Trinity News issue 6

SUNNIER SKIES COSIMA GLAISTER PONDERS A YEAR ABROAD FEATURES 11

DAN O’CALLAGHAN GETS MYSTICAL SPORT FEATURES 21

Two

FOUR BIRDS IN FLIGHT CLOUD CASTLE LAKE TALK TO KARL MCDONALD

TRINITY NEWS Est 1953

Junior Dean investigates DU Ski Trip

RAG Week raises over €12,000 On Tuesday, ‘Pie your Sabbats’ saw the five Student Union sabbatical officers standing in Front Square to receive a barrage of pies from anyone willing to donate. Onlookers, including a group of perplexed tourists, hollered in delight with every successfully administered pie splatter.

One of the most popular events of the week was the infamous Iron Stomach competition. Wednesday afternoon drew a sizable and expectant crowd at Front Square.

From drinking four litres of milk to eating from nappies, contestants were determined to see the event to the end,

Caitriona Murphy College News Editor

REPORTS OF damage to property and destructive behavior following the DU Snow Sports Club trip are to be investigated by the Junior Dean.

The trip took place in the week before classes recommenced.

The group, which consisted of 350 students, travelled to the Wasteland Ski resort in Les Deux Alpes, a popular resort in France. Students stayed at the resort for a week, until their trip was cut short due to defacements to the property. Other Trinity and UCD students seperate from the trip were also staying at the resort.

Sources speaking to Trinity News said that the walls of the property were written on and swastika symbols, which are illegal in France, were drawn by students, some of whom were not part of the DUSSC group.

Fire hoses were also sprayed at groups of students. One source said the destruction was carried out by a small number of people and compared their behavior to “bullying”.

Following the damage, the group were asked to leave several hours early, resulting in the loss of one day of skiing. Pictures uploaded to the internet showed rooms in disarray and names written on the walls, including the name of the TCDSU President, Nikolai Trigoub-Rotnem, who was also on the trip, but who says he did not write the name himself.

Students were handed a “first warning” letter from the Wasteland Ski resort, stating that the group as a whole was “too noisy” and that “there is significant damage to and rubbish scattered in the hallways”.

Trinity News learned of a “spendathon” that took place between some Trinity and UCD students.

T h e letter went on to state that the gendarmarie had been notified and would be keeping an eye on the area.

Students were warned that further misbehavior would result in their ejection from the resort and penalities being imposed.

Wasteland Ski confirmed to Trinity News that there had been damage to the property, but that a full report would not be compiled until next week. There were hopes from students that a refund might be made available as a result of their missed day of skiing.

Trinity News also learned of a “spendathon” that took place between some Trinity and UCD students.

Students competed to see who could spend or waste the most money, and carried out stunts such as smoking and eating money, buying rounds for everyone at the bar, and paying a barman to tie shoelaces. In a Youtube video, one inebriated student, thought to be from UCD, spoke about throwing his iPod off the side of the mountain.

Continued on page 2 

“We have finally found a formula with which Trinity RAG Week can grow”

SS Communications Officer Tom Lowe, left, and Student Union President Nikolai Trigoub-Rotnem get cream-pied to raise money for RAG Week’s selected charities. Photo by Caitriona Murphy

Kalle Korpela Contributing Reporter

RAG WEEK 2011 kicked off as College returned after the Christmas break.

The week involved students raising money for the VDP, VTP, S2S, Suas,

FLAC, Amnesty, Cancer Soc, and the Student Hardship Fund.

This year’s Rag Week took a different approach to previous weeks, with students encouraged to set up individual projects in order to raise money. The Trinity Ents team also

scheduled a week’s worth of events to encourage the student body to donate.

Kicking off the week, Monday afternoon saw live music being played in the Junior Common Room, followed by the Three Legged pub crawl in the evening.

eliminated after each round by the audience.

Further entertainment on Thursday and Friday took place in the form of the Beer Olympics, a Slave auction held in the Pav, and a scantily clad Fun Run. But in the end the Rag Ball with Republic of the Loose, Bipolar Empire and Killer Chloe stole the show by putting on a spectacular performance.

Throughout the week various individuals carried out their own charity events including Rachel Barry’s Gumball challenge, Ents Officer Darragh Genockey dressing as Mario, Ryan Bartlett swimming 20km in the Trinity pool and Jenny Doyle doing a 51.5km Triathlon trek.

Genockey called the week a success, with initial counts showing that over €12,000 was raised for charity.

He praised the new format for RAG week saying, “we have finally found a formula with which Trinity RAG Week Continued on page 2 

Ó Broin steps down from USI position Mairead Cremins Staff Reporter

CÓNÁN Ó Broin, a former President of TCD Students’ Union, has stepped down from his position as Deputy President of the Union of Students of Ireland.

The announcement was made last weekend in IT Sligo, where Ó Broin made his farewell speech. “As a result of an offer that has been made to me “I spent weeks talking about this with the closest people in my life” over the Christmas break which is directly related to the outcome of the General Election, a conflict of interest now exists between my duties and responsibilities as Deputy President of USI and what is in my own personal interest.”

He went on to say, “I have spoken

with my family and closest friends about this situation over the past number of weeks and, after much contemplation, the decision which I have come to is that, in the best interest of USI, in the best interest of the COs, in the best interest of the current officer board and in order to allow USI to conduct an unquestionably impartial General Election campaign which is entirely transparent, I will step down as Deputy President of USI”.

The announcement was a source of shock for many and Ó Broin later stated: “I will be working on the General Election Campaign of Cllr.

Robert Dowds of the Labour Party in my home constituency of Dublin MidWest. Election 2011 is going to be one of the most important in Irish history, and Robert Dowds is genuinely one of the most honest, hardworking and honourable people I have ever met. I will be doing everything I can to help him to get elected to the 31st Dáil.”

The former USI Deputy President believes the entire political system is in

SS O’Broin has quit USI to promote Cllr.

Robert Dowds for election

need of urgent reform, and he wants to be pro-active in bringing that change about. “Over the last 18 months I have been lobbying Government Ministers and TDs of every party on a weekly basis on behalf of students, and my honest opinion after that time is that our political system is broken and

needs to be fundamentally reformed.

We don’t just need to change who is in Government, we also have to change how Ireland is governed. Only Labour has actually committed to doing that through a coherent policy, and I believe that Eamon Gilmore is the only credible leader who can actually deliver the reform that is so badly needed”, he added. Ó Broin stresses that it was not a decision that was taken lightly, “I spent weeks talking about this with the closest people in my life and it took many days of quiet contemplation before I was sure of the course of action to take.”

He said that he was sorry he was not finishing out his term, but to do so would “seriously damage the integrity and reputation” of the USI as an organisation.

“I am bowing out of student politics after a year and a half of involvement.

It has been a great time in my life, and I will look back with some great memories”, he added.

Vol 57

Issue 6

25 January, 2011

2 NEWS THIS FORTNIGHT THEY SAID

“It puts us in a very difficult position”

“The report’s conclusions would receive a D mark”

TCDSU President Nikolai TrigoubRotnem on the cuts to Student Centre funding

Labour’s Ruairi Quinn comments on the Hunt Report

COMPILED BY CAITRIONA MURPHY

“Drugs, smoking and drink are passions that can lead to destruction”

“It is simply unbelievable that less than 5% of the rubble has been removed”

“It has been a great time in my life” Cónán Ó Broin on stepping down from his USI position

Mike Williams, head of Trocaire, on the situation in Haiti

Mark Reed of ‘Heaven Media’ on whether gaming is dangerous

NUMEROLOGY

500/1 Odds offered by bookmakers Paddy Power for Ireland to win this year’s Cricket World Cup in South Asia

218 million Tonnes of oil that oligarch, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, has been charged with stealing by the Russian authorities

8%

The annual growth rate that China needs annually to keep pace with new graduates entering the workforce

Ski resort damaged Continued from page 1 

The DUSSC refused to comment on the trip, except to state that a formal report had been submitted to the College from which reporters could draw information. However, the Communications Office stated that they did not have any report to give to the press.

The College did comment that “Trinity College takes matters of student conduct very seriously. The Junior Dean is currently investigating

a series of alleged incidents which took place at Les Deux Alpes resort in which members of the Dublin University Snow Sports Club were staying, as well as other Trinity students, independent of the DUSSC trip, and other Irish students.” It went on to say that “In the event that Trinity students perpetrated certain alleged acts, they will be duly disciplined, and sanctions will be imposed.”

Two Trinity students were also injured on the trip but are believed to be recovering in hospital.

SS The L2A resort in France where the group stayed

Like what you see? Rescheduled Open Day in Trinity goes off without a hitch

1,300

Aoife Crowley Editor

The number of liquor licences in the State that have been allowed to lapse in the last five years.

350

The number of students on the DSCC ski trip

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CORRECTION In our previous issue, a teaser on page one referred to a Prof. Colin Kearney. We did of course mean Prof. Colm Kearney.

Trinity News regrets the error.

Players to go Wilde

SS Secondary school students from across the country came to Trinity this weekend to attend the rescheduled Open Day. Students were able to attend introductory lectures given by various departments and talk to course coordinators at stands set up across campus. Campus tours, laboratory tours and demonstrations, and tours of the Sports Centre and the libaries were also offered.

FOR THE first time, Players, in conjection with the Philosophical Society, will be holding a week-long festival dedicated to Oscar Wilde.

Kicking off with the Trials of Oscar Wilde on the Monday, the festival will run through Week 3 of this term.

Other highlights include a colours debate between UCD and Trinity on Wilde versus Joyce, and two seperate stage versions of The Importance of Being Earnest.

The Happy Prince will also be showing in the Beckett Theatre for the duration of the festival. Matt Smyth of Players also hopes to put on a number of workshops.

Both Declan Meehan, head of the Phil, and Smyth expressed their surprise that such a festival had not been previously organised in Trinity.

Most of the events are free, except those being shown in the Beckett Theatre. Players and the Phil will be announcing a final timetable for the event in the coming days.

Famous faces to teach at Trinity Una Kelly Staff Reporter

TRINITY HAS appointed a number of world renowned writers, actors, directors, composers and creative technologists among others to lead its dynamic new initiative in the Creative Arts, Technologies and Culture.

Among the appointments are composer Bill Whelan, most famous for Riverdance; award winning playwright Michael West; famous author of the Discworld series Terry Pratchett and Disney Research Director, Jessica Hodgkins. They will be giving masterclasses to Trinity students and undertaking collaborative research as part of their adjunct professorships and lectureships over the next three years.

The new appointments are part of an initiative launched by Trinity last year which aims to develop a creative arts, technology and culture network in Dublin catalysed by Trinity College.

The concept is to build upon the College’s academics in the arts and sciences, linking them together with the creative practitioner and the wider creative industry while promoting

exchange of ideas across a variety of disciplines.

Six ‘flagship areas’ have been identified: creative writing; dramatic arts; music composition; creative technologies; visual arts and cultural heritage.

“These adjunct appointments will bring the world of academia and creative practice closer together.”

Already Trinity is strongly developed in several of these areas, with the world famous Oscar Wilde Centre for Irish writing. New networks such as the Lir Centre for dramatic arts and the Centre for Composition have been established.

Commenting on the initiative and contribution the appointments will make in their new roles, Provost, Dr. John Hegarty said, “These adjunct appointments will bring the world of academia and creative practice closer together while at the same time reinforcing the great traditional values of the university. There is enormous

potential benefit for Dublin city and Ireland in forging the new connections promoted under our creative initiative.

This is but a first step.”

THE NEW FACES Novelist, Sir Terry Pratchett Poet/Publisher, Peter Fallon Literary Agent/Editor, Jonathon Williams Music Composer/Producer, Bill Whelan Music Composer, Gerald Barry Music Composer, Kevin Volans Director of Disney Research (Pittsburgh), Jessica K.Hodgins Principal Researcher in Microsoft Research (Seattle), Curtis Wong Co-founder of Havok and Kore Virtual Machines, Steve Collins Science Gallery Founding Director, Michael John Gorman Founder of visual effects software company, The Foundry, Simon Robinson Artist & Dean of GradCAM, Mick Wilson Playwright, Michael West

SS A mixture of coffee beans, radishes and pickled cabbage which the Iron Stomach competitors ate

RAG Week a success Continued from page 1 

can grow and raise more for charity.”

He commented that “Collaborative Ents is something I believe will feature heavily in the future of Trinity Ents and could change the entire dynamic of entertainment in Trinity College.”

Daniel Farrell of the VDP was also very pleased with the amount of money raised during the week. A definative final figure will be announced over the course of this week.

TRINITY NEWS

3 news@trinitynews.ie

PUZZLES COMPILED BY CONOR O’TOOLE ACROSS 1. Beat, pulsate. (5) 6. A series of images used to portray a humorous narrative. (5) 9. Pear-shaped green or blackish tropical fruit with a single large seed. (7) 10. A doubly fictional animated mouse who repeatedly kills his feline co-star. (5) 11. Deep serving spoon. (5) 12. An unevenly spherical eccentric. (7) 14. Deciduous tree from the Ulmaceae family. (3) 15. Megalithic tomb comprising of a large capstone supported by upright stones.(6)

19. Adjacent to. (6) 22. Reparation for a wrong-doing.

(9) 23. A fibber. (4) 24. Mamma Mia, a Sweedish pop group! (4) 25. One who lives off scraps. (9) 28. Do them a particular way. (6) 30. The act of vommiting, chundering. (6) 33. A mineral containing metal, such as iron. (3) 35. By its rivers we sat, wept, and thought of Zion. (7) 36. Speak Wales in Welsh. (5) 37. So peculiar it could not have come from this planet! (5) 38. Imagine, or surmise to be the case. (7) 39. Cards used by fortune tellers.

(5) 40. More, surplus. (5)

Academics defend right to tenure

DOWN

17. Low-lying grassy wetland. (5) 18. Man, do they ever settle!? (5) 19. A light, yellowish brown. (5) 20. Gaze intently. (5) 21. This race was previously the Order of Merit in golf. (5) 26. Burn, catch fire. (7) 27. Come forth, from a source. (7) 28. Symbolic figure adopted by a team believed to bring good luck.

(6) 29. A shudder, from fear say. (6) 31. Sis, tad twisted how you smile when I cry. (6) 32. Division of a poem. (6) 33. Grossly overweight. (5) 34. Seasonal unemployment after the holidays is an inevitability every year for these workers so it’s little consolation they’re not the only ones out of work this time around... (5)

1. Three-legged object. (6) 2. The backward jerk of a gun when fired. (6) 3. A blade attached to the end of a rifle. (7) 4. A large group or swarm. (5) 5. A woman of refinement, who may employ women of negotiable affecton. (5) 6. An Irish girl in America. (7) 7. Wealthy family of merchants who helped the Italian Renaissance to flourish under their rule in Florence. (6) 8. Day nursery for young children.

(6) 13. Small dark pickable fruit. (9) 16. Mediterranean fruit from which a cooking oil can be obtained. (5)

Annual Iron Stomach competitors decorate Front Square cobbles with vomit

Suspended sentence for law student

Aine Pennello

Aine Pennello

Staff Reporter

Staff reporter

“WHAT WE have here is a situation where the lunatics have taken over the asylum.” So began Kevin Farrell, executive member of the Teachers’ Union of Ireland, as he addressed academics at a public meeting in the Gresham Hotel on Saturday afternoon.

The meeting, announced in a letter published in the Irish Times, was called to protect academic freedom and tenure in third-level institutions against proposed changes to the Croke Park agreement.

Following the opening address, in which academic freedom and tenure were described as a “healthy part of Irish democracy”, a man who identified himself as Brendan Moran spoke out against the audience saying he was “furious” to see the letter printed in the Irish Times.

Moran explained that his son, who had been educated in Ireland and MIT,

TRINITY COLLEGE law student Cian O’Concubhair has received a five-year suspended sentence for operating a cannabis factory in his home in Kinvara, Co. Galway.

The twenty-five year old had been growing cannabis in a shed behind his rental accommodation for a year before he was caught by gardai in March 2009.

Garda Paul McWalter said 72 cannabis plants had been found inside the shed along with 13 plants and 75 saplings in a tent inside the house. The plants were estimated to have a street value of almost €50,000 and a bi-annual crop value of €30,000. At the time the accused, from Liscannor Co. Clare, had dropped out of university and was working as a stonemason.

At a hearing in December 2010 O’Concubhair told the Galway Circuit Criminal Court he had bought cannabis seeds from a head shop in Dublin and purchased instructional books and DVDs to learn how to grow the plant.

Defence barrister Conal McCarthy told the courts his client had used the drugs only to feed his own acute addiction and that of ten friends and family.

McCarthy said O’Concubhair had not sold the drugs to anyone else and had since gone back to university to study law and was now drug-free.

O’ Concubhair pleaded guilty to charges of possessing cannabis of a €50,000 street value on December 14, 2010. The accused was remanded in custody over Christmas until January 11 when the five-year suspended sentence was decided.

Judge Raymond Groarke decided not to impose the minimum ten-year sentence required under Section 15(A) of the Criminal Justice Act, 1999 since O’ Concubhair had not been selling drugs on the market.

“Your chosen path as a lawyer must be considerably prejudiced by this conviction,” he said to O’Concubhair in December.

“I feel they need to pay me for every hour I breathe.” – UCD Lecturer Prof.

Mary Gallagher had been unsuccessful in obtaining a union position within the third-level education sector. “I hope the next government will – although I doubt it – have the balls to take you on,” Moran stated before abruptly leaving the conference.

The incident sparked debate amongst audience speakers, who cited Moran as a prime example of the attitude to be faced in the “PR war”.

Dr. Geraldine Moane, a UCD Senior Lecturer, said the idea of tenure needed to be corrected from one of “freedom to sit around” to “freedom of thought”, highlighting the difficulties of research for those with part-time or insecure contracts. “Money is the source of freedom,” another UCD lecturer argued.

Other educationalists defended their right to academic tenure by recalling the hardship encountered in becoming an educationalist in the first place: being the top of one’s undergraduate class, going to the best possible graduate school, writing a thesis and conducting research only to compete with hundreds of others for a handful of positions.

Associate Professor of French Studies at UCD Mary Gallagher said educationalists were entitled to the privileges, since the job of the academic is never finished. “I feel they need to pay me for every hour I breathe,” said Gallagher who argued the possibility of any material or interaction in daily life to generate academic research and thought.

Senator David Norris was also in attendance “to show solidarity, to show I am with you,” he said as he addressed the crowd. The conference was brought to a close as academics from various universities and institutes of technologies agreed to follow UCD’s example of petitioning against the changes to their respective governing bodies.

25 January, 2011

SS Photo: Kristin Nilsson

STUDENTS gathered in Front Square this week to witness the ever popular Iron Stomach competition.

Hosted by the Sci-fi Soc, contestants lined up to consume various bizarre and disgusting concoctions.

Contestants made it through a piece of bread soaked in mouthwash,

eating out of nappies and thick mixtures of tabasco, coffee grounds, pickled onions and the like in cups.

Two competitors also took part in a milk drinking race, where they had to drink 4 litres in quick succession.

Most of the milk made its way back up again on to the pavement, where it

remained hours afterwards.

The comeptitors were also forced to down a non-alcoholic beer, do ten star jumps and then run to the dining hall steps and back, just to get the stomachs churning.

Caitriona Murphy

Student centre loses funding Caitriona Murphy

providing

a

further

€7

million.

College News Editor

THE PLANNED Trinity College Student Centre has received a setback after the Trinity Foundation cut its proposed funding in half. The plans were close to the point of being finalised before the cut was announced in what Students’ Union President Nikolai Trigoub-Rotnem called a “massive kick in the face”.

The primary source of funding for the centre is a proposed student levy which will come to a figure of around €500 million over a number of years.

College will then provide €10 million with the Trinity Foundation originally

This funding cut is “a massive kick in the face”, according to SU President Nikolai Trigoub-Rotnem However, the Foundation stated this week what they would be forced to reduce their contribution to €3.5 million, leaving students to pick up the rest of the bill.

Furthermore, College was then pressurising students to underwrite the money that the Foundation were proposing should they not be able to

pay even the €3.5 million. However the Provost Dr. John Hegarty assured Trigoub-Rotnem the College would cover this amount should the situation arise.

The setback comes after TrigoubRotnem delivered a positive report just at the third SU Council. He will now have to return with these new figures as the student referendum on the issue draws closer. The referendum will be held in conjunction with the SU elections in February, if it passes a vote in the next Student Union Council.

“It was pretty bad (the Foundation) left it to this very last moment” said Trigoub-Rotnem. “It puts us in a very difficult position.”

Student Support Bill advances in the Seanad Una Kelly Staff Reporter

THE STUDENT support bill finally reached the second stage of its passing into law when it was debated in the Seanad on Wednesday 12th January.

The bill is part of Fianna Fáil’s legislative and administrative reform of the student grants system and will streamline the process of a student applying for and receiving their grant in a timely manner.

The late payments of grants cause severe difficulties for both students and their parents. In some cases students who had been told they had received a grant did not have payment until as late in the academic year as May – far too late to pay rent and cover basic living expenses.

A number of reasons explain the inefficiency of the current system. First, the fragmented structure: there are 66

bodies awarding third level grants in a country as small as Ireland, creating a process hindered with much more paperwork than would be necessary if all the information were consolidated into one main entity. Secondly, the huge surge in applications in recent years has proved to be a challenge for the grant awarding authorities. Around 70, 000 students are in receipt of grants compared to 50, 000 ten years ago, and that number is set to rise due to the changing economic situation.

The bill which aims to solve these problems through a number of measures, including the creation of a single grant awarding body, was first published nearly three years ago in February 2008. It was subject to many delays due to various Cabinet reshuffles; there have been two changes of Education and Skills Minister in the intervening period. In order for a bill to be passed it must go through three

stages: first the relevant committee, then the Seanad, followed by the Daíl.

The Student Support Bill finally came up before the Education and Skills committee just before last Christmas.

It was at this point TCDSU stepped up a campaign to ensure the bill’s passing. “We were very conscious “We were very conscious of the impending general election” Rachel Barry of the impending general election, and were very worried not about people supporting the bill, but about politicians using it as a political tool to further stick the nail into the Fianna Fáil coffin,” says Rachel Barry, Assistant Campaigns Officer. “The problem being of course, that if it didn’t

go through before the general election we would be back at square one.”

Consequently all members of the SU’s executive committee were asked to contact the Education and Skills committee members to set out their campaign position. This resulted in the bill being passed through the committee.

Barry describes her involvement at this point: “I went to the faculty assemblies in the arts block to inform reps to contact me, or get their class to contact me, if they were interested in lobbying TDs, the thinking being that it would have more impact if there was someone from their constituency lobbying them. I think I had a pretty good response.”

