Trinity News Vol. 69 Issue. 4

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Ireland’s Oldest Student Newspaper

Vol. 69, Issue. 4

<+/7&:0,.+7& !"#$%"&'#()"*$&(+,-$&*($&',(./$&'$&*(0,1#"(2314/" :-3=&>0>?07:& :3@A01&?8&B!& The new Ensuite rooms are clustered in completed in February 2023, has been developed with the latest flats of six to eight with a shared which will provide nine student design regulations, executed with kitchen and common area, and rooms, 17 staff studio apartments the advice of the Department of '1.-+7 development are offered to students based on a and five guest rooms.

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OUR SENIOR STAFF MEMBERS OF THE UNIVERSITY TIMES (UT) were fired last Monday, October 24.

Senior Staff speaking to Trinity News on Monday of last week confirmed they had been sacked, following the leaking of a letter calling for their editors resignation on Saturday.

The deputy editor, two assistant editors, and editor of UT’s culture supplement Radius were informed by email from the editor that they would be let go from their positions this evening.

The email, which was seen

by Trinity News, laying off staff said that the staff members will “no longer be working in [their] capacity” at UT. “The actions taken in the past week from the time of the meeting on Wednesday until the *+,-.,/01&+,&2340&566

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provides 249 student bedrooms, a new health centre, a disability centre, sporting facilities and a new square on campus

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ESIDENTS TODAY BEGIN MOVING INTO NEW CAMPUS accommodation in Printing House Square.

The new development provides 249 ensuite rooms on Pearse Street.

waiting list.

The rates range from €245 to €270 per week, depending on bedroom size, plus €19 per week for utilities.

The new development will also provide a new health centre, a disability centre, sporting facilities and a new square on campus.

Built on the site of Oisin House, a former office building, which itself was built on the site of the Queen’s Theatre, the project has faced significant roadblocks since its approval in 2016.

Originally planned to be completed in April 2019, the project faced significant logistical problems, including an industrial dispute. The project also faced delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with construction running at 50% capacity due to social distancing and hygiene requirements.

Conservation works on the Rubrics building are due to be

College has also received planning permission for 358 new beds in Trinity Hall in Dartry, despite objections from local residents, which would increase capacity by 36%.

The construction of Printing House Square was expected to be completed for spring 2021, after facing several delays over the last few years.

A new shooting range is also to be opened underneath the newly developed Printing House Square campus accommodation.

The new range in Printing House Square will replace previous facilities on campus used

by The Dublin University Rifle Club (DURC), which has been in existence in Trinity for over 60 years.

According to DURC’s website, the range will be set up for 10m air rifle and 25yd small-bore shooting.

A spokesperson for College told Trinity News that the range

An Garda Síochána, to ensure maximum security.

The spokesperson said: “We believe the security arrangements are second to none. The range and club operating model meet the required national safety and security standards, along with appropriate procedures and approval systems within the University.”

“DURC will continue their long standing presence as a University club from the new Printing House Square facilities later this year.”

DURC is one of 49 sports clubs in Trinity, dedicated to target shooting, including the air rifle and small-bore disciplines.

In 2015, concerns from College Board members arose following the announcement that a range would be included in Oisín House.

The accommodation complex was expected to be completed in the summer of 2020; however, construction on the site had to halt *+,-.,/01&+,&2340&566

L03F0:&G3DD.,4&+,& @3>2/: As the clocks fell back on Sunday, campus’ autumnal season has finally come to a close. While leaves are continuing to fall, students are returning to campus thos week following Reading Week. Trinity College Dublin’s Students’ Union (TCDSU) Second Council is taking place tonight at 6:30pm, alongside Michael D Higgins speaking at the University Philosophical Society (the Phil) debate at 1pm today. While the spooky season of Hallowe’en is officially over, the scarier assessment season is edging closer and closer for students, as Week 8 kicks off with a bang.

PHOTO BY SHANNON CONNOLLY FOR TRINITY NEWS

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Editor Deputy Editor Assistant Editor Managing Editor Online Editor Deputy Online Editor Life Editor Deputy Life Editor

Shannon Connolly Kate Henshaw Ellen Kenny Eva O’Beirne Shannon McGreevy Adam Balchin Ella Sloane Ella-Bleu Kiely

News Editor News Analysis Editor Features Editor Comment Editor Scitech Editor Sport Editor Chair of Gaeilge Board

David Wolfe Aidan Cusack Lara Mellet Abby Cleaver Lauren Vrbanic Séaghan Ó Domhnalláin Holly Níc Thomáis

Head Photographer Head Videographer Head Copyeditors

Fern Kelly Marianna Mora Finola Murphy Ruth McGann

Get in touch at editor@trinitynews.ie

Printed by Webprint at Mahon Retail Park, Cork.

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!"#$%"&'#()"*$&(+,-$&*($&',(./$&'$&*(0,1#"(2314/" due to the lockdown following the outbreak of Covid-19 in March 2020.

Speaking to Trinity News in November of 2020, a College spokesperson confirmed: “At the last Student life Committee meeting (October 13) the project sponsor Professor Kevin O’Kelly reported that Printing House Square is currently due for completion in spring 2021.”

At the Dublin University Central Athletic Committee (DUCAC) AGM, Head of Trinity Sport Michelle Tanner when asked about the delays to Printing House Square said the delays were due to disruptions caused by the pandemic as well as unspecified “legal issues”.

Tanner explained that College “should make a statement on [Printing House Square] soon”.

In July of 2020, TheJournal. ie reported that concerns over students’ “late-night” behaviour at Trinity Hall had prompted residents to reject College’s plans for 358 extra bed spaces.

As well as providing six storeys of accommodation for students, Printing House Square will house a new Health Centre, the Disability Service, and sports facilities, including a rifle range, squash courts and a handball alley.

The building will be located on the former site of Oisin House and beside the Printing House, and will feature a courtyard that will serve as a new public entrance to campus.

Construction on Printing House Square began in December 2017, with an official sod-turning taking place on the site of Oisín House on 17 December 2017.

Speaking on the significance of the day at the time, Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU)

President Kevin Keane stated it was a moment to “recognise that there has been significant work done” by College in the creating accommodation for its students, adding that “it’s great to see we’re going to have this number of beds available in the next 18 months to two years”.

After a process of five years, Printing House Square will finally open today, with students moving in throughout this week.

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!"#$%&'()"$%&*+,%-'-.'$&%&+/0'1% .2%34%51)*"$ publication of the letter on Saturday have clearly shown a breakdown of trust and professionalism that cannot be repaired,” the email continued.

“Thus, it is in both of our best interests that we do not continue working together.”

A letter calling for the resignation of the editor of UT was sent to the editor two weeks ago, and was subsequently leaked on Twitter on Saturday, October 22. The letter alleged that the editorship under the current editor was “untenable”. The editor today addressed these allegations in a statement to Trinity News, and said the information was “generally misrepresented to the point of deception”.

The dismissal email concluded: “I appreciate all your hard work in getting the first two editions to print, and wish you all the best in your studies and career.”

Speaking to Trinity News about staff being let go, the UT Editor said: “I can confirm that the four individuals have been fired.”

“I did not want it to come to this, but in light of the deceptive nature of their letter, outlined in my previous statement, their consistent refusal to engage

with me in meetings, and their categorical refusal of mediation not once but twice, they proved to me that we could not develop any form of professional relationship or trust with either myself or with the paper,” the statement continued.

“This was the only option.”

On Monday, October 24, Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) released a

statement saying that the Editor of UT is not a sabbatical officer of the union, and therefore cannot be impeached under the present constitution.

The University Times is funded in its entirety by TCDSU and its editor is elected alongside sabbatical officers of the union, coordinated by the Electoral Commision (EC).

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VER A THIRD OF STUDENTS HAVE “SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED dropping out of their

college course, according to a national survey of students.

A major annual survey examining students’ experiences of higher education in Ireland, StudentSurvey.ie, found that 37% of students have contemplated withdrawing from their degree programmes.

Reasons given for considering withdrawal included personal or family reasons, financial reasons, transfer to another institution, health reasons, and employment.

The non-progression rate from first to second year for the 2019/2020 academic year was 9%, while the 2022 StudentSurvey. ie data suggests that 35% of first year undergraduate respondents said they had seriously considered withdrawing.

42,852 first year undergraduate students, final year undergraduate students, and students on taught postgraduate programmes took part in the survey, which ran in 25 higher education institutions (HEIs) in February and March.

More positive findings of the

survey included the finding that 84% of students would go to the same institution they are now attending if given the choice to start over, while 74% believed that their college experience had benefited their knowledge, skills, and critical and analytical thinking.

Last year’s StudentSurvey.ie

report showed that the student experience was severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, which had a significant impact on scores for collaborative learning, studentfaculty interaction, quality of interactions, and supportive environment.

This year’s data shows a

significant improvement in the student experience. Although it has not yet returned to pre-Covid levels, there was a particular improvement in the indicator scores that were initially most impacted by Covid-19 in 2021.

PHOTO BY VICTORIA SALGANIK FOR TRINITY NEWS

Although it has not yet returned to preCovid levels, there was a particular improvement in the indicator scores that were initially most impacted by Covid-19 in 2021

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The tenancy must be registered with the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB)

Tenancies Board (RTB) registered accommodation can now claim the €500 credit.

The credit will also be backdated to 2022, meaning that renters can

claim up to €1,000 in 2023.

Emphasising that this is part of a broader package of cost of living measures aimed at students and their families, Minister Donohue

said: “This will give further support works towards the cost of thirdlevel education and builds on the measures announced in Budget 2023 for students, including the

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ARENTS PAYING THEIR CHILDREN’S RENT at third-level institutions are now eligible for the two €500 tax credits that were announced in September.

This tax credit was announced as part of a number of cost of living measures in Budget 2023 in September.

Announcing the updated plan last week, Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohue, said that any parent that pays the rent of their child living in Residential

PHOTO VIA TRINITY NEWS

€1000 reduction in the student contribution fee for this academic year.”

Minister Simon Harris said: “We heard from students and their parents about the importance of making sure that they could benefit from this rent tax credit and I am pleased that today we are confirming they can.”

Minister Donohue said that “this will provide further help towards the cost of third level education and builds on the measures announced in Budget 2023 for the higher education sector.”

This comes after a number of cost-of-living measures have been introduced for students, including a €1,000 reduction in the student contribution, an increase in SUSI thresholds and maintenance grants, and a once-off extra maintenance payment which is due to be paid out at the end of December 2022.

Thousands of students walked out of college at 11.11 am on Thursday, October 13, demanding protections for renters, solutions to the housing crisis, a living wage for PhD workers and the abolition of the student contribution charge.

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NATIONAL SURVEY ON STUDENT EXPERIENCES of bullying in the higher education section was launched on Friday, and will remain open until November 30.

The survey, which has been commissioned by the Department for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, will be conducted by researchers at the Dublin City University (DCU) Anti-Bullying Centre, and it will be

sent to higher education students in Ireland by their institutions.

According to the press release, the online survey will ask about the experiences of bullying among higher education students across Ireland, and respondents will be asked to reflect on their experiences of interacting with other students within higher education institutions.

The press release explained that the “primary goal” of the proposed project is to gain a “deeper understanding of the experiences of bullying among higher education students across Ireland”.

“Insights from this study will be used to implement new or updated policies, processes, training and resources to support higher education institutions in addressing these issues,” the press release said. “This survey will add to our understanding of issues of bullying and other forms of unwanted behaviour in our higher education institutes. It will provide the evidence base to inform future policy decisions.”

Speaking on Friday, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris said: “I have been very clear that the tertiary education and training sector must lead the way in changing cultures, behaviours and practices across society to ensure that bullying,

PHOTO FROM MERRIONSTREET.IE

sexual violence and harassment are not tolerated.”

“I want to bring about institutional change where all forms of unwanted behaviour are eradicated,” he continued. “We need to listen to survivors and work in collaboration to ensure that students and staff have a safe environment to study and work; free from bullying, harassment or other forms of unwanted behaviour.”

Dr. Ross Woods from the Centre of Excellence for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the Higher Education Authority (HEA) said: “I look forward to working with the group that will review the survey findings and develop actions based on the survey outcomes. This is another

step in the right direction to tackle bullying in HEIs.” Dr. Michael Goldrick, from National College of Ireland, stated: “This survey will help in the understanding of bullying and cyberbullying among and between higher education students in Ireland.”

“I look forward to working with my team on the findings and I would encourage as many students as possible to respond to the survey,” Goldrick continued.

In August of this year, another national survey was conducted, which reported one third of higher education staff experiencing bullying or harassment.

A total of 3,835 HEI staff engaged in the online survey, which covered demographics and work

arrangements, negative acts at work, bullying and cyberbullying, bystander behaviour, anti-bullying culture and team psychological safety.

According to the survey, 28% of those surveyed reported “occasional” work-oriented negative acts,which meant targeting someone’s professional standing. 26% reported personoriented negative acts, which meant targeting someone’s personal standing. An average of 32.9% of the respondents reported cyberbullying at work. 33.5% reported having been bullied at work within the past three years, with 70.6% of them having been bullied for several months. In 55% of cases, the perpetrator of bullying was a senior colleague,

!"#$%&'()*"++,-)."/')0"-&11)#-#23"3) 4,,'"5)62&7")8,2)9&1"2#1:2");<;; The €10,000 prize recognises an outstanding body of work by an emerging Irish writer *#+,-&.%(/0 '()*+!"#$%&

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EAN HEWITT OF TRINITY’S SCHOOL OF ENGLISH has been awarded the Rooney Prize for Literature 2022.

Hewitt, a teaching fellow in twentieth-century British & Irish literature, received the €10,000 prize which recognises “an outstanding body of work by an emerging Irish writer under forty years of age”.

Established in 1976 by Dr Daniel Rooney, the prize is coordinated by the Trinity Oscar Wilde Centre for Creative Writing in the School of English.

Speaking after being awarded the prize, Hewitt said: “I’m so delighted to be the 2022 recipient of the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature. Publishing any book is always an exposing and quite terrifying thing, so this has arrived like a supreme reassurance.”

He continued: “To be given such a prestigious award for a body of work is galvanising, and

I’m very grateful to the judging committee for their close and kind attention, and to Peter Rooney and the Rooney family for their generosity.”

“To look at the previous winners of the award and to see my name amongst theirs is a true honour,” Hewitt added.

Born in the UK in 1990, Hewitt earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Cambridge, and a master’s and PhD from the University of Liverpool.

His debut poetry collection, Tongues of Fire, published in 2020, won The Laurel Prize in 2021, and was shortlisted for The Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award, the John Pollard Foundation International Poetry Prize and the Dalkey Emerging Writer Award.

Hewitt’s memoir All Down Darkness Wide was published earlier this year to critical acclaim.

Announcing the winner, prize jury member Dr Rita Sakr of Maynooth University called Hewitt’s work “visionary and gemlike”.

“His language is graceful and dazzling as it communicates distinct yet also multifaceted forms of longing, grief, and liberating self-reflection, most powerfully captured in figurations of the vulnerability that humans and the natural environment experience together and alone,” Sakr said.

“All of us on the judging panel were struck by the ways in which his writings give a precise, intimate sense of place, emotion and atmosphere while conjuring unbounded ways of sensing beauty

and re-imagining community amidst the isolating darkness.”

Sakr continued: “We were highly impressed by this expansive creative gift that we know will keep on giving to Irish literature.”

The selection committee included literary agent Jonathan Williams, poet Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin, Director of Trinity Centre for Literary and Cultural Translation and Professor of French Michael Cronin, novelist and playwright Carlo Gébler, Executive Director of Literature Ireland Sinéad Mac Aodha, and Assistant Professor of English Maynooth University Rita Sakr.

The Rooney Prize is the longestestablished literary prize in Ireland. Previous recipients of the award include, Neil Jordan (1981), Frank and Anne Enright (1991).

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HE POSTGRADUATE W O R K E R S ’ ALLIANCE OF IRELAND (PGWA) has welcomed a review of state supports for PhD researchers announced recently.

In a press release, the PGWA welcomed the broad scope of the review, which will address many of the issues the group has highlighted in its campaigning and its National Charter for Postgraduate Working Rights.

The review, which was announced last month by Minister for Further and Higher Education, Innovation, Research and Science Simon Harris, will include an evaluation of current financial supports that are in place, as

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PHOTO BY FERN KELLY-LANDRY FOR TRINITY NEWS

well as a review of the adequacy, consistency and equity of arrangements for PhD researchers, including equity and welfare considerations.

It will also take into account the status of PhD researchers, where the PGWA says it “will advocate for a model similar to those found in continental Europe, where PhD researchers are treated as salaried employees, as opposed to students”.

“The announcement of this review is an encouraging sign for PGWA and the PhD researchers that have campaigned for reform in recent months” it continued.

“This review is the direct result of protests, like the joint PCAUPGWA rally outside Leinster House on Budget Day, of lobbying efforts and organising on campuses across the state.”

While the group welcomed the announcement, it said that it is “merely a first step”, calling for larger scale change: “PhDs continue to struggle, our situation made considerably more difficult by the housing and cost of living crises.”

“We will continue to escalate and broaden the base of our campaign until significant reforms are implemented in full – we will not settle for reports, statements or temporary solutions, we need deep, structural changes to how PhDs operate in Ireland.”

The statement called on Harris to engage with PGWA as a representative body for PhDs, saying that it was “vital” to do so.

“PGWA and our partners in the PhD Collective Action Union are building a union for PhDs, hoping to establish collective bargaining for researchers that will endure into the future, preventing a repeat of the crisis that low paid PhDs

find themselves in today.”

The group highlighted that Ireland compares negatively to other European countries in terms of PhD supports, with the average PhD stipend being €16,500, compared to an EU average of €32,100.

A recent survey of 285 PhD students in Ireland conducted by researchers from Trinity found that 100% of respondents said that they were living under the minimum wage.

“If Irish research is to have a future, PhDs must be paid commensurate with our essential contribution to the sector,” the PGWA statement added.

“Involving PGWA in this review will be an important first test of the Minister’s commitment to the future of Irish Research. We have

written to Minister Harris making our views clear and look forward to his response.”

Chair of Trinity PGWA Conor Reddy said: “This review has been a long time coming, it is the result of tireless efforts by PhDs all over Ireland who have protested, lobbied and organised to get us to this point.”

“It is now vital that Minister Harris engages with our union and that he delivers meaningful reforms as soon as the review process is completed.” He said that “we are in crisis, we need action now”.

“PGWA will continue its efforts to organise PhDs across the country and would encourage PhDs to join our union now that its impact has been made clear.”

Established in 2019, PGWA is

an organisation representing the interests of PhDs and working Postgraduate Researchers across Ireland, with branches in eight universities across the island.

In February, Trinity College Dublin Student Union (TCDSU) Council passed a motion giving its formal support to Trinity PGWA. An increase of PhD stipends to €28,000 a year was a key demand of the Union of Students in Ireland’s (USI) national Student Walkout which took place last month.

In September, USI joined the PhDs’ Collective Action Union (PCAU) in a protest outside the Dáil with the same demand.

The review of state supports for PhD researchers will begin in November, and is due to be completed in early 2023.

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OLLEGE WILL HOLD A TOWNHALL meeting to discuss changes to governance of Trinity in line with the HEA Act 2022.

In an email to staff and students, College Secretary John Coman said the meeting, which is to take place on Monday, November 7, will discuss the procedures by which Board members shall be

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appointed in line with changes made by the Act. The town hall meeting will form part of a consultation process, which will also invite students and trade unions, staff associations, the Fellows and the Visitors “to make submissions on future procedures”.

“All feedback will be considered and will inform the deliberations of the Board in the coming months”, the email said.

The HEA Act 2022 was signed into law by the President of Ireland on October 12, giving higher education institutions (HEIs) 12 months to adapt to the provisions of the legislation.

One of the most significant changes made by the Act is the restructuring of governing authorities in colleges and universities.

While the membership of governing authorities in most universities will be set at 19, special provisions are made for Trinity which allow for 25 members of Board, a reduction of just two

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members from the previous 27.

These provisions are made to ensure a place for Fellows on Board, with respect to Trinity’s unique history and governance structures.

Total membership of College Board will consist of a chairperson, the Provost, six Fellows, five internal (College) members, three students’ union representatives, and nine external (non-College) members, three chosen by Board and six chosen by the Minister for Further and Higher Education.

In May, College held a town hall as part of the process of drafting a supplemental charter with regard to the changes that would be made by the HEA Act 2022.

The supplemental charter allows College to uphold the principle that only itself has the power to amend its charter. By amending the charter before the HEA Act comes into force, it avoids being overruled by Government authority.

PHOTO BY FERN KELLY-LANDRY FOR TRINITY NEWS

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HIS MONTH, T H O U S A N D S OF STUDENTS participated in a national walk out protest at the cost-of-living and accommodation crises.

Organised by the Union of Students in Ireland (USI), the action was to remind the Government about the exploitation faced by students, and their struggles when it comes to affording their lifestyle and education.

USI President Beth O’Reilly has said that the €1,000 reduction in student contribution is simply taking less money from students, not putting it back in their pockets.

Such little change from the government in regards to student’s financial and educational wellbeing, raises questions surrounding the effectiveness of the USI and their protests.

USI has a long history of protest campaigns, with many in recent years focused on the cost of college and affordability of housing.

The walk-out held last week is the most recent in a series of seemingly unsuccessful USI-led protests. The last decade has been rich with student demonstrations, all fighting for the same cause and all facing similar neglect from the government.

Last year, USI launched the F*ck the Fees and the No Keys, No Degrees sub-campaigns, both in effort to draw attention to costly tuition fees and rent prices in Ireland.

In November 2011, members of the USI briefly occupied part of the Department of Jobs and Enterprise, in an anti-fees protest.

As the Gardaí intervened the occupation was called off, however, not before the USI made their point. Seeking clarification on the student fees, the USI caused the commotion necessary to call attention to their cause, in a perhaps more forceful manner than a regular protest.

That same year, an estimated 20,000 students gathered in Dublin and marched towards Government buildings protesting the reintroduction of third level fees and the cutting maintenance grants.

A comparison can be drawn to another USI-led protest in 2016, in which students called for the Government to increase invested in publicly funded education. The demonstration was held by close

to 5,000 students, a significant decrease in numbers when compared to the protests of 2011.

In November 2021, only 250 students gathered near the Dáil in a F*ck the Fees protest.

Such decrease in participation numbers is noticeable, particularly when the protests in question address the same unchanged topic.

With the Government making slow progress and students getting more and more impatient, the drop in morale is undeniable.

Additionally, it becomes relevant to address the anger behind such USI initiatives.

Have they become less charged over time? Is the occupation of a

Government building comparable to a student walkout, or do they ultimately serve the same purpose?

Concerning the latter, it is clear that a planned occupation takes on more risk than a walk-out.

The exasperation of students is evident in both; nonetheless, even the actions taken in 2011 showed an intensity in determination that seems to have decreased in the last decade.

The performative nature of protests has likely decreased their validity; being taken seriously by the Government is a hard task for students, and the amusement and light-heartedness that has become central to student demonstrations

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has not helped this case.

When protests turn into a competition of who has the most humorous sign, the scope is lost and the ears of the Government shut.

As the Government continues to deny any real change, students inevitably begin to question the effectiveness of their cause.

The importance of student demonstrations remains the same; there is a necessity to communicate unhappiness within the student community.

However, student efforts seem futile when properly addressed by the government.

The USI’s persistence over the last decade to fight for students’ rights is notable, however, just as notable is the lack of real progress being made, when 11 years later demands are essentially the same, while students’ hope and determination for change is significantly decreased.

PHOTO BY FERN KELLY-LANDRY FOR TRINITY NEWS

8

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INISTER FOR F U R T H E R AND HIGHER Education Simon Harris recently announced a €1.5 million in funding for higher education institutions (HEIs) in an initiative to create new posts to drive zero tolerance of sexual harassment and violence on college campuses.

The new full-time staff will assume 17 positions and will be tasked with sexual violence and harassment prevention on campus. The roles will involve data collection to record the prevalence of issues, as well an availability of consent classes and training.

The new directive comes in light of a lack of reporting surrounding sexual assault and violence cases on college campuses across Ireland.

A Higher Education Authority (HEA) survey last year found that two in five students agreed that sexual harassment and violence were a problem in their college.

The lack of a reporting system, however, makes it harder for students to speak up and place trust in their institutions.

Through Freedom of Information Ireland (FOI) requests, it has been noted that college sexual harassment cases reported by colleges across Ireland were not reflective of reality.

The University of Galway reported 25 cases within the last five years, and only one case in 2019.

The University of Cork reported seven sexual harrasment complaints within the past five years.

The lack of frequency of reporting on campuses discourages students from feeling comfortable enough to approach their institution with a serious problem, feeding into the destructive sexual misconduct cycle, that each time induces more and more silence surrounding the issue.

Although the Framework of Consent was set up in 2020 by the Department of Education, it has yet to fully benefit colleges in terms of the availability and frequency of reporting.

Director of the Rape Crisis Network Ireland, Cliona Saidlear highlights the inefficiency of the structure itself, noting that “we’re not necessarily seeing both students and staff come forward in

any sort of numbers yet, because the system is really unproven still”.

Though this can be seen as a national issue, it is evident that institutions must find strategies to tackle the problem individually.

Prompting the question: what measures does Trinity have in place to make the university a safer place?

The Sexual Assault Treatment Unit (SATU) in Trinity is considered the first point of reference for students who have faced sexual misconduct. The service is free, confidential and open to anyone. The support is also available to help with medical attention.

