An Focal (XXIV. Edition 8) by An Focal ULSU

VOL. XXIV Edition 8

NEW PAGE ‘AS GAEILGE’ Pg 5

FEBRUARY 2016/1

INTERVIEW:

SATIRE: UL READY FOR WAR

Pgs 8 & 9

TIME FOR A SCANNAIN

Pg 19

UL to host first RTÉ leaders debate The University of Limerick’s Concert Hall (UCH) will host the first of the RTÉ broadcasted General Election debates, and the first ever RTE General Election TV debate to be held outside of Donnybrook in Dublin, next week. TOMÁS HENEGHAN The debate aims to feature seven party leaders from across the current Dáil, ranging from the two government parties to the five from opposition benches, and will be part of RTÉ’s Claire Byrne show. Each party is expected to have a leader present, with Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Tánaiste Joan Burton, Micheál Martin, Gerry Adams, Stephen Donnelly, Lucinda Creighton, and Richard Boyd Barrett or Paul Murphy for the Anti Austerity Alliance-People Before Profit group. The University of Limerick’s Director of Marketing and Communications, Mark Mulqueen said that leaders debates have played a “prominent place in Ireland’s general election folklore.” “One of the first took place in February 1982 with Garret Fitzgerald and Charlie Haughey. Even in this digital age, this association connects UL with audiences nationwide through an occasion of real importance, so we’re delighted to host RTE and party leaders next week.” However the exclusion of both

www.anfocal.ie

the Green Party and the Independent Alliance has drawn criticism from the two groups concerned in recent weeks. Green Party leader, Eamon Ryan, will not take part in the broadcasted debate as his party does not currently have any elected Oireachtas representatives. Shane Ross’s Independent Alliance on the other hand is excluded as it is not a registered political party. In order to ensure fairness and impartiality the approximate 400person audience for the debate will be selected by a polling company and will not be decided by either UL or RTÉ. UL will also host a live postdebate analysis show. The aim of the analysis show is to capture commentator’s reactions, which will then be broadcast from the university’s campus directly after the Leaders Debate. UCH has previously hosted The Late Late Show in 2006, the live Eurosong Selection Show in 2008 and Gradham Ceoil TG4 from 2012 to 2014. The General Election, to be held on Friday, February 26, was called last Wednesday by the Taoiseach after months of public and media

speculation about the election date. There had been a suggestion in the run up to last week that Mr Kenny might call the election for a Thursday this year. However this possibility was countered by calls from the Union Student Ireland (USI) and the youth wing of Mr Kenny’s own party, Young Fine Gael (YFG), to hold the election on a Friday, in order to facilitate students returning home from colleges for the weekend. The USI said it believed holding the election on a Thursday could have result in the exclusion of students who were studying away from home from returning on time to vote. YFG argued similarly and added that a Friday election could see the “highest turnout rate of young voters ever in a General Election.”

UL will host the first RTÉ General Election 2016 Leaders Debate on the Claire Byrne show. PHOTO: RTÉ

WANT TO BE NOTICED BY STUDENTS AND STAFF AT UL?

Advertise Here!

An Focal - Ofﬁcial Newspaper for ULSU

anfocal@ul.ie for rates and details @anfocal_UL

anfocalul

February 2016/1 NEWS

Only two of Students’ Union's 39 presidents have been women TOMÁS HENEGHAN THE University of Limerick Students’ Union (ULSU) has had only two female presidents over the past 43 years, An Focal can reveal. Since its foundation in 1972, ULSU has had 39 presidents, with 37 of those being men. Neither of the female presidents have held the presidency for more than one year, while five of the male presidents have held the role for two consecutive terms.

ULSU Democracy Development Manager, Liz Gabbett told An Focal: “Being an elected sabbatical officer is a great opportunity for anyone. Those who have represented students, be it the President, Welfare and Academic Officers, acknowledge the privilege and huge learning experience they gained through sitting on the wide variety of decision making forums in the university. “I hope when candidates think about running for office

that no-one thinks any representative role is gender specific because they are not. I would like to see all positions contested by as many candidates as possible regardless of gender. I want to see all students vote for the candidate who will represent them to the best of their ability. “I encourage anyone thinking of running for any of the student sabbatical officer positions to please come talk to me to find out more about what is involved.” In the past decade seven

men have held the position of ULSU President, while only one woman, Emma Porter, has been elected to the role. The pervious female president was elected to the position in 1989 for a single term. In contrast to the election of ULSU presidents, there have been more women elected by the students of UL to the position of Welfare Officer than men. 15 female Welfare Officers have served the students of UL since 1991, when the position was first created, while only

UL honours the late broadcasting legend Sir Terry Wogan EILÍS WALSH THE University of Limerick (UL) has paid tribute to the later BBC radio presenter, Sir Terry Wogan after he passed away last week.

CREDITS EDITOR: Tomás Heneghan DEPUTY EDITOR: Eiliís Walsh SPORT EDITOR: Marisa Kennedy IRISH EDITOR: Fay Langley CONTRIBUTORS: Aaron Young, Adam Doherty, Aisling O’Connor, Anna Parkes, Caryl Faye Yulo, Ciara Corcoran, Claire O’Brien, Dave Tierney, Dean Maloney, Eli Cahn, John Brogan, Kiera Thornton, Maoilíosa Ní Loideáin, Marion Lang, Mark Nother, Matthew Murphy, Patrick McKiernan, Seamus Toomey, Seán Lynch, Simeon Kumanov, Stephen Riordan, Tanya Crotty, UL Badminton Club, UL Medical Society, Úna Walsh. PRINTING & LAYOUT: Midland Web Printing

Corrections & Clarifications In the previous issue of An Focal (Volume XXIV. Edition 6) the cartoons featured on page 21 should have been attributed to Matthew Murphy.

Sir Wogan, a Limerickborn man had a strong connection to the University of Limerick and although he spent most of his career living and working in Britain, he never forgot the county he came from. UL President, Professor Don Barry released a statement saying: “The University of Limerick community has been saddened to learn of the passing of our honorary graduate Terry Wogan.” Professor Barry described Wogan as “a great friend of the University, a widelyrespected and beloved figure UL has been proud to be associated with over many years. “For all of these accomplishments, for his quiet championing of values and principles, for his consummate professionalism, for his service to the common good of the people of Ireland and Great Britain and for the pleasure he has given, and continues to give, to millions of listeners and viewers, it is timely and appropriate that Terry Wogan should be honoured by the University of his native city.” Sir Wogan was once quoted as saying: “Limerick never let me; whatever it is, my identity is Limerick” and described his years in Limerick as his “formative years”. The broadcaster never gave up his Irish nationality,

9 men have held the position. Welfare has also only been held on a consecutive two term period once in the history of the position. The final sabbatical position, Academic Officer was created in 2012 and replaced the previous Education position which was originally established in 2000. For this position, there have been eight men and five women. The Academic/Education Officer position has been held on a consecutive two term period on four occasions in the

history of the position. Since the creation of UL’s first students’ union, there have also been at least 13 allmale sabbatical teams, while there has been no female counterpart. The election of a new sabbatical team for the next academic year will take place on Thursday, March 10th (Week 7). Nominations for the new sabbatical officers and ULSU president will open Monday morning of Week 6 and run through to Friday evening.

Fiddler, Martin Hayes with UL President, Professor Don Barry at the announcement of the inaugural UL Irish World Academy Artist initiative. PHOTO: UL PRESS OFFICE

UL announces €60k Irish World Academy award TOMÁS HENEGHAN

taking on dual citizenship of both Ireland and Britain. Born in 1938, in Limerick city, he began his career as a newsreader and announcer in RTÉ in the 1960’s after seeing an advertisement in a newspaper. In April 1972, he took over John Dunn’s breakfast show slot on BBC2, and experienced a huge listenership of 7.9 million, and was described by British listeners as a “national treasure”. In 2004, Sir Wogan received an honourary doctorate of letters from the University of Limerick in celebration of his efforts to

improve relations between Ireland and Britain. A doctorate of letters refers to an honourary degree awarded to individuals who have distinguished themselves in fields other than literature, religion, science and government. Sir Wogan, an honourary graduate of UL was also a member of the University of Limerick Foundation Board. He was also honoured with the Freedom of the City in 2004 by Labour Party Councillor Joe Leddin, who was Mayor of Limerick at that time.

THE University of Limerick (UL) last month announced the creation of a new three-year Irish World Academy of Music and Dance arts patronage award, with a €60,000 budget. UL said it hoped the Irish World Academy Artist, University of Limerick award would “facilitate the creative process” of selected artists over a three-year period. The university also announced Clare fiddler, Martin Hayes as the first artist to receive the award as he commenced his three-year association with the Irish World Academy in January this year. Mr. Hayes, as an internationally acclaimed musician, has brought his local East Clare traditional fiddle style to a global audience through his many performances and recording. Commenting on his receipt of the award, Mr. Hayes said: “I'm deeply honoured to be named the first Irish World Academy Artist at the University of Limerick and grateful for the opportunity this three year initiative affords me to explore the possibility of further musical collaboration in such a creative environment.”

Speaking at the launch of the award, President of the University of Limerick, Professor Don Barry said: “It is fitting that an artist of the stature of Martin Hayes should be the inaugural Irish World Academy Artist, given Martin’s unique contribution to our cultural life and the Irish World Academy’s vision for Ireland’s past, present and future.” Chair of Music and Founder Director of the Irish World Academy, Professor Mícheál Ó Súílleabháin added: “The Irish World Academy Artist initiative is further evidence of the commitment of the University of Limerick to the Performing Arts at the highest level. “That the first award goes to a local artist with a global reputation builds on the Irish World Academy record of linking the local with the global towards the mutual benefit of both.” The awarded artist will undertake a series of creative projects across the three-year span of the award and students of the Irish World Academy will have access to open workshops in the Academy.

February 2016/1

UCH to host cinematic tribute to Bowie for local cancer charity

The University of Limerick Concert Hall (UCH) is to host a special screening of the 1986 film Labyrinth this week in aid of the Mid-Western Cancer Foundation.

MARK NOTHER Bowie, who passed away early last month, at the age of 69, after a private battle with cancer, starred as Jareth

the Goblin King in the feature ﬁlm that was initially a box ofﬁce disappointment, before becoming something of a cult classic. The evening’s event will feature a build-up of a

number of Bowie’s hits and will be hosted by Professor Eoin Devereaux, of the UL

Sociology Department and co-editor of David Bowie: Critical Perspectives.

The screening is the first in the UCH’s new Cinema Season following the installation of a new 22x44 foot cinema screen. According to the venue’s website: “The Cinema Spring Season will feature eight films which represent an ideal mix of family, cult classic and big blockbuster.” The full schedule, featuring films such as The Lion King, The Godfather and Mise Eireann, can be found on the UCH website. As an introductory offer UCH are offering two complimentary tickets to every screening for the Spring season to students who

become members at the cost of €10. The screening, supported by Specsavers Limerick, takes place on Tuesday 9th February at 7pm. Student and general admission rates are €5 and €7.50, respectively, and all proceeds from the evening will go to support the work of the Mid-Western Cancer Foundation; a volunteer managed charity organisation which uses funds raised “to enhance services for patients attending the Cancer Centre at the University Hospital Limerick and for research at the University of Limerick.”

UL purchases new Dublin Road complex for €4.2m

Travelodge hotel, Castletroy. PHOTO: EXPEDIA.IE

The University of Limerick (UL) announced last month it is to further expand its facilities with the €4.2m acquisition of the Park Point complex on Limerick’s Dublin Road.

TOMÁS HENEGHAN The 96,230 sq. ft. complex, purchased by UL for €4.18m, is currently occupied by a number of retail warehouse units, a café, and the Travel Lodge hotel. Despite the announcement, the details of the planned use of the complex is not known and will be discussed further at a later time. Announcing the purchase, the university said: “With its strategic location adjacent to the University of Limerick campus, the facility provides the opportunity for a range of additional requirements for a growing university.” President of the university, Professor Don Barry explained: “The University has expanded rapidly in the last 40 years and is now widely regarded as one of the most impressive campuses in Europe, spanning 133 hectares with world-class facilities designed to provide a unique learning environment for our

students. The recent launch of our new strategic plan “Broadening Horizons” aims to build international impact and this new acquisition will help us to do just that.” Chairman of Plassey Campus Centre (PCC) Ltd, Tadhg Kearney added: “It should be noted that the building has been purchased at a signiﬁcant discount to the cost of building the equivalent space” “This acquisition gives UL a highly visible presence on the Dublin Road and in the view of PCC, presents opportunities for, among other things, student accommodation, conference facilities, indoor sports and recreation, together with storage spaces, hotel accommodation and restaurants.” The university conﬁrmed that there is currently no planned date on which any repurposing of the complex by the university will take place. A spokesperson for UL explained: “[The plans] are still

at the early stages but as soon as there is an intended date it will be issued.” The university confirmed that neither the café nor the hotel are to be affected by UL’s purchase of the complex. It was also confirmed that the café, Café Noir, currently holds a full lease and is in discussions with the university on future plans for the space. The university added: “The existence of ancillary warehousing and office spaces at Park Point will also offer the potential for UL to continue to provide support for local enterprise and start-up companies, mirroring the current activity of its successful on-campus Nexus Centre in this new adjacent facility.” The newly acquired complex is also within a short walking distance from the local Aldi store, which is currently serviced by a weekly University of Limerick Students’ Union bus for students doing grocery shopping at the store.

UL gets its own Snapchat geofilter TOMÁS HENEGHAN THE University of Limerick has set another precedent with the ﬁrst Irish university Snapchat geoﬁlter courtesy of UL Students’ Union (ULSU). The project has been in the works for a number of months and is the brainchild of the Marketing and Communications Administrator at ULSU, Killian Stone. Mr Stone said the whole process took about 2 months

to get approved by snapchat and that he hopes it leads to another geoﬁlter for the union’s Charity Week at the beginning of March. He explained: “It’s part of an ongoing process to increase student engagement with the union.” ULSU previously hit national press in December with its ProscrastiSnaps competition for students in the lead up to their end of semester exams. The competition had students post their best procrastination

methods on Snapchat for the chance to win one the union’s UL Wolves t-shirts, and was open for almost a month as students prepared for and sat their exams. Limerick also currently has its own geoﬁlter of the iconic Limerick landmark, King John’s Castle. This comes just several months after ULSU became the ﬁrst Irish university students’ union to introduce gender neutral toilets into its main building.

races.ie

Tipp Yellow. C:0 M:10 Y:100 K:0 Tipp Blue.

