Trinity News Vol. 68 Issue 5

Life pullout

The dilemma of alcohol-based events

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Robot Wars for billionaires: Formula 1

Keeping a dead language alive 30

TRINITY NEWS ESTABLISHED 1953

Tuesday 30 November 2021

Ireland’s Oldest Student Newspaper

PHOTO BY JACK KENNEDY & ELIZA MELLER FOR TRINITY NEWS

Vol. 68, Issue. 5

No automatic right of deferral to be offered in semester one exams Kate Henshaw, Bella Salerno News Editor, Deputy News Editor

There will be a deferral session in early February for Covid-positive students and close contacts

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HERE IS TO BE NO AUTOMATIC RIGHT to deferral to be offered to students for semester one exams, in contrast to last year.

In an email to all students, College outlined the updated regulations in place for semester one assessments.

Students will be permitted to defer “online or in person examinations for Covid-related or other medical reasons” only, and “no record of deferral will appear on your transcript” in this case.

Students who “contract Covid”,

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“display symptoms”, or “are a close contact”, “must not attend an inperson exam or sit an online exam on campus”, and should “contact either [their] Tutor or Course Director as soon as possible”.

It is also possible that “if you fall ill with something else, you may not be able to sit an online examination in a private setting”.

The deferral session for Michaelmas term exams is to take place from February 7 to February 19 for Covid-positive students and close contacts. Contingency dates of February 21 to February 26 have also been allocated for the deferral period.

Deferred exams will be scheduled for “ late afternoons, evenings or weekends” within the deferral period and “consideration will be given to other factors such as existing teaching or lecture requirements, to minimise the impact on students and staff whenever possible”.

Students availing of these deferrals must “provide a copy/ screen shot of the text message confirming the positive PCR Covid result from the HSE ensuring that the date is displayed”.

“If it’s the case that there were no available slots for a PCR test within these three days, students must submit proof with a screenshot.”

Students who are living in a residence with a confirmed positive case “must restrict [their] movements until [they] have 3 negative antigen test results within 5 days”.

Students looking to defer from the February reassessment, or who fail during that period, may resit the exams in the autumn.

Failed examinations taken in December or January will also be retaken in the autumn reassessment session.

Students requiring in-person examination for professional accreditation reasons or because their exams are lab-based “will Continued on page 2>>

Christmas Tree-nity

Holiday decorations have begun to sprout up around campus as the end of the semester approaches. Continuing students finish class on December 3, while first years have until December 17. Hilary term will begin on 24 January 2022.

Irish Times boycott proposal fails by nine votes Jack Kennedy Editor

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RINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN STUDENTS’ UNION (TCDSU) will not be adopting a formal boycott of the Irish Times, after a referendum on the measure failed to be approved by the required 60% of voters.

398 voters or 58.8% approved the measure, with 279 or 41.2% voting against. There were also

nine spoiled votes. In order for the measure to pass, nine votes would have had to swing from no to yes, or eighteen additional yes votes would have been needed.

A separate referendum held at the same time, mandating TCDSU to lobby College to divest from the arms industry, passed with 85.3% of voters approving. There were 510 ballots in that vote, including one spoiled.

The measure will now become a “long term policy” of the union, meaning it will remain in place indefinitely unless removed by

another referendum.

Other long-term policies of the union include its support of the Boycott, Divest and Sanctions movement, and its pro-choice stance on the issue of abortion.

Voting on both measures took place online from Wednesday (November 24) until Friday (November 26).

It was revealed earlier this year that College’s investment portfolio includes a stake of approximately €2.5 million in the armaments industry, spread across several companies.

Continued on page 2>>

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Tuesday 30 November | TRINITY NEWS

News

Table of contents News Features - page 14

Deja brew: the growth of Ireland’s coffee industry

Postgrads not receiving information on voting in TCDSU elections or referenda 200 attend anti-racism rally in DCU after complaints over lecturer’s comments

Comment - page 21

USI’s Fuck the Fees campaign was doomed by design

SciTech - page 28 The Pill: your brain on hormonal contraceptives

Sport - page 30 Formula 1: Robot Wars for billionaires

TRINITY NEWS EDITORIAL STAFF Editor Deputy Editor Assistant Editor Online Editor Life Editor Editor-at-Large

Jack Kennedy Shannon Connolly Grace Gageby Shannon McGreevy Heather Bruton Finn Purdy

>> Continued from front page

No automatic right of deferral to be offered in semester one exams be informed by your module coordinator” if those exams need to be “deferred for all students to the deferral session” “If students cannot submit continuous assessment assignments for Covid-related or other reasons, [they] should contact [their] Tutor or Course Director to agree a revised submission date”: the email stated.

Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) had previously called on College to reinstate last year’s mitigation measures, including an automatic right to deferral and the right of sophister students to retake exams at-will following the release of grades.

TCDSU Education Officer Bev Genockey said: “The reimplementation of such measures would be a significant statement from College: one that states that not only do they value the academic success of students, but their welfare, and the welfare of those closest to them.”

Over 5000 students have also signed an open letter to government calling for all exams in all universities to be held online.

The petition was launched by Students4Change’s Chair László Molnárfi and Trinity Graduate Students’ Union President Gisèle Scanlon.

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If it’s the case that there were no available slots for a PCR test within these three days, students must submit proof with a screenshot The letter is addressed to Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris and Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly.

The letter asks Harris and Donnelly to reconsider “the

decision to hold in-person exams for [first semester] of 2021-2022” and “protect the lives of those in our College communities”.

It reads: “We consider the way assessments are being currently planned to be held in Irish Universities a health and wellbeing crisis of the utmost urgency which requires immediate action.”

Molnárfi and Scanlon call plans for assessment to be held in person an “emergency situation which will have severely detrimental effects on the wellbeing of all members of our College communities”.

“After 1.5 years of online learning, a sudden return to in-person exams would be catastrophic for the mental health of students”: they continued.

According to the letter, “students are wholly unprepared” for first semester assessments because of the prevalence of online learning in many universities during most of the semester. Of which the pair state “will further worsen the impending mental health crisis” among students.

Molnárfi and Scanlon write that students commuting from outside of Dublin “are disadvantaged”, since they “will have to travel up from their homes in crowded public transport, and spend hours in cramped exam halls with a lot of different people”.

>> Continued from front page

News Editor Features Editor Comment Editor Scitech Editors Eagarthóir Gaeilge

Kate Henshaw Ellen Kenny Sophie Furlong Tighe Lucy Fitzsimmons Nina Chen Niamh Ní Dhubhaigh

Head Photographer Head Videographer Head Copyeditor

Eliza Meller Kallum Linnie Sarah Moran

Get in touch at editor@trinitynews.ie

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Irish Times boycott proposal fails by nine votes Motions to hold both referenda were passed at the first TCDSU Council meeting of the year, on October 19. The union’s Electoral Commission invited students to run campaigns on either side of both referenda, but no such campaigns were organised.

Many students’ unions and activist groups across Ireland have engaged in a boycott of the Irish Times over its coverage of trans issues, including the unions of University College Dublin; Dublin City University; National University of Ireland Galway; and the Institute of Art, Design and Technology. Trinity is the first university to propose and subsequently reject joining the boycott.

The effort is led by the Trans Writers’ Union and has received support from author Shon Faye, Community Action Tenants Union, the Abortion Rights Campaign, the Anti-Conversion Therapy Coalition, and former Irish Times contributor Louise Bruton.

Trinity News has taken an editorial stance in support of the

Trans Writers’ Union campaign and severed its relationship with the Irish Times in August. The print edition of this newspaper is no longer produced by the Irish

Times, and Trinity News no longer features its advertising in print or online.

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TRINITY NEWS | Tuesday 30 November

News

Analysis: The uncertainty of exam season leaves many students concerned News Analysis Editor With the Covid-19 situation in flux, many students are still not certain whether their exams will be inperson or online

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HE LAST MONTH HAS BROUGHT ABOUT A SURGE of Covid-19 cases in what many are referring to as the “fourth wave” of the pandemic.

With this has come significant uncertainty about what the next few months will look like in Ireland.

Whether or not the country will be placed into another lockdown is amongst the questions being asked by the public. Students in particular have experienced significant uncertainty in the last few weeks, pertaining to their lectures and exams and whether or not they will continue in-person.

With several schools within

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Genockey also highlighted that many students are unable to attend inperson exams due to the high risk posed by the rising number of Covid-19 cases

Trinity recently reportedly moving in-person classes back online in light of the rising number of cases and hospitalisations, many students have voiced their concerns about sitting in-person exams.

Trinity College Students Union (TCDSU) also recently called on College to provide students with some clarity. Prior to this, College had sent an email to students urging them to take precautions to remain healthy in the weeks leading up to exams, stating that it would “be a pity to miss assessments and defer to the summer”.

On Friday November 26, confirmation regarding deferrals of in-person assessments was provided in an email to all students from College. The emailed explained that, in contrast to last year, no automatic right to deferral would be offered to students in semester one exams. Only a limited set of reasons for deferral will be accepted, including if a student tests positive for Covid-19 or if they are living in a household where there is a confirmed positive case. Deferrals will also be granted for “other medical reasons”. The period for sitting deferred semester one exams is to take place February 7 to February 19, with contingency dates from February 21 to February 26. The email also stated that if a student is unable to sit their exams in this deferral period, the next available deferral date would be in Autumn of 2022.

Deferred exams will be scheduled for “ late afternoons, evenings or weekends” within the deferral period and “consideration will be given to other factors such as existing teaching or lecture requirements, to minimise the impact on students and staff whenever possible”.

Students availing of these deferrals must “provide a copy/screen shot of the text message confirming the positive PCR Covid result from the HSE ensuring that the date is displayed”. “If it’s the case that there were no available slots for a PCR test within these three days, students must submit proof with a screenshot.” Students who are living in a residence with a confirmed positive case “must restrict [their] movements until [they] have 3 negative antigen test results within 5 days”. Students looking to defer from the February

reassessment, or who fail during that period, may resit the exams in the autumn. Failed examinations from December or January will also be retaken in the autumn reassessment session.

TCDSU Education Officer Bev Genockey, in her statement calling on College for clarity regarding exams, pointed out that the deferral of these exams to autumn is unsuitable for many. This is particularly relevant for those graduating this year as well as those looking to apply for exchange programmes in the coming year.

Genockey also highlighted that many students find themselves in a position in which they are unable to attend in-person exams due to the high risk posed by the rising number of Covid cases. She called on College to reinstate the same mitigation measures that were in place during the exam season last year, and pushed for “more non-traditional forms of assessment such as take-home and open-book exams”. College has so far refused to reinstate the mitigation measures from last year.

Despite this lobbying from

be assessed. For many students, the possibility of having their in-person exams put online last minute is very concerning.

Speaking to Trinity News, Senior Sophister Neuroscience student Annie Lord commented: “I was meant to have an exam next week in person, but was told two days ago in an email that it was going to be moved online”.

She said that she “[doesn’t] really understand why”, noting that “there were only 20 of us sitting that exam, but exams are still continuing in the RDS with 1,600 students”.

She also voiced her concerns regarding the possibility of her other scheduled in-person exams being moved online, saying: “my concern is that they’ll turn around two days before the exam and say it’s online. The study I would have to do for an online version of this exam would be very different to an in person one.” She said that “it’s worrying, especially when this is going towards our final grade”.

Last minute decisions from both College and government regarding assessment, while they are obviously a product of the precarious Covid-19 situation in Ireland, are leaving many students particularly stressed this exam season.

Students still await a response from government to the petition for all exams to be moved online.

It remains to be seen whether the exams scheduled to take place in person will run smoothly, or depending on the Covid-19 situation, whether they will proceed in person at all.

PHOTO VIA WILLIAM MURPHY/WIKIMEDIA

Bonnie Gill

TCDSU, Vice Provost Orla Shiels recently announced the plan to continue with a hybrid model of in-person and online exams. The email detailed that of the 25,959 exam sittings this assessment period, 17,443 are online and 12,696 are to be in-person. The email also stated that in person exams in the RDS Simmonscourt would be operating at 60% capacity, with a maximum of 1,600 students per session. Also mentioned in the email however, was that College was working on “contingency plans” in case “the public health guidelines change”. There seems to be a level of uncertainty remaining among College leadership regarding the possibility of sitting exams in person in December and January, depending on the government restrictions over the next few weeks.

Concerns of students regarding sitting exams in-person have dominated recent conversation.

On Sunday November 21, an open letter and petition was launched

by Students4Change’s Chair László Molnárfi and Graduate Students’ Union (GSU) President Gisèle Scanlon, declaring their opposition to any in-person exams. At time of writing, the petition has reached 5000 signatures. Many students have voiced their support for the petition on Twitter using the hashtag #NoInPersonExams.

As well as the worry among students regarding the risks posed to their health by sitting exams in person, there also exists a large desire for some certainty about the way in which they will definitely

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Tuesday 30 November | TRINITY NEWS

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Postgrads not receiving information on voting in TCDSU elections or referenda Jack Kennedy Editor

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O S T G R A D UAT E STUDENTS HAVE NOT RECEIVED any communication as to how to participate in Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) elections or referenda so far this year, despite being eligible to vote.

All Trinity postgrads are automatically members of both TCDSU and the Graduate Students’ Union (GSU).

TCDSU does not have access to postgraduate mailing lists, however. Under the memorandum of association (MOA) between the two unions, it was therefore previously the responsibility of the GSU to forward communications from TCDSU to postgrads.

The GSU held a vote on potentially disaffiliating from TCDSU in April of this year, but it was ultimately rejected. Despite the two organisations remaining connected, the MOA outlining the precise details of that relationship lapsed in late 2019, and no new formal agreement has been signed.

Speaking to Trinity News, TCDSU Communications and Marketing Officer Aoife Cronin said that despite the lack of a formal MOA, TCDSU continues to forward all its emails to the GSU’s executive officers “with the expectation that they will be forwarded to postgraduate students”.

Cronin also said she had contacted those officers in the run up to the recent TCDSU referenda “specifically asking that they forward our emails containing [referendum] information”.

No postgrads consulted for this article said they had received any TCDSU-related information from the GSU so far this academic year.

GSU President Gisèle Scanlon said that the GSU “has only dealt with GSU voting information” since the MOA lapsed, as the agreement facilitated “the sharing of information in this formal way” between the two unions.

Scanlon did not make reference to TCDSU requests that information be forwarded outside the purview of any MOA. Philly Holmes, Communications Officer for TCDSU during the 2020/21

academic year, told Trinity News: “I tried on uncountable occasions to get [the GSU] to forward even a sliver of our communications to the postgrad mailing list.”

He continued: “All of last year, and I imagine this year, trying to reach the GSU was pretty much impossible and any time we raised this issue at any level we were accused of stepping on toes”.

Holmes said that he had also raised the issue with College, but had not been able to achieve more than a short-term agreement, spanning a few weeks, during TCDSU sabbatical elections.

“The GSU previously had a responsibility on paper to circulate all TCDSU communications,” he concluded, “but that MOA has long since crumbled so despite TCDSU having an obligation to circulate all material to postgrads, both the GSU and the College on multiple levels actively prevented TCDSU from doing so.”

Marysia Pachowicz, master’s student in applied psychology, said they were “appalled” by what they described as “the complete failure of the GSU to fulfill their responsibilities to us as

postgraduate students”.

“When I tried to reach out and find this information [about voting in TCDSU elections], I’ve been ignored. As a trans person, I feel particularly let down that I couldn’t vote in something that affects students like me directly.”

“The vote of the postgrad student body could easily have swayed that result.”

Pachowicz said that they “don’t have any faith in [the GSU]” and that this view was shared by the other postgrads they had spoken to.

Simon Benson, who is pursuing a a PhD in zoology, concurred: “I’m angry that the postgraduate community has once again been forgotten about. I’m angry that our voices literally get ignored by the wider college community, and I’m angry that the GSU is not only allowing this to happen, but seemingly also contributing to the issue.”

Benson said that TCDSU “seemed helpful, but their hands were largely tied”. He said he’d asked multiple times about the issue in a GSU WhatsApp group, only to be told to email the union’s

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I am appalled by the complete failure of the GSU to fulfill their responsibilities to us as postgraduate students

president. When he did, he didn’t receive a response.

“It’s very frustrating, because in my communication to the GSU I highlighted how important it was to get a good turnout for these very important referenda,” he added. “I had other postgrads looking to me for information about how to vote, which I couldn’t provide to them.”

Petitions calling for the impeachment of both the president and vice-president of the GSU received enough signatures to trigger voting on the matter six months ago. The officers in question have yet to schedule a vote on their own impeachment, and successfully ran for reelection in the intervening period.

The officers have on at least one occasion given reasons for not holding the impeachment votes that later turned out to be false.

Since the election, the GSU has also had its funding from College suspended due to the failure of those officers to engage with an investigation by the GSU’s oversight body into their conduct.

PHOTO BY JACK KENNEDY & ELIZA MELLER FOR TRINITY NEWS

The GSU has not responded to repeated TCDSU requests to forward information

TRINITY NEWS | Tuesday 21 September

“Fuck the fees” On November 23, Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union joined the Union of Students in Ireland at the “Fuck the fees” demonstration in Dublin, protesting the cost of third-level education in Ireland. Corresponding protests were held in Cork the day before and Galway the day after.

PHOTOS BY ELIZA MELLER AND BEATRICE PISTOLA FOR TRINITY NEWS

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Tuesday 30 November | TRINITY NEWS

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Face-to-face teaching to continue in Hilary Term, College confirms Face-to-face teaching will resume “unless government guidelines change between now and the start of Semester Two” Sarah Emerson Deputy News Editor

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RINITY IS PLANNING FOR FACE-TOFACE TEACHING to resume in January, a spokesperson for College has confirmed.

“Unless government guidelines change between now and the start of Semester 2, we are resuming normal face to face teaching activities”, they told Trinity News.

The spokesperson also said that timetables for Hilary term would be released on December 20.

The spokesperson declined to answer about College’s plan for the designation of in person or online classes.

In the first half of erm, lectures between 50 and 150 students were permitted to be held in person, at the discretion of individual schools. According to a Collegewide policy, classes over 150 were required to take place online and classes under 50 were propertedly to be held in person.

It was later reported that many lectures with fewer than 50 students were still being held online, due to the limited number of rooms allocated to schools and social distancing requirements.

Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) criticised College in September for failing to “fulfill their promise” of in-person teaching, and hundreds of students gathered in Front Square to protest College’s handling of reopening.

College then removed the requirement for social distancing in lectures and tutorials from November 1 after country-wide restrictions eased on October 22.

The allocation of specific rooms and venues to schools within College has continued, however.

Greek trial of Trinity graduate postponed If convicted, Seán Binder could face up to 25 years in prison Jack Kennedy Editor

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HE TRIAL OF TRINITY GRADUATE SEÁN BINDER has been postponed to an unspecified date.

Trinity graduate Seán Binder is to stand trial in Greek court, in a case human rights groups have described as “baseless” and “politically motivated”.

A panel of three judges on the Aegean island of Lesbos have referred the case to a court of appeals citing lack of jurisdiction, despite the crimes they are accused of allegedly having taken place there.

Binder and fellow activist Sarah Mardini have been charged with numerous offences including espionage, disclosure of state secrets, human trafficking and money laundering. They could face up to 25 years in prison if convicted.

The 27 year old was born in Germany and grew up in Kerry.

He studied politics, philosophy,

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Greek law enforcement says that the group is a ‘criminal organisation’ posing as an NGO, and that it engaged in ‘profiteering’ during the refugee crisis

economics and sociology at Trinity before pursuing a masters in international relations at the London School of Economics.

Binder is also a trained search and rescue diver, and travelled to the island of Lesbos in 2018 as a volunteer for Emergency Response International.

He and other volunteers monitored publicly-available coast guard radio channels to locate boats of refugees, to whom they provided aid, before they were arrested. Greek law enforcement says that the group is a “criminal organisation” posing as an NGO, and that it engaged in “profiteering” during the refugee crisis.

The accusations against Binder and Mardini, as well as 22 others who are also on trial, have been heavily criticised by rights groups including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Front Line Defenders, and the UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights Defenders, as well as in a European

Parliament-commissioned report.

Speaking to the Observer, Binder said “there’s nothing criminal, or heroic, about helping people in distress at sea. Legally and morally, it is the right thing to do”.

Binder spent 106 days in a highsecurity Greek prison after his 2018 arrest. He was then released on €5,000 bail, and returned to the UK. He flew back to Athens for the trial this week.

“I’m terrified,” he said, of the prospect of returning to prison.

“It was all scabies and bed bugs with 17 of us packed in a cell. The police holding cells were even worse, the most awful place on earth; squalid, windowless rooms full of asylum seekers just there because authorities had nowhere else to put them.”

UK human rights law firm Leigh Day has published an opinion, commissioned by Binder, saying that Greek authorities have breached international law.

Tessa Gregory, partner at the firm, said: “We believe that there have been serious breaches of Seán’s human rights by the Greek authorities in relation to his detention, the charges brought against him and the delays in hearing his case in court.”

Mardini, who is Syrian and arrived in Europe as a refugee herself in 2015, will be tried in absentia. She was informed last Friday (November 12) that she is barred from re-entering Greece, despite being the subject of criminal charges there. Mardini currently lives in Germany.

She and her sister Yusra became famous in 2015 for saving fellow refugees from drowning after their boat capsized in the Mediterranean. Yusra Mardini has since competed in the Olympics and written a book about her experience, which is to be made into a movie.

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TRINITY NEWS | Tuesday 30 November

News

New Trinity graduate among Climate Ambassadors recognised for outstanding achievement Sadhbh McCarrick completed her master’s in development science earlier this year Jack Kennedy Editor

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HE ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION UNIT of An Taisce last week announced that it was recognising 12 of its Climate Ambassadors with Outstanding Achievement Awards for their work on environmental

issues in 2021.

Sadhbh McCarrick, who completed a master’s in development practice in Trinity earlier this year, was among the 2021 awardees.

Speaking to Trinity News, McCarrick said she was “delighted” to have been picked.

“The Climate Ambassador Programme motivated me to make conscious and impactful climate actions in my own life and through my studies at Trinity,” she continued.

McCarrick’s dissertation for her master’s focused on predicting future climate outcomes for Irish peatlands, and she has now begun a graduate role at Bord Bia. “From my involvement in the [Climate Ambassador] Programme, it is clear that we all have to play our part to make a more climate friendly world a reality,” McCarrick concluded.

The Climate Ambassador Programme describes itself as

“Ireland’s first ever initiative to train and support individuals taking action on climate change.”

Established in 2017, the initiative currently has more than 400 members, to whom it provides training and networking opportunities.

Ambassadors are required to “two climate actions and two climate communications” in their community in the year they spend in the programme.

Commenting on the announcement of the awards, Minister for the Environment Éamon Ryan said: “Climate Ambassadors are taking practical actions and inspiring others. Through their actions and communications, they demonstrate an extraordinary depth and diversity of knowledge and experience in their chosen areas.”

“Change is happening, to give hope - thank you to the Climate Ambassadors for giving us that”.

Temporary Halls restrictions lifted on Monday November 29 Residents were prohibited from hosting guests and parties for two weeks, after over 30 Covid-19 cases were reported Sarah Emerson Deputy News Editor

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HE “TEMPORARY RESTRICTIONS” introduced in Trinity Hall were lifted on Monday, November 29.

College said that this development “is thanks to the Trinity Hall students and staff for their perseverance during the past two weeks”.

“We still encourage you to exercise personal responsibility and please bear in mind that the normal restrictions still apply in the run up to the exam period,” College noted.

On November 15, Trinity Hall banned non-resident guests from the complex, as well as parties, due to rising cases nationally and amongst residents.

Over 30 cases of Covid-19 were reported at Trinity Hall when the

restrictions were implemented.

The ban on guests and parties in Trinity Hall and campus accommodation were removed on November 1 of this year, for the first time since before the pandemic.

Residents were not permitted to host daytime or overnight guests or hold parties throughout the 2021-21 academic year.

In an email sent to Trinity Hall residents, the warden Roja Fazaeli said: “I am happy to let you know that Covid-19 positive cases in Trinity Hall have declined notably in the past week, which is a testimony to the sense of community and common purpose here at Trinity Hall.”

Fazaeli said that the temporary measures were to be lifted following consultation with the Trinity Living with Covid Oversight Group.

From November 29 until the study period, residents are permitted to have external visitors and overnight guests “that are properly signed in”, and “parties are allowed with the advance permission of the Warden”.

The normal procedures for overnight guests and parties in College accommodation are outlined in the Conditions of Occupancy document and the Trinity Hall Residents’ Handbook for this academic year.

According to the Handbook, daytime guests at Trinity Hall must leave by 10.30pm. Any visitor

remaining after the designated time is deemed to be an overnight guest and “must be signed in at Reception before 10.30pm”.

Guests will not be admitted to Trinity Hall after 10.30pm, unless they are with their host.