The Trinity Human Resources website offers a “Speak Out”

feature, in which students and staff can report anonymously. This aids in the collection of information surrounding the issue, and is useful in creating realistic data of sexual harassment in college.

The importance of providing systems in which students feel comfortable approaching is reflective in the following statistics: The Active* The Consent Programme and the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) released results of a national survey.

The survey surrounded college students’ sexual experiences in eight years – the Sexual Experiences Survey 2020: Sexual Violence and Harassment Experiences in a National Survey of Higher Institutions.

The survey shows that 54% of females, 37% of males and 33% of non-binary students had never talked about their experiences to anyone, out of concern that it was not serious enough.

Saidlear pointed out the vulnerability of people aged 18-25, the cohort that dominates third level institutions. Compared to the general population, students face the issue of sexual harassment and violence through a different lens.

This is also reflected in the national survey, showing how just over 50% of first years reported experiences sexual harassment in the form of sexual hostility since begining college. This increased to 62% in second year, and 66% for third year or higher.

The full implementation government initiatives to reduce sexual misconduct in a necessity in third-level education institutions, but most importantly, it is crucial for a safe space to be cultivated within campuses, allowing students to come forward in their struggles and become part of the solution.

PHOTO VIA WIKIMEDIACOMMONS

!"#$%&"'(') )2,.+3%2 61 students have asked the Senior Lecturer and Director of Student Services to improve the IT system “characterised by underfunding, outsourcing and administrative chaos” 6--%&(7%&&8 !""#"$%&$'()#$*+

6

1 STUDENTS HAVE SIGNED AN OPEN letter calling for “a plan to identify and address the shortcomings of IT Services” at College.

The letter, addressed to Senior Lecturer Professor David Shepherd and Director of Student Services Breda Walls, lists the technical difficulties that students, lecturers

9

!"#$#!%&$'() | Tuesday 1 November

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)*&(+,%&(-%""%.(/0--)&*(1+.( 2%&"()&(45('%.3)/%' and administrative staff faced over the first week of teaching.

The letter was signed by School of Social Sciences and Philosophy Convenor László Molnárfi, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Convenor Sean Lysaght, Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Convenor Eoghan Gilroy, and other students.

The letter suggests that these difficulties, reported by “hundreds of students” as well as staff, put students at an academic disadvantage and affect their wellbeing.

According to the letter, staff

have not been able to record lectures due to the “poor technical capabilities” in lecture halls and a lack of soft and hard infrastructure.

Students have reported this leads to “missing vital instructions” in lectures.

Staff attributed the outsourcing of audio visual (AV) equipment to FittingImage as a barrier to

implementing hybrid learning and suggested reinstating College IT Staff as those responsible for AV support.

One member of staff reported that “outsourcing yields people who don’t know about teaching in my experience, [for example] someone from FittingImage trying to tell me that wanting to record

Powerpoint plus the document camera in a large lecture theatre in Panopto was not something that was ‘normal’.”

The letter also reports that the College WiFi “cuts out intermittently or does not allow devices to connect at all”, with the most “unreliable” internet connection in the Faculty of Health Sciences, the School of Chemistry and the lower floors of the Lloyd building. According to the letter, students are unable to attend online lectures and tutorials and have previously faced “massive delays” in online module enrollment, putting them at an “academic disadvantage.”

The letter also criticised the

quality of my.tcd.ie and said that programmes installed on the computers in Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute are “out of date.”

The letter also stated that the College printers outsourced to Datapac are “unreliable”. The letter also criticised College for not providing a VPN to PhD students, which “impacts their ability to do research efficiently.”

Students signing the letter asked the Senior Lecturer and Director of Student Services to address the shortcomings of IT Services “with all relevant stakeholders, including students, and administrative and academic staff ”, and to make sure these issues do not reoccur next year.

8

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!"#$#%&'()*'+,-./0,1'2/--,3,' 4#5,1%0,$%'6"/0'7"070,$%1'#$481%"& The group had petitioned College to divest from companies which sell arms or security technologies to Israel 603)$(7+-1% !"#$%&'()*+

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RINITY BOYCOTT, D I V E S T M E N T, S A N C T I O N IMPLEMENTATION GROUP(Trinity BDS) has welcomed College’s divestment from arms and weapon companies.

In a press release issued yesterday evening, Trinity BDS labelled the move “a significant piece of the response to the collective demands to standing against apartheid in all its forms”.

It was reported on Thursday that the Trinity Endowment Fund had thoroughly restructured the investment portfolio of its two equity funds, and that College no longer holds investments in weapons companies Lockheed Martin, Raytheon Technologies or BAE Systems.

Trinity BDS said: “We view this as the beginning of a new phase in this battle and the next phase of our campaign. The Trinity BDS Implementation Group views this move as conducive to further action against apartheid on the academic, social and economic ends.”

“Following this positive decision, we will now focus our efforts on reflecting this attitude

in other aspects of the College life on making our College fall in line with the principles of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel,” the statement concluded.

A petition started by Trinity BDS calling for College to divest from companies which sell arms or security technologies to Israel reached 446 signatures as of last week.

It was revealed last year that College held €2.5 million in investments in the armaments industry.

In a statement to Trinity News, chair of Trinity BDS Zaid AlBarghouthi said: “I would like to welcome this news and thank everyone who worked hard to get us to this stage. We view this as a starting point to working with College administration and the Provost to ensure that antiapartheid values are applied across College.”

“This Institution is very

significant for this cause due to its historical background, the clear view of its students against apartheid and the works of academics attributed to it.”

Al-Barghouthi added: “We will keep working to make sure that Trinity College Dublin has no ties, whatsoever, to the Apartheid state of Israel. We would like our College to be on [the] forefront of the Global BDS Movement and be an example to other globally significant educational institutes.” “[BDS] is backed by this and many other student bodies across the world due to its practical and peaceful approach to granting equal rights for people who live on the same land. We ask our College for a comprehensive and wide-sighted review of policies where some work is still needed such as their exchange programme agreements and association with Israeli Academic Institutions.”

10

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HE EDITOR OF THE UNIVERSITY TIMES (UT) WAS never impeachable according to an original writer of the union constitution.

This afternoon, Trinity News spoke to an original writer of the 2014 Trinity College Dublin Students Union (TCDSU) constitution. He confirmed the constitution was deliberately written so there is no possible interpretation where the UT Editor is a sabbatical officer. Therefore, there is no possible interpretation where the UT Editor can be impeached via a referendum.

The 2014 TCDSU constitution is the current constitution of the union and lists five sabbatical officers; President, Education Officer, Welfare & Equality Officer, Communication & Marketing Officer and Entertainments Officer. Speaking to Trinity News, this member of the original drafters also confirmed that the UT Editor is constitutionally not a sabbatical officer saying: “The omission from the sabbatical officer list was deliberate and appropriate at the time.”

When asked if he believes there is anything in the TCDSU constitution that would provide the basis for the impeachment of the UT Editor, the original drafter replied with a firm “no”. He added that they were “quite deliberate at the time that there would be no way” to impeach the editor, and this is “reflected in the difficulties people are having now”.

Prior to the current constitution, the Communications & Marketing Officer held responsibility for the editorship of UT. During this period, they were impeachable. In 2014, as specified by this writer, the two roles were separated completely with no intention for the Communications & Marketing Officer to have any role in UT going forward.

The writer highlighted that this was done in the interest of giving UT complete editorial independence from the union.

This editorial independence was the “main reason” for separation of the UT editor from the TCDSU and the other five sabbats. He noted that at the time of writing the constitution there was a concern that any connection between the UT Editor and the union could cause issues should there be a “major rift” between UT and TCDSU in the future.

They also “deliberately” intended that the UT Editor could not be subject to an impeachment proceeding through the union

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!"#$%& '($)*+$,-.$)%/0 *1.$1($(0.#-.0 .#$02"03(*.4,0 546)(014.0+$0 76+8$5.0.40-10 *9:$-5#9$1.0 :,45$$(*1;0 .#,46;#0.#$0 61*41061)*<$0 4.#$,07-++-.70 740'.#$061*410 5-114.0;40-=$,0 .#$0$(*.4,/> unlike other sabbats so “the union cannot go after the editor”. He noted that the TCDSU President “was up for impeachment” during the time of writing the constitution, hence how deliberate this choice was on the part of the drafters.

Given that TCDSU coordinates the election of the editor, why do the impeachment

rules not apply in the same way as the election rules? Though the same election rules apply, this is purely coincidental according to the writer. UT Editor elections are subject to the rules set out in Schedule 3 of the constitution.

These rules also apply to the other five sabbatical elections. However, the “mechanism of election being the same is the only real similarity” between the sabbatical officers of the union and the editor. He specified that Schedule 3 “covers elections once they’re called, not the details of calling one”. As a result even though Schedule 3 applies to UT Editor elections it was “intended that there would be no way to impeach an editor” unlike the other five sabbats.

Schedule 3 was simply not rewritten for the UT Editor election in order to differentiate it from the others, but the same rules apply in different ways. He also noted that a potential impeachment of a UT Editor was not seen as a concern at the time of writing.

According to this original drafter, there was no alternative constitution proposed for UT in 2014, hence why it is covered in the current constitution. As for why the union still coordinates the election of the editor, the writer cited logistical and functional reasons saying that the intention was for “editorial independence, not functional independence”. UT is funded through TCDSU. The 2014 constitution set out to grant the paper editorial independence in spite of this funding, hence why the constitutional rules for the other five sabbats do not apply.

He noted that they did not foresee an impeachment mechanism ever used against an editor.

In a letter leaked on Twitter last

PHOTO BY JACK KENNEDY FOR TRINITY NEWS

Saturday, senior staff members within UT stated that they had “begun impeachment proceedings” against the current editor. There is also no constitutional mechanism for the UT Editor to be impeached by their staff. The logic behind this, the original drafter explained, was that if the student body cannot impeach their editor, there should not be a provision for a small percentage of the student body, i.e. the UT staff, to do so.

The original writer highlighted to Trinity News that the conversation around the 2014 constitution at the time of its proposal was not met with much engagement. He said at the time “there was a more controversial proposal” put forward and much of the disagreements were either internal or from this opposition.

They “didn’t get [the constitution] through in time for elections”. He noted that there was not much engagement with the process from students at the time and that they did not foresee a circumstance where there would be a movement to impeach the UT Editor arising.

The current Electoral Commission (EC) of TCDSU also confirmed this saying: “There is no mechanism in the TCDSU Constitution to impeach the Editor of the University Times. The Editor is not a Sabbatical Officer of the Union and is not subject to the removal procedures outlined in section 6.2.1 of the Constitution.”

The statement also said: “UT is not a Union body, but an editorially independent newspaper with freedom of governance, which receives funding via TCDSU, as per Chapter 10 of the TCDSU Constitution” and “as such, it would be inappropriate for the Union to have the power to remove the Editor and a violation of the paper’s independence”.

Despite UT staff claiming they had “begun impeachment proceedings” against their Editor, it appears based on the current TCDSU constitution that this is not possible. It was deliberately written at the time so that this was not possible. On the question of whether TCDSU, UT staff or anyone else has the authority to begin impeachment proceedings against a UT Editor, the answer appears to be a resounding no.

In 2020, the 2014 constitution was amended following a motion brought to Council, in which students voted to accept 76 amendments. While the “cleaning up” of the constitution referred to fixing “typos, contradictions and errors”, some other changes to the constitution were proposed under the referendum. A number of roles within the union were amended, and a change to a motion to impeach was specified, that it would take place under a secret ballot at Council. References to UT, or specific regulations according to UT, were not amended in 2020.

!"#$%&' ()*%*+# ,-""%.'/%*0").*+#'!"123.+4 Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) has announced it will spend £8 million for extra costof-living payments to students and staff. Most of the 25,000 students will receive £150, although about 3,600 students from lower-income families will get a higher payment of £400. About 3,000 staff, apart from senior managers, will receive between £500 and £750. Payments will not be made until January 2023. QUB recently declared a “critical incident” due to rises in the cost of living. /%*0").*+#'$2'5*6")*784 The University of Limerick (UL) is turning 50 this year.

Founded in 1972 as the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick, it gained University status in 1989. The College has set up 12 months of programmed events to celebrate. RTÉ’s Nationwide also covered UL50 on Friday, October 21, which showcased the achievements of the college and its plans going forward.

Staff interviewed included UL Deputy Librarian Ciara McCaffrey.

93#%$$+:'/%*0").*+#4 Over 1,500 Maynooth students again walked out of their lectures and marched across the campus to deliver a petition to the university president against the cancellation of the construction of an oncampus Student Centre. The petition was signed by over 4,000 people. The Maynooth Student Union President hand delivered the 100-page petition to the MU President’s Office, saying that “it is great to see democracy, civic engagement, and mass action alive and well on [campus].” ;-<1*%'=*+#'/%*0").*+#4 Former Irish professional footballer, manager and pundit Niall Quinn graduated with a master’s degree in history from DCU yesterday. His 93-yearold mother, Mary, was there to celebrate with him, to whom he promised 40 years ago that he would finish his education after leaving at 16 to pursue a professional career with Arsenal in 1983. His thesis focused on the 1916 Rising commander Oscar Traynor.

11

!"#$#!%&$'() | Tuesday 1 November

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!"#$%&'#()*)#+,-.*/&001#%.02#%3&%#+/4)&53/),%# .-#%3)#62+%.*#(&$#4.$$+70) Prior to their call for the Editor’s resignation, a “provisional interpretation”

by EC members suggested that impeachment was “a possibility”. !"#$%&'()*+ !"#$%&'()*+

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PROVISIONAL E VA L UAT I O N OF THE CONSTITUTION provided to members of staff of the University Times (UT) suggested that impeachment of the UT Editor was possible.

In an email to Trinity News, Chair of the Electoral Commission (EC) Emma Gallagher said that a “provisional conversation” between TCDSU President Gabi Fullam and senior members of UT staff “did suggest there could be a

,

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possibility for impeachment”.

The interpretation had been given verbally to Fullam, who relayed it to UT staff in a meeting.

Last week, in an analysis piece published by Trinity News, it was stated by an original drafter of the constitution that impeachment was never possible in the current TCDSU constitution, and this was “deliberate”. The information informally passed onto UT staff was inaccurate.

According to Gallagher, constitutional interpretations given in a verbal manner “are only provisional”, while “official interpretations must be requested in writing and have the backing of the entire EC”.

“This was emphasised to all involved quite clearly at the time,” Gallagher stated.

The email continued: “Although the provisional conversation did suggest there could be a possibility for impeachment, no details of further conversation were shared as it was a casework and therefore there are strict confidentiality guidelines.”

The TCDSU president is not a member of the EC, and is therefore not able to give official interpretations of the union’s constitution.

According to Gallagher, at the time that conversations were held with UT staff, no official request

was made for an interpretation of the constitution, and therefore none was given “until after the initial issue was made public,” when an official request was submitted, according to the Chair

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of the EC. On Monday, Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) released a public statement from the Chair of the EC confirming that “there is no constitutional mechanism to impeach the Editor of the University Times.”

This statement also said that UT is not a union body, but an “editorially independent newspaper with freedom of governance, which receives funding via TCDSU, as per Chapter 10 of the TCDSU Constitution”.

The statement added that “it would be inappropriate for the union to have the power to remove the Editor and a violation of the paper’s independence”.

A student-wide referendum would be required to amend the constitution to make the UT Editor impeachable. In order to call a constitutional referendum, a motion to do so must be passed by a two-thirds majority at Council, or a petition with 500 signatures be submitted to the EC calling for a referendum.

The process of impeaching the current UT Editor would require two referenda: one asking whether the UT Editor should be an impeachable role, and one asking if the current editor should be impeached.

12

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!"##$%&'("))"*+$*"+,)-#./0$)1$1%&*$ )"##$23($3%%'14&5$/6$73/"*&) The legislation and other reforms are planned to be implemented in 2023 !"#$%&$'()"* !"#$%&'()*%+,

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HE BILL THAT P E R M I T S NIGHTCLUBS TO open till 6am was granted cabinet approval on Tuesday.

The legislation is planned to be implemented in 2023.

The Bill creates a new system of annual permits for late bars and nightclubs to replace the current system where a Special Exemption Order is required every time a venue wants to open after hours.

Under the new system late bars will remain at 2:30am and nightclubs will have the option of remaining open till 6am with alcohol served till 5am. Nightclubs will need court approval for these permits.

In order to avail of these permits they will be required to have “CCTV on the premises and have security staff properly accredited with the Private Security Authority ” as well as “20 per cent of their floor allocated for dancing, and a live band or DJ must be playing”.

Also in the Bill off licence opening hours will be standardised across the week. They will have the option of from 10.30am to 10pm seven days a week. This is changing from the current position where these hours apply six hours a week, with Sunday sales only permitted from 12.30pm.

The Bill aims to make development of “night time culture and economy a priority”.

The new rules for nightclubs are aimed at “bigger nightclubs and venues, mainly in cities”.

The General Scheme also proposes an amendment to the socalled ‘extinguishment’ provision, “whereby anyone seeking to open a new premises or an off licence must first purchase a licence from an existing licence holder in order to do so”. It notes that: “This can be an impediment to opening a new pub in towns and villages where some premises have shut, particularly in rural areas.”

Speaking on the Bill Minister for Justice Helen McEntee “I do

not believe we need a dramatic increase in the number of new pubs. But, in circumstances where a town has lost its pub, we should acknowledge that the community has lost one of its focal points.”

She noted that “the current system makes it difficult for anyone who wants to open a new pub in towns and villages where a pub has closed its doors”.

McEntee is also proposing a new ‘cultural amenities licence’ for “galleries, theatres, museums and other cultural venues”.

“This will strictly be available for venues where the sale of alcohol is not the main activity on the premises, and is only for the convenience of people attending the venue for another reason – such as an exhibition. And it will only be allowed for a set period of time – between one hour before and one hour after a performance takes place.”

Also speaking on the reforms Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin, said: “The reforms set out in the General Scheme on the Sale of Alcohol Bill propose efficiency, transparency and clarity and a streamlining of our antiquated licensing legislation, bringing it into the 21st century.”

!"#$$$%&''%('&)*+,%-.%/'01*%&(.2% 3.4'2/'( Students should update their bank details through the My TCD portal +,-"%.$//"/0%1/"2, !"#$%&'-"./'0123&/*/'()*%+,

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EFUNDS FROM THE STUDENT CONTRIBUTION CHARGE OF €1,000 are to begin early next month, according to Academic Registry.

In an email, eligible students were instructed to update their bank details through the my.tcd. ie portal as soon as possible in order to receive the sum into their accounts.

Students who do not update their bank details will have a €1,000 credit applied to their account against any outstanding or future balance owed.

Students paying their fees in instalments will also have their account credited by €1,000 in November, and will be required to pay the remaining €500 in February 2023.

This once-off €1,000 reduction

of the student contribution applies to students eligible for the free fees initiative (FFI), as outlined by the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research Simon Harris, and Minister of State for Skills, Niall Collins as part of Budget 2023.

The scheme was put in place in recognition of the cost of living financial challenges being faced by third level students.

The State provides funding towards the tuition fee costs of eligible undergraduate students, through the FFI. Currently, the student contribution rate that applies annually to all FFI eligible students is €3,000 per year.

Through Budget 2023, the Government has announced the once-off contribution of €1,000 towards the student contribution paid by each student in the 202223 academic year.

This measure is available to full time undergraduate students eligible for the Department’s free fees schemes only. It does not include students not eligible for free fees; post graduate, part time, non-EU fees or repeat year fees.

Students in receipt of a 50% support grant from SUSI will have their student contribution payment reduced proportionally from €1,500 to €1,000.

!"#$%&'()*+%,"%-".'%/"00'/,)"*+%1+%21#,%"3%,4'%506%7)&#1#8% #'6'.'0"2-'*,% The process will see the transfer of over 700,000 items to temporary storage ahead of renovations to the Old Library 32"'%+4056,/$ !"#$%&'-"./'()*%+,

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HE PROCESS OF MOVING MATERIAL FROM THE Library’s Research Collections has commenced, as the conservation project on the Old Library gets underway.

The decanting project will see the temporary transfer of some 350,000 early printed books and over 700,000 total items from the Old Library to a special storage facility, in what College says is one of the largest decanting of material

from a heritage building to ever take place in Ireland.

As part of the decant process, each book must be carefully cleaned with a special vacuum, measured and tagged before it can be moved to a climate-controlled storage facility for the duration of the renovation of the Old Library.

Access to material will continue to be available through an Interim Research Collections Study Centre.

Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan, visited the Old Library on October 20 to see the decant works in action and to meet with Library staff involved in the project. He was joined by Provost Linda Doyle, Bursar Eleanor Denny, as well as Helen Shenton, Trinity’s Librarian & College Archivist.

Welcoming the project, Nonnan said: “We have a shared responsibility towards our cultural heritage and Trinity College Dublin through this conservation project is ensuring this 18th century Old Library building and its collections are conserved for the next century.”

“Significant care and consideration goes into moving

a collection of this scale and the dedication of the Library team is impressive,” he continued.

Provost Linda Doyle commented that the redevelopment of the Old Library represented a “transformative undertaking” which would preserve the building for future generations.

“The decant, led by the Library team, is a massive operation,

with more than 50 Library staff assisted by over 25 project assistants. It marks a key stage in this transformative redevelopment project.”

Shenton added: “This is a particularly complex and sensitive decant. There are so many precious books, manuscripts and objects held in the vast collections, which extend over many centuries.

Imagine a house moving at scale – thousands of times bigger and more complicated in order to move 700,000 items.”

Following the completion of the decant process, the Old Library will close temporarily for renovation works at the end of next autumn.

Work on the building itself is scheduled to take place over the subsequent three-year period.

13

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OLLOWING REPORTS ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22, THAT 33 Ukrainian refugees were forced to sleep in Dublin airport due to the closure of the Citywest transit hub being closed to new arrivals, the hashtag “#IrelandIsFull” became a trending topic on Twitter.

The narrative shifted from concerns that Ireland does not currently have the infrastructure to welcome an unprecedented number of refugees, and concerns about the still-growing problem of homelessness in the country, to an outpouring of vitriol towards refugees and immigrants.

A number of far-right blogs which also spread misinformation on the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccines benefitted from this, generating thousands of likes and shares. A number of tweets suggested that refugees are more likely to commit violent crimes, especially of a sexual nature.

The internet is not, however, representative of real life, and more often than not serves to

amplify the views of fringe groups.

Latest statistics from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show that 54,771 Ukrainians have arrived in Ireland. That brings the number up to about 64,00 when non-Ukrainians are factored in.

In response to this unprecedented number of refugees arriving in the country, the government temporarily suspended the visa-free status of asylum seekers coming from so-called ’safe countries’ in July.

This move has been criticised by the Irish Refugee Council chief executive Nick Henderson, who called it “a regrettable decision”.

Emphasising that only a small number of people availed of the visa-free scheme, which previously allowed asylum seekers to visit Ireland for a period of three months, he stated that the suspension of this agreement risks being “disproportionate and regressive”.

The government, however, insists that this measure is necessary to “protect the integrity” of the immigration system.

According a recent Ipsos poll, the general public are also

worried about the situation, with 61% saying they are concerned that there are “too many refugees coming here” and 56% of those polled disagreed that Ireland should continue to accept refugees from Ukraine “no matter how many arrive”.

This sentiment is not coming from a sense of ill will towards Ukrainians, with the overwhelming majority of voters (72%), agreeing with the statement that Ireland “must continue to stand by Ukraine even if this means energy shortages”, clearly demonstrating that the general public are willing to sacrifice a great deal for Ukraine’s cause.

This does, however, come at a time where the public are seeing headlines which suggest that the system was ill-prepared for the sudden influx of refugees.

The UN Refugee Agency has said that Ireland is over-reliant on hotels and B&Bs for housing refugees, with almost 15% of hotels in this country being used for people arriving in the country seeking international protection.

Most contracts with hotels hosting refugees are due to end

next month.

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has said that the state can no longer “guarantee housing” for new refugees: “We have to tell people who might come here from Ukraine or come here from other parts of the world seeking asylum that we have now reached the point where we can no longer guarantee accommodation for everyone who arrives here - and that’s the truth” Minister Roderick O’Gorman has said that he could not rule out the possibility that some refugees could sleep on the streets, with a projected shortfall of 15,000 beds in December if the number of refugee arrivals stay at “elevated levels”.

The government has now doubled the payment for families hosting Ukrainians to €800 per month.

While the general public have legitimate concerns about our capacity to accept an unprecedented amount of refugees, it is important to counter the far-right, “us versus them” narrative.

Irish people, refugees and asylum seekers, and immigrants are all victims of failed housing policy which has caused record homelessness and unaffordable rents. The fact that the country is not properly equipped for a large influx of refugees is a symptom of larger systemic issues in our housing system.

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IMON HARRIS HAS ANNOUNCED A NEW PARTNERSHIP between the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS), and the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) in the area of skills and talent research.

The partnership will see work being undertaken on the nature of ongoing changes in the labour

market and in the skillsets of the labour force, with a focus on skills and talent as “key drivers of productivity, innovation and growth”.

It is hoped that the work will aid the understanding of challenges and opportunities facing Ireland in the present and in the future, with the aim of helping to shape future policy direction.

Announced on October 21, the minister said that whilst there are now more people at work than ever before, Ireland cannot become “complacent” when it comes to understanding shifts in the labour market.

“The world of work is changing and it is vital we take steps to future proof the jobs market and people’s jobs.”

Harris continued: “Better understanding current, future and emerging skills requirements will help us better plan for the education system we need to have to meet the demands of our economy and society.”

