An Focal (XXIV. Edition 9)

VOL. XXIV Edition 9

INTERVIEW WITH MINISTER FOR EDUCATION

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FEBRUARY 2016/2

UL CAMOGIE Pg 23 CAPTURE ASHBOURNE CUP

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A GEMS STUDENT

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ULSU to lobby government on student fees and Seanad voting rights The University of Limerick Students’ Union (ULSU) is to lobby the next government to lower student fees and extend Seanad Election voting rights to University of Limerick graduates.

TOMÁS HENEGHAN THE decision to both lobby for lower student fees and for the extension of voting rights was taken at the the ULSU Union General Meeting (UGM) last Wednesday.

There had been issues with the original proposal on student fees proposed by third year student, Chris Collins, with the original proposal reading: “ULSU urges the next government to lower the cost of third level fees by €500, to reject any proposal to increase third level fees and/ or the introduction of income contingent loan scheme.”

After a minor change, ULSU President, Colin Clarke questioned the inclusion of €500 in the proposal. He asked: “Why €500? Why not €1,000 or €1,500?”

Mr. Collins explained: “The Labour Party recently announced that’s what they plan to do. That’s what it’s based off of, other policies, it’s not plucked out of the air.

“This is just a small stepping stone on the road to reforming education and that’s just a start. That’s what it’s based on.”

ULSU Academic Officer, Marian O’Donnell argued: “It’s kind of dangerous to predict your policy based on the outcome of an election that hasn’t happened yet and you don’t know what the education policy is, so I would be inclined to think that perhaps it should be changed, that we take out the €500 and just that they campaign to lower fees.”

Ms. O’Donnell proposed to amend the original proposal to: “ULSU

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urges the next government to lower the cost of third level fees.”

There were three votes against the amendment and one abstention, with the amendment passing by majority vote.

There was a question related to what action the proposal would translate to if passed by the students, with Mr. Clarke clarifying that it would involve various forms of lobbying from the Students’ Union.

Mr. Clarke explained: “I’d imagine it would be a press statement from myself and take that to local [media].

I would request a meeting with the Minister for Education.”

ULSU Democracy Development Manager, Liz Gabbett also explained that the Union is a registered lobbying organisation.

Ms. Gabbett said of the proposal: “Basically this is asking ULSU to lobby of behalf of students to lower the cost of third level fees, so whether that’s press releases or letters to the Government, that’s basically what you’re asking the current sabbatical officers and future sabbatical officers, unless changed at a UGM.” The new proposal was passed with only one abstention.

The proposal on the issue of Seanad elections was made by ULSU Academic Officer, Marian O’Donnell and called ULSU to lobby and campaign to allow UL graduates to vote in the Seanad Elections.

Speaking on the Seanad proposal, Ms. O’Donnell said: “There are six Seanad seats that are meant to represent third level education. The only people who can vote for them are graduates from Trinity, UCD, NUIG,

Maynooth and UCC. “So UL and DCU are the only two universities who are unable to vote on those six senators who are meant to represent third level education, along with all the ITs as well of course.

“In 1979 there was a referendum that brought in legislation that basically said that the Oireachtas could add more universities or third level institutions to this, they’re just never used that legislation, they’re never enacted it and basically all UL can’t vote for Seanad elections and get those six senators to represent us.”

Ms. O’Donnell said the proposal

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would allow ULSU to lobby the government to enact the 1979 law and allow UL graduates to vote in the Seanad elections.

The proposal was unanimously passed by the UGM attendees.

ULSU President, Colin Clarke also spoke at length about the proposed new student centre. He said that the previous qualified majority clause operated during the last two referenda on the issue in 2012 and 2014 would not apply in the upcoming referendum.

There were a number of constitutional amendments earlier in the evening which passed after some discussion around phrasing of the amendments.

There was also a presentation on ULSU financial accounts and, later, General Manager of the Union,

Martin Ryan spoke to the UGM about ULSU’s upcoming Strategic Plan.

The UGM ended with reports from the Executive Officers and a first look at the Charity Week 2016 promotional video, in which details of next week’s Charity Week events and activities were first revealed.

Note THIS edition of An Focal looks at General Election 2016 from a number of viewpoints and asks the questions which concern students. Nothing in this newspaper should be construed as an endorsement or support of any election candidate, political party or political ideology.

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2

February 2016/2 NEWS

HEA expresses concern about ‘culture of inappropriate expense claims’ at UL A Higher Education Authority (HEA) report published earlier this month has expressed its concern with what it claims is a “culture in the University of inappropriate [expense] claims” at the University of Limerick (UL).

TOMÁS HENEGHAN THE report from consultancy firm, Mazers was based on a review it carried out at UL which was initiated following allegations by a number of former and current staff members in relation to expense claims at the university.

The HEA has said the report showed that instances of irregular claims by staff at UL did occur, but that these instances were “ultimately appropriately dealt with by the University and that the University did follow the correct formal processes and put appropriate actions, policies and procedures in place in response where needed.”

The report also vindicated the three unnamed former and current staff members and their actions in bringing the issue to light, stating: “these irregular claims were appropriately identified and challenged at the time by the staff (Persons A, B and C) in the Finance Department.”

In a statement, the University of Limerick welcomed the publication of the report saying: “The University welcomes the fact that the report is consistent with the University’s position that no financial mismanagement or financial wrongdoing took place.

“In its response the HEA notes that any inappropriate expenses claims were correctly challenged by staff, that in all cases the University

addressed the issues raised by our staff, and no inappropriate payments were made.”

However the university also said it would further engage with the HEA on the report in order to seek clarification on certain aspects the response from the the HEA. The statement from UL added: “In particular the HEA’s suggestion that there was or may still be ‘a culture’ of staff making inappropriate expense claims is not justified, is not supported by the report, and is offensive to past and present staff of the University.

“The University will consider the report in detail and will make any further improvements to its processes and procedures in order to address the recommendations

in the report.”

The HEA also said the report made a number of recommendations for UL to follow in the future in order to address the issues identified and that the Authority expects the recommendations to be implemented in full, if they have already been, “within the shortest possible timeline.”

The HEA now plans to meet with the UL authorities in order to “review the report, develop a process to address [its] outstanding concerns and to satisfy [itself] that the recommendations in the report are being proactively pursued.”

The Authority also said: “We will also, to the extent that Persons A, B and C wish it, continue to liaise with them on the outcome of this review.”

However the HEA also was clear on the UL as an educational institution: “The University of Limerick is a strongly performing institution, bringing substantial benefits to its students, the city, the region and nationally.

“There is a shared interest in ensuring that it continues to operate in a way that reflects and supports its long, and

Glucksman Library to preserve and display ancient Bolton Library collection EILÍS WALSH THE Bolton Library moved to UL this month, with a collection over 12,000 ancient books, manuscripts and incunabulae.

Incunabulae are books that were printed using metal type up to the year 1500.

The collection was amassed

CREDITS EDITOR: Tomás Heneghan DEPUTY EDITOR: Eilís Walsh SPORT EDITOR: Marisa Kennedy IRISH EDITOR: Fay Langley CONTRIBUTORS: Aedín Ó Tiarnaigh, Aidan Quinn, Aisling O’Connor, Anna Parkes, Chris Dunne, Ciara Corcoran, Claire O’Brien, Clodagh Doyle, Dean Maloney, Kiera Thornton, Maoilíosa Ní Loideáin, Mark Nother, Matthew Murphy, Michael Boyle, Mira Pavan, Muireann Duffy, Patrick McKiernan, Paul Jordan, Sam O’Connor, Seamus Toomey, Seán Lynch, Sonya Ramondino, Stephen Riordan, Trisha Ní Loinsaigh, Xiaoyu Lin. PRINTING & LAYOUT: Midland Web Printing

by two bishops (Archbishop William King and Bishop Theophilus Bolton) in the early eighteenth century. The collection was given to Glucksman Library by The Representative Church Body of the Church of Ireland.

The collection contains many historic manuscripts such as imprints of the Nurenberg Chronicle 1493, which is a book detailing the major history of the world before the discovery of the New World (America). Other important manuscripts are Dantae’s Divine Comedy, Venice 1512 and the Sarum Missal, Rouen 1515.

Within this collection are books with certain library stamps referring to previous ownership. This is newsworthy as these stamps indicate provenance connected with Catherine of Aragon, a woman who was the first wife of King Henry VIII and was Queen of

England for a time. The collection also contains 200 volumes of rare 17th century Irish pamphlets from counties of Dublin, Belfast and Cork, an example being the 1648 Kilkenny Confederate Declaration of 1648.

The Bolton Library has books containing information on natural sciences, mathematics, astronomy, law, politics, literature and medicine etc.

Titles that stand out are Isaac Newton’s Principia mathematica, a revolutionary work in the history of science and Capt. John Smith’s book Generall historie of Virgina, NewEngland, and the Summer Isles (1632). A book from 1617 (Fynes Moryson’s An Itinerary displays the first time the words “Merry Christmas” appeared together.

The contents of the Boston Library are in poor condition, with some titles suffering from mould damage and are continuing to deteriorate rapidly.

To ensure that these priceless artifacts survive for future generations they will need to be stored in an environment with appropriate temperature and humidity.

A Bolton Library exhibit in Cashel is being developed by the Bishop of Cashel and

Ossory, the Dean of Cashel, the Heritage Council, the University itself and many other partners. At present, the exhibition in Cashel is reported to attract “few visitors” and is “under-utilised as a benefit to Cashel”. Plans are being drawn up for an accessible, functioning and profitable exhibition in the centre of Cashel town.

As the Bolton Library is a unique library of information, it has proved to have a strong public appeal in exhibitions that have been purposely designed and curated specifically for the collection. This is the aim of the University; to present “a real attraction to visitors”.

The preservation of the Bolton Library is of great importance to both the University and The Representative Church Body of the Church of Ireland. The University is deemed as being well equipped to hold, preserve and exhibit these beautiful remnants of the past to the public. It is hoped that the exhibit will prove to be not only accessible to the public, but will also make academic exploration of this collection possible.

high, reputation for quality outcomes and that respect for the rights and wellbeing of its staff and students continues to be reflected in all its

processes.”

The initial claims which led to the Mazers report were first published by the Limerick Leader newspaper last year.

Labyrinth movie screening in UCH AISLING O'CONNOR TUESDAY February 9 saw the University Concert Hall commence its first screen of the Spring Cinema Season with the 1986 cult classic “Labyrinth” starring David Bowie.

The screening, introduced by Professor Eoin Devereux, co-editor of David Bowie: Critical Perspectives (2015), was preceded by music videos of Bowie’s such as Ashes to Ashes, Fashion, Heroes, and the recent Lazarus.

“In spite of being a failure in terms of commercial success, Labyrinth has since become a cult classic and is now a firm favourite with audiences of all ages,” Devereux said in his speech before the film.

All the proceeds from the screening were donated to the Mid-Western Cancer Foundation.

The musical fantasy, written

by Terry Jones and directed by Jim Henson, centres around 16-year old Sarah (Jennifer Connolly) who has 13 hours to solve a labyrinth to recuse her baby brother she inadvertently gives to Jareth the Goblin King (Bowie).

Nostalgia was high, with one student and fan Eoin Fitzgerald saying Labyrinth was one of the first films he remembers seeing.

“The outpouring of genuine emotions and grief by Bowie fans all over the world are testimony to ways in which he touched all of our lives...Over 5 decades Bowie managed to capture the zeitgeist (culturally, politically, spiritually) and to speak directly to millions of people,” Professor Devereux said.

Bowie was a pioneer for

“embracing the things society tells you to hate about yourself.

He purposely went against the grain of culture when he first started and the nowadays it's almost expected for people to be different and love diversity,” according to fan and student Robert Brennan.

Before liking music, Fitzgerald said he admired David Bowie because of Labyrinth, highlighting the fact that Bowie was more than just a musician.

According to Devereux: “Bowie’s appeal can be explained through the sheer breadth of his activities as an artist. Bowie’s significance as a songwriter; performer; recording artist; music producer; film and stage actor; film producer; scriptwriter and painter all contributed to his overall reach.”

Bowie’s 25th and final album, ‘Blackstar’ was released just two days before his death on the artist's 69th birthday.

While Bowie's death is sad, he managed to make something beautiful with his last album, Brennan said.

With regards to Bowie’s art, Professor Devereux said: “Bowie’s art dealt consistently with feelings of dislocation and alienation. However, Bowie’s music is full of hope. He was the born survivor who managed to overcome drug dependency and significant mental health issues through using his creative genius.

His most recent recordings The Next Day and Blackstar deal with the complex issues of mortality.”

The next UCH Cinema Screening will be The Lion King on February 28.

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February 2016/2 NEWS

A legend retires: tribute to Paul O’Connell Legend, giant, hero, gentleman. Just some of the words that have been used to describe Paul O’Connell since he announced his retirement from rugby earlier this month.

MARISA KENNEDY THE 36 year-old issued a statement through the IRFU saying that the decision came following the advice from his doctors.

“I have been blessed to be a professional rugby player for over 14 years and to be part of Munster and Ireland teams that have experienced success.

I have played with some of the best players to ever line out in the red of Munster and the green of Ireland and have had the privilege of captaining my country.”

“I would like to thank those at Young Munster RFC, Munster Rugby, the IRFU and Lions Rugby who have supported me over the course of my playing career,” the statement read.

The former Ireland captain sustained a nasty hamstring injury during Ireland’s heroic defeat of France in the World Cup last October, from which he has not recovered.

O’Connell had moved to France following his operation, intending to finish his

career with a stint at Toulon.