Undoubtedly it has; the Student Support Bill reached the second stage when it was debated in the Seanad on Wednesday 12th January and is another step closer to becoming law.

4 NEWS ENGINEERING

Engineering pact with Europe and China THE SCHOOL of Engineering this week signed a partnership agreement with top universities in Europe and China. The deal will offer greater opportunities and research sharing for students of engineering. Students will now have the chance to do placements in the Universities involved in the plan.

Margaret O’ Mahoney, Head of the School of Engineering welcomed the partnership, stating that “TCD Engineering is currently the only Irish university in the top 100 Engineering Schools in the world.

This achievement has opened many doors for us and one of them is this significant collaboration between TCD Engineering and the top Engineering Schools in Europe and China. It offers important opportunities in Europe and China for our students.”

The memorandum is entitled “A Memorandum of Understanding for Cooperation in Engineering between the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China and the CLUSTER” Caitriona Murphy

TCD Librarian honoured with award Kate Walsh Contributing Reporter

AS OF December 2010, George Clooney, Mika, and Bob Dylan share something in common with Dr. Charles Benson, Keeper of Early Printed Books in the College Library. It is not an Oscar or “It is the Library that matters, I’m only passing through” – Dr Charles Benson, TCD Librarian a Grammy, but it does carry the same level of prestige. All of the above are part of an impressive array, comprising scholars, writers, film directors, and even a mime artist, who have received the coveted honour of becoming Chevaliers de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.

The award is presented in

recognition of diligent and unwavering contribution to French culture, predominantly in the field of art and literature. Dr. Benson has been accredited in particular for his work to improve the resources for the study of French in Trinity; The Library’s extensive collection of French drama, including over 4,000 imprints from the 1580s to 1830, is one of the largest collections in Europe outside of France.

In its totality, the pre-1830 anthology of French material collected by the Library over the past twenty years amounts to 26,000 items. I went to ask Dr. Benson if he had read them all: ‘The best thing about Trinity is its library...Unfortunately, there are so many books I haven’t even opened.’

Dr. Benson’s office is aptly located above the Book of Kells in the Old Library; its spectacular setting among shelves upon shelves and rows upon rows of exquisite and captivating books is fitting for a man of such intrigue.

Dr. Benson began his career in Trinity as a student of General Studies – doing ‘a bit of everything’.

Not always intent on a career of books and manuscripts, after graduating he went on to work in industry.

However, the allure of Trinity never left him, and he returned in 1969, together with a job offer. By 1988, Dr. Benson had worked his way up the ranks and was made Keeper of Early Printed Books, a position he will retain until his retirement at the end of September. Speaking of his work as Keeper, he asserts that, along with an ambitious and eager team, there are such opportunities to excite people; it is this potential to enliven, to enrich that he enjoys most about the job. Dr. Benson’s intelligence and eloquence were notable, along with his modesty in accepting the award. Although ‘chuffed’ by the award, he reiterated that it was not honouring him alone, but also the work of his predecessors

Hist-erical Tiernan visits College

ENTERTAINMENT

Ents host discussion night in Swift theatre IN A new entertainment initiative, Trinity Ents is hosting an open discussion in conjunction with the LGBT and Law Soc. The open discussion will be delivered by Katherine Zappone and Ann Louise Gilligan and will focus around the issue of Civil Partnership. The discussion will take place at 6 pm on Thursday, 27 January, in the Swift theatre.

Caitriona Murphy

MEDICINE

Teaching Agreement for Medicine THE SCHOOL of Medicine and Peamount, which delivers health and social care services to the community, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding which will allow both institutions to cooperate in teaching and research, and provide undergraduate and postgraduate training and education in medicine.

Peamount is an independent, voluntary organisation that works in partnership with the HSE to provide rehabilitation services for the elderly in addition to continuing care for young persons with a disability, adults with intellectual disability and respiratory illnesses.

Peamount and TCD have set up a Joint Education Training and Research Advisory Group, to examine collaboration between the institutions in medicine, nursing and allied health professions, with a view to developing undergraduate and post graduate education and research opportunities which will meet Peamount’s Rehabilitation and Continuing Care objectives. “The teaching agreement between Peamount and TCD’s School of Medicine is an extremely positive step towards achieving our vision of a Centre of Excellence in Rehabilitation and Continuing Care” commented Peamount Chief Executive, Robin Mullan.

Trinity’s Head of School of Medicine and Vice Provost for Medical Affairs, Professor Dermot Kelleher said “We are delighted to enter into this partnership with Peamount with respect to teaching and research.

We see the synergies between the Peamount tradition of excellence in rehabilitation, and TCD’s focus in providing enormous opportunities to benefit patient outcomes.” The Memorandum of Understanding was signed between both institutions.

Meadhbh McHugh

and colleagues in the Library over the past 300 years.

‘It is the Library that matters, I’m only passing through.”

SS Tommy Tiernan spoke to an eager crowd in the GMB last week. Photo courtesy of Fintan Mallory

Hetty Hughes Contributing Reporter

WINNER OF the 2006 “Ireland’s Funniest Living Person Award” Tommy Tiernan addressed a packed Chamber in the GMB on 20th January, whilst taking time out from

his sell out run at Vicar Street. This renowned and incredibly gifted comic entertained the room as a guest of the Hist for over an hour, with tales about his childhood, education, stand-up experience and even his children.

After confessing to the crowd about being incredibly nervous about

speaking that day, Tiernan went on to explain the “lethal” nature of his profession.

Tiernan, a passionate speaker, regaled the audience with anecdotes of his experiences on the comedy circuit.

An altercation over material with Des Bishop, blaming a bad gig on Andrew

Maxwell along with descriptions of how different countries and even counties received his comedy were a few of the stories he gave in response to the audience’s probing questions.

Tiernan also humbly confessed to preferring a smaller, more intimate performance setting as it makes “more magic possible” between him and the audience. As a well-seasoned professional, Tiernan attributes his success to a true love for the “simple, most wonderful art form” that he considers stand-up comedy to be.

Inevitably, the controversial aspects of his humour came to the forefront.

In 2009 Tiernan gave an infamous response in a pre-performance interview regarding anti-Semitism, a response he confessed almost stopped his career dead. At the time, Archbishop Diarmud Martin described tiernan’s comments as “offensive to all who feel revulsion concerning the Holocaust, one of the most horrific events in human history”.

Tiernan described how he used to “delight” in verbalising the greatest source of tension in the room in order to gain a reaction. Today however he can make light of the situation, affirming that the Jewish community had every right to be concerned over his remarks: “After the trouble they’ve had, you’d be worried too!”

For a man refused entry to the priesthood due to his lack of academic success, Tiernan gave every impression of being a highly intelligent, shrewd and discerning professional. His run at Vicar Street has currently sold over 21,000 tickets.

Volunteer exhibit shows student contribution Hetty Hughes Contributing Reporter

THE STUDENT contribution to voulunteer work was highlighted at the ‘We Volunteer!’ exhibition which took place last week.

Over half of Trinity students contribute more than 11 hours of their spare time every week to volunteer programmes.

This volunteering takes place throughout various societies, community organisations and publications within the college “Very interesting indeed” Provost John Hegarty commenting on the exhbition community for a wide range of causes.

However this thriving volunteer spirit is not exclusive to Trinity. Rather, it is a trend mirrored in numerous higher educational institutes across the country.

The week long exhibition “We Volunteer!”, that ran from 17-23 January in the Berkeley Lecky Ussher Library.

The exhibition was designed to display the contribution made by students to charities. It was produced by Starlight, and aimed not only to recognise the outstanding achievements of the twenty featured students, but to inspire current students to get involved in this, the European Year of Volunteering.

On Wednesday 19 January the Provost visited the exhibition, and proclaimed it to be “very interesting indeed”. Twenty full length posters, set up in two rows back-to-back, showed pictures of the selected volunteers and a small paragraph about nature of their work.

The types of volunteering ranged from teaching English and Maths in Haiti with Volunteers Overseas, to caring for children with Autism in Limerick with St. Joseph’s Foundation, or working at a medical centre in Vietnam alongside the Christina Noble Children’s Foundation, or presenting a radio show at a hospital in Tipperary.

Linda Curran, a Trinity College student selected for the exhibition for her work in Dublin providing harm reduction materials for sex workers,

walked with the Provost around the exhibition and answered many of his questions.

Ms. Curran told the Provost about how the selection process worked, how long the exhibition would be in Trinity for and the Universities and Colleges who participated.

The “We Volunteer!” exhibition sowed both the diversity of volunteering programmes and types of people involved, and notably, what the participants said they gained from their experiences. A few of their responses included a revaluation of their preconceptions, new communication skills and more confidence. Ross O’Neill from the Dublin Institute of Technology said it gave him a completely new mentality, causing him to ask himself: “What can I do to make a difference?”.

The exhibition was officially launched in the National Library of Ireland on January 24th and is currently being displayed nationwide as well as in many European locations.

TRINITY NEWS

5 news@trinitynews.ie

Trinity News football team storm to victory over a brave opposition

TCD research is “deficient” Meadhbh McHugh and Mairead Cremins Deputy News Editor and Staff Reporter

THE EXTERNAL reviews of the Schools of Genetics and Microbiology and of Nursing and Midwifery reveal underfunding across the board and issues with female representation. The reviews took place in 2010 with final version of the reports just released.

The School of Genetics and Microbiology report revealed that “there are several issues that require the attention of the College and the School” some of which are “exacerbated by the current economic climate.”

Lack of Virology teaching is “a serious deficiency” according to the report.

SS The University Times Galacticos bow under the pressure. Photo by Martin McKenna

Caitriona Murphy Colege News Editor

THE UNIVERITY TIMES and Trinity News faced off last week in the name of charity. As part of the Rag week celebrations, Trinity’s two leading newspapers went head to head in a five-a-side football match.

In the bitter cold, team captains

Cathal Wogan and Tom Lowe coached their teams in what proved to be a tight match, cheered on by non-sporting members of the two editorial teams.

The match rules proved to be highly contested as no one remembered to assign a referee and the first goal of the match, scored by the TN team, was disallowed.

At half-time there was still no clear

Hist team hits 5th in World debating Alex Canepa Contributing Reporter

TWO TEAMS representing the Trinity College Historical Society reached the Octo-Finals at this December’s World Universities Debating Championships in Botswana; only the fifth and sixth Trinity Teams to have done so in the tournament’ history.

There were over 300 teams competing in the world championships in Botswana. Of these, two were from Trinity College. The first team, Hist A, comprised of Niamh Ní Mhaoileoin and Catherine Murphy.

They finished 5th overall with Niamh Ní Mhaoileoin garnering a “Both teams made very strong showings.”

Kate Oliver, of the Hist B team. ranking of 8th best overall debater.

The Hist B team comprised of Anthony McDonnell and Kate Oliver. Hist B gained 32nd place overall.

Commenting on the debate, Hist B member Kate Oliver commented, “I am so happy, both teams made very strong showings.”

Both Oliver and Ní Mhaoileoin attributed the Hist teams’ strong showings to exhaustive training prior to the competition.

Laughing, Ní Mhaoileoin recalls, “It was exhausting. In the months leading up to World Debating Tournament,

25 January, 2011

we researched a lot of Social Policy and International Relations topics.

We also had to familiarize ourselves with current events because you never know what subjects are going to come up.”

Oliver and Ní Mhaoileoin also stressed the role that the tutalage of experienced debater and former Phil president Ruth Faller played in the success of both teams.

“Ruth Faller is amazing. She worked with us last term and added structure and experience to our preparations that had been lacking in previous years,” said Oliver.

Recent successes, including this winter’s World Championships, have served to cement Trinity’s (and Ireland’s) place among the top of the world debating circuit.

“Along with Australia and England, Ireland is considered one of the strongest regions for competitive debating,” commented Ní Mhaoileoin.

Ní Mhaoileoin won the ‘Irish Times Debating Competition’ last year, which she still considers her “most significant achievement” in university debating.

Following the Botswana tournament, both the Hist and the Phil are currently undergoing preparations to host the Trinity intervarsity, which is Ireland’s largest debating tournament.

The competition will take place from Thursday January 27 to 29.

MORE ON THE WORLD DEBATING CHAMPIONSHIPS SEE PAGE 7

leader, but the second half of the match proved crucial. Both teams scored one goal apiece before the University Times Galactico’s gained a 2-1 lead.

However, the Trinity News team regrouped and took affirmative action.

In the final few minutes of the game, Trinity News scored an impressive two goals and thus, achieved victory. The final score was 3-2.

A lack of Virology, the study of viruses, has been called “a serious deficiency in the research profile of the School.” The report went on to recommend that “hiring a relatively senior Virologist in the School should be made a top priority for the College.”

In addition to filling an important teaching need, ‘the potential emergence of viral pandemics, such as SARS and Swine Flu, as well as the ongoing HIV crisis, has made virology a high profile discipline.” The School has obtained assurance from the Faculty Dean that it is “first in the queue” for such a post.

The report also recommended that the College decision not to provide startup funds for staff should be changed so to attract the best candidates for the position.

The School also needs to address the low number of women faculty when making future Staff appointments, with only three female staff out of 23 staff members, none of whom are full Professors, albeit the fraction of female students is considerably higher.

Taught masters programmes at the School, of which there are none at present, “could bring in much

needed revenue in this period of tight resources” the report suggests.

The School says they will keep this option under review but judge that “such courses would bring more disadvantages than advantages to the school at present.”

The report also indicated that financial resources are a serious issue for the School, with the School operating with a deficit budget. The report called for College to recognise pre-existing high performance of the School and reward it in the baseline funding of any new resource allocation model.

The report found that overall the grouping of the former departments of Genetics and Microbiology into a single school was working well with standards of teaching and research remaining high.

In the School of Nursing and Midwifery, the review team said that they would like to commend the School for the tremendous progress that has been made over the past eight years.

“We were impressed by the enthusiasm of both staff and research students and by their level of commitment to advancing the research agenda.”

The report states that financial resources are a serious issue in the School of The team also noted the increase in the number of postgraduate students, with 60 students currently registered.

A number of recommendations were made in the report, among which were that the school should consider giving educational research a stronger emphasis.

They suggested that the school could consider a review of theoretical assessments and reduce the load for assessment. The school should also seek to establish a more visible presence in clinical areas perhaps by establishing centres of excellence, they added.

Potential candidates for Students’ Union election revealed Nominations for the five sabbatical Students Union positions are now closed. Below are the candidates for each sabbatical position, correct at the time of going to print.

Each nominee will campaign for a paid, sabbatical position in the

Students’ Union. The elections for all positions will be held on the 15th to 17th February 2011. Every registered student will get a vote in the elections, and voting polls will be operating throughout Trinity. Voting is currently in the form of the Single Transferable Vote,

where candidates are ordered by preference.

Watch out for the Election Special in the next issue of Trinity News, which will have the latest news and interviews with this year’s candidates. Campaigning starts at 11pm on Sunday 6th February.

PRESIDENT 1. Sebastian Le Coq, JS TSM 2. Aaron Heffernan, JS TSM 3. Ryan Bartlett, JS TP

ENTERTAINMENTS

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

4. Elaine McDaid, SS Law 5. Chris O’Connor, JS Law

EDUCATION 6. Rachel Barry, SS Law 7. John Cooney, SS Engineering 8. Peadair De Bluit, SS TSM. NP: Nora Ni Lonsaigh, SS Law

WELFARE 9. Caroline Keating, SS OT 10. Louisa Miller, SS BESS 11. Darren O’Gorman, SF Natural Sciences

COMMUNICATIONS 12. Ronan Costello, SS Law

All candidates listed are correct at the time of going to print.

6 NATIONAL NEWS nationalnews@trinitynews.ie

Hunt continues for university solution Michael Gilligan Staff Writer

Student scientists impress again Evan Musgrave National News Editor

THE 2011 BT Young Scientist Exhibition concluded on Thursday last with a prize-giving ceremony to the winners in various fields by Minister for Education and Skills, Mary Coughlan.

In a competition that improved on last year’s record number of student applicants, 1,735 projects by 3,943 students from 346 schools were submitted for possible inclusion in the competition. 520 were chosen to proceed to the judging stages, with the eventual prizes presented to a handful of successful competitors. Officials were delighted with the spectator turnout and student participation at the event, highlighting the grand scale and prestigious status the competition has acquired in recent years. Visitor numbers were around 35,000 as expected, spread throughout the Royal Dublin Society complex in Ballsbridge.

As with every year, the competition received many grippingly innovative submissions which did not make it into the final award listings. One student group developed a way to stop motorists from using a mobile phone while driving, blocking the

phone’s signal within the car unless the handbrake is applied. Some interesting entries progressing to the prize stages included an easy-to-use computer program to measure wrist strength in arthritis patients and an iPod app which catalogues the carbon footprint of everyday devices in the home.

The overall winner of the competition was 15-year-old Alexander Amini, a Transition Year student from Castleknock College in Dublin. His project, entitled “Tennis Sensor Data Analysis”, uses sensors to identify and analyse different types of tennis shots, providing precise details of deviations from a player’s normal game. Amini, who is originally from New York, wins a cheque for €5,000 and a Waterford Crystal trophy. He will also go on to represent Ireland at the 22nd European Union Young Scientist Competition in Helsinki in September. Three trophy winning projects, including Amini’s program, were presented to the nation on The Late Late Show the following night.

The competitors and organisers were lauded for the competition’s grand showcase of scientific and technological prowess of Ireland’s secondary school students.

THE HUNT report, a 20-year strategic plan for higher education, was published on 11 January after a ninemonth delay. It advocates a series of key reforms for the Irish university system, including the “essential” introduction of third-level fees.

The report, chaired by Dr Colin Hunt, concludes that a reintroduction of college fees is necessary due to growing student demand and the government’s economic obligations.

Increasing student numbers, it states, should be “[We have] huge and grave concerns about the student loan scheme and graduate taxation.” “contingent on the introduction of new revenue streams.” Over €500 million of extra funding per year, it predicts, will be required to sustain the highereducation system. In light of these findings, the Department of Education is considering the establishment of a student loan scheme, recommended by the report, which would leave students with a minimum debt of €25,000 upon graduation.

Such a proposal has been widely criticised by a number of student bodies.

Gary Redmond, President of the Union of Students in Ireland (USI), expressed his “huge and grave concerns about the student loan scheme and graduate taxation” and argued that such a policy

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would force a “brain drain” on the Irish economy. Redmond added, “Education and particularly third-level should be seen as a capital investment that will repay itself many times over during the working lives of Graduates. We are going to lose the investment we made.”

However the USI also welcomed many aspects of the report, such as the prospect of increased feedback from students, higher teaching standards and the emphasis placed on facilitating mature and part-time students.

The Labour Party, the only major party who remain opposed to fees, were much less ambivalent in their assessment of the report. Ruairí Quinn, Labour spokesman for education, argued that it fails to recognise the increase in the registration fee which occurred since its publication and added that “the report’s conclusions would receive a D mark if submitted as an answer to a commerce degree exam.”

However, Labour have conceded that they may support the introduction of fees if no up-front payments were made by students. This would align them with Fine Gael – their potential future coalition partners – who have stated their support for a graduate tax initiative.

In defence of the report, Minister for Education and Skills, Mary Coughlan, was adamant that she does not intend to place an “unmanageable” burden of debt onto students. Rather, she expects that those who benefit from university education “should make an equitable contribution to the overall cost of the significant economic advantage they gain from higher education.”

The 122-page document outlined a

number of other key recommendations as well as lamenting the current state of the Leaving Certificate, which it claims encourages rote learning and poorly prepares students for third level education. According to the report, the number of higher education “[Those who benefit from higher education] should make an equitable contribution to the overall cost.” institutions should b e replaced by a smaller number of larger institutions and college governing bodies should also be reduced in size. Other controversial proposals of the Hunt report include reform of the student grant scheme whereby productive assets, such as farmland, would be incorporated into the assessment of grant eligibility. The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) has come out in vehement opposition to such a proposal. John Bryan, President of the IFA, argued that farmland “gives little or no return on the capital value of the asset” and is committed to resisting the reform. The report, published for a government widely considered as unlikely to be in power for the implementation of its findings, has been greeted with indifference in other sectors.

The Irish Federation of University Teachers have stated that “with a change of government in prospect, it seems that Colin Hunt and his team may well have created one of our all-time most expensive dust accumulators.”

Cross-country University of Technology plan announced Evan Musgrave National News Editor

LEADERS FROM Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) and Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) have been in talks concerning a possible merger between ITs in the south of the country to form a cross-county University of Technology.

This would result in the creation of a new type of third-level institution, in line with recommendations in the recently released government-sponsored Hunt Report. The report suggested that some institutes of technology would be stronger and more efficient if they restructured themselves as part of larger partnerships. In response to these proposals, WIT’s President, Prof. Kieran Byrne and Chairman, Redmond O’Donoghue, confirmed that “exploratory talks” had taken place between the two institutes, in addition to meetings with other institutes of technology regarding combining forces to apply for the status of “Technological University”.

A merger of CIT and WIT would allow for the mass of student numbers required to successfully pursue university status, as well as opening up significantly greater research funding potential under a new entity.

The combined student numbers would put such a partnership on par with that of large traditional universities like UCC and UCD. WIT registers 6,000 full-time students and 3,000 part-time, while CIT has 6,000 full-time and 6,000 part-time. The Hunt Report had initially been greeted with dismay from WIT officials, as it had ruled out the establishment of any further traditional universities in the country. Waterford and the south-east had conducted a high-profile campaign for several years to designate WIT as a University of the South-East.

O’Donoghue has embraced the moves to integrate with CIT, assuring the local public that “Waterford will get a university in the very near future. If we make the right choices and decisions in the coming weeks or months, it puts that within touching distance.” CIT is reported to have taken the lead role in initiating talks with WIT, as well as with IT Tralee.

Indeed, it is possible such a technological

university in the south may feature a campus in Tralee in addition to Cork and Waterford.

Public opinion has not been one-way in support for the proposals. Kilkenny-based Fine Gael Senator John Paul Phelan said he believes a merger of any kind between CIT and WIT would not serve the south-east well, suggesting that it would result in a drag of jobs to Cork from the region. Prof. Byrne contested these claims, denouncing Phelan’s claim that WIT were “selling out” on the dream of establishing an independent university in Waterford.

O’Donoghue highlighted the fact that both WIT and CIT would have equal status if a merger were to occur, adding, “This university would be different from the traditional model as it would be more dynamic, focussing on the knowledge economy. We hope this university will provide a real positive alternative for the south-east.”

“This university would be different from the traditional model as it would be more dynamic, focussing on the knowledge economy.”

Discussions so far have been reported as developing quickly. O’Donoghue revealed that the concept of a technological university in the region was first brought up five years ago, and thus talks have been able to advance swiftly.