C:100 M:44 Y:0 K:0

February 2016/1 LOOKING BACK

A look through the archives CLAIRE O'BRIEN THIS week’s look through the archives contains an anonymous column from an upperclassman kind enough to give free sex education to the freshers of 2010. The writer, although anonymous is presumed to be male and by all accounts “top banter.” This casa nova divided his piece according to the gender binary, happily reinforcing double standards when it comes to our sex lives. “Wrap your pecker before you deck her.” The first piece of advice given to the menfolk raises several questions. While he is referring to condom use, I can’t help but question his choice of euphemisms. What is this boy doing to an innocent woodpecker? Do we just rhyme completely unsexual words together to create a nonsensical innuendo? And how would one go about decking someone? Does it involve a Dubarray school shoe? Sounds hot. For the ladies, this writer informs us that college is a place where testosterone

“hangs in the air like an ash cloud from that Icelandic volcano.” I don’t know

about UL in general but the stench of testosterone from this article is more than

enough for me. Another reference is made to condom use, this is great. I’m all

about safe, consensual sex. However, this author can’t seem to manage that

without telling us that it’s not “slutty” to carry them around. Eh sound…pal.

February 2016/1 GAEILGE

Baill Nua Ón gCumann Gaelach AN bhfuil suim agatsa sa Ghaeilge? An bhfuil spéis agat craic a bheith agat trí mheán na Gaeilge? An bhfuil tú spreagtha Gaeilge a labhairt go neamh fhoirmeálta agus cairde nua a dheánamh trí Ghaeilge? Má tá, is ea an Chumann Gaelach an áit is fearr duitse! Tá an t-ádh dearg libhse mar tá muid ag lorg SIBHSE chun cur leis an gCumainn! Bhí seiméastar thar a bheith spraoiúil againn an bhliain seo chaite! Bhí Tae is Plé ar siul go seachtainúil, chomh maith le My First Gaeilge do dhaoine a bhí ag iarradih Gaeilge a fhoghlaim, bhí turas chuig an Daingean Uí Chúis iontach ar fad , turas go Baile Átha Chliath don Oireachtas na Samhna thar chionn agus bhí Gaeilge 24 rathúil a bhí labhairt na Gaeilge ar an gcampus curtha chun chinn ach go háirithe. Ach ní hea sin é a chairde, is liosta le háireamh na himeahtaí a bheidh ar siúl don seiméastar seo : Ceol Is Ól - cúpla deoch trí mheán na Gaeilge sna Stáblaí gach Mháirt, Tae is Plé arís, My First Gaeilge, Bál na

Gaeilge ( WOOHOO!!) agus cúpla iontais eile do Seachtain na Gaeilge, mar sin bígí linn agus bígí ag faire amach! Má tá spéis agaibh a chairde, bígí linn don AGM ar an gCéadaoin, an 10ú lá de Fheabhra san Aontas na Mac Léinn ag a 6 a chlog. Beidh baill nua don choiste uainn freisin mar sin is ﬁú go mór teacht má tá spéis agaibh a bheith gníomhach sa chumann! Má tá tuilleadh eolais uaibh ná bíodh moill oraibh dul i dteaghmháil linn ar Facebook @ Cumann Gaelach OL. Feicﬁmid sibh go luath, An Chumann Gaelach.

RAVELÓID - Tá sí ag teacht AG lorg féile cheoil chun freastal ar le linn an tsamhraidh? Bhuel, ná bac le Longitude nó Indie, tá an réiteach is fearr againn duit do fhéile cheoil den scoth : Ravelóid (imir deas ar an bhfocal “Réabhlóid”). Is é Ravelóid an féile cheoil is déanaí chun teacht go hÉireann agus níos fearr ná sin, is féile cheoil trí mheán na Gaeilge atá i gceist! Is ar thailte fairsinge Chaisleán Ard Giolláin i dtuaisceart chontae Átha Cliath a bheas an fhéile á reáchtáil agus beidh áiseanna campála ar fáil do 5,000 duine a fhreastalóidh ar an bhféile is úire agus is grianmhaire i saol na Gaeilge. Slí maith chun cur síos ar an bhféile seo ná céilí ollmhór mar a bhí sna ghaelcholáistí samhraidh a leanann ar aghaidh le haghaidh dhá oíche i ndiadh a chéile. Beidh Seo Linn, Mundy, Hot House Flowers, Altan, Kíla, and TG Lurgan agus cuid mhaith eile ag seinim ag an bhféile iontach seo a céiliúrann an cultúir Éireannach le meascán de cheol, coméide, spóirt, litríocht srl... Bheadh aithne maith agaibh ar Seo Linn agus TG Lurgan ó na aistriúchán iontach atá déanta

Faisean timpeall na hOllscoile - An t-Earrach/ An Samhradh 2016 TÁ an t-Earrach anseo agus ní mór dom admháil go bhfuil claonadh an t-Earrach agus an Samhradh anseo freisin! Dathanna an faiseanta agus coitianta atá ag teacht isteach an seasúr seo ná dubh, liath, gorm, béas, glas, géin agus mustaird. Is iad seo na dathanna is mó a sheasann amach an t-earrach seo. Feictear gach saghas stíl agus faisean timpeall Ollscoil Luimnigh. Sna laethanta fhada seo tá fonn orainn a bheith compordach agus cuma éigean faiseanta orainn ag an am gcéanna! Mar is eol dúinn tá gach sort cuma inghlactha timpeall Ollscoil Luimnigh mar tá muid ar fad saorbhreathach. Stíl na mac léinn: Tá gach mac léinn difriúl agus scóipiúl ach ag teacht is imeacht ón gcoláiste tá muid ar fad in aon bhall lena chéile. Nuair atá tú ag gléas le haghaidh an ocáid mar shampla cuma ginearálta ag dul chuig an leabharlann is

féidir leat bríste géine gorma le réab orthu a chaitheamh, le brogan reatha deas compordach agus chun críochnú suas le geansaí olla faiseanta nó pé rud. Anseo feictear cóta

bándearg buamadóir atá an faiseanta ar fad a chuireann cuma lúcháireach ar do éide, le léine bog bláthach, bríste géine dubha agus ag críochnú suas le bróga reatha compordach mar a dúirt mé thuas.

acu ar amhráin cáiliúl thall i gColáiste Lurgan. Dar , níl na hachtanna sin na t-aon bannaí ceol a bheith ag an bhféile, i measc na ceolteorí ainmnithe thuas tá Delorentos, The Riptide Movement, Ham Sandwich, Heathers, Bréag, Mo Hat Mo Gheansaí, The Bunnymen, Na Firéin, Gráinne Holland agus Boss Sound Manifesto is

níos mó. Is léir go cinnte nach mbeidh sibh gann ar chúpla bannaí den scoth chun sibh a chur ag damhsa. Dos na daoine nach bhfuil ach cúpla focail Gaeilge agaibh , ná bí buartha mar níl aon béal triail ag an geata nó aon rud, níl an féile ach ar iarraidh gur úsaidaigh tú an méid is mó gaeilge is gur féidir le

linn an dhá lá. Beidh sé ar siúl ar an 10ú lá go dtí an 12ú de Mheitheamh! Is féidir ticéidí a cheannach ón suíomh idirlíone Ravelóid. ie ar chostas €99. Anois, téigh is do thicéid a cheannach agus bí i do Ravelóidí. Tá an Ravelóid ag teacht. Le Caoilte de Barra.

#Trifacball

R.O.A.R Govt. ID AND College ID Required. Over 18’s Only

February 2016/1 POLITICS

Crucial election looms as questions surround future funding of higher education With growing levels of attendance in Irish third level institutions, and an acceptance that the current funding arrangements for third level education in Ireland are not sufficient, General Election 2016 is set to mark a turning point in the future of funding. However, with a wide variance of stances between parties on the issue, and a lack of plans put in place by the outgoing government it is not clear what this future will look like.

MARK NOTHER At present there is ‘free fees’ for higher education in Ireland. Third level fees were abolished by the Labour Party, as part of a coalition government with Fianna Fail, in 1995 and were replaced instead by a registration fee, which is now known as the student contribution charge. This started at a level of €190 in 1995 and rose incrementally to €750 in 2003. Through a number of increases over the following seven years this had almost tripled to €2000 by the release of Budget 2011. In the build up to the last general election campaign in

2011 Labour were extremely vocal in their opposition to these rates and publicly signed a pledge with the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) to not increase this fee, and also campaigned to decrease it to the 2009 level of €1,500. However, over the lifetime of the Fine Gael/Labour coalition, fees have increased to €3,000, through four annual €250 increases. Similar to 2011 this will again become an election issue as Labour has committed to a €500 decrease if re-elected, as reported by the Irish Independent last month, which would bring the student contribution back to €2,500 by 2017 if reelected. The Social Democrats

have also committed to a decrease and are proposing a larger decrease of €1,000, which would bring the contribution back to the 2011 level of €2,000. It must be noted that since approximately four in ten students receive some form of the student grant that the state is paying the contribution for roughly 40 percent of the student population.

Student Loans Despite these increases to-date, a 2015 stakeholder discussion paper outlined the major funding challenges facing higher education. Currently, according to the paper,

Former Minister for Eduction, Ruairi Quinn signing the USI Election Pledge in February 2011 prior to the 2011 General Election. PHOTO: EDUCTION MATTERS about 75 percent of the sector’s annual costs of €2.7bn are provided directly by the state; a sum of approximately €2bn. According to Peter Cassels, chair of the Expert Group on Future Funding of Higher Education: “current funding of higher education is not sustainable given our demographics and the funding requirements

of increased demand”. These problems are exacerbated by an increased demand which has seen a 12.6 percent increase in students enrolled in higher level education from 193,187 in 2010/11 to 217,520 in 2014/15, according to figures available from the Higher Education Authority. This would suggest that

whether the student contribution should remain the same or be altered there is a much wider shortfall that will have to be covered somehow. There have been a number of suggested changes to the system with some advocating higher fees, such as those introduced by the Tories in the UK, facilitated by a student loan system to replace the current grant system whereby students would pay higher fees by way of low-interest state loans which would be paid back post-graduation once certain income levels were hit; for example once a graduate began earning €25,000 they would begin repayments over a fifteen year period. There has been opposition to this plan of student loans and indeed higher fees but with an unsustainable system in place there is little doubt that the debate on this issue is unavoidable. Young people now have to ask tough questions of themselves and those seeking their vote. Is third level education a right or a privilege? Are we willing to pay more for the education we are receiving? If not, then who will pay? Twitter: @MarkNother

Voting? There’s an App for that… MARK NOTHER WITH the recent launch of the new SmartVote app and the return of University of Limerick academic, Rory Costello’s WhichCandidate app, finding a candidate for the upcoming general election who shares your political views has, potentially, never been easier. The Smart Vote initiative is run in conjunction with the Union of Students’ Ireland and consists of a new website, www.smartvote.ie, and an accompanying smartphone based app, that uses a questionnaire of 30 multiple choice questions to match users with a political candidate that matches their views and opinions on a variety of issues that are very student orientated, from transport to student accommodation. WhichCandidate is led by Rory Costello of the Department of Politics and Public Administration at the University of Limerick. It is being run in partnership with The Irish Times and can be found at whichcandiate.ie. Again the user fills out a questionnaire on their stance

on certain issues, however what makes this different from the Smart Vote app is the option to remove certain issues from consideration. It is the first time that it has been used for a general election however the system, or a version of it, has been used previously for EU and local elections. So which should you use?

The answer to this really depends on your interest in and knowledge of politics and current affairs. Using the test constituencies of Limerick City and Galway East it is clear that whilst the basic idea is the same, these apps both offer quite different experiences to the user. The SmartVote app is very easy to use and the whole

process is very much streamlined and pain free. You get the feeling that it is made with the average person in mind who maybe isn’t that into the nitty gritty of politics but does have a general idea of, and opinion on, the bigger current affairs issues. However someone who is maybe more into politics may find the app somewhat over simplified in terms of the fact that some complex issues are being condensed into a single short sentence. It does overall work very well as a five minute test to see which candidate or party suits your points of view. Conveniently there are also facilities to check which constituency you belong to and

if you are on the register of electors. Unfortunately the questionnaire on WhichCandidate was not yet accessible at the time of writing this as they are waiting on answers from a number of candidates, however those that have answered the questions already have individual profiles on the site that can be accessed to give an overview of each candidate. From experience of using the previous incarnations of the app it is a lot more detailed than its counterpart but many might prefer to forgo this in favour of a quicker smartphone app. It should be noted that there is of course a tendency to find that candidates have

very much, unsurprisingly, answered with usual party rhetoric. In summary if you’re looking for a quick easy-touse app that will give you a rough idea of the differences between parties and will focus on the more topical issues then SmartVote is probably for you. However if you want a more in-depth app that will allow you to tailor your search to issues of personal importance then the recommendation would be to wait for WhichCandidate. Alternatively the old fashioned art of conversations on doorsteps and the reading of manifestos still remain an option.

February 2016/1 INTERVIEW

Time for a Scannain? EILÍS WALSH

WHAT year did you graduate from the University of Limerick and what was the University like at that time? I graduated in 2005. The University was about half the size it is today as the campus on the Clare side of the river had not really been developed. Thomond Village had just been completed though, so there was a reason to cross that windy bridge. What course did you graduate from and was it a stepping stone in terms of your career? If so, how? I studied Law & Accounting. I work now in the Financial Services Industry so my degree helped me get a foot in the door. As to my career it has had no real impact as I moved away from the financial or legal activities and towards computer and process automation. I knew while studying it that the law side in particular was not for me. It’s hard to know when you’re 18 and leaving school what exactly it is that you’d like to be doing 10-15 years later.