The legendary second row played 108 games for his country over a period of 13 years. He scored a try on his international debut back in 2002 against Wales in the Six Nations Championship.

A very proud Limerick man, it was almost fitting that he finished his career at Munster where he will forever be a hero.

O’Connell made his debut for the province back in 2001 in a Celtic League clash with Edinburgh. He played a key role in the team’s Heineken Cup success in 2006 and was named captain of Munster in 2007, taking over the reigns from current Munster Head Coach, Anthony Foley. That season, he led Munster to their second Heineken Cup title.

While 2009 was the year he was named captain of the British and Irish Lions, having previously travelled with them in 2005, in the minds of Irish fans, that was the year that Paul O’Connell played an integral role for Ireland as they won the Six Nations Grand Slam for the first time in 61 years.

Joe Schmidt appointed

Paul O’Connell with UL President, Professor Don Barry at Plassey House receiving his honourary doctorate from UL last year. PHOTO: MARISA KENNEDY. O’Connell as the Irish captain in 2014 following the retirement of Brian O’Driscoll.

During his tenure, he led by example as Ireland won the Six Nations Championship in 2014 and retained it the following year, winning Player of the Year for his heroic efforts during that Championship.

It was announced in June 2015 that O’Connell would be leaving Munster and would retire from international rugby after the World Cup. Later

that month he decided to join Toulon.

Munster supporters gave their talismanic leader a fitting send off from Thomond Park following their Pro12 semifinal win over Ospreys, staying in the stadium long after the game to applaud the man who had given his all to the team.

To those in UL, he is now known as Dr Paul O’Connell after he was conferred with an Honorary Doctor of Science during a ceremony in the

UL hosts major political leaders debate TOMÁS HENEGHAN

THE University of Limerick’s Concert Hall (UCH) played host last week to seven leading Irish politicians for the first of the RTÉ broadcasted General Election debates to take place outside of Donnybrook in Dublin.

The General Election 2016 polling day is to take place this Friday, 26th February, with polls due to open at 7am and close at 10pm.

Last week’s debate was attended by seven party leaders from across the outgoing Dáil. This included Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Tánaiste Joan Burton, as well as leaders of opposition parties.

The debate was broadcast on Monday night on the Claire Byrne Live show, followed by a live analysis show, the Spin Room, which was broadcast from UL’s Millstream Common Room.

Two of the key points from the debate included Mr. Kenny’s clear pronouncement that Fine Gael would not enter into a coalition government with Fianna Fáil following the election on Friday, as well as Social Democrat co-leader, Stephen Donnelly’s assertion that

the party was open to coalition if their policies were adhered to.

Speaking to journalists before the debate, Taoiseach Enda Kenny said: “I look forward very much to this debate, to being able to set out what the Fine Gael party position is here in respect of securing the recovery for the future, create more jobs and use the resources of that to invest in public services and deal with the problems that we have.”

Tánaiste Joan Burton said:

Tánaiste Joan Burton arrives at the University of Limerick for RTÉ’s Leaders Debate last Monday

“I’m delighted to be in Limerick.

I’m very excited about the debate.

I think it’s absolutely essential that voters in Ireland get to hear the arguments from the different leaders of the different parties and factions.”

Ms. Burton also said: “I think people are always judged by what they’ve done before and clearly Fianna Fáil drove the country over the cliff, the bus fell off the wheels, whatever way you wish to describe it.

“We came into government in a very difficult time and from a ruin, we’ve created a very strong, vibrant economy with one of the best growth rates in Europe and with 140,000 jobs, and that is, you know, what we’ve achieved.”

Leader of the opposition and Fianna Fáil, Micheál Martin said: “My focus is on issues and the problems that the face people of the country and that will continue to be my focus from here to polling day.”

The Leaders Debate was broadcast just hours after a decision by the High Court to dismiss a judicial review case brought by the Green Party against the party’s exclusion from the debate.

Asked if the Green Party would have been a welcome addition to the debate, Renua Ireland leader, Lucinda Creighton told journalists

before the debate began: “I think they would, frankly, yes.”

She added: “Obviously Eamon Ryan is a political colleague or opponent, depending on what way you want to look at it, in my own constituency and we’ve already engaged in a few debates together.

I think it’s a pity but, you know, I can understand the point of view of RTÉ and there has to be threshold I suppose.”

Throughout the day leading up to the debate, there was disruption on campus as RTÉ prepared for the broadcast and security checks were carried out.

There were also a number of parking restrictions imposed on campus, as well as a number of pathways closed off during the evening of the debate itself.

The University of Limerick’s Director of Marketing and Communications, Mark Mulqueen said: “To everyone whose work was disrupted as a result of the TV Debate event, I would like to again thank you for being so accommodating of what was, I promise, something we don’t plan to do again for some time.

“Finally, I wish to thank everyone on my team, especially the event coordinator Sheena Doyle and our many colleagues from across the university, who ensured this event was a success.”

Concert Hall last November, something he described as, “very special”.

“To get appreciated by your home university is something very special,” he said. “When you grow up in Limerick close to the city, UL ends up being a big part of your life.”

While most rugby supporters will remember O’Connell for his fierce and intimidating presence on the field, to those who encountered him off the field, he was far from

the character that delivered the legendary “Fear of God” speech, with many describing him as, “down to earth”, “a gentleman” and “the definition of humility”.

Tributes started pouring in from teammates and opponents as soon as the announcement was made with #ThanksPaulie trending on Twitter for hours.

“Really disappointing to see Paul O’Connell having to retire. Sensational career in Red & Green. Simply irreplaceable,” wrote Brian O’Driscoll on Twitter.

Wales international, Gethin Jenkins wrote: “Sad to see Paul O’Connell retire, but what a legend on and off the field.

Pleasure to share the same field with and against him.”

His long term friend and colleague, Ronan O’Gara tweeted: “Something beautiful and fitting the great man retires as a one club man .The pride of Limerick and a role model for the rest of the country.”

He was always, and will remain to be, a firm fan favourite, whether Munster, Ireland or rugby in general.

An enormous banner was placed over Brown Thomas on O’Connell Street in Limerick following his announcement that simply read: “Limerick Born&Red #ThanksPaulie”.

A fitting tribute.

ULSU’s ‘Ask First’ discussion CLAIRE O'BRIEN As part of ‘Ask First ‘week, a discussion took place in the SU regarding consent and domestic violence. We had representatives from APADT as well as Dublin Rape Crisis centre.

Susan from the UL Law department and Dublin Rape Crisis has been researching consent from a legal perspective since 2007.

At present, there is no legal definition of consent however we are beginning to see some changes here.

Deirdre from ADAPT domestic abuse services stated that the conversation surrounding consent has become more open in the last couple of years. She put emphasis on the fact that older women in Ireland had very little understanding of their right to say no to sex.

Essentially they were a “plaything” for their husbands and had to simply put up with sex. This solidified that fact that knowledge and awareness of consent is necessary for both parties in a sexual relationship.

Questions surrounding victim blaming were also brought up at the discussion. In particular, how do we differentiate between victim blaming and personal safety? Do we place too much responsibility on the potential victims instead of potential perpetrators?

Consent classes were also discussed at the meeting. This is a very topical issue at the moment due to Trinity’s introduction of consent classes for students in on-campus accommodation. Our speakers emphasised the fact that the purpose of consent classes was not to demonise men but rather help educate people on their right to say no, as well as respecting boundaries.

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February 2016/2 NEWS

Qualified majority voting will not apply for new student centre referendum The qualified majority clause operated during the last two referenda on a new student centre will not be applied to the referendum this year on the issue.

TOMÁS HENEGHAN THE announcement of the removal of the qualified majority voting system applied to the last two referenda on the issue was made last Wednesday at the University of Limerick Students’ Union (ULSU) Union General Meeting (UGM), by President, Colin Clarke.

Two previous referenda on the issue of building a new student centre in 2012 and 2014 failed after achieving more than 60 percent of the vote in favour of the referendum, yet failing to meet the 66 percent requirement to pass on both occasions.

ULSU President, Colin Clarke explained: “The reason there was a 66 percent qualified majority in our constitution was back in to keep USI out, and I think myself, the girls and Executive are of the opinion that we shouldn’t formulate our constitution based on one policy.

“I think if you look at the marriage equality referendum, that passed with 60 percent, if we had kept our system that wouldn’t have gone through, so we’ve changed our system to a very simple 50 plus one.”

Mr. Clarke said students would not be asked to vote on what the building would look like but would be voting on the issue

of: “Do we want a new student centre to really grow our student centre?

“The reality is the student centre that we have at the moment is not fit for purpose.

It was purpose-built in 1999 for a campus community half this size. Now if we want to grow as a union and we want to be the best that we can be, we’re going to need more room to develop.”

He said the estimated price of the proposed new student centre was €12m and it would provide a place on campus for students to relax, where they would not have to worry about buying something and where they could reheat meals.

Mr. Clarke also said there were plans to have a purposebuilt debating chamber included in the proposed centre. He also said sports facilities would be improved, including an upgrade to Maguires pitches, as well as the creation of a climbing wall, which he said the Outdoor Pursuits Club had been campaigning for a number of years.

“The important thing to remember about this is that this is not just new sporting facilities for your own clubs, this is for everybody. If a group of friends want to get together and organise a 5-a-side, you’re going to be able to do that on the new pitches, instead of paying €50 to rent out your campus.”

He also said the expected levy on students, which would be bellow €100 and would increase by €3 annually to account for

Trinity to campaign against blood ban following UL student’s High Court challenge Trinity College Students’ Union (TCDSU) plans to begin a visual and political campaign of videos, posters and web content addressing and seeking to have the current lifetime blood donation ban imposed on sexually active gay and bisexual men in Ireland reduced.

This follows TCDSU’s Council passing a motion in December to campaign on the issue and comes as University of Limerick (UL) journalism student, Tomás Heneghan continues his High Court challenge in April against the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) and the Minister for Health over the ban.

The issue of the ban is also due to be discussed at a Consensus Conference to be held by the IBTS less than a week before Mr. Heneghan’s case is due back in court in April.

However, it is understood the conference will address the length of the ban currently imposed and is not expected to deal with the basis of Mr. Heneghan’s legal challenge, which seeks to have the ban imposed on him declared unlawful.

There is currently a lifetime ban on men who have had sex with men (MSM) donating blood in Ireland. The ban is applied to men who have had, on at least one occasion, either oral or anal

sex with another man. The ban also applies to cases where protection, such as a condom, has been used.

Mr. Heneghan began his legal challenge last July in the High Court where he was granted leave to bring a judicial review case to have the decision by the IBTS to ban him donating blood last May overturned.

He argues the ban placed on him last year was discriminatory,

disproportionate and against EU law and that the questionnaire and interview process used by the IBTS to access eligibility does not assess the actual risk of disease transmission by blood donors.

He also argues that the assessment of eligibility should take into account the length of time between his last sexual experience and the end of the “window period” often referenced by the

IBTS in defending the lifetime ban.

Mr. Heneghan also argues that according to advice approved by the Health Service Executive (HSE) his previous sexual activity had posed no risk of disease infection.

He also claims he had received clear results from an STI test before attending the blood donor clinic to donate blood in May 2015.

Mr. Heneghan had previously donated blood on a regular basis since the age of 18 and had, before being placed on a permanent deferral, given 10 blood donations.

It is also understood Mr. Heneghan is not connected with any campaigning group or NGO in relation to his legal challenge and that he has not sought damages from either the IBTS or the Minister for Health in relation to the case.

With the exception of two, no political party running candidates in this Friday’s General Election has included the issue of blood donation ban in their election manifesto.

Both Sinn Féin and the Anti Austerity Alliance-People Before Profit have committed to the complete repeal of the ban in their manifestos, while the most senior current government member to publicly call for the complete removal of the ban was Aodhán Ó Ríordáin last September.

inflation and Consumer Price Index, would not come into effect until the buildings become operational or the pitches are usable.

Mr. Clarke said, under an arrangement with the University, the students would be paying 55 percent of the capital costs but would pay zero percent of the maintenance costs, which are estimated to be €12m over the space of 20 years.

He said ultimately, of the total project, the University would be paying 61.5 percent, with students picking up the tab for the remaining 38.5 percent.

Responding to a question from a student, Mr. Clarke said the SU is currently in talks with the University over the use of the current student centre should a new centre be built.

He explained: “It’s likely that the University would take over

that building. I get a sense from what the University is saying that they want to move student support services in there, whether that be the counselling department or the medical centre, SAA. It’s still going to be a vibrant part of campus that’s going to be used.”

He also said ULSU would continue to collect rent from the courtyard building, which amounted to approximately €52,000 annually. He said: “That will remain. We’ve got guarantees that that will remain, that income source will still be coming in.”

Mr. Clarke confirmed there was a list of what the Union hoped to include in the proposed new student centre, however there was no design and that design process would likely take a further 18 months.

GEMS to host MedFest next month TOMÁS HENEGHAN THE University of Limerick’s Graduate Entry School of Medicine (GEMS) will host a major film festival next month at the university.

The free event, MedFest, will be open to anyone with an interest in mental health, with the theme for the festival this year being ‘Framing Trauma: Conflict and Medicine’.

The event will aim to “explore the impact of conflict and other traumas on both physical and mental wellbeing and to discuss the role of both medicine and mental health care in these situations.”

There will also be an expert panel present to lead a debate following viewing of a number of short clips. This will then be followed by an open discussion with event attendees.