The partnership was also welcomed by the Director of the ESRI, Professor Alan Barrett.

He added: “It is well recognised

that increases in productivity are the basis for sustainable economic growth and improved living standards.”

“In turn, it is also well understood that enhanced skills are a key factor in increasing productivity. Given this context, the ESRI is delighted to be working

with the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science on this crucial research agenda.”

Cooperation between the two bodies will be facilitated by a ‘Joint Skills Research Programme’, which is envisaged to run for three years.

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“We need a drastic and radical change in how we operate third level education in this country.

We are a country that prides itself on third level education but I don’t see anything to be proud of as a student.” ?'))$%7(@,>#'*% =;ABC%1')D'#% 5E,(6>-$%<FG'# “I have, of course, been in touch with Liz [Truss] and she’s a good friend. She’s with her family. And I think she’s enjoying a well-deserved break.” =.'#'3'%;"2'$*% CH%5)I>#")J')-% B'G#'-(#$ “Twitter will be forming a content moderation council with widely diverse viewpoints.

No major content decisions or account reinstatements will happen before that council convenes.”

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Trinity News investigates the incentives behind modern millennial workspaces and their incentives compared to pandemic-induced ‘hybrid’ working models G0.H"*I",,"$ !"#$%&'($&#)*+%&$,%

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he move away from more traditional office spaces was spearheaded

by Google in 2003, when the tech giant relocated their headquarters to an extensive 2m square foot (45.9 acre) campus aptly titled Googleplex in Mountain View, California.

With this move, Google set the standard for the “fun” office space, with features including ball pit meeting rooms, free food, and alcohol serving bars on site.

The innovative workspaces and incredible amenities saw Google redefine the very idea of office life and permanently change the way we view the workplace.

The modern office space was part of their “motivation model” to promote productivity, creativity, and greater collaborative efforts.

From their infamous playgroundlike slides to more sophisticated perks, such as in-house massages and mindfulness courses, the additional amenities in Google’s new workspace altered the conventional employee-boss dynamic and saw employee needs and welfare pushed to the forefront of the company.

Following the success of Google’s new office design, the fun workspace concept was quickly adopted by various other companies, particularly in the technology sector. Even Ryanair, the famously no frills airline, got on board, moving its headquarters to an office space in Swords that boasts a slide, life-sized chess board, and cocktail bar.

Within the tech industry, these perk-filled, communitybased work environments have become a staple. For employers,

the benefits of this new model are twofold. Firstly, research suggests that the open, fun spaces that Google created resulted in a better environment for colleagues to exchange ideas and create collaboratively. Secondly, in a demanding sector with high staff turnover, this enticing environment also operates as a talent retention tactic.

However, the recent pandemic forced companies to reimagine the concept of the office once again.

At the peak of the pandemic, employees all over the world were forced to work from home; now, two years on, many are still choosing to do so. With the push for a return to the office gaining traction, will the concept of the modern workspace continue to grow and develop, or has the pandemic put an end to the fad of the fun office and enticed us back to a work from home alternative?

Trinity News spoke with employees in the tech industry about their experience at these unique offices: do they find the perks helpful and motivating, or would they trade it all to be back working from home in a pair of pyjama bottoms?

Shyam Pradheep is an employee of Zogo, a financial literacy app that encourages teens to learn about personal finances by

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“gamifying” the process. He spoke to us about his experience working for the company in Austin, Texas.

Pradheep told us the office’s amenities include free food, massage chairs, meditation rooms, drink fridges, an espresso bar and a free subscription to the meditation app CALM for every employee. While this list may seem impressive, Pradheep notes the competitive nature of the industry: “The norm is set by the biggest tech companies in the world. They are known to have the most luxurious perks possible - not only massage chairs, but massages. To be able to compete and to be able to have talent, these are just considered standard, basic.”

In more competitive spaces, companies continue to pile on the perks in a bid to acquire the best talent. Pradheep told us about Zogo’s office in New York, noting the pool of talent that drives a competitive workspace: “New York is a very competitive space. A lot of the best talent in the world is over there, so they have higher expectations. The New York office has a gym that overlooks Central Park. The [amenities’] worth comes from being able to attract the best talent, who expect something like that.”

As well as a bid for talent, the perks are often centred around employee wellbeing. Speaking with an employee who previously worked for TikTok Europe, they noted that their perks of free food and coffee were pretty standard for a tech company. Amenities

offered in the company’s New York office went a step further, providing employees with an inhouse cinema and bowling alley.

But beyond impressive facilities, TikTok had various employee engagement days, no-meeting days, and days off scheduled into your calendar. They note: “employee wellness was at the forefront of the company.”

When asked if they think the extra perks are worthwhile, they said it encouraged them to go into the office more, and stopped them spending money on food and drinks. They found the “fun” workspace environment to be more time efficient, boosting productivity and enjoyment levels.

However, they discussed the potential drawbacks of the fun workspace concept, noting: “I couldn’t help [but] wonder, what’s the environmental impact of having things on tap? The cans or bottles we go through in a day are all individually packaged. It’s a double-edged sword because you love to have stuff, but in an age where we are so aware of our consumerist nature, and also considering the cost-of-living crisis, being aware of how much free stuff I was getting [..] was a bit of a jarring experience.”

Following the pandemic, both Zogo and TikTok are operating a hybrid work system that allows people to work remotely and inperson. The companies encourage coordination between staff so employees are in person on the same days to work together.

When asked about his preference of working in the office or working remotely, Pradheep says: “Personally, I like having the option to work remotely. I used to only work remotely as I started working during the peak of the pandemic. I have realised I have no boundaries and I just end up working 12-14 hours a day - that’s just messy. Right now, I go to the office every single day. I know that when I leave the office, my work day is done; I can just close my laptop and forget about it.

Larger companies, like Google, also seem to be taking a more adaptive, hybrid approach as they redesign their office spaces to facilitate remote workers.

They have designed new circular meeting spaces called Campfires that aim to intersperse video callers on large screens amongst the inperson staff. There has also been an expansion of outdoor meeting spaces in an effort to facilitate social distancing if necessary.

It’s still unclear what the future holds for these offices, and whether their seemingly unending perks will act as enough of an incentive to draw employees out from the cosy comforts of working from home. What employees need from a workplace is ever changing, and in the aftermath of the pandemic, fresh question marks over the need for a physical workplace only add to the uncertainty. For now, at least, it’s safe to say that hybrid working is the newest workplace trend - and it’s not going anywhere any time soon.

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16

Tuesday 1 November | )*+,+)-(,./0(

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!"#$%&'(#)&%$%*+,)-$).$&.$*/0."./ Trinity News speaks to students who choose to socialise sober !"#$$"%&"#'( !"#$%&'(")%$*"+',-.%/*

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reland and alcohol have always gone hand in hand. We, as a nation, seem to embrace our stereotype of being big drinkers and for many, this label is seen almost as a badge of honour to be worn with great pride. With studies showing that more than half of the adult Irish population drink weekly, we definitely live up to that reputation! Irish college students drink hazardous amounts of alcohol each week in order to let loose and have a good time. However, there are a small number of students rejecting this norm and saying no to alcohol.

Trinity News spoke to students who are fighting back against this stereotype and living a sober life.

Speaking to Trinity News, one student explains how “over the summer, I was travelling and meeting new people and when they realised I didn’t drink it was very much a question of ‘why?’: ‘Why don’t you drink? Are you an alcoholic? Do you miss it?’”.

These are the intrusive, invasive questions that non-drinkers know all too well and are constantly bombarded with during their day-

to-day life. The student goes on to say how “people will ask why [I don’t drink] and keep pushing” until they get an answer. Although these questions could be coming from a good place with a genuine curiosity to know more about the non-drinker lifestyle, it is best to avoid asking these sorts of questions as the insensitivity can have a real impact on those being asked. Opening up, the student told a story from her travels: “one girl asked why [I don’t drink] and I didn’t want to answer because it’s awkward explaining the reason because it’s so vulnerable. I don’t want to lie but also don’t want to tell her.” The student has “taken to saying I’m not drinking tonight” or saying “I just react badly to it.” However, that still does not put a halt to the intrusive, pushy questions which she is constantly asked.

The student explains how she doesn’t want other people to think she is “boring”. Even though friends reassure her that just because she doesn’t drink, it does not make her a boring person, the student explains how she is still “met with a shock” and questions of “oh really why don’t you drink?” when meeting new people. In Irish culture, so many of our social activities involve drinking alcohol or will inevitably lead to drinking alcohol — it is difficult not to feel boring when you do not partake in the activity many find synonymous with fun.

The student goes on to highlight how she has “taken to not really saying [I don’t drink] unless I feel like they are not someone who is gonna judge me.” For many teenagers in Ireland, drinking (especially from a young age) has been seen as a symbol of coolness and for some, this attitude has still translated into adulthood. Studies have shown that over 80% of Irish

schoolchildren have had their first drink by the age of 17. The student explains how certain people “think they are feral and so cool” for their drinking habits and she “wouldn’t say it around them because I would feel judged” for her personal choice to abstain from alcohol.

This judgement often stems from a fear of those who do not stick to the status quo and the norm and in Ireland, drinking is seen as a constant in many of our lives.

Drinking in Ireland is a social activity — going out clubbing, heading to the pub, course drinks are all key ways in which many people make and meet new friends.

The student explains how since she doesn’t drink, she “struggled with feeling left out” and “had just given up.” She reflects on how she “was in first year and wanted to make friends but all the social events were in environments with drinking and that made me really anxious.” In addition to this, “it was really stressful so I felt like I couldn’t go to a lot of those events,” and that “every single social event is always drinking which is kind of annoying.” On a more positive note, she highlights how “it has gotten easier to not feel left out because I remind myself of why I’m [not drinking] but it was very hard to get to the point.” She differentiated between her friends and people she would meet on a night out: “people I’d talk to on nights out would not become my good friends. I would tend to meet my real friends in day-today settings where I wouldn’t be drunk.”

Clubbing seems to be essential for most college students with almost any night of the week being a club night somewhere. The sticky, sweaty dance floors seem almost impossible to navigate if not inebriated, with the interviewee agreeing: “I do not enjoy clubbing,

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As for more general nights out to places like the pub, she explains how it makes her “really anxious” and the combination of the “loud environments” and “new people” create “a very stressful environment” which would result in her cancelling on her friends or getting there and leaving immediately.

Nights out do not have the same appeal for drinkers and non-drinkers with the student highlighting that “before I gave up drinking the appeal [of nights out] was to literally get smashed.

Whereas now the focus is on socialising but before I was just going out to get drunk.” A shift towards more sober nights out where the main goal is not to get hammered is very beneficial and almost therapeutic in a way.

Forming meaningful and genuine connections with people and most importantly remembering those interactions is critical for creating lifelong friendships. Also, waking up on a Saturday morning without the fear is something which many of us hope for after a night out!

However, the student states that it can be “harder to talk to people” when not drinking and finds that her “social battery runs out with not drinking” around those who are drinking and getting progressively drunker.

The student shared her thoughts on the seemingly toxic drinking culture that exists in Irish society stating that it is “not very not accepting of those who don’t drink.” She goes on to emphasise how our community “really ignores the bad side of alcohol and seems to praise people for getting locked.” Alcohol is a depressant and can affect our minds, feelings, and emotions and disrupt the balance in our bodies. The student brings up how “the effects [of alcohol] on your mental health are perceived in such an ignorant way, like people are so quick to judge.”

Overall, Ireland needs to rethink our drinking habits - we as a nation have grown too accustomed to getting absolutely hammered each night out and many cannot understand why alcohol would not appeal to everyone. Irish people need to be more open-minded and accepting towards those who choose to abstain from alcohol. It is important to be more cautious in our choice of words around non-drinkers as it can be seen that a little sensitivity can go a long way! Not drinking should not be seen as taboo in Irish society - we need to take positive steps towards limiting our consumption of alcohol and striving to live even a little bit more of a sober life.

17

()*+*(,-+./0 | Tuesday 1 November

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!"#$%&'()*+&'(',-./*0'/12'$',-*1(3* 45(,1$*651$,7*85&9':5/ How are Trinity’s Disability and Mental Health Services supporting students and staff? ;%$<*;1$3=5$$ !"#$%&'($&#)*+%&$,%

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ollege can be a tumultuous period in anyone’s life, especially if you are suffering from poor mental health or a disability that is challenging your ability to achieve your full potential. The question is: are Trinity’s services for those suffering from either of those things adequate for the needs of the students at the college?

Whether counselling seems like the only solution to getting through, you have dyslexia and the words on the page just don’t seem to translate quite right or you, like myself, are hard of hearing or deaf and need specific supports to put you on a level playing field to others, the point is we all need some assistance sometimes.

Firstly, taking a look at the counselling service located on Leinster Street South, Mark Robinson, a team leader and counsellor within the service, spoke to Trinity News about what they had to offer students

struggling with their mental health. Robinson stated “Once a student comes in the door… we carry out a support needs assessment programme (SNAP)… which is typically between half an hour to sixty minutes to find out what people need at that moment in time”. An anonymous Trinity student, who availed of these services, reaffirmed the efficiency of the process saying “I went in and they gave me one preliminary session to scope out what I needed, what they could do for me. They offered me 12 CBT sessions, every two weeks”.

This student had a good experience of the service and went on to say “It was such smooth sailing, I sent an email to them and then that week they were like come in for the provisional session, a week after that I started the counselling”. However, another anonymous student has had both positive and negative experiences with the counselling service in Trinity. She remarked “I went to them during the pandemic… I had a really shocking experience with them, they were really poor. I was on the waitlist for so long…and they didn’t really offer me anything… it was very disregarding”. In response to this, Robinson explained that current wait times are 3-4 weeks to get a SNAP session and 3-4 weeks until one-to-one counselling generally begins.

For many this can be too long, especially if they are nearing an emergency. However, the amount of students availing of the service lends itself to longer than ideal wait

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!"##$%&'()*&' &*+$,')#$' -./'($$0,'&1' 2$&')'3456' ,$,,*1%')%7' -./'($$0,'"%&*8' 1%$.&1.1%$' 91"%,$88*%2' :$2*%,;' times; further investment from the college is required. Naturally, wait times vary a lot over the course of the year but Robinson stressed that any student in emergency is almost always seen that same day, or at the latest the next day.

However, speaking about a separate occasion she engaged with the service, the second interviewee explained “I had a breakup and it was coming up to exam time… I went to them and I [said]… can I get any sort of extension on one or two of my essays… I think because I went through my tutor they were really accommodating… then they offered me a counselling

session and I was able to do eight weeks of it, every two weeks”.

Reaffirming what Robinson said, it seems as though the counselling services can recognise when a student needs immediate help.

She added “The gripes I had with my first experience were pretty much mitigated by my second experience. They kind of fought for me in a way… they were advocating for me and it was more like Trinity itself that were like no, these are the deadlines”.

This seems to show that Trinity could have more compassionate policies in general when it comes to extensions and deferrals.

Asides from counselling, Trinity also offers other services such as group counselling, an addictive behaviours group, Mind, Body, Boost in collaboration with the sports centre and an online programme called SilverCloud which Robinson described as “Guided self-help; reading psychoeducational materials, responding to them online and then me or one of my colleagues will review your responses once a week and respond via email”.

The first interviewee’s experience of SilverCloud was negative.

She mused “They offered me SilverCloud and I was just like no, I’m not talking to a computer” and added “It’s just like homework”. It seems there is a disparity between the help that these services think they are providing, and how receptive students are to them.

In terms of Trinity’s disability service, Trinity News spoke to Gerard Gallagher, Head of Student Disability Supports and Deputy

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Director of the Disability Service.

When speaking about the service he revealed “The disability service provides a range of supports for students based on their individual needs… we have assistive tech, ongoing academic support, respite spaces and sensory spaces”.

Gallagher also spoke about the procedure for when a student comes to the Disability Service saying “We put supports in place based on an individual needs assessment.. typically a 40 minute conversation… [the question is] how do we support the student to develop those transformative skills for future success?”.

Niamh Delaney has been receiving ongoing support from the Disability Service for her hearing loss and she had nothing but positive things to say about them. Speaking with Trinity News, she declared “Their ability and will to help in the most effective way was tremendous” and added that they were “from the outset, amazing”. Niamh rounded off her glowing review of the Disability Services by saying “I have to say, I’m very impressed with them… they have a suite of services they can offer people and all I’ve seen is an ability and a willingness from them to try and modify them to see how they work before we try something different”.

According to Gallagher, 10.1% of the student population of Trinity are registered with a disability, which far exceeds the national average of 6%. He also wanted to stress that from the November 1st the Disability Service is moving to the brand-new Printing House Square, with a new dedicated disability hub. Gallagher made clear a main aim of the service stating “We want to get students connected with the entire Trinity community… I think that’s so important”.

The main thing for students to do is reach out and seek the help on offer. Robinson noted “If you’re on the fence about coming, come.

You can always hear what we have to offer. Knowledge is power. So, if you have knowledge of what’s on offer that can sometimes be enough”. Gallagher posited “Any student can come to drop in”. So, if you’re struggling with a disability or your mental health, get in touch with either service and they’ll walk with you through the process every step of the way. You have nothing to lose by reaching out, seeking help and availing of what’s on offer.

Search “Mental Health Management – Trinity”, “Counselling Service – Trinity” and “Disability Service – Trinity” to find out more about each.

Also search “Student Counselling Trinity – Confidentiality” for more information on the conditions surrounding confidentiality.

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Tuesday 1 November | )*+,+)-(,./0(

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!"#$%&'$(#))* Upon the centenary of the beginning of the Irish Civil War, Trinity News divulges Michael Collins’ contribution to Irish Affairs

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ichael Collins remains a divisive figure in Ireland today. Widely known for his participation in the negotiations of the Anglo-Irish Treaty, bringing an end to the War of Independence, gave Ireland freedom — on the condition of partition and dominionship of the English Crown which led to a bloody Civil War. The hatred or admiration for Collins often comes down to family history, and the side on which one’s family fought in the civil war. As Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael entered into government together in 2020, many people are finally saying the Civil War is over, however bitter argument over the treaty continues and many families have not reconciled after they split following the establishment of An Saorstát Éireann and the beginning of the war.

From the time Michael Collins entered the Irish political scene until his untimely death, he made an enormous impact on Irish politics, being a key leader in the fight for independence. He used his immense political and military prowess to ensure that Ireland would be “a nation once again.” His actions along with that of Sinn Féin and the Republican movement succeeded in gaining independence and then managed to win a bloody civil war around the Anglo-Irish Treaty.

Michael Collins was born in Cork in 1890 into a family of committed Republicans. His father was a Fenian, and the young Collins soaked up stories and songs of Irish Nationalism which planted his lifelong sense of patriotism.

At the age of 16, following the civil service exam in Cork, he left Ireland to go to London and joined the Civil Service to end up working in London’s General Post Office. While in London, he joined the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB), the Gaelic League, the GAA and was also sworn into the Irish Volunteers. He briefly studied Law at UCL before returning to Dublin in 1915. There, he learned

not only about how a state is run but also he began to make his way up the ladder of the Republican movement.

Collins returned in 1915 and quickly established himself in the hierarchy of the IRB in Dublin, planning and preparing for the

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Rising with other members of the Kimmage Garrison. In Easter 1916, Collins served as Plunket’s aide-de-camp at the GPO. While he did not play a high-profile role, he nonetheless found himself in the heart of events, which he would later describe as “folly”.

Following the end of the Rising, he was arrested and interned at Frongoch in Wales.

Following the execution of the Rising’s leaders, a power vacuum was left behind, and it was said Collins was already hatching plans before the prison ships left Dublin. His time imprisoned at Frongoch, which housed many of the interred soldiers of the 1916 Rising, had certainly the exact opposite effect than what the British had intended. Collins managed to establish himself as a leader amongst the men interned there and got to meet with other Republicans who believed that force was necessary to secure independence, which he became one of the foremost leaders within.

While at Frongoch, he galvanised the prisoners for the battle ahead, hatching plans for the subsequent much more effective guerrilla war.

In early 1917 Kathleen Clarke (wife of Thomas Clarke) appointed Collins as the secretary for national aid, at the same time Collins became a leading figure along with Arthur Griffith in the Post-Rising movement. By October Collins was a member of the Sinn Féin Executive Committee. Following

the 1918 Election Sinn Féin swept through Ireland claiming 73 of 101 Seats. Like the other newly elected Irish representatives, Collins refused to take their seats in the House of Commons, instead meeting in the Mansion House. At this time Eamon de Valera and a large amount of the leadership were arrested, before the meeting of the first Dáil, with Collins avoiding arrest. For a time, Collins hid amongst Dublin’s Jewish Community, once famously cursing at the Black and Tans in Yiddish.

Perhaps one of Collins’ first great actions was with the Department of Finance where he managed to put his Civil Service Experience to good use.

He organised the National Loan.

Managing to raise some £400,000 in vital funds which would be used to arm the IRA in readiness for the War of Independence, despite the British Government declaring it illegal. Money was held in the individual accounts of members of both Old Sinn Féin and the Old IRA. In 1919 Collins became the President of the IRB and director of Intelligence for the IRA which following the Soloheadbeg Ambush, now had a mandate to pursue an armed struggle.

During this time Collins (now also Adjutant General of the Irish Volunteers) spent large amounts of time reforming and organising the Volunteers to become an effective fighting force, sourcing material by

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19

()*+*(,-+./0 | Tuesday 1 November

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Through his leadership Collins managed to bring the British establishment in Ireland to its knees through an effective guerrilla force and an even more effective Intelligence Corps. He managed to cause the British to offer £10,000 for information leading to his arrest, while yet never being captured. Collins was the leader of the Squad, a group of 12 assassins who were highly intelligent in harnessing the information laid bare by a network of spies and

terms of the Anglo-Irish treaty.

Perhaps war with Britain had been avoided but Civil War in Ireland seemed inevitable. While many realised the pragmatism of the treaty, many could not accept any connection to the British Crown whatsoever.

Following this, Sinn Féin split with Michael Collins leading the pro-treaty faction and de Valera leading the anti-treaty side, this was followed by a split within the IRA. In fact, all of the country was divided, brother against brother, mother against son, neighbour against neighbour, the division was felt everywhere. The country was sliding inevitably and tragically towards turning on itself. With Collins also acting as Commander-in-Chief of the IRA, this set the stage for a bloody civil war.

During the war, Collins not only had a large impact as the Commander of the Free State Army, but he was also running a new fledgling nation. While trying to turn the guerrilla force of the IRA into a traditional uniformed army was undoubtedly a massive challenge. This came to a point during the Battle of Dublin which saw this army actively in combat against the very soldiers who fought with Collins not a year earlier, notably at the Four Courts.

In a move for peace, Collins returned to Cork, where talks between pro-treaty and antitreaty forces took place. To stop the fighting, it was proposed that the leadership of the sides meet.

Famously, this did not happen.

Despite it reportedly being overheard saying “Yerra they won’t kill me in my own county” Collins was shot whilst on tour around

Cork. He died on the 22nd of August 1922 when an ambush was laid by Anti-Treaty Irregulars at Beál na Bláth.

General Michael Collins was dead. The nation was left reeling.

His subsequent funeral was a national event, the likes of which Ireland had never seen, following an open viewing of his remains in City Hall, he was carried to his final resting place in the Patriots Plot of Glasnevin Cemetery. To this day, his grave is the most visited in the entirety of Glasnevin cemetery.

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Despite his untimely death at the height of the Civil War, Collins through his combined political and military leadership had a major impact on Irish Affairs, especially through his actions as Commander-in-Chief of the National Army and as Minister for Finance. From his time in Frongoch to his death at Beál na Bláth, he managed to form a large part of the national psyche and his actions have led to a major political divide in Ireland which ended in 2020 with the formation of the Coalition Government between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil. The enormity of his contribution to Irish affairs is unmatched. With the recent centenary of Michael Collins’ death, and Civil War Politics finally coming to a close, we can now truly reflect on Collins and his role in the formation of the Irish State. The treaty remains ever so controversial and still causes arguments in classrooms and kitchens across the nation and amongst our global diaspora.

Ireland has become one of the most prosperous countries in the world. While of course we are far from perfect, with many issues regarding housing, healthcare and the environment, yet to be solved.

However, our ability to have built a nation that is more than a Land of Saints and Scholars, but also an Isle of Innovators. Coming from the political groundwork laid down by both sides of the conflict, Collins and DeValera both have a huge impact on our lives today, and as portraits of the Big Fella and Dev hang proudly in the Taoiseach’s Office. I hope that we can no longer be divided and we can work together to build the “Ireland that we dreamed of.”

PHOTO VIA FLICKR

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informers throughout the city, and were successful in assassinating high-profile members of the British establishment in Dublin Castle.

It is clear the contribution Collins offered was unmatched; with de Valera in America for most of the war, Collins was the de facto leader of the country, later described as “the man who won the war “ by Arthur Griffith. By the time of the truce in 1921, the stones were laid for major operations which would’ve changed the tide of the war even more in favour of the Irish side.

Following the truce in July, a delegation led by a reluctant Collins, was sent to London, against the Empire. The Irish delegation negotiated the AngloIrish Treaty, which granted Ireland dominion status under the Statute of Westminster, under the threat of an “immediate and terrible war” from Prime Minister David Lloyd George. The key point of contention being the oath to the crown. Upon this news, Ireland was immediately split over the treaty, with the Dáil voting 64 – 57 in favour of the treaty. Prophetically on signing the monumental treaty Collins declared to Lord Birkenhead in 10 Downing St. that “I’ve signed my own death warrant” — indeed, he would be dead within a year.