Overnight guests are also usually not permitted “over the Christmas and New Year period, the night of the Trinity Ball and during the annual exam period”, unless advance written permission has been granted.

Residents may host only one overnight guest at any time, and for no longer than two nights in succession at Trinity Hall, unless special permission is granted.

College’s treatment of student renters over the course of the pandemic has attracted criticism.

In March 2020, when Trinity made the decision to shut its accommodation, residents were instructed to vacate rooms with 24 hours notice, or 48 hours for international students.

Last year, students at Trinity Hall criticised the complex for its strict Covid-19 restrictions and “disproportionate and unfair punishments’’ when these were broken. Penalties included essay assignments, fines and relocation.

Students also complained about Trinity Hall staff members for what they perceived as unwarranted verbal attacks when rules were broken.

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Tuesday 30 November | TRINITY NEWS

News

200 attend anti-racism rally in DCU after complaints over lecturer’s comments DCU Students’ Union has said it believes “privately held racism is racism” Jack Kennedy and Kate Henshaw Editor and News Editor

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VER 200 PEOPLE ATTENDED a Black Lives Matter (BLM) anti-racism rally in Dublin City University (DCU) on Friday (November 26) after public complaints were made about statements made by a member of staff. The comments included criticism of the BLM movement.

Attendees at the rally included students, activists and academics from DCU. The rally has garnered significant media attention, and was covered by Dublin Live and Hot Press magazine.

It was endorsed by groups within the university, including Dublin City University Students Union (DCUSU) and LGBTA society. It was also endorsed by the Union of Students in Ireland’s (USI) vice-president for equality and citizenship and the Irish Muslim Peace and Integration Council.

Attendees were seen carrying

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The rally has garnered significant media attention, and was covered

by Dublin Live and Hot Press magazine placards with “staff against racism”, “fire him” and “racism is not an opinion”.

The rally was organised by students Christine O’Mahony and Darragh Adelaide. Notable attendees included human rights activist and former political prisoner Ibrahim Halawa and assistant professor Bashir Omoniyi Otukoya, who both made speeches during the rally.

The controversy began when students made posts on Snapchat

and Twitter with screenshots from the blog run by Dr Mark Humphrys, a lecturer in computing at DCU. In the blog post, Humphrys said that the BLM movement is “nonsense built on sand” and that “George Floyd was another useless criminal who dug his own grave”.

He also described protests about the “fake problem” of police racism in the US as “utterly evil”.

The post, as well as others on Humphrys’ blog and Twitter account, were condemned by both DCU students and others online.

Posts on Humphrys’ Twitter and blog over the last few years include sharing material from the far-right Irish Freedom Party, descriptions of Islam as not being practiced by “normal people” and not being “compatible with the West”, repeated repudiation of the idea that Black people are systemically discriminated against in the US, and statements including “WHY blacks commit more crime is a serious question”.

Humphrys also says on his website that it is his policy to block on Twitter any Jewish person who is “anti-Israel”.

DCU issued a statement on Tuesday (November 23) in which it said it was “aware” of the lecturer’s online presence. It also said that “the issues discussed and views expressed by the individual are done so [sic] in a personal capacity”.

Links to Humphrys’ blog and Twitter account, as well as several videos outlining some of his political views, were present on

his official DCU staff webpage as recently as March 2019. Before then, there had been links on the university page to his political blogs since 2004.

By January 2020, the section of the page containing the links and videos was removed.

“We understand and acknowledge that people will find parts of this blog offensive,” the university’s statement continued.

“DCU is deeply committed to promoting Equality, Diversity and Inclusion [sic]. The university does not endorse any of the viewpoints expressed in this blog and they do not reflect the views of the university, its staff or student body.”

Speaking to Trinity News, Christine O’Mahony said: “Myself and Darragh Adelaide decided to organise this protest after the controversial professor’s website was exposed on Twitter”.

She said that they “looked at the rest of the website and found more abhorrent, racist and islamaphobic content”.

She continued: “We didn’t think the university’s statement was good enough and want some accountability.”

“However, Friday’s protest is not just about one incident, it’s about many incidents of racism on DCU campus. We are holding the protest to provide a safe space for Black, Muslim and students of colour to vent their frustrations.”

In a statement, Dublin City University Students’ Union (DCUSU) encouraged students to attend tomorrow’s rally. The union

said it “share[s] in the outrage expressed by students over these last number of days”.

“Privately held racism is racism,” the statement continued.

“DCUSU will not perpetuate the lie that racism can be left at the door.”

“It is our view that universities cannot claim to be anti-racist while employing anyone who shares racist views.”

Speaking to Trinity News, Humphrys said that DCUSU’s statement was “disgusting libel” and “actionable”.

Asked if he planned to pursue legal action against the union, he said “that is one option” but that his “preferred option would be for them to withdraw their libel”.

On Tuesday (November 23), Humphrys also released a public statement in which he said he “never showed” his views on Black Lives Matter “to any students” and does not “discuss politics with students ever”.

Additionally, he said that his views are “nothing to do with DCU”.

The day after the rally, November 27, Humprhys released a second statement. In it, he said that he had “done nothing wrong” and “will not apologise”.

He added that “anyone who called me a racist has libelled me and must be prepared to defend that claim in Irish courts”. He called the tweet that had begun the controversy “a lie” and said that “anyone who distributed that viral tweet is now vulnerable to legal action”.

PHOTOS VIA CHRISTINE O’MAHONY

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TRINITY NEWS | Tuesday 30 November

News

No plans to limit tourist access to campus amid rising Covid-19 cases, Trinity confirms Tourists can currently go “anywhere that’s publicly accessible” on campus Sarah Emerson Deputy News Editor

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OURIST ACCESS ON CAMPUS will continue as normal, amid a fourth wave of Covid-19 in Europe, College have told Trinity News.

When asked if Trinity was planning to limit tourist access amid rising Covid-19 cases, a spokesperson for College said: “There are no plans to adjust or modify access to campus at present.”

Trinity’s main campus fully reopened to the public on Friday 22 October, preceding College’s

second phase of reopening that began after reading week, on Monday 1 November.

Prior to October 22, tourists with tickets to the Book of Kells and Old Library exhibition could access campus via the Nassau Street entrance.

The exhibition has been open since May 10, when national

“

Trinity’s main campus fully reopened to the public on Friday 22 October

restrictions were lifted to allow cultural attractions to reopen.

The Old Library has had 133,470 visitors between May 10 and November 22, Visitor Centre Administration Officer Noel Phelan told Trinity News.

Now, Trinity’s front gate and campus is fully open to the public.

Students have reported seeing groups of tourists in the Graduate Memorial Building (GMB) and Arts Building on campus.

When asked where members of the public were permitted, the spokesperson said: “Tourists can access all areas on campus that are open to the public.”

Asked to clarify, the spokesperson said that there was not a list of buildings open to the public, but tourists were allowed “anywhere that’s publicly accessible”.

On November 12, Trinity Hall enforced “temporary restrictions” on residents for a two week period, due to rising cases nationally and amongst residents of the complex.

Non-resident guests and parties were banned until November 29.

Prohibitions on guests and parties in Trinity Hall and campus

“

The Old Library had 133,470 visitors between May 10 and November 22

accommodation were only removed on November 1 of this year, after over a year. Residents were not permitted to host daytime or overnight guests or hold parties during the entirety of the 2021-21 academic year.

Analysis: The return of hustle and bustle to campus Connie Roughan

Deputy News Analysis Editor

T

HE SECOND HALF OF SEMESTER ONE has seen the return of the public to campus and students to majority in-person classes. All in all there has been a significant increase in footfall on Trinity’s grounds, especially with a full slate of graduation ceremonies also taking place.

The removal of some restrictions has transformed campus. The ending of social distancing in the library has played a role in bringing students back to the city centre, and visitors can access most areas on campus now too.

The Book of Kells exhibition and the Old Library have been

“

The removal of some restrictions has transformed campus

open since May 10. Trinity News reported that between its reopening and October 5, it saw an average of 3,728 visitors per week.

Over this period, it accumulated €421,559 in revenue from its gift shop. The number of visitors to the Gallery since campus reopened has now more than doubled to an average of 8,014 per week and the funds raised from the gift shop over the period was €298,593. It is unclear whether the increase in visitors and revenue is simply due to easier access with campus reopening or an increase in tourism in general in Dublin, which has occurred during the same period. The Central Statistics Office reported an almost tenfold

increase in overseas passenger arrivals to Ireland, mostly at Dublin airport, between May and October.

The Science Gallery on Pearse Street reopened on October 22 with an exhibition of digital artworks called “BIAS: BUILT THIS WAY” which “interrogates how prejudice can move quickly from human to machine”. This may be the gallery’s final exhibition, however, if the gallery closes in February 2022, as announced not long after it reopened. Provost Linda Doyle later tweeted that she had called Simon Harris to discuss the Gallery’s future. The Gallery’s café and shop remain closed, and its future is as of yet uncertain.

JS Business and Economics student Conor Kelly has embraced the return to campus, saying that “all the students being back is great” and noted that he enjoyed the opportunity to have social interaction with classmates during lectures.

The Student Union Café in Goldsmith Hall is yet to reopen but the Jolt café and Forum restaurant in the Business School are both back in business, as are the Perch in the Arts Block and the Buttery.

What they said “This is the critical decade if we are to stop climate change.

Like our Green colleagues in Europe, we could not walk away once given a mandate to play our part.”

Minister for Transport and Leader of the Green Party Eamon Ryan “I am a mess.”

Late Late Toy Show Host Ryan Tubridy “We’ve never said that schools are a safe environment.

We’ve said that they’re a lower risk environment.”

Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn "Schools have been what we would regard as a safe environment.”

Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn in April 2021 “We all must go to Peppa Pig World.”

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson “Boris Johnson is not unwell and has not lost his grip.”

10 Downing Street, Office of the British Prime Minister “If you want to call me a liar, call me a liar.”

Leader of the Labour Party Alan Kelly, to Taoiseach Micheál Martin

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Tuesday 30 November | TRINITY NEWS

News

TCDSU Ents cancel end of term indoor events Events including a silent disco for Disability Awareness Week have been postponed until further notice Bella Salerno Deputy News Editor

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RINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN STUDENTS’ UNION (TCDSU) Ents have cancelled their end of term indoor events because of “rising [Covid-19] case numbers and the proximity to exams”.

A charity fundraiser night out for Movember and Pieta house, and a silent disco as part of ‘Disability Awareness Week’ have been postponed until further notice.

Speaking to Trinity News, TCDSU Ents Officer Greg Arrowsmith said: “This is a great shame, but ultimately the safety and health of students who are about to sit exams must come first.”

“We are going to re-run these events as soon as possible”, Arrowsmith continued.

Currently, TCDSU are “ busy organising outdoor events for a Trinity Christmas Day which is to take place tomorrow, Wednesday December 1.They will be “encouraging everyone to wear their Christmas jumpers in for the day”.

According to Arrowsmith, “there’ll be loads on throughout the day, which will culminate in the lighting of the Christmas tree in Front Square at 6pm”.

Last year, Ents organised an online Christmas charity concert in aid of The Peter McVerry Trust.

Artists such as Eve Bell, Oscar Blue, Trophy Wife, Greg Tisdall, Blueberry Rouge, and Gemma Cox performed on the Youtube livestream on December 17.

Over €1000 was raised for the charity, surpassing its €1000 goal.

Ireland’s newest TU to be called Atlantic Technological University, Harris announces Galway-Mayo IT, IT Sligo and Letterkenny IT will comprise the first TU in the west and north west region Ellen Kenny Features Editor

I

RELAND’S NEWEST TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY will be called Atlantic Technological University (ATU), as announced by Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris.

Galway-Mayo IT, IT Sligo and Letterkenny IT are to form the first technological university in the west and north west region, and the fourth TU in Ireland.

The institutes of technology pursued TU status under the name

Connacht Ulster Alliance (CUA) before their official naming.

According to a press release from the CUA, the name Atlantic was chosen due to the “distinctive geography, rich history and shared heritage” it conveys.

“This is a hugely ambitious name for a TU with an international reach without borders on the edge of Europe, spanning thousands of kilometers of coastline including the Wild Atlantic Way, a gateway to the rest of the world.”

The name was chosen following consultation with over 3000 staff, students and stakeholders across the region and nationally.

Stakeholders involved included public bodies, government agencies, alumni and schools’ guidance counsellors.

ATU will be officially established April 1 2022, and will be located across eight campuses stretching from North Donegal to South Galway. Graduates of the class of 2021/2022 will be the first from the former institutes to graduate with university degrees.

The three CUA presidents expressed their support for the new name and their plans to cultivate creativity and innovation in the

west and north west region. They believe the name appropriately reflects the new TU’s “deep connections to the region and our ability and ambition to impact at a national and international scale”.

“Our university will significantly contribute to the transformation of the educational landscape of

“

The name Atlantic was chosen due to the “distinctive geography, rich history and shared heritage” it conveys

this region, driving innovation, research and development and propelling the region on to an international stage.”

The establishment of ATU is part of the accelerating trend of ITs across the country merging to form Technological Universities. The plan to establish more technological universities in Ireland was first declared in the 2011 National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030 and was consolidated in the Technological Universities Act 2018.

Technological University Dublin was formed in 2019

from several ITs across the counties, while Cork IT merged with IT Tralee to form Munster Technological University in January 2021. Athlone IT and Limerick IT established the Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest in October 2021.

Harris has also announced plans to approve the merging of IT Carlow and Waterford IT in the south east. Applications for TU status have also been put forward

by Dundalk IT and IADT Dun Laoghaire.

FILE PHOTO VIA SHEILA1988/WIKIMEDIA

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TRINITY NEWS | Tuesday 30 November

News

NUI Galway named as ‘University of the Year’ 2022 GMIT was also named the ‘Institute of Technology of the Year’ 2022 in The Sunday Times ‘Good University Guide’ Caroline Higgins Contributing Writer

N

A T I O N A L UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND GALWAY (NUIG) was recently named as ‘University of the Year 2022’.

The Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT) was also named the ‘Institute of Technology of the Year’ 2022 in The Sunday Times ‘Good University Guide’.

It marks the fourth time in 20 years that both the university and institute have been awarded the titles.

The Sunday Times accredited NUIG’s “community-based ethos, support of the arts and culture and Covid-19 research response” as the reason why it was the “standout candidate”.

“

The GalwayMayo Institute of Technology (GMIT) was also named the ‘Institute of Technology of the Year’ The outlet recognised the Covid-19 research projects of Dr Bairbre McNicholas, Honorary Senior Lecturer, Dr Aoife Murray, Medical Researcher, Irial Conroy, Fellow, and Professor Máire Connolly of the School of Medicine.

Dr McNicholas, an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) consultant, leads a global research project on care for critically ill Covid-19 patients in ICU’s.

Dr Murray and Conroy head the ‘IBM-CISCO FamilyLink Project’ aimed at virtually connecting ICU patients with their loved ones when physical visits are restricted.

Professor Connolly coordinates the ‘Pandem II’ project, an EUwide initiative looking to plan and prepare for future pandemic risks.

Accepting the award, President of the NUI Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh said: “We are being recognised as University of the Year after a year which was particularly challenging for us all. The elements that distinguished NUIG have a humanity, a kindness, our people at their core.”

“Our success reflects our strategy, launched just before Covid, where we committed ourselves to the public good, reflecting the sense at NUIG of being in and for our community, the commitment to our place by looking beyond our place with curiosity and ambition”: he continued.

“I am delighted for and grateful to all our students and our colleagues that this commitment is being realised, and is recognised in this award.” Ó hÓghartaigh also congratulated GMIT’s victory, saying: “Congratulations to everyone at GMIT and particularly to Dr Orla Flynn, President of GMIT.” He continued: “It is a tremendous boost for our region to see such a strong, ambitious and competitive third level education ecosystem and it is equally a great boost as GMIT embarks on its new journey to Technological University status.”

Trinity ranked among best for employability Trinity was the only Irish university to make the Times Higher Education list this year Kate Henshaw News Editor

T

rinity has ranked among the world’s top universities for graduate employability in 2021.

Trinity was the only Irish university to make the 11th annual Global Employability University Ranking and Survey, run by higher education consultancy Emerging and published by Times Higher Education (THE).

The university ranks 137th out of 250 global institutions in a survey with 10,928 international recruiters and managers across 23 countries and regions.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, California Institute of Technology and Harvard University made up the top three on the list. 54 out of the 250

universities on the list are situated in the US. The ranking is based on six key indicators including academic excellence, digital performance, focus on work, Soft skills and digital literacy, internationalism and specialisation.

Director of Careers in Trinity Orla Bannon said: “We know that our graduates are highly regarded across the world and are delighted to see this reflected by these rankings.”

She highlighted Trinity’s mission as “not only to educate, but also to equip our students for success in their future lives as individuals and as members of society, and to nurture skills that will be of value to future employers”.

On the rest of the list, all of Spain’s universities improved their positions, which is said to be down to their strengths in soft skills and digital literacy, digital performance and focus on work, according to THE. Universities in India and China also rose in the rankings in this year’s edition, and British and Israeli universities stood out for their “digital specialisms”.

Student team LikeIt wins Provost’s Innovation Challenge The theme of this year’s three-day “hackathon” was fast fashion Bonnie Gill News Analysis Editor

T

HE STUDENT TEAM BEHIND LIKEIT has been announced as the Provost’s Innovation Challenge winner.

The team is made up of Jonas Hellberg, Emilie Audran and Filippo Castelli.

LikeIt is an online platform that aims to streamline consumer access to sustainable clothing. “Fast fashion” was the theme of this year’s event.

The Provost’s Innovation Challenge is hosted by Tangent, Trinity’s “Ideas Workplace”, in the Business School.

The event itself consists of a three-day intensive “hackathon

with a prize of €2,000 for the winner. The challenge is a social entrepreneurial competition which seeks to provide support, creative outlets, and mentorship for undergraduate and graduate students to create innovative solutions to global problems.

The €2,000 prize goes toward the further development of the winning idea.

This year a total of ten teams took part in the competition. The runner-up team Ecode, led by Nathan Gaborieau, Elise Vens and Emmet Lowry pitched an idea for a consumer app that enables clothing brands to quantify and communicate sustainability information about individual products .

Speaking to Trinity News, Emilie Audran from LikeIt, said that “this hackathon has been a crazy three day roller coaster” and “ a lot of hard work, sticky notes and great new connections”.

She continued: “We are so excited about our next steps and can’t wait to bring LikeIt to the next level thanks to the support of the TES incubator.”

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Tuesday 30 November | TRINITY NEWS

News PHOTO BY JACK KENNEDY FOR TRINITY NEWS

Seven Trinity researchers feature on most-cited list The announcement on November 16 detailed the included Professors and their fields Sophie Dibben Contributing Writer

O

N NOVEMBER 16, IT WAS ANNOUNCED that seven researchers from Trinity feature on the annual Highly Cited Researchers 2021.

This annual list identifies researchers who demonstrated significant influence in their chosen field. They rank in the top 1% by citations for field and publication year in the Web of Science index.

Commenting on the news, Trinity’s Dean of Research Professor Wolfgang Schmitt said: “This list identifies and celebrates exceptional individual researchers at Trinity whose work is having a significant impact on the research community as evidenced by the

rate at which their work is being cited by their peers.”

He noted that “the research they have contributed is also fueling the innovation, sustainability, health and security that is key for our society’s future”.

The research conducted contributes to medical, environmental, and sustainable developments. This includes areas such as more renewable energies, vaccinations, international communications, electric cars, contraception and engineering.

The Trinity professors on the list include David Loane in Trinity’s School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Valeria Nicolosi, in Nanomaterials & Advanced Microscopy, Stefano Sanvito, in Condensed Matter Theory, Brian Lucey, in International Finance and Commodities, Padraic Fallon in Translational Immunology, Jonathan Colemam in Chemical Physics.

The list also included professor Luke O’Neill, in Biochemistry, who appears as one of the world’s most cited researchers in two separate categories.

The Institute for Scientific Information at Clarivate bases these findings on data and analysis performed by bibliometric experts and data scientists.

Analysis: Difficulties with ISL interpretation at SU Council represents a gap in accessibility on campus

Jamie Cox

News Analysis Editor

T

RINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN STUDENTS’ UNION (TCDSU) Council has returned to an in-person format, after over a year of hosting its sessions online, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The first council of this year was also held online, while the first in-person council took place on November 9.

The third council of this year will take place this Tuesday, November 30.

The second council was held in the Edmund Burke Theatre on November 9, with a high turnout. It also carried positive indications for Chair Emma Rossiter and Secretary to Council, Ewan Tushkanov. The lack of technical difficulties was noted and the absence of a mute button was effectively replicated by the Rossiter’s forceful interruption of speakers, as they spoke midsentence.

However, while a return to council in-person was a relief for many people, it has also highlighted issues in regards accessibility to TCDSU members, in particular those who have hearing difficulties.

During council, an officer asked speakers to slow down their speech so that the Irish Sign Language (ISL) interpreter, who attended over zoom, could understand what was being said. The interpreter was experiencing difficulty in understanding exactly what was being said in the room and as a result was unable to translate.

It appeared this was due to the quality of sound produced from the microphone setup for speakers to deliver speeches from.

In an online format, translating for ISL interpreters would be easier in regards to a clarity of speech, which is lacking in a face-to-face environment. With councils now taking place inperson, clarity of speech and speed at which individuals talk must be taken into further consideration for interpreters.

Last June, Trinity established multi-purpose kiosks in the Arts Building. These kiosks were criticised for being inaccessible to students with physical difficulties.

Previous sabbatical officers expressed this concern at the time.

However, College insisted that the kiosks were and would be accessible to all students saying they are “indeed accessible structures and [College] have invited the TCD Student Union to come and examine them to establish this for themselves”. Similar incidents within College continue to suggest that disabled students have been overlooked. While the inclusion of ISL interpreters at in-person union events is a welcome move by the union, teething problems can only be expected as we all adapt to being back in person.

It should be taken into account that according to the Cork Deaf Association (CDA), 5,000 people in Ireland consider sign language their first language. 40,000 use ISL in conjecture with their first language. Neglecting ISL then is not something to be passed off as trivial, but something that represents an issue of similar size to that of the inaccessibility of the kiosks this summer. TCDSU has a responsibility to maintain an environment suitable for allowing hard of hearing students

“

Teething problems can only be expected as we all adapt to being back in person to represent students to the same degree as other students. Failing to do so represents a major pitfall in the plan to transfer council from an online format to an in-person one.

It will be necessary for TCDSU and for the Electoral Commission to ensure the structure of council is one that is accessible for students of all abilities.

Whilst it is certainly a positive change for council to resume inperson, this return to ‘normal’ could be seriously impaired if TCDSU shows themselves not to have used the time online to better facilitate disabled students. The problem faced at the last council is one that can be easily fixed.

Any student at Trinity should feel welcome to partake in TCDSU, regardless of ability.

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TRINITY NEWS | Tuesday 30 November

TRINITY NEWS EST. 1953

Pitch to us Most of the articles in Trinity News are written on the basis of ideas from our editorial staff that we then offer to contributors. Throughout its 68year history, though, the paper has prided itself on providing a platform for a diverse range of perspectives and amplifying student voices.

With that in mind, Trinity News is interested in accepting more coldpitched ideas on an ongoing basis. We welcome submissions from all Trinity students and staff, to sections across the newspaper.

We’d like to hear fresh perspectives on topical issues, be introduced to ideas and aspects of Trinity life that haven’t received media attention before, and anything else you might have to say.

If you need guidance, our editorial staff will work with you to develop your idea and to write and edit the resulting article. We’ve prepared a guide to the pitching process, which can be found at the address below.

We can’t wait to hear from you.

For more information, see trinitynews.ie/pitch-to-us/ :

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Tuesday 30 November | TRINITY NEWS

Keeping a dead language alive Ellen Kenny

Features

page 18

PHOTO VIA GIRTON COLLEGE CAMBRIDGE

page 16

Deja brew: the growth of Ireland’s coffee industry Lara Mellett

The Steamboat Ladies The pioneering women who graduated from Trinity when other universities wouldn’t accept them Julia Bochenek Deputy Features Editor

I

t wasn’t very long ago that women were first given the opportunity to study at Trinity College Dublin, just 117 years ago. This may seem shocking for a school that now has an even ratio of male to female students, but it seems like a very short time ago when one learns that Oxford and Cambridge only let women graduate with a degree from the year 1920.

The famous alleged promise from former Provost George Salmon that he would not let women into Trinity College over his “dead body” sprung back to the fore last year when the College elected its first female provost in conjunction with the election of TCDSU

president Leah Keogh. While this quote remains popular today due to these new signs of progress that contradict it, many do not realise that this assertion was proven false within a year of Salmon’s death in 1904.

At Trinity College Dublin, it was decided that since the admission of women into the university, starting in 1904, there would be no viable reason to restrict women from gaining their degrees just as their male counterparts did. If they could take the classes, sit the exams and pass them, the opportunity to see the final step of graduation and a diploma would just make sense.