The panel will include: Consultant in Emergency Medicine and Director at the Centre for Prehospital Research at UL, Dr. Damien Ryan; Professor of Psychology at UL and Director of the Centre for Social Issues Research, Professor Orla Muldoon; Specialist in Public Health Medicine in the Department of Public Health in Cork, Dr. Aileen Kitching; and a fourth, as of yet unannounced panelist.

The event, which takes place in medical schools throughout the world, was developed by the Royal College of Psychiatrists UK in conjunction with the College of Psychiatrists here in Ireland.

MedFest takes place from 6:30pm on Thursday, 10th March in GEMS0-016 in UL’s Graduate Entry Medical School on the university’s North Campus.

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February 2016/2 GAEILGE

SEACHTAIN NA AEDÍN O'TIARNAIGH MÁS rud é go raibh an t-ádh leat anuraidh bheith timpeall an champais i rith Seachtain na Gaeilge, ní bheidh aon deacrachtaí agat smaoineamh siar ar na himeachtaí iontacha éagsúla a chuir an Cumann Gaelach ar siúl. Déardaoin Ramhar, an Géilí, Bricgrásta agus neart eile, mar shampla.

Más rud é nach raibh tú linn, áfách, ná bí

GAEILGE 2016

ró-bhuartha a chara, toisc go bhfuil am níos speisialta fós romhat i mbliana! Beidh go leor imeachtaí ar siúl i mbliana a chuirfidh gliondar ar do chroí, Gaeilge i do bhéal agus bród i do chroí so bígí linn agus glac páirt!

'Sé an rud is tábhachtaí faoin seachtain ná go bhfuilimíd ag iarraidh ar dhaoine iarracht a dhéanamh chun an teanga a úsáid go laethúil, fiú muna bhfuil ach cúpla focal acu. So úsáid do chuid “Conas atá tú” agus do chuid “Go raibh

míle” agus do chuid “An bhfuil tú go maith mar tá tú ag féachaint go maith fiú! Bígí bródúil as do chúpla focal!

Chun cur leis sin, beidh imeacht thar a bheith speisialta á seoladh againn agus s'é sin an chéad “Bál na Gaeilge”. Cuir ort do chuid “gladrags” tóg cara nó dhó leat agus cé fios, an-sheans go bhfaighféa an ‘shift’ agus grá na gaeilge dá bharr.

(Ach ní féidir linn aon rud a ghealladh) Beidh cuairteoirí againn ó Ollscoil Chorcaí

Comhar Oideachas agus an éagrú ar fad TRISHA NÍ LOINSAIGH BHUEL, cad is spraoi le comhar oideachas? Agus cén fáth go bhfuil an méid sin éagrú le déanamh? Trisha is ainm dom agus táim féin faoi láithair leath slí tríd mo chomhar oideachas féin. Táim suite sa Spáinn, Seville. Is í Seville ceann de na cathracha is álainne ar an domhain i mo thuairimse féin. Tá sí comh difriúl le aon cathair eile sa Spáinn. Na daoine bríomhaire, na radharcanna álainne agus gan dabht an aimsir te nach bhfuil fiú in Éirinn i rith an tsamhraidh!

Tá sé riachtannach a bheith ullmhaithe don comhar oideachas. Cur i gcás: do chuid eitiltí, do mhalaí, tú féin a bheith

ullmhaithe agus do chuid malaí tae gan amhras! Gan an ullmhú seo bheadh tú ag fanacht sa bhaile. Bhí orm gach uile rud a

eagrú dom féin, ón nóiméad gur fuair mé amach go mbeadh mé ag múineadh Béarla sa Spáinn, go dtí an nóiméad gur bhual an eitleáin an talamh! Bhí orm an teach ollmhór atá again anois a ullmhú. Faoi láthair, táim i mo chónaí le seachtar eile ó Ollscoil Luimnigh agus tá

sé ar fheabhas. Tá muid tá éis bualadh le an-chuid daltaí atá ag freastail ar an Ollscoil Sevilla.

Táim tar éis mo chuid Spáinnis a fheabhsú agus gan dabht táim ag tabhairt cabhair do mo chuid chairde Spáinnise Béarla a labhairt!

Ní hamháin sin, ach is aoibheann liom an post atá agam anseo. Táim ag múineadh páistí, déagóirí agus tuismitheoirí de gach leibhéil an teanga álainn a thagann ina dhiaidh an Ghaeilge, sin í an Bhéarla.

Gan dabht, ar dtús bhí sé cosiúl le laethanta saoire, ach anois táim ag obair agus i mo chónaí i Seville. Is é an taithí is fearr riamh!

agus tá fáilte ollmhór roimh éinne a bhfuil grá acu don teanga, nó don Dreoilín fiú.

Thairis sin, beimíd ag súil go mór le “Ceol agus Ól”, “Tae agus Plé” agus Géilí 2016 agus ag súil go han-mhór le sibh a feicéail ann agus an Ghaeilge a chloistéail timpeall na hOllscoile.

“Tír gan Teanga, Tír gan Anam” a chairde.

Seachtain na Gaeilge 2016. Tuilleadh eolais le teacht ar www.facebook.com/cumanngaelachul

Seomra na Gaeilge FAY LANGLEY NÁ déanaigí dearmad go bhfuil seomra caidrimh ar an gcampas do phobal na Gaeilge – fáilte roimh mhic léinn ach go háirithe! Úsáideann an Cumann Gaelach, cumann na mac léinn, an seomra go rialta le linn an tseimeastair agus éinne eile atá ag iarraidh cupán tae a ól is a scíth a ligeadh! Tá áiseanna tae agus caife ann (saor in aisce!) agus tugann an seomra deis do mhic léinn bualadh le cainteoirí Gaeilge eile san ollscoil. Uimhir an tseomra ná LC0-016, Áras na dTeangacha agus bíonn sé ar oscailt gach lá. Déanann Aonad na Gaeilge, oifig do chur chun cinn na Gaeilge, an seomra a bhainistiú agus bíonn sé ar fáil d’imeachtaí agus do chruinnithe chomh maith.

Beidh “Maidin Caife” @ 11-12 gach Dé Céadaoin ina bheidh tae, caife agus brioscaí ar fáil saor in aisce! Freisin, beidh “Tae le Fay” ar siúl @ 3-4 gach Déardaoin sa Seomra na Gaeilge! Tá Fay sa chéad bhliain agus ag feidhmiú mar chomhordaitheoir ar imeachtaí do mhic léinn i Seomra na Gaeilge do sheimeastar an Earraigh 2016!

Tuilleadh eolais ciara.considine@ul.ie nó www.facebook. com/aonadnagaeilge

6

February 2016/2 POLITICS

TODDLERS, tiaras and king-makers They lined up, all seven would-be kings - though perhaps ‘queens’ would be more the appropriate term, considering how each carried themselves last Monday night. It was all hand-swinging, gestures and sass.

TOMÁS HENEGHAN First to arrived was Martin.

The man who replaced the last king, but only after the thrown was lost. Next was the starlet of the night, the queen of cheesy lines, Lady Lucinda and she didn’t fail to disappoint.

“My strategy is to be myself, and that’s the strategy that I always follow,” said with a broad and child-like smile personifying innocence itself.

Lucinda being the one-time princess of the realm - perhaps even next in line to the thrown at some distant point - took to the stage to quiz her former king.

Soon it came time to ask the the big question. No it wasn’t the economy, health, crime, housing or mental health services. The question was who would rule the realm next. In part it is of course a decision for the electorate but in the

land of king-makers, opinion polls and coalitions, we must know (or so the media would suggest) who will form the next royal coalition.

Claire Byrne, the rising RTÉ current affairs star, asked of her guests: “Enda Kenny, what’s it to be? Micheál Martin?”

And with that King Kenny interjected. “Labour. Labour.”

Oh but wait. Claire had to remind Enda of the polls and what they are saying - Fine Gael and Labour simply wont have enough seats. So what will the king do?

Fianna Fáil drove the economy over the cliff, declared the king. Thankfully though his king-maker, Lady Joan of Labour had covered that exact declaration earlier in the evening on the way into the Great Debate.

“So you’re not going to do business with Micheál Martin, under any circumstances?” asked Claire.

“Certainly not,” the King responded.

“Are you sad about that Micheál?” quipped Claire.

No, the would-be king (or king-maker) Martin wasn’t sad.

Not to fear, the former heir to the nation’s thrown, Lucinda, rode quickly back in to declare no difference between Fine Gael (the current lords of the manor) and Fianna Fáil (the former lords).

When it came to Lord Stephen of the Social Democrats (the would-be kingmakers), Lady Joan made sure to make her own voice heard alongside him. “That’s not answering the question Stephen. That’s not answering the question.”

So, at the end of two hours what had we learned? King Kenny wants back in. Wouldbe king Martin wants a slice of the kingdom. King-maker Joan wants back in too, while Lady

Lucinda and Lord Donnelly will go in with anyone, as long as that ‘anyone’ adheres to their policies, minority party or not.

Lord Boyd Barrett is the exception declaring that he would help with the stewardship of Ireland, with the right parties and ideologies or course (though one suspects not all he was representing agree).

One person I later spoke to summed up the subsequent commentariat’s views in the most eloquent and simple of terms: “They’re all a bunch of wah wahs.”

You could be forgiven for forgetting almost all seven, from the king to the would-be kings and queens (and kingmakers) were close to or above the age of 40.

Political debate? A shouting

match? Toddlers throwing their rattles around a concert hall? Who’s to say. The one thing we can be sure of is that this coming Friday will decide finally who will be the next king (or queen) and who will be the next king-maker.

Rattles to the ready folks, because it will only get rowdier when the lords and ladies return to Leinster House next month.

An Focal speaks to Minister for Education Jan O’Sullivan In the final sprint towards General Election 2016, An Focal contacted Limerick’s own Minister for Education, Jan O’Sullivan to see how she approaches various student issues.

TOMÁS HENEGHAN AND EILÍS WALSH ON the issue of housing, each September students struggle to find accommodation in many university cities in Ireland. This year in Limerick University of Limerick students were forced to stay in hotels and on friends' sofas as they couldn't find affordable accommodation near the UL. Is this an issue you would be in favour of addressing, and how would you hope to do so as Minister for Education?

I commissioned a report from the Higher Education Authority which was presented last summer. Since then an implementation group has been working on medium to long term solutions and I have also worked with student groups to

promote as many short term solutions to the present very serious situation regarding student accommodation.

In the last number of years the price of student accommodation has risen dramatically, forcing many students to look further afield for accommodation and commute to their colleges instead. UL is an example of this, where some students are forced to live at the other side of the city in areas such as Raheen and Dooradoyle and commute daily for an hour each way, if using public transport. Do you support the introduction of rent controls so that if accommodation costs are to increase annually, students will not be subjected to

workers, particularly those in sectors with a high prevalence of low pay rates, have greater security and certainty in employment.

dramatic increases which make finding affordable accommodation difficult?

As Minister for Housing I kick started the debate on rent certainty. The Labour Party has introduced a two year rent freeze to tackle escalating rents. In the medium to long term I do see merit in linking rents to an independent metric such as the consumer price index. However, the main challenge in this as with every other sector of housing is to increase supply as quickly as possible.

Do you support the use of so-called zero-hour contracts? These contracts affect students’ employability prospects as students cannot be on-call, as is required by that form of contract, during the academic year due to education commitments. Would

Would you support the return of postgraduate student grants? If so, in what form?

We have announced a plan for a €60m fund to support postgraduate students. you support a ban or a form of restriction on the use of zero-hour contracts, and if so, how would you envisage them either being replaced or restricted?

No. The Labour Party has taken a range of measures to improve the rights and conditions of low paid workers.

We have increased the minimum wage twice since in Government. We also commissioned UL to present a report on zero or low hour contracts. We will now act on that report to ensure that

There has been speculation recently about a student loan scheme. Would this be something you would support as current Minister for Education?

Currently we are awaiting the report of an expert group on future funding of the higher education sector, which is chaired by Peter Cassells. That group will put forward future funding options. When that report is presented it needs a national debate. In the meantime the Labour Party will reduce the student contribution charge.

Finally, it has become clear from various student union votes around different colleges in Ireland that repeal of the 8th Amendment to the Irish Constitution is an important student issue. The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) has also taken a stance on the issue, and despite the University of Limerick students not being members of USI, it might be reasonably presumed this issue would be as important to students in UL. Do you support holding a referendum on the 8th Amendment and/ or full repeal of the 8th Amendment, instead to be replaced by legislation from the Oireachtas?

I, along with my colleagues in the Labour Party support the repeal of the 8th Amendment. Labour Women has also produced draft heads of a Bill that would regulate abortion in Ireland in the event that the 8th amendment was repealed.

7

February 2016/2 POLITICS

Election 2016: student issues There is no escaping the election at present and as we move into the final week of canvassing we bring you a comprehensive look at where the major parties stand on some of the more important issues to students.

of the coalition, Labour, want to eliminate USC for all those earning below €70,000 whilst Sinn Fein will do the same for those on under approximately €20,000. AAA/PBP will introduce a millionaire’s tax for those with earnings in excess of €1,000,000 and a higher rate of tax for those on greater than €100,000.

MARK NOTHER GIVEN there are upwards of 215,000 students in higher education in Ireland it is important that we understand where the parties stand on these issues and how you’re vote may affect not only yourself but your friends, classmates and second level students that will undertake the journey over the next five years.

Election manifestos tend to be weighty tomes of information and if you’re a final year student or are just in the midst of assignments you probably won’t have the inclination to examine where parties stand on individual issues, as such we’ve done the hard work for you and selected a number of issues to given an indication of what our political parties stand for. We have chosen third level fees; the student contribution; repealing the eighth amendment; postgraduate funding; and the minimum. Also for those who may find themselves in their final semester and are about to leave the security of college we look at tax.

