at Trinity in recent years. Up until 2000, DUFC competed in the AIL division four and were a dogged squad with little ambition. These days, DUFC is healthier than ever not just in terms of rugby, but also in terms of club activity. The Club have had several high-profile friendlies against foreign teams and even have had a book written about the club. Membership levels are also stronger than ever with huge amounts of competition for places on the first XI. This kind of activity just doesn’t come about overnight. In order for training to be effective, the right structures must be in place and teams must be organised and well catered for. Vision, foresight, planning and success has come about since Tony’s appointment

with steady progression from division 2 into division 1. These are dramatic results that have come about as a result of a deep knowledge of the game, relentless enthusiasm and sheer hard work.

Smeeth has extensive experience first playing and coaching with Puddletown, Exeter and Dorset and Wilts. He has also coached in the USA with Seattle RFC and Redmond HS before going on to coach the US U19 team. Smeeth is always on the go – he’s up early in the morning and in bed late at night living and breathing rugby. Whether it’s out on the pitch, in the gym or sending emails over in Goldsmith Hall, he is totally dedicated to the cause.

Amazingly, DUFC are not the only team he charges. When he’s finished his day at Trinity, he coaches at Blackrock College who also have been tremendously successful as of late. If Smeeth keeps going at this rate, who knows what’s next.

20 tramploinists from the D.U. Trampoline Club competed at the Irish Trampoline Intervarsities at the University of Limerick last weekend. Jennie Carr, competing for the first time,

won silver in the Novice Ladies' category. Oliver Tierney won bronze in the Intermediate Men's category and Kieran Hallahan won Gold in the Advanced Men's category. The

trinity A team of Kieran Hallahan, Jennie Carr, Jessica Prucnal and Linda Coote came 4th in the team event by just 0.2 points.

Low Cost Croquet Playing Members of the Dublin University Croquet Club have their slippers on and their feet up in front of the fire at the moment, inclement weather not favouring cut-throat croquet action on New Square.

Captain Conor Broderick and his

Treasurer can be pleased since last year they spent no money on new mallets, balls, pegs or hoops.

Unlike other big money spender clubs, the Croquet Club are a shrewd lot and still use equipment from the 1980s. Plans for the

spring/summer include the revival of the ‘Tournament Day’, an all England tour and the formation of a competitive team for the Irish Croquet Championships which is held annually at Carrickmines Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.

Sports Center Mayhem Luce Hall is as popular as ever these days, however under current rules, members of the general public are now allowed use of the facilities. Undergraduates and postgraduates are charged €75 annually, staff and graduates €150, with public membership at €190. Membership of the sports facilities entitles members to access to all the indoor and outdoor sports facilities within Trinity, including the tennis courts, fitness theatre, squash courts, and the Luce Hall. Several private donations and student contributions are being spent on the new Sports Center which should finally be under construction by now.

This begs the question as to the appropriateness of non-Trinity

related persons being allowed use of the facilities. Of course most students who have paid the levy have since left the university somewhat diminishing the outrage. UCD Sports Center have followed a similar privatisation route and offer public membership at €320 per annum. Opening the gates of Trinity to the public is perhaps a sign of the times, as a balance must be struck between providing facilities for students and staying in the black. Students contributed £2m over five years of levies to the project, however this money has been spent on Luce Hall refurbishments, planning resubmissions and redesigns. In February 2000 (Dept. of Sport Newsletter Vol. 2, No. 1), £1.8m

was committed to expenditure on planning permission and detailed design of the complex. In 2004, the whole process has been redone and one can only imagine what has been spent on the project before one brick has been laid. Anyway, one can conservatively assume that all of the £2m and more has been gobbled up by the wavering.

The redesigned sports center, due to open in December 2006 will not include a 33m FINA standard pool with moving floor nor a rifle range as was originally planned. The facility will most likely be a generic sporting facility similar to that available in most other mediocre European universities.

DUFC Under 20s perform against UCD Whilst the First XV were busy preparing for their big game against UCD, the second XV were hard at it out in Belfield Park for their U20s colours match. DUFC

were dominant and won the game 28-13. This is a promising result for the squad and hopefully a sign of things to come. U20s coach Seamus Twomey really is produc-

ing the results this season including a thrashing of Old Wesley at Donnybrook last month.