Collins saw the treaty as a means to an end; while the republic would not be achieved and the island instead being partitioned, dominion status gave Ireland the “freedom to achieve freedom.”

He understood immediately the consequences of his decision and that a large part of the Irish population would not accept the

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ur country, so fondly nicknamed as the “Emerald Isle”, poses a dilemma for many of the population. The homely feel of the place we grew up in, coupled with the amenities that make raising a family feel so straightforward, contribute to the Emerald Isle’s pull. This love and familiarity borne out of childhood are part of the reason why so many people, after years of intrepid exploration, finally settle in Ireland. There is a common trajectory throughout the population of Ireland, the trajectory of those that couldn’t wait to get out of Ireland and see the world, only to return years later when they resolved to start a family.

Ireland has a significant history with emmigration, starting even before the famine in the early 1800s. Since 1800, approximately ten million people have emigrated from the island of Ireland. Are Irish people suffering from the “grass is always greener on the other side” mindset? From a young age, Irish children are often exposed to the deprecation of their own country. Immigrants from countries like the US or Canada are met with many questions about why on Earth they would move somewhere as small as Ireland. The desire to escape Ireland’s small-town feel is strong among young people, who almost always end up returning.

Circumstances in Ireland– social and economical– can be hostile towards young people trying to build a life. From the unemployment crisis in the 1980s, to the housing crisis now, it is no wonder that people are keen to leave. The value for money ratio is so poor; the extortionate rent prices are prompting Irish people to explore cities abroad that will offer them a higher quality of life for lower costs. €1567 per month is what it costs the average person to rent in Dublin. This is even higher than it was during the height of the Celtic Tiger in 2008, coming in at €1030 per month.

Irish people are flocking to Berlin, London, Australia and everywhere in between!

Opportunities are rife in Ireland’s capital city, yet the extortionate cost of living makes the idea of staying here unattractive. A remarkably average living situation can cost you up to a grand a month. A majority of young people wish to live abroad, and this is perhaps normal and not unique to Ireland. Many of those intend to eventually settle here. However there is a cohort of young people that are pushed out of Ireland for good. The pool of opportunities for creatives in cities like London, New York, Milan and Paris is much more yielding.

In particular, opportunities for performers such as dancers, actors and singers. The Dublin theatre scene is rich with talented individuals, but it is small.

Historically, the arts have received minimal funding. However in the 2023 budget, €130 million was allocated to the Arts council, just €20 million short of their desired amount. The low budget for the industry makes employment unreliable and inconsistent.

Virtually everyone choosing to pursue a career in dance will choose to study in the UK or continental Europe. The qualifications on offer in Dublin are limited.

According to Careers Portal, an online platform providing information for prospective students, there are only three level 8 degrees in dance available. All three of these are offered by the University of Limerick, focusing on Contemporary and Irish dance.

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Those wanting to study ballet or other disciplines have no choice but to look abroad. The flourishing dance scene in the rest of Europe and America extends irresistible opportunity for progression, meaning that the industry in Ireland has difficulty expanding.

Anna, a 25 year old living in London reflects on her experience.

She studied dance in London after completing the Leaving Cert.

“I was really encouraged by my dance teachers to go abroad, the course in Limerick was the only one available. I was also advised that any jobs in the industry in Ireland wouldn’t be stable-because of unreliable funding.” Anna also remarked on the stigma attached to studying the Arts, or pursuing an unconventional career. Anyone who has grown up in Ireland will be aware of the discourse surrounding “arts degrees”, which reveals Irish society’s ignorance on the topic. Is it the case that the arts are more respected in cities like London?

An interview with an Irish emigrant provided more insight on the topic. Paul left Dublin in 1984 at the mere age of 21. This was before the days of Ryanair flights, so he boarded the ferry to Holyhead, before heading on to London. He had no job lined up, only the qualification of an engineering degree and a youthful sense of hope. The Irish job market in the 80s was at an all time low, with an unemployment rate of 7.2%, although this does not reflect the fact that almost everyone was moving abroad. The typical pathways for engineering

graduates were rendered virtually non-existent. Employers such as ESB and other engineering consultancies had no vacancies, especially for young adults with no experience. Staying in Ireland was not considered an option for most, an estimated 80% of Paul’s class of 220 students moved abroad after graduating.

“Overall, the experience was positive- earlier generations who emigrated in the 50s and 60s had it harder. I think it was because it was less common to go to third level in those days.”

The majority of young people saw this as an exciting opportunity to travel, meet new people and try new things. Moving abroad is a much easier task before you have responsibilities such as a mortgage and a family. The sizable Irish population in London made the city feel welcoming. The probability of seeing friends from home was very high.

“Most of us came home in the 90s. And when we did, Ireland was a changed country.” The beginning of the Celtic Tiger drew natives from around the globe back to their roots. For all the excitement foreign cities offered, they couldn’t compete with the special place our country has in Irish hearts. Paul and his peers longed for a truly Irish family experience, raising their children on the same land they grew up in. The latest figures from the Central Statistics Office reveal that a majority of immigrants are in fact Irish nationals, returning after living abroad. Of the 30,200 migrants in the year ending April 2021, 22,800 were Irish nationals.

People will always have a soft spot for the country they grew up in, and Irish nationals are in a fortunate position to be able to return. We are a relatively peaceful country- no doubt we are riddled with challenges and injustices, but they cannot be compared to those of other nations, making it more difficult for citizens to return home.

The prospect of moving abroad is an exciting concept for young people. The idea of experiencing new cultures and connecting with people from different backgrounds is an appealing one, providing a great opportunity to widen your horizons. For the most part, Irish people can engage in emigration in the same way as our English and European counterparts, but this has not always been the case.

Ireland’s job market has fluctuated over the years, and there have been periods where young people have been forced to move abroad.

The most notable decade was the 1980s- there were virtually no jobs in Ireland. Many Irish flocked to London, Germany and America.

While employment opportunities are easy to come by in 2022, there are certain fields in Ireland that are difficult to break into. These fields are usually of a creative nature, and young people hoping to find employment often look abroad. Young people are hungry to explore the world- our cost of living and accommodation crisis is just another incentive to look further afield. When it comes to settling and putting down roots, Ireland is a comforting and familiar place to return to.

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D9'E'DF,E4GA | Tuesday 1 November

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n 5 October 2022, the work-life balance and miscellaneous provisions bill 2022 was presented to Dáil Éireann and legislation to implement it is currently being worked on by Green Party TD and Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth Roderic O’Gorman.

While this bill mainly seeks to improve the work-life balance of parents and carers specifically, it also includes new supports for victims of domestic abuse. Passing this bill would mean that Ireland would become one of the first countries in Europe to provide workers with paid leave if they are suffering from, or at risk of, domestic violence. The proposed annual leave of 5 days has generally been welcomed by both government and opposition ministers,

along with organisations such as Women’s Aid who work directly with women and children affected by such abuse. However, there is one major Irish organisation that is far from pleased about this bill.

Ibec, the new pseudo-acronym of the Irish Business and Employers Confederation, is Ireland’s largest and most vocal lobbying organisation. In March 2022, following a proposal from Sinn Féin TD and spokesperson on workers’ rights Louise O’Reilly for 10 days paid leave for abuse victims, Ibec were swift to voice their concerns. Similarly now, even though the government’s bill halved the number of allocated leave days, Ibec continues to object to this groundbreaking piece of legislation. In a move that has been widely condemned, they argued that employers, in a bid to stop any abuse of this new system, should be allowed to ask employees for proof if they are requesting

domestic violence leave.

This is a staggeringly callous move from the lobbying group, and both the Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Leo Varadkar have been quick to reassure people that employees will not, under any circumstances, be forced to provide proof of their abuse to avail of the 5 days paid leave. Ibec’s insinuation that people would lie about suffering from domestic violence to claim extra days off has been widely condemned in the Dáil and across national media. Sentiments of distrust and scepticism are major reasons why many suffering from domestic violence remain trapped in abusive relationships. If Ibec’s wish was granted, and employers could ask for proof of abuse, this cycle of distrust only gets worse.

Employees may not trust their employer enough to divulge such personal and traumatic information. Also, there are forms

of abuse, such as emotional and psychological, that would be incredibly hard to prove. This would further discourage people from availing of a scheme that is desperately needed. As well as this, employers could simply decide that the proof provided to them by employees is not enough to warrant paid leave. The only way for this bill to have a meaningful impact on victims of domestic abuse is if they have the freedom to avail of it with no strings attached.

In addition to being callous, Ibec’s objections are also riddled with contradictions. A major point of their protestations concerns privacy issues. They argue that in small communities, where both the victim and perpetrator are known to the employer, issues regarding conflict of interest could arise. However, they also suggested that paid domestic violence leave should only be applicable in specific circumstances, such as if the employee is searching for emergency accommodation.

However, this would require the employee telling their employer extremely private and detailed information about their personal circumstances, something that is obviously also a breach of privacy.

It is clear that Ibec seems to be

concerned about privacy right up until the moment that victims would ask for basic decency and respect for their personal affairs.

However, Ibec’s most egregious protest lies in their vying for the rights of those accused of domestic violence. They argue that in a particularly “acrimonious” relationship, one party could seek to defame the other by “claiming she/he is the victim of violence and applies for domestic violence leave on that basis.” Not only does this once again perpetuate the cycle of distrust when it comes to believing victims of domestic abuse, it is also a nonsensical negotiating point. If every law or piece of legislation was edited based on the worst-case scenario to appeal to the lowest common denominator, then nothing would change and no progress would be made in this country to actually help those who are vulnerable.

October is International Domestic Abuse Awareness Month and unfortunately it is evident that there is still a long way to go with regards to adequate support for victims of domestic violence at work. The work-life balance and miscellaneous provisions bill is an encouraging example of progress being made. 5 days paid leave may provide people with the chance to attend counselling, court sessions or to secure new accommodation without fearing a lack of income.

No person should have to re-traumatise themselves in front of their employer in order to avail of this monetary safety net. Thankfully, despite Ibec’s best efforts, no one will have to.

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arlier this month, Dublin City Council made the decision to apply a special paint on over fifty lamp posts across the city centre in order to discourage the placement of stickers. Most of these poles are located in the Temple Bar area, which can be regarded as the heart of the arts scene within the city. On top of this, almost 250 poles around Dublin were scrubbed clean, removing the layers of stickers that have accumulated on their surface over the years.

The council claimed this was a “serious issue”, an offence on public property that deserved their attention, time and money.

Graffiti removal contractors were commissioned to tackle this really prominent, threatening occurrence. The harmless act of sticking a message on an otherwise boring metal pole has been met by the council with force as they actively sought out the masterpieces, only to tear them down, cover them up and prevent further artwork from adding a bit of life to a piece of silver. I wonder how much money has been pumped into this joyless project, while hundreds lie on the streets?

Many are left pondering why the choice was made in the first place. No one is particularly offended by the thousands of stickers around Dublin; even local business owners in Temple Bar were confused about the removal of the artwork. People have taken to social media to express their fondness for the pieces, and there are very few negative opinions on the matter. Quite frankly, if you are offended by a sticker, I think it’s time to consider the reality of the serious and everdeclining situations within the city that are actually worth the time of day. Would the people of Dublin rather see empty, shiny metal poles than a collection of memories, events, words and art?

Is this more worthy of funding and spending time on than the homeless crisis, which, as statistics show, is the worst it has been in years?

Further, this decision is a further blow to the art scene of Dublin. An already underfunded and underappreciated sector in the country, artists are making a name for themselves through street art, murals and stickers.

Dublin is well-known for its art

scene. From the times of the writers and poets who created the canonical stories that are still passed down today to the contemporary creators and painters who transform areas such as Grand Canal Dock into a space bursting with colour, we are surrounded by talent, culture and creativity. Deciding to scrape off stickers and prevent further display is a kick in the teeth to all artists. Creative outlets and spaces that allow people to display their talent have been unjustifiably taken away.

Dubliners are not happy with this decision.

If you’ve ever walked through the city, you will know the significance that these stickers hold — not just for those printing and displaying them — but for everyone who walks past and sees them. They add character to the already bustling streets.

Seeing the wide and diverse selection of stickers during your daily commute is like going on a walking tour of the city, with every pole bringing a new creation. There are messages of hope, political statements, works of art and humorous drawings.

From “Blow Job” written in an arrowed heart to quotations such as “we are only a moment” — the diversity of the stickers seen throughout the city is vast. The simplistic nature of these small stickers can have a lasting effect on those walking past, often without them ever realising. They can be usual meeting points, easily recognisable — “I’ll meet you at the lamp with the sticker of the snail waving on it.” These stickers also provide a low-cost way of announcing up-and-coming events for local bands, DJs, artists and other creatives. This way of advertising without charge also enables a wider audience to be reached.

During my second year of college, Covid was still rife, so as a way to occupy the body and mind, my flatmates and I walked around the city almost every day. It was here when I first noticed the surplus of stickers on lamposts. Only a few lines long, one particular poem really stuck with me. Displayed along the Liffey, it read: “You’re not there yet, love. / But you’re here. / And isn’t that something? / Isn’t that something worth / fighting for?” This poem left a mark on me. I would actively seek out

stickers on every post, pole and lamp I passed daily, looking for further words of inspiration in what was a tough time for me mentally. I began to realise the importance of slowing down and taking in what’s around you. We are very fast-paced in the city.

We often forget the importance of the little things. The stickers are a reminder to look up from your phone. They are a breath of fresh air in our busy day-to-day lives. They are at the traffic lights when you’re stopped in a rush, breathlessly waiting to cross. They catch your eye, making you smile, making you think. These stickers

are landmarks and monuments; they’re part of the city. Small, yet colossal in effect.

Poet and local writer of the aforementioned quote, G.M. Elinor, spoke to Trinity News about the importance of this element of art within the city and the effect that it can have on different people. She said: “I know what it’s like to have bad days and feel alone in a city of people, so I wanted to do something to show people they’re not alone at all. Not really… It shows you just how human and connected we all are. We all feel the same things, and you’d be surprised at who can relate to what goes on in your head.”

The fun-sucking scheme has not been well-received amongst those in the artistic community and beyond. Carl Foran is the face behind the Instagram account @stickerzofdublin, a page dedicated to posting photos of what he describes as the “mini

masterpieces” dotted around the city. Foran said: “When I am talking about the stickers of Dublin, I am talking about the heart and soul of Dublin, the people, the artists, the creatives, the walkers, the strollers, the stare-ers.” He told of how from noticing the stickers on poles he has, in turn, become connected with many other artists, allowing the network of creative people within the city to grow and flourish. Considering the decision of the council, Foran stated: “Sticker-proof paint can be added on poles, but art will always find a way and will always emerge victorious in the end.”

In the words of Elinor: “Sticker slapping has been going on for decades, so the council banning it on lamp posts or whatever won’t stop it… sticker culture isn’t going anywhere fast. Just like street art isn’t either. Whenever they take away its home, it will always find a new one.”

PHOTO BY SHANNON CONNOLLY FOR TRINITY NEWS

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'()*)'+,*-./ | Tuesday 1 November

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rue crime TV shows, movies, books and podcasts have skyrocketed in popularity.

The new Netflix show DAHMER has joined the ever-growing list of extremely successful true crime series. The show is about the serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer and on its debut it gained nearly 200 million hours watched. It is currently holding its place as the thirteenth most watched show in Netflix history. DAHMER is not the only true crime documentary to do this well on Netflix in its first few weeks. This is common with Netflix true crime documentaries and shows, for example Tiger King, which within ten days had gained nineteen million views.

What is the appeal of crime shows? Well, they are provocative, gory and keep people engaged.

For Netflix it is one of the best ways to make money. However, some have begun to question the ethics of producing these shows and wonder if it does more harm than good. DAHMER has reignited these debates, especially with the victims’ families having been so vocal about their problems with the show. Can there ever be a consensus on true crime dramas?

There are two sides to every story, so I will begin by considering the case in favour of true crime TV shows. There are two points about why true crime TV shows should be made. Firstly, true crime is a type of history. The population are usually exposed to big true crime cases through media coverage so that they become public history. In the case of Jeffrey Dahmer, he provided interviews about the case and the media’s engagement made it extremely public. Alongside the televised court proceedings, it is a historical event and heavily documented. The case has gone beyond the influence of the people involved to the point that they can no longer entirely control the narrative. While this is unfair, it is part of popular history. Secondly, these shows are merely based on real life, they are actually not real life. They are not documentaries; shows like DAHMER are interpretations of the true story. They take the important points and fill the rest in so they can produce an engaging drama. These shows

draw on real events but are not claiming to be accurate depictions of the cases. They are “based on a true story” and are using the story in an interpretive way to make an interesting TV show.

On the other side of the argument, there are three major points against true crime TV shows. The first difference in opinion is that they unfairly dramatise victim’s lives. In the case of true crime, these are the most horrible parts of people’s lives being produced for entertainment. Despite the moral issue with this as it stands, it becomes even worse when the families of the victims are not involved. In many cases, including DAHMER, the victims’ families have requested that these shows not be produced. These families have gone through such hardship and they should not have to be exposed to those wounds through

a popular documentation of their experiences. It is also questionable how accurate these shows really are considering the families noninvolvement in the production of the show. Secondly, there is the question of how much shows will glorify the events. The more popular true crime becomes, the more production companies will try to make it palatable for a wider audience. This could lead to an omission of details that allows the wider audience to have a distorted view of events. This contributes to the view that these true crime shows are not beneficial to telling an accurate account of events.

Finally, the monetary gains that production companies make from true crime shows is ethically ambiguous. To profit from a story such as Jeffrey Dahmer’s horrendous crimes is problematic.

Considering that DAHMER was not made for educational

purposes, but for entertainment, it feels wrong for people to be making such huge amounts of money off the horrific events of the case, especially since none of the money made from these shows goes to the victims' families or to charity.

The problem about true crime seems to be on a case by case basis and centring around the views of victims involved in the story. When the victims or those related are involved there is a level of engagement that makes the telling of the story legitimate.

To give another example besides DAHMER, the Disney+ show Pam and Tommy gained lots of press this year surrounding the same issue. While this is not a true crime drama, Pamela Anderson was incredibly vocal about her distaste for the show.

The show was made anyway, and made Disney+ lots of money in the process. In cases like these, where the people involved are so obviously upset by the adaptation, the show should probably not be made. When there has been an obvious victim, they should have a say in how their lives are being portrayed considering how much control they have already lost in their lives and especially

when it comes to the delicate subjects discussed in true crime documentaries. Some of these true crime events are historical so it makes sense that people would be interested in these stories and want to learn about them, like any other part of history.

However, there is a big difference in tone and purpose between a documentary and a dramatised TV show. It ultimately comes down to the content of the show and with what purpose that content is being conveyed to the audience.

It is unlikely that these true crime shows will cease to be popular. The money that true crime is making for production companies, streaming services and the actors involved is enough to ignore any ethical problems they might encounter.

True crime documentaries are near impossible to stop but it is important as consumers to be aware of the content you are engaging with. The debate around the morality of these shows should continue and pressure should be put on production companies to give monetary or further compensation for telling the stories of the victims involved.

PHOTO VIA TRINITY NEWS

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n 2017, the Dublin University Gender Equality Society (DUGES) attempted to rename themselves as FemSoc. In response, the CSC not only disapproved of the change, but cautioned that such a name could jeopardise the

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acknowledgement of them as an official society altogether by the Central Societies Committee (CSC). DUGES, the selfproclaimed feminist society of College, were denied the opportunity to revise their name and have it altered to something that they felt was more fitting to what they do. While nothing of their activities and happenings within the society would be changed, the proposed name of FemSoc was enough to threaten their status as an officially organised society. Five years later in 2022, their name stays the same, as does the reason for it in the CSC constitution, and I think it’s about time to revisit why.

Feminism is a word that causes many an interesting conversation in today’s political climate. While the definition of feminism still stands the same as it always has, time and time again it seems to be portrayed as something that it is not, and even as far as a movement with a harmful and dangerous agenda.

The definition of feminism is the “belief in and advocacy of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes expressed especially through organized activity on behalf of women's rights and interests” according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary.

Rather than taking this for what it is, and regarding self-proclaimed

feminist actions and opinions that contradict this definition as false feminism, some have taken it to have a completely different meaning and goal to what it first claimed to be and achieve. This misunderstanding has caused deep setbacks by distracting from the important conversations that feminists are trying to have with an argument about linguistics.

Each time feminism attempts to start a conversation, it must first fight an uphill battle to prove itself for what it is. In the case of the DUGES name change, this battle took place and was lost.

And, even more miserably, it was lost because of a supposed breach of the CSC constitution that was never even explicitly named.

A common misunderstanding of feminism is that feminism is anti-men. Feminism is a movement in favour of equality regardless of gender, arising from a society in which biases negatively affect all genders, especially women, and aims to contest and dismantle these social and political constructs.

One of the most recent issues that feminist activists have supported the challenging of is the unfair expectation of men not being able to talk openly about their emotions in the way that women typically feel comfortable to do. The problem of bodyshaming towards all individuals,

men included, has also been circulating in recent times, and the dismantling of this social issue has been actively campaigned for by feminist activists. Other significant yet sensitive matters that modern feminist discourse tackles include topics of abortion, domestic abuse, the ethics of sex work and rights for sex workers, gendered violence towards women, and the exploitive nature of the porn industry. One reason for the misunderstanding may come from a vast majority of men never having been exposed to or having to deal with a lot of the issues that feminism brings up, and as a result they may be uninterested, unaffected, and unaware. What is harmful is not just the lack of involvement, but the excess of ignorance that leads to uninformed individuals making claims about the anti-men goals of a movement dedicated to gender equality. Is it not sad that we cannot have a conversation that is actively pro-women without it being accused of being anti-men?

The Not All Men movement that followed that of Me Too says it all.

Admittedly, there is misandrist media out there, but it is absolutely not feminist, though it may wrongfully claim to be.

Misandry, just like misogyny, contradicts the gender equality of feminism in its entirety. Hatred towards men is, by definition, as much rejected as hatred towards women within feminist circles. If the goal is respect and equality between all genders, then misandry would be a distinct and large step backwards. When harmful and hateful media like this is made and claims itself

to be in line with a feminist viewpoint, it strengthens the false idea of feminism being anti-men, and spreads like wildfire due to the depths of its controversary.

Misinformation like this can be damaging to a concept, and threaten to skew its meaning toward those who feel it is not in their best interest, decreasing its effectiveness.

The denial of DUGES’ attempted name change to FemSoc was not explicitly stated, but it was reported by Trinity News at the time that the “CSC stated in correspondence between them and DUGES that they objected to the change of name because, they stated, the word ‘feminism’ was a political one.” My question is how is the DU Gender Equality Society less political than the DU Feminist Society?

Feminism is simply another name for gender equality, and surely the use of the word would not only more accurately represent the society’s ethos, but help to shake off some of the stigma and misunderstanding of the concept.

As well as this, the society itself, what it stands for, and the activities it puts on was to change in no way. It feels ridiculous for there to be no issue with a selfproclaimed feminist society, and yet for it not be permitted to be named as such. DUGES aspires to “foster and encourage social change and student activism,” but entertains no notions of being a politically active body in itself past providing a space for discussion and education to take place around the topic of feminism.

Can just the name of the society changing, and to a more accurate synonym of what it was, really be the difference between a political society and a non-political society?

“Trinity College Dublin society dedicated to the pursuit of gender equality. A feminist society by any other name…” reads the instagram bio of Trinity’s selfproclaimed feminist society, going

by FemSoc between themselves and friends and in everyway except officially recognised by the CSC. Their online pamphlet reads DUGES on the cover, and refers to itself as FemSoc in all other places inside of it.

Feminism is the widely known focus of the society to both members and non-members, and the only place it seems to be disallowed in a society at College, is in the name. Official names are important, and being denied permission to change their name in this way speaks not to issues with the ideas and goals of feminism, but to the name itself.

Rather than permit the name change, and help to educate and destigmatize the use of the word, the CSC chose to threaten the society’s official standing, and provide insufficient reason for doing so. Continuing to see no name change even years later, it’s time again to face the word headon, and question again why the misunderstandings of it still exist in college life, and what we can do to fix it.

25

'()*)'+,*-./ | Tuesday 1 November

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ast month, College announced that they will be changing their long-standing policy on calling up students in order of degree classification at graduations. From now on, students will be called up in alphabetical order by class group.

We, as a university, should recognise the importance of this change. Trinity, like many universities, is a very old and very elitist institution, and changes like this are small steps towards dismantling some of the elitist practices in College. It may appear small in the grand scheme of things, but a change like this can mean the world to a student who worked and struggled their way through college and achieved a lower classification of degree.

The criticisms of this change

are frankly laughable, and completely ignorant to the reasons for the change in the first place.

The argument that this negatively affects students who received first-class honours degrees really speaks to the priorities of those making said arguments. Calling students out in alphabetical order does not change their degree results. What it does change is the showcasing of students who struggled and still managed to get their degree. Imagine you are a student who found college incredibly difficult, struggled your way through four years and still managed to get a degree.

That is a huge achievement. Now imagine you’re that student and your university makes a point of spotlighting you as the person who achieved the lowest degree result in your entire course. How would you feel? I guarantee you would feel far worse than if you achieved the best result in your

course and weren’t called out first.

This change is about harm level.

The harm done to students who received lower classifications of degrees is far greater in the old system than the harm done to students who receive firsts in the new system.