Coincidentally, the first woman to successfully register in the College, Isabel Marion Weir Johnston, did so on the 22 January 1904, the same day former Provost Salmon died. Her entrance examinations even had to be put off because of his funeral.

Trinity College’s policy on the admission of women was a progressive view at a time where women did not yet typically receive degrees whatsoever. While women could technically sit their degree examinations at both Cambridge and Oxford, they would not be given the opportunity of wearing a cap and gown and receiving their degrees. The lack of physical degrees, as well as the inability to earn their graduation robes, meant that women did not earn the same

qualification and would not be afforded the same opportunities as men even if they took the same steps in university and worked just as hard.

Trinity College Dublin gave all of their students those opportuni-

“

The first woman to successfully register in the College, Isabel Marion Weir Johnston, did so on the 22 January 1904, the same day former Provost Salmon died

ties, regardless of gender, and this boosted the credentials of many deserving women. This policy proved to not only benefit women in Trinity, but also those restricted

by Oxbridge policy.

Trinity’s differing policy on women led to a group called the Steamboat Ladies, hundreds of women who decided to travel to Ireland to study at and receive degrees from Trinity between the years 1904 and 1907. These women were given the nickname “Steamboat Ladies” due to their annual arrival on steamboats from the United Kingdom. They went to women’s colleges associated with the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, women who studied alongside their male colleagues, but had not been allowed the same degree at the end to commemorate and reward them. Most of them went to the women’s colleges Newnham and Girton, and Somerville.

The three universities had an ad eundem arrangement in which any student could graduate from one of the other universities. This meant that, while women could not receive their diplomas in Oxford or Cambridge, they could receive them in Trinity. The College expected a small number of Oxbridge women to travel to Ireland for their degrees. However, between 1904 and 1907, 720 women from Oxford and Cambridge

traveled to Trinity in order to graduate. The ability to gain their degrees and wear their robes was invaluable for the women’s professional status, especially if their aspirations lead to teaching.

Although some of the women stayed a bit longer at Trinity College Dublin, many of them came over for just one night to participate in the graduation ceremonies.

In a quote by Emeritus Fellow and historian Susan Parkes, she states that: “they took one day off, they came on the overnight Steamboat, stayed one night in Dublin, got their degrees the next day, and went back the following night.”

The College also benefited from the Steamboat Ladies beyond increasing gender equality and good will. Shortly after women were admitted to Trinity College Dublin, the accommodation Trinity Hall was opened up as a women’s accommodation for students. While some of the money used to pay for the accommodation came from donations, a very significant portion came from the graduation fees of the Steamboat Ladies. Trinity Hall stayed a womens-only accommodation until the 1970’s, when it became mixed and eventually became one of the main accommodations for Trinity students. Trinity Hall is now a hub of activity and a cornerstone of the College, particularly for first year students.

The Steamboat Ladies may not have been recognized in their respective fields without their degrees, as just because women could be educated at the time it did not mean that they had equal opportunity to their male counterparts yet. There are many notable women who graduated using this exchange.

One of these women is Lillian Knowles, who graduated from Cambridge via Trinity College Dublin, gaining her Doctor of Letters. She went on to become the first Dean of the Economic History Faculty at the University of London as well as a professor of economic history at the London School of Economics.

Another woman of note is Eleanor Rathbone, a British Member of Parliament and a women’s rights and family allowance campaigner.

Rathbone went to Somerville College and graduated from Trinity College Dublin, after which she began her social campaigning before taking her place as an Independent MP in 1929.

These women, along with the many others, were some of the first women to graduate from Trinity College, gaining their degrees and being able to find a sense of equality with men in academia. Their legacy is one that many of us do not even think about, but it is one that reflects our current experiences as many of us look forward to our own graduations.

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TRINITY NEWS | Tuesday 30 November

Features

A geopolitical stand-off with thousands of refugees caught in the middle

Jarek Kozluk Contributing Writer

I

n the last few months, we have been faced with yet another political dust-up over the status of refugees in Europe: the situation on the Polish-Belarusian border. Thousands of people seek aid and entry to the EU daily, and the tension between the two governments continues to mount.

The issues between the two countries, culminating in this border crisis, started with the presidential elections in Belarus, beginning on 4 August 2020, and since this time there has been a snowball effect. Belarusian politician Alexander Lukashenko was elected for president (for the 6th time in a row), winning against opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya who claimed that it was an electoral fraud. After this event, many Belarusians took to the streets in order to protest against Lukashenko and consequently faced harsh crackdowns from Belarusian police and militia. These events led to the European Union’s decision to impose sanctions against Lukashensko’s government, thus straining the already tense relations between Belarus and the EU. Soon after this decision, a chain of incidents followed. One of these events was the forced landing of Ryanair flight FR4978, whose final destination was Vilnius, Lithuania. The plane was forced to land in Minsk as it transited Belarusian airspace. On the pretext of an alleged bomb onboard the flight, a MiG-29 fighter jet was sent to escort the plane to the airport in Minsk. Subsequently, the regime-critical Belaursian journalist Roman Protasevich and his girlfriend Sofia Sapega were arrested, without any immediate justification. The EU, as well as the EU Aviation Safety Agency, reacted swiftly, imposing new sanctions on the government and prohibiting any air-traffic between Belarus and the EU. Other countries and flight connections suffered from this decision and it ultimately led to Russia issuing a statement in which they said that “the problems [on the Ryanair FR4978 flight] were of a purely technical nature and that this problem should not become an additional irritant in Russia’s relations with the European Union’’.

This statement justified Lukashenko’s behavior, in the Russian view.

Shortly thereafter, the Belarusian dictator thought of yet another way to get his revenge on the EU. He chose Poland and Lithuania as his main targets, most likely because both of them supported the Belarusian opposition to his government following the rigged elections, sheltering students and giving aid to those from the opposition. Tsikhanouskaya resides in Vilnius, at the invitation of the Lithuanian government. The Belarusian government started to cooperate with airlines from the Middle East, including Turkish Airlines, encouraging refugees and other migrants to travel to Minsk on the state-owned airline Belavia.

They supported them accordingly “with a visa, flight and accommodation”. Most of the people who came to Minsk were from the Kurdistan region of Iraq, which is suffering from economic and political instability.

From Minsk, the Belarusian government helped migrants reach the Polish and Lithuanian border by giving transport and sometimes supplying them with “cutters and axes” to breach the fences and barbed wires on the border, according to the EU. Most of them chose Poland over Lithu-

“

One of the worst and most important factors in this human rights crisis is that 20-30% of the migrants at the border are children ania because they wanted to reach Germany or other European countries to reunite with their families and communities, and Lithuania is mostly separated from central and western Europe by the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. All of these

people were running from serious issues in their home countries and regions, including hunger, war and poverty. Many commentators have heavily criticised Lukashenko for taking advantage of such humanitarian crises to serve his own needs. However, European countries have hardly reacted appropriately to the problem. This could cause one to question whether the EU motto, “united in diversity” ever includes people from outside of the EU. The Polish government has dictated much of the response to the situation, given its location. What began as several dozen people trying to gain sanctuary in Poland per day a few months ago rapidly changed as thousands of migrants arrived at the border. At first, the Polish government reacted to the new problem by enforcing a “state of emergency” in the area, not allowing any medics, journalists and people without specific documentation to enter the zone.

The only people that were dispatched to address the situation were border guards. Because of the lack of humanitarian aid and the poor conditions the migrants were forced to stay in, as well as the low temperatures and horrible weather, the situation has rapidly gotten out of control; at least 11

people have died at the border in the past few months. A group of Polish medics called Medics on the Border, created for the purpose of giving aid to people in need, have been trying to reach the migrants to provide medical help. However, they were refused with a letter from the Polish government. In this letter, it was stated that border guards are able to provide first aid and call emergency services when necessary, according to Notes from Poland. Not everyone has been supportive of this effort to address refugee’s needs, either. Medics on the Border had a number of their vehicles vandalised, and far-right groups have attacked asylum seekers in the border area and chanted slogans like “border guards, open fire” at demonstrations.

One of the worst and most important factors in this human rights crisis is that a large number of the migrants staying on the border are children. Polish newspaper Dziennik Gazeta Prawna says that they make up about 20-30% of those in the area.

It should be natural for all countries to support those that are vulnerable and the most in need of refuge and hospitality, but once again this appears not to be the case.

PHOTO VIA KAMIL GOPANIUK/FLICKR

What the PolishBelarusian border tells us about the future of Eastern Europe

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Features

Keeping a dead language alive Trinity News speaks to Dr Martin Worthington about dead languages, ancient cultures and the latest Marvel film Ellen Kenny Features Editor

PHOTO VIA TRINITY

M

arvel Studios, the sup er-p owered media giant, is famously secretive, known for giving actors censored scripts and using codenames to avoid leaks and spoilers. Trinity College’s Dr. Martin Worthington got a taste of this famous secrecy in 2019 when he was asked to translate dialogue into Babylonian for an undisclosed project known as “Sack Lunch”.

Months later, Worthington discovered that these translations were for Marvel’s latest blockbuster hit, Eternals.

As someone whose work focuses on ancient cultures and dead languages, most of Worthington’s work concentrates on stories of the past rather than those told today.

When Eternals came out, Worthington told Trinity News he was left “dumbstruck” upon realising that his work had been involved in such a huge cinematic project.

However, the scenes set in Ancient Babylon play a key role in the narrative and structure of the film.

“As the name says, the Eternals have been on Earth for a long time,” Worthington explains, “... and so the story lingers in Ancient Babylon for a while. I think they wanted some of the language to create a sense of authenticity and to bring [the audience] into the story, and I think they succeeded.”

Worthington not only translated the dialogue, but also provided multiple recordings of the dialogue in “slow, fast, loud, soft, angry, happy” tones to help the actors deliver their lines not only with accuracy, but with authenticity.

This experience was not Worthington’s first interaction with Hollywood; in 2018, Worthington was sent an English poem to translate into Babylonian, for a film about “an ancient creature waking up”.

Worthington happily provided the translation, but it was not until a year after the film’s release that he realised that his translations were used in the 2019 monster film, “Godzilla: King of the Monsters”.

Despite the allusive nature of the job, the secrecy surrounding these types of film projects does not bother Worthington: “People who work on the Ancient Near

[and Middle] East and Ancient Mesopotamia are always grateful for any publicity we can get, so pretty much any film that wants something translated into Babylonian will always get a yes from me.”

When Worthington is not translating for the stars, he is Trinity College’s Al-Maktoum Associate Professor in Near and Middle Eastern Studies. His days are spent lecturing, writing, and conducting research on the historical region known as Mesopotamia (largely present-day Iraq, Syria, and Turkey). Ancient Babylonian

“

People who work on the Ancient Near East and Ancient Mesopotamia are always grateful for any publicity we can get

language, also known as Akkadian, faded into oral obscurity by around 500BC, but interest and research into the topic remain alive.

Worthington’s current research, for example, is centered around Sargon, king of Assyria from 721704BC. An inscription by the ancient king discusses a newly built city whose perimeter, when measured in cubits (an ancient form of measurement based on the distance from the arm to the elbow), somehow spells out his name.

Questions of how this measurement and construction was possible have lingered for hundreds of years — and even as Worthington believes he is getting closer to the answer, many questions about Mesopotamia might remain unanswered for hundreds of years more.

For Worthington, confronting these unanswered questions is tantamount to a “form of therapy” for the clarity and perspective it provides: “Understanding the world is not easy. There are all sorts of questions about the way the world works, and I think most of us actually go throughout our lives without resolving these questions because we don’t confront them. So really drilling down into something and mapping out all the sub-questions and finding the evidence and tying it up, for me, is a way of creating mental order and sort of getting a handle on a small part of the world.”

Worthington also believes that it is precisely its vast, unexplained history that makes the study of Mesopotamia so exciting today. In comparison to other historical pe-

riods, there is still a great deal we do not know about Mesopotamia; according to Worthington, our knowledge of Mesopotamia today is, in many ways, at the same standard that knowledge of Ancient Rome and Greece was in the 1700s.

There are still huge amounts of ancient writing tablets waiting to be discovered under the deserts of Iraq. To Worthington, this means “you’re part of a massive intellectual journey, and you’re aware that, for a lot of things you do, in time it will be forgotten that you did them, but they will become unobtrusive bricks in a wall of knowledge that continues to grow” The bricks we already have certainly created an impressive image of these ancient cultures. As Worthington explains, it was in Ancient Mesopotamia that “cities were born and writing was in-

vented”, showing the far-reaching influence they had on modern civilisation. The Babylonians also “used Pythagoras’ Theorem before Pythagoras” (but did not receive credit for it until discoveries of its usage were made thousands of years later) and developed the groundwork for our modern concept of measuring time. Stories and ideas from these ancient cultures also find their way into popular culture today: along with the Babylonian translations used in Eternals, the 1970s comics the film is based on include a character named Gilgamesh — referencing the Babylonian epic — and a villain named Tiamut, a name that could be referencing Tiamat, Babylonian goddess of the sea.

Worthington concedes that there are aspects of Babylonian culture that we may never dis-

PHOTO VIA HJALTLAND COLLECTION/WIKIMEDIA

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Features PHOTO VIA OSAMA SHUKIR MUHAMMED AMIN/WIKIMEDIA

cover, and that this knowledge gap colours our entire interaction with the study. While “thousands” of writings from Ancient Babylon have been found, they consist mainly of medical records, administrative documents and “praising kings” — every day, “chatty” Babylonian was not recorded in words.

Therefore, our knowledge of Baby-

“

What a society needs is intelligent citizens who are able to assess evidence critically, develop an open mind and a measure of empathy

lonian today does not include the colloquial words and phrases that are a key part of every language.

Worthington compared this to a study of the English language that completely excludes letters, diaries and conversations in novels that make up an essential portion of language.

This knowledge gap actually led to an interesting challenge for Worthington when he was translating the dialogue for “Eternals”.

As there is little to no information on colloquial Babylon, Worthington had to make a lot of logical jumps to capture the conversations between the characters. For instance, when coming across the line “I feel everything around me vibrating”, Worthington was faced with two huge gaps: there is no recorded Babylonian word for “vibrating” or “feel” in the same sense as English. Worthington had to reconstruct the sentence to, literally, “Everything around me is constantly touching me” — a self-admitted “ridiculous” sentence in English, but a sentence that was able to capture the feeling of the story in Ancient Babylon.

Despite the gaps that exist in Babylonian and the entire study of Mesopotamia, Worthington believes that keeping this dead language alive is an exciting and worthy endeavour. When it comes to the language, the “rewards [of studying Babylonian] are enormous” for critical engagement and analysis.

“Studying Babylonian and similar sources is a hardcore education in how to read written materials,” Worthington tells Trinity News, “If you want to become a lawyer, there could be no better training than to be pouring over Babylonian sources and working out what a word really means and where a sentence starts and stops and what the implications are… textual analysis is absolutely key.”

“I’ve heard it said that the exercise of learning a language is one of the most neurologically challenging activities that the human mind can engage in, so in terms of keeping the old brain a-rattling, that’s a good thing to do.”

Engaging with ancient literature and the countless interpretations and translations “trains you in juggling possibilities simultaneously,” according to Worthington, “which

is something that as responsible citizens of the world, we all need to try and do in life.”

On the subject of civic responsibility, Worthington also considers the study of ancient civilisations to be a “mind-broadening” experience: “in the same way going to visit a foreign land today makes you realise that humans can organise themselves in different ways, looking out into the window on Ancient Babylon makes you realise that humans organise their societies in utterly different ways, and it can in both ways cause you to rethink the axioms of both societies.”

Worthington is always excited to engage “lay people” in Near and Middle Eastern studies, as he explains that “talking to the public can be very refreshing, they come to the subject with no preconceptions, and they’re not part of the communities of consensus that form within scholarship.”

Worthington has taken many measures to make Mesopotamia as accessible of a topic as possible.

Along with translating Babylonian for Hollywood films, in 2018 Worthington collaborated with his students to direct the first Babylonian language film in the world, The Poor Man of Nippur, which has gained nearly 100,000 views on YouTube. He is also involved with the College’s new master’s program, The Middle East in a Global Context, which focuses on the history, culture and politics of the Middle East. According to Worthington, this course “tells us a huge part of the human story, and it is important for people to be aware of that, and to be pointed in its direction.”

Worthington sees a value in his study that goes beyond the academics: “What a society needs is intelligent citizens who are able to assess evidence critically, develop an open mind, a curiosity, a measure of empathy, and hopefully not be completely in thrall to excessive capitalism. And oh look, that’s basically the description of a student of the Ancient Near East.”

PHOTO VIA MARVEL

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PHOTO BY ISOBEL DUFFY FOR TRINITY NEWS

Features

Deja brew: the growth of Ireland’s coffee industry Tracing the transition in Irish consumer coffee tastes from basic to bespoke blends Lara Mellett Deputy Features Editor

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n May of 2020, Bewleys, one of Ireland’s largest tea and coffee companies, announced that they would be closing their flagship store, one of Grafton Street’s most notable occupants, which had been open since 1927. This news came as a shock, but once it was revealed that the company had made a loss of €462,000 in 2019, and a staggering €3.15million loss the year prior, it became a wonder how the company held out as long as it did.

The COVID-induced closures that impinged the entirety of the food and beverage industry throughout 2020 signalled the final straw for the company, as they admitted defeat against unrelent-

ing lockdowns. However, despite the huge losses incurred in the years prior to the pandemic, Bewleys made a somewhat miraculous revival at the end of the year, announcing the reversal of their decision to close in August of 2020.

Ireland’s thirst for coffee had not yet been quenched. This raises the question, however, of whether Bewleys will be able to stay in business for good. When it comes to tea and coffee, what is truly brewing in the minds of Irish people?

A survey carried out by BrewSmartly in 2020 revealed that Dublin was the second most “coffee-crazy” capital city in the world, housing 180 coffee shops per 100,000 people, and imports being the equivalent €94.94 per person per year. Of course, the impact of COVID-19 impeded the nation’s coffee habits — national coffee shop and cafe revenue were 34% in 2020 from the year previous, as people were forced inside, and cafes were forced to shut. However, while overall spending in the food and beverage industry saw a decline in 2020, coffee shops still received a larger segment of this spending, as adaptations such as “takeaway only” and impromptu coffee hatches were established to work around the restrictions.

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Dublin is the second most “coffee-crazy” capital city in the world, with 180 coffee shops per 100,000 people, and imports of €94.94 per person per year

2021 has also seen the sector make an outstanding recovery, with the second quarter of 2021 seeing growth in spending of up to 158% compared to 2019. These soaring statistics, in contrast to

Bewley’s seemingly fluctuating performance, raise the question, where are Irish people getting our caffeine fix?

Well, the answer can be found on just about every street in Dublin City, and every town outside.

Distinguished by their minimalistic branding and sleek, industrial interiors, Ireland’s 21st-century solution to their coffee addiction comes in the form of small, independent, artisanal coffee shops.

These cafes provide consumers with small-batch roasted espresso, blended with a perfectly foamed alternative milk of your choice, made by a meticulously trained barista, and complete with a €4+ price tag.

This growth in modern, caffeinated consumer tastes is often credited to Karl Purdy, who, in 1996, opened The Ground Floor, a coffee shop in the centre of Belfast.

This was one of Ireland’s first exposures to seemingly foreign beverages such as the “cappuccino” or the “latte”. Due to the glamorisation of cosy coffee shops in much of the mainstream media at the time, such as the infamous Central Perk of Friends, The Ground Floor was an immediate success. Three years later, Purdy decided to sell the business, but within this time he had altered the country’s coffee culture entirely.

By 2004, Purdy was ready to get back into the beverage business, capitalising on the wealth at the coast of Ireland’s capital. He established a coffee cart, under the name Coffeeangel, at Howth pier, later moving to Dun Laoghaire.

This preceded the opening of the first branches of Costa and Starbucks in Ireland in 2005, marking a new stage in Ireland’s coffee evolution. Coffee’s cosmopolitan image was well and truly on the rise, with personalised coffee orders becoming a symbol of a “Lorelai Gilmore-esque” allure.

Even with the added competition of glamorous international franchises, Coffeeangel saw immense success. In 2011, Purdy decided to return to the traditional

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Features

“

Ireland’s 21st-century solution to their coffee addiction comes in the form of small, independent, artisanal coffee shops coffee shop structure, opening a temporary pop-up on South Anne Street, and this three-month project quickly turned into a permanent fixture. Since then, Coffeeangel has opened four additional locations across Dublin, and business is doing as well as ever.

Many people have followed the Coffeeangel path, offering specialty coffee from their simple-yet-stylish locations, which have spread even further than the capital. Each of these coffee shops capitalize on the Irish taste for a bespoke brewing experience.

PHOTO VIA DUMPHASIZER/FLICKR

Certain locations point further than local Coffeeangel’s humble beginnings for their inspiration.

Coffee shop and roaster Two Fifty Square, established in 2014, boasts “inspired in Melbourne, roasted in Dublin’’ on their website. Similarly, Clare-based gourmet coffee roasters Anam Coffee explain on their website: “I will never forget tasting my first Ethiopian heirloom brewed on a V60 pour-over in Melbourne in 2014. I never knew coffee could taste so sweet, so delicate and so floral. I was immediately hooked by the whole roasting process to produce such an amazing coffee unlike anything I had ever tasted before.” While chains like Starbucks and Costa capitalise on the American glamour of the traditional coffee house, it seems as though the new wave of coffee culture in Ireland is taking their inspiration from Australia.

According to baristainstitute. com, 95% of the coffee shops in Australia are independently owned, and just like their famous Flat White, Australians are focused on the flavour and quality of their coffee above anything else.

Speaking to Trinity News, Brian O’Briain, founder of Anam Coffee verifies that this turn towards coffee quality has been imported to Ireland: “People now realise that independent cafés by and large are very good and you do get a high standard. They are putting the time, the research, the right equipment and the right training in.”

“The flip side of that, interestingly, is that people expect a very high quality from an independent [coffee shop]. It’s almost like they’ll

go to a chain and grab a coffee and a tuna melt and accept that it’s a bit middle of the road. But if people go to an independent they expect a very nice experience – which they should – there’s that expectation that it will be very good.”

“There’s an interesting future ahead for the independent café scene, but it should be community led, authentic and compete on quality.”

This evolution and elevation in quality has also led to an elevation in prices within the coffee industry, but O’Briain continues, explaining that consumers are more than willing to pay extra for the benefits they receive from buying from small and independent businesses: “Ultimately the consumer will need to pay more. This in turn allows producers to pay more and in our case, pay our staff properly

and our coffee farmers substantially more for producing organically”.

Ireland’s coffee culture has been through many stages in its evolution; from a hesitant introduction to coffee through classic companies like Bewleys, embodying American glamour in the rise of Starbucks, and finally to mirroring the Australian method of focusing on the unique quality of each cup.

As Purdy himself has explained in the past: “Irish people know their coffee. I don’t have to phonetically spell out cappuccino anymore; they’ve been to Australia and they know what a flat white is.” Irish consumers understand the value in a good cup of coffee, and small coffee chains, through their expert barista qualifications and their small-batch brewing, understand how to provide this.

As the coffee industry in Ireland continues to evolve, it is likely that independent businesses will maintain a competitive chunk of the market. With all eyes on the environment and sustainability, small cafes can boast a smaller carbon footprint due to their use of small-batch coffee roasters and compostable containers, and as the impacts of COVID continue to unfold, consumers are more willing to support local. This focus on the sustainability and global impact on coffee will lead to an emphasis on its source, and small roasters like Anam Coffee already prioritize this: “We hope to raise awareness for the farmers. These are the people the industry relies on. They might walk many kilometers down the side of a steep mountain carrying enough coffee on their backs to fill the couple of bags consumers see on café shelves.

“We are committed to finding new ways to show our customers all that goes into getting coffee from the tree to their cup.”

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Features

The rare new times The reasons behind the recent loss of many famous cultural landmarks in Dublin Jay Purdue Contributing Writer

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ave The Cobblestone, Save Merchant’s Arch, Save Tolka Park. Each passing week, another institution ingrained in the cultural fabric of Dublin faces an existential threat. When Pete St John wrote In the Rare Auld Times, a song about the disappearance of landmarks in Dublin, he probably didn’t think the song would be sung for the same reasons over 50 years later.

However, with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and a surge in private development on cultural institutions in Dublin today, the song has proven to be as relevant, if not more, than ever before.

One such pandemic-related impact was the recent decision to close the much-loved Chapters bookstore in early 2022. Chapters is the largest independent bookshop in Ireland, first opening on Wicklow Street in 1983. Its extensive second-hand collection is especially revered, with many locals flocking for a chance to buy bargain bestsellers. Its low prices and book exchange programmes also provided the opportunity for those of any income to start building a library, encouraging reading amongst generations of Dubliners. The lines stretching outside its doors following the announcement of its closure echo these sentiments.