However, before planning is to progress, further legislation governing technological universities must be drawn up. Prof. Byrne has commented that he has faith in the incoming government to do create such a framework.

It is currently unclear as to what this university partnership would be. Byrne revealed that they are “not a hundred per cent sure what it will be called, whether it will be a Technological University of the South, or another name.”

In light of these talks between CIT and WIT, the four institutes of technology in Dublin have announced that they may combine to seek technological university status, while other partnerships are likely to be formed between smaller institutes.

TRINITY NEWS

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 7 internationalnews@trinitynews.ie

Ghanaian university excels in higher education Ralph Marnham International News Editor

THE SUCCESS of a private university in Ghana is being heralded as the key to transforming Africa through higher education. Ashesi University College, a private, liberal arts college in Lahone, a suburb of Accra, was founded in 2002

by Patrick Awuah, with a small class of 30 and big dreams of transforming the continent.

Speaking at the World Innovation Summit for Education in Doha last month, Mr. Awuah said that “Africa has reached an inflection point with the march of democracy across the continent. We can bring change in one generation. How we train our leaders will make all the difference.”

The goal of Ashesi is to train a new ethically responsible educated elite to

break the cycle of corruption on the continent. Despite its natural resources and one of the highest GDPs per capita in Africa, Ghana suffers from a low 65 percent adult literacy rate, according to a 2009 United Nations Development Program report.

“You cannot be a carpenter if you just read about hammers and nails, and never use a tool.”

Mr Awuah, educated privately in Philadelphia and an alumnus of the Berkeley Business School, claims that his sense of social responsibility was awakened when he was working on a campaign organised by Microsoft for the victims of the Rwanda Genocide in

the 1990s. In Ghana, Mr Awuah realised that most college graduates lacked practical training in their own fields, making them unemployable on the job market.

“We were churning out graduates who only knew theory, computer scientists who had never done any programming,” he told The New York Times, “You cannot be a carpenter if you just read about hammers and nails, and never use a tool.”

With the help of his supporters at Microsoft, he has made sure that Ashesi is equipped with modern computer facilities. The school’s four-year bachelor’s program designed in collaboration with professors from Berkeley, Swarthmore and the University of Washington, offers degrees in business administration, management information systems and computer science. A

strong emphasis is also placed on social responsibility, with all of Ashesi’s 470 students required to do community service before graduating.

Although most students benefit from private grants, annual tuition at Ashesi ranges between $10 and $5,000. The Ashesi University Foundation, based in Seattle, enables international donors to support the school. A new campus under construction is expected to be completed by May and will enable Ashesi to accommodate 600 students. Of the $6.5 million raised for the projects, $2.5 million were loans from the World Bank.

Of 90 total graduates last May, 40 percent went on to graduate school abroad. However, the majority still remain in Ghana, suggesting that there could be a bright future ahead for the country.

Monash duo win in Botswana ff1,200 students took part in World Debating Championships ffMonash University declared champions ffDebaters unimpressed with facilities Katie McCarthy Contributing Writer

SOME 1,200 students from over 50 countries and 200 universities congregated recently at the University of Botswana for the 31st World Universities Debating Championships. The tournament, colloquially referred to as “Worlds”, was held between 27 December and 4 January. After 13 rounds, Monash University debaters Fiona Prowse and her partner Victor Finkel were crowned champions.

The pair from Melbourne knocked out the competition in nine preliminary rounds before making it to the Grand Final. Team “Monash A” was seeded first entering into the closing stages against the top 32 teams. With just 15 minutes to prepare, the team was thrown a curve ball: convince the judges that invading Zimbabwe is a good idea.

Evidently the judging panel agreed with their position, and the pair became Monash's first world champion team since 2000, and their third overall. They had edged out teams from Oxford University, the University of Sydney and London School of Economics after speaking in support of an action to overrun Zimbabwe, a topic that triggered rousing applause from the host audience in neighbouring Botswana.

SS Students receive instructions at the 2010/11 World Debating Championships in Botswana last month

However, uneasiness concerning the fairness of the pair’s win surfaced almost immediately. Five out of the nine preliminary rounds’ motions were taken straight from the Australasian Intervarsity Debating Championships held last year. Skeptics argue this gave the Australians an unfair advantage over the other competing continents.

That said, the remarkable quality of the pair’s debating is not under scrutiny. Botswana was hoping to chalk up its own victory as host. The spirit behind a competition which promotes interactive and representational argu-

Ines Novacic Deputy International News Editor

25 January, 2011

Reigning in the spending Monika Urbanski Staff Writer

THE FAMILIAR challenges of funding and mobility – particularly in research – will dominate the agenda for European higher education in 2011. But this year will probably be much worse as public sector spending cuts bite into higher education budget across the region. The UK, for instance, will face a year of transition as universities prepare for radical changes. Cuts and protests lie in store for universities in England as they prepare for reforms in 2012 that will bring a 40 percent cut in the universities’ teaching budget, permit universities to double or – exceptionally – triple fees and encourage the introduction of flexible degrees and new providers.

European universities are not alone in introducing radical changes as universities all over the world will struggle to get through 2011. In the US, particularly the state of California, serious cuts are being brought in. Students have been protesting all through 2010 against what now has become reality; Californian Governor Jerry Brown proposed budget cuts for 2011-2012 that would reduce funding for higher education in the state by $1.4 billion. This proposal already led to the announcement that UC Berkeley will eliminate 280 positions – laying off 150 employees – in an effort to save $20 million per The UCU said the cut was a “kick in the teeth” for the sector.

ment stands in stark contrast to the continent's troubled history.

The initiative behind holding the competition in Botswana was rooted in wanting the country to be seen in a more positive light, distancing itself from its mainstream portrayal as a debased nation. Degeneracy and corruption has come to be viewed as characteristic of Botswana’s populace and political affairs. Hosting the world’s largest debating tournament, and one of the largest annual international student events in the world, was seen as their chance to challenge the

ignorance concerning their country.

In the lead up to the event, many critics argued that Botswana lacked the capacity to host such a large contingent of visitors. Unfortunately, they were proved right. The organisers received an unprecedented number of complaints from visitors as regards poorly maintained accommodation, underwhelming hospitality and lackluster social activities.

The Debating Council has decided that De La Salle University in the Philippines will host next year’s competition.

Japanese graduates face employment struggle

SS Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan has identified creating jobs and stimulating growth as a priority

SS Universities worldwide will continue to face challenges in terms of funding and mobility during 2011

ONE THIRD of Japanese students graduating this spring have not secured jobs, according to figures released by the government last Tuesday.

The joint survey by the labour ministry and the education ministry showed that 68.8 percent of university students had secured employment since December 2009, a record low since the government began collecting data in 1996.

Officials were prompted to couple the pessimistic report with new measures to help jobseekers.

These figures undercut the recovery period that corporate Japan experienced throughout 2010. The collapse of Lehman Brothers and the recession that followed forced many companies to restructure, cut jobs and halt new recruitment.

Dwindling career prospects threaten young people despite certain companies, such as Chinese exporters Sony and Toshiba, posting profits. The reluctance of companies to hire is par-

ticularly worrisome for Japan’s graduates, reported the Associated Press, as a person’s first job out of college is a critical step that often determines a lifelong career with a single company.

Young workers are also integral to Japan’s overall economy. Japan’s rapJapan’s rapidly aging population implies that older people tend to spend less. idly ageing population implies that older people tend to spend less. Consequently, younger generations must spend more to underpin private consumption, which accounts for more than half the economy.

The Washington Post reported that economists identified “cost” as one of the reasons behind corporate Japan’s reluctance to boost jobs. They underlined how each hire essentially presents a lifetime commitment for a company. There are great training and education expenses, and firing workers

in Japan is far from a simple, standardised ordeal.

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan has identified creating jobs and stimulating growth as a priority for his administration. Japan’s unemployment rate stood at 5.1 percent in November, which is a high figure by the country’s typical standards. The labour ministry said it will redouble efforts to support jobless students in the months before the school year finishes in March.

In a temporary measure, the government will offer fiscal support to companies who hire graduating students.

Companies can reportedly receive 100,000 yen, just under 1,000 euro, for up to three months for each new graduate employed under a fixed-term contract. If a worker is promoted to full-time status, companies will receive 500,000 yen, approximately 4,500 euro.

The ministry will also facilitate nationwide job fairs featuring small and mid-size companies that may have been overlooked by jobseekers because they don’t have established international recognition.

year.

In Canada, Jim Turk, the Executive Director of the Canadian Association of University Teachers, is advocating for improved University funding. In Australia, Education Minister Chris Evans said that the Australian international education sector has come under increasing pressure because of the rising value of the Australian dollar and the ongoing impact of the global financial crisis in some countries. Even in Singapore all three universities, five polytechnics and the Institutes of Technical Education announced their latest round of fee hikes, which will be applied by this year’s incoming cohort.

Protests and marches are being held almost everywhere. Most recently the Arab Maghreb Union in North Africa experienced rioting and strikes by students and jobless graduates. So what do governments and University associations have planned to resolve the issues universities are facing for the next few years?

Coping with leaner budgets is the overriding theme of virtually all higher education activity around Europe and this will be reflected in all European Universities Associations reports and conference themes. What the economic crisis should not do is hit the budgets for research and innovation, according to Professor Dr Kurt Deketelaere, Secretary General of the League of European Research Universities. On January 4th President Obama signed a legislation that recognised the relationship between investing in graduate education and maintaining a highly skilled workforce that is able to drive economic development and innovation.

Despite those efforts students worldwide remain frustrated. In the UK student protesters announced that they “will continue to fight” and don’t see governments achieving anything with the introduced cuts and changes.

8 NEWS FEATURES newsfeatures@trinitynews.ie

Last orders for 1,300 Irish pubs

SS Publicans are still struggling to deal with the smoking ban, let alone the recession. Photo by Fred Armitage

Manus Lenihan Deputy News Features Editor

Advertisements that appeared on Dublin buses last year insisted that pubs are “the original social network”. In a design that mimicked a Facebook notification, Dubliners were told, “You need to get out more.” Publicans are anxious to get people in their doors, and rightly so, as it emerged this month that 1,300 pubs around Ireland have shut their doors in the past five years.

There are three evident problems for publicans: the smoking ban, drinkdriving laws and supermarkets. Of these, the last is the most obvious explanation; why pay the better part of a fiver for a pint across the counter, when the same note will buy you four or five cans in Aldi, Lidl or Tesco? People have all the more reason to avoid pubs’ high prices if their dole or pay has been cut.

Groups like the Vintners’ Federation of Ireland (VFI), which represents 5,500 publicans, make the same point differ-

ently: from their point of view, supermarkets charge too little. They blame the removal of restrictions on low-cost selling and the penetration of Ireland by supermarket chains with enormous capital reserves and bargaining power.

To state the factoid that gives rise to this article more accurately, of 8,922 liquor licences held in 2005, 1,300 have failed to be renewed in the last five years. Skeptics note that the current number of licences is actually greater than the number held in 2000, suggest-

ing that the spike in 2005 was a boomtime aberration. But the figure of 1,300 is skewed; licences are often bought from struggling pubs by supermarkets planning to use the same premises.

Further, 2010 is not 2000. A greater number of pubs are now competing for a far smaller share of the drinks market than what they commanded ten years ago. From January to August 2010 the drinks trade increased by seven per cent, while drinks sales in pubs and hotels sank by a dismal 15 per cent. According to VFI President Gerry Mellett, pubs once controlled 90 per cent of the drinks market. This, he says, has shrunk to just 46 per cent.

The smoking ban and tougher drinkdriving laws have certainly damaged pubs, particularly isolated rural ones; nevertheless, faced with a huge fall in road deaths in recent times, publicans have seemed less than keen to defend drink-driving. Nor is the smoking ban raised as often as an issue as pricing is.

A potential clue is given in the VFI’s pleading that their trade provides €2 billion in value-added tax to the country. Drink is indeed heavily taxed, possibly by as much as 30 to 36 per cent, meaning that the brewers’ and publicans’ share must rise in order to make a profit. Neither the VFI nor Dublin’s Licensed Vintners’ Association has raised taxation as a matter of concern.

Income levels have been hit hard by a barrage of cuts and layoffs since 2007, meaning pubs are far from the only businesses suffering, with an average of one restaurant per day shutting its doors. But when businesses like Aldi (which has 70 outlets in the Republic of Ireland) or Lidl (which has 106) set up

shop in a community, local businesses are hit harder still. The recession and the price issue recently blitzed 85 jobs in Galway with the closure of several long-standing and popular establishments: the Cellar Bar; Cuba nightclub; Bar 903; and the Harvest off-licence chain. Even off-licences such as Harvest and Booze 2 Go, which sell alcohol at far lower prices than pubs, are being hit by low-cost selling in supermarkets.

While this represents a blow to the trade, it may be an exaggeration to call

“Why pay the better part of a fiver for a pint across the counter, when the same note will buy you four or five cans in Aldi, Lidl or Tesco?” it, as one newspaper put it, “the death of the Irish pub”. But the closure of pubs does point to another development: a steady monopolisation of Irish business by enormous foreign-owned chain stores. In a time of crisis, with businesses failing and disposable income shrinking, huge companies with far less to worry about than vulnerable single pubs do will be swift to pick up the slack. The results for us are cheaper prices but fewer jobs and a dull social scene, along with monopoly by businesses that will repatriate profits to rich elites in their home countries rather than reinvesting in the community. We may, in the long term, mourn much more than our pubs.

Dramatic U-turn considered for prostitution laws New laws are being considered regarding changes to Irish law in prostitution, making it illegal for men to buy sex, not for women to sell it, following similar changes in Sweden, Norway and Iceland Maya Zakrzewska-pim Contributing Writer

The Government is currently considering the introduction of radical changes to the Republic’s laws regarding prostitution. At the moment, it is illegal for women to sell sex in public places, and the same goes for brothel ownership or pimping. Under the Criminal Law (Sex Offences) Act 1993, however, prostitution itself is allowed.

The new legislation would make it illegal for men to buy sex, while women would still be able to sell it, and so the focus would be to prosecute the male clients rather than female prostitutes, compared with the present situation, where the men and women involved can be charged with a criminal offence.

Sweden established such a law in 1999, and was followed by Norway in 2002 and Iceland in 2009. Last September, a delegation consisting of officials from the Department of Justice and members of the Dignity Project (a European Union-funded group which provides services to trafficked women in the Republic) visited Stockholm to

discuss Sweden’s evaluation of the ban on purchasing sexual services. Prostitution there has halved since 1999.

One of the Dignity Project’s members of the delegation, Grainne Healy, reported, “The people we spoke to on the ground – those involved in law enforcement and NGOs working with exploited women – made clear effective legislation aimed at combating demand for paid sex was central to the success

“The new legislation would make it illegal for men to buy sex, while women would still be able to sell it.” of their efforts to end the exploitation of women in prostitution.”

The implementation of this regulation is strongly supported by the Immigrant Council of Ireland (ICI), which forms part of the Dignity Project. The ICI has reviewed the best responses to

victims of prostitution, and has been campaigning for Ireland to follow in Sweden’s footsteps. According to the ICI’s chief executive, Denise Charlton, “It is clear to us, as an organisation working with migrant women, that Ireland’s current approach just wasn’t working to end the exploitation of migrant women in Ireland.”

Additionally, the ICI has declared that approximately 90% of the women making a living in brothels are migrants, and a significant number of women and children alike are being trafficked into the sex industry. Ruhama, a Dublin-based non-governmental organisation which works with women affected by prostitution on a national level, revealed that the average age of the girls entering the industry is 14 years.

There is hope that such a change would increase men’s fear of being caught and thus lessen the demand for sex on the streets. At present, it is near impossible for the Garda to control sex trafficking. First of all, men can only be prosecuted if caught red-handed buying sex on the streets. Furthermore,

most of the Republic’s prostitution occurs in apartments which, though they are advertised online as escort services, in reality play the role of brothels.

The Garda’s power to prosecute would increase greatly with the introduction of these new measures, as any evidence against men connecting them to brothels or prostitutes, including things such as telephone records, would be seen as valid in court.

Having seen the report on the effects of the law in Sweden, the then-Minister for Justice, Dermot Ahern, asked the Attorney General, Paul Gallagher, to likewise examine the document and to consider the constitutional and legal implications if Ireland were to imitate Sweden’s stance on the matter.

Although it is clear the law is effective in Sweden, there is no guarantee that it would reap similar results in the Republic. What if, for instance, the Government does decide to change the law, but as the time when the Garda can take action draws closer, there is an increase in sex trafficking, with men trying to get the most out of the little freedom they have left?

Dublin in the midst of a discount coupon revolution James Coghill News Features Editor

Have you ever wondered whether those two-for-one offers you see, popping up, blinking at you at the top of your Web page every day, really are worth clicking on? After all, they promise the world, albeit at a discount – restaurant offers, flight deals, free haircuts – surely they are all too good to be true?

What you are seeing, most likely, is more than just any old offer, but the latest in a slew of new websites that are offering Irish consumers easy access to new deals, discounts and vouchers.

Perhaps a wholly unsurprising business venture in this age of belt tightening. Unsurprising maybe, but one such Web site last week turned down a $6

million acquisition deal from Google.

Some people are obviously clicking on them, and clicking a lot. Indeed, Groupon, the company that purportedly turned down the multimillion dollar offer, is said to be the fastest growing company in the world and is thought to be preparing to launch on the US stock market later this year.

It is a business model that is, in essence, scarily simple. All it does is send people who register for its service daily messages via email, Facebook or Twitter offering discounts on the many thousands of products and services they feature. Businesses naturally want to get on board, as it drives customers directly to their doors. The crucial catch is that, unlike offers that you print off and simply bring with

you if you’re going to the restaurant, on Groupon you purchase the deal there and then, committing yourself to, say, that two-for-one dinner deal.

Groupon then keeps a percentage of every deal sold, which can be as much as 50 per cent, and the retailer gets the rest. In the seven months leading up to the end of last year, it doubled the number of countries in which it operates, and it now has over 33 million subscribers in 35 countries. Its sales were also a staggering $500 million.

In Ireland it trades under the banner Citydeal.ie, and over the next year they’re going to be all over your homepage, no doubt proffering all sorts of deals. A quick trawl through last week’s offers turned up 55 per cent off a main course and side dish

in The Exchequer Bar, €30 instead of €75 for a 60-minute full-body massage, and €3.20 instead of €8 for any of the “Coupon websites are the future of local advertising.”

-Peter Briffett burritos at the new Burritos & Blues on Camden Street.

Another website, LivingSocial, is a close competitor to Groupon, and is backed by the founder of AOL, Steve Case. LivingSocial’s managing director for Britain and Ireland, Peter Briffett, believes that these kinds of deals are the “future of local advertising” and says that his company has plans to

“hyperlocalise” deals, “so that people can be offered things which are in their neighbourhood or on their street with big discounts.”

“It is a very powerful model, because we can take advantage of social networks to spread the news of deals via word of mouth. The response has been very well received in Dublin,” he said.

“We have saved thousands of Irish people millions of euro already.” No doubt a claim infused with public relations charm, but it seems that these websites do have a serious future, not least because of Google’s extraordinary offer placed on the table for Groupon last week. Nevertheless, more discounts and more deals can only ever be good news for students. We are, after all, the discount kings.

TRINITY NEWS

SOCIETY 9 society@trinitynews.ie

PLAYERS

“If you’re still dry, ditch that guy!”

Ann-Maria McCarthy Chair of Literary Society

LAST WEDNESDAY, I was asked to leave my dignity in the Players dressing room and be a contestant at “Take Me Out”. Proceeds were for RAG Week and the alcohol was free; I had no choice but to say, “Yes!” The premise of the show is fairly simple: fifteen girls and one boy judge five guys, and in the words of the MC for the night, Aaron Heffernan, “If you’re still dry ditch that guy!”, or in more politically correct speech, they press a buzzer. The male contestants were good craic, and their time was split

three ways: they were forced to sing and we to listen; then there was a video showing us the “real” contestant; and, lastly, a section called “flirty for thirty” where we were treated to some cringeworthy chat-up lines.

The tables were then turned as the guys were able to take their pick from the girls who had not pressed their buzzers.

My game plan was very simple: I never pressed the buzzer, which resulted in FIVE rejections. However, I kept my spirits up by the odd show of violence (Neil Fitzpatrick, also known as contestant number five, I am very sorry for hitting you in the back of the head with my buzzer. Please don’t sue me!)

There were plenty of funny moments, but my favourite had to be when Manus Cronin did a beautiful, soulful James Blunt-esque song named “I’m Gonna Show You My Penis at an Inappropriate Time”.

By the end of the night, the fumes of cheap alcohol and even cheaper aftershave had turned the crowd crazy and, before we knew what was happening, we were chanting “Score! Score!” to the last two girls and a mildly concussed Neil Fitzpatrick.

Overall, it was a great night: a few technical glitches, a few broken hearts and one broken buzzer may have been in the mix, but all in all it was great RAG Week fun.

ADVERTISEMENT

Trinity Entrepreneurial Society announces London internship

the tata apprentice

Coming Spring 2011 LAST MONDAY the Trinity Entrepreneurial Society announced their latest event, The Tata Apprentice. The society is offering one lucky student a paid internship with their sponsors Tata Consultancy Services this summer.

Tata, whose consultancy arm specialises in IT and technological consultancy, has global headquarters situated in the heart of London and only takes on a small number of interns each year.

25 January, 2011

The successful applicant will be placed in a corporate department, where they will be assigned key projects to see through from end to end. The intern will act as key support to senior consultants, project managers and bid managers. The internship will last two months, beginning in the middle of June and ending in August.

Cailín Maguire, SS MSISS, was awarded the Tata internship last summer. “I would

thoroughly recommend the internship to anyone considering it. It offers the chance to spend the summer in an amazing city while also furthering your personal development”.

Any student interested in applying for this wonderful opportunity should send their curriculum vitæ and a covering letter to the society email address, entrepren@csc.tcd. ie. The deadline for receipt of applications is Monday 31 January.

This Charmless Man MARK WALSH would rather be eating a burrito, and apparently everyone who’s anyone goes to Workman’s now. What’s with that?

HERE WE are. Back to College after Christmas.

The January slump. The “How was your Christmas?” conversations followed up by “Do anything exciting for New Year’s?”

Everyone answers that their Christmas was quiet, and that New Year’s Eve was nothing special, but it was alright. I really think I’d prefer to stay in on NYE. Going out never fails to disappoint. What’s so wrong with staying in and watching Jools Holland’s Hootenanny? It’s called a Hootenanny, for Christ’s sake. It must be good. “What were you doing last night?” “Oh, I was at a hootenanny.” “Wow, that sounds fun!”