“The university offered a chance to try out new sports, join new clubs, and make new friends”

our own pockets. And with platforms like YouTube, Twitch, and Vimeo we have the ability to get our creative content out into the world. Things like filmmaking societies allow for social interaction and allow for potential creative talent, both in-front-of and behind the camera, to collaborate and learn from one another. Film is a collective creative process and it engenders a community spirit in those you engage in it with.

Talk to me a little about your time in UL, what sort of experience did you have there? I’d had a great time at UL. Coming from a small town in Carlow it was a huge change to have that many young people of my own age around. The university offered a chance to try out new sports, join new clubs, and make new friends. Being on the other side of the country meant that I’d left all of my school friends behind, so I had to start again from scratch. That’s where being part of a team, or a club, or society, or An Focal helped immensely. I’d be a shy guy by nature and these allowed me to come out of my shell. In 2009, Scannain the blog was founded, but then why did you set up a film website? What were the site’s origins? What is your role within the website? In 2009, the current iteration of Scannain was founded. The original version (Scannan, without the i) was founded while I was in UL. I’d really wanted to write for Film Ireland, back when it was a magazine as well as a website, but I couldn’t get in there. So I started my own! I foolishly let it lapse when I left only to have to start afresh 4 years later. In the interim I’d moved to Dublin and started working so I’d less free time than I had during my UL days. The original site had no content management system so I coded every page and every article, which took a long time. Had I known then about blogging platforms like Wordpress, I would never had let it lapse. I started blogging with Culch. ie in ’08, mostly about films, but also about TV and technology. I’d moved to Amsterdam in that year so I wanted a connection to home. Also, films are released on a Thursday in the Netherlands rather than a Friday so that gave me the ability to have a review up before the release here. Writing for Culch gave me the confidence in my writing to strike out on my own again, this time with the i! The site started off as a blog for my thoughts on film related news and to host my own reviews of the major releases. It morphed into a regular film news and reviews site, but over time I came to realise that on my own I could not compete with the massive film news sites that were out

“It’s hard to know when you’re 18 and leaving school what exactly it is that you’d like to be doing 10-15 years later”

Was there any sort of filmmaking society available while you were a student in the University of Limerick? (There is now a filmmaking society in the University, offering the chance for students to write, direct and create their own films) Sadly there was not a filmmaking society when I was

“If you’re lucky enough to ﬁnd something that you love, be that music, or writing, or fencing, or debating; give yourself over to it, and don’t be afraid to get it wrong”

there. That led to me opening the doors to other writers on the site, and moving more into an editorial role. Philip Bagnall and Jason Coyle, who are my two closest confidants on the site, came in 2013, with Philip taking the role of Reviews Editor. He’s responsible for assigning the new releases to our pool of writers and editing their reports. That left me free to concentrate on the news side of the site which I turned to focus on domestic film production and the performance of Irish film abroad. I rarely write reviews these days, but I still write about 90% of the content on the site. Did your time in the University of Limerick have an influence on the direction you took after college and/or have any influence in founding Scannain? I started writing reviews first for An Focal while I was there. I’d a great editor in Sarah Ni Riain who both encouraged and corrected my early endeavours. Scannain as it is now would not exist without the paper and without Sarah. Do you think it is important for students to take an interest in creative hobbies, such as filmmaking? I think it’s absolutely essential that if you think you might be creative in any way, that you find a way to express yourself in such a manner. Filmmaking is a brilliant way to be creative as we all now have access to HD video-cameras in

there. I actually had to order in a copy of the Guerilla Filmmakers Handbook to O’Mahoney’s as there wasn’t a lot of material available in the library on how to even begin to make films. The lack of a society meant I wasn’t aware of others in the university who may have shared my interest in making films, and as a result I never made one during my time there. I now produce short films, but I feel I missed out on doing more when I was younger. I’m delighted and encouraged by the fact that there is a filmmaking society there now, and I look forward to seeing the films that are made. What advice would you give to students to ensure that they make the most of their time here in the University of Limerick? Study is important. Getting a degree gives you a marketable commodity. So don’t neglect your studies. What is equally important is getting the most out of the time that you have in college. Get out, join clubs, societies and teams. Find out what makes you, you, and what makes you special. University is a great time if you embrace it as such. It’s about finding a balance between what is necessary for you to get a good education, and what is vital to making you a rounded person in the world. If you’re lucky enough to find something that you love, be that music, or writing, or fencing, or debating; give yourself over to it, and don’t be afraid to get it wrong.

February 2016/1

REVIEW: ROOM – By Eilís Walsh (SPOILER ALERT) I have not yet read the book this film is adapted from. But I plan to. This film caught my eye because I found out that Irish director Lenny Abrahamson, someone I greatly admire was directing the film and Irish author Emma Donoghue wrote both the book and the script. I didn't know much going into the film, which was a blessing in this case. I did not know anyone in the cast either. However, I made the right choice in watching this film, despite going in blind. Upon researching I realised how critics were giving such positive reviews to this film, which was a low budget by film standards. So that excited me. The film tells the story of Jack and his mother Ma (Joy), who had been held captive in a shed titled "Room" for five years. Ma, as it turns out was kidnapped by Old Nick at age 17 and has lived in "Room" since then. As the film progresses we see Ma and Jack come up with a plan to escape "Room", a plan that five year

old Jack is terrified about as it's all he's ever known. Jack is told about the outside world, a world he did not know existed, and is trained to play dead in an attempt to fool Old Nick into taking Jack from "Room". Their attempt to escape is successful and the pair have to adjust to life in the outside world, something that Jack has never experienced before. Brie Larson starred as Joy (Ma) and Jacob Tremblay played her son Jack. Both actors did amazing jobs. I didn't expect to connect with this film as much as I did. It's honestly one of the best things I've seen in a long time. Something I found very interesting, yet makes the film seems all the more real was the fact that Joy's father found it hard to bond with his grandson due to the fact that the man who kidnapped Joy is Jack's father. It created tension between many of the characters in the film. There is a harrowing realism in the film with the mention of depression, suicide and mental trauma. The cinematography is so

simple but it's beautifully shot. It was filmed in Toronto, Canada from November 10th 2014 to December 15th. In particular the scenes where Jack escapes and experiences the outside world for the first time brought tears to my eyes. The film is a clever exploration of coming to terms with captivity, freedom and life in a world never previously experienced. Brie Larson, age 26 played the character so well. I expected her to be a lot older in real life. She portrayed a mother, a young woman coming to terms with her captivity so convincingly. Tremblay, a nine year old actor was able to bring an innocence to the role, yet seemed to understand the importance of the character. No doubt he'll go on to do great things. Another actor that stood out in my opinion was Tom McCamus who played Joy's stepdad Leo. His character had a few touching moments with Jack throughout the film. Joan Allen, who played Joy's mother brought an interesting insight into the life of someone

who was on the other side of Joy's kidnapping. The score was lovely, I particularly liked the score when Jack finally meets the outside world, it's simple but conveyed the emotion of the scene perfectly. Songs of note are “All Things Lost” by MS MR and The Mighty Rio Grande by This Will Destroy You. They help to convey emotion and set the tone for the film. Room is doing so well on the awards show circuit and I do think that Brie Larson deserved to win the Golden Globe for Best Actress. I wish that Jacob Tremblay had been nominated for more awards, because he played Jack at age eight and was astonishing. Room has been nominated for four Academy Awards (Oscars); Best Actress, Best Director, Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. Having watched practically all of the films that generated Oscar buzz, I have a strong feeling that Brie Larson is going to rightfully win all the major awards. Lenny being nominated for Best Director was

a surprise but I am so happy for him. I can’t say it enough, 2015 was a phenomenal year for Irish film. I honestly couldn't recommend this film enough and seriously well done to Emma

Donoghue, an Irish writer for writing the book and the script. Lenny Abrahamson has to be given credit for such a beautiful film, he's an Irish director you should watch out for!

Why should you think before you flush? CLAIRE O'BRIEN HAVE you ever thought “whoops, probably shouldn’t have done that” after flushing something down the toilet? Maybe you felt a sense of relief as the toilet whirled your waste away? Although flushing waste down the toilet may seem like an easy to get rid of rubbish without a trace of evidence. It has serious consequences for our wildlife as well as the environment. An Taisce’s Clean Coasts’ programme have launched their #Thinkbeforeyouflush campaign. The objective of the campaign is to stop people flushing the ‘dirty dozen’ down the toilet. This ‘dirty dozen’ consists of cotton buds, baby wipes, facial wipes, cleansing pads, toilet roll tube, medicines, cigarettes, plasters, nappies, tampons, applicators and sanitary pads. A survey carried out by the organisers of the campaign found that 52% of people who flush these items down the toilet do so because they don’t realise the damage caused by them. This means that lack of knowledge is the main cause of sewage related littering. The survey also found that 1 in 4 people believed that these items are chemically broken down and that one in two people think they simply disintegrate after flushing. Wastewater treatment plants are not designed to deal with large amounts of sanitary waste. Items such as sanitary pads and nappies will get stuck in our draining systems and consequentially cause blockages. Two thirds of all drain blockages contain sanitary waste and the smaller items that escape through the treatment plants’ filters can wash up on our rivers and beaches. Toilets are not portals taking our waste to another dimension. Waste ends up as drain blockage or pollution. So next time you’re considering flushing a cigarette butt, nappy or even a condom down the toilet, consider this: Would you like to see it washed up on a beach, or in a birds? If the answer is no, maybe you should #ThinkBeforeYouFlush?

February 2016/1 FRESHERS/CO-OP

Fresher’s Diary: Getting back into uni KIERA THORNTON BASED on my first day back at university, the enthusiasm I displayed in my last Fresher’s Diary was greatly misplaced. What a nightmare. Due to a timetable mix up I ended up being late to my very first class of the semester as I went to the wrong room in the wrong building on the wrong side of campus. This was followed by me sprinting across the campus to where the class was actually on, thinking I would be late and wanting the ground to open up and swallow me. I stumbled into the classroom on the second floor of the leviathan that is the Schrodinger Building only to find that only one other person was in class at that time and my tutor had not begun the class yet. What a brilliant start to semester number two at the University of Limerick for this particular intrepid fresher. Then later in the day, I had to introduce myself to my new lecturer. I ended up stumbling, pronouncing basic words wrong and tripping over a chair when I had to pass the sign in sheet to my classmate. Talk about first impressions. I was genuinely devastated. All that being said, since my nightmarish first day, each day since has gotten better. Settling into university life has not taken very long and most of my enthusiasm has been retained. No more nightmare introductions to lecturers or being late for morning classes, thankfully, as I was close to losing the will to continue my studies that Monday.

Everything has settled down now. Granted, the most prominent problem I have encountered thus far has been in correcting my sleeping habits. While I have corrected my habit of getting up too late, I am yet to correct my habit of staying up until all hours the night beforehand. With a schedule that involves many long days, two-hour tutorials and the likes, it is not really ideal. Furthermore my organisation is not up to scratch and, as someone who lives off campus, I simply cannot afford to leave essential materials at home. Yet I suppose this will be worked on over the semester, or at least I hope so. My procrastination needs to go too as I have learned of several very strenuous projects I will have to do over the

next semester. Also here’s hoping group work on assessment-related assignments will be kept to a minimum because I just refuse to work with others on just about anything. Speaking of assessment and projects, I have noticed that the workload of some of my modules has increased. The concepts and texts studied are more complex and in general it feels as if more is expected of me in my second semester. Some of my modules have completely changed and are based on entirely different areas of study. While I am trying not to think about my assessment too much at this early stage, I have assignments due as early as my third and fourth weeks which is nerve-wracking. The only negative outcome of my hard work last semester is the fairly high standard I have now set for myself which I feel as if I will struggle to maintain. Alternatively, I could focus on the fun stuff. I intend on playing a much more active role in the societies I joined last semester going forward. Most of those are due to start again in the coming weeks and, societies having been one of the most enjoyable aspects of my ﬁrst semester, I look forward to it. As more details emerge of events in the second semester (such as Charity Week for example), my anticipation for the next few weeks has built. Hopefully the mounting academic and social pressure will not have sent me into hysteria by the time you read the next installment of Fresher’s Diary.

MY CO-OP EXPERIENCE:

Daring to Fail in Order to Achieve ANNA PARKES “Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” ~ Robert Kennedy Full disclosure, readers of An Focal – I can be quite hesitant to try new things. My hesitation is enhanced by the prospect of failure. Thus the above quote is my personal motivation while on work experience at the Learning Hub, Limerick. I aim to dive headﬁrst into as many new experiences as possible. If I spend my life avoiding failure, how can I ever achieve the greatness I so desire? I ﬁrst dipped a hesitant toe into the choppy waters of uncertainty by assisting with the Music Hub programme. This may not seem too ambitious – however, you have (hopefully) never heard me sing. If you have, I apologise sincerely, and please send on any medical bills regarding damaged eardrums. To my immense surprise, my time at the Music Hub was actually very enjoyable! No, I was probably not as useful as the stellar team at the head of the Music Hub – James, Ger and Ayeesha. However, the children honestly could not care

less that I am never going to be the top-selling artist on iTunes. They were just delighted that I was willing to pitch in and try my best. Together, we giggled our way through some entertaining (albeit confusing!) tongue- twisters. To ﬁnish warming up, we played some simple games designed to improve our rhythm and timing. Then came the main event, as we launched into a rousing rendition of “Starman” by the recently deceased musical icon, David Bowie. Ok, I may have missed a few of the higher notes. But this “new experiences” method was off to a good start. In the words of Bowie himself – “I’m an instant star, just add water.” Maybe it was the positive vibe that engulfs the Music Hub. Perhaps it was my own unfounded false bravado. Whatever the reason, I ﬁnd myself signing up to learn the ukulele with my fellow co-op students. James is our mentor, and just as patient with us as he is with the children he teaches. Some of my fellow colleagues take to the quirky instrument with admirable ease. To my dismay, no amount of patience can encourage me. It is not long before I discover that the

skill of ukulele playing will never be in my repertoire. My slight musical mishap has not utterly discouraged me. In the fast-paced environment of the Learning Hub, it is not long before another new experience works its way into my line of sight. I embark on my greatest challenge yet – running a creative writing class with just one other co-op student. We are undoubtedly excited to be offered such a fantastic opportunity. Yet the thrill of opportunity is often inextricably intertwined with the terror of responsibility. It would be a blatant lie to deny the tang of nerves in the air as the time for our class approached. Thankfully, nerves are swiftly dismissed. The children seem to really embrace our class on character development. After a quick chat about our favourite characters, the students settle down to craft their own tales. It is a wonderful showcase of imagination, with characters ranging from a spy on the run to an imposter fashion designer! You never know, we could be in the company of the next generations J.K Rowling! I’ve been granted an invaluable lesson in the past

couple of weeks. Throwing yourself into new experiences will inevitably lead to a few failures. (See ukulele – related mishaps.) However,

then I consider the warm glow of achievement that comes from helping the creativity of children ﬂourish. In my humble opinion, failing

greatly is undeniably worth the pleasure of achieving greatly.