Despite being held in such high regard, the lack of footfall in the city centre during Covid-19 left Chapters owner, William Kinsella, with no choice but to close the business. Speaking to Newstalk, Kinsella described how many consumers changed their habits during the pandemic, opting instead for online sellers or local bookstores. These factors, coupled with increased rent and a lack of tourists, meant Chapters suffered significant shortfalls in revenue.

Despite Kinsella’s best efforts to increase the store’s online presence during the pandemic, these changes came too little too late, with the “figures just not stacking up” according to the owner. These factors led to the announcement of the store’s closure at the end of October.

While the pandemic was a determining factor in many businesses’ closures in recent months, a surge in private development, particularly hotel development,

has also had an adverse impact on the preservation of Dublin’s landmarks. The Cobblestone pub, a bastion of traditional music in the capital, has announced it will cease trading if planning permission is approved for a hotel within its grounds. Under these plans, nearly 70% of The Cobblestone’s premises could be reappropriated. Speaking to RTÉ News, Tomás Mulligan, a representative of the pub, described how this loss would make The Cobblestone “financially unviable”, leading to the venue’s closure.

While pubs in Dublin can be seen as a dime-a-dozen, what sets The Cobblestone apart as a cultural hotspot for locals and tourists alike is its emphasis on traditional Irish music. With live performances every night of the week, The Cobblestone has provided a space for traditional musicians to showcase their craft. Moreover, the pub has fostered budding artists with regular dance, singing and instrumental lessons. It also hosts frequent cultural events such as pop-up Gaeltachts, storytelling workshops, and poetry nights. The local reverence of the pub has been highlighted by the hundreds of objections filed against proposed plans, coupled with the protests held at Dublin City Council’s headquarters regarding the same matter Another impact that hotel developments have had on the cultural landscape of Dublin is the increased private development in Temple Bar. This was brought to a head with a proposal for a three-storey hotel in the Mer-

chant’s Arch section of Temple Bar square in recent months. Whilst the arch itself will not be demolished, objectors to the development, such as the heritage watchdog An Taisce, assert that the hotel will continue to alter the already changed landscape irreparably.

In An Taisce’s press release on the matter, the group described how this development constitutes another indictment of Temple Bar’s betrayal of its initial primary goal as a revitalised cultural quarter. The government first set this out in the Temple Bar Plan of 1992, which presented a vision of Temple Bar in which arts, culture, and heritage would be “supported and conserved”. There was a particular emphasis placed on building residential units in the area, with the intent to create a “vibrant city centre community”. The successful, continued implementation of the plan has been credited for revitalising Temple Bar into a now-iconic part of the city. For objectors, the proposed hotel represents the latest amongst a slew of contra-

dictions of the initial ideals of the Temple Bar Plan, which threaten to remove the cultural heritage of the quarter.

Private development’s impact on cultural landmarks is not confined solely to hotels. Tolka Park, one of the city’s oldest sports grounds, located in the suburb of Drumcondra, has recently been put up for sale by Dublin City Council for private development.

The stadium has been at the centre of sporting culture in Dublin for nearly a century, with many Irish football alumni either watching a match or taking part on the pitch throughout its illustrious history. The renowned player and RTÉ pundit, John Giles, has described the ground as his “spiritual home”.

For musician David Balfe, matchdays at Tolka Park present the opportunity to “connect families through generations” and remember times with a close friend who had passed away.

However, due to a lack of investment, the stadium has fallen into disrepair. So, when the op-

portunity was presented for the current occupiers, Shelbourne F.C., to enter a ground-sharing agreement with rivals Bohemians F.C. in a new stadium, they took the opportunity. The ownership of Tolka Park was subsequently handed over to Dublin City Council. The council has since decided to sell Tolka Park to private developers to fund the new stadium and other projects across the city. The sale has been described as an “act of cultural vandalism” by the activist group, Save Tolka Park. They regard the passing of the publicly owned lands into the hands of private developers as a misuse of green space that the council could have otherwise employed for public amenities.

It is clear that the situation in Dublin is multi-faceted, with no one single cause for the loss of these landmarks, and, consequently, the culture of Dublin. However, the harshness of the pandemic, coupled with the surge in private development, are the two issues at the core of the recent changes.

Moreover, the prevalence of these issues in recent media, and the public outcry for the prevention of private development has shown the value that locals place on these landmarks.

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Despite such admiration, the lack of footfall in the city centre during Covid-19 left Chapters owner, William Kinsella, with no choice but to close the business PHOTO BY ELIZA MELLER FOR TRINITY NEWS

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Fionnán Uíbh Eachach

page 24

Op-ed: DCU students are right to reject bigotry from lecturers Dr Umar al-Qadri page 25

PHOTO BY ELIZA MELLER FOR TRINITY NEWS

Comment

MetroLink’s delay is an inexcusable failure of government planning

USI’s Fuck the Fees campaign was doomed by design Sophie Furlong Tighe Comment Editor

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n Tuesday, October 23, Trinity’s Student Union (TCDSU) joined the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) in a “Fuck the Fees” protest – a three-day collaborative effort with universities across Ireland to try and do something about the fact that Ireland currently has the highest university tuition fees in Europe (something even more frustrating when taken in tandem with the government’s consistent & dizzying assertion that we have “free fees”). Taking a look back at the union’s history of campaigning in this area, it doesn’t look likely that the protest will change all that much.

It’s not the matter, but the method which is objectionable here. It is, of course, true that the way students are treated by the government is abominable.

Despite a budget which looked like it was specially designed for the youth population (with cheaper travel and free contraception available for those in their early 20s), there was a notable lack of substantive positive changes made. On top of fees, accommodation and the cost of living in Dublin both remain prohibitively expensive, locking many young people out of higher education – USI hardly needs to tell students this.

There was a great episode of

the most recent edition of Reeling in the Years (the RTÉ program which looks back at Irish history through music & archival footage) which looked particularly at the 2011 banking crisis, and its repercussions on welfare, employment, and education. About 10 minutes in, there’s a powerful video clip of a USI protest to the backing of Shake it Off by Florence and the Machine. USI president at the time, Gary Redmond, screams from a podium: “Today we are sending a message to that government: Shame on you.” It’s an exciting, well-edited piece of television, representing what looked like an exciting moment to be in student government. But the

thing is, fees were €3,000 a year then, as they remain today. This is a message USI seems to have been sending to the government for a decade, so the question remains: what will make it more effective in 2021 than it was in 2011?

This clear inefficacy somehow feels less excusable than similar criticisms of TCDSU and its frequent political failings. Our smaller, more localised union dedicates a significant amount of time and energy to localised issues – individual student casework, provision of condoms and tampons to students. Even if you’re dissatisfied with the union’s political action, how they work with college, or how they run council, they clearly serve some important function to the student body. What does USI do? They organise large campaigns, with very bold swear words, and pretty graphics.

The problem with the 2011 campaign was not a case of student mobilisation. 20,000 students showed up to a protest, waved placards, talked to newspapers about their dissatisfaction, and then proceeded to go home.

Ireland has always had a problem

with protests that look eerily like parades, and student activism is no exception. Are USI under the impression that the government doesn't know we’re dissatisfied?

Do they think that we just need to ask a bit louder to cut through the noise of bureaucracy? Would an asterisked swear word help?

The reason the government isn't listening is because the USI poses no fundamental threat to them. So, the protest held up traffic for a while, as do GAA matches and rush-hour cars. At this point, USI’s failure to engage in meaningful action is an endemic problem. The prospect of organising students against voting for this government in successive elections is far too partisan for such a large, bureaucratic organisation and the idea of occupying buildings not respectable enough for a group of people who presumably have their eyes on the historical USI-to-public-office pipeline.

This year, 250 students showed up to the Dail for the “Fuck the Fees”. It’s hard to blame them for showing up in significantly lower numbers than they did 10 years ago. It hasn’t got easier or cheaper to be a student since then, just clearer that the USI probably aren’t going to do anything to change that.

Looking back to 2011, we can see that some element of direct action was planned when USI occupied the Department of Jobs in an attempt to ambush Eamon Gilmore, the Táiniste (and, funnily enough, a former USI president) at the time. Despite having food supplies to last several weeks, they left as soon as Gardaí entered the scene, 15 minutes after the occupation began.

This was absolutely the right idea, with the sheer number of people that the USI is clearly capable of organising, an occupation would have been desperately inconvenient for the government, as well as a huge amount of free press for USI. However, the way the action ended feels annoyingly prescient for today’s USI – plans to agitate, empty threats, home in time for dinner.

In a promotional video for the “Fuck the Fees” protest, USI President Clare Austick says: “We’ve tried playing nice, but the government isn’t listening.” It’s true that the USI has been playing nice for far too long, and it’s true that no one is listening, but the only thing that seems to have changed since 2011 is the confidence to say the word “fuck”. The organisation has been protesting the same single issue for a decade, and have, in a very literal sense, achieved nothing. Radical change is needed both within the organisation and the way in which it mobilises if anything is to be done.

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Comment

Villanising sex workers is not the answer to the issue of trafficking Eva O'Beirne

Deputy Life Editor

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n November 23, Dublin-based NGO Ruhama launched its “Get the Full Picture” campaign. Supported by the Services, Industrial, Professional and Technical Union, more commonly known as SIPTU, the campaign aims to highlight the prevalence of human trafficking for sexual exploitation throughout Ireland and to tell the stories of those who are impacted by it. The campaign calls on the public to know the signs of human trafficking and to report suspicious activity to the relevant authorities.

In addition, the campaign aims to break the silence around sexual exploitation. And while this may seem laudable and good, when you take a closer look at the history of Ruhama, you’ll find direct links to religious oppression and not one but two orders of nuns that ran the notorious Magdalene laundries.

The agency works “with women affected by prostitution and other forms of commercial sexual exploitation” and was previously described as “a joint initiative of the Good Shepherd Sisters and the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity, both of which had a long history of involvement with marginalised women, including those involved in prostitution”. This admission of religious involvement appears to have since been scrubbed from their website. Both congregations refused to meet with Justice for Magdalenes, a support group for survivors of the laundries. The NGO, with its connections to this legacy of religious oppression and imprisonment of Irish women, has received more than €14.4 million in funding from the Health Service Executive since 2006.

The actions of both of these religious orders in regards to the asylums and laundries have been condemned nationally and internationally, with a 2014 UN report stating that: “Girls placed in the institutions were forced to work in slavery-like conditions and were often subject to inhuman, cruel and degrading treatment as well as to physical and sexual abuse.

They were deprived of their identity, of education and often of food … imposed with an obligation of silence and prohibited from hav-

ing any contact with the outside world … unmarried girls who gave birth before entering or while incarcerated in the laundries had their babies forcibly removed from them.” Both the Sisters of the Good Shepherd and the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity have refused to compensate victims.

Also funded by the Department of Justice, this is far from Ruhama’s first attempt to grab the nation’s attention. But what makes this campaign harder to swallow is the overwhelming promotion of the campaign by bodies like SIPTU and the Women’s Council of Ireland. Seeing prominent female politicians focus on this issue should be a relief, it should be a moment where sex workers are finally heard but instead, I fear it is a campaign that shouts over the those actually affected by trafficking and abuse. If the government wants to genuinely combat this issue, they need to let sex workers sit at the table where decisions are being made.

You may be wondering that, since their new campaign is described as “survivor-led” and wants to prevent human trafficking, surely it’s better than nothing? And yes, to some extent that is true. It is a positive step for the Department of Justice to be taking some action to prevent exploitation, just as they’ve done with image-based sexual abuse and sexual harassment in the past year. It is promising that there is only one member of a religious order, Sister Noreen O’Shea, on the board of directors of Ruhama, and that she appears to be more focused on men who encourage sexual exploitation rather than eliminating sex work as a whole.

But then again at a forum on sex work in 2007, she called for the end of strip clubs and exotic dancing in Ireland.

The key problems with the “Get The Full Picture Campaign” lie in the ways Ruhama describes likely victims of human trafficking. Some characteristics listed on their website make sense such as “appearing dishevelled, bruised, injured or malnourished” and “not being allowed to speak for themselves or make their own decisions”, but others seem to be encouraging people to police their

neighbours even when taken at their very best. Ruhama states on their website that “a lack of English or literacy skills” and “constantly seeing new neighbours in your community or what appear to be different neighbours every few weeks” are signs of sex trafficking. It places the responsibility of reporting on strangers, who within this campaign (which unequivocally says that “the purchase of sex is a driver of the trade surrounding human trafficking”) are encouraged to be concerned about all forms of sex work rather than just nonconsensual sex work.

Any form of exploitation of sex workers in Ireland is a huge issue and should never be tolerated or go unpunished. But when I was researching for this article, I found no mention of the issue of people in Direct Provision engaging in sex work on the Get The Full Picture campaign page.

Akidwa, the national network

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How can the Department of Justice fund campaigns raising awareness around imagebased sexual abuse, but continue to support the vilification of sex work as a whole?

of migrant women, submitted a report to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice and Equality in May warning that women in direct provision centres were being pushed into prostitution. The report revealed that many women, and in some cases children, are offered money for sex by staff, other residents, and neighbours from local towns near the centres. Most women who go through Direct Provision have been propositioned by a stranger near where they live, while others are groomed by male residents who operate as pimps within the accommodation.

Exploitation is occurring under a system that wasn’t designed for migrants to live comfortably. Direct Provision was designed to be an emergency measure, a shortterm solution that has now turned twenty years old and has housed residents for up to twelve years.

Targeting men via an ad campaign won’t stop the (what seems to be) open secret of soliciting sex from refugees who can’t support themselves on less than €40 a week.

And that’s what is missing from Ruhama’s messaging. It needs to call a spade a spade and underline the failures of the government to protect vulnerable people in Direct Provision.

According to research conducted by UCD’s Sexual Exploitation Research Programme and the HSE's Women’s Health Service, migrants make up a significant amount of the sex worker population. In a sample of 144 women, 94% were not Irish, and many cited precarious immigration and poverty as reasons for engaging in sex work. Although the report found that most of the women were doing all they could to protect their sexual health, clients were demanding unprotected sex and tried to remove barrier contraception when it was used. 79% of the women were experiencing at least one health issue, including sexually transmitted infections.

In a report by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, it is acknowledged that victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation are “almost exclusively migrant women”. So why aren’t Ruhama campaigning for better facilities for migrants? Why are their national campaigns focused on villainizing everyone engaged in sex work, even those who make the conscious choice and are proud of it? There is a case that sexual exploitation and human trafficking is far too high in Ireland, but we cannot hand such a vulnerable issue to an agency that was born from the ashes of institutions that housed thousands of unmarried women, sold their children and buried bodies in unmarked graves

and septic tanks.

So why isn’t exploitation reported? According to the Sex Workers Alliance Ireland, the answer is quite simple. The Criminal Offences Bill (2015) and Sexual Offences Act (2017) have made sex workers less likely to report dangerous clients to Gardaí. The Sexual Offences Act, following the so-called “Nordic model”, prohibits the purchase of sex and increased penalties for sex workers sharing premises.

The maximum fine for “brothel keeping” increased from €1,000 to €5,000 and the maximum jail term doubled from six months to

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TRINITY NEWS | Tuesday 30 November

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After the introduction of the 2017 Act, Ugly Mugs saw a 92% increase in the number of violent incidents reported by sex workers

one year. A conviction on indictment (which requires a Jury trial), remained unchanged by the act with a maximum fine of €10,000 remaining and/or a maximum five-year jail term.

Sex workers are actively punished for attempting to live together, a measure many tackle for their own safety. If someone were to discover their profession they could lose their home and livelihoods, as they have no way of proving they don’t use their residence for their services. If they are assaulted at work and choose to report it, their landlord or employer could be arrested.

There are plans within cabinet to introduce a national referral mechanism for victims of sex trafficking but an app for sex workers to report dangerous or untrustworthy clients already exists in Ireland. Ugly Mugs, founded in 2013, is a free service that allows sex workers to report instances of abuse and record experiences with clients. What is

PHOTO VIA UGLY MUGS

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most notable about this platform is that it previously had ties to Ruhama but has since ceased any connections to the NGO, and has publicly denounced the “Get The Full Picture” campaign.

Ugly Mugs Ireland took a clear shot at Ruhama’s practices in a tweet on November 22: “The full picture is that the government is throwing money at [Ruhama] again, for them to whip up hate against people in sex work. This has violent consequences that we have to deal with.” In another thread, the platform called out the NGO’s performative activism: “The saddest thing about the #getthefullpicture campaign is that there is not adequate support for people in sex work (including victims of trafficking). What we have here is a media campaign being run by Ruhama (a lobby group.) What we don't have is actual support services.”

But even if you believe Ruhama can change, or even has changed, and that all institutions have their faults it is hard to ignore the anger of sex workers and sex work activists around this campaign. It is clear from the reactions of SWAI and numerous sex workers in Ireland that Ruhama is generally not trusted. According to Adeline Berry, SWAI activist and author, it is Ruhama and the Immigrant Council of Ireland’s petitioning for the Sexual Offences Act that has increased dramatically increased human trafficking and abuse in Ireland. In her most recently published research on the topic, Berry states: “Parties responsible for sex work legislation in the Republic of Ireland appear to have contributed to a cycle of desperation with little opportunity for escape for those unfortunate enough to find themselves relying on sex work to support themselves and their families.” After the introduction of the 2017 Act, Ugly Mugs saw a 92% increase in the number of violent incidents reported by sex workers.

Is Ruhama trying to help sex trafficking victims? I’d like to hope that they have good intentions, but they have clearly missed the mark with these campaigns. As

an organisation, they will never be able to escape their religious past, and they should not be championed by government and civil society as the sole group that speaks for sex workers who have experienced abuse. Ruhama has effectively positioned itself as the solution to a state that refuses to acknowledge that sex work can occur safely, and instead forces sex workers to hide their livelihoods from the law. In doing so, it only exposes them to more danger.

Just as abortions were still carried out under the 8th Amendment, sex work will continue to happen under the Sexual Offences Act, and those workers, like any workers, need protections. Prohibition-focused legislation takes agency away from sex workers, just like the Get The Full Picture and We Don’t Buy It campaigns.

I’m not saying Ruhama doesn’t

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Ruhama, with its connections to this legacy of religious oppression and imprisonment of Irish women, has received more than €14.4 million in funding from the HSE since 2006

have the capacity to change and I’m sure they have in some ways, but painting sex workers with the brush that they’re all victims just isn’t helpful long-term.

Ireland’s perception of sex and sex work is deeply flawed. One illustration of this is the handling of image-based sexual abuse, notably the infamous Discord leak in November 2020. Despite activists’ claims that over 40,000 images had been leaked and that child pornography had been found amongst the files, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris asserted to national media that Gardaí were not investigating any crimes in relation to the leak. He also claimed that no formal complaints had been made to them, which contradicted the stories of several victims.

Furthermore, a distinct line was drawn between victims of the leak by the public. Sex workers were seen by many to be “asking for it”, and were told that they should have expected their intimate images to be leaked if they were posted on websites such as OnlyFans. They became public commodities - throughout the following days of the Discord leak, searches for several Irish influencers and top creators on OnlyFans trended on PornHub. But where is Ruhama’s stance on online sex work? Where do these national bodies draw the line? How can the Department of Justice fund campaigns raising awareness around image-based sexual abuse but continue to support the vilification of sex work as a whole?

Dublin once had the largest red-light district in Europe.

Known as “the Monto” it was effectively shut down due to the combined efforts of religious organisations and police. But sex work in Ireland has never gone away; it has constantly evolved as the Church and state attempt to eradicate it. In 2021, the Church/ state collaboration continues.

Until there are sex workers leading the development of supports for sex workers, we won’t see campaigns or services, let alone legislation, that will fully protect them.

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MetroLink’s delay is an inexcusable failure of government planning Fionnán Uíbh Eachach Deputy Comment Editor

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rish media has in recent weeks been awash with expressions of anger and disappointment following the National Transport Authority’s (NTA) recent announcement that construction of Dublin’s underground rail line MetroLink (along with a raft of other transport infrastructure improvements) would be delayed until at least 2031. This is both unsurprising and understandable, given that this delay forces those living and working in Dublin to commute by road in one of the world’s most congested cities, also making a mockery of Ireland’s climate commitments.

MetroLink’s delay is also symptomatic of a government incapable of adhering to its own commitments. Dublin is in dire need of non-road public transport options; this delay demonstrates just how damaging poor government planning can be.

Why does Dublin need an underground rail service in the first place? While it is true that people living and commuting in Dublin have so far managed to travel around the county without a metro system, there are numerous reasons why one is now necessary. Dublin is currently one of the world’s most congested cities (this will come as no surprise to anyone who has spent time on the quays at rush hour) and with the city’s population rising rapidly in coming decades, congestion problems will only worsen unless people are incentivised to use public transport. Yet in a city where most people don’t live in the vicinity of a DART station and the only bus service is notoriously unreliable, travel by private car is often the only option and congestion remains a fact of daily life. The introduction of a metro system could however allow Dublin to free itself of traffic problems, as it could incentivise more people to substitute this new form of public transport for driving by private vehicle – thereby lowering transport times for bus routes and for those who still choose to drive.

Providing Dublin with a metro system could also go some way in helping the state to achieve its

current climate commitment to reduce emissions in the country by 51% between 2018 and 2030.

While most people will appreciate that travelling by foot, bicycle or public transport is more environmentally sound than travelling by private car, Dublin’s aforementioned lack of public transit options leaves too many people unable to commute any other way than by car. As well as this, associated congestion makes cycling and walking far more dangerous than if roads were not so constantly crammed.

Indeed, the delaying of MetroLink and the associated DART and Luas extensions makes an utter mockery of the state’s climate commitments – how could emissions possibly be reduced across the country, when those living in and around its primary city are essentially forced into unsustainable commuting habits?

It goes without saying that this is not the first time Dublin has seen plans for an underground rail line delayed.

First proposed in 1972 in the form of an underground line connecting Connolly and Heuston stations, and developed over the following decades into plans for a

European-style metro system, the people of Dublin are no strangers to over-promised and underdelivered public transportation plans – despite multiple rail plans over multiple decades the city still contains nothing beyond the DART and Luas (both of which are still less developed than first envisaged). The history of the current MetroLink project is itself a damning indictment of government planning given the

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Dublin is in dire need of nonroad public transport options

almost impressive list of delays it has seen since becoming government policy in 2005. This involves the granting of planning permission in 2011 only to be deferred by then Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar in the same year, the plan’s reduction from three interconnected lines to one that excludes even Dublin Airport and a cost spiralling from €3 billion in 2018 to a €25 billion package only three years later.

Given the importance of a metro system for Dublin on account of the myriad aforementioned issues, one question is unavoidable here: why has its implementation been such a mess?

The answer seems to lie in the fact that consecutive Irish governments have for decades proven themselves utterly incapable of planning and implementing anything that stretches beyond one Dáil term.

Whether it be horrendous delays to the rollout of rural broadband (with only 60,000 homes expected to be connected out of a target of 115,000 by February, 2022), the almost comical cost increases from €650 million to €1.73 billion associated with building the National Children’s Hospital, or the current failure to deliver transportation infrastructure, various Irish governments have for decades spent exorbitant amounts of public revenue on controversy-dogged projects that often fail to ever even materialise – a point particularly prescient given that senior members of the present government have played a role in all of the spectacularly drawn-out failures mentioned above.

This need not be the

case however, and past Irish governments have demonstrated the huge benefits of successfully implemented projects. One need look no further than the Shannon Hydroelectric scheme of the 1920s, which saw an impoverished state build the world’s then largest (and still operational) hydroelectric power station less than a decade after the end of two devastating wars.

This scheme’s positive effects were immense and a Dublin metro system could offer similarly longlasting benefits to millions. Given the course of events surrounding MetroLink however, it seems that the current government is either incapable of understanding its own planning system and budget or deliberately exaggerates the timelines of projects in the hope that the short-term political benefits thereof will win elections.

It has become increasingly clear for decades that Dublin is suffering heavily from a severe lack of public transport options.

In light of this, the government’s failure to deliver MetroLink on the time-scale promised is inexcusable. Implementing an underground rail system for Dublin has the potential to significantly improve the lives of all those living or working in the city, and could inspire similar projects in other major cities if successful. Yet given the clear faults at the heart of government when it comes to planning long-term infrastructural projects, it may be the case that, without fundamental change in government, MetroLink will remain forever a dream.

PHOTO BY SEOSAMH Ó CEALLAIGH FOR TRINITY NEWS

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PHOTO VIA THE SDLP

Witnessing an MLA with such dedication to progressive policies when tackling climate change is a breath of fresh air for Northern Irish politics

Nichola Mallon: Innovating in a once-stagnant North The Infrastructure Minister and Trinity graduate discusses what she’s achieved and what’s still to come Darragh McKee Mathews Contributing Writer

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hen discussing Northern Ireland’s track record on its handling (or rather non-handling) of the climate crisis, Minister Nichola Mallon references a probably-apocryphal Albert Einstein quotation: “The definition of madness is repeating the same thing and expecting different results”.