In the announcement Trinity College Dublin Students Union (TCDSU) President Gabi Fullam and Registrar Neville Cox said: “Commencement ceremonies are all about the huge achievement of receiving a degree from Trinity and we really hope that this will mean that no student will feel isolated or singled out on the basis that they received a particular class of degree.” This quote sums up the benefits of this change very well. The isolation and shame students feel in an academic institution is already a huge burden. By the time they reach graduation, students deserve to have their achievements

celebrated. The achievement is making it through university, the achievement is surviving your four years, the achievement is getting a degree. That achievement should not matter less if the degree is anything other than a first. Those who achieve firsts can celebrate that, but should save the bragging for their LinkedIn posts.

All of this is before we examine why some students struggle more to achieve high grades in college than others. It's not as simple as hard work or academic ability.

Many students don’t have the time to spend on their studies that a select few do. Many have to work to pay for fees and rent. It's all well and good praising students who get firsts, but we must examine why some students don’t have the time or the means to reach the same level of achievement.

This is a problem every university encounters, and the change in graduation order will not mend it. However, it will take away the extra layer of stress for students at graduation. Students who have to work nights and weekends and don’t have the same amount of time to spend on essays, assignments, and dissertations.

These students don’t need to be worried about being called out

last anymore because they had to pick up extra shifts to pay their rent. No matter what path you had to take to succeed in college, no one should be isolated and invalidated on their graduation day.

Overall, it is frankly ridiculous that there is pushback against this change. The disparagement of the new system reeks of privilege and classism and the majority of students are tired of it. It is hard enough to get through college without worrying about being isolated and humiliated at graduation just so people who have the time and means to get a first can pat themselves on the back. Getting a degree is a huge achievement, especially when it sometimes feels like the university itself doesn’t want you to succeed.

For those of you who are worried about your achievements not being recognised by College in this change, I invite you to really examine why you care so much about public praise at the expense of your classmates. For a second, put yourselves in someone else's shoes and consider that their path through College has been fundamentally different to yours.

If that isn’t enough, there’s always LinkedIn.

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epending on your environment, what can be considered “appropriate” clothing varies enormously. Whether it’s a workplace dress code, school uniform, or religious attire, what we are required to wear to “keep appearances” is based on differing rules and guidelines. At home, out of sight of the wider world, you can wear whatever you please.

However at work, they may ask you to don some office attire that fits the image of corporate professionalism. In certain places of worship, it is required to wear headscarves or more covered clothing for reasons of modesty.

The question is, at what point are

our clothing choices no longer ours to make? And does this apply equally to all?

As long as people have reasonable autonomy over what they wear, there is no problem.

However, when certain clothing becomes regulated it begins to be an infringement of liberty.

Extremity of this can range from compulsory dress codes and uniforms up to the extent of strict clothing bans and laws instated by governments. This is where harmful disparities begin to arise. As is historically evident, clothing rules are primarily targeted at women.

Unfortunately, this is nothing new. Even as early as Ancient Greece, documentation exists of a group of male magistrates called the γυναικονόμοι (translated to

“controllers of women”) who were appointed to regulate women’s clothing. Clothing restrictions are one of countless manifestations of gender-based discrimination in patriarchal society. According to activist and author Kamla Bhasin, the word patriarchy is used to refer to “male domination, to the power relationships by which men dominate women, and to characterise a system whereby women are kept subordinate in a number of ways”. In overtly patriarchal cultures, the male powers that be fostered rules for female clothing as a means of authoritarian exertion and control, and then placed the responsibility of maintaining these rules squarely on women’s shoulders; with consequences in place for when they do not abide.

Real-life examples of the regulation of clothes play out before our eyes today. The dress code of the United States Congress forbids women from wearing sleeveless tops. Up until 2019, women in Saudi-Arabia were required by law to wear a head-to-toe garment called an ‘abaya’ when in public. Currently, topical discourse centres around the hijab. The hijab is a headcovering worn for Islamic reasons of modesty, and unfortunately has been politicised for centuries.

Since 1979, Iran has instated the mandatory hijab law that requires women to wear the garment at all times when in public. Women who fail to comply face prison sentences. Recently, the women of Iran are fighting to abolish these oppressive laws; the protests were kick-started in retaliation to the death of a young Iranian woman.

On 16th September 2022, a 22year old woman named Mahsa Amini died in custody, after being arrested by the country’s morality police for allegedly wearing her headscarf incorrectly. It is believed her death was caused by a severe

beating at the hands of the police.

Her death has ignited global outrage. Iranian women are at the forefront of protests to dispute the injustice of the laws and their violent enforcement. The protestors believe that whether or not women wear a hijab should not in any way be dictated by a governing body, or enforced by law. It must be an individual choice based on personal and religious freedom.

Here in Ireland, we experience considerable liberty in relation to our clothing. What we wear is up to ourselves almost entirely, and there is room for creative, religious, and personal expression through means of dress. If you believe women in Iran should be extended this freedom too, there is much you can do to help. Use social media (no matter the size of your platform) to raise awareness and spark conversations. Sign petitions and join protests here in Dublin to draw more attention to the movement. Small actions performed by many people can cause big change.

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Tuesday 1 November | '()*)'+,*-./,

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or the past two weeks, the Irish media has detailed the shortage of accommodation for refugees arriving in Ireland. This shortage problem is about to get significantly worse as there are currently 365 hotels in Ireland whose contracts to house Ukrainian refugees will expire between now and Christmas.

The news of this particular accommodation crisis has unfortunately led to the hashtag #IrelandIsFull trending across various social media platforms.

It is the view of this newspaper that the belief that Ireland is full is fundamentally wrong. Ireland is not full, it’s derelict.

Against the backdrop of the cost of living and housing crisis nationally, the idea of Ukrainian refugees, or any migrants for that matter, coming to Ireland has become simply unacceptable to a faction of Irish society. We have seen the growth of movements like “house the Irish first” and the broadcasting of xenophobic views on a national scale, including in our media. What this faction fails to consider is that the majority of refugees are not being housed in properties that would have been readily available to Irish citizens but rather in hotel rooms with limited facilities. The same hotel rooms currently house hundreds of homeless people.

The unsustainable model of hiding people without homes in temporary accommodation is only a symptom of Ireland’s failed housing policy. It speaks to how derelict this country is as a result of years upon years of unsustainable policies. Just look at Direct Provision, Ireland’s treatment of refugees is nothing to be proud of. The #IrelandIsFull movement is nothing more than a xenophobic excuse to blame poor housing policy on migrants and refugees.

There are currently over 180,000 derelict or vacant residential properties in Ireland, with 37,000 in Dublin alone.

According to Dublin City Council’s housing manager Cóilín O’Reilly, 665 homes in the city centre have been long-term vacant since 2017. It is clear that Ireland is not only not creating sustainable housing, it's not using the space it already has.

Instead, we are at the mercy of developers and vulture funds that government continues to inexplicably cater to. Whether it's morals, economic concerns or environmental beliefs, we can all agree that this current housing model in Ireland is unsustainable.

Accommodation is being built for the purpose of surviving, not living. Until the pandemic, it looked extremely likely that co-habitation apartments would be built in the capital. Similar to student apartments, these

PHOTO VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

buildings would have catered to young professionals wishing to live in Dublin without extortionate costs.

Meanwhile, the accommodation that is being purposefully built for students preys upon their financials.

Trinity’s own accommodation is consistently raised by around 4% per year, with on-campus accommodation costs being 5% higher than last year. The average increase in the total cost of living in Trinity’s student accommodation for an academic year compared to five years ago is 15.55%. In the midst of a housing and cost of living crisis, Trinity is comfortable with charging students more money for historical buildings that they own. There is simply no excuse for Trinity to keep raising the rent, especially when you consider that we are living through a cost of living crisis. Students have had to pick up extra work and deprioritise their studies. Students can barely afford to heat their rooms or buy their groceries; nevermind having any real college experience.

Colleges are more aware than ever that students cannot find a place to live, and yet they aren’t interested in protecting their ability to attend College

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fourth-year students retain their accommodation, putting pressure on an already limited supply and making College inaccessible for younger students. It's an issue of supply and of cost, we need more student housing and we need it to be cheaper. Student life is at the core of the culture of any vibrant city, when students are blocked from accessing higher education there are huge knock on effects on the entire society. Colleges should be making education as accessible as possible and one of the first steps to that is affordable housing. Without it, students are either forced into long commutes or blocked from going to college at all.

Dublin City Council has purchased only 98 homes since 2017 and renovated 48 of them.

The very same council has spent that time ignoring the cultural significance of several Dublin institutions such as the Cobblestone, Moore Street, Merchant’s Arch and Fibber Magees, allowing for controversial planning permission for demolition or redevelopment of these areas. To replace the cultural spaces that made Dublin a worthwhile place to live with hotels creates a vicious cycle, all at the expense of people seeking a place to live. The lack of affordable

and available housing and the destruction of Dublin’s cultural heritage are symptoms of the same problem. Dublin City Council is focused on non-sustainable spaces such as hotels that can be supported via emergency accommodation contracts. Why would anyone move to Dublin if there is nothing worth moving here for?

Not even ten minutes from Trinity, Aungier Street is dotted with empty shop fronts and apartments. The City Arts building on the quays has been abandoned for ten years. How can a student expect to find viable, long-term accommodation if local authorities have no interest in maintaining what is supposed to be the beating heart of the city?

It's beyond an ineffective use of space.

It is the opinion of this paper that there needs to be a serious shift in how Ireland views housing, and how we view those trying to access housing. Housing is a human right and we, as a country, should start treating it as such. The national origin of the people trying to access housing should not be a factor in how we apply this right. Ireland is far from full; it is a derelict reminder of the failings of housing policies in the last decade.

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reland has a rich and varied biodiversity, but the number of mammal species in the country is relatively small in comparison to, for example, the number of bird species. Regarding mammals, there are three deer species that are well-established in Ireland: the red deer, the fallow deer and the Sika deer. The only deer species native to Ireland is the red deer, but the Irish red deer population may interbreed with the non-native Sika deer population. Their hybridisation would most certainly impact the red deer population in Ireland.

Red deer have lived in Ireland for over five thousand years, which means the red deer would have been in Ireland during the same period as the construction of the Newgrange Neolithic passage tomb in County Meath. Red deer, as suggested by their name, have vivid red fur. In the early autumn, stags (male deer) have majestic antlers to battle against other stags for hinds’ (female deer) attention during the breeding season. This time of year is known as the rut, and competition between the stags can be fierce. Red deer stags can weigh up to 190 kilograms and measure up to 110 centimetres at the shoulder, making them not only the largest deer species, but also the largest land mammals today in Ireland!

The number of red deer in Ireland has not remained stable over the centuries, and many areas inhabited by the deer have lost their local populations at different times. The only population of red deer in Ireland today, descended directly from those that arrived in Ireland over five thousand years ago, are based around Killarney.

Red deer exist in other parts of Ireland, but these herds originate from re-introductions of the species from the 1800s onwards.

The Killarney population declined from about 1,500 individual deer

to nearly as low as sixty between 1900 and 1960. The number of red deer has increased to about 700, and most of these deer reside within Killarney National Park.

The Killarney red deer are the last descendants of the native red deer population from five thousand years ago.

Sika deer are one of the most widely spread deer species in Ireland and were originally introduced to the country in 1860

by Lord Powerscourt. Escaped deer from Powerscourt and other enclosed parks around Ireland are the ancestors of today’s Irish wild Sika deer population. Sika deer originate from northeastern Asia. There are six subspecies, but the Japanese subspecies are most commonly found in Ireland. Sika deer are smaller than red deer as a Sika deer stag can weigh about 65 kilograms and measure up to 80 centimetres tall at the shoulder.

Sika deer are able to interbreed with red deer and their offspring can reproduce.

Red-Sika deer hybrids have been recorded in Cork, Carlow, Dublin and most prevalently in Wicklow. Sika deer and hybrids were found in Wicklow, but no red deer. Hybrids can appear more similar to red or Sika deer, but the interbreeding between the two species, and subsequent

breeding of their descendants could actually diminish red or Sika deer populations in a locality.

However, the rate and amount

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of hybridisation between red and Sika deer in Ireland requires further study, and populations of red and Sika deer have been seen in Ireland and the UK that overlap but do not interbreed.

The other well-established and non-native deer species in Ireland is the fallow deer. Fallow deer were originally introduced to Ireland by the Normans around 1224, and the population was expanded when deer escaped from enclosed parks during the 1900s. Fallow deer can range in colour from chestnut to black to white, and the fur can also be spotted. This deer species is seen in Phoenix Park with a herd of about 600 individual deer, and many of these animals are descended from the original deer introduced to Phoenix Park in 1662 by the Duke of Ormond.

Fallow deer are generally larger than Sika deer, but smaller than red deer. Members of the public visiting Phoenix Park are told to maintain at least a fifty-metre distance from the deer and are asked not to feed them.

Another deer species which once roamed Ireland would make the red deer look small in comparison. The giant Irish deer became extinct over 7,700 years ago (locally extinct in Ireland about 11,000-12,000 years ago) and was more widely distributed

than indicated by its name. The changing climate after the last Ice Age affected the plants available for the giant Irish deer to eat in Ireland and the species could not adapt quickly enough to the changes on the island to survive.

The giant Irish deer species was found between Ireland and Siberia, but because of the high number of remains discovered in Irish bogs, this species has become associated with Ireland.

Over one hundred deer skeletons were found in Ballybetagh Bog, County Dublin alone. Both male and female giant Irish deer stood at over 1.8 metres at the shoulder.

A stag’s antlers could weigh 45 kilograms, or the equivalent of carrying a baby hippopotamus around its head. The National Museum of Ireland has an extensive collection of giant Irish deer remains, including ten complete skeletons. Skeletons of a male and female giant Irish deer can also be seen in the entrance hall of the Museum Building in Trinity. These skeletons came from Lough Gur in County Limerick, but doe skeletons are much rarer than stag skeletons, likely because of their lack of antlers.

Without these easy identifiers, doe skeletons could have been mistaken for the remains of horses or cows when first uncovered.

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n a recent article written by trinity scientists; Marcia M. Aranha and Mani Ramaswami, give the low - down on depressed flies that want sugar. Drosophila melanogaster is the “GOAT” of model organisms in the biological world. In this article, we’re going to take a closer look at how depressed fruit flies might reveal about the mechanism of serotonin release and its related depressive disorders.

When flies are depressed in an experimental sense, they lack motivation. In a lab, we can measure this motivation by how far

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they can jump or climb from one place to another. Under no levels of stress, flies show significantly high motivation to climb compared to

when they have experienced some form of stress. Interestingly, this stress can be combated by sucrose.

Sucrose is a disaccharide (two unit sugar) that consists of fructose and glucose, but it’s known to most as the stuff you put in your cups of tea - table sugar.

Sugar is one way of providing relief to these flies, apart from obvious human anti - depressants.

By increasing sucrose intake, there is also an increase in brain serotonin. The mechanism by which serotonin is released is one dependent on an array of neuronal pathways, certain receptors and a very important genetic code contained within the Trh493 GAL4 gene.

This gene is particularly important for this type of sugar relief, because it codes for the around 25 neurons involved in serotonin neurotransmission.

Two of these neurons show very important functionality. Two dorsal paired medial (DPM) neurons located on either side of the hemisphere, release serotonin which results in the sucrose mediated relief experienced by these fruit flies. When these DPM neurons are blocked from synthesising and releasing serotonin, the introduction of

sucrose into the fly’s system will not have any relieving effect, thereby proving that the presence of the DPM neurons is vital for

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sucrose relief. The presence of the DPM neurons relies on the expression of the genes that encode these neurons. ‘Gene Expression’ refers to the biological mechanism by which genetic material, like the genetic sequences contained within every one of us, is converted from one thing to another. In this case genetic sequences are like a set of instructions. When genes are expressed it’s like taking the packaging off the ikea box and building your own new chest of drawers.

But not only are these DPM neurons important in relieving depressed flies, they are also important for consolidating memory, for sleep regulation and social behaviour among other things.

Nevertheless, it remains clear that serotonin synthesising neuronal pathways still play a role in the study of depressive states or behaviours and how these pathways are activated whether by sweet treats or not, is something to wget our scientific teeth stuck into.

For more about these experiments and this research, check out the paper by Aranha and Ramaswami - Emotional states: Sweet relief for depressed flies.

PHOTO VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

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n the world of sport, we spend most of our time talking about what happens to the players but rarely to what is happening beneath the player’s feet. Looking back on old footage of rugby and soccer matches from 20 years ago or so, it wasn’t unusual to see players covered in mud and the pitches they were playing on torn up with use. However, even with rugby and soccer fixtures played in the depts of winter, this is becoming a rarer sight.

The groundsmen that are employed by stadia across the world are obviously doing a good job, especially with the care of playing fields becoming more technical. For example, the pitch

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at Croke Park has a network of underground pipes connected to suction fans which force out any water. Above this network of drainage pipes, there is a heating system. Above the heating system, the grass pitch.

Another modern innovation is the artificial pitch, commonly known here in Ireland as astroturf (after the first artificial pitch created in 1965 by Monsanto, the people that brought us Roundup).

In England in 1981, QPR were the first soccer team to install an artificial pitch, but due to complaints they reverted to a grass pitch in 1988. I’d encourage anyone to look it up on youtube, because the effects of this sort of pitch were comical; the ball bounced as if it was made completely of rubber and players constantly lost their footing.

D21)('')1E2 Recently, artificial turf is going through a bit of a rebirth, partly due to the higher quality 3G pitches available now. Many rugby grounds across the country are now equipped with an astroturf pitch.

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received an artificial pitch in 2014, followed by Cork’s Musgrave Park in 2018. Connacht has recently finished installing one at the Sportsgrounds in Galway.

This renaissance has been followed by backlash from players, due to the unnecessary friction burns rugby players are more likely to get due to the nature of the game. Watch a game of rugby being played on a 3G pitch and you’ll see most of the players will have red knees and elbows.

From personal experience, rugby on a 3G pitch is unfortunate, but something you have to deal with. Given the choice, a match in the bog of Allen would be preferable to a match on an artificial pitch. You might drown in a bog but at least you wouldn’t have an inch-wide burn that takes over a month to heal.

Due to the lower maintenance costs of artificial playing fields, we are going to be seeing a lot more of them in the future. The GAA have even got on-board, with a 3G pitch being used in its innovative Connacht Air Dome near Bekan, Co. Mayo, which demonstrates the up-side of such pitches.

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!"##$%&'("#$')*+,'!"##$'-./$'0Trinity News talks to Michael Kealey, a proud Derry man and Trinity Graduate, about Derry City and the future of the League !"#$%#&'(')*+%&#,,-.& !"#$%&'()%#$

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erry City FC was founded in 1928, after the city of Derry was left without a senior soccer team in 1913. Before, Derry Celtic represented the town, playing out of what is now Derry GAA’s HQ; Celtic Park. City are based just down the road from Celtic Park, in the Brandywell, which in recent years recieved a serious facelift. The dog-track that once distinguished the Brandywell has been moved to an adjacent site, allowing the pitch to be much closer to the existing Southend Stand.

From 1928 to 1971, Derry played in the (Northern) Irish League, but the political situation that surrounded the club’s Bogside home put an end to its time in the Irish League.

I met up with long time Derry City supporter and solicitor at Associated Press, Michael Kealey, to talk about the history of the Candystripes. Michael also commentates on Derry City matches for Drive 105, a Derry

based community radio station.

Derry had a good run in the mid 1960’s, with the club wining the Irish Cup in 1964 and the Irish League in 1965. However, a huge blow was dealt to the club when the Brandywell was deemed ‘unsafe’ by other teams in the Irish League.

‘There’s a whole history with the club, which would have been viewed as predominantly Nationalist, and its relationship with the authorities in the Irish Football Association. To cut a long story short’, Michael explained, ‘what happened in 1971 was that Derry was told that they had to play their home games in Coleraine, about a 40 minute drive away.’

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City appealed to the IFA for a return to the Brandywell in 1971, but that appeal was turned down.

City decided to walk away from the League.

Michael says he would have been young then, but he went to Irish League matches. Suddenly, Michael and other soccer fans in Derry didn’t have a team to support anymore.

All this changed in 1985, when Derry applied to join the (Southern) League of Ireland. They had to get special dispensation from UEFA and FIFA as well as the Irish League. To the great surprise of nearly everyone involved, the Northern teams agreed.

Michael explained ‘it was great for me because I was in Trinity until ’81, then Cambridge from ’81 to ’82, and moved back to Ireland in 1982. Around then I used to go to see Shamrock Rovers play in Milltown because it was close to where I was living.’

‘But when Derry came back in 1985, they got massive crowds following them around the country; clubs were effectively getting a year’s worth of money from a match with Derry’ ‘Monaghan had a team then and I think we took around 9,000 people down to Monaghan’ Derry City stayed in the second division for a few years after joining the League of Ireland and gained promotion to the Premier division in 1987.

In 1989, Derry became the first team (and Michael warned me to emphasise this) to win the treble; the League, the FAI Cup and the League cup all in the same year. /.&#&0.#,'1223$4,#2.5.36 Unfortunately, it hasn’t been plain sailing for Derry since their glory days of 1989. In 2009, they were relegated from the Premier Division due to ‘financial

irregularities’, where players were receiving more money than their contracts stated.

‘It seemed terrible at the time,’ Michael said, ‘but looking back it wasn’t too bad; it put an end to a lot of the madness of the time’.

City recovered well, winning the League Cup in 2010 and 2018 as well as the FAI Cup in 2012.

The period of rebuilding also gave James McClean his senior debut.

However, Michael talks of the difficulty teams have attracting players and convincing them to stay.

‘For a lot of people playing for a Dublin team is easier’ Kealey explained, ‘and because of the full-time nature of the League, you’re effectively telling players that they’re going to have to live in Derry full-time, and that’s a step too far for some people’.

Another disadvantage is that Derry City players can’t apply for Sportsperson’s Tax Relief, a system which allows athletes claim taxback on income earnt by through sport, but only offered by the Dublin Government. Even though Derry play in the Southern League, the club being based in the 6 counties excludes it from this benefit.

However, Brexit is causing more young footballers to stay in Ireland for longer, as English teams are unable to scout teenage players anymore. This has increased the standard of the League, making it more attractive for the general public.

742*83 European matches have also proved to be of major benefit to the League of Ireland. Each successful European run generates public interest, but, from a purely financial point of view, winning one European game is worth about €100,000. Comparatively,

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winning the League of Ireland is worth about €140,000. Rovers qualification for the Conference league is worth roughly €3 million, which equates to a nice profit, even when all expenses are accounted for.

From a supporters point of view, European matches offer them the chance to go to places you’d never go to. Michael has been to Armenia, Belarus twice, Latvia twice.

92.$%5':45423 Michael believes the League of Ireland has a bright future.

‘It took a long time for an Irish team to get into the group stages of Europe, but I think that will change. We’re going to see more Irish clubs being more competitive.

It might start with the Conference league, but even that would be a major benefit’.

‘Like look at Scotland, outside of Celtic and Rangers it’s a similar standard and they get 15,00020,000 at their games. Like Sligo beat Motherwell, Bohs have put out Aberdeen.’

While people sometimes fall into the trap of thinking that the way a sport is now is the way it always will be, Kealey responded by drawing a good comparison with mid 90’s rugby: ‘Look at what the provincial and national teams are doing now, but I remember in the 1980’s when people in the Irish Times were saying that it would be appalling if rugby became a professional sport! People forget about the degree of opposition there was’. ;48'/.&#, Derry, who are currently sitting second in the league, will be busy preparing for their upcoming FAI Cup final against Shelbourne.

Tickets are well priced, so I would encourage anyone to go down to Lansdowne Road and go in for a look.

The future is definitely looking good for League soccer in Ireland.

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!"#$#!%&$'()&| Tuesday 1 November

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octors and students practising in Tallaght University Hospital, Dublin Dental University Hospital and St James’s University Hospital, known collectively as the Feds, have always had a love affair with the Hospitals Cup. Aside from claiming bragging rights over other teaching hospitals in Dublin, playing in the Hospitals Cup brings its own prestige as one of the oldest ongoing rugby union competitions in the world (a similar competition in London claims to be the oldest but was suspended for six years during the Second World War).

With five teams competing for the trophy each year the matches are not only fast and furious but also smooth and precise. Every set play is run and the ruck is attacked with craft and guile. It is a competition that breeds an air of brotherhood amongst the players. It is difficult to walk the

long corridors of Tallaght Hospital without encountering a player past or present, often with a long grilling of how the team is going that season and stories of days (or nights) gone by.

It takes the precision of a doctor to execute the tight passes and loose nights out that typify the Feds. With four fixtures and a potential final to play, each team embraces both the professional and social sides of the competition.

Players focus in during the week to maximise the on-field end product before winding down post-match, enjoying the camaraderie and togetherness that is found on a cold rainy night in the depths of November.

The Fed’s last fixture against St. Vincent’s University Hospital was the total package. It was clear that silky passing and exciting styles of play were what the doctor ordered.

A constant back and forth between both sides yielded a fantastic exposition of both The Hospital’s Cup and rugby as a whole. While the Feds took their defeat with grace, they are most certainly still in the running to push on to a final.

With dynamic forward options and backs with a scintillating turn of pace, it is hard to write them off.

Their next game against the Mater Hospital should tell a lot about how they will fare further on into the year against Beaumont and the UCD Veterinarians.

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!"#$#%&'()*+',-%./' Find out what your clubs are up to this month, and where their training will be taking place !"#$%&'()#*+%,#-./0 1!"$*-2 The winter season is back in full flow in DULBC - the Senior squad are training, on average, 11x per week, a mix of on-the-water sessions, weight training, erging, circuits and cross-training such as running or biking.