Anyway, what with Christmas being all about the birth of Santa, let’s talk about presents. I got a new phone. I have now become a phone snob, of sorts.

When I see someone with a worse phone than me, I look at them with a mixture of pity and disgust.

Anyone with a better phone than me is a show-off posh knob. Other gifts I received include socks and a Lynx deodorant and shower gel set. Who’d have predicted those ones?

Christmas dinner was delicious as always. There was just one problem, and it’s all because of the SU’s Pablo Picante “Deal of the Week”. That deal has had a huge impact on my life. I really think I’ve become addicted to those burritos. I’m usually not even into spicy food. I’ve added Pablo Picante on Facebook; I follow them on Twitter. Every meal I eat now, I wonder if I’d prefer to be eating a burrito. So even

“Twenty seconds doesn’t seem like much, but it all adds up. By the end of the year that’ll have accumulated to, like, five minutes of my life.” during my Christmas dinner, the most anticipated dinner of the year, I couldn’t help but feel I’d rather be sitting there with a burrito, with Mexican music massaging my ears.

But now we’re back. The decorations have been taken down. The biscuit tins and Cadbury’s Roses are down to the shitty ones that nobody really likes, and it’s time to get back to lectures and essays and all that. Yet again I’m reassuring myself that “this term will be different” and that I’ll work hard from now on. The wind was taken right out of my sails when I found out that one of my lectures has been changed from 2.00pm on a Tuesday to 6.00pm on a Wednesday. I have no other lectures on a Wednesday. 6.00pm? SIX? This will not end well. In this same subject I got 52 per cent in an essay, and I actually punched the air in celebration. My standards have dropped.

I’m also bewildered by the construction work that’s blocking my usual route to the Arts Building from Front Square. There seems to constantly be construction work going on lately around College; but this time it’s different. This time it’s having a very minor effect on my life. I now have to take a little detour that I estimate is adding about twenty seconds to my journey to the Arts Building.

Twenty seconds doesn’t seem like much, but it all adds up. By the end of the year that’ll have accumulated to, like, five minutes of my life. Then I’ll arrive five minutes late to a very important event, and I’ll know exactly what’s to blame. The Arts Building detour. I’ll never forgive that Arts Building detour.

I’m well aware that this column is supposed to be about College society events, but obviously there wasn’t much of that going on over Christmas, with everyone back home with their mammies. Rest assured that the next column will be crammed with reviews of events that I didn’t want to go to and had to pretend I was enjoying.

In terms of non-College social events, it seems that the Workman’s Club is suddenly the new cool place to be. When did that happen? Out of nowhere it’s become the place everyone just goes to.

“Yeah, predrinks in mine, then we’ll head out. Not sure where, probably Workman’s or something.” I never seem to notice things when they’re becoming cool, only when they are already cool, so when I ask where a place is, people look at me like I’ve just raped their Dad and ask how I haven’t been there.

This happened with WAR last year.

Anyway, just in case anyone didn’t know, the Workman’s Club is the new place to be. So stick on your best skinny jeans and Ramones T-shirt and get down there. It’s so cool that people from Fade Street are there. I’ve attended three times – twice, Kevin from Fade Street was DJ-ing, and the other time he was just there as a normal person. I shook his hand and told him I liked Kid Karate. The joke’s on him because I’ve never even heard a song of theirs.

See more from Mark at www.walsho.net

10 FEATURES COMMENT ON: SABBATICAL ELECTIONS CONTROVERSY

Let me entertain you

With the JCR President being denied the opportunity to run for a Student Union position on a technicality, Josh Roberts gives his opinion on the Union’s constitution, and asks how closely it is being adhered to by the Union themselves

S

o, it’s getting to that time of year when the Arts Block becomes flooded with people wearing colourful t-shirts and big smiles handing out leaflets demanding your votes in Students’ Union elections. There will be the candidate that looks far too serious, there will be the one who looks pretty normal and there will be the one dressed in a gorilla suit promising “free bananas for all!”

We will be asked to chose a Union president, a welfare officer, an education officer and, perhaps the most important of all, an Ents officer. The Ents officer is the person that makes sure that we can get drunk and boogie whenever we want to or, to put it into Union speak, they are “responsible for organizing over 50 large-scale student events during the academic year as well as hundreds of class trips and parties”.

Pretty important stuff, I’m sure you’d agree. I’m sure you’d also agree that when it comes to elections, the more the merrier (the more candidates there are, the more work they have to put in and, ultimately, the better our university experience).

Taking this into account it is a little surprising to learn that this year the Ents Officer position will be contested by a measly two candidates - last week it was confirmed that the third potential candidate, current JCR President Plunkett McCullagh, would

“These rules leave many potential candidates between a rock and a hard place.” be denied the possibility of running.

Was this a move by the current Union to cherry pick their favourite candidates for next year’s positions? Probably not. Does it highlight the convoluted

and self-obsessed nature of the SU’s constitution? Yes it probably does.

Essentially, McCullagh was denied the ability to run on a technicality relating to his “intermission of studies” status this year. “In order to run the JCR in halls effectively this year”, he says when we meet, “I thought it was necessary to take a year out of my studies, it’s a full-time job”. Being on “intermission of studies” means that,

“This year the Ents Officer position will be contested by a measly two candidates.” whilst you are still attached to Trinity, you are not a fully registered member of the college or the Student Union: you are not allowed into the library and more importantly, as Clause I of the

between a rock and the proverbial hard place – you either do a mediocre job of the JCR and continue studying or you do a proper job of the JCR but must give-up hope of running for Ents. Hardly ideal, particularly given how ex-JCR members tend to make good Ents Officers (Ed O’Riordan, for example).

“I understand the process”, McCullagh remarks, “but the constitution as it stands discourages people from running and ultimately the college community loses-out from the lack of competition in elections”.

It is important to note that McCullagh’s decision to take an “intermission of studies” this year is far from exceptional. Indeed, in the past editors of the two college newspapers, as well as heads of The Phil and The Hist societies have all taken a year off in order to focus on their jobs – at present

constitution states, you can’t run for a position within the SU. In order to regain your status as a fullyfledged Trinity student you have to pay the 1500 euro registration fee and set about your academic studies as usual. These rules leave many potential election candidates, including McCullagh,

none of these high achievers would be allowed to run in SU elections.

The news that McCullagh will be denied the opportunity of running comes at a time when the judgement

“According to the allegations, TrigoubRotnem himself isn’t actually a fully-fledged member of the college or Union.” of the Student’s Union and the clarity of it’s constitution are already being called into question amidst claims that current Union President, Nikolai Trigoub-Rotnem, is ineligible to hold his position. According to the allegations, Trigoub-Rotnem is not entitled to hold a position in the Student’s Union after having f a i l e d e x a m s , meaning that he himself isn’t actually a fully fledged member of the college or Union.

This is a very serious matter indeed. The idea that the Student’s Union might have bent the rules of the constitution and have allowed TrigoubRotnem to continue serving despite his ineligibility would seem

to confirm the favouritism of the SU towards its own kind and an apparent “one rule for us, another for everyone else” attitude. If the Union holds its constitution in such contempt that it is happy to manipulate or brazenly ignore it in order to achieve its desired outcomes then something at the top has gone very wrong.

The gravity of this situation surely demands an explanation from the Student’s Union detailing if and why they chose to bend the rules in this instance. If, on the other hand, they chose to hide behind the complex web of committees and chains of command that I had to deal with when trying to get the Union’s reaction to the claims (I was passed through three people all of whom claimed not to be able to comment) then trust in them will surely be irrevocably lost.

How can the Union and the constitution be made more commonsensical and accommodating?

There would need to be a full-scale, college-wide referendum which would cost a fortune in time and money (i.e. it’s extremely unlikely).

“I passed through three people, all of whom claimed to be unable to comment.”

Whilst the Students’ Union professes its desire to be progressive and open-minded, it seems that its actions and constitution stand for conservatism and stubbornness.

Perhaps it’s time that we start pressuring those at the top to start practicing what they preach. It should be possible for students on an “intermission of studies” to run for SU elections, or, if Nikolai TrigoubRotnem is found to be ineligible, he should be stripped of his title.

All just a game, but how much is too much?

After her cousin was admitted to hospital suffering from excruciating pain brought about by excessive gaming, Charlotte Coyle decided to take a look at the risks IT’S THE morning of January 4th and I’ve been cajoled into the annual visit to my weird cousins in Wexford to make the even weirder exchange of post-Christmas, Christmas presents (bizarre I know). They live in quite a nice area of town, in quite a nice house and are I suppose quite nice people.

Every year we make the same visit, chat about the same things and resolve to see more of each other over the coming

“Heavy gamers are more likely to suffer anxiety disorders, depression and societal issues.” year. This year, however, was different.

It was different because my twenty four year old cousin (soon to be married) had been admitted to hospital with an excruciating painful right elbow.

Was this the result of drunken New Years antics? Was it the consequence of reckless DIY? The answer to both questions is “no”; it was the result of, wait for it, excessive computer gaming over the festive period (I did say they

were my weird cousins).

Exceptional as it may seem, my cousin is far from alone in suffering health issues related to playing too many computer games. Indeed, a recent study of 3.000 gamers published last week found that, as well as the physical harm to your thumbs from holding a controller for extended periods and the damage to your eyes from staring at a screen, heavy gamers are more likely to suffer anxiety disorders, depression and societal issues – according to the study, “those who spent the most time video gaming also had lower social skills than casual video game players”.

While many may dismiss the study on the grounds that it’s the lack of social skills that leads to someone gaming a lot and not the other way around, its authors (led by Iowa State Univeristy psychologist Douglas Gentile) are keen to impress that “although children who are depressed may retreat into gaming, the gaming is seen to increase the depression”.

It is important to mention at this point that those in the study who suffered from worsening mental health were what experts describe as “compulsive gamers” – people who spend a weekly average of 31 hours gaming: if you’re a “casual player”

(under 8 hours a week) then there’s no need to hang-up your Bluetooth headset just yet. Nevertheless, as my cousin’s example shows, clearly computer games can be dangerous.

The news has come at a time

“Although children who are depressed may retreat into gaming, the gaming is seen to increase the depression.” when the gaming industry is already under attack from accusations that their products of cause irresponsible/ dangerous behaviour in consumers.

There was the story about the British woman who slept only two hours a night and left her kids to fend for themselves whilst she gamed, there was the one about 13-year-old schoolboy who used petrol to set light to three vehicles after playing the GTA 4: Liberty City game and most recently violent games have also been partially blamed for the tragic shooting of US

Senator Gabrielle Gifford.

Given this it is perhaps unsurprising that the gaming industry and gamers themselves have slammed the study with one insider accusing it of having “more to do with scaremongering than actual health risks”. One such critic is Mark Reed of Heaven Media, a gaming site with two million visitors who play for an average of 28 hours a week.

In Reed’s opinion, “gaming is a passion and passion can lead to indulgence to the point of social indifference, but the suggestion that it is linked with crime or health issues is not founded – in fact, it’s just stupid”.

“Drugs, smoking and drink are passions that can lead to destruction”, he goes on, “gaming on the other hand can be one of the most

socially helpful activities”.

While many (including myself) will struggle to see how sitting in a room on your own manipulating pretend people on a television can be a “socially helpful activity”, the same people will probably also feel that trying to regulate or legislate the type of games and the amount people play is too big an invasion of privacy.

As one gamer who I spoke to said, “get out of the way, you’re standing in front of the screen...”

TRINITY NEWS

11 features@trinitynews.ie

Should I stay or should I go?

To Erasmus or not to Erasmus, that is the question. Cosima Glaister charts the trials and tribulations of her year abroad

F

or me, living abroad has been a dream since I was 12. Although my decision to come to Trinity could be seen as an early realisation of this dream (I’m English), I’m not sure that a 45 minute Ryanair flight across a swimmable stretch of water to a place where people speak English quite cuts the ‘foreign’ biscuit. You might, then, be able to imagine my excitement at being faced with a year abroad in Barcelona.

My first few weeks on Erasmus are a blur of nameless streets; indecipherable maps in travel guides; desperate hand gestures; tearful moments blamed on a recent, geographically motivated break-up and wondering if it’d be too extravagant to book a fly home to watch

I wondered if it’d be too extravagant to book a flight home to watch the new Harry Potter film in English. the new Harry Potter film in English.

It is around week three that individual memories start to kick in.

I had daily victories such as my first grudging laugh from a Spaniard which, mundane as it might sound, often very nearly brought on tears of happiness.

House-hunting is not a period I’m particularly keen to dwell on: 12 flats down and I wouldn’t have wished many of them upon the dirtiest of South East Asian travellers.

In the end I settled on a rather bizarre place with none of my original

requirements – it has one bathroom to be shared between 8 of us, a ‘traditional’ (read: dilapidated) kitchen, a huge terrace, a dog, glassless windows and enormous rooms with high ceilings right in the centre of town. Put plainly it looked like a squatters resident.

“But”, I thought, “when better to try out eccentric living than this year?”.

Before leaving I preached to anyone who would listen about how I would avoid English-speakers like the Plague.

Of course, the first two people I could truthfully call my friends were two girls standing behind me in the queue on my first day of classes who, yes you guessed it, spoke fluent English.

Nevertheless, friends, or at least potential friends, do keep cropping up in the most unlikely places.

Half way through my first Spanish literature lesson during which I had helpfully placed myself at the back of an enormous auditorium, the need to blow my nose became too much to bear and, dressed in bright purple jeans and a turquoise top headed down the steps tripping down the bottom four. Whilst the memory of a wave of suppressed giggles drifting across 200 strangers still makes me want to curl up and cry, it did lead to a group of girls – recognising my garb – approaching me after the class and we are now good friends! Cue my first tip to future exchange students: a bizarre get up and visible stumble works wonders for increasing the friend count.

Whilst I blame no one but myself, taking classes abroad is probably one of the least thought-out decisions I have ever made. No one warned me to contemplate the difficulties that come

hand in hand with learning a language alongside its native speakers or, worse, learning a language through another that you’re, quite frankly, initially incompetent at. After hours spent standing, staring, at the enormous board of timetables, I discovered that they don’t teach Russian in Spanish, only in Catalan.

This leaves me having to translate into Catalan into Spanish so that I can write notes in English and essays in Spanish: handling 4 languages at once is like tackling a giant killer Sudoku twice a day (and I’m happy to admit that Sudokus aren’t my cup of tea). I therefore spent the first

couple of weeks wandering around in a permanent state of bemusement, utterly exhausted from the strain that is having to remain permanently

“Handling four languages at once is like tackling a giant killer Sudoku twice a day.” switched on to catch every word in the hope that the next one might bring an element of clarity to the lecture.

Naturally, I was to expect plenty more

of these blows. It’s taken me until now to crack the weekly shop. The days of 3 for €5 deals at Tesco’s are long gone. Here you go into a supermarket, pick up a basket, set off the alarms by going in through the wrong entrance, try and laugh it off to no avail, only to find that this ‘supermarket’ specialises solely in kitchen detergents and cat food. Apparently for cheese there’s the cheese shop, for lettuce there’s the vegetable shop, for frankfurters there’s the frankfurter shop, for Philadelphia there’s the spreadable cream cheese shop and so on.

However, all these blows amount to nothing when put beside the things I love about Barcelona. The feeling of self-achievement every time a new word is learned, a new friend is made, a new food is tried, a new Placa is discovered is more than enough to make me feel blissfully happy here.

SS Glaister thoroughly enjoyed her Erasmus in Barcelona, and would recommend it to anyone

Resolve to give rather than to give up Ditch the diets and half-hearted exercise attempts. If you really want to make a positive change for the new year, try helping other people. Oliver Cassells reports

“C

oming up in the next hour”, that prick from This Morning tells me, “we’ll be joined in the studio by lifestyle guru Tina McFadden who’ll be telling us how this new year could mean a new you – don’t move a muscle”. This excites me.

I’ve seen and heard Tina’s inspiring, insightful advice before and the news that she is “in the studio” is good news indeed (she was the first person to introduce me to Danone Active and, if you’ll permit a little misogyny, she also has cracking boobs). After a “short commercial break” Tina appears with all the trappings of the traditional lifestyle guru (teeth as white as snow, hair as quaffed as a show pony, a forehead so botoxed it’s like looking into the back of a spoon) and begins to impart her sage wisdom. “January doesn’t have to be depressing”, she says as convincingly as Katie Price saying “I really did love ‘im”.“I’ve got five steps to make sure you kick-off the year with a bang”. “Kick off the year with a bang”, hmm I think, can you kick off a year with a bang? I mean, is it actually possible to kick-off a year?

With or without a bang?

She then proceeded to rattle of the same old resolutions (save money, lose weight, quit smoking, give more to charity) which were met with my same old indifference – saving and losing weight can wait until April and I actually enjoy smoking. Giving more to charity, on the other hand, might be quite doable and the goodness of “giving a little back” would surely offset the badness of ignoring her other advice. So I set about finding three worthy Irish charities and

25 January, 2011

offer an onsite counselling service. If putting addicts in productions of The Cherry Orchard sounds a bit odd, take heed in the words of President Mary McAleese. “RADE’s innovative programme of combating substance abuse through art introduces addicts to their own genius, their own best selves” she says, “it focuses on the buzz that living a positive life can bring, a buzz that is genuine and life enhancing”.

started standing orders, albeit small ones, to all of them. Here they are, perhaps you might consider doing the same or, if you’re seriously strapped maybe you could volunteer.

WHAT CAN I DO?

Camara Education based in the Digital Hub on Thomas Street

Unless you’re a budding Scorsese, RADE is purely interested in your wallet. Giving is as easy as pie and can be done through their website www. rade.ie

WHAT DO THEY DO?

WHO ARE THEY?

Camara specialise in promoting computer literacy and ICT skills in developing nations. In practice, they refurbish IT equipment donated by supportive Irish businesses, pack them full of educational software and ship them to hubs in seven African nations. Doing this achieves two things – not only does it offer African children in deprived areas access to digital education, but the environmental benefits from recycling a laptop or computer when you’re done with it are also huge. This might sound all well and good, but how do you know the computers actually get to Africa and make a difference?

The answer is that the organisation carry-out yearly audits of each ‘hub’ in Africa which evaluated the quality of teaching and the extent to which the scheme is working.

The Bubblegum Club which is based in Kildare but works across Ireland.

WHO ARE THEY?

WHAT CAN I DO? If you’re into computers and have a bit of spare time (surely the two go together) then you can volunteer at the Camara workshop where you will be helping to refurbish the computers before they’re sent off to Africa. Or you can join the computers once they arrive in Africa and take part in the

teacher training. Alternatively, if like me, you don’t know your floppy disk from your CD ROM, you can make a one-off 10 euro donation which pays the entire refurbishment and shipping costs of a single computer.

WHO ARE THEY? The CARI Foundation which, since starting in 1989, is now one of Ireland’s largest charities.

WHAT DO THEY DO? CARI’s primary aim is to provide a professional, child centered therapy and counseling service to children families and groups who have been affected by child sex abuse. Alongside this they aim to provide the most up to date education and information service for children, adults and professionals on the dynamics of child sex abuse, and to raise the public and political awareness of these issues. Essentially they run a 24-hour helpline and provide a vast amount of educational materials for parents and schools.

WHAT CAN I DO? The temptation with big charities, I’ve always thought, is to think “surely they get money from the government or something?” I should give to a smaller one instead. This is misguided not least because bigger charities are actually likely to get you more bang for your buck (think economies of scale etc) and with CARI’s great track record they are definitely worth thinking about next time you’re on your internet banking.

WHO ARE THEY? RADE (Recovery through Art, Drama and Education).

WHAT DO THEY DO? The main aim of RADE is to engage drug users with the arts and therapeutic supports and provide a platform for their “artistic expression”.

They currently have 21 participants involved in programmes of art, drama, creative writing, film, tai chi and relapse prevention, and also

WHAT DO THEY DO? Bubblegum’s main mission is to provide extraordinary outings for extraordinary children, many of whom suffer from life threatening illness, long term debilitating illness or are disadvantaged in some other way. Each year the club runs a number of major events including a Ski Trip to France, a break to Alton Towers, a HeliCruise, a Garden Party and a spectacular Winter Wonderland party.

They also organise around 20 “special days” for individual children each year which, bleak as it may be, “often form the last defining day of the child’s life”.

WHAT CAN I DO? Everything you possibly can! The Bubblegum club is a real humdinger of a charity and its nationwide reach makes your donation all the more influential. But it’s not just money that they need. In fact, they’d appreciate you donating your time (either helping with admin or organising a day for the kids) just as much. Check out www.bubblegumclub.com for more information.

12 WORLD REVIEW FOCUS ON: RUSSIA COMMENT

A victim of Russia’s kleptocracy

Siri Bjorntvedt reports on the controversial trial of the oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky, which further exposed the autocracy of the Putin regime

M “The attempt by the Russian government to demonstrate that the rule of law was being respected during the prosecution of Khodorkovsky was ‘lipstick on a political pig’.”

ikhail Khodorkovsky, once the wealthiest man in Russia and number sixteen on Forbes magazine’s list of billionaires, was arrested in October 2003 by the Russian Prosecutor General’s office on charges of fraud. He was sent to prison for eight years. With Khodorkovsky’s sentence due to expire in 2012, coinciding with the presidential election, new charges were brought against him just before Christmas last year. Khodorkovsky was charged with stealing 218 million tons of oil from his company Yukos, which amounts to the entire oil production of Yukos between 1998 and 2003. He was found guilty of stealing the very same oil he had previously been convicted for not paying taxes on, and will spend another fourteen years in prison.

The reading of the verdict had been scheduled to start on 15 December last but was postponed and instead, Putin made his own opinion on the matter clear on a phone-in radio programme, stating that Khodorkovsky was guilty of theft and murder.

That the prime minister delivered his own verdict before the court, stating that “a thief must stay in jail”, clearly signifies the political nature of the case.

The trail was fraught with allegations of misconduct and contradictions. Putin’s own former prime minister testified that the allegations were “absurd.”

The prosecutors have been accused of blackmailing the accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers into withdrawing an exculpatory audit. More worryingly, there have been allegations that witnesses were tortured and intimidated. In addition, the judge was allegedly called into a meeting with the

SS Mikhail Khodorkovsky, once powerful oligarch, has been made into a victim by the Russian government’s treatment of him.

secret police the weekend before his verdict was read out in court.