Minister of Infrastructure, deputy leader of the Social Dem-

ocratic and Labour Party, and Trinity College alumnus, Mallon was more than enthusiastic in our discussion about tackling climate change with innovative policies.

Her determination to tackle climate change in the North and introduce more sustainable modes of living is illustrated by her being the first-ever minister to opt for an electric car in execution of her public duties. Mallon understands the importance of sending such a message to her constituents. She would “never ask [her constituents] to do something [she] is not willing to do herself ”, and stresses the responsibility she feels to outwardly and practically demonstrate her values.

Accepting that transport is the second-largest contributor to the climate crisis in the North, the new policies implemented by Mallon’s department are directed primarily towards the transport sector, in hope of actively decarbonising the region’s planes, trains and automobiles. The department’s policies include investing in several hydrogen-fuelled buses, alongside a plan to build the first

hydrogen fuelling station on the island of Ireland. Additionally, the Department of Infrastructure has put aside a generous £96 million in funding for low and zero-emission buses and twenty-one additional train carriages.

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Mallon hopes to “dispel the myth that only the wealthy and well-educated have all the answers”

This implementation aims to encourage more people to utilise Northern Ireland rail services and other more sustainable modes of transport. In alignment with SDLP values, Minister Mallon has championed a much-needed strategic rail review with Irish Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan, hoping to improve journeys across the island. This cross-national and cross-governmental agreement marks another first for the Northern Irish Department of Infrastructure.

From interviewing Minister Mallon, it is clear that her strategies for tackling climate change and encouraging innovative policies are venturous and progressive. Her department saw the Covid-19 as an opportunity to be more experimental with its ideas and projects. It implemented trials of pedestrianisation and pop-up cycle lanes in Belfast and Derry city, with much success, and implored fellow members of Stormont and residents of Northern Ireland to take advantage of the successes and insights gained during the pandemic.

Mallon also implored the

government to maintain its willingness to explore new policies and be prepared to “hold up [our] hands and say at least we tried” if an idea does not succeed.

Witnessing an MLA with such dedication to progressive policies when tackling climate change is a breath of fresh air for Northern Irish politics. It is common knowledge that some of Minister Mallon’s fellow MLAs have taken firm and public anti-Climate Change and science-skeptic stances. Sammy Wilson, a member of the Democratic Unionist Party and former minister for the environment, has repeatedly and emphatically relayed his belief of climate change to be a con — green “propaganda”, as he calls it.

With such beliefs polluting the Northern Irish government, it is a relief to see the region’s first climate targets finally being set earlier this month — all thanks to the dedication and perseverance of science-trusting MLAs and Ministers like Nichola Mallon.

Therefore, with devoted and creative Ministers like Mallon at the head of government today, Northern Ireland’s future appears to be headed in a more sustainable and climate-conscious direction.

Mallon is also hopeful about achieving more representative governance across her constituency, not to mention Northern Ireland more generally. She explicitly says that constituents of all gender identities, socio-economic backgrounds, ethnicities, and levels of physical ability will be presented with the opportunity to have their voices heard, and hopes to “dispel the myth that only the wealthy and well-educated have all the answers.”

As a fellow Belfast native, witnessing Minister Mallon’s enthusiasm, optimism, and innovation firsthand, I can’t help but feel confident about the future of climate action and great progress in Northern Ireland.

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An uncertain assessment period calls for student resilience

PHOTO VIA CHRISTINE O'MAHONY

Jamie Cox

News Analysis Editor

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he past few weeks have seen students face high amounts of confusion over the subject of exams, with many questions raised. Will they be online? Or hybrid? Will it be possible to defer? The lack of clarity on the issue can be seen to reflect the uncertainty we all face heading into what looks to be an incredibly challenging Christmas season.

The subject of exams appears to mimic the situation occurring at a national level. Covid-19 has surged, and many people’s plans for the future have been thrown into question. Meanwhile, the authority figures, whilst responding to the issue, actually succeed in further muddying of the waters, as opposed to the provision of any meaningful assurance.

That being said, this wasn’t the case with Vice Provost, Orla Shiels, who’s email to students clearly stated College’s intention to implement a hybrid structure to examination; certain students to sit exams in person in the RDS, others to sit them online. The email also informed students that mitigation measures were being prepared in the case of the deteri-

oration of the national situation.

Shiels expressed some confidence, however, that public health advice for College was unlikely to change.

This email seeked to make amends for the message initially given to some students: that it was imperative they avoid catching Covid-19, as it would be a shame to miss exams. This sparked outrage among students, with many asking why College would not provide serious mitigation measures to ensure students would have the option to retake exams, or carry them out at home, should they contract Covid. Given these measures were in place last year, College’s message felt regressive and ignorant of the rapidly changing situation.

Despite the attempt at assurance in Sheils’ email, it is difficult to read without feeling a bit of déjà vu. This situation calls back to the uncertainty faced during last year’s assessment season.

Students of 2020/21 faced vague, drawn-out regulations surrounding assignments; the issue of deferrals was particularly problematic across schools.

Just as Covid numbers increase this winter, so too will the

confusion and anxiety stirred up by College administration.

Their lack of communication will only exacerbate the pre-existing nerves felt by those sitting exams.

It seems that students must brace themselves for the return of a frustrating examination period, with all the last-minute changes and issues of clarity that previously went with it.

While it is easy to see this moment as cause for despair, students can view their previous experience in a shaky assessment period as an advantage. This situation is not unfamiliar to us, and there are many ways to ease it. This can include being quick to contact class representatives and convenors, and not being shy in demanding clarity from Schools.

It is clear that College does not have our best interests at heart this assessment period. Student resilience will unfortunately be as necessary as it was last year.

The trust in science and public health authorities that students have shown thus far has been admirable, and to give up now would not only waste the effort and resilience shown, but hamper any opportunity for a return to campus after exams.

Op-ed: Students are right to rej islamophobia and racism from The Infrastructure Minister and Trinity graduate discusses what she’s achieved and what’s still to come Dr Umar al-Qadri Irish Muslim Peace & Integration Council

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ontroversial blogger and Dublin City University (DCU) lecturer Mark Humphrys has been frantically updating his blog the last few days.

As well as recently added “statements” on the homepage doubling down, refusing to apologise and threatening to sue for libel – a rookie move considering that his would be libellers are students and therefore broke – he also really wants us to know that he has three lives. Like a really unlucky cat.

Listing computing, history, and politics as his three lives, he tells us that his politics blog “has nothing to do with my other 2 lives”.

Like most on the far-right, principled thought and critical thinking isn’t Humphrys' strong point: he demands for himself

what he never affords others.

George Floyd is never offered the opportunity of dividing his life into neat segments – a past with a criminal record, the fact he was of an ethnicity that made him most vulnerable to police violence, the day he was just trying to buy something at the store in May

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Like most on the far-right, principled thought and critical thinking isn’t Humphrys' strong point: he demands for himself what he never affords others

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ject m their lecturers 2020 Humphrys is determined not to afford him that opportunity: “Floyd was another useless criminal who dug his own grave,” he writes. “It is no wonder [the police] did not listen to his ‘I can't breathe’ after 10 minutes of relentless bullshit and gibberish.”

He writes gleefully that George Floyd yelled, “I'm not that kind of guy!” while officers assaulted him, reminding the reader that Floyd had served 5 years in prison for armed robbery. Ironic, given that Humphrys now cries “I’m not that kind of guy” at anyone who’ll listen whilst his students uncover more and more problematic material on his blog every day.

Many of us here in Ireland have been subjected to the Humphrys treatment too – even when we don’t have other “lives” we need to keep separate. I don’t flatter myself by assuming that I’m a household name in Ireland. But it’s probably fair to say that most people involved in activist, community and voluntary work in Ireland would have at least some familiarity with the work I and my team do at the Irish Muslim Peace & Integration Council (IMPIC). We work every day for a pluralistic, tolerant and intersectional vision of Islam. But this is not enough for Humphrys.

Despite a long and well-documented career standing against Islamist extremism in all its forms – not just violent extremism, but also the misogyny and homopho-

Comment bia that is a feature of non-violent Islamism – Humphrys assumes me to be guilty until proven innocent: “Al-Qadri's mosque was inaugurated by Minister for Justice Brian Lenihan in January 2008.

Did Brian Lenihan ask a single question about Islamic extremism at this mosque?”

Humphrys paints himself as a common sense kinda guy – he calls it as he sees it. Except, of course, when it affects him or people like him. “Did the cops mean to kill [George Floyd]? Of course not,” he writes, in a move that looks a lot like a blind leap of faith for a self-proclaimed atheist. The judge and jury got it wrong, the 22 years imprisonment Chauvin was sentenced to is “insanely high” in his mind.

He’s also not keen on consequences for himself. He “warns” DCU students “if you try and drag my third life into my other two lives I will block you”, while also believing in (very lenient) due process for cops but not for black people, or that Muslims are violent extremists until they prove otherwise.

Sadly for him, these students have taken their discomfort with him being in that position to a realm where he can’t simply block them. Over 200 students gathered for a Black Lives Matter protest on the DCU campus recently, whilst Dublin City University Students’ Union (DCUSU) has supported their principled stance and many activists and groups online have added the voices in solidarity with the students. DCU students have good reason to be worried: despite him “yelling” that he shouldn’t face any consequences, his blog makes clear that he holds some deep-rooted prejudices and doesn’t apply his principles fairly across the board.

The pandemic, lockdowns, online college, and much more has left students already anxious and stressed. The last thing they need now is to worry about being treated (or worse, graded) differently by a lecturer because of his dislike for their ethnic or religious background, or his belief that “Western culture is superior”. Irish students are, of course, students, but they are also consumers paying the highest fees and amongst the highest rents and costs of living in the European Union (EU) for their qualifications. As consumers, they have every right to reject Humphrys as a lecturer and expect the market to react to demand. As someone who is proudly “pro-free market”, Humphrys will surely understand.

A Trinity graduate, Dr Umar al-Qadri is a leading Irish Muslim religious and social thinker and commentator. A qualified theologian and jurist, he works for cohesion, integration and a fairer society from his positions as Chairperson of the Irish Muslim Peace & Integration Council and Head Imam at the Islamic Centre of Ireland.

Editorial: Students and staff left out in the cold by government

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t 9am yesterday morning, November 29, when schools around Ireland were beginning the week’s classes, the temperature across much of Leinster was 1°C. Most of those same schools are currently conducting classes with all their windows open to provide ventilation and limit the spread of Covid-19.

Parents and teachers around the country have, of late, been sharing stories in the media and online of the battle against the cold inside Irish classrooms. Children are being sent to school with hats and scarves to wear throughout the day and teachers are putting hot water bottles under their coats while they work. Some students are finding it difficult to write, choosing between having their hands numb from the cold or wearing unwieldy gloves. The word “disgraceful” is overused in Irish political discourse to the point of near meaninglessness, but it’s hard to describe this any other way; it’s an absolute disgrace.

Last Wednesday, November 24, Education Minister Norma Foley said that “expert reports are telling us that natural ventilation is the best” for schools. Whether keeping windows open is indeed the best way to keep the virus at bay is a matter for epidemiologists, but this plainly isn’t sustainable as an environment to learn, work or even just exist in. In Ireland, employers are legally required to maintain a minimum workplace temperature of 17.5°C. Many schools are, these days, recording ones as low as 9°C or 10°C throughout the day.

There are also solutions to this.

For example, researchers from the University of Geneva and European Organization for Nuclear Research found that using one HEPA filter is as effective as two partially-open windows in winter, and combining it with briefly fully opening windows at the end of classes and having students wear masks causes the benefits to multiply.

It’s November, and we are 53° north of the Equator. It will continue to be regularly very cold until January or February.

This is the second winter of the pandemic. There’s not only no excuse for not doing this now, there’s no excuse for not having prepared for it months ago. The Independent Scientific Advisory Group was calling for masks and filters in schools in August, and really government should have independently come to the same conclusion long before that. There should have been detailed plans in place, and we should have invested in the necessary equipment.

Indeed, it would cost no more than a few million euro to put a HEPA filter in every classroom in

the country, and government has already spent roughly that amount of money supplying 35,000 CO2 filters to schools to encourage the opening of windows; it would achieve the same or better results, and the nation’s schoolchildren would be able to feel their hands again. That’s a good deal.

So really, the reason children and teachers are freezing is not because there’s no better solution or because it would be prohibitively expensive, it’s because the government’s policy surrounding Covid-19 in schools is guided chiefly by denial. This is evident in Minister Foley’s comments about natural ventilation, and it’s also evident in the conversation about how safe schools are overall.

On the same day Foley made those comments, Ireland’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Ronan Glynn denied in an interview that he or any other official had ever said “schools are safe”.

The Irish Independent helpfully compiled a non-exhaustive list of ten examples of government officials — the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, Glynn himself, CMO Dr Tony Holohan, Minister Foley and others — repeatedly saying exactly that over a span of at least 11 months.

It was farcical, of course; we all remember being told on an almost daily basis that schools are safe, and the deputy CMO wasn’t going to convince us we remembered wrong. But really, it’s more interesting that that line has been so-often repeated, because there’s effectively no evidence that it’s true. There’s no evidence to suggest the opposite either, there just isn’t a lot of data of any kind about Covid transmission in Irish schools. We do know that huge numbers of teachers are out of work due to contracting the virus, putting further strain on schools, but we’re usually not sure where they catch it.

So why has the government

taken it as an article of faith for months now that schools are safe? Because stubbornly insisting everything is fine, as with the classroom ventilation situation, is all they can think to do. Schools probably need to remain open; parents can’t afford to take time off work or hire childminders to take care of their kids. This was the approach during the early stages of the pandemic, and it worked for a while, but it’s not sustainable.

Really, government needs to earnestly admit to the nation that schools are probably as dangerous as anywhere else, and that while we will take all available steps to mitigate this, society may ultimately have to make sacrifices in other areas to balance out the effect of having schools open. That short, difficult, conversation is apparently beyond their capability, though. Just like the one that goes “we should have planned for winter in schools months ago. We made a mistake, we’re sorry, and we’ll go buy 40,000 HEPA filters now.”

This inability to admit wrongdoing, even when it involves denying reality or letting children freeze, is endemic in Irish politics.

It’s the same reason parties who’ve collectively been in power since the foundation of the state claim they “inherited” an under-resourced health service (from whom?), and that our housing policy continues effectively unchanged even with a homeless population of 10,000 and college students having to live in hostels.

On a meta level, it seems unlikely that anyone will own up to this inability to admit wrongdoing, nor will they take steps to change their aversion to change.

This is where we’re at, and without a complete upending of our political culture and system, it’s where we will continue to be.

If it wasn’t killing us, you’d almost laugh.

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Tuesday 30 November | TRINITY NEWS

PHOTO VIA ANKA GRZYWACZ/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Scitech

The power of the pill Your brain on hormonal contraceptives Sophie Maguire Staff Writer

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pproximately 73% of women ages 17-45 have used the combined oral contraceptive pill at some point in their lives, according to research conducted by the Dublin Well Women Centre in 2020. Given such popular use, and the recent news that the combined pill alongside other contraception options will become freely available in Ireland to those aged 17-24 from mid next year, it is time we spoke more openly about the so-called ‘pill’ and its lesser-known effects on behaviour.

The combined oral contraceptive pill contains a combination of two synthetic versions of the

female hormones oestrogen and progesterone, which are responsible for regulating a menstrual cycle. However, these hormones also have other secondary functions in the body, explaining the numerous potential side effects of hormonal contraceptives. However, aside from its ability to prevent pregnancy, the combined pill is also taken by many to manage symptoms of conditions such as endometriosis and hormonal acne and therefore, for most, the benefits certainly outweigh any risks.

The association of weight change, nausea, headaches and other physical side effects with oral contraceptives is both well documented in research and well-known by pill takers. However, other psychological and behavioural side effects (not necessarily negative ones), gain little attention compared to the established physical ones and like many women’s health issues, are heavily under-researched.

Surprisingly, oral contraceptive pills have been shown to affect mate choice. This occurs because, in a normal menstrual cycle, there

are predictable hormonal fluctuations that lead to changes in partner preference. Women at ovulation (a point of high oestrogen levels), when they’re most fertile, tend to prefer more masculine features and partners who are genetically dissimilar. This has the clear evolutionary advantage of their offspring having greater genetic diversity, which translates to a stronger immune system among other advantages. However, given the steady hormone levels in contraceptive pill users, which mimic those seen in pregnancy, these ovulation-specific preferences do not occur. Instead, women who take the pill do not exhibit this preference for someone more genetically dissimilar and this loss may possibly translate to increased fertility problems globally.

Hormonal contraceptives have also been shown to be capable of altering emotional memory, however not in a negative sense. Studies have shown that contraceptive pill users typically have elevated cortisol levels. Cortisol is a primary stress hormone, responsible

“

Other psychological and behavioural side effects gain little attention compared to the established physical ones

for that ‘fight or flight’ sensation and is central in memory formation and recall. These studies have also noted that these high baseline levels lead to a blunted cortisol response to stress, in comparison to natural-cycling women. Although interestingly, the recall of ‘negative stimuli’ (a way of mimicking negative memories in an experimental setting) was diminished in oral contraceptive users in comparison to positive stimuli, meaning more positive emotional memories were recalled better than negative ones.

On the contrary, those experiencing depression, who also have a higher baseline of cortisol levels, tend to have a bias for negative stimuli, meaning they are better at recalling negative memories. A study conducted by Mordecai et al. in 2017, stated how further investigation into the possible protective role that oral contraceptives may offer against this preferential recall is of great importance.

Despite this possible protecting effect that oral contraceptives may play for those affected by depression, the pill has been associated with depressive symptoms, with discussions in literature as early as the 1960s. However, there have been many contradictory findings in studies conducted since then, with the existence of a link still open for discussion. While most combined pills list depression as an uncommon side effect (affecting up to 1 in 100), side effects such as “emotional lability” or “mood swings” are generally listed as common (up to 1 in 10).

These potential side effects occur as oestrogen and progesterone (the pill contains synthetic versions of each) share common pathways and receptor sites in parts of the brain responsible for mood modulation and emotional control. Therefore, despite their lengthy existence, further research is still needed to definitively determine the possibility of the pill causing negative effects on mood, and especially which groups this may be most applicable to, for example, those who have a history of depression.

Overall, the combined oral contraceptive pill has been a primary method of birth control for millions of women since the 1960s and are highly efficient, rendering the side effects mentioned above rather insignificant. However, numerous studies highlight that the psychological effects of this method of birth control are under-researched despite such extensive use globally, as will many aspects of women’s health. However further investigation may be hugely beneficial not only to women using the pill but also to better understand the reproductive system and as seen above, even conditions such as mood disorders.

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TRINITY NEWS | Tuesday 30 November

SciTech

Professor Schmitt urges people to send their ideas to the Creating Our Future campaign The campaign seeks to establish how research can help “meet the opportunities and challenges facing our society” Shannon Connolly Deputy Editor

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ast week, Professor Wolfgang Schmitt, Dean and Vice-President for Research at Trinity, welcomed the launch of the Creating Our Future campaign, and urged more individuals to submit their ideas before the closing date, which is today, November 30.

Weapons of the asteroid war On November 24, NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission lifted off from Vandenburg Air Force Base in California. In late September 2022, the spacecraft will crash into a moonlet named Dimorphos, 11 million km from Earth. The mission is intended to test the feasibility of redirecting asteroids which might threaten humanity — so-called “planetary defence” techniques.

PHOTO COURTESY OF NASA

In July of this year, the government launched the campaign, which is meant to gather ideas from people all over the country on the future of research and academia in Ireland. This project, as explained by Schmitt, has “engaged multiple communities on how research can meet the opportunities and challenges facing us”.

“To date, more than 7,000 submissions have been received,” Schmitt continued.

When launched in July, the Creating Our Future campaign was framed as an “opportunity for everyone in Ireland to give ideas on how to make our country better for all”. The campaign has welcomed ideas from areas such as science, the environment, health and education to poverty, the arts, diversity and inclusion, with the goal to “inspire researchers to help make a better future for Ireland”.

The campaign is looking to establish how research can help “meet the opportunities and challenges facing our society” over the

coming years.

In a press release this week, Professor Schmitt said: “I welcome this innovative approach to promoting a national dialogue on research.”

“I am delighted that Professor Linda Hogan is serving as Chair of the Expert Committee and Professor Luke O’Neill is one of the campaign’s Ambassadors,” he continued.

“Trinity’s ‘Community and Connection’ Strategy and our Research Charter commits the university to core principles on standing up for research and engaging profoundly with our publics, benefiting our students, Ireland and the world.”

“We value a diverse and inclusive research community.”

Trinity’s “Community and Connection” Strategic Plan, setting out College’s goals and ambitions for the next five years, was officially launched on 10 March 2020.

The plan discusses targets in areas like sustainable growth, in-

creasing student numbers while lowering the student-staff ratio, and increasing the number of postgraduates and capital projects.

Schmitt encouraged students and staff to engage with the project and submit ideas to the Creating

“

To date, more than 7,000 submissions have been received

Our Future campaign website, as the submission window’s final days approach.

“Each idea or suggestion will be compiled, filtered, and categorised by independent experts, including many of our colleagues, from a broad range of backgrounds,” Schmitt explained.

A panel of research experts is then set to review all ideas sent in, and to prepare a report for government review. The government is expected to receive this report in March 2022.

“If you would like to contribute your idea, please visit creatingourfuture.ie/submit-your-idea before midnight on the 30 November 2021,” Schmitt urged.

“I hope you will take a moment to engage with this campaign and to use your voice to inform research policy in the years to come,” Schmitt continued. “Please do share your ideas for what researchers in Ireland should explore in order to create a better future.”

Tuesday 30 November | TRINITY NEWS

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Rugby is not Ireland’s “dominant” sport Jack Kennedy page 32

Sport

Robot Wars for billionaires

PHOTO VIA MORIO/WIKIMEDIA

The high-speed hypocrisy of Formula 1

Alexander Fay Contributing Writer

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idely considered to be the pinnacle of motorsport, the globetrotting circus that is Formula 1 (F1) has always been about money as much as it is about racing. With revenues of well over a billion dollars annually, ten teams pouring in hundreds of millions each year to compete, and twenty handsomely paid handsome drivers, it is hard to ignore the important role cash has in shaping the sport. Further to that, it is often hard to ignore the hypocrisy this amount of cash creates.

F1 has come a long way from its origins of European Grand Prix championships of the 1920s and 1930s (hosting its first official championship in 1950), growing to be one of the most watched sports on the planet, with an average audience last year of 87.4 million people per race. That number is only growing with the immense success of Netflix’s Drive to Survive series exposing a dramatic narrative of F1 to a much wider audience. A tremendously exciting 2021 season has done wonders too. Seven-time-champion Lewis Hamilton locked into a tight battle with young-gun Max Verstappen has made each race a must-watch.

We’ve seen serious conscious efforts made to grow and engage with new audiences since Liberty Media bought a controlling interest in the sport in 2016, for roughly $4.4 bn. Liberty are no strangers to the sports world, owning a stake in recent baseball World Series winners the Atlanta Braves, and have done well (economically speaking) at the helm of F1. In recent years we have seen a massive uptick in sponsorship with new deals from large companies like Aramco, Crypto.com, Uralkali, and a sparkling winemaker named Ferrari. The lattermost being of no relation to the famous Italian racing team, which doesn’t appear as often on the podium lately as this “new” Ferrari.

As things grow, there have been different geographical directions for the racing to go too. F1 has branched into new territories with

Grand Prix now in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and even a second race for the United States to be held in Miami next season.

“

F1 has also made attempts to improve and grow its social messaging, with the hashtag “WeRaceAsOne” as a response to Black Lives Matter protests and the elevated global awareness and outrage to racism. This is usually highlighted just before lights out at a Grand Prix, with a short clip of the drivers saying that they race as one.

We Race As One is referred to by Formula 1 as an “initiative, aimed at tackling the biggest issues facing the sport and global communities – the fight against COVID-19 and the condemnation of racism and inequality.” Alongside the hashtag, the 2020 season saw a rainbow comprising all ten team colours adorned on the cars and highlighted across branding, aiming to “promote diversity in motor sport.” Additionally, an element of awareness of environmental impact has been sprinkled into this reshaping of the brand, with a move to hybrid engines some years ago and plans to reach net-zero carbon footprint by 2030.

Despite these developments, the world’s quickest sport has been notably slow in making any changes to the fact that they race in association with companies and countries that are in obvious

defiance of the values that F1 ostensibly supports. In fact, it has made next to no attempt at all. Why? Simply put: because cash is king. Like many other organisations, the move to rebrand to a certain degree as more personable and understanding of societal and systematic issues like racism, diversity, and climate change has been half-hearted and utterly hypocritical at best from Formula 1.

For as far as it has come in recent years, at the core it is still robot wars for millionaires. Many of the companies that are now

key title sponsors of the sport and teams (Aramco, Petronas, Shell) use the sport as a breeding ground for innovation in terms of technology such as new fuels and lubricants while engaging in greenwashing in order to better mask the catastrophic environmental damage they are to blame for. Shell are of course well known as being among the highest pollution emitting companies on the planet, yet continue to have a heavy involvement as sponsor and fuel partner for Scuderia Ferrari.