February 2016/1 ERASMUS

Erasmus Diary

Preparing for Erasmus? SEÁN LYNCH For many courses in UL, Erasmus is a huge part of the learning experience. Whether it’s to be immersed in another culture, live with a different language, or because UL couldn’t come up with enough modules for your course to take in the semester, students are expected to study abroad for a semester. To give you an idea of when Erasmus preparation goes wrong, which I am still waiting to become a hit TV series, here’s the story of how I prepared for my current Erasmus place in Scotland! Last February, the journalism course director organised a meeting with the Erasmus co-ordinator Herveline Roche. There, we were given the forms to choose our Erasmus destination preferences. There was only a limited number of destinations and places in each university. At the time, we were told that places would be allocated on a first-come first-served basis, so there was a rush to complete forms and hand them in to guarantee a lace in the more popular university choices. This tends to vary from course-to-course, with many courses having more options and therefore no problem with high demand for certain universities. After my course were given the option to vote on how places should be decided, it was decided that it should be allocated based on QCA instead. This only effected popular destinations, such as Salford, Malta and Budapest, but meant that we had more time to research universities, read previous Erasmus students’ reports and make our decisions. Based on my QCA at that point, I ended up being placed in the University of West Scotland (UWS), although not quite as dramatically as being placed in a house in Hogwarts. The information on the UL Erasmus section website had said that I would be placed in the Hamilton campus, which is one of four UWS campuses across Scotland. After that, everything Erasmus-related was put aside in favour of assignments, and my co-op placement the following semester. The deadlines to apply directly to the universities for an Erasmus place were generally around October/November. For the UWS that was just a case of logging into their website and inputting all my information. UL had sent confirmation that UL were happy for me to study there, while I just had to send

a scanned copy of my UL transcripts before the deadline and waited for a reply. I waited a few weeks and emailed the Erasmus Administrator in UL to find out when I could expect confirmation of my place and was told that it normally takes 4-6 weeks after the application deadline. The problem with that timeframe was that with both universities taking two weeks holidays for Christmas, I thought that I should have gotten my confirmation before the break. Unfortunately, there was a mix-up between the universities, whereby UWS sent confirmation of my place to UL before Christmas, but neither ever sent it to me. I emailed my course director and the Erasmus Administrator in UL over Christmas, however I wasn’t given any confirmation of my Erasmus place until Wednesday, 6th January. That day, I was finally able to book flights to Glasgow for Wednesday, 27th January, and also went to apply for accommodation in the Hamilton campus of the UWS, where I thought I would be studying. Having applied for accommodation on the Hamilton campus, I found out the next day through logging into my application

on the UWS website that journalism Erasmus students had been moved from the Hamilton campus to the Ayr campus since last year. Therefore, I had to have my accommodation application changed, but found out the following week that there was no longer any accommodation available in the Ayr campus, so In was placed in the Paisley campus, just outside Glasgow, but a 50 minute train journey away. Thankfully, a few days before I was due to fly to Scotland, a place opened up in the Ayr accommodation, so I was immediately transferred there. With my accommodation sorted, orientation date confirmed and flights booked, I was finally all set for Erasmus! The important thing to remember is that the vast majority of Erasmus places are organised extremely well by both universities, so it is down to the student to keep on top of things. This is the advice I would give any student planning on going on Erasmus: • Take time to choose your university wisely. Most university websites will have plenty of information about the campus, accommodation and courses, while you can research flights and other travel expenses elsewhere. There are also • Talk to your coursemates before making any decisions. Although I am the only journalism student from UL on Erasmus this semester, any others in your class interested in going to the same university, or those in your course who have been before are great sources of information, while choosing and planning your Erasmus. • Watch all application deadlines, flight and currency exchange rate changes. • Keep in contact with the Erasmus Administrators in UL and the university you are travelling to, as well are your course director. Don’t be afraid to bombard them with e-mails if you’re worried that something isn’t being done, or just unsure. • Choose accommodation carefully. While most universities offer good campus accommodation, there may be better options elsewhere, particularly if others in your course are going to the same university. Ultimately, your choice of Erasmus destination is in your hands, and the preparation is too. Of course, there are exemptions available to students in certain circumstances, who would then take the normal number of pass/fail modules in UL. To apply for an exemption, students need to complete an exemption form and present their reasons to the Student Status Committee. Put time into choosing your Erasmus destination and don’t automatically rule anywhere out. Erasmus is about experiencing something new and whether that is in the sunny Spain, snowy Sweden, or good old rainy Scotland. Once you get past all the applications, bookings and module choices, you’ll be free to experience a new university, with less modules, only needing to pass without it effecting your QCA.

February 2016/1 HEALTH

Buying Loose CARYL FAYE YULO FIRST of all, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to take this opportunity to say a big â&#x20AC;&#x153;Welcome Backâ&#x20AC;? to all of our readers. I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get a chance to do so in our ďŹ rst edition of the semester so, well, here it is! Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be in charge of the recipes/ healthy eating section of each edition for this semester. I hope you enjoy it! Now, onto the topic - what exactly is â&#x20AC;&#x153;buying looseâ&#x20AC;?? It is simply buying fruits and vegetables that are not already in packaging. Not only is this

method very cost-effective, as the price is calculated by the kilo, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also a great way to reduce food waste. The last point is one Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure we are all guilty of. I used to take home a kilo of carrots because they were so cheap, only to be left with a bag of soggy, limp carrots by the end of the week. What seemed like a great deal at ďŹ rst, only lead to me literally throwing my money away. This is where buying loosing comes in. Realistically speaking, not many people can go through a kilo of any one vegetable per week. The

best thing to do is to estimate how much you need and, well, buy that exact amount. Aldi and Lidl are the best for buying loose. There are plastic bags everywhere and you can ďŹ nd that most of the fruit and vegetables you need can be bought loose there. Tesco and Dunnes? Not so much, and the prices are higher. Surprisingly enough, the reason for some of my friends not buying loose is the simple fact that they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know how. And if you are in the same situation, here are my tips for buying loose:

1. Have an idea of how much of each fruit/veg you need 2. Grab a plastic bag and ďŹ ll it with only one type of food, i.e. one bag for potatoes, one bag for oranges, etc. 3. Very carefully inspect each and every fruit/veg before putting it in your bag - you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to be buying rotten or bruised fruit/veg home now do you? 4. I recommend that you buy the fruit/veg in different ripening stages, i.e. buy a couple of ripe yellow bananas and a few green ones. This will help reduce

food wastage even more. 5. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re using the selfservice checkout and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re buying, letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s say, some onions, search for its picture ďŹ rst, and after pressing it, rest the bag of onions on the weighs, i.e. where you scan the barcodes. Once the

machine indicates the price, you can put it with the rest of your purchases 6. And if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re still confused, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re all adults now, just ask one of the workers and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be happy to help you.

Mind your Mental Heath 7: Chronic Fatigue AISLING O'CONNOR I had never heard of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome until recently when the Youtuber Emma Blackery made a video about it prior to her own diagnosis. This topic may deviate from the other issues covered here, but it does have huge impacts on the mental health of the sufferer so I believe itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worth covering. Chronic Fatigue Disorder is what the name suggests it is. It can be experienced in mild, moderate, and severe forms, but each do affect the day to day life of the sufferer. The ofďŹ cial cause is unknown but severe allergic reactions, ďŹ&#x201A;uillnesses such as mono and periods of extreme stress are common causes. Symptoms include: muscle pain, joint pain, headaches, sore throat, loss of memory, lack of concentration and loss of ones train of thought, having no energy, enlarged lymph nodes, not feeling

refreshed after rest or sleep, still feeling exhausted over 24 hours after physical or mental exercise, and of course persistent fatigue. Unfortunately there is no cure for CFS, however there are ways of easing the symptoms. - Antidepressants. People who suffer from CNS are likely to also experience depression so trying antidepressants eases the symptoms - Sleeping pills. Before trying sleeping pills, as they can become addictive, cutting out caffeine and using natural sleep inducing remedies such as camomile tea, burning lavender, and herbal products are advised. - Counselling, not only will this help with the depression aspect but also how to adapt your lifestyle to suit your bodies needs such as determining what exercise is best for you. - Take a breather. Stressful

situations canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t always be avoided, but make sure to pace yourself and breathe. Planning your daily activities so you know what to expect may take some of the pressure off. - Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s okay to say no. If people are burdening you with work that essentially isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t your problem, for the sake of your wellbeing donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be afraid to say you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do it. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great to give a hand but people will understand if you simply canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t overwork yourself. - Try to regulate your sleeping pattern by going to bed at the same time every night and waking up around the same time each morning. - Joint and muscle pain can be aided by yoga, massages and acupuncture. If you feel like you, or someone you know, may be suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome make sure to pay a visit to your GP.

Are You Interested In News, Sports, Lifestyle, Clubs & Socs News? Write for An Focal this semester! t /FX JTTVF FWFSZ UXP XFFLT t QBHFT PG 6- OFXT TQPSUT lifestyle, clubs and socs and more t DPQJFT PG FBDI JTTVF t %JTUSJCVUFE PO PGG DBNQVT t 3FBE POMJOF XXX BOGPDBM JF t -JLF PO 'BDFCPPL XXX GBDFCPPL DPN BOGPDBM t 5XFFU VT !"O'PDBM@6t &NBJM VT BOGPDBM!VM JF

February 2016/1 BEAUTY 3. Rimmel London

Affordable beauty brands for students 2.Essence Cosmetics

TANYA CROTTY 1. NYX Cosmetics NYX is one of those brands that's rising in popularity and you virtually see it in every chemist you step foot in. It's available from various different make-up counters in Limerick city including Shaw's Chemist in the Crescent shopping centre. But what makes it an attractive brand for us students? First of all, NYX offers the best quality of cosmetics from their matte lipstick collection to their selection of eye shadow palettes. The beauty world is raving about their products because of their ultramodern and stylish packaging, fused with a versatile selection of highly pigmented colours. NYX are also renowned for their ever so kind price tag which is exactly what us students require. Let's face it, struggling in terms of ﬁnance is just a natural part of student life! So, it's great to ﬁnd an affordable make-up brand which offers great value products. Their lipsticks range in price from €5 to €9 and their eye shadow palettes are generally no more than €15, while they offer amazing contour and highlighting kits from just €13. How amazing is that? They

Liquid Suede Cream lipstick in shade 'Tea and Cookies' also offer inexpensive products including primers, foundations, setting sprays, lip liners, eyebrow kits, blushers, bronzers and concealers. So, it’s safe to say you could ﬁll you make-up with lots of gorgeous products for very cheap. Recommended products for Spring Season: High Deﬁnition Photo Concealer Wand, Born to Glow Liquid Illuminator, Slim Lip Pencil in shade "Edge Pink" and Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick in shade "Tea and Cookies".

Essence is a popular European make-up brand which has recently teamed up with Penneys stores throughout the nation. While it may seem like your usual drugstore brand at ﬁrst glance, don't be fooled! With super cute packaging, jaw dropping colours and a friendly price tag, Essence is every students’ make-up dream come true! They offer a range of versatile products including mascaras, eyeliners, nail polishes, false eyelashes, eye shadow primers and lots more. The products are readily available for students because they are lowly priced. For example, their lip liners are only €1.29 and you can pick up a 100 ml bottle of foundation for less than €3.99. Combined, the quality of their products and their outstanding price tag makes them suitable for students to purchase.

Everybody has heard of this brand and it is especially popular in the media right now with their London Look Ireland competition. Rimmel is a very accessible brand for us students because not only is it cheap and cheerful, but they offer amazing promotions all the time. Rimmel constantly have offers and promotions including buy one get one free and 3 for the price of 2. If you avail of their promotions you end up saving some serious cash! So, being a student and having a make-up addiction is made easy with Rimmel London. In general though, their products are the best of quality and quite affordable. In some respects they are comparable to other brands including Mac, Estée Lauder and Urban Decay except they are a fraction of the price! Rimmel have lots of great products from compact powders to foundations to contour kits. If you were to buy a 100 ml bottle of liquid foundation you would be expected to pay less than €10.99, isn't that just great? Recommended products for Spring Season 2016: Wonder'full Wake Me Up mascara, Fix and Protect Primer, The Only 1 lipstick in shade "Peachy-Beachy" and 25 Hour foundation

24 Hour Foundation

Plump No Clump Mascara Recommended products for Spring Season 2016: Waterproof Gel Liner, Silky Touch Blush shade in "20 Babydoll", Plump No Clump Mascara and 3D Eye shadows in shade "Irresistible Vanilla Latte".

PRODUCT INGREDIENTS TO AVOID MAOILÍOSA NÍ LOIDEÁIN IF you cannot pronounce it, avoid it. It’s hard to know what it is a good product for your skin nowadays. If you look at the ingredient list on a product sometimes it is like reading latin. The general rule is if you cannot pronounce it, avoid it. This does not work with everything in life, for example my name, but a product ingredient list is a good place to start.

5 INGREDIENTS TO AVOID: 1) Parabens The likelihood of not hearing about parabens by now is slim. So much so that some brands have advertised clearly now on their products that they are ‘paraben free’. Parabens are a group of compounds used as preservatives in products and in food. It is therefore unnatural to prolong a shelf life of a product or food which is why this chemical additive should be avoided. Parabens have also been linked to Cancer amongst other things.