After the verdict was made public Khodorkovsky’s lawyers stated that they intended to appeal the ruling, but they must take the case to Russia’s Su-

preme Court before they can bring it to Strasbourg, a step which could prove a dangerous challenge to the Russian criminal justice system and could strain relations between Europe and Russia. Russian diplomats and officials

have repeatedly told Europeans not to meddle in internal Russian affairs, but the German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was “disappointed” by the verdict, maintaining that political motives had seemingly “played a role” in the

Flexing his muscles: the Putin effect Iseult McLister discusses just how far Putin has gone, as he remains Russia’s “macho” leader

SS Putin works hard at his macho image

RUSSIA IS “not free”, according to a 2010 report by the independent watchdog Freedom House on the erosion of civil, economic and political rights.

From Belarus to Uzbekistan, the Freedom in the World survey found a lack of institutional accountability and transparency. Arch Puddington, one of the report’s authors said, “We see a decline in political conditions in a number of countries in the Russian neighborhood, and we see that as having been in part driven by Putin’s diplomacy.”

When he came to power Vladimir Putin told parliament he would make Russia one of the world’s leading nations in terms of income, social welfare, quality of education, health and life expectancy. Yet this year, at a forum in Krasnoyarsk of the country’s business and political elite, few could name one state institution that worked. The idea of a responsible state providing public services was ridiculous.

A recent Valdai Club report has said that “there is practically no real modernisation, restructuring or diversi-

fication. Oil and gas remain the main sources of revenue, corruption continues unchecked and there is almost zero innovation.”

What Putin has shown is that he believes that the role of the state is to keep political order and to protect the vested interests of its bureaucracy.

Any protesting organised by those in opposition is considered to be provca-

“Putin has countermanded the achievements of Yeltsin.” tion. Those who have tried to falsify versions of history have been attacked

by Medvedev and could face criminal charges. Stalin has been restored by the Kremlin as an “effective manager,” rewriting the memories of the oppressive Soviet past.

The idea that Putin returned to power in 2008 is pointless because in truth,

he never left, but merely changed his title. By continuing as leader of Russia, Putin countermanded the big achievements of Boris Yeltsin regarding the voluntary transfer of power. The Kremlin likes to describe Russia’s current state as a “sovereign democracy,” which seems to mean autocracy.

Most Russians feel that Putin holds the power. His “macho” persona, Mark Borkowski of The Guardian says, “is the sure way to win the love of the electorate.” Seventy percent of the population support him, showing an ever-increasing popularity. This is likely linked to the rise in oil prices, which coincided with the start of Putin’s rule and was quickly followed by improvement in living standards for many Russians, much like the early days of Stalin’s five year plans and the development of his cult. One United Russia delegate said to Putin, “Vladimir Vladimirovich, you are lucky! And while you are the President, luck follows Russia. For tens of millions of people, you are a token, a symbol of Russia’s successful development.” A symbol then of the regeneration of Homo Sovieticus. Is this a new form of Russian tyranny?

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13 worldreview@trinitynews.ie

outcome, while the American foreign minister claimed the verdict damaged Russia’s reputation. Even from within Russia the verdict was criticised. Boris Nemtsov, a leader of the liberal opposition, called the judgment against Khodorkovsky “shameful”; he was

“The trail was fraught with allegations of misconduct and contradictions.” arrested after speaking in a rally supporting freedom of assembly and sent to prison.

The American diplomatic cables leaked through WikiLeaks put the trial in a larger context, showing how the United States see the Kremlin as the centre of a kleptocratic mafia state, and that the trial of Khodorkovsky is proof that the Kremlin can eliminate political enemies with impunity. American diplomats also claimed that the attempt by the Russian government to demonstrate that the rule of law was being respected during the prosecution of Khodorkovsky was “lipstick on a political pig.” The American cables confirm that “there is a widespread understanding that Khodorkovsky violated the tacit rules of the game, “‘if you keep out of politics, you can line your pockets as much as you desire,’” referring to a meeting in 2000 when then President Putin met Khodorkovsky along with twenty other oligarchs and supposedly warned them to stay out of politics; in return, their businesses would be left in peace.

While the prosecution of Khodorkovsky was first seen as an attempt to deal with the newly-rich oligarchs that grabbed vast riches when Russia

adopted a market economy, as Khodorkovsky built his fortune through a series of opaque and, at best, borderline-legal privatisations, the lack of other high-profile arrests over the last seven years since his arrest raises some questions as to whether or not Khodorkovsky’s trial represents something entirely different. As a result, some have speculated that Khodorkovsky’s reluctance to accept the rule and political culture of Putin is an essential part of his persecution. Khodorkovsky had political aspirations; he supported liberal opposition parties, pursued a fiercely independent policy with regard to his company and its dealings with other foreign companies without consulting the Kremlin, and promoted privately funded oil pipelines.

A year ago in The New York Times,

“Boris Nemtsov, a leader of the liberal opposition called the judgment against Khodorkovsky ‘shameful’. He was arrested after speaking in a rally supporting freedom of assembly.”

Khodorkovsky claimed that “Russia must make a historic choice,” as it can either “turn back from the dead end toward which we have been heading in recent years – and we do it soon – or else we continue in this direction and Russia in its current form simply ceases to exist.” With the presidential election coming up next year, it remains to be seen which way Russia will turn.

KHODORKOVSKY: HIS OWN WORDS Khodorkovsky on those who had put him in prison: “So far, they have achieved the opposite: they turned, us, ordinary people, into symbols of a struggle against lawlessness. This is not our achievement. It is theirs.”

At the fall of the Soviet regime, he stated that “our country was living on the hope of freedom, hope that we would be able to achieve happiness for ourselves and for our children…

The responsibility for why this hope was not realised all the way, and not for everybody, probably lies on our entire generation, myself included.”

Khordorkovsky’s trial revealed Putin’s autocratic political system, “I am not at all an ideal person, but I am a person of an idea. For me, as for anybody, it is hard to live in jail, and I do not want to die there. But if I have to, I will not hesitate. The things I

One million problems

SS Students at the École Anne-Marie Javouhey in Port-au-Prince, one of the schools for which Trócaire is supporting the education costs of 4,855 children. Photo: Jeannie O’Brien

Eoghan Rice, Trócaire’s Humanitarian Communications Officer, looks at homelessness in one of the poorest countries in the world ONE YEAR after Haiti was ripped apart by an earthquake, over one million people remain living in tents in the capital city of Port-au-Prince. The 12 January earthquake killed over 250,000 people and left 1.3 million people without homes. With billions pledged, there were real hopes that a renewed focus could finally see progress made

“One million people remain living in tents in the capital city of Portau-Prince.” believe in are worth dying for. I think I have proven this.”

In an interview given to Novaya Gazeta, he argued that there will be a crisis in 2015 when the backward economy of Russia will clash with the vested interests and greed of the bureaucracy, commenting that these were the same factors which brought down the Soviet Union.

in efforts to tackle the truly shocking levels of poverty that exist in Haiti.

So one year on, what has gone wrong? There are a myriad of problems in Haiti, but one issue crops up time and time again: the old Irish problem of land. With less than five percent of land officially accounted for in public land records, the vast majority of Haitians have been unable to prove ownership of the land they lived on prior to the earthquake. Many Haitians have returned home to find squatters living

on their land; for the majority there is no legal recourse to combat this.

Remarkably, one year after the earthquake, less than five percent of the rubble has been removed from the streets.

While individual successes have been recorded – Trócaire, for example, has initiated wide-ranging programmes in health and education which have impacted on over 120,000 people – until the rubble is cleared, progress cannot be made on the issue of homelessness.

Mike Williams, Head of Trócaire’s International Department, has called on the Haitian authorities to provide a stronger leadership and on the international community to support that leadership. “The international community must increase pressure on the Haitian authorities to clear the rubble and tackle the issue of homelessness which is crippling the country.

“It is simply unbelievable that less than five percent of the rubble has been removed, until this is resolved progress on housing the one million homeless is not possible. We believe the Haitian government needs to establish a land commission to tackle the issue of land ownership and land rights.”

Land is not the only pressing issue

facing Haiti, of course. Aside from the chronic infrastructural problems with water and sanitation, there are massive issues around food production. Incredibly, 90 percent of eggs in Haiti are imported from the Dominican Republic.

Why? Put simply, Haiti doesn’t have enough chickens. This is a fundamental flaw in an essentially poor and rural society.

The local rice production industry has also been crushed by subsidised rice from the United States, which is being dumped en masse on the country.

In twenty years, Haiti has gone from being largely self-sufficient in terms of rice to being the second biggest importer of U.S. rice in the region.

These are just two examples of the wider problems facing Haiti, which even before the earthquake was one of the poorest countries in the world. The issue of land rights however, is fundamental to the long-term success of Haiti’s recovery and this is an issue that can be resolved only by the Haitian authorities committing to the establishment of a land commission.

For more information, visit www.trocaire.org

Freedom of press in Russia threatened by violence Jean-Baptiste Carrere looks at recent attacks on a number of journalists in Russia and the climate of anti-press violence that pervades the country THE ATTACK on a journalist in Moscow in November 2010 reminds us of the serious threats faced daily by journalists in Russia. Oleg Kashin, who works for the daily newspaper Kommersant, was attacked outside his home on 6 November by two men hiding a metal bar in a bouquet of flowers.

Kashin sustained severe injuries, including a broken jaw, several broken fingers and fractures in both legs.

Kommersant’s editor Mikhail Mikhailin declared to the independent Ekho Moskvy radio station that the attack was clearly connected to Kashin’s work as a journalist, deducing this from the injuries to his fingers. President Dmitri Medvedev stated that the “criminals must be found and punished.”

The attack reminds us of a similar but sadly, even more violent attack in 2008, against Mikhail Beketov. The journalist was writing about the corruption in Moscow and remains permanently disabled due to the beating he suffered.

25 January, 2011

Even more “radical” attacks were carried out in the past decade such as the murders of investigative journalists Paul Klebnikov and Anna Politkovskaya in 2004 and 2006 respectively,

“From 2004 to 2009 included, 41 journalists were murdered in Russia. In 2010, six journalists died from homicide.” and of human-rights activist Natalya Estemirova (who was working with Politkovskaya) in 2009.

Medvedev and Putin before him, condemned all these crimes and asked Russia’s Interior Minister and Gen-

eral Prosecutor to supervise intensive investigations. However, almost all investigations led to dead-ends or in some cases, Politkovskaya’s and Kelbnikov’s for instance, to the arrest of the murderers but never to the masterminds behind them.

Russia is currently ranked 140th out of 178 countries in the Press Freedom Index prepared annually by Reporters Without Borders. The association, fighting for the freedom of speech and safety of journalists throughout the world, is highly critical of Putin’s regime and attitude towards journalism, during and after his presidency.

The association states that in Russia, “independent journalists and human rights activists are exposed to considerable danger, especially in the North Caucasus.

“As well as manipulating groups and institutions, Putin has promoted a climate of pumped-up national pride that encourages the persecution of dissidents and freethinkers and fosters a level of impunity that is steadily undermining the rule of law.”

Following the murder of Paul Klebnikov, his brother American journalist Peter Klebnikov, stated in The St. Petersburg Times that it was “the moment of truth for Russia. The country

removing someone who stands in the way by murder is considered normal,

“Putin has promoted a climate of pumpedup national pride that encourages the persecution of dissidents and freethinkers.”

SS A memorial for Anna Politkovskaya, who was murdered in 2006.

could well have the capacity to build skyscrapers, to solve international conflicts or even win tennis tournaments.

But for as long as resolving disputes or

the country is sick.”

When looking at the six years following that statement, we can say that Peter Klebnikov’s expectations have not been met. Between 2004 and 2009 inclusive, 41 journalists were murdered in Russia. In 2010, six journalists died from homicide.

These shocking numbers highlight the challenge to freedom of press in modern Russia. This disregard for civil liberty is especially frightening considering that Putin’s Russia is one of the world’s greatest powers.

14 BUSINESS

When the clock strikes Midnite Midnite Events is one of the most successful club promoters in Dublin. This week, Dearbhla Gavin spoke to its founders to find out more

A

n unlikely by product of the socialnetworking era has been the explosion in online club promotion. Many of us are subjected to a daily bombardment from promoters, offering everything from cheap booze to a guaranteed shift. And yet, what many of us are not aware of is that behind the badgering notifications and promiseridden Facebook messages is a very lucrative industry indeed.

The recession has had a detrimental effect on event management businesses.

The excessive soirées of the Celtic Tiger have all but disappeared as practically every demographic feels the pinch.

However, students everywhere continue to buck the trend, much to the delight of club promoters. Whatever the weather, workload or budget, downing anything from Tuborg (for the masses) to Tia Maria (for those wanting to feel like they’re still soaking in affluence), one will always find a college student up for “the sesh”.

The embattled industry of event management has been forced to reinvent itself with emphasis on the student market and nightclub promotion. Enter the previously mentioned Facebook event invitations. With the evolution of social networking, club promoters have been able to launch huge advertising and marketing campaigns for free, gaining unlimited airtime and direct access to their target market.

Fascinated by the continued success of these club promoters I decided to pay a visit to one of the companies that pop up frequently on Facebook news feeds everywhere, Midnite Events. Freshfaced Jamie White, and his slightly more roughly-shaven partner in crime Mark Jakobs, are the epitome of the cats that got the cream. Naturally, the first topic I turned to was where the inspiration for Midnite Events came from. They cheekily looked at each other and said, “Us”. I am in no doubt it was spurred on by the somewhat-isolated pastures of their alma mater, Clongowes Wood College in Kildare, where they boarded. White muses, “We were in Sixth Year and there was literally nothing to do, and nowhere to find out if there was anything even going on.” And so, seizing the initiative, they proceeded to organize gigs with relatively unknown bands in venues like The Sugar Club on Leeson Street.

“With the evolvement of social networking, club promoters have been able to launch huge advertising and marketing campaigns for free.”

Over time the business grew and, although they may have set out as two schoolboys simply trying to have a good time, today virtually every club in the capital with a DJ box and a dance floor is queuing up to jump on board the party bus with the Midnite boys.

Both White and Jakobs attribute their success to their access to a huge market of college students.

In addition, both are unequivocal in their belief in the importance of Facebook communication to their business model. Organizing an event, bombarding students with reminders, advertising it, selling it, that is how this business works. The internet allows Midnite Events to directly access its “localized market”, as Jacobs puts it, and provides “zero wastage”, White adds. The promoters point out that this is most definitely not the case with distribution of flyers and circulation of text messages.

Moreover, the firm’s target market is seismic, with graduates being replaced every year by young banterhungry school leavers. White and Jakobs have already begun to expand, running events throughout the greater Dublin area.

Although the boys do not afford me a cheeky glimpse at their balance sheet, one could be forgiven for assuming the firm’s accounts are looking extremely healthy, even in the tough economic climate. The success of Midnite Events has enticed others to jump on the bandwagon of nightclub promotion, much to the irritation of Facebook users everywhere.

SS Students flock to see gigs in venues such as The Sugar Club, pictured above

business@trinitynews.ie

Does China have it made?

Caitriona Gallagher ponders the challenges that face the world’s second largest economy in 2011 IT MAY be the Year of the Rabbit, but the dragon is roaring loudest. China has experienced rapid sustained growth since its economic liberalisation of the late 1970s, with GDP growth rates between eight and 14 per cent per annum for the last twenty years.

As it shifts from an economy that is centred on “made in China” to one centred on “made by China”, it is evident that the country is full of innovators and creators. Although still officially communist, the government has encouraged growth of private industries and entrepreneurs are continuously popping up all over the country in industries ranging from wine exportation to shipping.

Cheap labour and resources have attracted foreign investors who continue to outsource more and more work to the nation. Just recently, IBM outsourced 190 jobs from Dublin to Shenzhen in China. The quality of work produced and education levels of the workers are comparable to those of western standards, but at a much lower cost. And with high levels of worker efficiency allied with consistently strong growth rates, it seems that China has no reason to complain. Yet, it has found itself in a delicate situation.

Like most things in life, the good comes with the bad. The rapid growth of the economy has forced the Chinese government to respond to fears of an overheating economy. Inflation, an emerging property bubble and growing gaps in income have all become threats to the stability of the country. As a nation of 1.3 billion people with limited freedom of speech and political power, keeping the masses happy is a priority.

To this end, income per capita has increased and overall living standards are higher than they have ever been.

However, as the growth rate has been so high in the last two decades, a sudden slow down to anything lower than eight per cent (which is still well above the global average of 4.1 per cent) could result in recession-like effects.

Moreover, China needs an annual growth rate of eight per cent just to

accommodate new graduates entering the workforce.

The most immediate threat that China faces coming into 2011 is inflation, which is set to reach four per cent in the coming year. This inflation has primarily affected food prices, and with China’s minimum wage one of the lowest in the world, any increase in food prices has a huge impact on citizens.

The government has responded to the threat by capping the prices of basic food necessities in the hope of averting the threat of rioting, behavior which

“As a nation of 1.3 billion people with limited freedom of speech, keeping the masses happy is a priority.” was recently seen in Bolivia following the rise in oil prices.

Furthermore, inflation would also negatively affect China’s edge in the trading market. Cheap export prices are fundamental to the Chinese growth model and, as such, any increase in the price of exports could be ruinous.

China has raised its interest rates for the first time in three years and has enacted measures to cut bank lending.

Many commentators are skeptical as to China’s ability to manage inflation.

As Dan Kadlec, an economist for Time Magazine, suggested, it may be time for the Chinese economy to stop being so dependent on its exports and start directing the economy to its domestic market.

As the world moves out of the recession and into a new year, China’s role and economic policies will have a huge impact on the direction of the global market and the trading balance between the major economies. The steps it takes to battle its inflation will not only determine its social stability on the domestic level, but also its trade relations with other nations.

Developing world takes centre stage Eduardo Parkinson de Castro comments on the ongoing seismic shift in global economic power between developed and developing countries

T

he economic crisis has had a vast and destructive reach.

Soaring unemployment, ballooning national debt and falling incomes have contributed to a mood of despair and pessimism.

Yet, despite all the haunting discouragements, there are those who remain positive. They are confident that opportunity arises out of crisis, and that there is a real chance to reform the global economy in order to bring increase integration and stability.

As weakened industrialised economies must pull back from active participation in the global scene, new opportunities are unfolding for emerging economic

powers, allowing their influence in international affairs to grow.

Many European economies exhibit a strong dependency on the American economy and remain heavily indebted.

As the crisis spread into their markets, unemployment rates sky-rocketed.

However, its impact was less severe on emerging economies. For instance, when the crises hit China and Brazil, they already held large currency reserves and had a variety of trade partners. Less vulnerable to external shocks, they managed to preserve their economic growth potential; for instance, Brazilian domestic consumption sustained its own

economic growth. While industrialised economies entered a state of inaction, the emerging economies assumed their responsibility of sustaining the global economy.

The creation of the G-20 (a group including 13 emerging economies and the industrialised countries of the former G-7) made clear that the involvement of emerging economies was necessary for solving global economic problems. Further, reforms to the IMF and the World Bank underlined a shift in the balance of economic power in favour of developing nations.

In fact, these were necessary reforms as it became evident that the emerging economies were now playing a pivotal role as drivers of global economic growth. Indeed, the fast-paced growth of the emergent economies led to a significant increase in their share of world exports (from

27% to 41% in 15 years).

Further, amongst the world’s ten

“When addressing other issues, such as global warming, it is unimaginable to foresee any major solutions without including China and Brazil.”

largest ports, eight are now Chinese and only one is European, namely Rotterdam. While the euro and the dollar decline, the ruble, the real and the renminbi become more important currencies. Moreover, amongst the

world’s ten largest companies, three are Chinese, and amongst the world’s 500 largest corporations, one quarter are owned by groups from emergent economies. When addressing other issues, such as global warming, it is unimaginable to foresee any major solutions without including China and Brazil.

Despite these advances, much more reform is needed to reflect the shift in global economic power. This can only be accomplished by a parallel reform of key international institutions, namely the United Nations and its Security Council.

Throughout history it has been demonstrated that crises can create the necessary motivation for propelling some of the most unimaginable and extraordinary changes. We can only hope that emerging economies will excel in their new role at the heart of global economic relations.

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ON CA MPUS

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25 January, 2011

16 TRAVEL

Going Dutch Varun Khanna Deputy Travel Editor

Okay, so there I was, standing in the airport with a couple of friends, and we had just missed our flight to Amsterdam. Our friend, who had left earlier was already over there waiting for us. Our two-day weekend with the Dutch was in jeopardy of ending before it had ever left the ground. This was disastrous, perhaps the worst thing that could happen. My world was falling apart. I, ladies and gentlemen, was freaking out.

I had a plan for Amsterdam: peruse the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum in the aptly named Museum Quarter, take a gander at Anne Frank’s House, visit the infamous Red Light District and the legendary coffee shops I kept hearing about, and enjoy the wonderful food, pubs, and people.

I am usually not one to go on trips without a clear itinerary, or at least a loose plan of what I want to do. For me “the plan” consisted largely of museums, which is not necessarily for everyone, but it was my reason for going.

Clearly, this was not going to happen now. But my arm was twisted, and we decided to shell out the extra cash for the next flight and try to salvage the trip. This was unfortunately the next morning, leaving us a day and a night to enjoy the city. I was a little crestfall-

lar activity. In fact, when I look back, most of our day consisted of walking around the city, rather than actually doing anything. We were only there for a painfully short time, and the plan, as it was, lay in ruins. I knew, when we decided to continue to Amsterdam after missing the first flight, that we we wouldn’t be getting much done. And therein lay the beauty of the trip: completely relaxed, without any pressures to “get things done” and see everything on a list, we were able to truly enjoy the beauty of Amsterdam.

After some wonderful waffles at a loc a l eatery, we finally met up with our lost compatriot, and st a r te d our

travel@trinitynews.ie

After the harrowing realisation of a plan gone awry, Varun Khanna discovered the benefits of a trip to Amsterdam without an itinerary walking tour of Amsterdam. What you find is that Amsterdam, though beautiful, is physically small, which is perfect for the wanderer.

Whether you choose to walk or adopt the bike as your preferred mode of travel, as most Amsterdammers do, you can travel most of Amsterdam in a day. It’s easy to take advantage of the plethora of cafés, wonderful architecture, and beautiful concentric rings of canals.

We made our way to the Museumplein for a nice stroll, and it is a great destination for all visitors. It’s an open park right behind the Rijksmuseum, with three other museums surrounding it (the Van Gogh, Diamond, and Stedelijk Museums), and on the other side a concert hall called Concertgebouw that

should draw all the classical music lovers with reasonable prices.

It is also a wonderful spot for those delightfully clichéd photos: the IAMSTERDAM letters are located here, and depending on when you go, the Museumplein boasts an outdoor ice rink (doubling as pond in the summer), and a skate ramp.

Not too far away is the even larger Vondelpark, which hosts free open-air theatre in the summer months. All in all, whether you like to throw a Frisbee around, have a picnic, see a concert, or whatever your cup of tea, it is highly likely you can do it here.