Volleyball Club host the Irish Intervarsities The Volleyball Club hosted this year’s Irish Intervarsities. Due to embarrassingly inadaquate facilities at the Luce Hall, the event took place over three days from Thursday to Saturday over on the

North side of the city in Dublin City University’s sporting complex.

Committee members Jennifer Fitzgerald and Neil Reddy, organisers, did an excellent job in bringing the event to Trinity,

indeed raising the profile of Sport at Trinity in general. Much preparation went into the associated night-time entertainment events in the Pav, Redbox, Spirit and the Ashling hotel.

28

Tuesday November 23, 2004

Sports Editor: Eamonn Hynes

Trinity News We almost did it - Rugby Colours

SPORT Roger Hamilton DUFC UCDRFC

20 20

At Donnybrook stadium last Friday evening, the atmosphere was roguish with copious amounts of taunting from both sides. The evening was rather pleasant despite the cold, and playing conditions were nearing on perfect. The DUFC Old Boy patrol were out in force and plenty of Dublin University graduates were to be seen knocking about supporting their side. It was all in good taste though and unlike previous encounters, no major crowd nuisances arose. This year's Colours match was definitely high up on the Arts Block social calendar and many a young lady could be seen floating around in the most unsuitable of clothing.

UCD opened the scoring in the 6th minute with a penalty kick leaving supporters thinking that it would be more UCD dominance yet again this year. This opening score was promptly nullified by a try from Garvey with subsequent conversion. At this stage things were really hotting up and it looked like the contest could go Trinity's way. UCD kept plugging away, scoring two more penalties and took the lead going into half-time.

DUFC could have had this half time advantage were it not for a missed penalty from a fairly kickable position just before the whistle.

Midway through the second half, DUFC had forward Marc Warburton sin-binned at a crucial stage of the game. It didn't seem to have too much of an effect though, and with 10 minutes to go DUFC took the lead when Francis Keane went over in the right-hand corner.

It was 20-15 at this stage and the glee club were about to start celebrating untl Belfield's McCarron hit back, equalising the score.

Outhalf Eoghan Hickey failed to make an easy penalty shot count in the final minute letting Trinity off the hook. The significace of his mis-kick was counterbalanced against Trinity's miss just before half time, so really the game could have gone either way.

When the whistle went the feeling was that of anti-climax. We'll have to save the UCD bashing for another year. This 1st division AIL match would be considered a very positive result for Trinity - earning themselves valuable league points whilst putting an end to UCD's ambition of getting to the top of division 1. DUFC are playing really well in their first year in division one and look as if they are there to stay. Incidently, just 8 out of the starting XV Colours team were registerd Trinity students which these days seems to be the norm in the era of professional IRFU rugby.

Anyway whatever the powers that be in DUFC are doing, it's working.

Scorers: DUFC - M. Garvey, F. Keane at try each; S. Mitchell 2 pens, 2 cons. UCD - R. McCarron try; E. Hickey 5 pens.

DUFC: S. Mitchell, P. Howard, F. Keane for B. Hastings (36), J. Quigley, B. Kinsella, D. Crotty, P. McCormick, N. Conlon, M Crckett, F. Ganier, M. Garvey, M. Warburton, E. Molloy, H. Hogan, J. Heaslip.

UCDRFC: R. McCarron, J. Norton, D. McKenna for K. Kennedy (72), M. Hastings, P. Brendin, E. Hickey, B. O'Riordan, B. Hall for J. Moran (55), D. Blaynes for C. Geoghegan (HT), K. Doyle, S. Crawford, C. Davis, N. Coughlan, K. McLoughlin for L. Burke (72), K. Croke.

Referee: O. Trevor (IRFU).

DUFC in action against UCD at Donnybrook stadium last Friday

Photo: Matt Pitt

First Race of the Season for the Boat Club at Blessington Roger Hamilton Apart from preparing for tonight’s Massacre party in Renards, the Boat Club were last week, busy doing what they do best: racing.

Blessington lake in Co. Wicklow was the perfect backdrop to a hugely successful day for rowing at Trinity College. It was a bitterly cold morning, however this was made up for by a perfectly flat mirror-like lake. The DULBC first VIII won the senior category with the second VIII winning the Intermediate category. This win was despite a clash with UCD Ladies and Colaiste Iognaid. There was only room for two of the three boats going under the bridge, but the much faster Trinity Ladies steamrolled their way through much to the annoyance of their competitors. Further success for DULBC included a win for Nicola Fitz-Simon (recent Pinks recipient) in the Intermediate single sculls category.