When we see F1’s environmental awareness messaging alongside

PHOTO VIA ANK KUMAR/WIKIMEDIA

TRINITY NEWS | Tuesday 30 November

31

Sport PHOTO VIA T82-135/WIKIMEDIA

“ Shell’s logos plastered all over their cars, it’s hard not to wonder which would trump which if push came to shove on branding. My money would be on the money.

This goes without mentioning the immense amount of air travel involved jetting between twenty different countries, and the huge environmental impact with which that comes.

Given the recent financial involvement of several companies with backing in countries often accused of sports-washing, it cannot be a mere coincidence where F1 has decided to expand its racing calendar to countries like Qatar and Saudi Arabia. All of these things work to directly contradict the branding that D1 wants us to buy into.

When it comes to tackling issues of social inequality, I don’t think it’s possible for a sporting organisation to be so out of line with its messaging as Formula 1 is. Over the course of its extensive seventy-year history, we have seen

virtually no improvement in terms of diversity of personnel involved.

Just two women have ever started a championship Grand Prix, one being Lella Lombardi – the only woman to score any points, also the only lesbian to race in the sport.

In terms of ethnic diversity, a report from the Hamilton Commission (established by Lewis Hamilton, the sports’ only black driver) estimates the proportion of black people employed in the sport to be less than 1%; a snapshot statistic that shows the tip of the iceberg. An organisation of this size should not be applauded for a hollow hashtag and a fancily filmed pre-race clip, while its only ever black driver is left to try reshape the reality of the sport for those who face discrimination within.

Yet again, cash is king when it comes to who gets to be included.

With several drivers on the grid paying in order to secure a seat, often backed by dubious sponsors such as Uralkali (a Russian fertiliser

I don’t think that heirapparent to the F1 throne Max Verstappen will live up to the ethical standard that might be desired

producer), who are associated with Nikita Mazepin. It is of course not a coincidence that his billionaire father is majority shareholder and chair of the company. Mazepin is not the only example of this, with many on the grid today benefiting from generational wealth and privilege of influence.

The ease with which individuals can pay their way into the sport above others directly comes into conflict with the We Race As One initiative. Driving a car at over two-hundred miles per hour is not something only super-rich people have the ability to do, yet a quick look at the F1 grid would almost convince you otherwise.

Formula 1 has little history (recently or otherwise) of addressing this inherent conflict of values it eschews versus values it actually supports. Likewise, the motorsport media is still yet to hold it to account for this problem.

F1s hypocrisy is taken as a given, almost so obvious that there is no

point delving in on a consistent basis.

Much of this comes down to power, I don’t think you would be invited to many Grand Prix events if you spent much of your time writing articles highlighting how bad and morally hollow F1 can be.

Given the sheer financial weight onside, the status quo looks set in stone.

For anybody who pays any attention to motorsport, it will come as no surprise that the most outspoken individual by far is Lewis Hamilton. Over the last number of years he has rewritten the record book, firmly placing himself among the greats of racing– Fangio, Senna, Schumacher. As his career has progressed, he has separated himself from the rest of the pack not only in terms of pure talent, but with respect to activism. A highlight has been the establishing of the Hamilton Commission and compiling a damning report on diversity in F1. Alongside this, Hamilton has made great use of his platform and celebrity status to continually highlight the Black Lives Matter movement, and individual issues of racism. Coming from a working-class background, and being the only black driver to ever race in a Grand Prix, he remains in an extreme statistical minority. As his long career begins to wind down and speculation on his retirement begins, many will lament his absence, and many will ponder its financial impact. His activism and celebrity status have been key in attracting high profile brands and other celebrities into the sport, something that no other driver currently on the grid has the ability to do.

It seems ironic that just as F1 makes gains on the financial side, and shambolically attempts to shift toward being more “socially aware” and “environmentally friendly”, it is on the cusp of losing the one individual who can be pointed to as genuinely enshrining these ideals.

I don’t think that heir-apparent to the F1 throne Max Verstappen will live up to the ethical standard that might be desired. As recently as last October he was pulled up for his open use of racist language and has previously stressed his right not to take the knee in a pre-race gesture.

That being said, it remains to be seen if this makes a difference in terms of attracting more money to the sport — I doubt it will.

PHOTO VIA LEO SHULZ/WIKIMEDIA

Tuesday 30 November | TRINITY NEWS

32

Robot Wars for billionaires Alexander Fay page 30

Sport

Rugby is not Ireland’s “dominant” sport Why the game’s reach both is and isn’t important Jack Kennedy Editor

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he Irish Independent got a little carried away last week. On November 21, after the Irish men’s rugby team enjoyed a string of victories Japan, New Zealand and Argentina over the course of just two weeks, Tommy Conlon proudly declared that “rugby is now the dominant sport in Irish hearts and minds”.

Cards on the table here: I went to school in South Dublin, where I played rugby (though that’s perhaps a generous description), and grew up in a house with Leinster season tickets. I’ve seen the world from inside the rugby bubble. So I hope that people with similar backgrounds will listen when I say that Conlon has absolutely no idea what he’s talking about.

This is part of a bigger trend too.

Journalism, sports writing included, is not a perfect cross-section of Irish society and its membership is

frequently guilty of assuming that everyone shares the same experiences and frames of reference that it does.

I don’t know how you directly quantify the “dominance” of a sport or how to objectively determine the “pre-eminent sport in Irish life”, but come on. Dublin is like a warzone on the days of GAA All-Ireland Finals, and Italia ’90 was arguably one of the biggest Irish cultural moments of the 20th century. Rugby is up there, sure, but in terms of what the Irish people watch, talk about and play most of the time, soccer and GAA will win every time. If you separate Gaelic football and hurling, rugby is probably lucky if it can make an argument for being Ireland’s fourth-favourite game.

This both does and doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter because not being the Irish people’s favourite sport doesn’t take anything away from rugby’s value. It’s a great sport which I personally hated playing and continue to enjoy watching, and we as a nation are absolutely world-class at it. We have, despite our tiny population, built ourselves over the last few decades into a powerhouse that churns out phenomenal players on an almost-industrial scale. If anything, the sport’s comparative-

ly modest popularity only makes those feats more impressive. What do Irish rugby fans have to be insecure about?

But then, it does matter because it speaks to a problem. Rugby remains inaccessible. The situation is certainly much better than it used to be, but the sport is much more present in some communities than others. The availability of clubs and training is very much limited

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by geography and class, among other factors, and that’s not really fair for what’s meant to be one of our preeminent national sports; every kid should have the opportunity to play the game and fall in love with it if they want. This inequity of access is true of every sport to some degree, but it’s way less true of soccer and GAA than it is of rugby.

If we really love rugby, we

shouldn’t need the validation of others loving it too. But if they want to love it they should have the opportunity, regardless of what neighbourhood they grow up in.

Right now, it seems like we’re insisting that people pay homage to rugby without letting them participate in it. That’s the worst of both worlds.

TRINITY NEWS | Tuesday 30 November

An ról atá ag Kneecap i réabhlóid na Gaeilge page 4

Finding beauty in The Everyday Fantastic page 8

A beginner's guide to scriptwriting page 11

LIFE

TRINITY NEWS

Pullout section

Third years reflect: was doing Schols the right choice?

PHOTO BY SEOSAMH Ó CEALLAIGH FOR TRINITY NEWS

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Tuesday 30 November | TRINITY NEWS

In this issue A Student Visit to Paris, Rome and Budapest - page 6

The 12 dates of Christmas - page 4 Ann Yeats' The Everyday Fantastic

Making the most of your Christmas

- page 10

- page 8 Annika Berglund’s Interlocked - page 14

Porn or sex education?

The top spots to bookshop in D Elaine McHale

discusses alternative bookstores to frequent in Dublin with Chapters closing its doors in the new year

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t is safe to say that the recent announcement of the closure of Chapters bookstore on Parnell Street early next year has dealt a painful hand to Dublin’s bookworms, not to mention putting another dent in the city’s already fragile cultural sphere. There was no joy quite like roaming the aisles of this particular shop, where one could find the most recent bestsellers, endless amounts of stationery, and delve into the shop’s focal attraction: its impressive secondhand section. From general fiction to fantasy, gardening to Irish history, even a stand labelled “I’ve Been Meaning to Read That” — the sections were niche but numerous. It was undoubtedly always a challenge to leave the place empty-handed. I fear that in this vastly evolving world, a shop like Chapters will be hard to come by again in Dublin’s fair city.

Alas, we are lucky enough to have a multitude of bookstores dotted around us that are sure to help fill the void.

Hodges Figgis It just cannot be omitted from any list of Dublin’s bookshops.

Hodges and Figgis on Dawson Street, a stone’s throw away from Trinity, is a staple of student life in Dublin. Floors full of titles

- page 15

Life staff Editor-in-Chief Life Editor Life Deputy Editor

Jack Kennedy Heather Bruton Eva O’Beirne

Arts & Culture Editor Arts & Culture Deputies

Elena McCrory Oona Kauppi Maisie McGregor

Sex & Relationships Editor Sex & Relationships Deputy

Maya Kulukundis

Societies Editor Societies Deputy

Ella-Bleu Kiely Ruth McGann

Student Living Editor Student Living Deputies

Ella Sloane Seán Holland Ria Walls

Lila Funge

“

There is a tendency nowadays to assume that the screen is rapidly replacing the book, but bookshops still provide a safe haven for many kinds of people

from each and every genre and enthusiastic, passionate staff that are always on-hand with recommendations — a stroll through Hodges and Figgis is a tonic for the soul. Whilst they do not have a second-hand section, there are very few titles that are not in stock, and an added incentive comes in the form of their loyalty stamp card: a stamp for every €10 spent, and a discount for the same amount after 10 stamps. The doors of Hodges and Figgis offer an escape route from the hustle and bustle of Luas commuters into a booklover’s paradise.

Lilliput Press I was lucky enough to hear through the grapevine about this hidden gem. A small, independent bookstore and publisher located just off Stoneybatter, Lilliput Press specialises in providing the literary world with some of the finest works that Irish writing has to offer. The store’s ambience alone has a somewhat magnetic effect. In the pre-pandemic era, every customer would be invited to help themselves to tea or coffee while they browsed, and the company employed many students who also got to read new submissions on behalf of the publishers — a dream job, some might say. My own first experience of the wonderful titles published by Lilliput Press was Elske Rahill’s masterpiece, Between Dog and Wolf, a stunning coming-of-age tale set in Trinity. This shop is snug, peaceful and full of unforgettable titles.

Although relatively hidden, once found, Lilliput is a place that one won’t resist another visit.

Books Upstairs Books Upstairs on D’Olier Street is another quirky spot around the corner from College that holds historical significance.

It is Ireland’s oldest independent bookshop that stocks an impressive range of titles, as well as an array of insightful literary magazines. Following its establishment, this store was one of the first in the country to offer books on scarcely represented topics, such as psychology and feminism. Their second-hand section is located downstairs and mirrors that of Chapters, with its immense selection providing something for everyone. Of course, one cannot forget their beautiful café located upstairs, overlooking the bustling D’Olier Street.

The Winding Stair Calling this bookstore a cultural treasure is an understatement. The Winding Stair on Ormond Quay, named so after a poem composed by W.B. Yeats, is a delightfully cosy shop which overlooks the River Liffey and prides itself on its outstanding selection of Irish literature. While they stock titles from various genres, their dedicated Irish Authors section is always worth a browse, as is their selection of beautiful literary gifts.

The Last Bookshop Though it’s been a while since I

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TRINITY NEWS | Tuesday 30 November

Dublin city

Society spotlight

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHAPTERS BOOKSTORE

Pagan soc Ella-Bleu Kiely sits down with DU Pagan Soc Chairperson Ian Creedon to Uncover Trinity’s Spiritual Side

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“

Lilliput Press specialises in providing the literary world with some of the finest works that Irish writing has to offer

ventured into this part of the city, I still remember my first visit to The Last Bookshop on Camden street as if it were yesterday. In terms of places to find pre-loved books in Dublin, this store is unmatched. On entering, the alluring waft of the all too familiar old book smell hits you, and you find yourself sifting through boundless collections. It cannot be said that the layout of the shelves is overly tidy or genre-specific, but all that does is add to the enjoyment of hunting for your next paperback.

Charity Shops The majority of us will be mourning the loss of the magnificent Chapters for a while, but there are myriad bookshops

still at our fingertips. With Christmas fast approaching, it is also worth noting that some of the best collections of books are waiting to be discovered in the many charity shops around Dublin city. A huge chunk of the entertainment factor is skimming through the piles of pre-loved books and unmasking unique editions, often stumbling upon remarkable finds. The Oxfam and St. Vincent de Paul stores on George’s Street always have a huge supply of books, and this is likely the case in all of their store locations. It is an opportunity to give back to others while giving yourself the gift of another great read. It is also important not to cast aside the often disingenuously used “support local” narrative.

We have become increasingly accustomed to online shopping as a result of the pandemic, and for those who prefer a virtual browsing experience away from the mayhem of the crowds, there are several Irish book websites that offer a massive range of titles and a fantastic delivery service for almost criminally low prices, such as kennys.ie and thebookshop.ie.

There is a tendency nowadays to assume that the screen is rapidly replacing the book, and while it may ring true for some, bookshops still provide a safe haven for many kinds of people.

Chapters will be greatly missed, but the thrill of venturing into a bookshop to acquire your next read is not a lost concept, thanks to the host of alternative spots all around us.

hat is Paganism?

The term is loosely defined as a polytheistic n a t u r e worshipping religion that is the ancestral religion of the whole of humanity. From the Latin pāgānus meaning “rural”and later “civilian”, how is this belief system incorporated into student life at Trinity? I spoke with Ian Creedon, Chairperson of DU Pagan Society (Pagan Soc), to find this out.

When asked what it is that Pagan Soc does, Creedon humorously replied saying: “Sometimes I’m not entirely sure myself!” The third-year Classical Civilisation and Greek student explained that they are a society for students interested in Paganism, which is “an extremely broad term that encompasses both the beliefs of practices of historical people and modern religious movements inspired by them, such as Wicca”.

For those who aren’t in the know, Wicca is a belief that affirms the existence of supernatural powers (such as magic) and of deities who are inherent in nature while emphasizing ritual observance of seasonal and life cycles.

With most of their members being from Europe, in practice the society mostly focuses on European pre-Christian religion but is open to cultures from all across the world. “We do educational talks, discussion groups, film screenings, group trips - this year for Samhain we went to Glasnevin Cemetery, and indeed the occasional ritual”, said Creedon.

In terms of worship and religion, Pagan Soc is not strictly a religious society - both by not being allowed to be by college, and by the wide range of personal beliefs among members in which they “couldn’t be the least bit doctrinaire.” Creedon expressed that Pagan Soc for some of its members, including himself, is concerned with personal spiritual beliefs: “We’re a cultural interest society.” For others also, it is purely an academic interest and some in between. When asked if education of Pagan rituals and beliefs are important to the society, he said: “We have some events which are purely educational about the

religious beliefs and practices of historical people and we have others that are directly spiritual in nature, such as our first event this year which was for the Autumn Equinox, but we never presuppose any particular beliefs on the part of our members – everyone of every persuasion is welcome to attend our events.”

Pagan Soc have successfully held two divination events this term. The first involved an open discussion about what the term “divination” means to people, its theoretical background and different ways of approaching it. “For instance, whether it’s literally magic or how it can still be useful as a tool of psychological exploration even if you believe the results you get are purely random”, Creedon mentioned. He described their second divination event as

“

The term is loosely defined as a polytheistic natureworshipping religion that is the ancestral religion of the whole of humanity

more hands-on and the society’s Treasurer Sé , who is a practicing witch, talked through how to participate in divination with the likes of tarot cards and Norse runes.

The spiritual Pagan Soc collaborates with a range of Trinity’s societies. All this term they held a witchcraft-themed murder mystery roleplay with DU SciFi, a Day of the Dead collaboration with DU Hispanic Society, and many readings and discussions alongside Lit Soc and DU Gender Equality Society (DUGES). “We’re good friends with Metafizz as well and had several collabs with them last year”, said Creedon.

From joining up with so many diverse societies, it clearly shows how open Pagan Soc really are to others beliefs and understanding new ones, and this relates to the society’s true message.

“Our main message is that spirituality is important, that some people’s spiritual interests and needs are met by ideas and practices that existed historically, but are no longer represented by mainstream religious organisations and that it’s good for those people to have some way to find each other and hang out - This is what the Pagan Soc always provides,” Creedon considered. He also mentioned that this message may somewhat alter to each member, but this would be the general society consensus.

Finally, as Pagan Soc is sometimes viewed as a more alternative society in Trinity, when asked what sort of reaction does the society receive, Creedon shared: “Most people aren’t really sure what to make of it or what a Pagan Society might even involve, but they tend to take a polite interest. A lot of people find it cool that there is a Pagan Society even if it isn’t for them, and we appreciate the support. I’ve had a few negative reactions from people who practice other religions, but that’s rare. So on the whole, the community is puzzled but positive towards us!”

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Tuesday 30 November | TRINITY NEWS

An ról atá ag Kneecap i réabhlóid na Gaeilge Bhí an slua faoi gheasa ag an ghrúpa Kneecap ag a cheolchoirm san Olympia an tseachtain seo, le Niamh Ní Dhubhaigh

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ura bhfuil aithne agat ar an tríréad hip-hop as Iarthar Bhéal Feirste, crúthaíonn siad ceol scríofa idir Ghaeilge agus Bhéarla, dírithe ar dhaoine óga. Baineann an triúr úsáid as ainmneacha cleite; bíonn Móglaí Bap agus Mo Chara ag rapáil, le DJ Próvaí ag stiúradh an cheoil.

Labhraíonn Kneecap faoi shaol an duine óg fiáin sa lá atá inniu ann. Is dócha gur chuala sibh an chéad shingil a bhí acu, C.E.A.R.T.A, a eisíodh i 2017. Bhí an t-amhrán mar fhreagra ar Acht na Gaeilge sa Tuaisceart, agus tá sé lán de thagairtí gnéis, foiréigin agus drugaí. Is cuimhin liom an lá a thaispeánadh an físeán dom, nuair a bhí mé ar an mheánscoil. Bhí iontas orm ar dtús. Níor chuala mé a léithid riamh. Ceol le liricí dána, buille a mhair i mo chloigeann, agus scríofa i nGaeilge? Ba dheas an t-athrú é.

Grúpa conspóideach atá iontu gan dabht. Rinne RTÉ Raidió na

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D’athraigh Kneecap an dóigh inár úsáideann muid an ceol trí Ghaeilge sa domhan nuaaimseartha

Gaeltachta cinsireacht orthu i 2017 de bharr na topaicí achrannach a luann siad. Níl aon amhras faoi mhíniú an liric “Ná f***in éist le RTÉ” san amhrán Incognito nuair atá sé sin ar eolas agat. Tá loinnir na dánachta i súile na mbuachaillí i gcónaí, agus is cuma leo faoi na cáintí.

Má tá muid chun an teanga gharbh atá in úsáid ag Kneecap a chur i leataobh, tá an grúpa ag déanamh an-mhaitheas d’athbheochan na Gaeilge i measc daoine óga. Cha raibh an Ghaeilge mar phríomhtheanga don chuid is mó dúinn. D’fhoghlaim muid an teanga ar scoil, agus bhí an t-eolas sin ina dheilín againn san Ardteist. Tá muid cleachtaithe le haistriúcháin TG Lurgan, agus an t-albam CEOL a d’fhoilsigh Conradh na Gaeilge gach bhliain. Cé go rinne na grúpaí seo sár-iarracht leis an Ghaeilge a chur chun cinn i mbealach a rachadh i bhfeidhm ar dhéagóirí, d’athraigh Kneecap an dóigh inár úsáideann muid an ceol trí Ghaeilge sa domhan nua-aimseartha. Ceol atá ann nár chóir dúinn canadh os comhair ár dtuismitheoirí, ach ceol atá ann a chruthaíonn féiniúlacht náisiúnta agus bród dár dteanga ionainn. Tá meon difriúil againn ar an Ghaeilge anois, is féidir leis a bheith cúláilte, dalba agus nua-aoiseach.

Scríobhann Kneecap a chuid ceoil i gcáiniúint Uladh, dár ndóigh. Bhí sé suimiúil slua na ceolchoirme a chloisteáil ag scáirteadh liricí leis an bhlas céanna.

Glac an liric ‘tá na baggies ar an talamh,’ mar shampla. Bhí an focal ‘talamh’ ráite agus athráite le fuaim ‘u’ ag an deireadh, rud a líon mo chroí le háthas mar ghaeilgeoir as Dún na nGall. Ba chóir go mbeadh muid ag caomhnú na cainiúintí difriúla ar fud na tíre, agus tá sé deas blas láidir Béal Feirste a chloisteáil i gceol Kneecap.

B’fhéidir nár chóir duit éisteacht le ceol Kneecap le do mhamó i láthair, ach ní féidir a shéanadh go bhfuil a triúr ag cur le hathbheochan na Gaeilge i measc an dream óg. Níor shíl me go mbeinn i seomra líonta le daoine ag screadadh liricí Gaelach in aoncheol riamh, ach sin mar a bhí san Olympia an Mháirt seo caite. A léithid d’atmaisféar níor airigh mé riamh le mo bheo. Cé go mbíonn léithid RTÉ agus an BBC á cáineadh níos minicí ná a mhalairt, tá a lucht leanúna faoi dhraíocht acu ar aon nós. Tá sé soiléir go bhfuil Kneecap ag déanamh éacht ar an bhealach ina úsáideann muid an Ghaeilge sa lá atá inniu ann.

12 dates of Chris Heather Brunton writes about the top dozen date ideas for the holiday period

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inter can make us a little bit lazy when it comes to creative date ideas. In the summer, the perfect date can simply mean sitting outside in the sun with a cold drink or picnic, no planning involved. Whereas in winter, when it’s freezing outside and starts getting dark as early as 4pm, sometimes it feels easier to just stay in and not bother.

That being said, the excitement of Christmas, the feeling of being wrapped up in a cozy jumper with your favourite person by your side, and the sparkle of Christmas lights wherever you look, makes this period also one of the most romantic. With a little bit of extra thought and imagination, a wintery date could be one of the most memorable. Here at Trinity News, we have come up with 12 festive date ideas for the countdown to Christmas. #1. Light festivals On the first day of Christmas, we give to you one better than a partridge in a pear tree: Christmas light festivals. Although you can find wonderful light displays all over Ireland this Christmas, two stand out immersive light experiences just on our doorstep are Wild Lights at Dublin Zoo and Wonderlights at Malahide Castle. What is it about colorful lights in the cold dark of winter that just screams festivity and romance? These magical night walk experiences are not to be missed, although you better hurry if you want to go tickets are selling fast for these light shows.

create lasting memories. #3. Crêpes For whatever reason, crêpes and Christmas are intimately intertwined in my mind. Lemon on South William Street and Voice Crêperie in Rathmines are great spots for a crêpe date. Or if you want takeaway, the quirky Frame coffee shop on Montague Street is a hidden gem – selling coffee, crêpes and photo frames out of a little wooden window.

But if you’re not feeling like going outside, crêpes are also another easy option for a date of cooking at home.

#2. Christmas-themed cooking The relationship between cooking and romance is wellknown – you only need to see the spaghetti scene from Lady and the Tramp to know this. There is something special about cooking together, even if you’re terrible at it. It isn’t really about the quality of the cooking that matters, but rather, like Christmas gift giving, it is the thought that counts. As a vegetarian, my recommendations for Christmas-themed meals include a nut roast, mushroom wellington, roast potatoes, and stuffing, to name just a few, but really this is your chance to get creative in the kitchen.

Cooking with another person requires communication and collaboration, thus it can be a great opportunity to develop a closer bond with someone and

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#4. Christmas film screenings Instead of the usual Christmas

Lemon on South William Street and Voice Crêperie in Rathmines are great spots for a crêpe date.

movie binge-watching, why not go to the cinema to see your favourite festive films? Between 26 November and 2 January, the Light House cinema in Smithfield is screening several Christmas movies, such as National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, Love Actually, It’s a Wonderful Life, and Scrooged, to name just a few. The Stella in Rathmines and Ranelagh also has a festive lineup, including old favourites such as Home Alone, Gremlins and Elf. Enjoy these Christmas classics on the big screen with some snacks, your date, and maybe even a glass of wine (or two!) #5. Board games It wouldn’t be Christmas if you didn’t whip out the board games at some point. This is an easy and fun date night at home. Although, be careful if you are known to be overly competitive. Why not order a takeaway, crack open a bottle of wine and play some Scrabble, Jenga, or Cluedo this Christmas?

If playing board games at home isn’t an option for you, or you just fancy getting out of the house, why not organise a date at a bar like The Square Ball that has heaps of board games to choose from.