Now we were hungry, so we went strolling around, on the hunt for good eats.

And boy did we h a v e options, among t h e

“Sleep was no longer an option. It was messy, I won’t lie to you. It was very messy.” en, I will admit.

What were we to do in the intervening period? Bemoan our collective misfortune at missing our flight because someone (not I, of course) had forgotten their passport on the way out, costing us precious time?

No. We decided to head back home, and find ourselves a party (or maybe three) to get ourselves appropriately pumped for a very hectic weekend.

Sleep was no longer an option. It was messy, I won’t lie to you. It was very messy. The important bit is that we made it to the airport on time.

Despite an arduous and almost unbearable flight – alcohol and flying, not such a good idea – we soon found ourselves in Schiphol Airport bright and early at 7am. Schiphol is an incredible airport, and you find yourselves rapidly processed and ready to board a train to take you to the city. After a short train ride and a shorter yet tram ride, we were in the city centre. We had made it. Finally.

What followed was a day of fond memories, and not for any particu-

MUSEUMS NOT TO BE MISSED IN AMSTERDAM • Van Gogh Museum: houses 200 paintings and 550 sketches by Van Gogh as well as hundreds of the artist’s letters • Flourescent Art Musuem: Also known as the Electric Ladyland in honour of the Jimmi Hendrix album, this museum exhibits artwork

created with (you guessed it) flourescent materials and minerals.

• Amsterdam Tulip Museum: located across from the Anne Frank House museum, visitors can learn about the history of the tulip or purchase rare tulip bulbs at the gift shop

most bizarre was a vending machinelike food chain, where you insert coins, and a glass window opens to offer you a cheeseburger or hot dog or even a deepfriend chicken burger. While I was not nearly brave enough to test the food, one of us was. Strangely enough, the

“Whether you choose to walk or adopt the bike as your preferred mode of travel, as most Amsterdammers do, you can travel most of the city in a day. verdict was “edible” and the benefit is that these food chains are available late into the night and into the early morning.

What we finally settled on was a delicious all-you-can-eat rib restaurant. It was phenomenal. An hour and a half later, after stuffing ourselves with unholy amounts of ribs for only €12, we made our way to Dam Square, the historic centre of the city.

There, you will find the Royal Palace on one side and the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) beside it. The National Monument that commemorates the victims of WWII lies opposite. Madame Tussauds Wax Museum is nearby as well for those interested.

By this time, we needed some rest, so we opted to crash at a friend’s apartment in Amsterdam. Two hours later, we were awake and slowly gearing up for the night. First stop, the infamous Red-Light District.

A walk through these streets is probably something everyone should do. It was strange to say the least. Though it is completely safe, it was slightly nauseating to see the women selling themselves behind windowpanes and more so the men who enter and exit those rooms. However, as a significant part of Amsterdam, it’s worth a look.

Lastly, we ended the night with a circuit of pubs and the occasional snack from a street vendor. But before you knew it, it was time to start heading back to the airport. Our day with the Dutch was up.

My trip to Amsterdam contrasted greatly from the trip I had initially planned – no museums, no list of things to do, just sheer, unplanned joviality. It was relaxing, and remains one of my fonder travel memories, leaving me with the desire to return, one day, to Amsterdam.

So when disaster strikes and catastrophe seems imminent, fear not. It may just end up being one of the better trips you’ve had.

Would you like a seat with your flight, M’am?

What’s blue and yellow, often delayed, and costs under ten euro for a round trip? Travel editor Jimmy Lee looks at Ryanair Jimmy Lee Travel Editor

WE’VE ALL been there. Whether it’s a strike in France or a freak snowstorm, cancelled flights aren’t fun for anyone.

“When you purchase a round trip flight to Barcelona for the cost of a McDonalds Big Mac, can you really expect your flight to come with chips and a Coke?”

Least of all for the customer service representatives dealing with the wrath of the merciless mob, taking their vitriol with a smile (for the first hundred people anyways).

In reality however, our anger is misguided. No one is to blame, least of all Ryanair. After all, when you purchase a round trip flight to Barcelona for the cost of a McDonalds Big Mac, can you really expect your flight to come with chips and a Coke? You are getting exactly what you paid for: terrible service, uncomfortable seating, and the reliability of a Dublin City bus. Ryanair CEO, Michael O’Leary, being the smart businessman he is, has never once yielded to complaints knowing that when it comes down to it, his market, like his company, is concerned with one thing only: the bottom line.

You see Ryanair is a special airline in that it isn’t a real airline. Other discount airlines like Aer Lingus and Easy Jet have maintained their relatively cheapfare status, while upping the quality of

their service, fleet, and even in-flight entertainment. Ryanair on the other hand, has been trying to do its best to see just how far its loyal customers will go to save a few euro.

O’Leary has even recently suggested removing co-pilots from flights in order to save costs and is also entertaining the idea of offering “standing-room

only” tickets for standard short-haul continental flights. While standingroom only tickets may in fact draw even more customers to Ryanair’s infuriating website, removing co-pilots from the cockpit may be where customers draw the line. When flights are as cheap as five euro, do you really need it knocked down to €3.49, at the expense of a pilot and someone’s crotch in your face for a few hours? I say nay.

So the next time you find yourself complaining about Ryanair, swearing you’ll never fly with them again, re-

member: you did this to yourself. And more than likely, you’ll do it again, cursing their name the whole way to your gorgeous European destination.

A FEW GEMS FROM THE ONE AND ONLY MICHAEL O’LEARY • “In economy no frills; in business class it’ll all be free including the blow jobs.”

• “At the moment the ice is free, but if we could find a way of targeting a price on it, we would.”

• “Our strategy is like WalMart: we pile it high and sell it cheap.”

• “We don’t fall all over ourselves if you say, ‘My granny fell ill’. What part of ‘no refund’ don’t you understand?

You are not getting a refund, so f*ck off.”

TRINITY NEWS

OPINION 17 opinion@trinitynews.ie

Young, foolish and swept away by Schols Sarah Whyte re-examines her tragic love story, her fondness tinged with regret IT WAS the April of my first year when we first caught each other’s eye in Front Square. He was hanging around with a group of Senior Freshmen, wearing their black gowns.

I was young; I thought I was smart.

The others tried to warn me about his fickle ways, the betrayals, the other girls, the other guys for that matter, but I didn’t listen. I wanted Schols. I didn’t care.

We watched each other from a distance for the rest of the semester. The summer tore us apart for a few painful months but, in September, with the luminous

paint and glitter from Freshers’ Week still in our hair, we became official. I started doing Schols.

At first it was fine; we spent long days together in the library just reading, arguing about things smart people had written. He seemed perfect. He didn’t mind when I wore sweatshirts, he liked me without make-up. But then, in November, it began to get serious. He got jealous when I saw other people, he thought I was too laid back about our relationship. Before I knew it, I was only going out once a week and my friends were telling me I was never around anymore.

But Schols only had

my best interests at heart. I was being immature, getting panicky about commitment. We took things to the next level in December, pulling allnighters in the 24-hour room as we wrote essays together. It seemed like he was the only person in my world.

Of course, looking back now I realise I should have seen the signs.

There were the covetous looks he always got, the competitive way people always talked around him as they tried to prove themselves, but I thought I was different. I thought I could change him.

It happened on 10 January. That was the day he broke my heart into tiny pieces, when he shattered my dreams. Just like that. No warning, just the turn of a page and we were over.

I felt disorientated and numb. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Sure, it had happened to the others, but I was supposed to be different. This wasn’t supposed to happen to me.

I walked out into the crisp night air three hours later and realised that he had been doing me and seeing other people all along. I went home and sat

in a horrified silence for the next two days, angry that this had happened to me but too upset to do anything to get him back, unsure if I even wanted him now.

I’ve learned a lot since I first glimpsed Schols all those months ago.

Even though I’ll never forgive him for what he did to me – for taking away my personality and replacing it with knowledge, for making me think that a social life could wait – I know deep inside that, if he called out my name in April, I would skip back into his arms without a second thought and forget everything I ever held against him.

Make no mistake Junior Freshmen, Schols will chew you up and spit you out on the other side of second year a quivering mess of memorised facts with well-analysed arguments and no alcohol tolerance. Schols will want everything you have and even that may not be enough.

But if you get him, well… what can I say? He’s older, he’s smarter, guys want to be drinking buddies with him, and girls want to be with him. Total.

Catch.

The science of desperation?

Laura Twomey wonders if the Catholic Church’s new position on the Big Bang is a product of science or desperation

T

his new year brought a small revelation of sorts from the head of the Catholic Church. To mark the day of the epiphany, Pope Benedict XVI made a speech, stating that God’s mind was behind complex scientific theories such as the Big Bang theory. He also proclaimed that Christians should reject the idea that the universe came into being by accident. No doubt, it’s an interesting stance taken by the nerve center of the Catholic Church.

Does this statement signal that the Church has finally reached a point where they can no longer deny the occurrence of the Big Bang? Or is this an inevitable admittance, long taken for granted by those who are not of the more old-school Catholic audience?

To put my cynical hat on for a moment (please allow me), if anything, it’s probably a smart move in terms of PR to cite God’s involvement in the event. albeit an event of which its occurrence is still to be proven. The Big Bang theory has become widely accepted as being the most probable explanation; it’s something tangible, an explanation that many rational thinkers on the planet cling to. This statement comes as the Church, rapidly losing congregation numbers, tries to lose its anti-scientific image, to atone for now outdated past beliefs and to shake the harmful legacy of Galileo. Much to their credit, the

Church has made progress.

As a scientific theory, evolution is now accepted, although understandably with objections to its use as an atheistic philosophy that denies God’s existence.

Of course when it comes to religion, there’s always a caveat. Many of the scientists, rationalists, atheists, Darwinists and heathens alike may see the Pope’s statement as perhaps putting a dusting of icing on the issue, and their opinions toward the Church’s views have not been duly sweetened. To those of a certain viewpoint, the statement could be seen as a muted, forced compromise as the Church faces the harsh realities of scientific exploration.

Science lies where information is factual and tangible. At the moment, scientists at CERN are searching for the “God particle” by simulating conditions they believe fostered the birth of the universe. The Pope’s definition of God’s involvement in the creation of life, the universe and everything can be seen as circular. Where will this explanation fit in if this God particle is ever found? Will this ironically-named particle manage to disprove the existence of God? The God particle could be just that, according to Benedict’s XVI’s interpretation, of God’s method of creation: a divine meeting of physics with something else as yet unrevealed. And while these answers

are being sought at CERN and by scientists and theologians around the world, the circular nature of this equation continued in an intriguing journal article published last year.

CERN still hasn’t managed to succeed in its endeavours, encountering many unexplainable problems.

The Pope’s speech immediately reminded me of an age-old dichotomy: “man of science, man of faith”. Even Stephen Hawking has famously said that, once we discover a theory of everything, “… then we would truly know the mind of God”. It seems that, although often polarised in their outlooks, science and religion have a lot more in common than at first glance. Perhaps these big questions are just too big to be treated with justice by either religion or science alone. Whether you are a believer, a doubter, or a decrier, it looks like no one has the right answer to life, the universe and everything … just yet.

“This statement comes as the Church, rapidly losing congregation numbers, tries to lose its anti-scientific image.”

How to weigh up the works of a great scholar WE HAVE learned to our cost in recent years that no institution is better than the persons empowered to lead it, however worthy many of the lesser lights in an institution may be. The well-being of Ireland depends on the good judgment of the Taoiseach and the Minister for Finance, and the wellbeing of Trinity College depends upon the good judgment of the Provost.

A great responsibility is laid, therefore, on the voters in the forthcoming election, among whose number I am excluded by virtue of advanced years (I am sixty-eight) and retirement. The College needs to think more carefully in the future about its policy of exclusion, especially when it hosts morally elevating conferences on the subject of ageism. Mahaffy was seventy-five when elected as Provost in 1914. If that is deemed too old, the age of fifty-five is surely too young. Few scholars can establish their greatness

25 January, 2011

at so young an age.

I take it that we are agreed that a scholar with a love of learning (and preferably with a love of Trinity itself) is what is required. We cannot hope that a manager or a philistine will

A VIEW FROM NEW SQUARE

GERALD MORGAN

restore Trinity to a place among the world’s leading universities. There will perhaps be six (or even more) candidates with a great number of publications to their names.

We ought not to be unduly impressed by that mere fact. There are in this world many Professors Drudge or Doctors Dryasdust with long lists of publications (perhaps a hundred or more). Greatness in scholarship is conferred by something more than competence and drudgery. The great Oxford philologist, Eric Dobson, taught me in the 1960s that in textual criticism we must weigh manuscripts, not count them. Let us say that six manuscripts exist for the reading of a given text.

Two of these manuscripts may lay claim to a greater authority than four if the two are independently derived and the four are derived from a common source beneath the archetype. J.R.R. Tolkien unfortunately did not write

the masterpiece on Beowulf for which his scholarly admirers had hoped, but a single article, “Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics”, published in 1936, a seminal work which transformed the study of the Old-English epic poem.

At the same time his great colleague, C.S. Lewis, although teaching thirty hours a week at Magdalen College, published his Allegory of Love. That work is still read by students with enthusiasm and profit, although one might wish (as I do) that his opening chapter on “courtly love” had been less persuasively written.

In the long lists of publications we must seek out those which are indeed transformative (there may be none).

And we must seek out those which address great issues and subjects rather than minor issues. I wish the electors well in this endeavour. gmorgan1066@gmail.com

GABRIELLE GIFFORDS

AMERICAN POLITICAL DISCOURSE IS TOXIC

ON 8 JANUARY a lone gunman emerged from a small crowd gathered in a Safeway supermarket located just outside Tucson, Arizona.

Wielding a high-calibre handgun with a high-capacity magazine, he attempted to assassinate congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, an Arizona Democrat who was holding a “Meet Your Congress” event in the market. Along with Giffords, over a dozen members of the crowd were injured by the gunman, identified as Jared Lee Loughner, and six were killed, including a nine-year-old girl and a federal judge. Loughner was tackled and subdued by two men who were present and is now in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Just hours after the massacre, politicians and news pundits were politicising the event, harkening back to the aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombing of 1995. Liberal politicians and commentators cried that foul play had been carried out by conservative instigators of the heated, often violent, rhetoric that has taken American airwaves by storm since the election of Barack Obama and the emergence of the Tea Party.

They are right to do so. Political discourse in the United States has become toxic. Rife with vitriolic language and thinly veiled threats

“The landscape of rational debate has altered, perhaps, irrevocably.” of insurrection and violence, the landscape of rational debate has, perhaps, been altered irrevocably.

Some blamed Sarah Palin directly for fanning the flames of outrageous political discourse. During the past midterm elections, Palin’s website bore the image of crosshairs aimed at many contended congressional districts. One of these districts was Giffords’.

Yet, however unfair it may be to blame one incendiary political reactionary, or to condemn Loughner’s attack as straightforward political assassination rather than the act of a deranged 22-year-old, this shocking event brings to the fore the dangers of political rhetoric when it ceases to be civil and productive and becomes outright dangerous.

This is not just a warning for the United States. Of course, with contentious issues at play across that country, and the vitriol spewed by dissenting factions, the US stands out in the wake of the Tucson shooting. But across the democratic world – in Ireland and in the UK – parties rage over contentious issues. Let this be a reminder that democratic discourse is built on a foundation of civility and mutual respect in the face of opposing ideas.

There is no doubt that the issues facing the world today will shape the course of our future, and we find ourselves in particularly volatile times. But these are times in which we must celebrate the clash of ideas and foster intelligent, respectful and ultimately fruitful political debate. Shun those who might, for their own personal gains and agendas, exacerbate the discord inherent in opposing views.

Thankfully, Congresswoman Giffords appears to be steadily recovering from massive brain trauma.

Jonathan Creasy

18 EDITORIAL

HEAD TO HEAD: THE SEANAD

TRINITY NEWS Est 1953

“The Seanad’s role is to represent groups the electoral system fails to”

towards some revival of the collegiate spirit, which modern conditions tend to discourage

t

SHANE GLACKIN

DEMAND EXCELLENCE FROM THE ADMINISTRATION WHAT’S THE difference between the annual summer exam timetables and the daily timetable of lectures? One very rarely has any errors, and the other often does.

Clearly Trinity has the right people and the resources to produce an accurate timetable for the exam period. Why, then, isn’t there an accurate daily timetable?

One reason is that, as students, we don’t tolerate mistakes in the exam timetable. It is too important. We expect the exam timetable to be accurate, and so there is an implicit agreement between us and the administrators who serve us that they will do their job to a high standard.

Sadly, for the daily timetable and countless other bureaucratic services, this agreement on high standards does not exist, implicitly or otherwise. It’s time to make it explicit.

Next time your timetable is wrong, ask why. When a tutorial clashes with a lecture, or when you’re supposed to get from Goldsmith Hall to the Edmund Burke in ten minutes, ask why. Ask why your lecture notes are available as twelve separate 50 MB PowerPoint files from last year rather than one up-to-date PDF. Ask why your assignment, handed in on time, hasn’t been returned to you on time.

Our teachers demand high standards of us. It is part of what makes this university the best in the country.

Any student who were to use words as inefficiently and opaquely as Peter Hynes in the Student Records Office and Paul Coote in the Treasurer’s Office did in their email of 7 January about re-registration – 413 words just to say, “You don’t need to do anything” – would be told to resubmit.

We expect and demand that the administrators who serve us do so with a consistently high standard. If they don’t meet this standard, knock on their door and remind them – it is your right and your duty.

t

ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST LAST WEEK, RTÉ News played Brian Cowen off with a blast of Razorlight’s Before I Fall to Pieces. What then should the resignation of former USI deputy president Conán Ó Broin been met with? Moving on Up by the M People perhaps?

As the Irish Times reported back in October, “There’s nothing to be won this year for USI. It’s all about holding ground and with the recent decision by the department to scale back the eligibility criteria for post-grads, the student movement has lost some ground.” From a career point of view then, not the most advantageous time to be a member of the USI team.

However, though this year may be more difficult for the USI than most, it is also one of the most important in recent history. At a time when government is in such turmoil, we need strong student leaders to represent on a national level. Ó Broin’s resignation shows both a lack of integrity as a student leader and base careerist motives.

On the USI website, Ó Broin stated, “As the country continues to deal with the consequences of the economic collapse, there is no doubt that students face a difficult year to ensure that their interests are protected. USI will be fighting hard all year to ensure that students interests are well defended at a national level.”

These words seem like empty rhetoric now.

WHEN THE catastrophic shortcomings of Irish political culture have rarely been more apparent, it is curious that proposals for reform have focused on one of the very few national institutions that has functioned more or less successfully over its history. Curious, but unsurprising.

The point of a scapegoat, after all, is to satisfy the public’s urge for bloodletting while letting the actual culprits off the hook.

Let’s be clear; the Seanad is by no means a perfectly democratic institution. It is undemocratic, we are told, because it is substantially unelected. But this inference reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of the point and nature both of democracies, and of electoral systems.

Democracy, as a theory of government, proceeds from the assumption that the best political outcomes are those agreed upon by a consensus of all potentially affected individuals.

That we cannot simply equate this with majority rule is reflected in the fact that virtually no modern democratic state is constituted on unalloyed majoritarian lines. Rather, they operate with a series of institutional checks and balances, which suggests that the disenfranchisement of minority groups – Jews, gay people, the travelling community – no matter how popular, cannot be democratic.

Now, electoral systems are typically excellent guarantors of representation and the representation of all affected parties and their interests is a sine qua non of democratic governance, and a well-designed electoral system is one of the best tools we have for ensuring it. But like any tool, it is limited in its use.

In Ireland, education employs approximately 50 percent more people than agriculture. But whereas teachers are evenly distributed among the population, farmers are by their nature geographically concentrated. This ensures that farmers are well-represented, since they dominate the rural constituencies. But teachers, with no such guarantee of representation, form a powerless bloc within each electoral area. Their

interests are invisible to an electoral system based on geographical constituencies.

The genius of Seanad Éireann is to provide a forum for democratic representation of those groups which lack geographical clout, whose members constitute a significant proportion of the total electorate, but nowhere thickly spread enough to elect a TD of their own. The voice it accords those groups, those citizens, doesn’t compete with that of the directly elected Dáil Éireann; but it does leaven and moderate it.

The Seanad allows input into the deliberative process for figures as diverse – as representative of the full diversity of Irish society – as Martin Mansergh and Joe O’Toole, David Norris and Rónán Mullen. Homosexual acts were still criminal offences within the lifetime of most Trinity News readers; that they are no longer so is due in great part to the decades-long platform the Seanad afforded Norris.

Of course, as currently constituted, the Seanad has flaws – its cronyism and its use as an incubator or retirement home for budding or ageing party stalwarts. But the proposals for its reform do little to resolve these issues. Worthwhile reform would reinforce the Seanad’s central function and success, providing panels for immigrants, expats, LGBT groups, and the disabled.

The Seanad is “toothless”, it is true; but its inability to overrule the elected Dáil is just what makes its unelected status defensible. Its role is to represent groups the conventional electoral system fails to. In providing a voice for interests which lack the financial or structural requirements to be heard conventionally, it is one of the few successful institutions that Ireland possesses. “We must reform the system,” we are told, “and this is reform; therefore we must do this!” To respond to the total discrediting of our political establishment by eviscerating the one element which both works as intended and bears virtually no responsibility for the malaise would be the rankest idiocy.

“It acts as a backdoor entrance to the Dáil, and as a retirement home” SEAN HANILY

NOW THAT the future of Seanad Éireann, the upper house of our Parliament, is being discussed in a serious way by all major political parties, it is definitely time to take a closer look at its relevance in the modern world.

If someone were to ask you whether you think the House of Lords in the United Kingdom is relevant, what would your answer be? For most people, the answer would be no, many suggesting that it is an elitist upper house riddled with old men who just block some legislation.

Well, then, is the Seanad any different?

No, it is not. It may differ in that it is not elitist (after all, why is Eoghan Harris there, and who let him in?), but it still serves the exact same function. It is a back door entrance to Dáil Éireann for politicians who were not democratically elected by the ordinary citizens of Ireland, and it is a retirement home for politicians who have had a long career in Dáil Éireann and do not want to leave the luxuries of Leinster House behind them just yet.

However, also contained in this ridiculous establishment is a third group of people: senators like Frances Fitzgerald, who have openly spoken about their worries and agreed with ideas about the House’s abolition. This third body of senators are statespeople of whom this country should be proud. They have put the people of Ireland, the taxpayers, first.

They have spoken out about a subject which would put them out of their job.

Alas, people like Senator Fitzgerald are in a minority. When Fianna Fáil came round to the idea of abolishing the Seanad only a few weeks ago, that party’s senators were far from happy.