The Novice squad are still working hard and learning the fundamentals of rowing, with 2-3 sessions per week, a combination of on-the-water sessions and erging. The squad is showing lots of potential and the club is hopeful fast crews will emerge.

A new coach has joined the club this season, Sally O’Brien, who is a DULBC alumna and was Captain in 2014/15. She rowed for Cambridge University postTrinity and it’s a huge boost to have her back involved in the club, working alongside lead coach Andrew Coleman who has been with DULBC since 2006.

Two DULBC Seniors, Sports Scholar Grace Healy and first-

year Emma Moloney, recently competed in the Dublin Sculling Ladder. Grace placed as the 2nd overall female, while Emma placed as the 4th overall female and the 1st female junior.

DULBC will open their season at Lagan Head of the River in Belfast on 29/10/2022, with entries in the Inter 1x, Novice 4x+, Club 2 4+, Inter 4+, Club 2 8+, Club 1 8+, and Senior 8+ across the morning and afternoon Heads.

Before term finishes, DULBC will also be competing in Erne 4’s HOR in Enniskillen in November and the Head of the Shannon in Carrick-on-Shannon in December.

The club is holding a fundraising backpacking event in Dunnes Cornelscourt on 27/10/2022 to subsidise the cost of the upcoming races and training camps. Donations can be made via the GoFundMe in the bio of @ dulbc_rowing on Instagram.

Club social events are also in motion, with DULBC hosting a Freshers’ Week Pub Quiz with DUBC, and the upcoming

Halloween Massacre and Boat Ball.

If any current, former or novice rowers or coxswains of Trinity are interested in joining the club, please contact the Instagram page @dulbc_rowing, or email captain. dulbc@gmail.com. !"#".,'3%,(#45')0((# The winter season is back in fuTraining times are: Monday, 19:00 to 21:00 in the Iveagh Grounds, Tuesday, 08:00 to 10:00 in Trinity Sport Hall, Wednesday, 19:00 to 21:00 in the Iveagh Grounds, Friday, 15:00 to 17:00 in the Sports Hall and Saturday, 12:00 to 14:00 in Santry.

The upcoming tournaments are Women’s Indoor IV on the 19th of November, Open Indoor IV on the 19th – 20th of November and Christmas Down Under on 17th and 18th of December.

For more information visit the DUUFC Instagram @trinity_ ultimate .

!"#-%3+6'(# New manager John Curran has taken over, brother of Waterford hurler Patrick Curran.

Training is back occurring twice a week at the regular times of 19:00 on Monday and Wednesday, with a complimentary bus leaving Nassau Street at 18:00 both days.

Competing again in the Purcell Cup (Div. 2 of 3rd-level camogie) this year, the team got their League campaign off to a slow start with a significant loss away to SETU Carlow, but rebounded quickly to take a point from a draw against TUS Athlone. They face DCU 2’s in their final League match on November 2nd.

Club social events are well attended, a particular highlight being the annual County Colours night with DU Hurling, Gaelic Football, and Ladies’ Gaelic Football.

Any camogie players who are interested in joining the team should contact prendej2@tcd.ie, or contact the Instagram page @ tcdgaa referring to your interest in joining the camogie team.

4++,0%..#17%(.'82 The freshers had a league match against DkIT in the Louth Centre of Excellence in Darver last Thursday. Unfortunately, despite strong performances from full-back Roy Richardson and debutant James McBreen from Cavan, Trinity lost 1-17 to 2-6.

In the Senior football league,

Trinity beat the Army Cadets 2-14 to 0-2 in the Iveagh Grounds in Crumlin.

9/:'+5#;/60<# Training will be held at the usual time of 19:20 at College Park.

The 3’s continued their winning ways against Guinness RFC in the Iveagh Grounds in Crumlin. The full time score was 38-15.

Elsewhere, the 4’s scheduled match against Monkstown was cancelled, but thankfully a challenge match against Terenure College RFC was organised, which Trinity won 49-32.

The 3’s will play Blackrock and the 4’s will play Lansdowne FC, both on the 5th of November.

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Tuesday 1 November | !"#$#!%&$'()&

!"#$%&'(&)'*+%*+,& Agony Aunts: Trinity College Dublin edition

4&0"1%,&643 Storm Warning - The Dublin Restaurant Scene

4&0"1%&5 9:;<=9:;<=9:;<=&40"1%&> The Driver Era gets candid with Trinity News

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Debating Onlyfans with The Eliz

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Drugs and your mental health

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-.(%&,+"/ Editor-in-Chief Life Editor Life Deputy Editor

Shannon Connolly Ella Sloane Ella-Bleu Kiely

Arts & Culture Editors

Elena McCrory Oona Kauppi Emma Lueders

Deputy Editor Sex & Relationships Editor Deputy Editor

Ria Walls

Societies Editor Deputy Editor

Elisa Eckstein Ruby Topalian

Student Living Editor Deputy Editor

Julie Frisch Emma Rouine

Food & Drink Editor Deputy Editors

Maile Monteiro Eoghan Conway Katelyn Davis

Catherine Grogan

!"#$%&$'($)&*+,*-($+&$.(/-0 -"?"&@'*"A"* explores the complexity of Halloween’s costume culture

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he leaves are falling, your new flatmates are still taking the bins out on time, and your tights don’t yet have ladders in them. This can only mean one thing: we are officially approaching Halloween.

At this time of year, it is hard to tell what is filling up faster — your workload or your social life. However, this time of year also signifies, for many of us, an impending social pressure to use this opportunity to show some skin and not get judged for it.

Halloween comes from the merging of the celebrations of several different festivals and cultures, with its roots in the Celtic festival Samhain.

Wearing costumes for Halloween is widely thought to emerge from this holiday. Historically, these costumes are used as a way to scare away supernatural beings on this night where it is supposedly easier for them to cross into our world. However, I can’t help but feel that in my recent experience of this night, the fabric between our world and the next feels much less flimsy than the fabric covering my body.

This is the result of the costume tradition evolving massively over the years and becoming more commercialised, leading to the sex sells mantra working its way into the industry surrounding the celebration.

Don’t get me wrong — I am all for how empowering it can be to feel sexy, and sometimes this includes shedding your clothes. But this hasn’t been what is spooking me most these past few Halloweens.

It is instead the lack of choice.

How empowering can a sexy costume be if we aren’t making a choice, but are being coerced into making it? Halloween has become, for many, a time of being actively encouraged to dress in a hyper-sexualised way to serve the financial interest of a company, and discouraged from dressing as anything we choose, sexy or not.

How do we reclaim the joy of the season?

You might recognise these words from the 2004 cult classic Mean Girls: “In girl world, Halloween is the one night of the year when a girl can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it.” And it really is in “girl world”; many costumes marketed towards women at the moment are characters from children’s pop culture, such as Little Red Riding

Hood, or Bratz dolls. It would be cynical to see this as only infantilising rather than nostalgic, but this cynicism seems to be validated when these costumes are simultaneously hyper-sexual and childish. This crossover is haunting for obvious reasons — I think it is safe to assume that this trend has emerged from troubling porn tropes that become more mainstream every day, often reinforcing the sexualisation of girls.

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And the toil and trouble for Halloween costumes marketed for women doesn’t stop there. Even

when these costumes don’t seek to imitate fantasy, and are instead the costumes that imitate real-life occupations of women, such as a doctor, firefighter or police officer, they are still massively sexualised.

I am yet to fight fire in lingerie but I have a feeling it isn’t practical.

This leads me to wonder — is it only acceptable for women to dress up as employees in these male-dominated fields if it is visibly and firmly a costume? This implies the misogynistic idea that even a realistic impression of a woman working in these fields is too threatening to the success of the sex sells model, which relies on patriarchal gender roles and sexual politics.

Hyper-masculinity and these same strict gender stereotypes are encouraged in the commercially available costumes for men too, which are largely pirates, soldiers and Marvel heroes. Marketing pressure extends into social pressure; it can feed into the patriarchal encouragement of competition among women for the male gaze, and build on the toxic notion that your body is equal to your worth.

Of course, that isn’t to say that it hasn’t been often empowering to use Halloween as an opportunity to feel sexy. It can be a time to revel in expressing your sensuality through costume. However, my concern is that this opportunity for sexual liberation has been appropriated by the patriarchy to fit into rigid definitions of gender roles. This is particularly ironic when we consider how much

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!"#$#!%&$'() | Tuesday 1 November

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:$,("%".$$.$%9.6,#(%+.%9';#%5.3% (<$#'9%=.$%2'3-"0%.$%<$,)-#> "#$%#&'()*+#,& rounds up Irish horror film mustsees this Halloween

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s Halloween creeps closer, this Trinity News writer would urge you to take refuge from the truly frightening weather and stay in for a spooky movie night.

To be sure, horror tropes have been overutilized to the point of exhaustion, from hideous monsters to possessed kids.

However, there’s something about watching people flail about, investigate weird noises and generally get murdered that continues to resonate with us all: they’re fun. But what movie can one turn to when all the usual suspects have been expended?

In the spirit of togetherness, here are three Irish horror movies that you have probably never watched before as they are relatively obscure.

of Halloween as we know it has emerged from queer culture.

Costume has historically been a way for the LGBTQIA+ community to be empowered.

From the Polk Street Halloween parties of San Francisco in the 1970s to the coining of the term “gay Christmas”, this festival in which adults wear costume emerges from queer society. In times where the expression of one’s sexuality or gender identity might otherwise be illegal, this was historically a night of relative freedom. This part of history still manifests itself today. Halloween can act as a comfort for many who don’t otherwise feel able to express themselves for fear of prejudice; whatever you wear can be passed off as a costume — an identity that you can try on for one night without needing to defend it as a lifestyle choice and with no commitment to it for the rest of the year. This can provide a safe and affirming space for people who otherwise might not have the opportunity to express their identity in this way.

Fundamentally we return to the same issue —- if we can feel liberated on Halloween through costume then why not use clothing to empower us all year round? I am not suggesting that I want to wear my Beetlejuice costume 24/7, but the albeit complicated feeling of sexual empowerment it can lend — who knew Beetlejuice could be sexy?!

— wouldn’t be a bad thing to have more of in my day-to-day life.

Perhaps we should seek to rebel

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the tension as the viewer follows what turns out to be a fairly standard case of demonic child syndrome. The cinematography is startling and particularly memorable in a few key scenes.

The movie also works well on a thematic level as Sarah questions whether her son has changed in the wake of her divorce or if he is, you know, possessed. Many parents have undoubtedly had the same question. Bonus points for having seen a demonic child sing a scary version of Rattlin’ Bog — watch it for that if nothing else.

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At a first glance, Grabbers may seem like your typical creature feature. On a second glance, it is a typical creature feature — with an Irish twist. In this goofy tale, two Gardaí with opposing personalities (one an alcoholic, the other a workaholic) must join forces to combat an alien evil landed on a remote Irish island.

The catch is that the bloodsucking monsters are deathly allergic to alcohol. As you might expect, drunken mayhem ensues when the panicking characters figure this out. Genuinely scary moments are scarce, but Grabbers attempts and mostly succeeds in making up for a lack of scariness with its genuine stupidity (this comment is not at all intended as an insult to the director’s vision, as I think most would agree, we do not watch horror movies to see people make intelligent decisions but to get eaten by monsters, thereby providing a sense of peace and clarity about our own lives).

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(3<<##/(%,)% to a new town after Sarah has left There is definitely a way to feel Chris’ father. Unfortunately, their empowered by your Halloween 9';,)-%31% idyllic existence is interrupted costume this October. I think by the dark and sinister woods it is about changing the focus: 8.$%'%2'<;%.8% next to their new house — And prioritising joy and selfthat’s not all. It turns out that expression, and defying social (<'$,)#((%&,+"% and commercial pressure as much within the woods, there is a hole in the ground. Also, within the as possible. And as always, the ,+(%-#)3,)#% hole, there is a monster who likes biggest message to take with you into the season is to dress however to come out and impersonate (+31,/,+5@ people. Although not the most you want to, and to have fun doing it.

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original premise, director Lee Cronin knows how to maximise

I may be a fool, one can reason, but at least I’m not that fool who opened the door. Grabbers is full of such deeply satisfying moments. To provide an example: a drunken man decides to leave the safety of the bar. His friends and companions all shout for him to return to safety, but no, he is determined to approach the giant tentacled in the parking lot.

Why, you might ask? He says: “I need a photograph with it for National Geographic.” Of course, he is promptly picked up by the monster and thrown to his death.

I really think that says it all.

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An innovative take on horror, A Dark Song is about a grieving woman named Sophia Howard who rents a mansion with the intent of holding a ritual there.

It turns out that the purpose of the ritual is to summon demons and angels to communicate with her dead seven-year-old son. To achieve this goal, she has hired an occultist named Joseph Sullivan and they proceed to isolate themselves in the mansion for months. However, both are deeply damaged people and their plans soon go awry. A Dark Song is slow-paced, but make no mistake, its horror will reach you. Thanks to the excellent screenplay, the plot feels surprisingly believable despite its admittedly far-fetched nature. To be clear, the two main characters are deeply flawed and shocking in their actions, from urinating in each other’s food to drowning and reviving each other with CPR. Despite the supernatural elements, the story implies, what we really have to fear is each other. In the face of difficult circumstances such as the loss of a child, the movie advocates for forgiveness and moving on with one’s life without feeling preachy as Sophia wrangles with her complicated feelings. A thoughtful approach. Well worth the watch.

Bonus: Normal People — Though a television series rather than a movie, the horrors of miscommunication and dramatic pauses are second to none. A truly torturous watch.

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veryone is familiar with the downsides of living in Dublin city, but for students, it’s particularly the cost of living and transportation that are causing a real problem.

Regardless, I think Dublin is flourishing as a university city. It’s just the right size to feel at home while simultaneously offering lots to explore; it’s very diverse as well as a cultural hub and a plethora of job opportunities. Being a city with one of the highest concentrations of young people in Europe according to a study run by Eurostat in 2017, Dublin feels super young and vibrant, particularly given the number of colleges in Dublin.

I’ve met people from TUD, UCD, and DCU, and while I always do get some judgement for being a Trinity student, it’s lovely getting to interact with so many people in such a wide network of students.

While there are inherent problems associated with the boom of business in Dublin, from the rise of property prices to the diversion of the government’s interest towards industry, there are good parts that come with it, especially for students. Many global businesses have recently set up headquarters in Dublin, offering opportunities for internships and graduate networking. Trinity’s business school and several societies have solid relationships with many of these businesses, offering solid networks that improve your prospects after graduation.

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We’re also in the capital of Ireland, so if you happen to be interested in the political world, it’s right on your doorstep. The Dáil situated on Kildare Street is only a 5-minute stroll from campus. Last but not least, for those who frequent the Hamilton building, Dublin is a leading city for scientific research.

To be honest, nightlife has been a huge positive surprise. I’m neither a fan of clubbing nor the type to want to do things night after night, but it seems as though whenever I’m in the mood, there’s some fun society, university, or other random event going on somewhere in the city that has a wide appeal. It’s crucial to understand that Temple Bar is solely for tourists and should be avoided at all costs, for the sake of your bank account at least.

The events held by societies like LawSoc and DUISS as well as Ents have helped to ease me into the Dublin nightlife and figure out the places worth going to.

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During the daytime, the city is anything but boring. There is a wide variety of themed activities happening daily that are all incredibly conducive to meeting people you’ll get on with. Dublin, so far, seems like an incredibly friendly place, and one where people are very open to going out of their comfort zone and expanding their circle of acquaintances. In between lectures, there’s always somewhere to go or something to do, like finding a new study spot at a cafe such as Kaph or checking out the stock of a local thrift shop

(Oxfam in Rathmines has my heart).

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58$3.(!%8(9 Anything I tend to want to visit in the city is a short walk away, which is really nice, but I won’t underestimate the benefits of easy access to other parts of Dublin as well. A day trip on the DART or a short bus ride to Phoenix Park can take you out of the stress and chaos of the city in under 20 minutes.

This isn’t possible in many other cities. I am from America, where almost every city has intense traffic and sprawling suburbs for 90 minutes after leaving the city.

Therefore, this is a refreshing experience.

It’s also amazing to be in a city with such a vibrant cultural background. A free afternoon could mean taking a stroll around the (free!) national galleries or exploring the former homes or birthplaces of historical figures like Oscar Wilde, which is also close to an incredible statue of him in Merrion Square Park. Ireland has an exciting sports culture, too, and while I still don’t have a solid understanding of GAA, the atmosphere at matches is electric, and it reflects the passion that the Irish hold as a community.

In saying all of this, I don’t mean to minimise the things that can make it difficult to be a student in Dublin.

The cost of living is skyrocketing, and it seems like the city wants to squeeze those of us who are on a tight budget out. Nevertheless, at least we’re speaking up about it. Our student body has a real fighting spirit, which really can’t be said about many other colleges where people are happy to simply put up with the status quo. We fight for change when it’s needed, and Dublin’s growing student body and its power makes you feel as though you can have a real impact as a student.

!"#$%&!'$()*&+,-$+,-%.-/%$#0% 1-2$3"(#*,"4*% 3-$5 tackle the questions plaguing the minds of students Q"! #! $%&'(! )&%*! +,! (-./.'0!

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Ria: For me, not knowing whether or not something more exists is scary. I regret every situation that I left without knowing for certain if it was more than just friendship between us. It leaves me overthinking my interactions and each move that I made. My advice is to address the situation, but that’s so much easier said than done. There have been times that I’ve felt this way with someone and I didn’t address it at the time, and I regret that now in retrospect.

Honestly, I would actually rather hear to my face, “I have never seen you as more than a friend,” than never know whether something more could have been. Better to be hurt with the truth than live without knowing! It can be really humbling to be told that someone doesn’t like you like that, and it will sting in the moment, but at least then you will know. On the other hand, they could turn around and agree with you, confessing their hidden love that they’ve been suppressing this whole time. It is definitely worth the risk regardless of their response. If you’re worried about being rejected and the awkwardness that might ensue, consider this: if they make things weird between you both, are they really your friend? The hard part, however, is bringing it up. That is even harder when you attempt to bring it up sober (which is always advised). My advice here is to mention it in a light-hearted way rather than taking a serious approach. Unless of course you’re a serious person by nature. You could make a joke about the two of you getting together, or a joke about fancying them, in order to gauge the dynamic. :"! #! 780(! 0(1/(.$! ;%<<.3.! 1&$!

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5/.1)!8>!1&$!-1=.!(-.!.?>./+.&;.! %,!5.+&3!0+&3<.!+&!;%<<.3.9 Cat: The first thing that I have to say is that, in my opinion, being single is overrated. The world of singledom is brutal and often heavily romanticised.

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3/..&./!%&!(-.! %(-./!0+$.9 Cat: Do you love your boyfriend?

If so, it could be crazy to break

5

!"#$#!%&$'() | Tuesday 1 November

-(%&.#//0"0&1'2/-$&34-(-#$ PHOTO VIA PEXELS

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!"#$%&'#()$ *+&,-#($("&($ ./#%$"&,0$1,$ "&,0$21("$ *#1,.$1,$&$ 3#+&(1/,%"14$ 1%$,/$+/,.#3$ 23&44#0$ (1."(+)$&3/5,0$ )/56 somewhat scary. (But also, it’s not as scary as you might think it will be.)

The idea that you should lose your virginity by a certain age is utterly unfounded, and the right time and age to do it is different for everyone. Ultimately, I would say to have sex when you want to, not before you want to, and only if you want to.

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up with him while there are no obstacles impeding your relationship except ideas that society has planted in our heads about what our college years should look like. On the other hand, if you were truly happy in the relationship, would you even consider breaking up?

The main thing that you need to ask yourself is what it is that you want from life right now. Do you think that being in a relationship would prevent your realisation of this version of your college life? Or do you want to be single because of the bizarre notion that we should all be sleeping with as many people as possible while we’re in college?

The other thing to remember is that, even if you enter college now still in the relationship, that doesn’t mean that you will be in the relationship for all of college and won’t get to experience single college life at a later stage. It can be a great thing to enter college in a relationship, and valuable lessons can be learnt through this.

But if you think that it might be a good idea for you to break up, maybe I would consider the idea of taking a break before breaking up definitively, and seeing how you feel towards your boyfriend and about your life in general during this period. If you find that you are happier with the life that you are living whilst single, it might

make sense to make the breakup permanent.

The bottom line of my advice would be not to throw away something good because you fear that you are missing out on something

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else - the grass is always greener on the other side. Don’t compare your internal experiences to the external experiences of others.

If you are able to grow whilst in the relationship, there may be no reason to terminate it.

deserve to be comfortable enough with the person whom you are losing your virginity to tell them that it is your first time. If you are not happy doing so, then they are likely not the right person. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to make your first time perfect 76$89:$&$'3#%"#3$1,$;/++#.#$&,0$89:$ - it won’t be, and you’re almost %(1++$&$<13.1,6$8$'##+$+1-#$#<#3)/,#$ #+%#$ &3/5,0$ :#$ "&%$ &+3#&0)$ "&0$ %#=>$ &,0$ 8$ '##+$ +1-#$ 8$ ,##0$ (/$ (//$ %//,>$ *#'/3#$ 1($ .#(%$ (//$ #:*&33&%%1,.$("&($8$"&<#,9($)#(6 The first thing you need to know is that there are more virgins around you at this age than you might suspect. Everyone always assumes that those around them are having sex, but I can tell you with no uncertainty that in first year of college this is definitely not the case. Consider it this way: most people will not want to openly state that they haven’t lost their virginity. It is only as we get older and more time passes since we sleep with someone for the first time that we become comfortable admitting how old we were when we lost it.

As you progress through college, I seriously doubt it will matter to you exactly what age you were the first time you had sex. So, without sounding patronising, my main piece of advice would be that there really is no need to rush it. You

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?/,9($45($(//$ :5;"$43#%%53#$ /,$)/53%#+'$ (/$:&-#$)/53$ @3%($(1:#$ 4#3'#;( inevitably going to look back on it and cringe, or laugh, or curse the person who took it because things ended badly between you.

You are likely never going to feel entirely ready either, because when we do anything for the first time we are taking a step into the unknown, and that is often

Ria: The first thing I’ll say here is the importance of trusting your gut.

If you’re having doubts, you need to acknowledge that and consider why you feel that way. Usually when there’s a doubt - especially a recurring one - then you should know in yourself that something’s not right. You obviously broke up for a reason. Another thing that people don’t often address is how scary it is to suddenly be single, especially while in college. All of the people you once walked past meaninglessly now catch your eye, and it can feel vulnerable and exposing. The safety blanket that goes hand in hand with being in a relationship is no longer wrapped tightly around you. Despite this discomfort, it’s important to remember why you went through with the break up and to try and value time on your own before rushing back into something on the basis of being lonely. That being said, there’s no shame in getting back together with someone if you can’t stop thinking about them.

This has to be someone that you know well, so would it be worth having a chat with them to see if they feel the same way? Or would that leave you going in circles, uncertain of your feelings? All in all, spend some time reflecting on how you feel within yourself now that you’re single compared to how you felt in your relationship.

I would advise writing these feelings down and weighing them up before you make any concrete decisions.

6

Tuesday 1 November | !"#$#!%&$'()&

!"#$%&'($)*)+&,&-./&0123*)&4/5"(1$()"&!6/)/ PHOTO VIA PEXELS FOR TRINITY NEWS

!"#$%&'("&)%*' considers the future of the Dublin restaurant sector

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torms are like baking bread: they’re in need of a specific set of ingredients and the necessary atmospheric conditions. Yet the recipe for this storm isn’t an appetising one.

Bread flour takes the form of staffing shortages, rising agents are replaced by rising costs and buttermilk is replaced by more than sour overheads. The conditions are a cost of living crisis and a far-from-optimistic economic forecast. In light of recent closures such as Circa in Terenure, Liston’s of Camden Street, and Lenehan’s Bar & Grill in Rathmines, it begs the question, is creativity in the Irish food scene Noah’s ark to the impending flood, or is it a curse in itself?

I do not know what it is about Irish people and storms. We have this obsession with buying up loaves of bread in times of an impending weather threat. Tea and toast is enough to weather any storm, or so we think. The possible shortage of a sliced pan sends many into hysteria as they raid their nearest supermarket.

The line from Joni Mitchell’s song Big Yellow Taxi seems fitting here, “You don’t know what you got ‘til it’s gone”. This maxim is one that certainly hits home when faced with bare aisles that once housed Pat the Baker and Brennan’s Bread.

What could be worse than empty bread shelves you may ask? Barren restaurants and idle commercial kitchens. Spaces that once facilitated enjoyment, gratification and hangovers now lying barren. I feel there is a not-so-gentle storm brewing in the Irish hospitality and restaurant industry. However, this incoming storm is not causing the masses to flock to their nearest restaurants.

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On a dreary October night, I moseyed on down to see what some of the most creative minds in Irish food had to say. The Circular Pub, in collaboration with Char Magazine, hosted a panel discussion seeking to survey the lay of the land of the Irish food business. The panel consisted of Hen’s Teeth’s Rosie Grogan-Keogh, Allta’s Niall Davis and Bahay’s Alex O’Neill. Over the course of an hour and twenty minutes, and two pints on my part, there was one main conclusion: we neglect that space is a creative medium. Yet with spaces being hard to come by, rising rents, and locations becoming lacklustre, are restaurants being pressed up and pushed out of Dublin? I would argue yes.