DUBC and Lady Elizabeth Boat Club, under Head Coach Tim Levy were also out to prove themselves in this first race of the season. The DUBC Senior VIII lost to Lady Elizabeth Boat Club by four seconds in the first race. Even after a substitution in the second race, the university club could not match their alumni counterparts, this time behind by five seconds. LEBC won the first of many battles that are anticipated between the two clubs this year – celebrations were short lived though when the graduates realised their time was just four seconds slower than Commercial Rowing Club’s winning time of the day. Commercial’s Senior VIII won the Irish Rowing Championships last July and are they out to demolish the competition again this year.

Training at Islandbridge has been tough although inconsistent and really has been stuttering along since October. Hopefully this loss will kick start the serious training amongst the senior squad who really were hoping to win last

Saturday.

The new first year Novices had their ever first race under new Novice Coach, Dave Cummins - a Trinity graduate, postgraduate in Physiology and recipient of two Senior Boat Club Colours. In their newly refurbished boat, they put in an excellent performance and gained much invaluable experience. Their second year novice counterparts though demolished the field winning the Novice VIII category easily. The DUBC Intermediate’s time was the fastest of the day winning them the Intermediate VIII title. The Novice Ladies could have had better luck and were beaten by UCD Boat Club who ironically are coached by the same coaches that coached the DULBC Novice squad last year.

For now though, it’s back to Islandbridge for the clubs and into the routine that is six days a week winter training. Preparations for the annual Christmas training camp at Cappoquin, Co. Waterford are well underway which serves to

keep the focus, break the monotony and keep everyone fit during that period. DU Boat Club have built up an excellent relationship with the local Cappoquin Rowing Club who each year allow use of their facilities. This good will is reciprocated each spring time when the Cappoquin rowers come to Trinity Regatta. There is still uncertainty as to whether the Regatta can go ahead this year, but the Trinity Regatta Committee have had their first meeting and are on the case.

The next race will be on the Lagan, Belfast early in the new year.

DUBC VIII – Stroke: R.M.H. Northridge, 7: G.I.J. Abingdon, 6: K.T. Devlin, 5: P.G. Laird, 4: E.O. Hynes, 3: R.N.T. Moore (Capt.), 2: D.J.R. Battye, Bow: S.E. Heary, Cox: S.E.P. Gold.

DULBC VIII – Stroke: N. Ronayne, 7: N. Fitz-Simon, 6: I. Unwin, 5: A. Walsh (Capt.), 4: R. Liu, 3: N. Sullivan, 2: L.J. Dorman, Bow: K. Lehmann-Sundnes, Cox: M. Dooley.

Fencing Club host Federation Foil Aoife Brown

The DUBC 2nd VIII at Blessington, Co. Wicklow

Photo: Matt Pitt

These past few weeks have been a rather busy time for Irish fencing, with many competitions happening at this time of year. This was especially true of the Dublin University Fencing Club who, last week, hosted not one but two fencing competitions. Just back from the Schull Novice Cup (held in Cork by UCC), DU Fencing Club lunged into preparations for

what was to be a very busy period.

The first of these competitions was the Federation Foil, an individual foil event that attracts competitors from across the country. It was held on Saturday 13th November in the Luce Sports Hall and a great day was had by all.

Competition was always going to be very tough with some of the best amateur fencers in Ireland in attendance. Despite the high standards, Trinity fencers did rather well - Nat O’Connor finished eighth in Men’s foil and Kate

Harvey came third in Ladies foil.

Jonathan Grossier also did particularly well, making the final of the Plate event.

The second competition hosted

by Trinity was the brand-new ‘Trinity Team Foil’ on Sunday November 14th last, which was also held in the Luce Hall. The event ran very smoothly, a tribute to the Committee and the huge amount of organisation that was involved. Two Trinity teams took part in the Men’s competition and three in the Ladies. In the end, the

inaugural Trinity Team Foil was won by Pembroke Fencing Team in both Men’s and Women’s foil, with UCD coming second in Men’s Foil. The Trinity 1 team (Kate Harvey (captain), Mélanie Bouroche and Emeline Le Prince) came second in the Ladies foil.

Despite the mediocre performances, the hugely successful Trinity Team Foil looks set to become an annual event on the Irish Fencing Calender. Forthcoming events for the club include the Derry Open and the Irish Open.