And why would they be happy? After all, included in the Government side of the Seanad are senators such as Ivor Callely and John Ellis, men which are no strangers to bad publicity.

But they are representing the people, right?

Wrong. They are some of the people who make up the “Taoiseach’s nominations”, senators who are paid by this country, but who are not elected by the people. They were, in turn, “elected” to membership of Seanad Éireann by none other than our former Taoiseach Bertie

Ahern. If you are unsure why these men have question marks over their presence in the house, then simply Google their names.

But aside from the Seanad being a body which misrepresents the people of this country, there are many other reasons to reject it. Most Irish people nowadays will be familiar with the word “expenses”. This word is also deeply associated with Seanad Éireann. Surely the governing bodies of the country should be setting a good example for the rest of us by avoiding all unnecessary expense? But the senators don’t seem to agree. Last year, Senator Donie Cassidy (another Fianna Fáiler!) was quoted in the Irish Examiner as saying it’s “not easy” for senators with families to get by on their basic salary of €65,000 a year. I’m sure the average person in this country would beg to disagree.

Furthermore, the Seanad has been regarded by many as a “talking shop”. This is a fair label for it. Just watch the Oireachtas Report any night and see just how petty the whole set-up is.

Look up the senators and see just how many of them may have other agendas, such as Labhrás Ó Murchú (the head of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann).

It is simply not acceptable, nor credible, for any person to now stand up in defence of Seanad Éireann. Many of the people in favour of saving it will quote its noble history, reciting anecdotes about the likes of W.B. Yeats, Brian Friel and Oliver St. John Gogarty at work in the upper house.

But this is nonsense. One has to look at former senators like Garrett Fitzgerald and Noël Browne to get any real political inspiration from the history of the Seanad.

And people like those have been few and far between in the history of Seanad Éireann.

Put quite simply, the Seanad is a waste of time, money and resources. However, Trinity College can at least be proud of its representatives, most of whom over the years have proven to be the most capable and worthy of all the senators. Hopefully a brighter future awaits Ireland – one with no place for Seanad Éireann.

TRINITY NEWS

19 opinion@trinitynews.ie

LETTERS

Letters should be sent to letters@trinitynews.ie or to Trinity News, 6 Trinity College, Dublin 2. We reserve the right to edit submissions for style and length. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of Trinity News.

LETTERS@TRINITYNEWS.IE

MORE MONEY FOR SHOPPING AND HAIR?

is likely to be paid less than her male classmates for the same job?

Madam –

Yours etc, Iseult McLister SS History

The proposal for a “tax cut for the girls” by the IMF was greeted with the same derision that most gender quotas are.

It is considered to be unfair and sexist.

The positive discrimination measures do not mean that women will be paid more than men for the same jobs (as men have been for years).

There is still gender pay gap of eight percent when there are equivalent educational qualifications and responsibilities, and even if the cut of five percentage points proposed by the IMF is put in place there will still be a pay discrepancy.

Why would any female graduate want to stay in this country where she

TRINITY NEWS: IT’S THE BUSINESS Madam – I thoroughly enjoyed the Business section’s special on Ireland’s financial situation in your last issue. The articles were easy to read and well thought out.

I particularly enjoyed Hannah McCarthy’s article entitleed “WTF is the IMF”, which was very clear and concise.

I look forward to similar coverage in

the future.

Yours etc, Maria Storey SF Science

THE LEADERSHIP DEBACLE Madam – The Fianna Fáil leadership debate can only have served to worsen the party’s reputation in the public’s eye.

In my view, the Fianna Fáil members who claimed that the leadership issue was an internal party matter were right to be tight lipped, as that stance avoids public scrutiny of their motives and also takes into account that the public’s concern is with getting Fianna Fáil out, so Cowen’s fate within his own party is

not of huge interest.

The media’s grilling of opposition members about their stance on the leadership issue also seems to miss the point. It would probably suit the opposition just fine to annihilate Cowen in the upcoming election, but it was a General Election date they’ve been after.

Additionally the Greens, who finally left government on Sunday, have been vocal for weeks about their frustration with Fianna Fáil, these frustrations culminating in the “miscommunication” last week regarding the ministerial appointments Cowen attempted to have passed.

The leadership race that will end on Wednesday can only hold limited significance in light of all this.

Yours etc, Conor Butler

The college of heretics in Dublin

OLD TRINITY PETER HENRY

SS Above: John Dignan, bishop of Clonfert from 1924 to 1953. Right: Catholics and Trinity College (Dublin: Catholic Truth Society, 1933)

E

quivocation, fudge and fence-sitting are a part of almost all discourse these days, speaking directly having come to be seen as somewhat impolite. This, however, is a recent ill, and one can avoid the “nuance” of modern writing by looking at anything put to paper before the middle of the last century.

Look, for example, at the decidedly unequivocal oaths once taken by all receiving degrees in this university: “I do swear that I do from my heart abhor, detest and abjure, as impious and heretical, that damnable doctrine and position, that princes excommunicated or deprived by the pope or any authority of the See of Rome may be deposed or murdered by their subjects or any others.”

Also: “I do solemnly and sincerely before God profess, testify and declare that I do believe, that in the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, there is no Transubstantiation of the elements of bread and wine into the body and

25 January, 2011

blood of Christ.”

There are several more along similar lines – all to take a degree! At least then you knew where you stood.

In 1793 these oaths were dropped, but up to then no Catholic could attend Trinity without abandoning his religion. One Catholic priest did just that in the early 17th century, and his return to the Church was recorded by the Holy Office in Rome in 1628.

Thaddaeus O’Farrihy’s declaration reads: “I am the offspring of Catholic parents, and as I was brought up, so to the present time I have lived in a Catholic manner; but two years ago from the month of April I entered the college of heretics in the city of Dublin in Ireland on account of poverty …

I lived outwardly according to their custom; and I continued in the said college during the space of about 10 months, eating flesh on every day without distinction, neither celebrating Mass nor hearing it, and not confessing my sins sacramentally.”

For the crime of attending Trinity, O’Farrihy was ordered by the Holy Office to visit seven privileged altars, to once a week recite the seven penitential psalms, and to fast on bread and water on Fridays for three years.

Despite the oaths being removed in 1793, and religious tests being abolished in 1873, Catholics still did not attend Trinity in any numbers due to the Irish Catholic bishops’ ban on attendance.

This was dropped in 1970.

A wonderful pamphlet of 1933 outlines the Catholic opposition to Trinity. It was written by the straighttalking bishop of Clonfert John Dignan, who says that Trinity “is almost the very antithesis of a Catholic university”.

He writes: “Of those who know Trinity, few will be found to say it has changed. Today the odour of its founders is still obvious, and their spirit pervades its halls as well a s its chapel. Its atmosphere, its traditions, its genius loci, are as hostile to the Catholic Faith as ever. The gates and the doors may be open, but its heart beats as true to the intentions of its founders as it did when the Papist stood without its walls. Every act of hers in her recent as in her past history proves that she is Protestant and anti-Catholic, and we have yet to learn of even a single act to show that her heart or her spirit has changed.”

He quotes a speech

by Judge Webb to the Hist in 1892 for support. Webb said: “This university was founded by Protestants for Protestants, and in the Protestant interest.

A Protestant spirit had from the first animated every member of its body

corporate … Protestant might it ever remain.”

Dignan muses: “It is very hard to understand how any Irish Catholic would be so disobedient and so disloyal to the Church as to act in opposition to its express teaching, and so rash and reckless as to run the risks to his faith which the Pope has declared to be inherent in the system of education pursued at Trinity.”

He suggests that family tradition and prestige were part of this, but decides that the real reason was because Trinity was easy: “All these reasons, however, are nothing when we come to the real reason, the reason that accounts for the presence of 90 per cent of the Catholics found in Trinity. Everybody knows the entrance examination to Trinity is a byword and its pass degree is of a very low standard. Ninety per cent of Catholics found within the walls of Trinity are there because it is so much easier to get in than into the National, and because to get a degree in Trinity is so much easier than getting a degree in the National.”

The short pamphlet concludes with a refreshingly unnuanced declaration, possibly putting words into Pius XI’s mouth: “The Pope has condemned Trinity; the Irish Bishops have forbidden Catholics to enter it – and it remains forbidden. It is for all Catholics to obey.”

THE desecration of Parliament Square is in progress, with the cobbles being replaced with smooth paths for wheelchairs, bicycles, Segways and girls in high heels. Do not listen to any idiocy about the cobbles being “only 50 years old” or similar. They were certainly there in the 19th century, as photos from the time attest, and probably before. pehenry@tcd.ie

THE PUBLIC EDITOR A COLUMN by Oisín Murphy entitled “No Offense,” published in Trinity News Two in the fifth issue of Trinity News raised important questions about best practice when dealing with the competition – The University Times.

Murphy’s article was written in response to, what he called the “now notorious ‘Gay Best Friend’ article” published in the 19th October 2010 issue of the University Times Culture supplement. That article had been seen as offensive by some in college because of its description of the gay male friends of straight women as status symbols.

“No Offense” was presented as part satire, part discussion of the merits of writing a column. He suggested that the apology which The University Times had issued in the wake of several complaints was “a bit measured,” and so took the opportunity to issue one on their behalf.

In order to determine whether Trinity News was right to publish such an article, we must first look for a precedent in these pages. Happily, I only came upon one article in this year’s archives that deals directly with the Times. As a general rule, I think it is important to publish as little about each other as possible, lest we be distracted from other, more important stories.

In Issue 2, an article in this paper entitled “University Times in libel row,” detailed the controversy arising from the publication of their Trinity Twenty list, which ranks high profile students in college in terms of spending power, influence and prestige. The list incorrectly alleged that an officer of the Student’s Union and a member of college faculty were having an affair.

The Trinity News article was well written by Catríona Murphy and Aoife Crowley, and managed to report the matter in an unbiased fashion.

The fact that editor of the Times was given an opportunity to comment added to its evenhanded tone.

However, its placement on the front page betrayed a quiet glee at the other paper’s embarrassment, which was a shame considering that several more important stories were placed further on in the paper, a news piece about Trinity’s introduction of bonus points for students sitting honours maths in the Leaving Certificate examinations, which was pushed to page three.

Certainly, we cannot hold Murphy’s piece to the same standard of objectivity as a news article. As a columnist, surely he is entitled to share his opinion on any subject he wishes, and to express it in a manner of his choosing. Nevertheless, I do think that special care needs to be taken with pieces dealing with a competitor, which would not be necessary if dealing with any other topic.

I think the main duty we have is to be straightforward, mainly to ensure that the reader does not perceive a conflict of interest. Murphy was right to discuss the issue, but I believe the piece would have been better presented simply as a piece of criticism.

By couching his viewpoint behind a discussion of satire, and by employing a somewhat contrived “in conversation with” format, the reader left the piece without any clear sense of the purpose of its composition. When discussing a topic already as meta as this one, placing greater distance between the writer and the subject is unhelpful.

Similarly, I would not have gone down the root of apologising on behalf of the Times. Such an approach might have been fun in another context, but where competition is concerned, I think it’s best to be as uncomplicated as possible.

By simply giving some context and then making his argument, Murphy would have freed the reader to focus on the issue at hand.

Cillian Murphy, Public Editor To contact the Public Editor, email public@trinitynews.ie

20 SCIENCE science@trinitynews.ie

HEALTH

Air conditioning is good for you?

Ones to watch during 2011 John Engle takes a look at the science stories that surprised us last year CREATORS OF LIFE

A RECENT study published in Epidemiology revealed that air conditioning might not be as harmful as was previously thought. Researchers at Yale University found that exposure to intense air conditioning reduced the risk of respiratory problems and heart disease.

The reason behind this is that airconditioning allows intake of air that is free of atmospheric pollutants. The study predicted that if 20 percent of the population were to regularly use air-conditioners, there would be a 17 percent reduction in cases of heart disease.

Moving from the list of harmful products, air-conditioners join such commodities as coffee and eggs in the realm of health products.

ZOOLOGY

Healthy cats acting like they’re sick

NEW RESEARCH at Ohio State University has revealed that stress caused by changes in environment can lead a cat to act sick.

When healthy cats experienced changes in feeding schedule or caretaker they were likely to show signs of what is termed sickness behaviour. In fact, healthy cats were found to be just as likely as chronically ill cats to vomit hairballs frequently, refuse food or leave waste outside their litter box.

Researchers suggest that veterinary clinicians should carefully consider cats’ environmental conditions when diagnosing health problems. This sort of protest behavior is rarely observed in species other than primates.

THE WINNER of “Greatest Scientific Discovery of 2010” must go to the researchers at the J. Craig Venter Institute for their successful construction of the first ever synthetic self-replicating bacterium. By copying the genome of one bacterium and inserting it into the living cell of another, they triumphed as creators of an entirely new, man-made

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life. The new bacterial species, Mycoplasma laboratorium, has immense potential for future uses, and its creators hope to engineer it to create biofuels, medicines, and a myriad of other useful applications. It is an achievement that marks a giant leap forward for human science and discovery.

RECENT STUDIES have confirmed that sunbathing and the use of sunbeds can become a real addiction.

Robin Hornung, dermatologist at Washington University, asked 385 students to take a test usually aimed at studying drug or alcohol addiction. It emerged that 12 percent of the students showed strong signals of addictive behaviour and the problem was more widespread in female students, withdrawal symptoms include nausea and sickness.

The study was published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Anthea Lacchia

RESEARCHERS AT Russia’s Dubna particle accelerator have discovered a new element. Existing for only a fraction of a second, ununseptium, as it is being temporarily called, enjoyed only a moment of atomic stability before breaking down. Its brief life was un-

6

expectedly long: ordinarily the heavier the artificial element is the less stable, but ununseptium has broken that trend. This may mean that it may be possible to create more stable superheavy elements, for which there may be untold potential uses.

TURNING BACK THE CLOCK

TOXIC LIFE

A SALTY lake in California has yielded up what could well be the strangest life-form on Earth: a microorganism that uses the toxic chemical arsenic to live and reproduce. Toxic to all other life on Earth, no biologist dreamt such an alien creature was possible. The

discovery does not only entirely revolutionize our understanding of life and redefines what life is, but it also provides a whole new arena for astrobiologists to expand their search for life beyond Earth.

ANTIMATTER CONTAINED

SCIENTISTS AT CERN have succeeded for the first time to trap antimatter.

Having caught several particles of antihydrogen, the researchers can now begin the process of analyzing the incredibly volatile substance. Antimatter has

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been a mainstay of science fiction for decades, but now it has leapt into the realm of reality, and its vast potential as an energy source may hold the key to the future.

LIQUID WATER ON AN ICE WORLD

WITH AVERAGE temperatures of -198 degrees Celsius, enough to keep liquid nitrogen frozen, no one was looking for liquid water on Enceladus, a moon of Saturn. Yet, it appears the Cassini spacecraft has found just that.

Pictures sent back from the probe document a plume of water rising from the icy moon’s surface. Researchers at

AGING IS brought on largely due to the shortening of an organisms telomeres, chains of repetitive DNA on the ends of chromosomes that protect the chromosomes from deteriorating. As they shorten the cell ages. Biologists at Harvard University have succeeded in effectively turning back the clock

for laboratory mice: by manipulating the aging gene, the specimens’ organs regenerated, their brains ceased to decay, and they became reproductively fertile again. This research may be the first step to unlocking the secret of immortality.

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GALACTIC SUPER VOLCANO

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LIFESTYLE

Are you addicted to the sunshine?

THE ELEMENTS: EARTH, AIR, FIRE, UNUNSEPTIUM

NASA believe that the uneven, “wobbly,” rotation of the moon has resulted in powerful, heat-generating, tidal forces that have generated liquid water.

This represents a major step forward in humanity’s search for other worlds that could sustain life, with yet another of its neighbours housing one of the most vital components for it to emerge.

A SUPER-MASSIVE black hole, 50 million light-years from Earth, in the M87 galaxy, is behind a gaseous “supervolcano”. As gases in a galaxy cool on its periphery, they move in toward the centre, where ordinarily they would begin the process of forming into new stars. In M87, however, highly ener-

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getic particles emanating from the black hole interrupt this movement and instead sends the gases jetting out into space, in a plume much like that of a volcanic ash cloud. This discovery marks one of the most striking displays of the effect of black holes on galactic formation.

SECOND EARTH ORBITING DISTANT STAR

ASTRONOMERS HAVE discovered for the first time a potentially habitable planet in another solar system.

NASA’s Kepler mission has discovered Kepler-10b, a rocky planet that appears presently to possess all the prerequisites of life as we know it. The planet is 20 light years away, orbiting the star Gliese 581. The planet’s orbit is consid-

erably closer than the Earth’s is to the Sun, but Gliese 581 burns at just over half the temperature of our Sun. There is no evidence yet, however, that life does indeed exist on the planet, but it has great potential. This new discovery may one day be the destination of future manned exploration, as humanity venture out to inhabit the stars.

TRINITY NEWS

SPORT FEATURES 21 sportfeatures@trinitynews.ie

The Trinity News sporting crystal ball An exciting sporting year lies ahead. Daniel O’Callaghan, James Hussey, Killian McCarthy, Conor Bates and Keith Monaghan gaze into the future and make their predictions for what lies ahead for sport in 2011 WHO WILL WIN THE PREMIER LEAGUE AND CHAMPIONS LEAGUE? Conor Bates (CB): Manchester United and Real Madrid. The stunning resolve of Manchester United should guide them to another Premier League title.

Jose Mourihno and the Galáticos of Real Madrid will surely claim this year’s top prize in Europe. Keith Monaghan (KM): Manchester City and Barcelona.

The title race is very close right now.

At the start of the season I predicted Chelsea, but now it looks like Man City have what it takes to win the league. As for the Champions League, I’d love to see any team go to the Nou Camp and come away with their net unscathed.

Daniel O’Callaghan (DO’C): Manchester United and Bayern Munich. I expect that Fergie’s experience will see United come out on top in an enthralling title race. I am going to put my neck on the line and say that Arsenal will dump the European favourites Barcelona out over two legs.

The competition will then be opened up to a number of teams and last year’s Bavarian runners-up could go one step further this year.

WHO WILL BE VICTORIOUS IN SIX NATIONS AND RUGBY WORLD CUP? James Hussey (JH): France and Australia. France’s in-depth strength should take advantage of injured Irish and Welsh squads, while England’s inconsistency rules them out.

Australia’s young, vibrant team appear capable of denting All-Black hopes. A win on New Zealand soil would be the sweetest victory of all for the Wallabies.

DO’C: England and New Zealand. The November internationals saw the partrevival of the English side with new blood such as Courtney Lawes, Chris Ashton and Ben Foden revitalising the

team. Dan Carter and Richie McCaw wil surely guide perennial World Cup underachievers, New Zealand, to victory on their home turf.

Killian McCarthy (KMcC): Ireland and Australia. England without Moody lack balance, France under Lievremont lack direction and the other three aren’t any good so I’m going all patriotic and weighing in behind Ireland for the Six Nations. As for the World Cup, New Zealand will choke. Australia will capitalize and bring the trophy back across the Tasman.

WHO WILL BE IRELAND’S STAR OF 2011?

CB: Irish swimmer Gráinne Murphy looks set to startle in 2011. The triple gold medallist and Irish record holder will be able to unleash her potential at this year’s World Aquatics Championships.

KM: In football, Séamus Coleman without a doubt. He looks like our best up-and-coming attacking player.

KMcC: Keep an eye on boxer Willie “Big Bang” Casey. From a Limerick traveller family of 23, and he’s considered the “hard one”. The words “Not the face!” come to mind.

JH: I tip the inventive “Power Snooker”, championed by the likes of O’Sullivan, Selby and Junhui, to get increased recognition this year.

KM: Leeds United. They are on the rise for the first time in many, many years.

I wouldn’t be surprised if they were a comfortable Premier League team in the next few years.

KMcC: David Pocock should light up the Rugby World Cup in the autumn and oust Richie McCaw from his perch as the best number seven on the planet.

DO’C: Coutinho. The outlandishly skilled Brazilian has the potential to be as good as Lionel Messi. The 18 year old is currently making starring cameos in a struggling Inter Milan side.

T h e 2011 Copa

America could be the stage that releases Brazil’s next star.

WHICH HEADLINES WILL WE NOT BE READING THIS YEAR? KMcC: “Limerick hurlers win 50 quid at bingo. Season deemed a success”.

CB: “Sepp Blatter admits fault, resigns”.

KM: “Beckham for England in the Euro Championships”, “Beckham moving back to United in a coaching role”, “Beckham for England manager, Poet Laureate and Prime Minister”. I could go on.

DO’C: “England appoint Holloway as Capello’s successor”.

JH: “LeBron James accepts blame for Heat’s Championship loss.”

WHAT WILL BE THE NEXT SPORTING SCANDAL? CB: Should the International Olympic Committee enforce out-ofseason drug testing on all nations, Jamaican sprinters, in particular Usain Bolt, may finally be caught with their pants down, having previously refused to take voluntary tests during the off-season.

DO’c: Bohemians’ financial peril means an inevitable winding-up order.

If one of

WHO OR WHAT WILL BE ON THE RISE IN 2011?

Dublin’s most iconic soccer teams is allowed to go to the wall, it will surely be one of Irish sport’s greatest scandals.

JH: NFL officials discover that Peyton Manning’s right arm is in fact a bionic prop from the Terminator movies, causing the disgraced Indianapolis quarterback to retire.

POTENTIAL SHOCK OF THE YEAR? KM: Avram Grant finding another job after being sacked by West Ham. I love uncle Avvy, but who in their right minds would employ him?

KMcC: Brett Favre actually retiring.

CB: Ireland to win the Cricket World Cup in South Asia. There’s an outside chance that the Boys in Green can lift this unlikely trophy. Paddy Power are offering 500/1 outright. Solid investment!

JH: Christophe Lemaitre defeats Usain Bolt and Tyson Gay in Diamond League competition. The sprinter dubbed “White Lightning” pulls out an amazing result against the world’s fastest men in London’s event, held in August.

DO’C: Sir Alex Ferguson’s surprise retirement at the end of the season.

WHO WILL BE ROY KEANE’S NEXT EMPLOYER? CB: Assistant to Sir Alex Ferguson.

KM: Number two to Mick McCarthy at Wolves. Did someone say dream team?

KMcC: Cork’s 96FM.They still haven’t replaced Neil Prendiville and, given the esteem he’s held in down south, he’d probably take over the airwaves or, failing that, break their legs.

JH: Malaga. The Andalucian team, recently purchased by a billionaire sheikh, sign the Corkonian to continue their pursuit of respectability in La Liga.