2) Sodium Laurl/Laureth Sulfate

5) Toluene

If you check the back of your shampoo bottle, this is guaranteed to be there. It is what produces the foam in your shampoo. It was ﬁrst used as an industrial degreaser. It can cause skin irritation as it is absorbed into your body.

Derived from petroleum, it is found in nail polish and hair dye. It is strong enough to dissolve paint and sometimes is labelled differently on an ingredients list or not at all. I have only listed ﬁve ingredients out of a vast amount that are used in everyday products. It is important to keep track of what you are using on your body and absorbing into your bloodstream. You can eat healthily and exercise, but if you use products with harsh chemicals in them, you are counteracting all that hard work. It is still not easy to ﬁnd affordable products that are completely chemical free, but brands are beginning to become more aware of consumer needs. If we keep buying chemicals, they will keep inserting and adding them to products. I hear people saying that ‘oh well now apparently everything is linked to Cancer’. Everything is linked if we allow them to link it.

3) Phthalates These are plasticisers used in toys which now has been banned in the EU, but not in our products such as perfumes and deodorants. Also linked to Cancer, endocrine disruption and lung problems.

4) Fragrance/Parfum The product smells wonderful but the fragrance is planted to cover up the chemical smells that the product contains. This can cause dizziness, headaches and is connected to allergies and asthma.

Remember:

The less ingredients in a product, the better. If you cannot pronounce the ingredient, chances are you have no idea what that ingredient is.

February 2016/1 REVIEWS

REVIEW: City Boy Mixtape DEAN MALONEY America was everything I expected and more. There was absolutely no reason to complain about this year's trip to Florida and beyond; the Caribbean weather was exhilarating, the New Year had just begun and I was once again able to drink root beer on a regular basis. Not only that, I had also made some great new friends after multiple intense games of Bullsh*t, Go Fish and Old Maid, so I was pretty satisﬁed with how the holiday was going. City Boy met me on a good day. One of the cruise ship stops saw us dock at the beautiful port of St. Thomas. The port had plenty to interact with, and its exploration alone was worthy of spending your full day on. After ﬁnding myself a chilled can of Mug Root Beer in the off-licence, I roamed across the shopping area, looking for something worthy for purchase, all while casually listening to some Sufjan Stevens. A tall young man wearing sunglasses waved at me when I was turning a corner, but I couldn't hear him and walked on. With some extravagant effort, he caught my attention and called me over, asking what my name was. The young man introduced himself; he was a college student and rapper from

Brooklyn under the name of City Boy, recording a video for his newest track nearby. What struck my mind was, what right-minded person decided "City Boy” should have his video recorded on a Caribbean island? I said nothing, and listened on. I was then handed a CD with a sleeve he had signed while I was distracted thinking about dubious video scene choices. My name and his initials were scribbled hastily with permanent marker, bound to fade by the time I got home. As for the CD itself, his name along with track names like "We Gettin' Lit" and "Fire Truck" were printed in black. Nothing special, but still professionally done. City Boy then asked for some donations, to which I was happy giving him my dollar notes which I got as change from my now-half-empty root beer. He seemed somewhat unsatisﬁed, showing me a €20 note someone had given him. The guilt trip was on. Had I a $5 note, it was his, but I was left with $10 notes and a single €10 note. Putting me under pressure, he ended up walking away with my €10 note while I was left with a mixtape that cost more than a month of Spotify Premium and with no idea what I had just gotten myself into. Since then, I had only ever listened to the mixtape once; my friend brought his laptop and blared "Grind" and "We Gettin' Lit" from the cruise

ship staircases. It was unfortunately underwhelming at best. Surely there was a goldmine somewhere to be found within? It was time for my first proper listen. The first track, the rightly named "Intro", was actually quite relaxing. There was no rapping, just a calm beat which fades through for 60 seconds. A sign for what was to come? Following up was "We Gettin' Lit". The tone suddenly gets more intense, while "You n***a's can't tell me sh*t" rings though your head for just under 3 minutes. There's some sync issues which don't help, but that being said, the beat actually feels somewhat well made. It sounds like something you'd hear coming from the floor 6 cruise ship night club at one in the morning. I turn on the next song, forgetting which one it was, until I was abruptly reminded five seconds in with the oddest recorded pronunciation of "Grind" I ever heard. After I control my laughter, the rap begins. I realize there's a certain softness to City Boy's voice, which is a mixed blessing to listen to. This one actually has some well thoughtout lyrics, and besides the 'Grind out of nowhere', it's not the worst rap song out there. "Fire Truck’s” 30-second intro actually has a sort of epic feel, but the rap begins and it comes to nothing. It did offer the golden line "City

Boy Universe is the connections" though. I had to listen to it three times to make sure I heard that one right. Meanwhile, "What You Want Me To Do" displays the beat creator's ability to sample; a shotgun reload along with someone saying the song title appearing every few seconds, all while City Boy describes his full-on bedroom antics. It becomes more and more uncomfortable as it goes on, unfortunately. City Boy makes a

penultimate attempt to reach out to me with "Welcome To My World", but nothing was working out. The mixtape reaches its conclusion with "We Wild". The beat has a ﬁnal-boss feel to it, but by now I've heard all these lyrics before, just phrased differently. City Boy's beats regularly glimmered with potential, however his rap tone lacks the intensity and passion to make him unique where there are thousands of others who

"rose from the concrete", just like him. But to expect gold from a young man in a tank top who was handing out his CD's in a tourist area is possibly too much. Maybe someday he'll ﬁnd his sweet spot, get picked up by a label and tour the world. Perhaps he'll visit Ireland one day and buy himself a drink, on me, with a familiar €10 note in hand. He'll hardly remember the guy with the can of root beer who gave it to him, but one can dream.

REVIEW: Arrested Development Season 1 JOHN BROGAN THE Bluth family. A family you can’t help but feel a strange kindred spirit with, as the events they deal with on a daily basis seem to throw the family into the deep end. Yet somehow, they always see themselves out of these situations with apt hilarity and class. Arrested Development is a show that came out in the mid 2000’s to the praises of plenty of critics but suffered from a lack of public popularity, leading to its cancellation before its time,

but it has been picked up by the online streaming giant Netﬂix. But enough about the history of the show, what even is the show about? It deals with the day to day antics of the Bluth’s, a family that has made its fortune from selling frozen bananas dipped in various delicacies. From the very ﬁrst episode however, the family and its company are in shambles due to shady business dealings of the patriarch of the family George Bluth. He is interred by police due to charges of embezzlement and ‘’light treason’’. The

middle son, and the main character in the show, Michael Bluth, has been working for the business for many years, and has been patiently waiting for a promotion, but after the events of the ﬁrst episode, is forced to stay with the family and keep it together. These are just two of the characters in this show that has some of the most witty and well written characters I’ve seen since out of the 2000’s. My personal favourite character was Tobias Funke, a hapless doctor who ﬁnds a new meaning in becoming an actor, although he is not

that successful in doing so. I would rate this show as one of my all-time favourites, as everything gels together quite nicely to form an affective piece about an afﬂuent family that have lost it all, and the various schemes they get up to trying to climb back to the top of the ladder. The writing, actors and story play off against each other and, in my opinion, has ﬁrmly established Arrested Development as one of the best comedy shows from the last 15 years.

February 2016/1

Frank STEPHEN RIORDAN IRIS washed down the Prozac tablets with a mouthful of white wine. Its bitterness lingered at the back of her throat. The gravy was bubbling behind her. She turned and stirred it to stop it from going lumpy. Deep orange light filled the kitchen as the sun was setting. Iris went over to the sink and closed her eyes against the warmth of the sun. Her light dress drifted with the breeze. She sighed as she felt the tablets and wine sweep a lightness through her. She opened her eyes and there he was. Frank, just back from work at the office. The top button of his shirt was open, his tie loose. Gliding over to him, she wrapped her hands around his neck. She felt his arms around her and his hands on her lower back. “I missed you,” she whispered. “Dinner’s nearly ready.” She returned to the cooking as he made his way into the sitting room. Within a few minutes, the dinner was set on the table. Roast potatoes, lamb chops, vegetables and gravy crowded the plates. Iris went into the sitting room to fetch Frank. He was sprawled out on the couch, fast asleep. There was some ridiculous western on the TV. Sitting next to him, she ran her hand over his jaw. The light stubble tickled her fingers. His lips were parted and soft. She could feel his warm breath across her hand. “He looks just like a boy when he sleeps,” she thought. She turned down the sound on the TV and sat down to dinner alone in the dining room. The clock’s tick echoed through the room. Once she had finished and

From the Cradle to the Grave AISLING O'CONNOR Her timeless eyes remain still But see all there is to offer, All the bumper car crashes And slop machine clashes Between old aged gambles, Parents and stubborn children Whose sticky gingers stain the glass She peers though. Her crystal ball Slips from her grasp After decades of resting between porcelain fingers And as of late They just don’t reply on her like they used to. Twitter: @thisdreamsalive

Six Word Stories DAVE TIERNEY Baby born. Different colour. Wife trouble. Last words send swords through memory. ELI CAHN Evil dark lord defeated by love. Childhood friends. Married. Affairs, Still together.

CREATIVE WRITING

cleaned up, she returned to the sitting room to find it empty. The TV was off. “He can eat the dinner tomorrow,” she thought as she covered his plate with cling film and put it in the fridge. Climbing into bed, Iris felt relaxed and drowsy. Frank’s arm wrapped around her middle as he moved up behind her. His body heat lulled her to sleep. She fell asleep. * Iris awoke to the glaring morning light. Children were playing and screaming outside. Her hand slid to the other side of the bed but it was empty. Frank’s departure hadn’t aroused her. She plodded over to the wardrobe and there were all his clothes, neatly arranged. They had that familiar musk to them. A polka-dot dress caught her eye. It had looked charming on her at last year’s Fourth of July celebrations. The fabric ruffled against her skin as she closed the wardrobe, shutting him away from her. Once she had showered and dressed, she made her way downstairs. Iris wiped the sweat beads from her forehead as she hung out the washing. “It’s a day for an iced tea,” she thought. “A long-island one,” she smiled. There was an array of her clothing on the line: blouses, sweaters, bras, underwear. She had just finished when there came a knock on the door. She swept through the house and answered it. “Hi Emily. How are you?” she greeted. Emily bustled into the sitting room. They sat down to lemonade and were chatting. “You should come out for a couple of drinks tonight, Iris? The girls and I are going dancing.” “Oh that sounds nice. I’ll just have to let Frank

know first.” Emily’s face faltered as she stared at Iris. “Y-you know,” Iris continued, “I just don’t want to leave him by himself without any notice.” “Ok that’s fine.” Emily took a sip of her tea. There was a silence and Emily looked around the room. “The place looks spotless by the way,” she suggested with a smile. “There isn’t a picture out of place or a speck of dust on anything.” “Oh, I still have a lot more cleaning to do.” “What? The place looks spick and span,” she laughed. “Well, it’s nice to keep the place tidy.” “Don’t I know it? If only my house were as clean as this.” They both laughed. A silence fell. “Well, I better be off. I’ve got to get some stuff for the dinner, and poor Jimmy’s running a fever.” “Is he? He’s probably delighted he gets to stay home from school.” “A little devil is what he is,” Emily arose from the chair. “Ok, thanks for stopping by. I’ll give you a call later after I talk to Frank.” Emily’s smile fell slightly but she quickly regained her composure with a crinkled smile, her eyes squinting. “No problem, that’s fine. I’ll see you later Iris. Bye-bye.” “Bye.” Iris returned to the sitting room, shut the door and heaved a sigh. She glanced around the room. Her eyes fell upon a photo of Frank. He was smiling that wide grin, as he always had.

February 2016/1 CAMPAIGNS

‘Ask First’- The importance of Sexual Consent CIARA CORCORAN

WHEN having sex, consent is an agreement between both partners that they deﬁnitely want to have sex or do any sexual act. Consent is a mutual verbal, physical, and emotional agreement that happens without pressure, coercion, or manipulation. Both partners need to fully and clearly agree to it, and it must be continuous for the duration of sex. That means that either partner has the right to change their mind at any time. You shouldn’t be coerced into giving consent for something you’re not comfortable with - at the end of the day it’s your body and if you’re not okay with something you don’t have to do it. There are both physical and verbal ways of communicating consent, or lack of consent. Verbally is simply asking the question ‘Do you want to have sex?’ or ‘Do you want to do this?’ and the answer will determine whether or not consent is given. Asking the question like this allows for clarity and honesty for both partners. Body language is also an indicator of how comfortable a person is; SpunOut.ie gives a good list of things to look out for: • Is your partner not responding to your touch? • Are they pushing you away or turning/hiding their face? • Are they holding their arms tightly around their bodies and stiffening their muscles? • Do they seem upset or remaining silent? • Do they seem un-enthusiastic and not into it? • Are they changing the subject away from sex, or trying to concentrate on other activities? If the answer to any of the above if ‘yes’, or you notice anything else about the other person

you need to respectfully listen to their wishes. If you're in a relationship with this person, you could ask to talk about it further. Find out why they don’t want to have sex or do a certain sex act, this can open up communication and make your relationship stronger. Consent is not the absence of a ‘no’; it is the presence of an enthusiastic ‘yes’. If they say ‘no’, listen to them and accept their decision the ﬁrst time. Do not pressure them to turn their ‘no’ into a ‘yes’. In a nutshell, ‘no’ means ‘no’ and if you or your partner is unable to give consent it’s a ‘no’. If consent is not expressed, this is not sex - it is assault. If you feel like you have had sex without consent and wish to talk to someone you can contact the Mid-West Rape Crisis on 1800 311 511 or UL Counselling on 061 202327. Thanks to SpunOut.ie for all your helpful information! that might suggest they are not comfortable then you should stop immediately, and talk about how you both want to or not want to continue. Sometimes you might think your partner has said ‘yes’ by staying over at your house, ﬂirting or kissing but do not take this for granted- these actions are not an automatic ‘yes’. Most importantly if someone is too drunk to say ‘no’, it does not mean they are consenting to sex. In fact, if someone is drunk or on drugs, they cannot legally give their consent. Just because someone has had sex with you before, does not mean they are consenting to sex this time. This particularly important if you are in a relationship- being in a relationship is not

a free pass to sex whenever you or your partner please. Consent has to be given each time. If someone does say ‘no’ when you ask the question, don't continue with the sexual act, be respectful, polite and understanding. Don't say things like “Why did you get me excited just to say no?” or “If you loved me, you would…” as this is coercion and manipulation. If your partner decides to have sex under these circumstances, it is not full consent. Do not react aggressively or violently and don’t necessarily take it personally. Your partner may simply be feeling tired, sick, or simply not in the mood. However, it is also possible that they may not want to have sex because of a speciﬁc reason. Either way,