The case of Hen’s Teeth, based in Blackpitts, is an interesting one. Originally a space zoned for office blocks, it is now a Dublin cultural institution. The business always wanted to “engage the space culturally”, the utilitarian layout of the premises allowed it to become the Swiss Army Knife in the Irish cultural scenes toolbox. The space is one that functions as a restaurant, bar, cafe, exhibition space and lounge.

Its recent collaboration with the likes of London-based outfit Top Cuvée and Irish artist Áine Byrne are testament to this. Upon the granting of its late-night licence, which took 18 months to get, the future of Hen’s Teeth seems bright and now able to continue into the early hours of the morning.

Self-admittedly, food didn’t come first for Hen’s Teeth, the same cannot be said for Allta however.

Their relationship with space is a unique one, to say the least,

beginning as a brick-and-mortar entity, moving to food boxes during Covid, to its outdoor dining experience on the banks of the River Boyne in Slane to its current location on the fifth floor of Trinity Street car park. I have to come back to the lyrics of Big Yellow Taxi again, “They paved paradise and put up a parking lot”.

The irony is self-evident. For me, Allta is an ineffable experience, paradise arrived at the parking lot but it is not here to stay for much longer. Allta Winter House will end its residency at the end of the year.

Bahay, the highly touted Filipino food truck, was born out of “a

+

B$/& $/5"(1$()"5& 2/*)+&?$/55/;& 1?&();& ?15./;&#1"&*)& 0123*)A&7=;& ($+1/&9/5C& dream, a Musgraves account, and last week’s paycheck”, according to co-founder Alex O’Neill. The mobility of a food truck allows them to play the game on their

terms, taking the narrative away from dictating landlords. Bahay in the past has also shown a fluid approach when it comes to space.

They have been able to step into areas and make them their own.

This was seen with their six-day restaurant takeover of Mae in Ballsbridge this past June. Let us hope that there are more takeovers and collaborations to come in the near future.

It was stated that chefs are the new artists, we always think about the medium artists act upon: canvas, clay, sculpture, etc., but we very rarely think about the studios in which they operate. The same can be said about chefs and owners.

The most creative can make the space work for them, but even creativity has its limits. So back to the question I posed at the start: is creativity a cure or a curse for the teetering Irish food business? Well, it is neither I suppose. Creativity is incredible to see and keeps the Irish food scene compelling, something I have no doubt it is, but creativity and spaces can only do so much to get footfall.

Feet can, and will, only continue to enter restaurants if there is money in people’s pockets and in restaurants’ bank accounts. It is a two-way street, yet both are falling victim to the ongoing economic uncertainty. I think it is time for an umbrella. Unfortunately, I can already feel the first raindrops of that aforementioned storm.

It’s not all doom and despair, at least, I hope not. The talent of young Irish chefs is self-evident.

The quality of ingredients and the will of restaurateurs are unrivalled.

I pray that this is enough to weather this storm. We should all

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hold off on writing the epitaph for the Irish food scene. The community will cope. The other day, as I walked into Fumbally Stables and saw a quote on the cafe’s chalkboard, I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself, “All sorrows are less with bread”. All I’ll say is I hope they aren’t using that bread recipe that I mentioned earlier.

7

!"#$#!%&$'() | Tuesday 1 November

!"#$%&!"#$&'()&*"+,&!"#$& !"##$%&'(")%*+ ,-./*-0'examines queer and gay photography in the newly launched online platform and magazine BOYS! BOYS! BOYS!

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n January 2021, The Little Black Gallery’s co-founder Ghislain Pascal launched BOYS! BOYS! BOYS!, a magazine devoted to promoting queer and gay photography. Originally a fine art focused digital platform, BOYS! BOYS! BOYS! runs in parallel to GIRLS! GIRLS! GIRLS!. The London-based gallery released this BOYS! BOYS! BOYS! project as a one piece bi-annual magazine that includes exhibitions, books, photography courses and competitions. Pascal proudly announced that many books published shared their title with the magazine, starting in 2019 and 2020. Said books sold out and the royalties were donated to the Elton John AIDS Foundation, established in 1992.

A compelling question for this publication is: what is meant by queer and gay photography? Is there a specific set of characteristics in the photographs that suggest they are for or by members of the queer and gay communities?

According to Christoph Ribbat, queer photography consists of “images that undercut fixed notions of identity, desire, and gender.” In the early 2000’s, “queer photography” still referred to a reversal of “straight photography,” represented concepts such as truth, accuracy, and evenness.

Queer photography, to use a colloquialism, threw a wrench in these photographic pursuits by taking the opposite as a fundamental artistic goal. All “queer” photography existed in a state of otherness to photography of exactness and truth. These terms lay a faulted foundation for understanding queer and gay photography in 2022 as the semantics still suggest that it deviates from a higher artistic purpose: mastery. If we continue to think of queer and gay art as being in relation to other forms, it cannot develop the autonomy its continuing artists demand. It is not a reversal of “straight art” because queerness is not a reversal of heternormativity; they are not two sides of the same coin but two separate currencies.

The question still remains: what is queer and gay photography?

More than a decade ago, Toronto Metropolitan University’s Image

Centre hosted an exhibition entitled What It Means to Be Seen: Photography and Queer Visibility. The exhibition’s guest curator, Sophie Hackett, examined a tremendous breadth of photos and images dating back to the early 1960’s, arranging them with the express purpose of, as stated in the exhibit’s abstract, “bring[ing] to light a sense of collective characteristics, experiences and ambitions for queer communities.” Hackett’s gallery carefully curated and argued for the presence and necessity of queer visibility through unspecific characteristics, like multiplicitous experiences, and collective goals of the community. This pattern demonstrates that there is no one set of characteristics or experiences that unify members of the queer community, apart from shared ambitions for visibility.

Queer narrative in photography

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appears to be an undeveloped area right now. Reminded of a recent exercise in identifying narrative at the most basic level, I regurgitate it here: students of architecture are often asked to provide narratives for objects as an exercise in humanising the world. For example, in a recent critique seminar I attended, one student explained that the textured grips on a pair of pliers told a story about their use, and one student brought a used bar of soap, worn down in specific areas. We learned, from the bar of used lemon soap, exactly how the user washes their hands. More abstractly, the object tells a story, but what actually happens is that students invent stories for what they carefully observe. Photos of humans do have stories, albeit far more complex ones than a bar of soap, but they are incomplete at best, creating a subjective context for the viewer upon which to build and weave a narrative of their own. Narrative, then, has a great deal to do with empathy, understanding and relatability.

What is most striking about the images in BOYS! BOYS! BOYS! is the humanness of the pictured people. They appear, almost, to embrace their humanity more fully than others in daily life. How often do people feel comfortable with their own bodies? Or, with the body of another? Queer narrative in photography cannot be reduced to mere visual shock factor; this is not its defining feature. A defining feature of narrational queer photography does not exist because to categorize it would require us to establish its separate existence from any other human form of photographic narrative. The larger question remains in a different

shape: what is distinctive about queer narrative?

With the above context, we now approach the photographs in BOYS! BOYS! BOYS! The fourth volume was made especially relevant by the inclusion of Irish

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photographer Charles Moriarty.

His unreleased photographs of Amy Winehouse first appeared in a self-published book, Before Frank, in 2017, followed by Back to Amy in 2018. Since the release of these photos, Moriarty has been involved with LucasFilm and the National Portrait Gallery.

His work in BOYS! BOYS! BOYS! verges on the political, while moving with the distraction of intimacy. By political, I do not mean overtly political, but rather symbolically. For example, Moriarty’s Plate 026 features a nude figure wearing only a

decorated military coat and beret of unknown origin. The figure crouches on two black surfaces with one hand supporting his weight and the other extending outward to the viewer in a wide arc. An uninviting expression looks at you, coldly with a bit of confusion. No less about vulnerability, the plate draws a sharp contrast between the dark coat, hat, ground and background with the figure’s pale torso, waist and legs. An uninformed eye might remark that the image is propaganda.

Moriarty’s Plate 004 [feature image] appears colourless and nostalgic. In contrast to the vulnerability of Plate 026, the male figure of Plate 004 withholds himself from us, doubling back, clutching his shoulder and effectively shutting off access to his chest and body. His arms form the vague symbol of a cross, and his position faces away from the photographer. In spite of his suspicious diffidence, or the diffidence read from his body, he gazes directly at us with a passive expression on his face.

I should not fail to mention the sheer bodily strength he seems to possess, which counteracts the meekness of hiding one’s body and provides an image of many contradictions.

In collaboration with PhotoIreland’s The Library Project, BOYS! BOYS! BOYS! opened a new exhibition to launch the fourth volume of the magazine at 4 Temple Bar Street. Ghislain Pascal and Charles Moriarty arrived in Dublin for a reception on October 4, during which the exhibit first opened to the public; the viewing successfully ran until October 23.

PHOTO VIA BOYSBOYSBOYS.ORG FOR TRINITY NEWS

8

Tuesday 1 November | !"#$#!%&$'()&

!"#$%&'(#&$)&*$+#,-$.*/0'0 4'*$5*66-$*/0$7#&/$ 8#6629:*/0&2$ talk to Ross and Rocky Lynch about life on tour, their time in Ireland and advice for aspiring artists

PHOTO BY FERN KELLY-LANDRY FOR TRINITY NEWS

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hat started as a family passion in Colorado has now become the well-known pop group R5. The years of stardom on Disney and Glee meant this musical family was never far from the spotlight. Over the years the siblings grew up - between pursuing their own projects and starting families of their own, R5 became 2: The Driver Era. Although Ross and Rocky Lynch are the frontmen of the band, this doesn’t mean they’ve stopped touring with their siblings. As the brothers arrived in Dublin for the fourth time, they sat backstage in the green room of Vicar Street with Trinity News to delegate advice, chat about authenticity and discuss their music career so far.

On their Girlfriend World Tour, the duo strolled into the lobby from exploring the city to delve into meeting their lively fans for a sold-out backstage meet and greet. This pre-show ritual was uniquely Irish, with one fan handing the confused brothers a packet of Tayto cheese and onion. The cultural significance of the crisp sandwich was clearly lost on the brothers as they mindlessly placed Mr Tayto aside.

Another fan gifted the brothers an Aldi cowboy hat, while a third introduced the Americans to an extra-large tricolour. Looking back on his first time in the country, Rocky ventured to the Aviva to see The Script, and chatted about his love for Irish band’s music.

Life on tour allows the four brothers and their team to travel, see the world and gain experiences to bring together when creating more music. This allows for the perfect balance of doing what they love alongside curating memories and tales along the way to inspire new music, which is a key element to being an artist. When speaking about the creative process behind songwriting and performing, Ross said, “It’s about being a human that’s relatable so you can have something to offer people. I think it’s important as an artist to

find the balance in your life to go to get experiences and get pieces of the world so you can accurately reflect culture and society”. When it comes to the team, everyone has a part to play: their older brother Riker performs bass on stage with The Driver Era, and the youngest of the siblings, Ryland, works both behind the scenes as well as opening the shows with an energetic DJ set. The Driver Era acknowledged the family dynamic both on stage and off, discussing the importance of the strong bond between all of the siblings while on the road.

Established in 2018, The Driver Era strives to curate an image that Rocky agreed to be “a bit more oldschool organic”. For many artists who have started careers on Disney or Nickelodeon, it has proved difficult to create an image or brand that is not solely tethered to those outlets. The brothers have shown the possibility of moving beyond past musical experiences in films such as Teen Beach Movie by taking a new stance, as seen through their latest album Summer Mixtape. Going forward from the days of youthful television programmes to a more mature

style, the brothers described their music as creating a nostalgic feel for summer alongside, as well as featuring other more explicit

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themes on love, sex and passion.

Ross discussed the musical origins of the band, saying, “Our oldest brother Riker just took a liking to entertainment at a really young age, and we all just followed suit because he was the oldest brother and we all looked up to him.” From a young age the five siblings have been present in the media, between both acting and singing. “It was just about following passion and it’s always been fun,” Ross explained, reflecting on the clear changes in their musical trajectory as The Driver Era now move past their early years of performing as a family. This difference in genre ultimately stems from a desire to produce music that encompasses both “raw expression” and an awareness of how “aesthetic still means alot for artists”. Taking this route with their newer songs, Ross and Rocky are able to do what they love for the sheer enjoyment of it.

Alongside Riker and Ryland, they have fortified their passion for music and continued this family’s musical legacy across new themes.

Ross and Rocky were quick to reminisce on their past gigs in the iconic Vicar Street, which has

housed acts such as Lana Del Ray, Neil Young, and even Bob Dylan back in 2000.

With a capacity of 1’500, the

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!"#$#!%&$'() | Tuesday 1 November

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cosy and intimate venue was packed with adoring fans that had travelled from all across the country to hear songs such as San Francisco, A Kiss and Malibu. This celebrated Irish venue is often the springboard for many up-andcoming artists; as a college we are surrounded by mass musical talent, and when told about Trinity-based bands playing at the annual Trinity Ball the brothers bestowed their advice for anyone starting up within the creative scene. They were eager to share what they’ve learned after being in the industry for nearly their whole lives. Rocky told all aspiring musicians, “Don’t hold back. If you’re trying to make music or write something and be creative you’ve got to somewhat get over the hump of resistance or whatever that is. And even moreso, don’t hold yourself back.” Ross agreed with his older brother, saying, “Work on your craft because practice makes perfect.” Making it big isn’t an easy journey, and the duo reflected on the countless hours spent writing, rehearsing, recording and creating that have helped them to get to where they are now. As an aspiring musician,

putting yourself out there and creating a brand for yourself can be scary, but The Driver Era encouraged the talented musicians within college to approach their passions head on.

It was clear that the brothers prioritise more than just chasing fame and fortune. Taking an authentic route, the band are completely adverse to social media, and have even missed the

4

!"#$%&'(#&$)&*$ *+,-./0#12#1$ 3"#$4*5'06$ 16-*5'+$7.3"$ .-$83*2#$*-1$ .9:$1'8+;88'-2$ extensive fancam thirst traps of tour performances. Being 3"#$'5<.&3*-+#$ Ross’ genuine artists is top priority The Driver Era; as Ross put .4$3"#$83&.-2$ for it, “We’re not necessarily eager exploit the social media stuff 7.-1$7#3/##-$ to- most of that stuff ’s happening .-#$*-.3"#&$ organically and that’s super cool, but for whatever reason we just /"'0#$.-$3"#$ haven’t really been inclined to do that ourselves.” Outlets such &.*1 as the popular TikTok are great ways to easily create a following

and gain an audience, and the app has inadvertently done so for the Lynch brothers. However, they both agreed that in a way, their fanbase have taken control of the social media aspect of their career.

This in turn has aided in creating a widespread platform for both their music and image, allowing the brothers to continue doing what they love without the pressure of marketing and putting themselves out there. Publicity from a

collection of viral TikTok videos is just a fortunate by-product of immersing themselves completely in the music and their tour.

Now, the brothers continue their tour around the globe, with gigs in Sweden, Belgium and The Netherlands on the horizon. Life on the road has its ups and downs, but the importance of family and authenticity were stark when meeting with The Driver Era.

10

Tuesday 1 November | !"#$#!%&$'()&

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M

aking your own meals as a student can be rough.

A typical evening in my flat usually goes like this: after a long day on campus, I pick up some vegetables for dinner to pair with that tofu in the fridge that’s about to go off. Back home, everyone’s making supper in the kitchen. There’s an unwashed pot in the corner that I desperately try my best to ignore and all of our plates are in the sink (save for one that I hid strategically behind the pots). Carefully working around the mysterious smoothie spillage near the blender, I chop my ingredients on the solid two inches of unoccupied counter space. My flatmate Sarah tries to tell me about her day, but I can’t hear her over the deafening whir of the grimy extractor fan above the hob. Elly needs the chopping board after me and I need the spatula after Tapasya’s done making her omelette; the whole process requires careful coordination. I grab the last clean plate from the back of the cupboard. At last, dinner is served. Tonight, I’m indulging in a grim-looking, under-seasoned stir fry with leftover rice and two soggy bits of tofu. I have to admit that, sometimes, it’s a lot easier to grab a butter chicken ready meal from Tesco and pray that no one has tried to cook mince in the microwave while you were out. Thankfully, last Monday, my dinner was sorted.

Following a dreadful day of back-to-back lectures and running back and forth across campus, I took a walk down Gardiner Street to catch up with a dear friend of mine. Atharva “Attie” Godkar is a third-year Computer Engineering student with Indian roots who grew up between Singapore and Dublin. We met through mutual friends, and my first time sampling his cooking was over a bowl of ramen he concocted (from scratch!) in Trinity Hall. Cooking for me was an escape from the monotonous, stay-at-home life back in 2020, as it was for Attie: he made me homemade sushi once, introduced me to the scary world of potato waffles, and, when feeling uninspired, shared with me a good old bowl of spicy Korean ramen to end the day. I still remember that first ramen he cooked — probably one of the nicest things anyone has done for me. Well, that was until last Monday. That meal was officially the nicest meal anyone’s ever prepared for me. Almost two

PHOTOS BY ATTIE_COOKS

years later, I was back at his flat and he was cooking for me yet again.

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7@,$/339'()%' "$,%.('4%/3' /"97"%A.'%B%&' *&%*/&%-'+7&' 4%:' Upon arriving at his kitchen, I was warmly greeted by his best friend Mak, who initially introduced both Attie and myself to home-style Japanese cooking in Halls. Attie cites Mak as a major influence on his cuisine, claiming that “Mak makes the best kakuni” (Japanese braised pork belly) — his favourite dish to date.

Attie recently started a cooking page on Instagram (@attie_cooks) to document his picturesque, homemade gourmet meals. As he talked me through the dish he prepared for our long-overdue reunion, I couldn’t help but notice the genuine excitement in his voice. Above him, stuck to the cupboard, hung a blueprint of the dish, carefully drawn and annotated. It detailed every component involved in the meal: the creamy pesto mash, the plum jam, the accoutrements of pickled beets and carrots, and, at the centre of it all, stood the marinated lamb rack. I was in awe of his evolution as a student-chef. The elaborate process and the humble creativity involved in making such an elaborate dish was deeply impressive (on a weeknight too!).

I observed the master at his craft, tea towel in his back pocket, searing the lamb racks to a perfect medium-rare before using the same pan to reduce the marinade to a thick, miso-enriched gravy.

Cloves, lemon, olive oil, mint, and — the most important ingredient of all — his grandmother’s garam masala spice blend formed the marinade and crust of the dark pink lamb. He insisted that I sit down while he cooked, instead offering me a packet of wasabi peas he had lying around on his kitchen table as an amuse-bouche to start off the meal. Though he didn’t let me help with the cooking, Attie gave me the honour of taste-testing the finished plum jam, a component of the dish he improvised lastminute, since cherries are currently out of season. Beetroot juice didn’t do the job at giving the jam its deep red tint, but the eureka moment of adding the wine — “That’s it! That’s the colour!” —

was remarkable to watch in real time. Attie started cooking at the early age of six, sitting at the stove beside his mum, in charge of the seasoning — a crucial component of the cooking process. Watching him prepare a dish he had never attempted before was a fascinating new step beyond his Halls’ cookery, and certainly a long way from monitoring flavouring; I still recognised his signature Indian and Japanese roots, but here I was sampling haute cuisine from the comfort of Attie’s kitchen.

At the table in front of me lay a work of pure art – Hytte i hagen (cottage in the garden). “Nothing beats European haute-cuisine presentation,” Attie mumbled as I sat open-mouthed in his kitchen.

Surrounded by sweet pickled carrots and beetroot, the roasted mushrooms from the marinade, and the deep red plum jam, Attie’s crusted lamb rack sat majestically on its savoury parmesan and pesto mash bed. Art through food, c’est magnifique. The presentation was phenomenal. I tend to be fussy when it comes to fusion food, especially when combined with unnecessarily complicated presentation, but Attie’s dish didn’t feel like a conceited attempt to impress me. It felt intentional and genuine, each component carefully presented to enjoy on its own or combine with another element to unlock a new flavour combination. Each bite was unique in itself, as different sections of the lamb highlighted different notes of cloves or lemon. I was utterly entranced by the meal — so much so that I almost ignored the broken table lying in the corner from last week’s barbecue incident. The combination of savoury miso gravy with the plum jam was a wonder,

especially when contrasted with the tart acidity of the carrots and beetroots.

!

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It was through the elements lying in his kitchen that he came up with unexpected flavour pairings that ultimately made their mark.

On Monday night, Attie made me realise that by taking risks and thinking creatively beyond the realm of culinary conventions, you can make anything look and taste good — even a stir-fry in your student kitchen.

11

!"#$#!%&$'() | Tuesday 1 November

!"#$%&'($)'*+,**#*$-"#$+./-0.1#0*'2&$./&'/#$ 3&2-4.056$7/&892/*6$'/$'-*$:0*-$)#;2-#$.4$-"#$8#20 !"#$%&'"("()% outlines the women and gender minorities subcommittee’s discussion on female exploitation within the porn industry

O

n Friday October 21, the Phil’s Elizabethan Society (The Eliz), held its first debate of the academic year discussing the increasingly popular site, OnlyFans. This was the society’s first in-person event in three years, with the debate also providing the Eliz with the opportunity to introduce its officers and members to the student body.

For those unfamiliar with this Phil subcommittee, the Eliz was founded on the principle of gender equality, striving to include women in all aspects of Trinity life — most notably, debating. With over 100 years of history, the Eliz was the first female debating society on campus, established when women were prohibited from joining the other societies in college.

Despite continuing to operate under the limitations imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Eliz has announced that it seeks to make this their most active year yet.

Centred not only on the promotion of women, the subcommittee has also broadened its focus to include the highly contemporary issues of intersectional feminism and the gender continuum, subjects which are undoubtedly in need of greater exploration.

Friday’s event provoked discussion about the nature of sex work through its debate on whether OnlyFans is inherently exploitative. This subscriptionbased online site enables creators to post sexually explicit content for their followers in exchange for profit. For its supporters, OnlyFans is viewed as one of the only pornographic-centred platforms which provides the creators with a measure of control and freedom within their profession, predominately concerning the autonomy they wield over what they choose to publicise.

Arguments for the proposition focused on the detrimental way OnlyFans uses its creators solely for its own profit. This is also at the cost of the creators’ female personhood and empowerment, as well as society’s collective view

of women’s bodies. While the proposition’s objections to the site were prefaced with their support of sex workers, the consensus that OnlyFans was not the platform to promote this, was predicated on the fact that sex work can never be separated from the “male gaze”.

As the closing proposition speaker Kelly Millikan argued, by using OnlyFans, that “women’s bodies are inherently commodified, and it is naïve, dare I say anti-feminist, to suggest otherwise”. Millikan went on to exemplify this point by quoting feminist theorist, Carole Pateman who encapsulated the main thrust of the proposition; “a woman selling her body is essentially selling herself.”

Another prominent issue for the proposition was the owner of the site; a shady male billionaire whose background uncovers a chain of questionable pornrelated businesses. The site’s hefty 20% levy on all transactions seemed to be just another piece of evidence revealing the platform’s exploitative nature.

*

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANNA CLARKE

The opposition, however, offered compelling counter arguments and rebuttal, with Trinity student and OnlyFans creator, Lily Bohan, speaking for the first time in the chamber. Bohan highlighted the ways in which OnlyFans enables her to feel a sense of liberation, predominantly due to the publication of her image being wholly on her own terms. With strict copyright laws protecting the creators’ content, the sense of control and empowerment that accompanies the ownership of one’s image was argued to deflect any accusations of exploitation.

Other reasons to support the site ranged from the ability to choose one’s working hours and the significant profit margins that

can be achieved in comparison to some “exploitative minimum wage jobs”.

The closing opposition speaker, Yvonne Farrel ended the debate with an impassioned speech, charging the proposition with being a manifestation of patriarchal oppression that arises whenever a female seeks to express, and profit from her sexuality. In an interesting point, Farrel understood creators posting content as a way of “grabbing the patriarchy by the balls” (pun not intended) and allowing women to gain what they deserve in terms of profiting from male desire. Reframing the perceived exploitation as instead, simply retribution, OnlyFans, Farrel

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The strength of the arguments on both sides was evident when it came to voting. With the first stage of results producing an even split, the second round of voting came down on the side of the proposition. Regardless of the heated debate offered that night, and the divergence of views inside the GMB, participants and audience members then retreated to the relaxed and cheerful atmosphere of the Pav.

12

Tuesday 1 November | !"#$#!%&$'()&

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O

n Sunday evening, I attended the 7th lecture in a series presented by the T.S Eliot Estate, in conjunction with the Abbey Theatre, titled the T.S Eliot Lecture.

On the centenary year of Eliot’s publication of The Wasteland, none other than Sally Rooney took to the stage to deliver an insightful, suggestive, and intellectually stimulating ‘misreading’ of James Joyce’s Ulysses.

Colm Toíbín has spoken to the relationship between Joyce’s novel and Eliot’s long poem, citing how both ”dealt with the rawness of urban life using competing narrative forms, including pastiche and myth and different kinds of voices.”

It seemed therefore, immensely fitting to me that one of Ireland’s newest, and most prevalent literary voices should speak on Joyce’s impact. The audience at the Abbey on this evening were evidently intrigued by Rooney’s eloquent deconstruction of a book that had clearly touched the hearts of each person in the room. As her lecture drew to a close, there seemed a collective sense that those present would return to Ulysses with renewed vigour. It was clear that Rooney’s musings over the text would linger, long after the day had passed.

The event was opened by Denise Gough, who read beautifully, and with such careful consideration for Eliot’s words, from the first portion of the Wasteland: ”I. The Burial of the Dead.” Irish author, College Professor, and close companion of Rooney’s, Mark O’Connell then took to the stage to give a touching, and admittedly very amusing

introduction to Rooney’s work.