WHO TO WATCH 2011: IRISH INDIVIDUAL ATHLETES

WHO TO WATCH 2011: US SPORTS

WHO TO WATCH 2011: RUGBY WORLD CUP

WHO TO WATCH 2011: PREMIER LEAGUE

WHO TO WATCH 2011: GAELIC GAMES

IN INDIVIDUAL sports, Rory McIlroy, the 21 year old golfer from Co. Down, looks set to follow up on his two third-place finishes in the Open Championship and the PGA

THE NFL season ends this February with its traditional extravaganza taking place in Cowboy Stadium, Dallas. The Pittsburgh Steelers have put an injuryridden season behind them and look to have the edge over their rivals.

The NBA is wide open with at least six teams already looking good for deep playoff runs. After last year’s disappointment, my money is on the Boston Celtics. Their wealth of experience, defensive strength and superstar point guard Rajon Rondo could easily land the Celtics their eighteenth championship.

One could be forgiven for failing to notice power shifts in the baseball world during this off-season, but the coming season will be a momentous one for America’s favourite pastime.

The Philadelphia Phillies’

IT’S RUGBY World Cup year. The pinnacle of the game will be held in its master’s backyard, New Zealand. This will be the biggest tournament yet as rugby continues to expand worldwide.

In a sense, all of the season’s other competitions are building towards the final on 23 October in Auckland.

The Magners League, Aviva Premiership and the Top 14 are simmering with Munster, Leicester and Perpignan leading respectively.

In the Southern Hemisphere, this season sees the inauguration of the Super 15 with the exciting addition of the Melbourne Rebels. In the Heineken Cup, the favourites seem to be Leinster, Northampton and Toulouse with the final taking place in Cardiff in May. Looking at the year from an Irish perspective, I believe we are well placed to challenge on all fronts.

Munster have a great chance to win the Magners League, now that they are out of the Heineken Cup and a number of their players have been relieved from international duty. I can see Leinster making it to the final of Europe’s élite competition, as long as they don’t get drawn for a nasty away trip to

WITH HALF the season over in the Premiership, this has proved to be one of the best campaigns to date.

Reigning champions Chelsea scored 21 goals in their first five games. They were joined in their exploits by finessed Arsenal and wealthy Manchester City.

Manchester United’s ageing squad climbed to the top undefeated, while Gareth Bale’s Tottenham are in the chase for Champions League spots.

Promoted teams Blackpool and Newcastle sit mid-table. Drama at Liverpool saw manager Roy Hodgson sacked for legend Kenny Dalglish. The “revolving door” management policy

AT CONGRESS, at Council and at County Board level, the “grassroots” are bandied about as a buzzword for what makes the GAA tick. Those roots are the coaches and players, referees and bainisteoirí, free-takers, sandwich-makers and everyone in

Championship with a first major victory. Expect Graham McDowell to continue his form into the new year too.

In boxing, much is expected of Willie “Big Bang” Casey, having won the Prizefighter tournament and the European Super Bantamweight title in 2010. Casey will fight for the World title in March. Another boxer to look out for this year is Barry McGuigan’s protégé, Carl Frampton. McGuigan believes the man known as “The Jackal” will be “the next star of Irish boxing”.

Eoin Morgan looks set to play a key role in England’s cricketing year. with strong calls for him to be included in the recent Ashes test series. Morgan will form a crucial part of the ICC World Cup squad for England.

With London 2012 just 18 months away, expect solid build-ups from our Olympic medal hopefuls. Katie Taylor, Gráinne Murphy and Derval O’Rourke will look to make the most of their respective competitions this year as the Olympic preparations begin.

Daniel O’Callaghan

25 January, 2011

acquisition of Cliff Lee from the Texas Rangers has given their pitching rotation incredible strength and diversity. The Bronx Bombers acquired Rafael Soriano from Tampa Bay, but his status as a closer will do little to quell Joe Girardi’s rotation worries. The San Francisco Giants will look to build on last year’s incredible World Series win, but the National League is increasingly competitive. Boston’s shrewd winter signings will place them back in contention in the American League.

Jonathan Papelbon’s problems aside, the Red Sox are a high-scoring, hardhitting team. Major League Baseball is in rude health; let the battle commence.

James Hussey

Toulouse before then. A semi-final place at the World Cup is not beyond the current Irish team, but we all know what happened the last time we went into a World Cup with optimism.

Daniel O’Callaghan

was found at Blackburn and Newcastle too, where Sam Allardyce and Chris Hughton lost their jobs despite good performances. West Ham, languishing at the bottom, look most likely to follow suit; alongside Wolves and Wigan, all three look likely to be playing Championship football next season.

At the top, Chelsea faltered having sacked assistant Ray Wilkins and will fight Spurs for the final European spot.

United lead with two games in hand, and look set to see off their rivals to claim the trophy.

Conor Bates

between. They say it’s the club and, by extension, the parish that’s at the heart of the organisation, but, deeper still, it’s a family affair.

From fathers giving sons the grá for the games to a mother’s shriek on the sideline when her dearest goes down, it’s families that provide the GAA with its pulse and at times, to our discredit, we need reminding of that fundamental truth.

For tragedy to come to serve as that reminder is itself, tragic. Despite all the talk of a backlash on Noreside and Tipp’s chances of the double or of all the contenders for Sam, we were forced to step back, fall silent and stand in solidarity with the Harte family, whose loss has been greater than that of any game ever played.

As ever, the games will go on and the season will end in September, but this January let’s remember the grassroots, because the GAA has lost one of its strongest. Rest in peace, Michaela McAreavey; ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam.

Killian McCarthy

22 COLLEGE SPORT LEINSTER SENIOR LEAGUE MAJOR 1B

Old grudges die hard Eleni Megoran College Sport Editor

DUBLIN UNIVERSITY soccer team took on their bitter rivals Tymon Celtic at College Park on Saturday. These two teams meet at the semi-finals of the Joe Tynan Cup last year. Both sides were level after 90 minutes but Dublin University took the lead in extra time with two goals that put them through to the final against St Patrick’s CY. This time they came face to face in the Leinster Senior League. It was Dublin’s first game back after Christmas but that did not stop them from playing some good football in

the first 15 minutes before losing their steam.

Tymon took advantage of this and started gaining more possession.

Dublin could not get their momentum back and looked slow and sluggish.

Panic was setting in as the away team tried hard to grab every opportunity.

Dublin was lucky as every chance was narrowly missed.

The game took a turn to the physical with unnecessary fouls coming from both teams. The first yellow card went to the away team’s number nine, David Walshe and Dublin was awarded a free kick on the half way line but this did not produce anything. By the end of the

DUBLIN UNIVERSITY

TYMON CELTIC

1. Thomas Foster 2. Conor Molloy 3. James Connolly 4. Darren Burke 5. Conal O’Shaughnessy 6. Evan McSweeney 7. Steve Mallon 8. Thomas Wylie 9. Ciaran Lawler 10. Frank Wilson 11. Graham Lowry 12. Shane Masey 13. Oisin McMahon 14. Luke Clarke 15. Shane Daly 16. Ronan Fahy 17. Gary Weafer 18. Ciarán Armstrong

1. Dwayne McGinn 2. Sean Dargan 3. Keith Smith 4. Aaron Kelly 5. Robert Sheridan 6. Alex McAuley 7. Keith Butler 8. Ian O’Farrell 9. David Walshe 10. Christopher Devereaux 11. Han McMahon 12. James Halpin 13. Alan Lowe 14. Mark Donovan 15. Anthony Halpin

SS Rivals DU and Tymon Celtic both went home unsatisfied with a 1-1 draw. Photo by Eleni Megoran

first half the game was quite disjointed.

However, Dublin players like Evan McSweeney made strong effort to get the ball into the top left hand corner of the net but it was just wide.

In the last five minutes in the first half Dublin had the ball just outside of the box. Dublin’s number four, Darren Burke stepped up and delivered a clean free-kick into the box but the goalie kept his cool and easily saved the ball.

Dublin quickly took control of the game with some force in the second half. Tymon were not going to back down easily but they did lose there temper.

Keith Smith was awarded a yellow card after yelling at the referee. Tymon tried to break through Dublin’s defenders but could not find a weak spot and the ball was nicely won back by the home team.

The muddy conditions made it difficult but Dublin had some good

chances at goal. Gary Weafer’s cross looked like it was going in, and perhaps it should have, but it could not find the back of the net. The second yellow card of the game was awarded to number 17, Gary Weafer, after a foul.

Dublin were the more skillful of the two teams and Dublin’s number nine, Ciarán Lawler had great movement down the pitch.

Dublin University vs Tymon Celtic 1-1 However, Tymon’s aggressive and physical style of playing kept them in the game. They were awarded their second yellow card to number five player, Robert Sheridan, who had been consistently fouling during the game.

Thomas Wylie put Dublin in the

“Tymon’s aggressive and physical style of playing kept them in the game.” lead with a brilliant goal that was kicked into the bottom left hand corner, which made it 1-0. Tymon did not give up and they pushed forward.

There determination paid off with Christopher Devereaux founding the back of the net for Tymon and equalised making it 1-1.

With 6 minutes still to go both teams fought to get the winning goal. The best chance was during injury time when a free-kick was given to Dublin just outside of the box.

It looked like it was going to seal Tymon’s fate but Dublin unluckily just missed.

Wicket news for star cricket players Cricketeers have good news coming their way in the form of a new scholarship scheme Kate Rowan Deputy Sports Features Editor

THE DUBLIN University Cricket Club development committee has just announced the introduction of a scholarship programme for 2011 school leavers. The club hopes to climb up from Division Three of the Leinster Senior League. This scheme has gained high profile backing from Ireland, Sussex and former England cricketer Ed Joyce.

After DUCC’s demotion to the Third Division, a number of graduates decided to come up with a plan to return as swiftly as possible to the top division. While celebrating the club’s 175th anniversary, a match and a dinner were organized for graduates to reunite at College Park and put their heads together about the club’s future.

DUCC old boys returned from the UK, France and as far afield as Canada and Malaysia for the event.

Ger Siggins, a graduate of the College and currently the Assistant Editor of the Sunday Tribune, is one of the members of the DUCC development committee who are setting the wheels in motion for the scholarship scheme. “The club has struggled a little bit, and myself and a lot of the guys who played with Trinity have a great affection for the place”, said Siggins. “Some of the best times of our lives were spent in Trinity and we want to help put the club back on a sound footing.”

One reason Siggins believes that cricket has struggled in Trinity is that “unfortunately kids are deciding not to play with Trinity and that is a terrible shame. We want to make it more attractive for them.”

Prospective students interested in the scholarship programme will apply through the CAO and need to

attain the required points for their desired course of study. If they secure their place they will be eligible for the scholarships, which are described by the committee as “generous” and seen as timely with a new increased fee structure at third-level likely to be introduced.

“There have already been enquiries about the scholarships” according to Siggins. He continued, “I can’t name any name any names but one Irish International has expressed great interest, along with a number of provincial players.”

Despite this desire for new blood around College Park, Siggins expounds that there are already solid foundations within the club. “We have a very good captain in Eoghan Delaney and in the last couple of years there have been some great acquisitions of young players, and of course it is essentially a student club, but it is nice for us old boys to be able “There are few finer grounds to play than College Park.” – former TCD student Ed Joyce to help out through fundraising for the scholarships,” said Siggins.

The first wave of scholarship students will not be playing for DUCC until the 2012 season. In the meantime, to bolster their chances of gaining promotion to the second tier this season, a number of graduates will be returning to the DUCC ranks.

One notable name stepping forward is former Ireland leg-spinner Conor Hoey, who is also on the club’s development committee.

Hoey is optimistic about the coming season. “We have a good squad

[of students] this year, coupled with some graduates, it all bodes well for promotion. We have outlined a very comprehensive training programme for the coming season.”

“After DUCC’s demotion to the Third Division, a number of graduates decided to come up with a plan to return as swiftly as possible to the top division.”

When asked about how he feels about returning to DUCC, which he played for as both a student and a graduate from 1987 to 1994, he jokingly said, “I am not sure how the fitness will be to assist them but this mixture of youth and the graduates’ experience will be a great platform along with the scholarship scheme to get back to Division One.” As the only third-level institution in Leinster playing league cricket, the Development Committee hopes that Trinity can re-establish its reputation as, to use Hoey’s description, “a centre for excellence for Irish cricket.”

Another illustrious name to add support to the scheme is 2001 Trinity graduate Joyce, who is soon heading to the sub-continent for the Cricket World Cup. Siggins describes the batsman as being “a great support”.

Joyce has publicly backed the scheme recommending his alma mater to young cricketing talent. “I greatly enjoyed my time in Trinity. I would encourage any youngster to play there.

There are few finer grounds to play at than College Park. No matter what you do in cricket afterwards, you’ll never forget those days.”

SS Think you’re the next Ed Joyce? If so, the Cricket Club’s development committee wants to hear from you

Both Hoey and Siggins share this same passion for DUCC and the ground with the current star. Siggins states, “College Park is still the best place in Ireland to play cricket and we want that to continue for many years to come.” Meanwhile, Hoey hopes that, “with the plans we have put in place, cricket in Trinity will develop steadily and hopefully will be in good shape

when the club reaches its bicentenary.”

Players with senior cricket experience or who have played for representative sides are especially encouraged to contact Conor Hoey (c.hoey@lablink.ie) or Iain Synnott (iainsynnott@gmail.com) for further details and to register their interest in the scholarship scheme.

TRINITY NEWS

23 collegesport@trinitynews.ie

GAA: SHINTY

Practice makes perfect Michael Gaskin Deputy College Sports Editor

SS Making tracks around Glendalough. Photo courtesy of the Hiking Society

New kids on the block Ross Curran Contributing Reporter

LAST OCTOBER, a group of hiking and hillwalking enthusiasts met up in the Hamilton Building to discuss re-founding a Hiking Society. Trinity is the only university in Ireland not to have a club or society dedicated to supporting staff, students and alumni in these outdoor pursuits. However, this was not always the case. Some years ago it seems that the hiking club was left to fall into disrepair and eventually it disappeared altogether.

A group of Trinity students thought it would be a fun project to found a new TCD Hiking Society, to help people get into the activity and to organise transport to the mountains on a regular basis.

Since last autumn, they have been hard at work. They haveorganised

a number of walks to the Wicklow mountains to which there has been a great response. There is an average turnout of over 20 enthusiastic hikers.

However, the society is really keen to get more people involved.

According to them, it really doesn’t matter whether you have been hiking the mountains for years, or whether you just want to try something new.

There’s a good mix of people involved , from undergraduates of all courses and years, to post-graduates and staff.

The Irish mountains are a fantastic places to visit, no matter what the weather and as long as you come prepared with suitable gear.

The conditions were perfect for the society’s inaugural hike, which took place all around Glendalough in November. Other hikes which have been held include War Hill and Brockagh, which took place just as the

snowy season began in the mountains.

All this has impressed Mountaineering Ireland, the Irish governing body for hiking, and they have recognised DU Hiking Society as an official hiking club this month.

Now, the society is taking the next step, currently signing up supporters for a campaign to have it accepted as an official college society.

Future plans include hiking trips to Kerry in the Spring, and to build on the success of the weekly hikes to the Wicklow Mountains.

These hikes take place every Sunday morning, departing by bus from College, and usually finish up in Macturcaills in the evening. Signup is generally in the Pav on Wednesday evenings from 6pm to 8pm.

For more information, look up “Trinity Hiking Society” on Facebook or email trinityhikesoc@gmail.com.

TENNIS: FLOODLIGHT LEAGUE

Mixed bag for Tennis Club Mark Carpenter Contributing Reporter

TRINITY TENNIS Club’s exceptionally successful Dublin Lawn Tennis Council Floodlight league campaign came to an end this week with finals’ nights held at Mount Pleasant LTC and Sandycove LTC respectively.

All three men’s teams and the ladies third team contested finals in their respective divisions. Considering the fact that 20-32 teams compete in each division, four of the club’s six teams reaching the final of their division equated to an extremely impressive and unprecedented achievement for the club.

In the men’s finals night on Monday Trinity Ist were unlucky to come out the wrong end of a 2-1 score line to a very impressive Monkstown Ist team that included long time Irish number one, Scott Barron, in their ranks. Indeed, the team were especially unlucky, as the team’s new Canadian recruit, Chris Ma, was unfortunate enough to suffer an injury when leading by one set to love in the deciding match and eventually had to retire. Despite the loss, the squad of Ma, Mark Carpenter, Gavin Gilhawley, Cal Craven, Simon Clarke and Mark Crowley can be justifiably proud of a campaign that resulted in them achieving promotion to the league’s top division for the first time in the club’s recent history.

While the first team may have floundered, the second team tasted victory in dramatic fashion over Shankill’s first string. With the match poised at 1-1, after a convincing victory from Stephen Ludgate, whose postvictory rallying cry reverberated around the Mount Pleasant grounds.

An agonising 7-6 in the final set loss

by Martin Bachwerk, who had won

25 January, 2011

SS Photo courtesy of the Tennis Club

two crucial matches by the same score line in previous rounds. It was left to team captain Ian O’Connell and Junior Freshman Ross Pender to secure a nail-biting victory, eventually taking the match by six games to four in the final set. Trinity Tennis Club’s men’s captain, Jack McHugh was an integral member of the squad throughout the campaign, both on and off court. Not to be outdone by the seconds, Trinity III also rounded off an extremely impressive campaign, beating Greystones II in convincing fashion.

Paddy Kilcoyne secured an early singles victory and was backed up by the doubles team of Andy Stevenson and Peter Wu. Having seen the men’s team taste victory on Monday, the ladies third

team clearly had their appetite for success as they came out of the blocks flying on Tuesday night against Ratoath’s first team. Rachel Thompson opened up the team’s account as a devastating display of power hitting put her opponent to the sword as she walked off the court a comfortable 6-1 6-3 victory.

The team’s victory was secured not long afterwards as Aimee O’Hanlon turned around a 4-5 first set victory to eventually run out a 7-5 6-1. This meant the combination of team captain, Sarah Brooks, and ladies club captain, Grainne O’Halloran, could bring a premature end to what was a high quality doubles match and focus on marking the occasion of their victory in suitable fashion.

TCD’S GAA Club began the build up to their 60th anniversary celebrations in style over the weekend when they played host to the Shinty teams from the University of Edinburgh. This year it was Trinity’s turn to host the annual matches between the camogie and hurling teams of Trinity and their respective counterparts from Scotland.

Trinity combined the weekend with their traditional old boys’ and girls’ games that had been postponed due to the inclement weather during November and December.

They kicked off the weekend on a cold and overcast Saturday in Ringsend, home of Clanna Gael Fontenoy and Trinity GAA during the college year. It was the ladies up first at 2:00pm as both sides took to the field with their different camans. The game began with both sides sounding each other and various rule interpretations out.

Scoring chances were few and far between in the opening stages of the match until both sides found their rhythm. What followed was a free scoring open game between two sides who will have much bigger games in the coming weeks as their respective championships start.

Following on from the ladies’ clash,

it was the men’s turn to take to the field. Trinity’s hurlers were however hindered by the fact that they had a Keogh Cup game the following day with their opening championship game taking place this coming Thursday and so fielded a team that was a mix of fresher and senior hurlers. The game was played at break neck speed throughout with both teams displaying some superb stick work and featured a fine collection of long range strikes that would not be out of place in an intercounty game.

Edinburgh had brought with them a strong line up that was fit and athletic and proved the physical match of Trinity’s hurlers throughout the game with a number of strong challenges between the sides. Ultimately the game was played in good spirit, with both sides leaving the pitch tired but having learnt a trick or two from their counterparts.

Overall the weekend was a success and gave all Trinity teams some much needed match practice ahead of their upcoming championship fixtures beginning with the senior hurlers on Thursday against Sligo I.T in the Ryan Cup. All teams within the club are looking to build upon their league form prior to the Christmas break and are hoping to be in contention for silverware over the coming weeks and months.

EUROPEAN COLLEGIATE TENNIS ASSOCIATION CHAMPIONSHIPS

The final frontier Mark Carpenter Contributing Reporter

THE TRINITY Men’s Tennis Team travelled to Gosling, Hertfordshire last weekend for the finals of the European Collegiate Tennis Association Championships. This was the first time the team had qualified for the finals since the tournament’s inception.

The tournament’s first round pitted Trinity against Zagreb University, currently ranked second amongst all European universities. Facing a team who train on a daily basis and who enjoy the services of a full-time coach was always going to present a difficult obstacle for the Trinity squad.

Nevertheless, the entire team acquitted themselves extremely well in what was undoubtedly a big step up from the level they are accustomed to playing at. Most notably, Mark Carpenter, Trinity’s player coach, took the second set of Zagreb’s number one player, going down only 10-8 in the final set tiebreak against a player who is currently number one under-21 in Croatia and who reached the final of the European Student Championships last year.

On the tournament’s second day, Trinity faced off in the consolation draw against the ‘powerhouse’ of Irish university tennis, DCU, who have won National Intervarsities for the last five consecutive years. The match was finely poised after the opening two doubles rubbers with Chris Ma & Simon Clarke losing a tight match at number two doubles and Mark Carpenter & Gavin Gilhawley managing to squeeze a victory out at number one. Special credit must go to Gilhawley, who played some inspired tennis in the deciding Trinity faced off in the consolation draw against the “powerhouse” of Irish university tennis, DCU. ten point tiebreak, as the t e a m managed to overturn a 3-7 deficit to eventually run out 10-8 winners. The attention then turned to singles with Carpenter and Ma out first at number one and two respectively. Again, the matches were split with Ma losing to DCU’s team captain Liam Byrne 6-3 6-1 and Carpenter defeating DCU number 1 and Tennis Ireland National Academy member Roman Grogan, 7-5

SS Trinity impress at championships.

Photo courtesy of theTennis Club

7-5. Last up were Gilhawley and Clarke at three and four singles. Once more, nothing could separate the sides, with Gilhawley recording a 6-2 6-2 victory and Clarke going down 6-4 6-4. With the two sides so evenly matched, this year’s intervarsitys looks like being the most exciting in years, as Trinity finally have the squad to break DCU’s stranglehold over the competition.

The tournament’s final day saw Trinity face off against Stirling University. A combination of injuries and fatigue meant both teams were somewhat depleted. Notwithstanding this, Chris Ma, Simon Clarke and Justin Conley-Hintze all put in strong performances against quality opposition.

All in all, the weekend was fantastic learning experience for the entire squad, pitting itself against Europe’s best tennis universities.

What was abundantly clear however, especially by the end of the weekend, was that while our ability level was extremely close to Europe’s best, our physical conditioning was some way off the mark. Should we seek to be more competitive in the future, this is something we will have to address through increased training, encompassing both tennis and specific physical work.

TRINITY NEWS