Or you can book a dinner for two at Token where you can play retro arcade games, if that’s more your thing. #6. Mulled wine Whether you make it yourself or buy it in Bestseller on Dawson Street, there is nothing like mulled

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TRINITY NEWS | Tuesday 30 November

stmas “ PHOTO VIA TALLAGHT STADIUM

This is definitely for the more adventurous couple, but surely developing borderline hypothermia together is romantic, right? must be nine ladies dancing – so throw on Mariah Carey, keep the drinks flowing, and have a bop. It wouldn’t be Christmas if you didn’t listen to a Christmas playlist 24/7 now would it?

Whether you decide to go out in town for drinks and a dance (remember, Covid-19 only comes out after midnight!), or you put on a Spotify playlist at home, realising your date is a terrible dancer is a great way to grow closer, or perhaps realise they are not the one...

wine on a cold, wintery night. All you need to make this delicious spiced drink is a bottle of red wine, some orange slices, spices, and a little honey. Honestly, mulled wine is Christmas in a glass and the perfect way to spend a cosy, tipsy evening with someone you care about. #7. Christmas sea swim Join those seven swans a-swimming and immerse yourselves in the freezing Irish sea this Christmas. This is definitely for the more adventurous couple, but surely developing borderline hypothermia together is romantic, right? Bring lots of warm layers for this date and definitely a hot flask full of tea or coffee for after.

You will need it, trust me. #8. Hot chocolate Nothing beats wandering the streets of Dublin with a cozy hot chocolate in hand. One festive and easy date idea is to try out some of the capital’s best hot chocolate spots. My favourites include Three Twenty Ice Cream Lab, Butler’s, Ladurée, and Hotel Chocolat, but there are certainly so many other options to explore around Dublin.

This date is ideal for the busy study period in the lead up to Christmas as it is a quick way to spend some quality time together at the end of a long day. #9. Dancing To keep somewhat with the theme of this article, on the ninth day of Christmas there

#10. Ice skating Hit up the ice skating rink in Blanchardstown for some Christmas leaping. Now, ice skating may seem like the top tier of romantic winter dates. We all have that image in our mind of two people holding hands, gliding across the ice. In reality, this is unlikely to be your experience.

Most likely you will spend the better part of this date falling and laughing at each other, but that’s a bonding experience too.

Generally, the ice rink is also always incredibly crowded so be careful. Of course, some sort of hot drink after an ice skating date is an absolute must so maybe combine this date with date #6 or #8. #11. Live music There are some beautiful choirs performing at St Patrick’s Cathedral as well as Christchurch Cathedral if you enjoy Christmas carols this time of year. Or if carols aren’t your thing, you can always hit up a pub for some trad music. Pubs that often have live music in Dublin and are also known for their cozy atmosphere include O’Donoghues on Baggot Street, Cassidys and Devitts, both on Camden Street, and The Hairy Lemon on Stephen Street Lower.

This casual date idea is perfect for a first date as well as a long-term couple. #12. Theatre The 12th and last of our 12 dates of Christmas is a trip to the

theatre. The theatre is the perfect excuse for you and your date to get dressed up in all your finest Christmas attire. While maybe not traditionally thought of as a choice for a first date, going to see a play or musical might actually provide you with something interesting to discuss over dinner or drinks after the show, rather than the usual, awkward small talk that first dates usually entail.

Of course, sitting in silence for the duration of your time together is not the best way to get to know someone so maybe this one is better suited for a few dates down the line.

Whether you’re a fan of a Christmas panto or something more serious, there is something for everyone this winter. Pantos on this year include The Little Mermaid at the Gaiety Theatre, Red Riding Hood at the Helix and Snow White at Liberty Hall Theatre. If the panto isn’t your

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All you need to make this delicious spiced drink is a bottle of red wine, some orange slices, spices, and a little honey

thing, treat yourselves to a unique Christmas experience at Smock Alley Theatre with dinner and a show. Dine first in the ornate Banquet Hall and then watch a stunning performance of All The Angels: Handel And The First Messiah. At the Abbey Theatre as well we have another more serious, but still Christmasthemed, performance of The Long Christmas Dinner by Thornton Wilder.

To bring this 12 Dates of Christmas segment to a close, it’s worth bearing in mind that you don’t need a date or a significant other to enjoy these fun Christmas activities. Christmas may be a romantic time of year full of excitement and possibility, but it is also a time for cherishing friends and family.

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Tuesday 30 November | TRINITY NEWS

A Student Visit to Paris, Rome and Budapest Ella-Bleu Kiely unpacks Some getaways that didn’t break the bank

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s restrictions lifted, myself and my Covid cert have enjoyed a few trips abroad together. All being active city breaks, here are some of the top student-friendly and accessible cities in Europe perfect for a short trip during term times, and what to do and see from my own recent experiences. For cheap and sturdy accommodation, Booking.com is certainly your friend (top tip: always check reviews – don’t be deceived by photographs!), but I’d use Airbnb if travelling with a bigger group.

Paris With a rising trend of online Parisian fashion and architecture aesthetics, Paris is becoming everyone's top travel destination.

One of the wonders of the city is simply the Musée Du Louvre (The Louvre Museum) and is located in 1er arrondissement, the geographical center of Paris, and neighbours with Les Halles and the Palais Royal. From Da Vinci's Mona Lisa to sculptural masterpieces of the ancient Greek and Roman worlds, the museum’s collection has no bounds. To witness the entire palace turned museum would easily take up an entire day, and I would recommend planning which exhibitions you wish to see before going.

Although he had a short life, Vincent Van Gough gave us so much, and 10 of these paintings are displayed in the Musée d’Orsay (The Orsay Museum).

Located in 7e Arrondissement, the museum shares surroundings with the Eiffel Tower and Rue Cler (the most famous market street in Paris). With correct student identification, admittance is free to both these museums for EU students. Montmartre in 18e is situated at the top of a hill overlooking the city with a small artsy village feel, and provides a breathtaking view of Paris from the steps of the Sacré Coeur church there.

Close by is also the world-famous Moulin Rouge, in all its redlight glory. Although this location is further out from the city’s center, the accessible Metro line can get you there for €1.90 one way.

The Vintage clothing gods are by your side in Paris. Make your way to around Rue du Renard in 4e to find vintage shops sprinkled

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From Da Vinci's Mona Lisa to sculptural masterpieces of the ancient Greek and Roman worlds, the museum’s collection has no bounds down every side street such as The Kilo Shop, Tilt Vintage Paris 4th, Vintage Désir and Vintage by Ramin. When looking for a choice in diverse and affordable eating, the Latin Quarter (5e) is definitely where to go. When in Paris, it's inevitable that you'll have as many crêpes as possible.

lunch spots, distancing you from the Roman city hustle and bustle.

Piazza Navona for dining at night has fantastic nightlife, and music from the restaurants and street performers bouches around the lit-up square.

If you make your way to Vatican city, to tell your Granny you went and visited the Pope, it's about a 40 minute walk from the city center but is easily accessed by the Metro at €1.50 one way.

Another ideal and fun mode of transportation in Roma is scooters. You may roll your eyes at this absolute tourist activity but don’t diss it until you try it.

I’d recommend downloading the Lime or Link app which allows you to pay for them at 50c per minute. If flying into Aeroporto di Ciampino, which you most likely are if from Dublin with a nice and cheaply sourced Ryanair flight, the bus costs €5.90 to get into the city centre and run super frequently with the company RomeAirportBus. There’s simply so much to see in Rome and you’ll want to just

walk everywhere – just take my advice and don’t do it in Birkenstocks.

Budapest Budapest is by far the most colourful and cheap European city I’ve stayed in. The Hungarian currency, forint, however, is rather confusing and I’d recommend paying by card if you can.

Something that many marvel at in this city is the views of the city from a height, and one of them being from Gellért Hill; a funicular journey from the Chain Bridge along the hillsides provides a fast connection between Buda and Pest.

Nearby at a height is also Buda Castle on the west bank of the River Danube in Buda’s Old Town area. Home to many of the city’s most important medieval structures and monuments, it also homes the Hungarian National Gallery and the Budapest History Museum. The top of St. Stephen's Basilica gives incredible 360 views of the city and there is no access fee. The 360 bar and Igloo Garden

also offers a stunning panoramic rooftop view of the city, and has a fun and lively atmosphere especially at night.

Located in formerly abandoned buildings, primarily in Budapest’s Jewish District are the mysterious and bustling ruin bars. Some of the most popular are Szimpla Kert, Instant & Fogas Ház, Mazel Tov Budapest and Szatyor Bar. The city’s Jewish District also offers a range of places to eat. For great burgers, at an astonishing low price, I’d recommend Burger Market on Király utca directly across from Fashion Street. Budapest, in its eating establishments, is very accommodating to vegans and has many vegan food joints.

Boat trips on the River Danube are a huge pastime in Budapest, especially night cruises and boat parties. Book online at BoatPartyBudapest.com for €24 to enjoy 2 hours of a free bar and music through the city. An absolute must in Budapest are the baths; the Széchenyi Baths are the biggest and most popular thermal baths in the city. They’re relaxing, fun, affordable (day ticket is 5,900 Ft working out at €16) and, at night, romantic.

Of course, these are just three of some of the best student-friendly cities for a short trip away. All are definitely a visual and cultural experience but you’ll be able to get around with English just fine.

Rome Rome holds a different sort of beauty. Not just in its palette and architecture, but its historical and cultural feel. I would also like to confirm that Italian food in its home country is nowhere near overrated. On Headout Bookings, you can purchase an EU student ticket for €3.60 that gains access to the neighbouring Roman Forum, Colosseum and Palatine Hill; a walking tour of ancient historical goodness. La Biga located directly across from the Colosseum is a popular restaurant, especially at night for the scene, with a wide range of Italian favourites, and easily where I had the best carbonara of my life. Great cocktails too. It also doesn't have a service charge (which one should look out for in Rome and will be mentioned on most menus).

The Trevi Fountain, situated deeper into the city, is obviously a must see. Although usually busy with tourists, at night it takes on a whole new perception. By the Trevi Fountain are loads of cafes, restaurants and gelaterias, but I’d recommend Pizza in Trevi.

Staying on inner-city historical sites, if you visit The Pantheon, down a side street from it is Piazza di S. Eustachio equipped with plenty of cafés and affordable PHOTO BY ELIZA MELLER FOR TRINITY NEWS

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TRINITY NEWS | Tuesday 30 November

Trinity Young Greens go to COP26 Matthew Moran reflects on his experience at COP26 with Trinity Young Greens in Glasgow

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hen the Trinity Young Greens announced their plans to travel to Glasgow for the United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP26, I signed up honestly not knowing what I was getting myself in for. The events of the weekend led to such an evocative and eye-opening experience, and I can wholeheartedly say that the future of our climate is not just the worry of a concerned few, but a powerful many.

We met at 7am on Friday 5 November to begin our journey, taking the most eco-friendly method of transportation we could.

It started with a bus to Belfast (which I completely passed out for the duration of due to severe lack of sleep), followed by a ferry to Cairnryan, and finally another bus to Edinburgh, the location of the climate conference. In total, the journey took us around 11 hours.

On Saturday morning, we assembled in Glasgow city centre to protest world leaders' inaction on climate change. The Glaswegian rain was something I simply could not prepare myself for – and it was textbook pathetic fallacy in terms of the climate crisis. Along with 100,000 other protestors, it was a day full of some good-old, nonviolent civil disobedience. The protest seemed to be made up of a rather diverse crowd, with members from Green parties worldwide, Marxist unions and vegan activists.

We protestors had many chants such as “System Change, not Climate Change’’ and ‘’Keep 1.5 alive’’ (referring to not letting global temperature rise any more than it already has at 1.5°C) which were bellowed through the city. A member of Trinity Young Greens, Martha Cosgrove, even managed to willfully get hold of a megaphone and lead us all in chants.

Standing there in the rain, we were surrounded by thousands of other people who shared the same love for our earth and worry for its well-being; they understood the impact climate destruction is having on the planet, and they knew direct action must be taken now.

This was a very powerful moment for me. There were times where I felt emotional walking with the crowd, and it felt like we were a united front against the nature of capitalism that is arguably destroying our planet.

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Greta Thunberg summed up all of our thoughts when she referred to these actions by world leaders as 'Blah, blah, blah.'

Inside the COP venue, it was clear to me that certain world leaders were predominantly there to protect corporate interests rather than the implementation of global climate policies. Pledges were made in the first week to end deforestation, coal usage and cuts to methane emissions. However, protestors were not happy with this – it’s too little and too late.

Greta Thunberg summed up all of our thoughts when she referred to these actions by world leaders as “Blah, blah, blah.” She also labelled the conference as a “two-week long celebration of business as usual.”

It is clear that COP26 has failed in many ways - with controversy surrounding it from all sides, including Green Party leader Eamon Ryan testing positive then negative for Covid-19 (if only we could all have free tests on demand), reports of U.S President Joe Biden audibly breaking wind in front of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and a reported 400 private jets arriving in Glasgow in lieu of scheduled flights, despite event planners claiming the conference would be carbon neutral.

Despite what appeared to me as the utterly disastrous nature of COP26, what was truly important was the thousands that protested outside. It is up to us, the future generations, to lobby and protest for greener policies and laws to be implemented. We need to stop the burning and funding of fossil fuels abroad, we need annual emission cuts and we need to stop funding corporate enterprises that contribute to the destruction of our planet. The time for climate action is now.

Even with the unpredictability of Glaswegian weather, I had an incredible experience on the trip.

PHOTOS BY MATTHEW MORAN FOR TRINITY NEWS

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Tuesday 30 November | TRINITY NEWS

Finding beauty in The Everyday Fantastic Elena Mc Crory discusses the curation of Anne Yeats: The Everyday Fantastic with Grace O’Boyle and Donna Rose at the National Gallery of Ireland

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unning until the 6th of February 2022, Anne Yeats: The Everyday Fantastic at the National Gallery of Ireland offers its viewers a look into the whimsical world of her work, as the daughter of William Butler Yeats. Dive into her creepy and charismatic pictures, as they transport you back to your youth. I was lucky enough to get responses on the exhibit by its co-curators Grace O’Boyle and Donna Rose, both fellows at ESB Centre for the Study of Irish Art. We discussed what was important to convey to viewers. They replied that they “wanted to create an environment that was playful and experimental, as Yeats’ practice was, and conveyed the ways that archives are arranged and organised, and how you may encounter the works if you were visiting the archive in person.” They continued: “the exhibition highlights creativity, experimentation and process in Yeats’ art practice across a number of decades, demonstrating the importance of artists’ archives and the role they play in an artist’s work — as a location where creativity, experimentation, failure and progress in art practice are documented.”

The curation team had to work entirely remotely for the majority of the time whilst organising this show. They were forced to establish new means to organise these pieces, since sitting down together physically was off the table. They explain how they approached the process :“We started by gathering as many photographs of the archival materials as possible, and then we identified potential themes in the work. We then used programmes like PowerPoint to create mock-ups of each exhibition case, and tried to digitally arrange the works to scale. There were many Zoom calls! It all felt a little abstract until we were able to come onsite to physically install the

works into the space, and we found that the exhibition we arranged remotely was very close to the final arrangement. So the process worked surprisingly well!”

There was an overwhelmingly positive reaction by the public to the Jack Butler Yeats exhibition, Anne Yeats’ uncle, recently showcased in the gallery, but it is extremely significant to have this exhibition also as a solo show. “Anne Yeats had a broad interest in and knowledge of modern art and design, and she played a big role in establishing and supporting important Irish arts initiatives, such as the Graphic Studio Dublin, the Irish Exhibition of Living Artists, and many more. We feel that an exhibition of the materials from the artist’s archive is important in that it provides an unparalleled insight into the creative processes and imagination of this dynamic and influential figure in Irish cultural history.”

Yeats was chief designer for the Abbey Theatre and its publication.

“Her work at the Abbey theatre laid the foundation for her career

as both an artist and designer. It introduced her to the tactile and material aspects of building visual worlds. Anne integrated materials and fabrics such as muslin cloth into her oil paintings (Green Cloth Floating, 1994) to explore pattern making and texture, a practice possibly enriched by her work as a costume designer.”

When asked what pieces were their favourites, both curators had an image in mind. O’Boyle responded that hers is “a sketchbook that holds a series of preparatory sketches for a mural at the Unicorn restaurant on Baggot Street.

The sketches show Yeats conceptualising her idea for the scene and working through a series of imagined worlds in which a unicorn will inhabit. The mural has since been painted over, but the sketchbook serves as a reminder of her work and how interwoven art and history is into the disappearing cultural fabric of our cities.”

Rose followed with her top piece: “It is a small sketch in green pen titled Zoo People. Yeats has drawn the work quite expressive-

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The sketches show Yeats conceptualising her idea for the scene and working through a series of imagined worlds ly in green pen — with figures in 1940s style clothing leaning over an enclosure and a humorous sketch of one woman juggling two very small and very excited children. It really captures a moment in time, a snapshot of a windy Dublin day

spent at the Zoo during a time of great worldwide upheaval.”

The curators explain what exactly is captured in this show: “The exhibition showcases things like her appetite for learning about different cultures, her affection towards animals and the diversity of her practice, so in a way, it captures certain aspects of her life and creative inner landscape. Perhaps how much of the artist’s personality is captured in the less polished works. The nature of things like sketchbooks is that they are often private spaces for artists to express themselves freely without the intention to display them publicly.

They can experiment with different approaches, write notes, even shopping lists — it feels very personal and really brings the person behind the artwork to life.” Anne Yeats’ work has certainly left a lasting impression on both her exhibit’s curators and its viewers. Her fantastical animals, fine art prints, and backstage theatre-inspired pieces offer a selection to be happily consumed by all.

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TRINITY NEWS | Tuesday 30 November

Nightlife in Dublin: the ups and downs Luz Wullocombe explores Dublin Night-life culture in the face of new Covid regulations National Gallery of Ireland

M Costume design of ‘The Eagle’ for Austin Clarke’s play As the Crow Flies, 1948. Watercolour, ink and pencil on paper, 27 x 22cm Painted sketch of two ancient Irish hounds. Pencil and paint on paper.

Unframed: 17.5 x 34.5cm

ESB CSIA Collection at the NGI. © Estate of Anne Yeats, DACS London/IVARO. Dublin, 2021. Photo © NGI

idnight closing: Disaster or relief?

For some students, the new Covid-19 induced early closing time for Dublin’s nightlife could be a blessing in disguise.

As we approach exam season, an extra four hours of sleep on a night out maybe isn’t the end of the world.

Although the logic behind this recent decision doesn’t make much sense to any of us, maybe it’s not all bad news. Does Covid really only get passed on after midnight? Is this a precursor to an impending full lockdown?

Let’s hope not, but whatever the reasons behind the new rules, this is a good moment to take a look at Dublin’s student nightlife culture and ask whether it really is as great as it’s made out to be.

Going out, as in the nights that finish at 4am in a nightclub, is a major part of student life.

It’s where you meet people, let off steam and forget about the impending 2:2 coming your way. But for some of us, these big nights have a few too many problems.

Let’s start with prinks/pre’s (pre-drinking). A standard night out consists of getting as drunk as you can in a small, overcrowded room, for as little money as possible, before you hit the club.

Prinks start and so do the issues: angry neighbours banging on the wall, cocktails of vodka and Berocca, and so on. Maybe even worse is the invite-only nature of these gatherings — unlike the pub, which is so reassuringly open to everyone.

The problem with the pub, though, is that everyone is always broke and can’t afford the ludicrously expensive Dublin pint.

I do think, however, that sitting in your local, spending a little bit more, and bumping into an unlikely friend gets the night off to a far better start than the often dingy and exclusive prinks. You can chat in a pub and meet new people before getting to a club where the music is too loud for any successful conversation to take place. Also, I am happily of the belief that two pints in the pub gets you as drunk as four in your kitchen.

Then on to the club after some catch-up drinking. However

much alcohol you have consumed, bleak start to a potential romance. the near hour-long wait in the Luckily, I live in the Liberties freezing cold queue is going to and have a bike, so it should be sober you up pretty quickly. By easy enough for me just to sneak the time you get to the front, your off home when I’ve had enough. bed is calling and the dance floor But it does mean drunk cycling screams effort.

— which is not ideal. And if I It’s fine though, because then am walking I have to face the there are the drugs. I have recently girl-walking-home-alone-in-thebeen wondering whether the dark worries, which are not very huge increase in our generation’s positive either. use of drugs might be linked to So that’s another problem. the music we all listen to. Drum Safety. With the recent spiking and bass, techno, jungle — I love epidemic, some of us can feel a bit them and have no issues here, on edge at the club. Anecdotally, but after three hours solid of this the spiking problem might be music, there really only is one less prevalent in Trinity than at way to “get through the night”, a other colleges — let’s hope so. phrase I hear all too often. This Maybe the best way forward is the is music designed for drugs and only one open to us: hope for the that, fundamentally, cannot be a best and look after your friends. positive thing.

I guess it’s a good motto for the And then there is the lack of next big night out. romance. The drugs put everyone Still, there is an atmosphere into their own world. They are the of intense relief and excitement ultimate pheromone blocker and as finally we are released from a will rapidly extinguish any spark two-year lockdown. We should all of attraction you might have been be grateful to be getting our fully feeling. “Do you want a bump of deserved clubbing time, whether

BY MEAVE TRINITY NEWS coke?”, isARTWORK not a great chat-up line BREATHNACH or not it startsFOR at 5pm, or 7pm. and it seems to me to be a bit of a

PHOTO BY BEATRICE PISTOLA FOR TRINITY NEWS

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Tuesday 30 November | TRINITY NEWS

PHOTO VIA DARREN BAREFOOT/FLICKR late while witnessing Dublin Zoo transformed by over a thousand colourful lights should definitely be a contender on the holiday todo list.

Of course, also making the list, ice-skating is one of Christmas time’s most loved activities- as it should be! There’s nothing like being dressed up in several warm layers while you and your friends experience the unmatched hilariousness (and mild embarrassment) of falling over yourselves on ice skates listening to the same 10 Christmas songs on repeat. Confirmed for this year is Ice Skating Blanchardstown, right beside Blanchardstown Shopping Centre and open from 18 November until the 30 January.

Making the most of your Christmas break Abby Cleaver gives some tips on how to enjoy Christmas in Dublin

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fter a few hectic months of settling back into college (or starting college for the first time), some much-awaited time off is just about in sight. With only a few weeks left to get through — and a dreaded few weeks of exams and deadlines at that — it definitely helps to have something to look forward to, namely the breather that is our Christmas break. With nearly a month off and so many options of things to do, here are some suggestions of Ireland’s best Christmas events, and some other festive fun ideas to help you make the most of your Christmas break.

Christmas Markets are a Must The Dublin Castle Christmas Market is back and officially confirmed to be going ahead this year.

It will be running from 8 Decem-

ber to 21 December and looks likely to be a ticketed event so make sure to plan for this one in advance. Presumed to be similar to the last year it ran, we should expect to see 30+ stalls packed with potential gift ideas, festive food and drink, a vintage carousel, live entertainment, and an impressive seasonal entrance to the castle lined with 100+ Christmas trees.

So far this is the only confirmed market in Dublin this year, but it is looking likely that other markets, such as the Dún Laoghaire Christmas Market, will be going ahead.

Christmas markets are a great way to get yourself in the festive mood, and a good idea for Christmas themed days out with friends, family, or even a date! As well as this, they may just save you from the dreaded last minute Christmas shopping, with stalls full of great gift ideas to check out.

Make Christmas Shopping an Event Christmas shopping does not have to be a stressful thing at all, make a day out of it with your friends and tackle the Christmas lists together. A day trip into the city opens up a lot of gift options,

“

Christmas markets are a great way to get yourself in the festive mood, and a good idea for Christmas themed days out with friends, or even a date

from any number of clothes shops to jewellery to local food treats. Try Dundrum Shopping Centre, easy and cheap to get to on the LUAS with a student leap card, with a great choice of shops and a food court to eat in afterwards all conveniently in one place. Sometimes you need to look around for inspiration for those hard-to-shopfor family members and friends, but you don’t need an excuse for a spontaneous shopping trip to get ready for the holiday season. Follow up a long day of shopping with a well-deserved hot chocolate if you’re feeling extra festive.

The Christmas Time Classics The Gaiety Panto this year is The Little Mermaid, to be showing from 28 November to 9 January.

With tickets from just €19 a classic Irish pantomime may be the perfect light-hearted show to give you that Christmassy feeling.

If that’s not quite your cup of tea, the Dublin Zoo Lights are back this year and open now. The theme Around the World takes you through a magical trail of the world’s most famous sights all portrayed in dazzling Christmas lights. Sipping a hot choco-

How To Keep Your Christmas Fun And Affordable There are many other fun Christmas activities you can enjoy that don’t break the bank. Dublin Christmas lights are up now in the city and grabbing a coffee to walk around them after the sun goes down has an undeniable festive quality to it.