O’Connell spoke fondly of Rooney’s global impact when he told the packed auditorium of a time himself and Rooney were accosted in front square by a group of American tourists, who couldn’t quite fathom that they were meeting “the Sally Rooney on Trinity College’s campus.”

Rooney then delivered a carefully constructed, feministsituated lecture on Joyce’s novel.

She was humble in her admittance that as an Undergraduate, she found the novel very frustrating indeed — a fact that I am sure many present were able to relate to. Rooney spoke of how she only returned to Ulysses last year, at the insistence of her husband. She spoke generously of her experience as a reader of Joyce and was at times very funny. Her intelligence, good nature, and care for her

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“

I can’t stay out, I have to make it for the last bus,” and “No, I have to run for the train in 15 minutes.” Everyone who does not live within a close distance of campus endures this. According to the 2016 census, over 16 percent of students need to travel over an hour to get to college in Dublin.

Of course, this number has only been rapidly increasing ever since.

Perhaps your friend is a commuter.

Perhaps you yourself are. When I say commuter, I don’t mean arriving on campus by the end of the duration of two songs, I mean arriving on campus by the end of two whole albums…

From an outside perspective, living at home can be seen as the best of both worlds. You get to go to college every day and still have the comfort of your own home by the end of it. The familiar support network that you’ve had all throughout your life is still there.

It eases the transition between secondary school and college.

It saves a heap of money and spares the worry of securing and affording student accommodation.

Although, what about the commuter’s student life? Coming from a personal opinion and one shared amongst fellow commuter friends, we are completely burnt out. The majority of our days

are spent travelling. If we have only one lecture during the day, double that class time will be spent on public transport. While everyone experiences the dreaded College timetabling with the 4-hour gaps between classes, those who commute do not have the luxury of heading back to their accommodation for the gap when they feel tired, unwell, or just want to rest. They have no choice but to stay in the library or a café, as time drags by.

Nights out are another issue.

Do you fork out the cash for a taxi or do you get the last bus home when the night hasn’t even properly started? Some people’s bus services run a 24-hour service while the majority of other routes only operate til midnight. After spending the day on campus from 9am till 4pm, the last thing a commuter is going to want to do is hang around another 6 hours to then have a night out in Diceys. In a study conducted by TUD Head of Campus Life, Dr. Brian Gomley states: “international literature indicates that students in student residences have a higher level of engagement than students in other living arrangements.” It is nearly impossible to have the same engagement level as those living on or near campus. By opting to live at home, commuters are automatically at a disadvantage.

People often have a stereotypical view of college that it will be the best years of your life. However, does this factor in every college student? It cannot be denied that there is a divide between the student that lives a 15-minute walk from campus and the student who has to catch the 6.30am bus every

morning to scrape it in time for their 9am. There’s a considerable difference between the person who has got the recommended 8 hours of sleep and the one struggling to stay awake on 5 hours. At times it can feel that your own energy levels, personal capabilities and strength — not to forget a significant intake of cans of Monster — are the determining factors.

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HI**)10$%J 7)#1//7,1)91>& ,**-&)+#(51>& +)-&9+51&;*5& 815&95+4&?151& 1A7-1)#&+%&%81& %6*K1&*;&L*091$%& :(982M1/*A1-& 98+5+9#15%>& +)-&#8175& 7:6+9#&*)&815& +%&+)&"57%8& ?57#15C Many European countries don’t face this issue. College is seen as a time of growth and independence.

Often this indicates moving out of the home and living independently for the first time. This transition is pivotal in every young person’s life. Yet, Irish commuter students are in a state of limbo where they are living an independent life at college but as soon as they arrive back home it feels as if they have never left. They are living two different lives. It goes without saying no one can balance out the challenges that come with these two alternating existences.

Sometimes it can feel like it is more effort than it is worth. While every country has its own problems, the lack of student housing in many European countries is not as severe as it is in Ireland, specifically Dublin. In a study conducted as part of the EuroStudent Social and Economic Conditions of Student Life in Europe 2018-2021, Ireland ranked third highest in Europe for accommodation costs by the size of study location. Irish college students notice this especially when abroad, if they decide to go on Erasmus for example.

The culture shock to be seen is immense.

It might be asked why don’t commuters look for student accommodation in the city centre?

If it is so bad then why put up with the commute? Why would they sacrifice their social life? Most commuters do not have a choice.

It is the expectation that if you live in Dublin or the surrounding counties (AKA the commuter belt) to travel to and from campus every day. The fact that this is a given in Irish society is a stark reminder of the housing crisis. While the isolating impact of commuting can have a dire effect on students’ well-being and socialisation,

craft were evident as she spoke of Joyce’s much-beloved characters, and their impact on her as an Irish writer. The highlight of the evening, however, was Rooney’s conversation with Anne Enright.

Perhaps grilling might be a better term here, as the pair bounced off one another in an impassioned, and at times heated debate on character, the relational novel, Irish writing, and the transactional nature of all human exchange.

As a student of literature myself, it was a masterclass in articulation and independent thought. A night that I am bound to remember for a very long time. I left feeling revitalised, and hungry to pick up my pen, and write.

this is only one issue of many.

Students have frequently spoken out about their individual and collective injustices. The National Student Walkout carried out on October 13 is the most recent example. As thousands across the country left their classes in throngs, the demands have shown to be stronger than ever. Caps on rents need to be enforced that are affordable to all college students.

An increase in purpose-built student accommodation needs to be seen too. Perhaps then and only then, by giving all college students the option — an equal student life can begin to come about.

13

!"#$#!%&$'() | Tuesday 1 November

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the clitoris?,” asks artist Sophia Wallace in her 2015 Ted Talk, Cliteracy, a term she coined for literacy of the clitoris. Through its formal exclusion from media and even sex education, the clitoris is forever forgotten.

The subjugation of this female sex organ is sustained through incorrect language use, with Wallace citing “vagina” as the “single most misused word in the English language”. Vagina is a Latin word meaning “sword holder” (ew) and only refers to the opening itself. The use of “vagina” as a blanket term for female genitalia (in doctors’ offices, in parliament, by feminist advocates, by partners discussing their intimate needs, by leasure for people sex ed teachers, and by the world at with vulvas is often large) erases the clitoris from our misrepresented in the sexual understandings, burying a mainstream, leading us to whole array of erotic options for internalise a lot of unhelpful lessons half of the population. The extent about our bodies. Most of us have of this subjugation is staggering. to spend time unlearning those The correct word for the sex lessons, much to the detriment of organ, biologically speaking, is our collective feminine pleasure. ‘vulva,’ incorporating the clit, The specific lessons I refer to are vagina and labia. On the other in the context of cishet relations, hand, pleasure should be discussed despite people of all genders and primarily in terms of the clitoris orientations having vulvas. itself. The vagina is short on nerves What is a vulva, you ask? What in order to facilitate childbirth. The a great place to start — with clitoris is long and extends deep unlearning the most literal lesson under the skin, so when pleasure is we receive: school biology. evoked by something entering the vagina, it is because the internal 9:* 4%#(0* &#;* <"/<=>* #1?* clitoris is being stimulated. Are you ,%#(0*&#;*@&)(#&*AB=C*DE*FDEG* feeling lied to yet? Let’s continue.

65H*<"/<=>*<"/<=>*<"/<=IJ Pleasure is not the only thing that suffers from our societal “How is it possible that lack of cliteracy. Understanding we landed on the moon and one’s body is crucial to giving walked around 29 years before one’s consent. What’s more, this we discovered the anatomy of is a health concern. The clitoris is severely underrepresented in scientific journals and research.

This lack of representation means it receives insubstantial medical care and there is a greater chance of clitoral surgeries and medical procedures being butchered.

So, it turns out that what we learn about our bodies in school is completely inadequate.

140,000,000 people worldwide have had their external clitorises removed. The rest of us, Wallace believes, have undergone a “psychological clitoridectomy” in not knowing they exist, in not learning about female pleasure, eroticism and fantasies — the secrets of our clitorises, our beautiful, beautiful clitorises, are lost to us.

And that’s not just a gosh darn shame; that’s oppression in all its glory.

P

K:* C1.':* 4$%&0.'%:* D0:* L1?:* =:* M1#.0: Do you remember hearing you had to eat pineapple to make your lady bits taste good before a guy went down on you? Or that guys wouldn’t like how you looked after PHOTO VIA UNSPLASH

they came? Do you recall the sexed talk when all the guys were like, “ewwww”, at the pictures of actual vulvas? Of course, these same guys were supposed to be sex-crazed maniacs (another myth), but it seemed that this was contingent on particularly palatable presentations of femininity.

Being a teenage girl is an onslaught of falsities about you and your partners’ bodies. I genuinely thought vulvas were repulsive, and getting anyone to go down on you was a favor because it was unpleasant for them (you can imagine my surprise when I learned that actually… it was not.)

As such, these myths were functioning effectively — to shame me and alienate me from my pleasure. They made me feel my satisfaction was a bonus, not a given, and hindered my ability to speak up and ask for what I wanted. On a large scale, this silence and misinformation surrounding female pleasure has devastating consequences. These myths (combined with a lack of cliteracy!) contribute to an orgasm gap that, in 2020, made men 30% more likely to finish than women during straight sex. Studies have also found women and girls are more likely to report their sexual satisfaction as dependent on their partners’ levels of enjoyment rather than their own, an obvious tragedy for vulvakind

!

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As well as this, most mainstream depictions of sex focus on vaginal sex, while only 35% of women report being able to finish from vaginal sex alone. Extensive foreplay, oral sex and external clitoral stimulation are almost totally absent from movie scene sex, sending the message that female pleasure is like breakfast in bed: you can ask for it on special occasions, but it’s extraneous to everyday scripts (we’re not talking to you, Bridgerton. Thank you for your service).

No one - overtly or by neglect - should ever make you feel like your pleasure is a burden. In truth, you are entitled to pleasure with as much passion and frequency as your partner, no matter how much longer it takes, whether you’ve shaved or not, and even whether you smell like a tropical yellow fruit.

N:* B%O* P(?+1.?* 1')&03* (0* 0%O>* &#;*-1'%,$&Q*(0*0%O *%@%'Q?+(#)*(0* 0%O>*1R&QSI These lessons, even more so than the first two, are based on the same idea — that straight male sexual narratives impose on the female experience. We have already seen that the orgasm gap means vulva owners typically climax less than those with penises during sex, and a study by Durex found that 20% of women (versus 2% of men) have never orgasmed at all. Given that, doesn’t the fact that we take climax to be the measure of ‘good’ sex feel a bit… dare I say, sexist?

Similarly, many people with vulvas have said foreplay is as important to them (if not more important) than “actual” (p in v) sex. Most report that they are much more likely to finish after extensive foreplay. However, society is slow to call anything other than p in v (or at the very least penetrative) sex “sex”, to the extent that foreplay is seen as an aside to sex, not as sex-in-itself. In the words of Chandler Bing, kissing is to sex as a stand-up comedian is to a Pink Floyd concert.

In both cases, we project a straight male narrative onto our sex lives. While some men also struggle to climax, typically, sex finishes (for both parties – think about that) when the man does, so it’s a safe bet to say that orgasm is central to his narrative. But release can come in all sorts of forms – from kissing, fingering or less. So, the emphasis on finishing, which is sometimes out of reach for vulva owners, invalidates much of the sex that we have and enjoy.

In the same way, while most people with penises also enjoy foreplay, it is not typically thought of as crucial to their sexual arc and, thus, is often overshadowed when p’s and v’s come together.

!

>-#(*3&( &/"%",&$("-( 6,&*'#3&( 0%")(*'(1#8)( 6*''%-/(*/$( .3&?#&/85(*'( 5-#3(6*3"/&3;( /-(1*""&3( )-0(1#8)( ,-/2&3(%"("*4&';( 3&2*3$,&''( -.((0)&")&3( 5-#9+&(')*+&$( -3(/-";(*/$( &+&/(0)&")&3( 5-#('1&,,(,%4&( *("3-6%8*,( 5&,,-0(.3#%" In the same way, while most people with penises also enjoy foreplay, it is not typically thought of as crucial to their sexual arc and, thus, is often overshadowed when p’s and v’s come together.

We need to stop thinking of foreplay as before sex and realise it can constitute sex-in-of-itself.

Penetrative sex as the required main event is tied to patriarchal notions of virginity, and we know what a can of misogynistic, heteronormative worms those are.

Don’t get me wrong: orgasms are great, and we should be pushing to close the orgasm gap.

That’s part of the point of this article. The belief that sex is not good unless you orgasm, though, can place unfounded pressure thereon, and rob people of otherwise wonderful experiences, people with vulvas being (as usual) disproportionately affected. We need to gauge enjoyment of sex in just that – how much we enjoy it – and not quantifiable male markers of orgasm and penetration.

14

Tuesday 1 November | !"#$#!%&$'()&

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I

t’s 1997. There’s a nip in the air and a soft breeze rustles the leaves of the flower pots that hang from street lights, yet it’s not too windy. The sky is threatening rain but so far there hasn’t been a drop all day. Seven-year-old Sorcha Richardson walks down the street, with an undeniable spring in her step, on her way to her grandparents’ house from school. She loves them, there is no question, but her sights are set on something very specific.

Only the coolest thing ever: her grandfather’s old keyboard. She has been waiting all day for this.

Even as a child, Richardson used music as a form of connection and intimacy. The highlight of her day was going to her grandparents’ house after school and playing her grandfather’s keyboard. Explaining the scenario, Richardson laughs, feeling as though she must have been pretty annoying, spending

her entire visits messing around with the keys. Later on Richardson would learn to play the guitar and drums, but the love started with that old keyboard.

Fast forward eleven years into the future and Richardson is trying her hand at the Big Apple and a foreign education in creative writing. Surrounded by musicians from different backgrounds, Richardson was introduced to new ideas and perspectives. She expresses a love of New York City’s anonymity — a feeling that, surrounded by tall buildings and blinding city lights, she could challenge herself to attend open mics; to experience the crowds while also being able to quickly disappear into the night. As her following grew, Richardson notes how supportive the Irish community was. However freeing the vastness of New York City was, she loved that sense of connection, especially the boost she received from Irish Radios while thousands of miles from home. It is no surprise then that Richardson moved back home, immersing herself in the Irish music scene which she discloses has never felt more exciting.

Perhaps it is these strong connections, from her childhood in Dalkey to her time spent in New York City, that allows Richardson to remain grounded. Throughout

these diverse experiences of studying abroad and rising fame, Richardson remains true to herself and her music. The singer indicates her hope that each song connects to the listener.

Channelling her creative writing education, she writes her music in a way that conveys a narrative, building short stories through the lyrics. She explains how important it is that she pays attention to her influences, including some of her favourite artists like The Beatles, but she never tries to replicate them. Mostly, she tries to make music that she wants to listen to.

From listening on Spotify, Richardson’s unique voice shines through in her music. The Irish Times glowingly describes her newly released song Archie as “nailing all the infectious enthusiasm of youthful creativity and the naive innocence it comes wrapped up in.” Richardson’s individual experiences mould her music into something genuinely raw and passionate. It is specific to a young audience, who are experiencing the turmoil and roller coaster of emotions that comes with growing up.

Richardson is set to start her tour of her newly released album, Smiling Like an Idiot, on October 20 at the 3Olympia Theatre in Dublin. Selling out this hometown venue and playing her favourite

childhood stadium holds a special place in her heart. The songs, she expresses, were written to be played live, whether that be a solo gig in a cafe with just her and her acoustic guitar or in a large stadium backed by her band, feeling the welcoming energy of thousands of fans. Her love of performing in front of a crowd is evident as she describes the travelling circus that is touring. Less than twenty-four hours in each city with at least nine hours getting ready in the venue and a couple hours of wandering around each new place in the lull of crazinessness; life on tour is non-stop.

As much as Richardson is fond of touring her music, she admits that writing new material is almost impossible. For inspiration to hit, Richardson prefers a setting a little closer to home. Patience is key.

She explains that simply forcing herself to go through the motions of songwriting doesn’t work. She needs to feel compelled to tell a story. This comes when everything slows down for a minute and Richardson is able to catch her breath. Amidst this calm, maybe on a getaway to Kerry, free from the constraints and business of her normal day to day life in Dublin, Richardson finds she produces her best work.

With almost 300,000 followers on Spotify, a debut album that was

.

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nominated for the RTÉ Choice Music Prize for Irish album of the year and a promising second album just released, Sorcha Richardson is on the rise. From Dalkey to New York and back again, her singularly beautiful, yet powerful, voice expresses a confusion of emotions that just makes sense. There is no question that Sorcha Richardson is a name to look out for in the bustling Irish music scene.

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A

round this time last year, I broke up with my boyfriend of almost 2 years. I didn’t know it at the time, but we weren’t breaking up because we wanted to see other people. Rather, in my eyes, the relationship ended because I felt like I hadn’t seen myself in months: I didn’t know myself or love myself anymore. This was not my exboyfriend’s fault; in fact, he was lovely and always tried to make me feel better and support me when I had those feelings. But the external validation and support were not enough. In my eyes, I needed to completely detach myself from the relationship in order to find out who I was.

From a young age, I’d been exposed to what is now known as the post-breakup glow-up. This is a kind of ritual usually shown in the media as the moment when the ex-girlfriend bounces back and gets a new haircut, goes out more often and suddenly seems

like a whole new, happier person (think Princess Diana in her revenge dress). I believed that in order to feel like myself again, I needed to perform this ritual: to have a post-breakup glow-up, and then magically I would find myself again.

In a way, this worked. I cut my hair, I went out with my friends, and I started to feel truly happy.

I felt independent and capable of weathering any storm (because if I can get over my ex-boyfriend, what else is left?). But somehow, I still did not feel as though I loved myself. Despite leaving my former boyfriend in order to find internal validation, there I was on Tinder or out in the clubs finding validation from other, perhaps less well-intentioned people. I had swapped out care and support for meaningless and shallow interactions, because at the time this felt more empowering than having a partner’s love and affection. I thought that if a complete stranger could treat me well enough, then certainly there was something about me that was likeable and attractive.

However, I quickly realised that the cool stoner from a dating app was probably not the answer to all of my self-image and selflove problems, and more than anything, it just taught me that it’s okay to have a good time with a stranger. While these experiences did wonders for my ego, I did not

feel empowered. Instead, I felt lost and would question if I had made the right decision in leaving my boyfriend.

But I knew I couldn’t (and didn’t want to) go running back to him.

When we broke up, I was aware that I was going to struggle a lot; I was losing a strong support system as well as a friend. But as much as this loss frightened me, it was also exciting. Being able to finally stand on my own, instead of as one half of a couple, felt extremely liberating. Even in the moments when I questioned myself and the legitimacy of this path to loving myself, I knew that I had made the right decision. This assurance that affirmed I had made the right choice for myself was incredibly empowering. I started to realise that my own opinion was one that I should value a lot more than I had been previously.

This is when I had a sort of breakthrough. I realised that I had been neglecting the most important relationship that I would ever have: my relationship with myself. Prior to breaking up with my ex-boyfriend, I had unknowingly entered into a toxic relationship with myself. This manifested itself in the way I spoke to myself, the way I treated my body, and the way I let others treat me too. To put it into perspective, if a partner had treated me the way I was treating myself, the relationship would have ended

instantly.

You spend your entire life with yourself. I feel stupid for not realising it before, but if you don’t treat yourself with respect, kindess and compassion, then there is no way you can love yourself. I focused so much on trying to care for others (mostly my boyfriend) that I had forgotten that I could, and had to, care for myself as well.

I guess sometimes it can be hard to realise that love is not only reserved for other people.

After understanding that I had to be kinder to myself — and by no means did this happen overnight — I met my current boyfriend. For the first time, when I met him, I felt sure of myself. The question of whether or not he was interested in me at the time didn’t seem to worry me as much as it would have a few months prior. I felt that if he was to let me down, or not reciprocate my feelings, I would be confident enough in myself to accept things as they were rather than spiral into self-doubt and questions about my worth. I have now been in a relationship with him for the past few months. As my friends know, I was largely against the idea of being in a relationship again. I was worried that I would lose my independence and start seeking validation from my boyfriend, and in turn, forget that I can also be a source of love for myself.

While I believe that you can only truly love yourself if the love comes

from within, I will give credit to my boyfriend and say that external love from a partner goes a long way.

Being with him, I feel respected, empowered, and beautiful.

Finally being in a more mature relationship, I feel no pressure whatsoever to be someone else, or act differently. I can continue to be independent and grow — in fact, it’s somewhat encouraged. If there is a misunderstanding we can talk about it rationally, and I don’t get a sinking feeling in my stomach. A while ago it would have been worrying for me to think that someone could care about me in this way — I think sometimes it is difficult to accept love from someone when you don’t love yourself. But in this relationship, now that I am more secure in myself, I’m much more comfortable receiving that kind of respect and love from someone else.

I remember watching RuPaul’s Drag Race and hearing the iconic line “If you can’t love yourself, how the hell are you going to love somebody else!” — I can sincerely say that I am far from loving myself fully; the road is long but I am getting there slowly.

However, learning to show myself love has allowed me to feel secure in myself again. It has also allowed me to open up to love from others, something which is scary, but also exciting.

15

!"#$#!%&$'() | Tuesday 1 November

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A

s we all know, a big thing that comes with college years is experimentation with drugs. Many will find that they enjoy nothing more than lounging around after smoking a nice fat joint of cannabis whilst others will dance the night away with the help of a bit of MDMA. Some will enjoy chatting until the early hours of the morning under the influence of cocaine whereas others will momentarily want to detach from reality by sniffing some ketamine. All of this is without even mentioning alcohol.

Whatever drug you try, you should not feel ashamed or guilty for your ventures into the world of illicit substances. After all, more than half of the students in Ireland have used drugs in some shape or form this past year, with cannabis being the most popular drug (Kelleher, 2022). I’m not here to tell you not to experiment with drugs. I’m here to tell you what happens when you abuse them like I did.

When I first attended college, in UCD way back in 2016, I relied heavily on cannabis to get me through the days. I was suffering from depression at the time and weed plastered over the cracks.

Above all, it allowed me to sleep. I smoked it all day almost every day that first year of college and when you factor in the other drugs I was doing such as MDMA, ketamine and cocaine, you can see why my mental state was a ticking time bomb. Instead of seeking out professional help, I relied heavily on drugs to escape my problems.

I paid for this lifestyle with a psychotic episode at the end of first year of college. It was terrifying.

A psychotic episode is a period of psychosis where you essentially lose touch with reality. It consists of delusional and disordered thinking and can include hallucinations. Unfortunately, I didn’t learn my lesson and continued doing drugs consistently for the next three years, culminating in a second episode and then finally a third episode about two years ago that nipped my drug use mostly in the bud (old habits die hard).

After my first episode, during which I stayed in a psych unit for a couple of weeks, I refused to seek professional help. I felt the drugs helped like nothing else could. I know many out there who are reliant on a particular

substance feel the same. It’s easier to get out of your head by doing drugs than to actually get what’s in your head out. Talking about your problems is very scary when you’ve never done it before.

Doing and abusing drugs allows you to put this scary prospect off indefinitely. The problem with this approach is that you’re only bottling things up and eventually your anxieties, fears and insecurities will boil over. For me, them boiling over took on the form of psychosis and a psychotic episode.

*

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To a professional. To anyone. If you do what I did you may well end up paying for it in a similar manner as I did and trust me that is not something you want to happen. Over the course of my three episodes I ruined family relationships, friendships and just my life in general. All because I never had the bravery to talk to anyone about what I was going through and relied on drugs to let me kick the problem down the road, until the road came to an unceremonious end, three times, resulting in two hospitalisations.

What are you to take away from this? In my opinion, experimentation is fine, abuse is not. Exploring your mind is grand, permanently living in an altered state of mind is not. Drug use is okay, using it to mask your problems is not. If you feel like you are the type of person who has come to rely on drugs for your mental wellbeing in any way then it is time for you to seek help.

Reliance is not normal. Reliance is not healthy. The best approach to drug use is abstinence, but temptations are everywhere in college and sometimes abstinence isn’t an option either because of peer

pressure, budding addictions or someone just really liking drugs.

*

$<&25$2.#$,.$ '=/19$2.,45$,-$ -'$*/.=$1'2&$ %&'()#*.$,.$ 4'-; Recreational drug use can lead you down an incredibly dark path. Recreational can become habitual all too easily and often it is mental health problems that take someone from the former to the latter. Before you know it you’ll be sucked in and you’ll find it hard to crawl your way back out again, at least without professional help. So, seek professional help, early and often. Take control of your drug use and don’t let it take control of you. You’ll thank yourself for it later.

A good organisation if you’re struggling is firstly the Trinity Counselling Service, which is free for all students. However, its waiting time can be too long for some. Pieta House do incredible work in suicide prevention if you feel like you’re on the brink. You can also find addiction counselling services in your local area on Drugs.ie and Askaboutalcohol.ie.

This is to name but a few services.

If you are in fact struggling with your mental health and substance abuse, please reach out to someone.

I really don’t want you to have the same experience as me if it can be prevented. Take this as a way for you to learn from my realisations instead of having to go through it yourself. .

Many people, including myself, believe drugs should be decriminalised for personal possession because they are part of the human experience for a lot of people and a health-based approach to drug use, like they have in Portugal, has seen incredible dividends being earned by society as a whole.

*

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So, look out for your mates, look out for yourself and enjoy your sessions responsibly and safely.

16

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CROSSWORD BY ELLA SLOANE FOR TRINITY NEWS

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