Third level grants and loans At present roughly 40 percent of students are in receipt of the student grant; it is recognised as a crucial factor in many students being able to afford to attend third level education however the system is widely viewed as unsustainable. This has led debate on the future of the current system and whether or not Ireland will adapt a UK style system of student loans. So where do Irish parties stand on this issue?

Fianna Fail (FF) and Fine Gael (FG) say they will maintain the current grant structure and explore the possibility of a new loan system for students and their parents who are struggling to pay for higher education that will be income contingent.

Renua are seeking to introduce a loan system that graduates will repay once their income goes over €25,000. The Social Democrats (SDs) want to review the current grant system and provide “better targeting of supports”. The Green Party (GP) are opposed to any increase in costs of attending third level, specifically any cuts to the student grant.

The Labour party have announced they will hold an internal party debate on student’s grants, fees, etc. but not until after the election.

Third level fees & the

Minimum Wage Student Contribution Following on from the issues of grants and funding there is another suggested approach to the future of third level funding in the introduction of higher fees.

Given over the lifetime of the incumbent government we saw an increase of 50 percent in the cost of the student contribution from €2,000 to €3,000. Again parties differ on the subject of altering the current rate.

FF want to freeze the student contribution at current levels, €3,000, for the next five years.

Labour and the SDs want to lower it to €2,500 and €2,000 respectively. The GP do not state a preferred amount but rather are committed to increasing state funding on the sector in order to keep the cost of education of the shoulders of students while the Anti Austerity Alliance and People Before Profit coalition (AAA/PBP) are in favour of abolishing the student contribution altogether. SF are also committed to an abolition of the student contribution also with the shortfall replaced with central government funding.

Postgraduate funding Up until 2012 there were maintenance grants available to postgraduate students, similar to those afforded to undergraduates. However these were cut to only provide a contribution towards course fees. With an increasing amount of graduates entering the jobs market every year there are more and more opting to continue to Masters level and as such the opportunities for funding may be a crucial issue for many.

Both FF and the SDs want to reintroduce postgrad grants with the former doing so at 2010 levels and criteria. SF want to introduce the same restorations but with a higher amount of access. Again Labour are not committing to a plan on third level until post-election.

Repealing the Eighth Amendment The 8th Amendment of the

constitution has since 1983 provided for a constitutional ban on abortion in Ireland, including in the cases of fatal foetal abnormality and pregnancy as a result of rape. It has been an emotive issue on and off campuses all over the island. Whilst practically every party is open to a referendum or review committee on the issue, where they themselves stand varies. It is important to note that the repeal would need to be supported by an introduction of legislation in order to clarify when abortion is permitted.

Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are allowing their members an open vote, that is to say, the ability to vote as they see fit rather than by party lines. The views within the parties are varied however. Fine Gael are committed to a citizen’s convention to make recommendations for the consideration of the Oireachtas on what course of action to take. Renua are also for allowing an open vote but it would seem the majority of members would take a no stance.

Unsurprisingly the parties to the left of centre and far left such as Sinn Fein, Labour, the Social Democrats, the Green Party and the AAA/PBP alliance are in favour of a referendum to allow citizens the option of repealing the Eighth. The majority of these advocating allowing abortion in the cases of pregnancy through incest, rape, and also in cases of fatal foetal abnormality.

Tax Whilst income tax may not be at the forefront of most students minds while in college it quickly becomes an issue when having to move to a more expensive part of the country for work and trying to estimate how to allocate ones salary after tax. With the economy drastically improved compared to 2011 there is now room for tax cuts and the parties are taking full advantage of the new found ‘fiscal space’.

Perhaps the most public of the manifesto promises are Renua’s flat rate of 23 percent for all earners and FG’s proposal to eliminate the USC incrementally over five years. The other half

With the high cost of education there are very few students who are not working part-time be they undergrad or postgrad.

The recent increase of on the minimum wage to €9.15 may

not seem like a huge jump from €8.65 but for a student working 20 hours a week its and extra €300 a semester.

AAA/PBP are for increasing the minimum wage, with SF, the SDs and Labour looking to introduce a living wage, which the latter estimate at €11.30 per hour. FG are to continue to rely on the Low Pay Commission to suggest any alterations to the current system but are advocating an increase in the current rate to €10.50 per hour.

The Green party are similar in wanting to base any changes on the change in costs of living but with the current rate set as a base level. FF want to introduce a living wage across all government departments, they value this at €11.50 per hour, and ensure all internships are required to be minimum wage

positions.

Use your vote The end of February is a busy time for students and politics can be a subject of disinterest for many, however from reading this you can see how many variances we could experience in the future of Irish third level education. As was stated at the start there are a substantial number of students among the electorate, these votes matter. Nobody else is going to vote based on student issues, nobody else is going to go into the voting booth worrying about the cost of your education, the point where you have to protest at implemented fee increases is too late. So get out and vote on the Friday 26th, it could cost you if you don’t.

8

February 2016/2 POLITICS

First time voter? Use your vote on Friday PAUL JORDAN 18 Parties.

551 Candidates.

158 Seats.

393 people who’ll be disappointed.

BUT how do we decide who’s in and who’s out? Can’t we replace all this campaigning with a once-off episode of I’m a Celebrity? Who wouldn’t want to see Enda Kenny and Gerry Adams share a hammock in the jungle? Instead we’re stuck with posters of eerily-staring faces on the roadside and we get to write a few numbers on a sheet, fold it and put it in a big metal box. But how does it affect me?

And that’s the question a lot of us are asking ourselves right now. I, like many of us in this college, will be voting for the first time in a general election on Friday February 26th and we need to know who we’ll vote for. For me, my interest in politics was born on January 30th, at about half past 3, when I found out I’d be helping out with the coverage from the count centre for CRCFM, a local radio station in Mayo. Previous to that, I hadn’t any interest or knowledge in politics.

Enda Kenny is seen as a God in Mayo and that was pretty much that as far as I could tell. But I know many people reading this article right now will be struggling to decide which way to vote.

So how do you find out? Well the most probable outcome is that you’ll ask your older family members about certain parties and politicians in your constituency but to save you the time and effort of doing so, here’s what you’ll be told; Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are the only ones worth voting for, Labour will be obliterated in this election and Sinn Féin still have a few questions to answer in some people’s eyes.

If you were to vote for any other party, or god-forbid an independent, you’d just be wasting your vote.

But is that so? Because what matters most in a general election? Your vote. It’s about what you feel are the important issues, whether it be housing, health, crime, social welfare, or repealing the 8th Amendment, and who you feel will look after them best in your constituency. A party

candidate may have more say in the government compared to an independent but how many others in that party will have their say beforehand? Is it better to go with an independent who has less issues of their own to concentrate on and might be able to generate discussion about your topic?

Too many times in the past have we just picked someone because it’s what the generation before us did and the generation before that did as well. However, back then there were clear differences between the parties, whether they were left-wing, or rightwing, or left-of-centre or whatever they wanted to call themselves. Words like neoliberalist and capitalist could be assigned to parties and we understood what it meant and why they supported that style of politics.

Today, parties just go with what they feel will win them more seats in the next election, regardless of what they said in years previous. Even our Taoiseach changed his opinion on the same-sex marriage referendum from being against it a few years ago, to campaigning for it to be legalised last May. One has to wonder if his reasons for supporting the ‘Yes’ vote were for the benefit of others or for the benefit of his own vote.

One great side-effect from that referendum is that many young people like myself in Ireland registered specifically because that vote was taking place but they have carried on their interest and are looking forward to voting in a general election for the first time. And that means we now have a raft of students who can make life better for other students, not just now but in years to come.

We read so much about rent allowance and rent caps, and we mightn’t pay too much heed to it, but one of the main problems for students is the availability of affordable accommodation.

There are still some students looking for accommodation this semester who will soon resign themselves to the fact that they will have to live in a B&B or hostel for the remaining weeks of the college year, simply because they either can’t find a house to live in, or because the ones that may be available are too expensive to live in in the first place.

The other main concern to students is the price of an education. Is third level education itself affordable enough for those who wish to go on to it? Or could more be done to bring down the prices of tuition and contribution fees?

Add on to that the fact that once students graduate, they will be faced with picking one of two E’s; employment or emigration.

Fine Gael are promoting their campaign of a “strong economy” to “keep the recovery going”, but is it all going to happen a bit too late for even the first years who entered this college back in September? Will any of the parties have this country in a fit enough state to have jobs on the table for a newly graduated student or will they have to go further afield to get their first job?

Whatever way you vote on Friday, all I ask is that you take time out over the next few days to inform yourself about the candidates in your area and see who aligns best with your views and hopes for this country for the next five years. We really can make a difference if we use our vote, but the one thing we cannot do is complain about who does get elected if we let Friday go by without using it.

Join . . . ! s u (Week 7)

9

February 2016/2 CHARITY WEEK

Charity Week 2016 Charities

CIARA CORCORAN

BLOOD BIKE GROUPS OF IRELAND THE Blood Bike groups of Ireland are volunteer groups dedicated to helping those who are in receipt of care provided by the HSE and private hospitals throughout Ireland. The Blood Bike groups of Ireland provide a 100% free service to any HSE or private hospital/clinic throughout Ireland, on an out-of-hours basis from 7pm to 7am Monday-Thursday, and a 24 hour service from 7pm on Friday to 7am on Monday (including public holidays), and they work to deliver any medical items that are deemed safe to carry by motorbike, and that are considered urgent or emergency.

Such medical items transported by the Blood Bikes groups of Ireland from hospital to hospital include life-saving blood, blood products, human tissue, patient notes, x-rays, scans, medicines and small medical equipment. The volunteer drivers from this outof-hours medical essentials courier service all hold an advanced riding qualification, are all blue light trained, Garda vetted and have signed confidentiality agreements for patient notes enabling them to transport these lifesaving medical items to hospitals and other health institutions quickly and safely.

The Blood Bike groups of Ireland are always looking to expand their services into other areas of the country, in order to continue to provide their free of charge service to the HSE by Blood Bike’s unpaid volunteers. The various Blood Bike branches work in conjunction with one another, whereby they meet at a half way point where possible in order to

transfer the urgent medical items from one bike to another, and this ultimately prevents bikes from being out of their particular region for a long period of time, and it also helps to reduce the fuel costs for the bikes.

The Blood Bike groups of Ireland must increase their fleet of emergency response bikes (which are fully kitted out and adapted to carry the medical products) due to the increased demand for medical services in Ireland and they must continue to fund petrol for the bikes (in excess of €300 per month) along with ensuring that all of the vehicles are insured, taxed and maintained for safety and functionality purposes. Funds are also necessary for the training of new riders along with the official high-visibility emergency blood jackets, which must be worn when traveling on a bike Furthermore, the Blood Bike groups of Ireland must consider the necessity of an emergency response car, in order to continue to transport life-saving medical items at times when weather conditions deem travel unsafe for two wheels.

SVP DROP-IN CENTRE THE SVP Drop-In Centre Limerick was opened in November 2002 at the back of Ozanam House, Hartstonge Street. The Centre is currently open Monday – Friday from 10.00 am – 4.30 pm and on Saturdays from 11.00 am – 1.00 pm. Although the centre has 2 permanent staff members and 1 part time staff member, the running of the centre would be nothing without the help and reliability of over 30 volunteers.

The Centre offers services that support and improve the quality of the lives of people who are in need in Limerick City and the surrounding area.

service provision is Person Centred, Non Directive and Non Judgemental. In keeping with the ethos of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul the Centre offers services that meet the needs of the whole person.”

A major goal of the Drop-In Centre is to help prevent the progression to homelessness by those in accommodation but vulnerable to becoming homeless. The Centre itself is a drug and alcohol free area that strives to be a place where people can spend time in a wholesome atmosphere. This atmosphere allows service users to utilise the services

Many of the bikes have names (such as Leah, Sophie and Juliet), and these names reflect some of the children and adults that the Blood Bike groups of Ireland have helped over the last number of years, by transporting life-saving equipment, blood and milk to them and the hospitals that they have stayed in.

Essentially, the service of transporting life-saving blood, medical notes, biological samples, etc. by hired taxi/courier/private groups from one hospital to another would cost the HSE thousands of euros per year; therefore, the Blood Bike groups of Ireland strive to deliver these medical items entirely free of charge, in order to relieve some of the financial pressure placed upon the HSE, and prevent the tying up of the ambulance service. This subsequently enables the HSE to put their saved funds to better use, and ultimately help to save more lives throughout the country.

The Centre provides Day Care Facilities to those who have nowhere to go including: • Street homeless who cannot access hostel accommodation.

• Homeless people who are placed in Bed and Breakfast accommodation but who have to vacate their rooms during the day.

• People in hostels who have a need to move out during the day and again have no place to go.

• People with accommodation who are doing badly and living in relative isolation and poverty.

• People living alone and in need of companionship and contact.

The Centre strives to empower individuals through the provision of advice, support and advocacy to clients and for equality of health provision through its work with the Partnership for Health Equity. The Centre works to create links between clients and other service providers that are best placed to help and provides excellent support to clients particularly those in the initial stages of renting accommodation and to those returning to education.

Tom Fylnn from SVP Drop in Centre Limerick enlightened us with the approach the centre takes towards its activities: “The approach to

SVP provides to keep themselves from homelessness.