Charity Week 2016 Charities BUMBLEance BUMBLEance was born out of the personal experience of Tony and Mary Heffernan. Tony and Mary’s daughter Saoirse and son Liam were just five years of age when they passed away from Battens disease, a rare fatal neurological condition, in January 2011 and May 2014 respectively. Tony and Mary wanted to do something to ensure that no other family would have to go through the pressures and stress of transporting a sick child to and from treatment centres, hence, BUMBLEance was born. BUMBLEance was launched in September 2013 with the aim to make positive life impacts for sick children. It was created to provide a national transportation facility for critically ill children between their homes and children’s hospitals, treatment centres and respite centres. It also ensures the smoothest and safest journey possible, for both carer and patient. BUMBLEance have worked tirelessly with a dedicated team of experts to design and produce a childspecific, safe, comforting and entertainment filled mobile facility. These BUBLEances include games consoles, 19 inch Led TV, colouring books and DVDs, sensory lighting and personal fridge for special treats and medication. These are all housed in an ambulance with a bright and fun

exterior and interior décor along with seating space for 2 parents/carers or siblings so that the young patients can be assisted and entertained at all times. Most importantly, BUMBLEance replaces any potential fear factor with FUN. BUMBLEance goal is to provide five BUMBLEances in Ireland, one in each province and one fully operational service based in Dublin ensuring that more young patients and their families can avail of this dedicated and specialised facility nationwide. Two of these five are currently on the road with the second BUMBLEance launched in January 2016. Founder and CEO of The Saoirse Foundation, Tony Heffernan said: “Speaking from our personal experience, we saw first-hand the stress that travelling from rural Ireland to treatment centres caused our little girl Saoirse. BUMBLEance ensures the most safe, comfortable and entertaining journey possible for a critically ill child in need of ambulance transportation to and from any treatment centre in Ireland.” BUMBLEance also provides a very unique and specialised service through ‘Angel Trips’. An Angel Trip is designed for a child in palliative care who is making his or her final journey on earth before they grow their Angel Wings. BUMBLEance ensures that parents can make this final journey together with their little loved one in a compassionate, sensitive and caring environment, so that the family can primarily focus on spending as much quality time together. BUMBLEance aim to also have a dedicated BUMBLEance service specifically for Angel Trips, working closely with National Palliative Care teams throughout Ireland. To date, the devoted team at BUMBLEance has transported and comforted over 400 children to and from primary centres of care all over Ireland. (Charity week charity No. 2 2016)

Corbett Suicide Prevention Patrol (CSPP) The Corbett Suicide Prevention Patrol (CSPP) is a Limerick based suicide prevention group formed in 2012. The CSPP patrol the four bridges in the Limerick city area. The group’s main focus is to keep eyes on the river, and identify and provide support to those in distress and maybe contemplating suicide. Their selfless volunteers spend five nights a week patrolling Limerick’s river in the hope of helping those in distress before it is too late. They also patrol the bridges for other events such as Leaving and Junior cert, College nights, Bank holidays, Christmas/ New year period, etc. Their volunteers, from all walks of life, do a simple act which has saved many livesapproach them and simply ask "Are you ok?” There is a suicide epidemic in Limerick with the rescue helicopter heard so frequently; the CSPP aims to put a stop to the rising suicide rates in Ireland and is an invaluable resource to the city. The CSPP is solely dependent on a small number of volunteers who are not trained counsellors but provide suicide first aid and a listening ear to those they meet. They are supported not only by each other but also through the variety of training they partake in and by a psychotherapist who meets each volunteer at least once per month. Due to the fact the CSPP is run solely by volunteers, the group depends on donations from the public and fund raising events to fund all its expenses including uniforms, warmth jackets, PFD's, trainings etc. Secretary of CSPP, Louraine Tomlinson said: “The issues within the Mental health

Services in Ireland are at crisis point. By CSPP being on patrol it is stopping people from taking their lives in the river of Limerick. We have met over 350 people on the bridges in the last three years. This breaks down to around 2 per week with, on average, 50 people being affected by one person taking their own life.” Many of us have had interactions with suicide throughout our lives and so the CSPP touches the hearts of many people, students included. The CSPP have saved a huge amount of lives since their inception and we hope that the money raised through ULSU Charity Week 2016 will help the CSPP to continue their great work in keeping us all safe at night. (Charity week Charity No.1 2016)

February 2016/1 SU UPDATES

Independence, openness and freedom of the press TOMAS HENEGHAN JOURNALISM is printing what someone else does not want printed; everything else is public relations.- George Orwell UL’s journalism department, from my admittedly biased position, is arguably one of the best in the country. It torpedoed me from occasional blogger and Arts (Joint Honours) graduate to national by-lines and professional journalist, all in less than 12 months. Journalism as a profession stands on a ﬁrm foundation stone, without which journalism would fall to its knees.

This stone is the idea commonly known as ‘freedom of the press’. The press must at all times be free to disseminate truth to the public where the public has such an interest. The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) holds guidelines for all areas of reportage, yet the strongest guidelines remain the very basics of journalism in both the UK and Ireland – This is the NUJ Code of Conduct. Amongst other things, it requires the following from its British and Irish members: • At all times a journalist upholds and defends the principle of media freedom, the right of freedom of expression and the right of the public to be

informed. • A journalist strives to ensure that information disseminated is honestly conveyed, accurate and fair. • A journalist obtains material by honest, straightforward and open means, with the exception of investigations that are both overwhelmingly in the public interest and which involve evidence that cannot be obtained by straightforward means. • A journalist resists threats or any other inducements to inﬂuence, distort or suppress information and takes no unfair personal advantage of information gained in the course of her/his duties before

the information is public knowledge. The Press Council of Ireland also holds its own, similar, Code of Practice for Irish journalists. Considering the role of journalism in society, a journalist could not in good conscience allow themselves to be dissuaded from asking difficult questions and publishing stories of public interest. The case for freedom of the press is then further made in institutions such as universities, which at their very core encourage questioning at all times. During my five years of study at UL, I always felt encouraged to ask the difficult questions of anyone, in any position,

especially if the questions were in the public interest. Whether it be students wondering aloud how much UL spends on security or students complaining about another bike theft and wondering how the university has handled such thefts in the past, these questions must be asked, in the interests of openness, transparency and for the beneﬁt of UL students and staff in knowing how their university conducts itself. Where objectivity is concerned, we may all see a slant in a newspaper, no matter the story or publication. I myself since the last edition of An Focal was accused of being a

member of Young Fine Gael, while also being assumed a spokesperson for the Social Democrats. My slant, and An Focal’s slant leans in favour of truth, openness and honesty, without which An Focal becomes nothing more than a biased newsletter. Having said all this, it is with great ease that I can conﬁdently assure all students and staff, no matter their faculty, year, ofﬁce or station, that An Focal has a proud history of asking the tough questions and publishing stories relevant to the public - An Focal will continue, proudly, to do so as is our duty as a UL publication and as journalists.

Stormtroopers in the SU and An Focal causing controversy EILÍS WALSH WELCOME to the second issue of semester two! We’ve got a variety of new sections for you to look through and explore. Some examples include creative writing and opinion/comment. This is where UL students can showcase their writing skills in a different way. You don’t

having their ﬁrst event of the semester on February 8th, today. I always enjoy their events so take a look. I really want to encourage you to tag @anfocalul in your Instagrams of the college, we really want to see what you’re getting up to and where in UL you are exploring on a given day. I’ll also be tracking #anfocalul too. I’m hoping that you all are

I’ve included a quote that I think everyone should take on board in terms of life, hobbies and people in general. I’m trying to take it on board in my own personal life. As for life here in the SU, it’s been a whirlwind of activity. From Stormtroopers

excited for Charity week, which is happening in week 6. I’ve attended a meeting in preparation for it and we’re planning bigger and better than before. So get hyped for it. I am not majorly interested in politics, but our editor Tom is. So, to please him and because I do think it is actually important, please know that there will be election sometime in the near future. So keep an eye out for that and PLEASE use your vote when the time comes if you can. It’s important.

scenes that I would not have previously experienced. I’ve been working here nearly four weeks now and I can honestly say I love coming into work every morning. Coming here I’ve realised that working with the media and with people is something that

I really want to do. So I think I’m on the right track. I hope you keep a copy of a paper or consider sending in something yourself. As always, we are open to new ideas! Twitter: @eilis_walsh

Welfare Update CIARA CORCORAN

even have to be in the Literary society to submit a piece, though we encourage their members to send any pieces they want published to anfocal@ul.ie. I would like to see more reﬂective pieces coming in, so if you have a strong opinion on something please send it in. The societies of the college are beginning to start holding events, such as Open Mic sessions in the Stables on Mondays, organized by the innovative UL Music Society. The Comedy society are

storming the SU, promoting a local nightclub to causing controversy with An Focal, it’s never boring. We’re always coming up with new ideas and events to encourage student engagement. As a student here it’s been fascinating to get an insight into the behind the

IT’S been a really busy two weeks and it’s been great to meet so many of you since Week 1 started! There’s been lots happening and lots of projects coming together that I’ve been working on for the past few months. I’ve been working closely with Mary I SU and LIT SU on the ‘Walk and Talk’ project. This is a 5km walk in the city which aims to bring together all the students of Limerick, regardless of which college they go to, to promote the importance of talking and looking after your mental health. The walk will raise funds for Pieta House and will be like a student version of the Darkness Into Light for those of you who can’t make it due to exams. I’ve also been working on the E-PUB project in conjunction with the Mid West Regional Drug and Alcohol Task Forum. This will be an online measure of

alcohol use for students measuring behaviours/habits. It will then give you information on how your drinking compares to the national average, how it is affecting your health and performance and how best to continue with your drinking behaviour. You can then take this information on board and check your habits later and see how your behaviours have changed. Watch this space! Another exciting project I’ve been working on with Vinny, a Samaritans volunteer and mature student Representative on Council, is getting a one-to-one listening service on campus. We’re delighted to let you know that this will be happening in the SU from 6-8pm on Thursdays. The Aldi bus is back up and running this semester and we’ve had a great turn out so far. You can sign up using the link posted on our Facebook every Sunday evening. The bus will now be stopping in Groody/Troy also. If you’ve any queries you can email aldibusul@gmail.com Welfare team is going strong with a great campaign

running this week in the form of ‘Ask First’ week. This is aimed at creating awareness around Consent & Domestic Violence. Look out around campus for events that are happening. If you’d like to join the Welfare Team come down to the SU Den at 6pm every Wednesday- it’s free! The Wolf wristbands are available again, get yours from SU Reception, lots of Clubs and Socs and the Welfare Ofﬁce. The money

raised from these will go towards Suicide Intervention training in Week 10. The Student Assistance Fund has reopened this semester. This is an online application and closes March 25th. You can Google ‘Student Assistance Fund UL’ or email suwelfare@ul.ie for the link. As usual, look out on Facebook for updates on what’s happening in the Union. Look after yourselves.

February 2016/1 COMMENT

We live in a world where being cut off from the internet sends us into a frenzy EILÍS WALSH I lived in a house that did not have Wifi for the better part of four months last semester and was shocked at how cut off from the world I felt. Yet, I formed a very close friendship with my housemate that I genuinely believe would not have come about if we lived in a house with Wifi from the beginning. In saying that, we did spend a lot of time complaining about the lack of internet. In 2016 it is unusual for anyone under the age of twenty five not to own a smart phone of some sort and with that have apps such as Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or Snapchat downloaded. I am one of the many that do. As I type this I am a little bit ashamed to admit that I am using the internet on my phone and laptop simultaneously. I am googling synonyms on my laptop and browsing the likes of Twitter, Instagram and

Facebook on my phone. This is not unusual for someone of my age however. I know that I am heavily reliant on the internet to get through my day. As a blogger, journalist and college newspaper sub-editor I require access to internet to ensure I can do my work, blog regularly and research stories and ideas for the newspaper. But if you think about it, in the past journalists had to do the same job I’m doing without the limitless reach of the web. If the internet were to somehow shut down for good, I think the immediate reaction would be one of panic. How would we keep in contact with relatives abroad? How could we ﬁnd out solutions to different questions and problems without searching online? How would we share our lives with our peers if we can’t access social media? And a big one: HOW would we entertain ourselves? I am all too aware of how much I need the internet

for different aspects of my life. If the internet was turned off worldwide and we had to ﬁnd other ways to educate ourselves, communicate and share our lives I do think we could

Waist Training AISLING O'CONNOR MY mam came home from Dunnes last week in awe that she spotted a corset in the fitness section and couldn’t believe people actually wear them for hours a day to achieve a small waist, but waist training is no new fad. Corsetry has been in Western world for the past 500 years, but in the past year or so waist training has bombarded social media and the fitness world. I’m not buying it. I understand the appeal. The Kardashian/Jenner sisters Instagram’s are full of selfies in waist trainers and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t envy their figures. I will admit that it can be tempting to jump on the bandwagon when I see perfectly sculpted curves and sigh at fact that my own figure doesn’t resemble an hour glass in the slightest. My main issue with it is that it’s not healthy, despite often being marketed to be. It’s uncomfortable, makes breathing difficult, puts pressure on organs, and can even fracture ribs. Furthermore, they don’t make you lose weight, it just forces the fat elsewhere and once the trainer is off, your body returns to its natural shape. However, what bothers me the most about it is when people who make a career out of fitness through personal

adapt to life without it. My grandmother has never used the internet and her life is not any less fulﬁlling without it. If we peeled ourselves away from the internet and actually

sought other means of entertaining ourselves I’m sure we would be okay after some time. The problem is, is that we don’t have to. The internet is just seconds away. Without the internet, we would have to resort to methods of communication, research and entertainment from the past. How many of us write letters to one another today as opposed to using instant messaging? Would you rather spend time poring through books to ﬁnd answers or would rather just Google the answer? Could you imagine yourself drawing pictures, going for walks and listening to music rather than using the internet for entertainment? If you have answered the internet each time then you might want to take a step back from it. I deﬁnitely am guilty of opting for the internet over traditional methods. I am writing all of this now in the hopes that people will agree and make some changes

in their lives but this piece is just as relevant to myself as it is with most of the young people in Ireland and the world today. The internet is intricately interwoven into our daily lives whether we like it or not. We depend on the internet, something you cannot even hold in your hands. It is an endless source of communication, entertainment and contains vast amounts of knowledge. It is right to be thankful for it but it is destroying our social skills. So how do we reduce our reliance on the internet? You’ll need strong willpower, but it can be done. Put away your phone and talk to someone face to face. Try reading a book to pass the time as opposed to scrolling through your Instagram feed. You’ll find it hard at first but it can be done. I had to entertain myself for four months in a house without Wifi. If I, someone who uses the internet all day everyday can do it, so can you!