Take advantage of our lovely student privileges by going to places that offer student discounts on entry, like seeing a classic Christmas film in a cinema showing, walking around an art museum with your friends on a wintery day, or simply treating yourself to the student deal in Wowburger under Mary’s Bar for finishing your exams and starting the break off right.

A Christmas themed movie night or Harry Potter marathon with a mug of hot chocolate can be just as fun a Christmas break activity as anything else, especially if you throw in comfy pyjamas. If you want to save money on a big night out (especially with the new 12pm closing times) opt for a big night in. Invite some friends over for a themed party, festive or otherwise. Make the night a potluck with everyone being assigned to bring a different part of the food and drinks for the night (the responsibility should not just be on the host!) and then all you need is a good playlist and good company to have a great time.

Stress Management And SelfCare Christmas can be a stressful time for many different people for just as many different reasons.

Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to have a perfect Christmas or pack too much into your schedule. Many people will also be studying for Schols at this time and may feel like they have too much to do already, never mind multiple day trips and nights out.

Try to remember that the Christmas break is exactly what it is called, a break. So, try to listen to your body and let it rest and recover. Bake some Christmas cookies, listen to a cheesy Wham! playlist and buy yourself a Christmas present because if you haven’t realized already, it’s nearly Christmas time.

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TRINITY NEWS | Tuesday 30 November

A beginner's guide to scriptwriting Caroline Higgins talks to DU Players' seasoned script writers about how to start writing for the stage

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rinity has seen no shortage of talent in the realm of playwrights.

Historically a cradle of creativity, the college consistently witnesses fresh theatrical material. For the creatively inclined, the possibilities are infinite. But where to start? Here is some advice from a few of DU Players’ seasoned script writers that may offer a road map to those looking to dip their toes into inventing a new world on stage.

Emer Tyrell, a pillar of the Players Introductory Programme (PIPS), recommended reading as many scripts as you can and catching as much live theatre as possible — which is often available to students at reduced prices.

Most importantly, a hopeful playwright must dare to write. Tyrell encourages new writers to get as much down as they can and not to get discouraged. “Try to let go of the fear of being bad at it or the pursuit of perfection and just try to find out what interests you and what you like,” she stressed.

Inspiration can come in bits and pieces, and Players’ Publicity and Communications Officer, Saul Sherrard, offered some advice on how to break down the daunting task of drafting an entire play.

“Something that helps when struggling for a concept, is taking the one specific picture you have in your head of the show, and writing a scene with simply that, not the entire thing at once. Then, try to pick another moment and do the same with more characters.

Keep doing this and eventually, some form of plot or the other will begin to develop.”

The first lesson in writing is reading, according to Players’ Front of House Manager and avid script writer Daire Kelly. The more exposure to the structure and design of other works a fledgling playwright can get, the better they can incorporate these observations into their own work.

Kelly advised beginning writers to “read. Watch plays. You need to just read a lot of plays. That's the best way to see what playwriting is like and especially what it's like currently.”

Looking for a creative starting point? Kelly identifies dialogue as an element accessible to everyone, saying: “It’s all around us.”

However, while dialogue might be a great source of creative motivation, it should not be relied upon

exclusively. Kelly recommended a simple litmus test for evaluating dialogue: “An easy thing to keep in your mind with more traditional playwriting is this question: Why am I making this character say that? If you find that there is no reason, scrap it. No point wasting time on words that don't add anything to the story or the overall play.” To rid your script of any awkward phrasing and sentences you’re unsure about, he suggested reading your material out loud to test how natural it will be for an actor to say and audience to hear. There’s no need to overthink the process, and it can be as easy as opening up your notes app and jotting down “an interesting conversation you overheard,” said Kelly. “People watching will also generate loads of ideas.”

Between the smallest of details and the largest of themes, a script writer must be aware of everything they put on paper. Kelly emphasized the importance of legibility in composition: “Make

the formatting nice and clear, especially if you want it performed … Think about accessibility in your font choice, colour choice and text size.” After a script has taken shape, it can be reworked and crafted onto the stage. Kelly noted the contributions of the whole creative team, describing the improvements the actors and crew can offer a script. But the process isn’t entirely complete just yet. “The feeling of getting your writing performed is a very unique one, and I would recommend for every playwright to try and get their work on stage at least once,” shared Kelly.

Another member of this guild of dedicated writers, Fionnuala Maher, shed some light on the fickle nature of inspiration and how best to seize those fleeting moments of creative vision: “If you've even a half idea for a play, put pen to paper immediately!

I've honestly no set way to start working on a play ... I feel it's important to get it written down

“

The feeling of getting your writing performed is a very unique one, and I would recommend it to every playwright at least once...

somewhere as soon as possible!

Whether it ever develops into an actual script is completely irrelevant; a start is a start.” When even the smallest idea strikes, hesitation is unnecessary.

In a script, the characters are paramount. Maher highlighted a key tension between a work’s purpose and its apparatuses to execute it, advising writers to “centre your writing around a character who is facing the issue. Don't just use them as tools to propel the story and deliver your message.”

In order for the audience to buy into the conceit of a work, they need to be invested in its subjects.

Luckily, for those aspiring playwrights following in the footsteps of Trinity alumni such as Beckett or Wilde, there are always opportunities to see your script put to stage in the DU Players sphere.

So, if this playwright is you, exit, pursued by a bear and start your journey in script writing.

PHOTO BY SEOSAMH Ó CEALLAIGH FOR TRINITY NEWS

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Tuesday 30 November | TRINITY NEWS

How to survive the Schols exams Leanne Healy speaks to three current scholars about their experiences with the Foundation Scholarship examinations

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he Foundation Scholarship examinations, colloquially known as “Schols”, have been held in Trinity College since it was first established in 1592. This long-standing tradition awards students who receive an average of first-class honors in the voluntary exams with free on-campus accommodation and waived fees, amongst other very enticing incentives. Trinity News spoke to three current scholars to get their insights into the examination process and any tips or tricks they acquired along the way.

When asked what their main reason for doing Schols was, the students agreed that free on-campus accommodation was a motivating factor. Luke Hamilton, a mathematics scholar, explains that he is “from Sligo, so living rent-free in Dublin was motivation enough”. Another scholar describes how they were motivated by a “combination of factors; the primary one was to help [their] mom financially, which was supplemented by enjoying what [they] were studying and having term exams close to Schols, so it seemed efficient study-wise.”

They also went on to explain how it was “really difficult to manage stress” the more they considered the benefits for their family if they were successful. Instead, they “tried to focus on it as an opportunity to engage with [their] areas of study in a different way, which helped [them] in the long-term”.

Alternatively, Ella McGill, a PPES scholar, feels that as she lives in Dublin, “it wouldn't have been feasible for [her] to move out otherwise”. She also emphasises that there is a “huge sense of personal achievement attached to [Schols]” and she would be “really disappointed if [she] didn't at least try”.

When asked how they prepared for the exams, McGill stresses that students should “email the lecturer for that subject and ask what they are looking for in a first-class honors exam and see if they will send you any reading material. They are generally really helpful”. Hamilton points out that “the only real way to get better at maths is to do problems, so a group of us in the class got together and worked through every past paper we could get our hands on”. Another scholar explains how they “stayed on top of the module

material, tried to cover the reading list, identify further sources that [they] were interested in, and emphasised [their] own reactions or thoughts on the material”. They described how they “always tried to find an angle or lens or dimension that [they] enjoyed applying, to engage with the material in a way that felt distinctly like [their] own”. They stressed how “it was really important in areas with dense academic work to focus on developing [their] own point of view and argument, because that ultimately was what [they] were going to be presenting on the day”.

The students started to study at different times, with McGill “working steadily from September”, and for Hamilton “the proper work started in November and continued through Christmas right up to the day of the exam”.

Another successful student explains how they “started studying in September when modules began, but really started grinding in late November in the build-up to exams”.

Many students understandably fear the overwhelming additional pressure that comes with sitting the Schols exams. However, Hamilton notes that “the whole rigmarole is voluntary'', with McGill agreeing that “you choose to put that pressure on yourself ”. Hamilton explains how “the papers can be unnecessarily difficult...though most of the time people rise to the occasion, I’ve seen friends have their hopes dashed by brutally hard papers”. However, taking a more optimistic approach, McGill states that whilst it is a “huge amount of pressure, I don't believe it's unnecessary because I think you can do it. They are doable. It's worth giving it your best shot”.

One student gives their perspective on the extra burden that the Foundation Scholarship exams can cause: “in general exams are stressful, but awarding such

“

The papers can be unnecessarily difficult... though most of the time people rise to the occasion

a lucrative scholarship through examination in its current state produces a huge amount of stress for some people… the reality for some people is that they may need Schols to complete third level education, pursue a postgraduate education or to alleviate extreme financial burdens for their families. In that sense, it can produce extreme stress for students''.

The students had conflicting feelings about their experiences while studying both for the Foundation Scholarship exams and their Senior Freshman Christmas exams. McGill describes this time as “a pain because the [Christmas] exams were two weeks before Schols” and remembers “wishing that [she] didn't have to do them.” However “staying on top

of [her] work from September really helped and meant [she] didn't have to put a huge amount of work into those exams”.

Another student explains that “the exam formats were different from Christmas exams for the majority of papers” and “Schols demanded broader reading and in-depth analysis way beyond what was expected for the normal exams”. The same student added that “having two sets of exams essentially back to back” resulted in “constantly teetering on the edge of burn-out”. Hamilton highlights that “there was thankfully a large overlap” in the material he needed to learn for his Christmas exams and his scholarship exams.

He confesses that he “didn’t think about the Christmas exams too

much and would have been fine failing them”. He goes on to point out that “most scholars I’ve talked to about this feel the same way.

The winner-takes-all mentality is sort of a destructive mentality but it helps you feel less guilty of neglecting your actual degree”.

The current Junior Sophister students interviewed took the scholarship examinations in the height of lockdown, sitting them as online exams in January 2021.

When asked if they had to make any sacrifices in order to study for the exams, Hamilton explains how “fortunately, or rather unfortunately, lockdown made those sacrifices for us all”, and McGill believes that her year was “very lucky for Schols because it was a deep lockdown so there wasn’t re-

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TRINITY NEWS | Tuesday 30 November

“

The current Junior Sophister students interviewed took the exams in the height of lockdown, sitting them as online exams in January 2021

ally anything else going on or anything else to do”. Another scholar explains that “being at home 24/7 with excess free time made it difficult to ever feel like I was doing enough, and I felt that hanging over me pretty much constantly”.

Hamilton describes how “all the uncertainty makes it hard to justify sacrifices, when you feel like it could be for nothing. If lockdown hadn’t made the decision for me, I don't think I could have sacrificed every evening for something so risky”.

Applying for the Foundation Scholarship can be a risky choice — voluntarily signing up for extra exams, added stress, and pressure on top of an already demanding college timetable. However, speaking to the current scholars, it seems that this risk is definitely worth the reward. Whether you want to prove to yourself you can do it, or want to live on campus for free, Schols seems like a worthy chance to take.

Alcohol and society events Ruth McGann examines the relationship between alcohol, health and our social lives

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PHOTO BY ISOBEL DUFFY FOR TRINITY NEWS

rinking is an integral part of Irish culture.

You only have to look to the past two years of lockdowns to realise that alcohol has an undeniable, and often detrimental, hold over our social lives. In Trinity, most societies will have at least one event each month that centres around alcohol in some way, but this norm poses several challenges for students and in some instances is inherently problematic.

Most society events are held with extroverts in mind, reflecting a society in which extroversion is praised and introversion is seen as something to be overcome. Late night, alcohol-based events open to large groups of people can be exhausting for introverts, discouraging them from attending events and making new friends. The same can certainly be said for socially anxious students, who may find interacting with large groups of inebriated students totally overwhelming and will either not participate or be exceedingly anxious during society events. If the purpose of these events is to facilitate mixing among students outside of class, varying events to cater to students who find socialising more difficult should be common practice.

Similarly, students who commute to college are at a disadvantage when it comes to society

nights out. For students living outside of Dublin, they will likely have to leave events in order to catch a bus or train that will get them home early enough to be up for college the next morning. For students who live in Trinity Hall or other accommodation in the city centre, getting home safely from a pub or nightclub is far easier.

Previously, students commuting to college could simply stay with friends in the city after a night out, but rising COVID-19 cases have meant this is not always possible, especially given Trinity Hall's decision to ban overnight guests.

The pandemic has also restricted socialisation for students who are medically vulnerable or live with someone who is in a high-risk group. Pub-based, indoor events, even if every student is vaccinated, pose a much higher risk for students than an outdoor or masked activity. Until COVID-19 cases decline, societies should take into account the risk these events pose and understand that they exclude a significant number of students concerned for their safety or those close to them. Having virtual options would provide a safer alternative to attending in-person events without FOMO, such as the Instagram lives of debates put up by the Hist and the Phil, or LawSoc recording speaker events. The new hospitality restrictions may be intended to reduce case numbers, but the 12am crush on late-night public transport can be extremely anxiety-inducing.

Alongside the health risks evening events currently pose, there are many students who do not feel comfortable going to nightclubs or making their way home alone at night. In the wake of several spiking incidents in Dublin, many are wary of going to nightclubs, and if they do may not drink at all in an attempt to avoid these danger-

ous situations. Students should not be restricted from participating in any event, society or otherwise, for fear of being taken advantage of, but this is the reality facing us.

For societies, there is no way to guarantee that every student gets home safely from an event, further excluding students who do not feel comfortable travelling home alone. Societies could potentially take advantage of earlier club opening hours to encourage students to have more relaxed nights out, instead of cramming as much drinking as possible in four hours.

While these factors exclude students who do drink but cannot attend evening events, there are many who do not drink, either by choice or for religious or health reasons. While these students can still attend occasions in pubs and nightclubs, they may be discouraged by the reactions they get from other attendees. While most understand and respect the decision not to drink, there is a certain expectation (in our society at large, but especially among students) that copious drinking equals a successful night. The expectation of drinking can be intimidating for students who would rather not explain their choices or beliefs to others every time they go to an event.

For Trinity’s societies, alcohol will always play a part in organising events as pubs and nightclubs provide natural spaces for students to mix. This trend is reflective of Irish culture as a whole, but students have the power to be more inclusive and understanding of each other’s needs and values than in society at large. Continuing to host a range of events, and perhaps including more daytime activities in their social calendar, will allow societies to be as mindful and inclusive as possible going forward.

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Tuesday 30 November | TRINITY NEWS

Annika Berglund’s Interlocked opens at the Olivier Cornet Gallery Maisie McGregor reviews the exhibition that explores the paradoxical emotional and physical experiences of Covid-19

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new exhibition has just opened at the Olivier Cornet Gallery on Great Denmark Street, showcasing the work of Swedish artist, Annika Berglund. Interlocked is a fascinating insight into Berglund’s pandemic experience, with her emotive response clearly implanted within her beautifully crafted wool and paper works. Berglund’s aim was to explore our relationship with Covid-19, in particular the unique tension between constraint and liberation that it provided us. Whilst the pandemic worked to box us into squared-off walls and social bubbles, it also necessitated a new connection

“

My favourite thing in life is learning new things.

I also have a very personal relationship to new materials with the outside world. This juxtaposition of outside and inside, squares and circles, is what Berglund eloquently articulates in her delicate pieces; the warmth of being within the home radiates from the Irish wool she uses whilst her use of shapes and patterns creates a distinct sense of an open landscape.

On her experience of Covid-19, Berglund writes: “In our minds and in the virtual world, we reached out to connect with a whole new urgency. Creativity and making became more complicated, impossible for some art forms, but bringing forth innovation

and change in many instances.”

The most obvious response to the pandemic is illustrated in a mobile titled, In Danger? Who?, which features hanging Covid-19 particles made of wool, recently acquired by the National Museum of Ireland as part of their Covid-19 focused collection. Whilst it stands as a poignant reminder of our last few years, I find Berglund’s more subtle responses to the pandemic far more emotionally resonant, in their articulation of the new patterns and routines we became accustomed to.

Berglund was interested in presenting the sense of a new reality in her work, a new way of moving and operating that came because of the pandemic. Her pieces entitled Everyday patterns and Everyday moments, made from hand-dyed merino, silk and viscose, exemplify this. Her triptych, The circles we walk, is my personal favourite, a beautiful merino wool piece that stands subdued in its colouring, and strong in its articulation of the tension between freedom and entrapment. On this theme, Berglund writes that “most of us have retreated into the safety of the domestic space except for those whose essential occupations meant they had to risk venturing out into society.

The world seemed to shrink to fit inside square walls. It consisted of the circles we walked inside these walls and the bubbles we embraced.”

Previously using clay, glass and bronze, Berglund has spent the last two years delving into the artistic possibilities of wool. On this, she tells me: “My favourite thing in life is learning new things. I also have a very personal relationship to new materials. Combining these two things means I approach new mediums as a new relationship. You have the lovely feeling of making a friend or falling in love, but you also have to figure out boundaries and what the new person/medium needs to feel appreciated and understood and to blossom.” The care Berglund takes in her approach to new mediums is clearly evident in the two pieces she made using mulberry paper, they are entitled A Time of Bubbles I and A Time of Bubbles II. She used the traditional Korean method of Joomchi to craft these pieces, a technique that involves the aggressive stretching and manipulation of several layers of wet paper until the fibres break down and one single, incredibly strong, sheet is formed. The devotion behind this method makes for a finished work that radiates warmth, with each layer of paper peeping out behind another.

Berglund seems to have be-

come somewhat of an expert on wool and its uses, as the document attached to the wall of the exhibition entitled, The wool used in this exhibition, demonstrates.

In it, she explains the impressive endurance of the material: “It absorbs and evaporates moisture, making it useful for clothing and insulation. With flame retardancy up to 600 Centigrade, wool has long been the preferred material for firefighters’ uniforms.

It doesn’t melt, shrink, or stick to skin when exposed to high temperatures, and has no toxic odours. Wool used in an interior setting is also an excellent sound absorber, reducing noise and clatter.”

With this new interest, Berglund also became interested in

“

Nature and landscape would influence a lot of my work, but I think this exhibition is much more about an inner landscape

the preservation of Irish wool production, and the practice of felt making. She became involved with Feltmakers Ireland and has started a project that aims to connect “local wool providers and artists/artisans... by sharing information about characteristics and felting qualities of these local breeds”. Although much of her work is formed of imported merino wool, Berglund has used wool from Kerry Hill, Dorset, Romney, Hebridean, and Shetland sheep raised in Ireland. The wool is used either in its natural colour or has been hand-dyed by Berglund and Leiko Uchiyama, a Japanese felt artist working and living in Borris, Co. Carlow.

What is next for Berglund? She tells me she might stick to felt for a while longer, and perhaps work on making her art even more three dimensional. “Longer term,” she says, “I would like to combine felt with other materials, such as ceramics, glass and bronze, as I think that would open up all sorts of new possibilities.” I asked Berglund about the impact of the Irish landscape on her work, she replied: “Nature and landscape would influence a lot of my work, but I think this exhibition is much more about an inner landscape.”

I think this sentiment works as the manifesto for Interlocked, an exhibition that beautifully rests on the tenuous boundary between the interior and exterior and the paradoxical emotional experience felt by many during the pandemic.

The exhibition is open Tuesdays to Sundays at the gallery from November 16 to December 3 (online booking necessary) or is viewable online in their 3D Virtual Space from Sunday 14th November onwards.

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TRINITY NEWS | Tuesday 30 November

Pornography or sex education?

Lila Funge discusses how teenagers turn to pornography due to the lack of sex education in Ireland

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t is undeniable that current sexual education curriculums are poor. It’s even worse when combined with the hush-hush attitude many secondary schools typically have towards such topics. This combination can not only be detrimental to the physical and mental well-being of students, especially gay students, but can also have unpredictable consequenses for an entire digital generation. With pornography websites easily accessible at the click of a button, what is stopping teenagers from acquiring their sex education through these sources? Should we be afraid of the consequences?

As an American myself, I decided to sit down with my resident Irish representative Ellen Kenny to get a better picture of current sex ed curriculums in the Ireland.

Ellen said that her basic sex education began at around 10 or 11, when her teacher accepted anonymous questions about sex and puberty and would answer them in front of the class. One question asked, “Have you ever had sex before?” to which her teacher said she wasn’t married so of course not. Everyone knew she was lying but it set the tone for the rest of sex education in Ireland.

In secondary school, one section of a module glossed over these topics but did little to “leave kids with the tools to navigate the world of sex” properly. Ellen made the point that by obscuring things, a gap is left in teenagers' brains.

A gap which can only be filled by their own perceptions and insecurities, or worse, pressure from their peers. When teenagers perceive their peers exploring the world of sex, they are far more likely to begin that process as well, even if they aren’t ready for it. Keeping these issues taboo only furthers the shame and fear that teens feel about sensitive topics. While there was a comprehensive discussion about contraceptives, LGBTQ+ sex was not covered: “We were told gay people existed and that was kind of it.” While things are changing, there’s still a brushing over of topics that teenagers need the answers to.

If sex education is this bad, where are teenagers going to learn about sex? The usual suspects are hands-on experience and PornHub. Having uninformed sex is risky; when people haven’t been taught how to use protection properly, consent, or even understand the intricact emotions that come

with sex, problems are bound to arise. Naturally, many teenagers turn to porn instead. However, this comes with its own set of problems.

While engaging with porn online can be fun (nobody is denying that) it without a doubt warps the expectations of those who watch it. The majority of porn makes it explicitly clear that women should be hairless and submissive, that consent isn’t sexy and neither is protection. It is undeniable that young people will misunderstand the realities of sex due to this content. Porn is meant to be fantasy, a massive exaggeration of what real life encounters can be. When teens look to porn with questions, what they get is usually pretty extreme answers.

Despite all these problems, there are some clear benefits to a porn-based sex education that cannot be overlooked. Did your sex ed teach you anything about

LGBTQ+ sex besides a discussion on HIV/AIDS? What about female pleasure? How about the relationship between gender expression and sex? No? Well, this is where porn can be of service. Obviously porn is ficticious, and sometimes the lines between fiction and reality can get a little blurry, but young gay people need to learn somewhere. In my mind, something is better than nothing. My school taught me nothing about gay sex. I mean nothing. It was like they were scared to say the word “gay”. So when I got out into the real world and realized I liked girls, what was I supposed to do? Porn helps. It really does. Teachers are hesitant and even ashamed to talk about about same-sex intimacy. There is still this dark cloud hanging around the concept of gay sex, in part due to the AIDS epidemic, but also in part due to good old-fashioned homophobia. In Ellen’s mind, the

point of sex education is safety rather than censoring or shaming.

How can questioning teenagers learn about safe sex if teachers can barely say the word gay?

At this point, the solution seems glaringly obvious: adults need to stop being so afraid to talk about sex. There’s nothing to be ashamed of, sex is a fun and natural part of life. Of course, some aspects of sex education are a little trickier to navigate. Talking to teenagers about the specifics of sex can get a little awkward, but however awkward these conversations may be, we have to have them. We don’t need to just teach about sex and relationships though, teenagers also need to be taught how to critique the porn they are watching. If teenagers can be taught to understand that porn has been created for commercial purposes, and that watching porn can affect sexual behaviors, the positive ef-

fects might just be substantial.

By the time teenagers enter high school, the clear majority will have phones with access to the internet.

It would be foolish, and even dangerous, of us to pretend that teens aren’t using them to access porn.

Sexual education in this country has failed generations of teenagers and sex should no longer be a taboo topic in education. Teens, and particularly those still discovering their sexuality, need comprehensive answers to their questions.

When they can’t get these answers from reputable adults, they will undoubtedly turn to pornography.

The solution is simple: if adults are comfortable teaching teens the importance of wearing a seatbelt while driving, they should feel comfortable teaching them how to use protection as well.

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Tuesday 30 November | TRINITY NEWS

Crossword

Across

2 Portion of food (4) 5 Boris Johnson’s favourite show (5,3) 8. Rail vehicle (5) 10. Phase of fashion (5) 11. Container for wine or sherry (4) 13. Structure spanning a gap (6) 16. Stringed toy or famous cellist (2,2) 18. Clean, particularly hands (8) 19. Part of a chain (4) 20. Additional (5) 21. Alternative to tea (6) 22. Hard currency (4) 23. Eject from a window, esp. in Bohemia (12

PUZZLE BY JACK KENNEDY & SHANNON CONNOLLY FOR TRINITY NEWS

Down

1. Not dark (5) 3. Brief sleep (3) 4. Long-tailed cousin of humans (6) 6. What one does with a game (4) 7. Gabriel et al, or an anglicised Russian city (9) 9. Countdown to Christmas (6) 12. Matter, topic, question (5) 14. Seasonal flying four-legged animal (8) 15. Owl noise (4) 17. Associate, ally (6) 19. Lend (4) fear (4)

What we're: Watching:

Ted Lasso Apple TV

Solution to Issue 4:

Listening to:

Red (Taylor's Version) Taylor Swift