The Centre and its staff welcome service users and make them feel at home and support them with personal issues. One way in which this is achieved is through the Centre’s Coffee Shop which provides soup, sandwiches, tea or coffee to the Centre’s visitors. During its opening hours service users are welcome to remain at the Centre for as long as they wish, can avail of the shower and laundry facilities and request a change of clothes.

The Centre’s staff help service users to secure accommodation and process rent supplement applications while continuing to support clients in the early months after securing accommodation. The Centre supports service users with addiction issues through the implementation of a harm reduction model which aims to minimise the consequences associated with addictive behaviours. The Centre also acts as an information and referral agency for other services that are working in the homeless sector and a wide range of other needs including social welfare and social service needs.

10

February 2016/2 ERASMUS

Erasmus Diary

Actually having to live somewhere else Like a YouTube playlist that seems to never end, I’m back with my second Erasmus update of the semester. In case you missed the last episode...err, I mean article, I am a third year journalism student, on Erasmus for this semester in the University of the West of Scotland.

SEÁN LYNCH SO, after weeks of planning I was due to fly to Glasgow at the end of January. This was my first time flying, so I felt like the smallest country mouse you could imagine. Thankfully the plane was just about as up in the air as my Erasmus planning.

(Pause for laughter at the lame pun attempt.)

The town where I would be living and studying for the semester, Ayr, was 50 minutes south-west of Glasgow city on a train, so it was quite a trek to get from the airport to the town.

Although I ended up getting extremely lost in the town, some lovely Scottish policemen pointed me in the right direction. I was eventually able to move into my new apartment, although we won’t talk about the state of the kitchen with full bin bags lying on the floor and the sink clogged with all sorts of food.

Despite the fairly poor exchange rate, shopping isn’t too expensive here. With plenty of supermarkets in the town like Aldi and Morrisons, weekly shops never cost more than £15, with regular price discounts.

There are plenty of shopping centres nearby, but Ayr Central really has all the essential student shops: Poundland, Subway, Costa, River Island and, most importantly, Primark. Having Poundland so close meant that I could buy all the toiletries, pots and other essentials there, while Primark meant that I could buy enough scarves to replace the

ones I had to leave at home.

Undoubtedly the most traumatising time of my Erasmus so far was first the 24 hours where I had no Wi-Fi or internet access. The university requires students to go through enrolment and register before getting a username and password to log into the Wi-Fi. Since I was too lazy to walk to McDonalds, I just watched the box-sets of Will & Grace and Keeping Up Appearances that I thankfully brought along with me. The next day, I managed to log into the Eduroam Wi-Fi, using my UL login details. If those 24 hours without internet access showed me anything, it’s that I would not make it in an apocalypse without Twitter.

Once I was able to register my modules I was added to the student Wi-Fi list, so I have more options for internet access here than I did in UL. Just in terms of modules, because the university here has such a great sports journalism programme and as I never took the chance to study that in UL, I’m taking modules in Sports Feature Writing, Global Issues in Sport and Global Perspectives.

Anyone who knows me will probably be a little bit surprised that I am taking so many pass/ fail sports modules, but I have already been able to write about transgender participation in sport and the feminist theories behind clothing women are forced to wear in some sports, which are exactly the kind of things that fascinate me.

I had planned on getting a UK sim for my phone for the time I

am here, but since I would only ever use it for online data, which I would only need when I’m not in the university, or apartment, and for calling home, I decided to keep using my Irish sim.

I also planned on opening a new bank account in Scotland, but since they offer free withdrawals at most ATMs here and also from my own student account in Ireland, I decided not to bother, since I’ll only have to pay for the conversion from Euro to Pound Sterling.

Anyway, now that I’ve been here three weeks, I’ve easily taken a million and one photos for Instagram of the town and some of its beautiful spots: the river, beach, paths, bridges and architecture. I have plans to go to the upcoming Glasgow v.

Munster rugby match and hopefully going to see some of the acts in the Glasgow Comedy Festival. Those are just some of my plans, but there’s plenty of time left for exploring and experiencing what Scotland has to offer.

I’m planning my first trip back to Ireland to vote in the election, mainly because return tickets only cost £20 when booked in advance. But, that’s it for my second update on my Erasmus experience. I have to say that time is genuinely flying by over here; I’ve been here almost a month now. It won’t be too long until I’m back in UL! If you want to keep up to date on my Erasmus banter, or have any questions to fire my way, you can follow me on Twitter at the amazingly creative name: @ seanlynch96.

11

February 2016/2 FRESHERS/CO-OP

Fresher’s Diary: A flying semester so far KIERA THORNTON AS of the past two weeks I have been rudely plunged back into the academic side of university. This was in the form of a PowerPoint presentation I had to do in one of my tutorials in week three, and, keeping in mind that I as a misanthropic almost-recluse generally dislike doing class presentations, I feel as if I did reasonably okay. I got all the points I wanted to make across in a decently elocuted manner and was not overly intimidated by the crowd, all six or seven people who bothered to show up for the class.

I have noticed that the attendance of some people appears to have suffered this semester, in particular my early morning and late afternoon and evening classes have seen a decline in the amount of students turning up. For me it is ideal since I am in a course which requires me to speak in front of my classmates a lot and the smaller numbers make that slightly easier.

With my ďŹ rst assignment as such out of the way, I have realised how soon my other projects are encroaching on me. A few of my modules have other presentations and group assignments which I anticipate with dread, not to mention that the mid-semester tests I have in certain classes really are not that far away.

While I have been performing well, I could of course be doing a lot more continuous revision than I currently am. Yet I feel like the amount of work I am

doing will not change between now and these tests and projects and I am going to end up super stressed out on the evenings before deadlines, just like ďŹ rst semester, and such is the life of a university student.

Another occurrence since I wrote my last installment of the Fresher’s Diary was having to attend a mandatory meeting about my co-operative education next year. If anything, I have been left feeling more unsettled about leaving campus (and probably leaving the country) for work experience in the second semester of second year.

Some prospective employers spoke to us, none of which appeared immediately attractive to spend ďŹ ve months working for, and generally the prospect of leaving behind a university I have just begun to feel very familiar with and at home in for a semester, plus another in third year for Erasmus, is actually beginning to sound like an extremely daunting prospect. It is confusing, considering I previously highly anticipated going abroad as a part of my degree.

I feel like it would be very tempting if I were able to simply freeze this moment in my life and carry on living in it again and again, yet of course I know that at some stage I have to graduate and leave this behind and in a way it is sort of sad. Not to mention that both work experience and Erasmus are said to be ultimately positive and productive programs to take part in that make students well-equipped for the future, so I feel that the pros most certainly outweigh the cons.

MY CO-OP EXPERIENCE:

Allowing creativity to triumph over sense ANNA PARKES

“The chief enemy of creativity is good sense.� ~ Pablo Picasso The past couple of weeks at the Learning Hub, Limerick have marked the welcome return of the Story Hub programme. As someone with a passion for writing, this was an element that attracted me so strongly to the Hub when initially pondering possible co-op placements.

Thus, I could not wait to sink my teeth into this project as it restarted after its Winter hibernation. On a dreary, early Tuesday morning the anticipatory ďŹ zz of excited children brightened up a decidedly dull day. The budding authors grouped together for a brainstorming session. As a team, they began to develop a protagonist, plot and introduction for the story they would later ďŹ nish individually.

Mere moments into our group discussion it becomes vividly clear that good sense has been abandoned for the

superior force of creativity.

The children’s ďŹ rst task is to develop a hero that will be the driving force behind their tale. In an age that is undoubtedly saturated with technology and media, it is often argued that children have lost the abilities of creativity and imagination. If these critics were to enter the Story Hub, they would surely realise this is not always the case!

Some of the character suggestions are truly fantastic. They include a “catďŹ shâ€? (Not the underwater creature, but a literal cat/ ďŹ sh hybrid), a Super Pug and a unicorn. Eventually, we manage to settle on one idea – Mr.Banana, a banana adorned with multicoloured stripes and broomsticks for legs. Does this character make sense? Not particularly.

Is he a lot of fun and an excellent showcase of creativity?

Yes! Our world is one consumed by sadness and seriousness, regimented by rules and norms. It is a welcome break to abandon logic and escape to the carefree world of a child’s imagination, if only for a short time.

A break from reality could

also be found in the Art Hub. St. Patricks Day is fast approaching, and by its side is the renowned Limerick City parade! This year the Learning Hub students have been inspired by all things galactic and are working on a space themed oat. The Senior Art students spent this weeks class experimenting with face paint, transforming themselves into crazy alien creatures. I even volunteered to model, and ended my day with an alien princess design adorning my face.

Common sense would have encouraged me to wipe the look from my skin before I left. However, in the spirit of creativity I proudly wore my new cosmic look home. Yes, I got a few strange looks on the bus. But to be honest, I really didn’t care! It injected a little bit of imagination into a day so often ruled by normality – and it made my fellow commuters smile, if nothing else. Picasso had a point. Of course there is a time and a place for common sense. But sometimes the best thing to do is to let creativity ourish and escape reality – even if it is only a temporary break.

Perhaps you could say I am thinking way too far into the future as I still have two semesters left on campus before I have to leave for work experience. I also have plenty to keep me occupied in the meantime. Alongside my academic work, I am now on the committee of a society, co-presenting on a ULFM show (Fridays 12pm-2pm, everyone!) and writing for An Focal, so I am fulďŹ lling my pledge to be more active this semester. Hopefully my grades will not slip as a result!

One thing I need to work on is getting more rest since my sleeping patterns have become rather all over the place recently and the sleep deprivation I am experiencing is having a negative effect on my ability to concentrate in classes and on my assignments. Unrelated to academia, it would help my quality of life in general if I learned to spend money more wisely, as my foolish spending has left me with roughly ₏15 to live on for the week ahead at the time of writing. No excuse, it is truly an awful reection on my budgeting capabilities.

By the time you are reading this, it will have been the third issue of An Focal this semester. That means three remain. Be under no illusion that second semester is ying so far and we will be knee-deep in exam season before we know where we are. This has been your update from your intrepid fresher representative.

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12

February 2016/2 LOOKING BACK

A look through the archives: 1999 EILÍS WALSH IN this issue’s look through the archives we go waaaaay back to 1999, when I was just four years old. The article is titled “Things we’d like to see less of in 1999” and contains twelve different things, be it a person, topic or a thing. I’m going to single out five of these things and see if any of the things that were seen to be relevant in 1999 are at all a topic of conversation seventeen years later in 2016.

Titanic The film was released in 1997 to wide critical acclaim.

A widely female audience were destroyed again and again when a floppy haired Leonardo DiCaprio froze to death while Rose clung uselessly to a wooden door. It seems that two years later that a large majority were sick of hearing the lines “Draw me like one of your French girls”. Well I hate to break it to you but Titanic is still as relevant now as it was back then. In February 2016 it’s award season and every time Kate Winslet and Leo cross paths it prompts a stream of articles. Kate Winslet was recently interviewed on Jimmy Kimmel Live and she admitted that the broken door on which Rose sought refuge in the film could have easily have fit Jack. Thus saving his life. Duh, something we all saw from the beginning.

Still doesn’t bring him back though does it?

Gardai The name itself suggests something positive. Guardians of the peace. In 1999 they were a source of annoyance, stating that students were getting “seven shades of sh*t kicked out of them as they staggered home from The Lodge”. However in 2016 I feel the Gardai are getting a lot of abuse. I’ve read lots of stories were Gardai have been injured with glass bottles, stones and more recently a story where a Garda was dragged along the road by a female motorist at a checkpoint. Scary stuff.

Most of the time I find that the Gardai or “the guards” as we call them are quite agreeable unless you really f*ck up. Personally I think if we don’t wreck the place there’s no reason why you have to interact with the Gardai at all. It’s really quite simple.

Internet nerds Back in 1999 the internet was a relatively new thing, not everyone had it and it

was slower than a tortoise.

Spending time on the internet playing games was seen as a nerdy thing to do. In 2016 nearly everyone has access to it. You still have people doing weird things online, whether it’s talking to foreigners on Omegle, spending hours looking at stupid memes or watching a baby eating a lemon for the first time. There are really endless possibilities on the internet. However it’s not

just internet nerds that use it.

You get all sorts of weirdos on it, seriously.

Millennium Celebrations Who even remembers where they were or what they were doing when the millennium occurred? I certainly don’t. I was five years old and I don’t think I even knew what was going on.

But when you think of it,

it means you lived through both the 20th and 21st century. Which is pretty cool when you think about it. What is special about the year 2016? Not much. It’s a leap year, which means the Olympics will be occurring later this year. It’s also the Year of the Monkey according to the Chinese zodiac.

Two pieces of information that don’t really mean that much. In fairness, it’s been sixteen years since the year

2000 so it’s not really that special any more.

Orangemen Back in 1999 they were also causing a ruckus every time they held their marches.

For my Leaving Cert I had to study a Heaney poem and was given a background to the sort of activity that went on during the marches. In Belfast, to protest against the Orangemen marching

with their British flags, the Nationalists used to bang their bin lids in protest. A quote said “the dust-bins high and silent”. In 2016 Orange Order parades still occur and people protest back. Will the struggle between those wanting to be part of the United Kingdom and those who would rather die than be called British ever end? I can’t imagine a life where that exists. But who knows?

13

February 2016/2 REVIEWS

DEADPOOL MICHAEL BOYLE Deadpool is a superhero comedy film starring Ryan Reynolds as the title character. He’s played a version of the character before in 2009’s ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ which, for good reason, this movie totally ignores aside from a clever dig.