The Positive Effects of Yik Yak MAOILÍOSA NÍ LOIDEÁIN

training and diet/exercise programmes endorse them. I’m no doctor, but I don’t believe one should claim to promote health and then promote something that can cause real bodily harm if abused. It just seems hypocritical to me. I feel like fads like this treat our bodies like articles of clothing that can be changed each time a new trend emerges. Remember the thigh gap obsession? I noticed that every now and then gossip magazines put a picture of Beyoncé on the cover with the caption “Curves are back”, as if we’ll all decide to gain weight to look like that, and

that’s not to say Beyoncé isn’t beautiful because let’s face it, she looks like a goddess. Then they immediately go back to providing weight loss tips and suggesting what clothing is slimming. All bodies come in different shapes and sizes, you can’t change it like you can change clothes. What’s going to be next? If my body simply isn’t a certain shape, why force it to be something it may physically be incapable of being? I may never look like Kylie Jenner and that’s okay. I’ll do my squats and eat my veggies and that’s good enough for me.

ONE of the social media forms most used around campus and even off campus is Yik Yak. This is an app in which a person can post anonymously a status or question. You are in a specific group, My Herd, based on your location. I have often viewed or sometimes even posted on Yik Yak myself. I find that the UL group is mostly positive. There are a majority of queries regarding timetables and exam result dates and the like. One query that often comes up is that of an anonymous person seeking help. Questions vary about counselling times or wanted advice on a relationship. It is very satisfying to give advice to someone anonymously and for them to be able to ask without fear of judgment and without shame. I find that the majority of UL students give a positive response to those in need. It is remarkable that people can be so kind to a stranger and try to put them at ease through this online app. It is wonderful to see a community coming together to try and put positive thoughts in a person’s mind when they know that they could be deeply depressed. Yik Yak does have a lot of trolls on it who will be negative to any comment. It has jokers on it who will respond with witty sarcasm and also some unfortunately with negative comments about other people. It is easy to reply in these forms hiding behind a computer or phone screen. That is one of the dangers of social media and the internet. People can have a different persona and

do things they would not normally do or say to you in ‘real life’. However, the helpful and constructive response that these students in need get from strangers on a social app demonstrates that you are not alone in college, there is help available. Be it through an app, talking to your friends or through the counselling services at UL, there is always help to be sought. Never feel alone in college or in life. Life is short enough as it is. UL Counselling CM072, Block C – Level M 061-202327 Drop in service from 11am to 12pm and from 3pm to 4pm Monday to Friday during term time.

February 2016/1 SATIRE

National College of Media may retire its journalism department SEAMUS TOOMEY THE National College of Media (NCM) is considering retiring its journalism courses following the revelation that the college’s graduates were actively writing professional journalistic pieces following their four years of study. The news reached NCM Director of Media Affairs, H.P.O Crit in recent weeks, causing panic within the department. Having already had to deal with local journalists writing

negative stories about the college, the authorities were further “horrified” to hear that journalists within the college itself were writing stories related to college expenditure. “I mean how dare anyone paint us in a negative light. This college is perfect from top to bottom, and everyone knows it. There’s positive stories about us all the time and we’ve never once found an issue with one of those articles, but these negative ones are all just utterly biased,” Mr Crit, of the Media Affairs department, told An Focal.

It is understood the issue relates to a number of Freedom of Information (FoI) requests submitted by the NCM student newspaper. Figures obtained from a previous FoI request had led to an informed student body and had become a talking point at the college following publication of the relevant article. It is believed this particular story may have prompted the college’s latest move. The college now faces a difficult decision as to whether it should scrap its journalism department entirely and cease

accepting new students. The alternative being considered is the possible replacement of some modules within the journalism course. According to well-placed sources, suggested replacement modules to date include ‘Profit seeking 101’, ‘Only good news please’ and ‘Rupert Murdoch: History of the hero’. It is hoped any changes to the journalism department, if retained, would help quash the appetite of professional investigative journalism currently being taught to students. One commentator on the

Limerick student organising national day of protest against “the next shower” A University of Limerick student has begun preparations for a national day of protest he is calling against the next government. TOMÁS HENEGHAN Andrew Roberts (21), who is originally from Co. Kildare, has planned his preemptive protest for March 10th, the day the Dáil is to sit again. Mr Roberts told An Focal he believed the people of Ireland should be prepared for a fight after the upcoming general election. He explained: “I don’t care who gets in next. Will it really make a difference? No - So we need to be prepared. The next

shower will be just as bad.” However Mr Roberts also told An Focal he had no intention of voting in the election at the end of this month. “Why would I bother voting? Sure, it wont make a difference, they’re all the same anyway,” he said. Mr Roberts admitted he was registered to vote since last February when students in at the university had given him a voter registration form to fill in in the lead up to the marriage referendum in May. “I voted for gay marriage

because that mattered to people, it made a difference to people’s lives. What will voting for politicians do?” Referring to the Eighth Amendment to the Irish Constitution, Mr Roberts added: “What we need is a referendum to repeal the eighth now.” Asked how such a referendum would be delivered, Mr Roberts told An Focal “it just would be” and said a protest was certain to deliver this referendum and more. He added that electing politicians who support holding

such a referendum was irrelevant, despite it being a government decision to hold any such referendum. He concluded: “We need to protest college fees, government spending and the decisions being made by government. Voting for politicians wont make a difference. Protest is the answer, even if it’s just you standing by yourself outside the front of your university with a placard, yelling slogans at no one in particular.”

UL student in 56 hour standoff over opening text from hot guy PATRICK McKIERNAN UL student, Kloey O’Brien has entered her 56th hour of not opening a Facebook message from fellow UL student, Tim O’Shea, An Focal can exclusively reveal. The pair met in Limerick nightclub Angel Lane where they passionately kissed and groped one another beside a less-than-amused bouncer. After their encounter, it is believed Mr O’Shea found Ms O’Brien’s Facebook page and despite seeing her job title of ‘Full time mad bastard’ he sent a friend

request. Three days later Ms O’Brien accepted this request after reaching pictures of Mr O’Shea’s 18th birthday party. A day later Mr O’Shea sent a message to Ms O’Brien that is thought to contain a casual greeting with subtle reminders of how great he is followed by a number of ‘crying laughing’ and ‘winky face’ emojis. After years of experience in avoiding needy men’s messages on Facebook Ms O’Brien managed to read the message without opening it. This meant it appeared to Mr O’Shea that she had not seen the message.

According to ‘her fav’, Ms O’Brien has not responded to the message yet as she feels it is too early, fearing Mr O’Shea may think she has nothing better to do. Nobody knows for sure when Ms O’Brien will respond (or even open the message) but local experts are predicting it will be within the next 12 hours. Friends and family of both parties involved are hoping the situation will be resolved quickly as they are growing tired of both sides thinking it’s a problem worthy of discussion.

issue told An Focal: “I, for one, think we should all focus on the much more profitable click-bait content on social media, whereby writing one interesting sentence can reel in large unsuspecting audiences and provide them with entertainment disguised as news, as opposed to actual factual information.” Suggestions for future seminars to be hosted by the journalism department include: ‘Top Ten Most Shocking Things NCM has done this year’. A source, who refused to be

named, said: “Enough of this hard news, give the people what they want - soft colour stories about what’s popular on yik yak; are boys still wearing Nike Roshes? “We should just stop creating these so called ‘journalists’ and suffer the small loss of 30 or so students every year. I mean, I know this mightn’t be my place but it’s kind of hypocritical of us to challenge professional and balanced journalism, while also working in a college with a journalism department at the same time.”

Recruitment Drive: UL Ready for war This year’s recruitment drive went off without a hitch last week and already UL’s army grows following the recruitment of over 1,000 new members.

SEAMUS TOOMEY THE University has increased it’s military personnel to 5,000 members in the past number of years, meaning its potential to invade and eradicate other colleges has significantly risen. With personnel trained in a variety of areas, UL now boasts one of the most diverse military forces in Ireland. The growing army is trained physically to endure long treks across mountainous terrain by the Outdoor Pursuits Battalion, can attack from the air, having been trained by the first college Skydive club in Ireland and can make life sustaining teas out of just about any wild plant, thanks to the Tea Appreciation Brigade. As well as this the university also has both naval and intelligence operations. The state of the art €4.1m naval base sits on the Shannon river and is equipped to deploy hundreds of kayaks, canoes, surfboards and sub aqua specialist forces at all times. The intelligence department also hosts server rooms and helps run our website, known only by its codename ‘Skynet’. With such an addition to these existing resources, it is likely the university will wage war on either UCD or UCC. While the capital may hold great fortunes, it is still a long way for UL troops to travel. UCC however is situated closer and is a prime target offering similar, but marginally lesser, rewards including a populace with severely annoying accents, even in comparison to the dubs. International operations too are going well. With a society dedicated to the indoctrination of foreign students, the university has earned one of the most loyal international followings of any college in the country. This group has acquired vast quantities of information from foreign institutions through their use of spy methods, leaving UL with future options to move to the continent to increase its control of trade routes and improve its ability to train up a larger number of students more efficiently by acquiring and accumulating other various university structures. Join the fight today, train up with one of the clubs by signing up online on ulwolves.ie and contacting your desired battalion directly. Uncle Lee wants you! Viva le Rev-UL-tion!

February 2016/1 ENTERTAINMENT

UL Top Yaks • “I’m only on tinder to make friends”...yeah and I’m only at this bus stop to catch the train • Never trust someone who has the duvet buttons at the top of the bed... • Status on room-mate bonding: She smiled back at me today • That awkward moment between your birth and death • OMG I HEARD THE SCRIPT ARE COMING TO OUR RAG WEEK LITERALLY CANNOT COPE • Remember in primary school when you’d forget your lunch and your Mammy would come in with it and you’d be mortified? Wish that happened in college • Looking for a fake ID, I’m 18 but would like to get one that says I’m 16 so I can a child’s bus fare • My flatmate asked me if I’ve ever yakked about them.You could’ve cut the tension between us with one of their knives that they still haven’t washed • For people looking for yolks: Crack the egg in half and transfer the yolk from shell to shell draining off the egg white. Hope this finally answers the question for people • Why doesn’t UL have a Conspiracy Theory society?

CROSSWORD

ACROSS

DOWN

2. Tánaiste in 2012 3. Current Minister for Finance 5. Building that houses the Oireachtas 9. Only party in the Dáil with 3 leaders 10. Current Tánaiste 11. Leader of Fianna Fáil 12.Youth wing of Fine Gael 14. Regular government term of ofﬁce 16. Leander of Renua 17. President of Ireland 18. No defunct party previously led by Mary Harney 20. Upper house of the Oireachtas

1.Youth wing of Fianna Fáil 4.Voting age 6. Limerick Education Minister 7. Current Minister for Justice 8. Current Taoiseach 13. Current leading government party 15. Common name for a government coalition of more than 2 parties 19. Number of Senators elected only by some university graduates

Edition 7 crossword solutions ACROSS 1. Black dog 6. Pavilion 10. Colin Clarke 11. Red Raisins 12. Brown Thomas 15. College Court 16. Twelve 17. Living Bridge 18. Seán McKillen 19. Procrastisnaps 20. Tommy Bolger 22. Don Barry

DOWN 2. Cappavilla 3. Glucksman 4. Wolﬁe 5. An Focal 7. Out in UL 8. Foundation Building 9. Ski Slopes 13. Javas 14. Coop 21. Eden

February 2016/1 CLUBS & SOCIETIES

Parkour to flourish and expand this semester ADAM DOHERTY UL Parkour is one of the few Parkour clubs in Irish universities. However this is increasing so this shows that parkour is ﬁnally growing as a sport and is just not something you see on the internet and wish you could do. So because of this I want the parkour community to ﬂourish, expand and be recognised. We hold weekly and bi weekly workshops every week with the most common being spending time at the JumpLanes, which is an indoor trampoline centre. We practice at the jump lanes so our members can learn more advanced moves and the less advanced can practice in a safe environment. We also do “swap” days with other clubs like Trampolining or Krav Maga. This gives our members a taste of other disciplines and allows for good inter club relations. How are our classes

structured? Our Tuesday session is held indoors, where we focus on technique and learning more advanced movements in a safe environment. On Thursdays class is held outdoors and this session focuses on implementing the moves learned on Tuesday. Both the Tuesday and Thursday classes include all the necessary warm ups, warm downs and stretches. We also have a Monday morning class which is held in the UL Arena. This class focuses mainly on strength and ﬁtness, a key component of Parkour. As already said, Parkour is about more than movement we focus very strongly on strength and keeping yourself ﬁt. As events manager I try to improve interclub relations and wish to travel to spread awareness on this rapidly growing sport. Because of this every year we do the "1000 reps challenge".