If you somehow haven’t seen any of the trailers or other amazing marketing material for Deadpool, you’ll know exactly what kind of movie this is from the opening credits alone. Pro tip: don’t bring any kids with you to see this movie, as this is nothing like the Marvel Studios films you’re probably familiar with. It certainly deserves its 16 rating! Though Deadpool is a Marvel property, his film rights currently lie with 20th Century Fox along with the X-Men, so you won’t see him appear in an Avengers movie any time soon.

Perhaps Marvel Comics’ most unconventional superhero, Deadpool is known for his vulgar, violent and immature personality as well as his tendency to break the fourth wall, often addressing the audience directly and overall awareness that he’s in a comic book, or in this case a film. Thankfully, just about everything about the character is faithfully portrayed in this movie, much to the relief of fans. It makes you wonder why Fox can’t seem to get X-Men right, particularly their costumes (I blame Brian Singer, but that’s a story for another day).

So, the story: a rather conventional plot, but executed in a very unconventional style. The comedy is excellent. It’s the funniest movie I’ve seen in a long time. Much of the humour is very clever, the fourth wall-breaking in particular, not to mention some sidesplitting physical comedy. The action is thrilling, the scene on the highway in particular had me at the edge of my seat as well as laughing throughout. There is of course CGI, but it’s used sparingly which is a breath of fresh air. Colossus is entirely CGI and looks photorealistic, but some of Deadpool’s flips and bounces looked slightly rubbery. But this is just a nitpick.

Aside from the ridiculous comedy and over-the-top action, there’s also a lot of heart. The love story between Ryan Reynolds’ Wade Wilson and his love interest played by Morena Baccarin is a joy to watch. The mutual rudeness of their relationship really adds to their charm. Overall the story has a small-ish scale to it, due to its relatively small budget but also because it’s a very personal revenge and love story. Which is a nice change because of the over-saturation of superhero movies at the moment, many of which include scenes of massive city destruction with no emotional connection.

Ryan Reynolds is brilliant. I know people say this all the time, but he was born to play this part. Or rather, Deadpool was born to have Ryan Reynolds play him. He suits the part incredibly well.

I’m a fan of Ryan Reynolds, despite his film career being less than stellar. He really shines as Wade Wilson/Deadpool and is genuinely

hilarious as well as carrying emotional moments very well. All the other performances are very good too, with Morena Baccarin as Wilson’s girlfriend, TJ Miller as his friend Weasel, Brianna Hildebrand and Stefan Kapicic as the two X-Men, Colossus and ‘Negasonic Teenage Warhead’ (yes you read that right), with Ed Skrein and Gina Carano as the two main baddies, Ajax and Angel Dust.

Fun fact: Reynolds has been trying to get this movie made for eleven years. A script was written about six years ago and Fox gave Reynolds, director Tim Miller and a small crew a modest budget to make a CGI screen test, which upon completion ended up sitting on a shelf until it was ‘accidentally’ leaked online 2 years ago. The reaction was immensely positive. People loved what they saw and wanted more, so the movie was given the green light immediately.

The timing of this film couldn’t be better, what with the countless comic book movies that have come out for the past few years and for many years to come. Don’t get me wrong, I love me a good comic book movie, but this movie really pokes fun at the genre and does something new with it in a way movies like ‘Kick-Ass’ never have. And to be fair, Marvel Studios do a good job with making most of their films be more than just a “super hero genre”, for example Guardians of the Galaxy being a sci-fi space adventure (though I wouldn’t exactly consider Guardians a super hero movie), Captain America: The Winter Soldier being a political thriller and Ant-Man being a heist movie. So it was good to see Fox try to do something new and with the Marvel properties they currently own and take a risk with them.

Junkie XL aka Tom Holkenborg does a great job with the movie’s score, with an interesting decision to sample the intro to Michael Jackson’s ‘Beat It’ and use that as the score’s main motif. A fair amount of the score is generic orchestral fluff, but the rest is very good, making good use of a bass guitar, drums and synthesized sounds. Something that frustrates me when listening to the album is that there are brief moments of brilliance in the score that only last ten seconds or so. The soundtrack could easily be incredible if moments like these were extended and used as the basis for some tracks. But overall it’s really quite good and unconventional.

‘Maximum Effort’ is probably the best track.

Overall, Deadpool is a massively entertaining film filled with bad language, genuine laughs, gripping fast-paced action, blood, boobs and butts. I’d highly recommend it, just don’t think it’s anything like the Avengers movies and bring your 8 year old Marvel fan nephew.

BOOK REVIEW

The Disaster Artist DEAN MALONEY TO describe the mythical existence that is Tommy Wiseau is not a simple task.

A man with an unfathomable supply of cash and an origin with no trace, he showed up on the movie scene out of nowhere in 2003 with his $7 million budget self-directed, self-directed and self-written flop called The Room, and gained infamous recognition worldwide while the “Citizen Kane of bad films” attained cult status. The film still fills theatres across the world today, as moviegoers dress up as parodies of the film’s characters and laugh in unison at the numerous nonsensical scenes that are presented with no shame whatsoever.

Wiseau himself can often be found among the audiences, rallying up the crowd as his disaster masterpiece continues to entertain and bewilder.

However, the story behind The Room was left untold for over 10 years and many began to wonder, how was $7 million dollars possibly spent on the entire film? How did Tommy Wiseau acquire his fortune which he used as an investment? Most importantly, where did the film go wrong? The Disaster Artist, a 2013 book in collaboration with Tom Bissell by lead actor in The Room and best friend of Wiseau, Greg Sestero, gives the reader a full explanation behind what actually happened during The Room’s recording, and also delves into Wiseau’s personal life and how they became friends. Despite being over two years old, the book has been gaining attention recently as a movie starring Dave and James Franco based on it began recording in December 2015. Sestero promises to explore the surreal creation of the film and decipher the myth that is Tommy Wiseau to the

best of his ability.

The book’s structure regularly switches between time phases; the chapters tend to alternate between Sestero’s story as an aspiring actor and being on the set in The Room’s recording studio. The book is incredibly well-written, almost certainly due to Sestero’s

collaboration with Bissell, but impressive nonetheless.

Anecdotes provide the reader with insights into Wiseau as a character; for example, his tendency to only ever drink hot water is regularly revisited, and to the point where he needed it to be served in the recording studio at all times.

Each chapter is filled with bizarre stories of Wiseau’s conflicts with Sestero, the actors and the recording crew, and the reader can fully understand why Wiseau cycled between multiple actors and three recording crews before the movie was declared finished. Sestero reveals some previously untold facts about the original script and even random ideas Wiseau brainstormed on the spot (becoming a vampire and driving a Mercedes off a rooftop is particularly memorable), and allows the reader to assume had the film been recorded exactly according to Wiseau’s imagination, the result would be completely and terribly unfathomable. Reasons behind The Room’s large budget are also revealed, but as one can expect, most of them are

caused by Wiseau’s stubbornness and adamancy to become unique and successful. The chapters relating to Sestero’s rise in Hollywood are equally entertaining. Having met Wiseau in an acting school and being enthralled by his persistence and lack of acting skills, he asks him to collaborate for their next class, and their relationship blossoms in flowers and thorns from that moment on. Wiseau allows Sestero to live in his house with cheap rent while he tries to make a living, and they ended up becoming friends and going on adventures such as taking a road trip together to visit the James Dean Memorial, mainly due to Wiseau’s obsession with the actor. Despite putting each other on a roller coaster of jealousy and emotions, they put up with each other as they have experiences that ultimately end up influencing The Room’s story. The mile run that Mark and Johnny talk about halfway through the film, for example, actually happened years earlier among the two actors, and their memories of “the woman who held up the sign saying ‘Marry Me’” corresponds to

someone who they met at the time. As someone who idolizes The Room for its perfect imperfections and tends to show it to friends who never had the chance to experience the prime example of bad films, the book is what I expected and so much more.

To say I extremely enjoyed the book is an understatement, but having a fair memory of the film is definitely ideal before jumping in. The book’s conclusion describing The Room’s premiere really ties up the whole story together, and there are also some pictures throughout the book that show the two actors before, during and after The Room’s recording. All in all, if you’ve seen The Room or have any intentions of watching it, this book is a must-own. It’ll completely change your perspective on the film, and will also give you some trivia that’ll always come in handy during your next viewing with friends.

Expectations for the film adaptation are high, but it’s safe to say that there can only be one film like The Room, and likewise, only one Disaster Artist like Tommy Wiseau.

14

February 2016/2 HEALTH

Tips on getting a good night’s sleep We all know how starting a new semester goes. A fruitless attempt at reversing the horrific sleeping pattern you now have, which entails staying up to all hours of the morning and sleeping late into the day. Changing this is a lot harder than you think. Scientific research has proven that lack of sleep will kill you faster than lack of food.

EILÍS WALSH Now, I don’t think very many of us are this low on sleep but you really should consider attempting to get a decent sleep every night.

Having a good night’s sleep makes you less likely to be involved in a car crash, you’ll remain focused throughout the day and you won’t feel drained in the middle of the day. So I’ve decided to research and show you some tips to get a good night’s sleep.

1. Put away the phone. Yes and the laptop too. Your brain is extremely active when you’re watching a screen, talking to someone on social media or even just reading words on the screen. Try putting the phone away an hour before sleep and read a book for a while. I can almost guarantee you will become groggy in no time. For me this works wonders.

2. Regulate your body temperature. For me this will depend on the time of the

year. In winter it might be a good idea to have a warm shower before bed. If you’re comfortable, you will sleep quicker. During the summer when some nights it is too warm to sleep with a duvet on I recommend having a cool bath or shower. Again, this will regulate your body temperature and cool yourself down. Another tip I have learned is run hot/cold water on your wrists. This supposedly will cool/heat your blood which in turn moves all around the body.

3. Don’t eat a heavy meal before bed. My mother has repeated to this to me many times over the years.

Obviously you will have to digest this meal and your body will keep you awake as it breaks down the food.

Food will also give you energy so you’ll be raring to go in the middle of the night which is not helpful.

Have a light snack instead.

4. Exert yourself throughout the day. Yes that means, try get some exercise during the day. Walking, running or cycling will burn calories, yes, but it will also use

up your energy. So by the time you’re ready to sleep you’ll drop to sleep as soon as you hit the pillow.

sleep and try sticking to it. At least until your body gets used to a routine, it’ll be easier to settle at night.

5. Create a routine. When I say routine I mean trying to sleep at the same time.

If you sleep early one night and really late the next your body will be totally out of sync. Your body clock will be totally confused and you’ll find yourself wide awake at night and groggy during the day. I would suggest setting a time to

6. Do not worry. When I was younger I worried about not sleeping on time. This will do you no good and you will end up stressing yourself out more. I know from experience that stressing about sleep or just stressing about life in general will keep you up. Stress will put your body on high alert and you won’t able to calm

down and settle. Try taking deep breaths, ones that fill your lungs fully. You’ll gradually feel your heart rate settling and you’ll be in a calmer state.

7. Do not give yourself lie ins. Impossible as it is.

Giving yourself that extra ten minutes will actually make you sleepier and it’s the reason while you’ll be groggy for the rest of the day. Resist if you can!

Battle that sleepy feeling and roll yourself out of bed.

It’ll do you the world of good!

Getting a good night’s sleep will improve so many things: your memory, your mood, your attention span, your immune system. Honestly you will feel much better overall if you get a good night’s sleep.

Seventeen to twenty five year olds are recommended to get from between 7 – 9 hours sleep if possible. Try some of these tips and see if they benefit you in any way.

Mind your Mental Heath 8: SKIN PICKING AISLING O'CONNOR SKIN Picking Disorder (also known as Dermatillomania or Excoriation) is a disorder in which one repeatedly picks, touches, rubs or scratches their skin to remove blemishes or perceived imperfections.

SPD is related to forms of OCD and body-dysmorphia and can develop from anxiety, depression, during stressful periods or from a scab or rash which is excessively picked.

SPD is a form of “BodyFocused Repetitive Behaviours” which is in the same category as hair pulling and nail biting. Skin-picking can bring feelings of relief to the

sufferer but can lead to scarring and infection.

Like always, we have the treatments at hand: • Hypnosis: hypnosis can help determine why one picks their skin and also serve as a method of getting the sufferer to stop on an unconscious level.

• Physical barriers: wearing sleeves or gloves where possible help to break the habit of picking the skin.

• Habit Reversal Training: this is a form of CognitiveBehavioural Therapy (CBT) which involves uncovering the physical and emotional triggers of the sufferer.

Once they’re understood the sufferer can then establish

alternative coping mechanisms. For example: squeezing a rubber ball when one feels the urge to pick, there are rings available online

with little cogs in them one can fidget with.

• Stimulus Control: This focuses on the environmental aspects. One may

be triggered in certain environments and altering these may making picking a less likely occurrence.

For example: if touching the skin is a trigger, put on a plaster so you don’t feel it, if sitting for long periods is a trigger make sure to move around etc.

• Counselling: counselling can be a space for one to explain or to uncover why exactly they behave like this and to develop the coping mechanisms and alternatives best suited to the individual.

• Support groups: suffering from mental illness can be extremely lonely and isolating, support groups help

make individuals suffering feel less alone as they can talk to people experience the same thing. Venting always helps and people who understand from their own experience can provide advice on how they cope.

• Medication: anti-depressants can be prescribed for underlying depression and anxiety.

• Mind your skin: if you have any open wounds ensure they’re washed and sanitized to prevent infection, put on a plaster or bandage.

Pseudo cream is used for rashes, cuts, burns etc.

Twitter: @thisdreamsalive

15

February 2016/2 CREATIVE WRITING

Allure STEPHEN RIORDAN “DRINKING alone?”

“I’m not interested,” Scott sat hunched over a glass of whiskey.

“Wow. Now I get why you’re by yourself.” A whiff of lavender passed over Scott.

He sighed and turned. A pretty young woman was standing before him; short blonde hair, dark knowing eyes and a turquoise dress that complemented her curves.

“Sorry; rough day at work.”

“We’ve all been there. It’s okay. Name’s Tanya,” she popped herself on a stool and thrust out her hand.

“Scott Holloway.”

Tanya smiled. She had a beauty spot above her upper lip.

“Well? Aren’t you going to get me a drink?”

Scott flinched. Who is this woman? He sighed and pulled out his wallet. “Yeah sure.

What’ll you have?”

“I’ll have a margarita on the rocks, salt on the rim, with a lime slice.”

Scott stared. “Is that it? What about a sparkler? Or maybe a small umbrella?”

“No, that’ll do. I’m not fussy.”

Scott scoffed and ordered as the band started to play Miles Davis’ “Nuit Sur Les Champs-Élysées.”

“Oh, I love this song.” Tanya tilted her head back; the light caught the delicate line of her neck. “It’s quite appropriate actually.”

“Why’s that?” Scott asked as the bartender served Tanya’s drink.

“Listen to how lonely the trumpet sounds. It’s like you: all dark and mysterious.”

“What makes you think I’m lonely?”

“Well you were sitting here by yourself, and you’re not wearing a wedding ring,” she sipped her drink. “So either you’re divorced or you’re really unlucky with women.”

“Or maybe I haven’t met any women that interest me,” Scott chugged down his drink. It stung his throat. “Excuse me.” He got up to leave.

Tanya grabbed his arm. “No, I’m sorry, please don’t go. I know I’ve got a big mouth.

I’ll stop, I promise.” Her eyes pleaded.

“Alright, but it’s your turn to get the drinks.”

“No problem,” Tanya ordered a round. “So what do you do for a living Scott?”

“I work for an insurance firm.”

Tanya straightened up. “Oh interesting. That’s a lot of responsibility. Is it stressful?”

“It can be, at times.”

The band began again. The singer’s voice floated across the room as she did a rendition of Billie Holiday’s “I’m a Fool to Want You.” “Can you believe Billie Holiday passed away three years ago?”

“Really? Did she die in ’59?”

“Yeah. She went too early.”

“It was tragic.”

“The singer looks a lot like her actually.”

Scott turned to a woman in gold. She did have a striking resemblance to Billie Holiday.

Same skin tone and figure. The lyrics seemed to pain her as she held herself.

“So what did you say you did?”

“A bit of this and that,” Tanya sipped her drink. “Oh, look who it is.” She jumped off her stool and ran into the arms of a man.

He looked sharp in his shirt and trousers. The dim light played with his olive skin. He had a short beard and striking green eyes. His hands caressed Tanya’s bare arms.

“This is Scott Holloway,” Tanya led the man over. “Scott, this is Isaac, a friend of mine.”

“Nice to meet you,” Scott shook his hand. Isaac smiled with his eyes. “I should leave you two to it,” Scott stepped away.

“No, please join us,” Tanya begged again.

“Yeah chief, what’s the hurry?” Isaac led him to a table facing the band. “I’ll get us a round.”

The three were laughing and half listening to the music.

Empty glasses were crowding the table.

“But wouldn’t it be amazing to go to Paris?” Tanya waved her hands. “Walk along the boulevards and eat in fancy restaurants.”

“Isn’t New Orleans exciting enough for you?” Whiskey splashed onto the table as Scott

waved his drink.

“I agree with Scotty here,” Isaac slapped him on the back.

“Good, pure American values.

That’s what the world needs.

Europeans are old fashioned and snooty. They’ve all got something shoved up their asses.” The two men stared at each other and began laughing.

“You two are a pair of boys,” Tanya lit a cigarette. “You have a couple of drinks, and all of a sudden you forget you’re men.”

“I’m sorry,” Isaac drew an arm around Tanya. “Hey, I’ve got an idea for a bit of fun. How about we head down to Bourbon, it’s gotta be more exciting than this joint.”

Scott, Isaac and Tanya tramped down the street in the humid night. The setting sun cast a pink hue over the city.

They turned onto Bourbon and were bombarded with sound and colour. Music blared; people sang and laughed; glasses clinked; dresses swished; feet stomped.

They jostled through the crowd and passed clubs and bars. One place was bursting with people dancing to “It Don’t Mean a Thing if it Ain’t Got That Swing.” The band was going wild as they tried to play above the raucous crowd.

A couple doors down, a trumpet was breaking hearts with “Blue Moon.” Couples swayed under the dim light.

The three drank, sang and danced until the moon shone overhead. They were sitting at a street corner. People were saying their goodbyes, others were kissing down side streets.

“Well boys. That’s about as much fun as I can handle tonight,” Tanya announced.

“And I need my beauty sleep.

This pretty face takes work,” she kissed Isaac on the cheek.

“Goodnight,” a kiss for Scott.

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t,” she sang as she walked away.

“She’s something else,” Scott said.

“She sure is,” replied Isaac.

“Well, I should get going too.”

“I can give you a ride. My car’s just up a couple of blocks away.”

The pair shuffled through the streets, Isaac supporting Scott. They made it to his car.

Scott fumbled with his keys and dropped them.

“Why don’t you let me drive?”

“Probably,” he hiccuped, “a good idea.”

Scott stumbled in the door to his apartment. “Home sweet home.”

“Wow, what a place,” Isaac whistled as he gazed around.

There were brown sofas, a cream carpet, a walnut coffee table, and sleek countertops. “It looks like something out of a style magazine.”

“It’s just stuff I picked up here and there,” Scott tried to put some ice into two glasses. It spilled over the countertop. He felt a hand on his lower back.

“Why don’t you let me do that?”

Scott turned. “You’re the boss, but don’t be stingy on the whiskey.” He staggered and fell onto the sofa.

Isaac brought over the drinks.

“Cheers,” they emptied their glasses. Scott thought it tasted off and laid back as a warmth spread through him. He felt a hand touch his leg. Isaac was grinning. His hand moved up Scott’s thigh until it was at his crotch. Scott’s heart was thumping. A breeze came from the window; the curtain stirred.

Isaac’s lips were glistening. He brought his hand to the back of Scott’s neck. The pair moved closer. Their lips met. Scott groaned. The other man’s beard scratched his face.

They moved into the bedroom.

Scott fell onto his back, Isaac on top. A dizziness passed over him.

He was sweating. The room was spinning. All he could see were two green eyes and a pearly grin peering down at him. Blackness shrouded his view as he passed out.

The alarm clock woke Scott.

He arose, holding his head. A foul taste of stale alcohol lingered on his tongue. He noticed his safe was open. It had been cleaned out.

“Jesus Christ.” His stomach fell. He slammed the door and went out to the living room.

There were clothes and glasses strewn across the floor. A note was laying on the coffee table next to his apartment keys. His car keys were missing.

Sorry sweetheart. It’s nothing personal. Just doing business. X He ran to the window; the car was gone.

“F**k,” he held his thumping head in his hands, and picked up the phone.

“Operator. How can I direct your call?”

“Put me through to the Royal Street police station.”

“Royal Street Police Department, what is your emergency?”

“I’ve just been robbed,” Scott explained about meeting Isaac and about his stolen money and keys.

“Sir, if you had just met this man, what was he doing in your apartment?”

“Well we were just… having a few drinks,” Scott’s mouth ran dry. “Look, are you going to catch this guy or not?” He was sweating.

“Well sir, you will have to come down to the station to file a report.”

“I’ll be right there.”

The phone clicked back into place. Scott wandered over to the bathroom, and showered. He shrugged into a shirt and combed his hair as he scrutinized himself in the mirror. There was a love bite on his neck. He traced his fingers over the tender skin, and shook his head. Never again.

He stepped over the mess in his apartment. As he left, the door shut behind him; a silence echoed through the room.

Just One CHRIS DUNNE One more cigarette, Just one, Grab a lighter.

Strike flint, Spark up, It’ll make the night brighter.

My conscience lies bare, Not Silk Cut, Smoke shrouded.

Read more, Write more, It’ll soon come unclouded.

For that’s life isn’t it?

Ashes to Ashes.

We Spark, We Fade, Then we Die, Full of Gashes.

Six Word Stories SEAMUS TOOMEY

70 billion animals dead. Steak Є5.

1 night = 9 months = 18 years.

Engagement ring for sale. Never worn.

Irish Free State established. 116 dead.

16

February 2016/2 COMMENT

The death of my one true love Welcome to the Machine, a hit off Pink Floyd’s 1975 album Wish You Were Here, as well as Bruce Springsteen’s hit Dancing In The Dark from his 1985 album Born in The USA explain their respective disenchantment and disillusionment with the music industry.

Roger Waters obviously conveys the industry as a machine, which is fueled by profit-hungry managers who discourage artistic values.

Springsteen was practically forced by his manager Jon Landau to write this song after a reported altercation, so Bruce wrote a hit about not being able to write a hit that would please people.

The idea of a flawed and faltering music industry is explained in these songs from the 70’s and 80’s and the idea has germinated and blossomed ever since then into a vine which is chocking the artistic nature out of music. The true nature of music is now dead or at the very least in a critical

condition for all of those who refuse to stray beyond the confines of mainstream music.

We now live in an age of repetitive radio music containing nonsensical lyrics, it is an industry driven by fan girls and profit more than ever before. It is an industry run by figures whose soul intent is to

sate the appetite of young girls and people who are willing to swoon over ‘artists’ who attained overnight success due only to the existence of platforms such as social media or reality television shows.

These fame attaining platforms didn’t exist in the 60’s through to the 80’s, a period

regarded (and rightly so) as the golden era of music. Artists of that bygone age had to prove their worth before ever gaining fame and had to fight tooth and nail to keep hold of their relevance in comparison to the modern day artist who can release a ‘hit’ single every two years to keep themselves afloat.

In times gone by, music was a matter of artistic quality and was judged by actual music.

Nowadays it’s a matter of who is more controversial in terms of their private life, independent from their music; who has the best marketing team; who has the greediest and most profit hungry manager behind them; oh and having a pretty face and sexy body counts a lot now too.

Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen (who, I’ll be honest, I have never heard of before), in an interview I found hit the nail on the head in terms

of my argument. He explains how: “People love heavy metal, people love rock and roll and people love guitar players but there’s no money in it. Simply because the labels, the retailers, the distributors, the manufacturers’ graphic designers, and photographers and so on, they are not making money… so they say fuck this and they go do something else. The new groups that start in a garage are not going to get exposed and the fans are not going to get new music.”

Noel Gallagher has been quoted as saying: “If you’re number one in the charts now, you’re automatically shit.” He may have been a little rash but in saying that let’s be honest, there is a strong element of truth in what he says - Look at the 2014 album sales, for the first time ever ‘old’ music has out-sold new music, and it did so by 4.3 Million copies.

AIDAN QUINN

This depicts that there are indeed still fans out there but will they hear their favourite artists on the radio, on the TV or in a club on a night out? Of course not, people with “weird” tastes in music are branded into the alternative, indie and hipster subculture.

It’s said that after every boom there must be a lull but the lull now has the previously mentioned fame-attaining platforms which didn’t exist during the boom, and these platforms are a factor in the demise of music.

It is also said that it will come good again and that everything occurs in cycles but as far as I’m concerned it is ruined for as long as one can gain instant popularity overnight and I don’t imagine people are willing to sacrifice social media, so I guess music is ruined forever.

Concussion- Is it all in the head?

MUIREANN DUFFY

ONE of the biggest problems faced by contact sports today is concussion, and the burning question is how do we protect our players from the naturally physical nature of the games they play?

Concussion is when the brain shakes inside the skull due to force, such as a hit to the head. Sometimes the person can be knocked unconscious, but not always, which is why it is not always easily spotted. When someone gets a concussion, they can experience nausea, dizziness and memory loss, but the long term effects are much more worrying. When the brain has been traumatised, as it is when you’re concussed, it is more susceptible to further damage, and multiple concussions can lead to problems with speech, movement and learning.

Concussion has become a major talking point in the GAA and rugby, and thankfully progress is being made. Take any rugby match. When a player gets a knock to the head, or even a heavy hit to the body, if they show a single sign that causes concern to the referee, officials, or any other player on the field, they will immediately be removed from play and taken to be examined by the team doctor. If they pass the doctor’s tests, they are free to return to play, if they fail, they must follow the back to play protocol which can take up to three weeks. No one disputes this rule because we now

know how important it is.

So why are we talking about concussion now? The answer is that the RBS 6 Nations kicked-off recently and Ireland’s fly-half, Johnny Sexton

has been a cause for concern in regard to concussion for a while now, but recently the problem has gotten worse.

The Irish Independent covered the story, with columnist and

rugby pundit, George Hook writing that he believes Sexton should even consider retiring because of his concussion history. The reason Johnny Sexton would be such a loss

if he were to retire is the exact same reason he is so often concussed; he’s a key player.

As fly-half, Sexton dictates much of the Irish game.

Kicking from the tee is only

a small part of Johnny’s job, although it’s what he’s most famous for. Sexton is always right in the thick of it because he has a pivotal role in most of Irish plays, and luckily for Ireland, Johnny is very good at that role. The problem arises when the opposition begin to realise how he good he is. He becomes a man with a bounty on his head. Take out the key player and the team will fall apart.