DebU back for another exciting semester ÚNA WALSH 2015’S Autumn Semester marked a new beginning for the Debating Society with the introduction of two auditors, Sarah McCarthy and Rachel Jones. They quickly got to work rejuvenating the society, and this year a record number of students registered to join the society. We sent teams to Cork, Dublin and Cambridge to debate, all getting on well and making us proud back at home in the University of Limerick. One of the Debating Union’s biggest events last semester was held on 21st October 2015, during which the comedic singing duo, The Rubberbandits were awarded the distinguished Auditor’s Medal and were honoured with honorary lifetime membership of the Debating Union and were commended for their contribution to Discourse in Ireland. The Rubberbandits are now honorary lifetime members of the UL Debating Union, along with former Taoiseach Garrett Fitzgerald and Justice of the Supreme Court Susan Denham. The duo gave an rousing presentation on Creativity and encouraged the public to open their eyes to the world around them. Also as part of the Society’s events we held a Interschool’s Debate with schools from Limerick, Tipperary and Cork which saw Fifth and Sixth Year students debate over topics such as gun violence. This year we hope to hold more exciting events such as an Open Debate on Gender Equality and a talk from the muchloved and well known GAA Broadcaster and Presenter Micheal O’Muircheartaigh. We look forward to another exciting year for the Debating Society

1000 reps is where we all go to do a 1000 reps of either pull ups, crunches or squats in under

24 hours. This encourages healthy competition between members of the club.

One of our bigger events is a shared event with OPC to Glendalough and this occurs

every year. This year we are also doing a Slave drive to raise funds for the society. The slave drive is an auction of club members to be slaves for the highest bidder for 24hrs. The auction takes place in a pub so it is a great social night out and the following 24 hours are good fun for the winners of the slaves and the slaves alike. Some of our members have shown interest in doing the 'To Hell and Back' challenge. We are looking in to making this another yearly event. As a club we plan on going to schools and will teach classes to spread awareness of parkour as a sport and get the younger community involved parkour. We want to showcase how unique and cool it is. In joining parkour you will learn all about movement and how to use it to your advantage along with keeping yourself strong, ﬁt and healthy. If you want to learn something you saw in an online viral video we'll teach it!

Teddy Bear Hospital Medical Students at the University of Limerick will be hosting the University’s annual Teddy Bear Hospital (TBH) with over 500 of Limerick’s primary school children from 6 different schools attending with their teddy bears in March.

UL MEDICAL SOCIETY The aim of the event, which is being organized by six current Graduate Entry Medical School (GEMS) students with a particular interest in childhood medicine, is to alleviate childhood anxiety about the medical environment, its procedures and the professionals that work within it. The event is filled with learning and laughing, where the kids can interact with future doctors to learn they they aren’t so scary after all! Over 130 first and second year medical students took part in the event last year which included 10 medical stations set up in the University Arena, focusing on activities including: X-ray, Exercise, Surgery, Asthma, First Aid, Pharmacy and Healthy Eating. The children and their teddy bears are seen by a team of teddy bear doctors, who will examine them and give them necessary treatment/lessons at each station. The UL Teddy Bear Hospital has grown significantly every year to involve more Medical Students, as well as more children from the Limerick area. The initiative has served to strengthen the relationship of UL GEMS with the surrounding community. This year’s annual event will be taking place on Wednesda,y March 9th, and will be open to the public from 3 to 5pm. We encourage UL students to bring any children to the Limerick university arena for the event. Pre-registration is suggested not required and admission is free! This event is aimed at children ages 3-10, however any age is welcome.

Amber Fitzgerald Long, Sarah O’Halloran and Sabhdh O’Dwyer at the annual Teddy Bear Hospital at the University of Limerick, March 2015. PHOTO: UL MEDICAL SOCIETY

February 2016/1 CLUBS & SOCIETIES

Joining the musically passionate family MARION LANG ARRIVING in Ireland and away from my home country of France, I clung to my passion: music. Indeed, UL Music Societies helped me to find my place and integrate into life in the University of Limerick. Organizing shows, meeting artists this was a dream came true for me. I had never seen or heard the existence of this kind of society in my home university! I first met the President Sean Sweeney. He seemed as enthusiastic as me, especially being part of the Music society committee. My first task in the society was to create the imagery for the Lycanthropy gig on the 10th September. This is a free admission event, hosted by the UL Music Society at the beginning of each year in The Stables. The Lycanthropy gig, literally meaning the transition of man

to wolf, marks the return of the students to the university and symbolises the students’ transformation and return to the UL Clubs and Societies ‘Wolf Pack’. We had three acts – Flat Out playing Traditional music, then ‘Monday Villains’ with rock, followed by a DJ called Ekron. I really felt like part of the committee, I went to the weekly meetings of the society and was soon elected events officer. But this was not all without some difficulty. At the beginning, I found it tough to fully understand what was happening. And a lot was happening indeed! Between the conversations of the Music Room rigs, loan rigs, the Open Mics, the DJ nights and the preparation for Hudson Taylor gig, I had to take notes so I wouldn’t get lost. In my case, I was part of the organising team for the UL Roots Battle of the Bands gigs. This was a succession of gigs every Tuesday night,

where three bands had to perform against each other to win a prize which included a cash sum and to opportunity to play support to Hudson Taylor and The Academic in week 7, as part of the SoUL Arts Fest. The event was held on the Stables Courtyard stage and the judging panel included members of the committee. My role in all of this? I worked alongside the Events Manager, Saoirse Nevin, and helped in communicating with the bands, meeting them on the night and giving them refreshment vouchers. We then watched the event. When everyone was back home for the night or on their way, we, the members of Music Soc gathered for a last moment around the stage to take down and clear our equipment. A couple of weeks later, we gathered again but this time around a dinner in a cheerful atmosphere, for our committee bonding night. For the battle of the bands finale on the 13th October,

UL Music Society. PHOTO: OISIN MCHUGH PHOTOGRAPHY. Mister Sister hit everyone with their amazing stage presence. Although The Phases and Chasing Trains put on a great performance, it was clear to say Mister Sister were the winning act. 9 days later, we met them again but this time for the Hudson Taylor gig. All the members of the Music society worked really hard to make the 22nd October the best music night of the semester. With all the members in their place: we raised the curtains, and the show began! The ULMS Glee Ensemble conducted by Deirdre Higgins started the show perfectly.

Who knew that if you mixed Brightside from the Killers and Shut Up and Dance from Walk the Moon, we get such a beautiful medley with their voices? Soon, it was time to make way for folk music. Tim & Ali came on to the stage and wowed the audiences with their amazing presence. They were followed by Mister Sister and The Academic. And finally, Hudson Taylor lifted the atmosphere of the courtyard into a frenzy. We heard the whole audience singing throughout, especially the last song: Battles. With a short exchange of glances from backstage, we confirmed that it was a great success.

However no rest for the Music Soc’ members! Weekly meetings take place with new projects happening all the time, like the creation of the ULMS band, and organisation of our weekly gigs on Tuesdays in Stables! 2016 has already taken some famous artists from us but that doesn’t mean music is dead. So let’s celebrate it at the UL Music Society’s Academy Ball on the 11th February. Hold tight because the music society will strike hard this second semester proving that music makes us feel alive.

To infini-tea and beyond AARON YOUNG FROM pu-erh in Galway, earl grey in Ennis, chai in Limerick, to good old Irish breakfast on campus, last semester was a season of tea fuelled bliss for the members of UL’s tea appreciation society and this semester promises to be even better. As early as the start of week two the society has already made our first outing to scenic Galway drinking tea in such nationally renowned locations as the Secret Garden tea room, a haven for the tea loving hippie in all of us to the Corrib Tea Rooms and the Cupán Tae where we indulged our love frills, lace and patterned china in the modern embodiment of the classic afternoon tea popularised by the 7th Duchess of Bedford, the spiritual mother of all tea drinkers in these Islands. And while we are on the topic of our next door neighbours

in Britain the society is planning the biggest undertaking of its short history, we will be becoming truly international with a trip to visit our fellow Gaels in Scotland for four days of tea soaked fun as we take in the majestic sights of Edinburgh and Glasgow. The trip promises to be a truly memorable occasion as we make our way across the sea to take in everything these two historic cities have to offer. We plan to make the most of our stay visiting the ancient majesty of castles and cathedrals and

drinking a traditional afternoon tea while on a river cruise through the centre of Edinburgh. Our society has a strong membership of Irish and International students both dedicated to having a fun and relaxing time away from the stresses of the world, no special skills required. Whatever your tastes we can promise to find at least one tea or tisane from our vast collection to interest even the most discerning palate. We look forward to meeting you every Wednesday in the Millstream Common room on the southern end of the Living Bridge or at one of our special Tuesday events a full schedule of which can be found on our Facebook page (https://www.facebook. com/TeaAppreciationUL/ photos/pb.222920687898366.2207520000.1454324320. /428688993988200/?type=3& theater).

February 2016/1 SPORT

UL GAA

Championship Returns UL are in the thick of the action across all codes as semester two means the return of Championship matches.

MARISA KENNEDY Our senior camogie team have powered their way into the semi-finals of the Ashbourne Cup after an emphatic 3-14 to 18 win over local rivals, Mary Immaculate followed by a fantastic 15 point hammering of UCD. Our fresher 1 footballers journey unfortunately came to an end as they lost out to DCU in the first round of the Dave Billings Cup. Played on a bitterly cold night, UL were unable to contain DCU’s movement and speed. To the

home side’s credit, DCU only pulled away in the last ten minutes. The game started at a ferocious pace with DCU kicking the first three points from play. DCU dominated the early exchanges with their pace causing UL all sorts of troubles. However a scrappy goal from the home side switched the momentum of the game with Paul Maher firing a close range goal home in the middle of the first half. This gave UL much needed confidence and the team won another two frees to lead by two points. DCU added three points in

UL GAA’s Fresher 1 footballers playing DCU

the end of the half to regain the lead. Unfortunately the home side conceded a goal and a point in the second half and from that point on, found themselves trailing this tie. UL’s main scoring threat came from frees. With the Limerick side chasing the game, DCU found space in the opponent’s half and struck for two killer goals that effectively ended the game. Hard luck to all the players and management. Our senior hurlers began their defence of the Fitzgibbon Cup with a trip to Parnells GAA Club in Coolock, Dublin to face a strong DIT side during the thick of Storm Gertrude. Although against a gale, it was UL that opened their account first through corner forward Tommy Heffernan, the start of quite a busy day for the Tipperary forward. Points were swapped at either end until the 11th minute when the homeside took control scoring 5 unanswered points, Lee Chin (Wexford) dominating in the middle third of the pitch whilst Derek McNicholas (Westmeath) led the attack. UL were unlucky not to raise a handful of green

flags throughout the half thanks to the efforts of both Heffernan and John McGrath. UL slowed the DIT tide through the stick of McGrath, steadying himself into the strong wind to convert three important frees but it was DIT that went in at the break leading UL 0.10 to 0.7. UL emerged for the second half with the aid of the strong breeze at their back and had 7 points on the board after 8 minutes of the restart through Kevin Hehir, Kevin O’Brien, Tommy Heffernan and Jason Forde. Again DIT looked to McNicholas to add to the

scoreboard, ending the game with 9 points, one of those from a sideline cut and aided by Wexford star Jack Guiney who chipped in with a point with 4 minutes remaining. UL looked in control throughout the second half and capitalised on the strong breeze, unlike the homeside who notched up several wides in the opening 30. The Limerick side boasted 7 different scorers in the second half, with a total of 0.15 from the full forward line alone and it finished with the reigning champions the victors, UL 0.20 DIT 0.14. Most impressive for UL was 4th year

student Jason Forde orchestrating the team from centre back whilst Tommy Heffernan and Kevin O’Brien impressed upfront, creating headaches for the Dublin IT’s backline. Derek McNicholas made his presence known throughout for DIT and Lee Chin was influential in patches. It was a great start for UL in a tough group that also includes NUIG and Mary I. Make sure to keep an eye on our Facebook and Twitter pages for updates or download the Clubify app and select UL GAA for all the latest news, results and fixtures!

BADMINTON

ATHLETICS

Back with a Smashing Start!

NewIrishRecord for UL Athlete

UL BADMINTON CLUB WELCOME back from the Badminton Club! Second Semester is a busy term for the Club with many competitions running. The Limerick Leagues are beginning with UL being represented in five grades. We wish all our team members the best of luck. Last year our Grade E team won The All-Ireland in the League Event so we will be hoping for

it again this year! The college intervarsities are being held this year by NUIG. UL will have two teams taking part. It is expected to be an excellent couple of days of badminton. Since returning to college UL members have had various competitions. Our first tournament for the 2016 Season was the Limerick Championships. A great event was held where one of members, Ciara O’Donovan reached the final in the three disciplines. She took gold with her partner Rita McCarthy, another UL member. She also was in a mixed partnership with Brian Griffin where they closely missed out on catching gold in the mixed final. The last weekend in January saw members travel to Killarney for the Munster Junior Tournament. Fearghal Hughes and Áine Lenighan put on a cracking display of badminton to secure gold in mixed doubles, along with James Flaherty reaching Mens Doubles Final with his partner. Well done to all who took part!

Training is up and running again on Mondays and Wednesdays at 9:15-11pm in UL Arena. All new members welcome this semester. Anyone interested joining the club is advised to request membership on the UL Wolves site and turn up to training on Monday or Wednesdays from 9.15pm. Membership for undergraduate students is just €10 for the year with equipment provided

on the night if you don't have your own. Like our Facebook page (UL Badminton Club) and Twitter page (@Ul_Badminton) to keep up to date with what is happening in the club. You can also email ulbadmintonclub@gmail.com if you have any queries. It's never too late to join so head on down to the Sports Arena and join in on the fun!

MARISA KENNEDY UNIVERSITY of Limerick student, and 18-year-old member of the Athletics club, Jenna Bromell set a new Irish 400 metre indoor record at the National indoor Junior Athletics championships last month. Jenna, who studies chemical engineering, ran the race in an incredible 54.19 seconds. The event was held on the last day

of January in the state of the art indoor arena at Athlone Institute of Technology. The group recently took a trip to Harvard and Yale to take on a number of different colleges where Jenna was also among a number of athletes to win in their respective categories. She won her 400m race quite convincingly on January 16 when competing with many of the best collegiate athletes from the NE of the USA.

Jenna Bromell setting a record at the National indoor Junior Athletics championships. PHOTO: UL ATHLETICS CLUB

February 2016/1