So what happens when a player on the opposition sees Johnny Sexton with the ball and nothing in their way?

They’re going to bulldoze him to the ground and make sure it hurts. Sexton has become a target and all those hits have taken their toll on him, but now the problem is that the opposition know his weakness. As bad as it might sound, if a player knows that Sexton is susceptible to concussion, they now know how to get rid of him if they want to, and when the going gets tough, the Machiavellian human nature kicks in and Johnny Sexton will hobble off the pitch to be assessed by the team doctor yet again.

So concussion is no joke.

With serious short and long term effects, it needs to be taken seriously on and off the pitch. Everyone in sport should be able to spot the symptoms and know what to do in the event of a player sustaining a concussion. Although some injuries might make players look like hypochondriacs, concussion defiantly isn’t all in the head.

17

February 2016/2 COMMENT

A day in the life of a GEMS student We have finally reached the next glorious step in med school: clerkship. Or, to the rest of the world: where we start the never-ending road of becoming safe and competent doctors.

MIRA PAVAN

later and ask for their permission to be a practice exam scenario.

05:30 – First alarm goes off. Switch on water tank. Crawl back into bed for last moments of warmth and safety.

08:30 – Make your way to theatre. Realize that your scrub size is gone because it’s after 07:30. Pull of XXL scrubs like Beyoncé wearing a poncho and hammer pants.

05:45 – Second alarm goes off. Shower, put on clothes, preferably with pockets. Make breakfast. Because food is important and necessary for me to be a functioning human being and not a growly bear.

13:00 – Realize that amidst being grilled by a stern, but friendly, surgeon, you haven’t eaten lunch yet. Or had water since 07:15. Thank the team for their time and level up on that glucose. No casualties in the theatre, please.

06:45 – The walk to the hospital is a bit chilly, and very dark, but there is no torrential downpour. +50 points for not showing up for rounds looking like a drowned rat!

14:00 – Clinic. Take a patient. Any patient. Try to be as useful as you can while realizing you feel like you know nothing but patients have faith in you because you are on the other side of the desk. Reality sets in.

07:15 – Arrive in the dark locker room that smells vaguely of damp apples, change to nice shoes, and mumble a not-toocheerful-to-elicit-grumbles “good morning” to anyone you might encounter. Check your ID badge, name badge, black pen and phone are all on your person.

07:30 – Find your team. Realize that’s not your team. See your team walking away and run purposefully walk to catch up.

Listen and make note of the patients so you can come back

(sometime around) 18:00 – Brave torrential rain on the walk home, and thank your past self for batch cooking meals for the week. Warm up, check personal life, open Question Bank.

22:30 – In bed, lights out, happy to be off your feet. No energy to watch Arrow tonight. You’ve adopted the bedtime of a 10 year old, but you know it’s necessary.

21:45 – Realize that you can barely articulate, let alone retain knowledge. Push on for another 15 minutes or questions because you might be quizzed on that tomorrow.

It’s hard work, and it’s long work, and this life comes before the rest of your other life for now – but without a doubt, these hospital beginnings will lead you to a “that was damn worth it” end.

Krav Maga can save your life

XIAOYU LIN

AISLING O'CONNOR THIS is a difficult article to write, but I think it's important that I write it. I joined Krav Maga back in early January to learn self-defence because I was getting followed home last semester.

Most evenings when I was walking home I saw a guy in the same location, always a few feet away from me. He made me feel uncomfortable, but I gave him the benefit of the doubt. I was always on that route around the same times, and naively assumed our schedules just happened to interlink. I only realised he was following me when it was too late.

I was walking into campus (a place far from where I would always see this guy) and there he was up ahead. I tried to cross the road but he spotted me and came over. He tried to talk to me, and I couldn’t

Celebrating Chinese Lunar New Year in UL

understand his accent but kept saying I was late and had to go. I think he was asking me how old I was and where I lived. He held out a pen for me to write something on his hand and when I declined, he grabbed me by the wrist and was pulling me towards him.

There was no one around at this time. I had no self-defence skills whatsoever and was completely and utterly helpless. There was a car next to us and I remember looking at it thinking: “Why the f**k isn't whoever's in there helping me!?”, but for all I know that could have been his car. All that went through my mind was: “This can’t be it. This

cannot happen”.

I did manage to pull away from him and run away - but I was lucky. Had he grabbed me somewhere else I probably wouldn’t have. The situation could have been a whole lot worse but nonetheless, I needed to do something to ensure I’d be better equipped if, god-forbid, I find myself somewhere like that again.

Krav Maga seemed like the best society to join once semester two started. I haven’t been a member very long so I’m no expert but in one of the classes we covered how to get out of that exact grip he had me in. When I got home I had my dad grab my wrist like he did and I got out of it.

So far we've covered what to do if someone points a gun at you, a knife, how to get out of a choke hold, and what to do if someone tries to rape you plus how to kick, punch, and block accurately. It’s fantastic for fitness and a great way to meet new people. A lot of the other clubs and societies are fun to be in, but Krav Maga is the one that can save your life.

If you’re looking to join something new, I think this is it.

FOR all the Chinese, Chinese Lunar New Year (also called the Spring Festival), is undoubtedly the most important event every year. Weeks, or even a month before New Year’s Eve, families, especially grandparents tend to be very busy preparing traditional food, snacks for visiting relatives and new clothes.

The process of preparing for the festival is really interesting and usually works to unite the whole family. Unfortunately this year I couldn’t celebrate this festival with my family as I’m in Ireland. However, because of my friends, I did not feel lonely at all.

On the 4th of February, a big dinner was organised by the UL International Office for all the Chinese students. The restaurant was decorated by red

UL International Office organised a meal for Chinese students for their New Year’s celebrations. PHOTO: KEN COLEMAN and gold for the day, which are definitely the most welcomed colours during the festival.

Also, the restaurant prepared round tables for us which is another tradition for Chinese dining culture, the circle often represents ‘reunion’. Sitting and chatting with friends

Chinese students celebrated Chinese New Year with friends in UL. PHOTO: XIAOYU LIN

surrounded by our mother tongue was the best thing during this special festival.

Then on New Year’s Eve, my friends and I decided to celebrate together. The house was decorated by Spring Festival scrolls and balloons, and of course they were all red.

For this big dinner, which in China is often seen as the most important dinner each year, we prepared lots of Chinese food, especially dumplings. Following the Chinese tradition, we put a coin in one of the dumplings, which means a person who gets this dumpling will be really lucky in the coming year. With interesting games and the lively Spring Festival Gala on the screen, this New Year made me feel the warmth of home and encouraged me to do better in the coming year.

18

February 2016/2 CAMPAIGNS

‘Love your Body’ CIARA CORCORAN ASK anyone how they feel about their body and there’s usually a list of complaints a mile long.

Your body image can be influenced by your own beliefs and attitudes as well as those

of society, the media and peer groups. It’s easy to start feeling bad about the way you look when you remember we’re surrounded by images of perfection.

Celebrities always seem like they’ve perfect make-up, perfect figures and shiny white teeth. Magazines are full of tall,

thin, glamorous models who never seem to have bad hair days. We see unrealistic body images in the media every day - watching TV, reading magazines, and going to the cinema to name a few.

Trying to live up to those standards is not only stressful, it’s pointless. Celebrities and models not only have personal trainers, nutritionists and stylists but are also subjected to photoshopping. Photos in magazines are usually airbrushed to perfection. Any extra curves, spots, wrinkles, fuzzy hair (anything that’s normal really) are gotten rid of by a computer. Fashion designers also often use models that are several sizes smaller than the average person.

Men are not immune to this issue. For men, the ‘perfect’ muscled body is still held up as a model for readers to follow.

Some experts believe that the media’s message about male body image is causing a rise in the number of eating disorders

in men. The issue of male body image can be seen as silly and not a real issue but men across the world feel pressures to look a certain way and live up to social expectations.

Between body, height, hair and clothes men can often be as self-conscious as women who are subjected to the same social pressures. Men often feel like they shouldn’t be affected by body image concerns, that they should be the ‘tough man’, but this does not need to be the case. For example, men feel an expectation to be trim and toned.

When they are told they’ve put on weight or need to ‘bulk up’ it can be seen as banter but it can make men very self-conscious in the same way women are affected.

Remember: healthy bodies come in all shapes and sizes, big and small, and these are all beautiful. It’s okay to be who you are! No matter what shape or size you are, the main thing is to be fit, healthy and happy with your body!

Impact on self esteem Unfortunately, when it comes to looks, we're often our own harshest critics. Selfesteem is the answer to the question “how do I feel about myself” and when we’re harsh on ourselves our self-esteem takes a major hit. Research carried out by the personal care brand Dove in 2010 found that only 4% of women across the world considered themselves beautiful.

What is more frightening is the statistic that 6 out of 10 girls are so concerned with the way they look that anxiety forces them to exclude themselves from social occasions, daily rituals, even failing to attend school. Body confidence and self-esteem are very important particularly regarding general and mental health.

Low body confidence is a serious issue which has been linked to depression, obesity, low aspirations and eating disorders.

Accepting yourself We might feel better in the short-term to think models we see in magazines don’t really look that good, or we see them in snatched images without their make-up coming out of the gym. But, that’s not what learning to love the skin you’re in is really all about.

That means learning to be happy with your appearance, whatever anyone else looks like. It means accepting yourself, imperfections and all, and learning not to compare yourself with other people. If you truly accept yourself, you won’t need to compare.

Easier said than done right?

Yes, and it won’t happen overnight. There’ll always be times when we look at ourselves in the mirror and wish we could change something about ourselves. But, having a healthy body image means we can soon forget about it, and move on. People with a healthy body image don’t really need anything about their bodies to change in order to be happy.

How to learn to accept the way you look: • Question messages in the media – every time you see a magazine article showing tall, thin models, ask yourself why it’s making you feel bad. As long as you stay fit and healthy, you can look good whatever your body shape is. Don’t accept a social rule that says only thin people are beautiful.

• Stop buying magazines

– if what you’re reading or watching is promoting an unrealistic stereotype, why not boycott the magazine or TV show in question? Life is hard enough without being constantly told we’re not good enough.

• Find your own style – wear what you want and not what’s in fashion. Finding styles that suit your body shape will give you confidence. Don’t feel like you have to wear something just because it’s trendy.

• Appreciate your other qualities – list the good things about yourself without referring to your appearance.

Learning to love yourself ; it’s what’s inside that is important.

• Embrace your differences – the world would be a boring place if everyone looked the same. As time goes on, you might find it’s your differences from other people that you appreciate, not your similarities.

Don’t get hung up on your body, remember it takes all sorts to make the world. There are millions of different types of people so accept yourself as you are. As long as you feel happy with yourself, that’s all that counts.

Many people have problems with their body image and it's nothing to be ashamed of.If you're having a hard time with your body image, there is plenty of help out there.

Counselling - 061 202327 CM-070 BodyWhys for eating disorders - 1890 200 444 Thanks to SpunOut and ReachOut for all your great information.

Participant call out!

THE world of sex and relationships can be a bit of a minefield, but it’s about time we in Ireland opened up and ‘Pixie's Sex Clinic’ is here to do that!

COCO Television is producing a brand new series for RTE2 on Sex, Sexual Health, Behaviour and Education fronted by Dr. Pixie McKenna. Dr Pixie is on a mission to get Ireland in the know about ‘nooky’ and invites young people to have a frank discussion about the

unspeakable deed: who does it, where, how…and all the bits in between. This is the ultimate sex talk - laid bare.

Our Sex Confessional booth is touring the country and coming to UL on WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 24th – we would love to hear what you have to say about sex and sexual health in Ireland. If you come along, you will be filmed answering all types of fun questions. If you are feeling

a little shy, just bring a mate and you can go in together. All participants are rewarded with a little gift along our theme of sex from the ‘booth’ for your honesty. Above all, this is a bit of fun and of course – who doesn’t love free stuff?

To take part contact your WELFARE OFFICER on suwelfare@ul.ie; or text COCO TV on 087 432 0709

19

February 2016/2 EDITORIALS

YOU could decide the future of this country with just your vote TOMÁS HENEGHAN WE’RE good at complaining about this country.

We’re really good at complaining about politicians. But we’re experts in the art of not being bothered.

Last May thousands of students and young voters registered to vote so they could bring about historic change in this country. We gave a loud “Yes” to marriage equality, knowing it was the positive change the country needed.

The ‘home to vote’ initiative did exactly what it said on the tin. Even though many of those who came home to vote for change last year will not live here in the future, they still came back to vote for a positive change for those who don’t leave, as well as for those coming to Ireland.

In four days time, you will be asked to vote again. This time though it’s not for some historic change to discriminatory laws. In fact, on Friday 26th of February you will be asked to decide something much bigger. You will be expected to use your vote to decide who decides whether you even have a say in changing discriminatory laws in the future.

The next big social issue being tackled is that of abortion and the 8th Amendment, which prevents all Irish governments exercising their role as legislators for the nation in the area of maternal healthcare and the personal freedom of over half of the nation’s citizens.

However, to make changes in this area a referendum is needed - there is no question about this, it is a legal reality. Thankfully Ireland does not have citizen-initiated referenda and so, as a result of this, we must appeal to our legislators to give us a referendum on any issue, from the 8th

Amendment to changing the voting age.

If you want change in this country, complaining from your sofa or armchair is useless.

Protesting, despite being an effective tool in showing a public opinion and pressuring legislators, also wont bring about change by itself. You have to vote for change through elections.

I’ve researched my local candidates - have you? I’ve checked which of the candidates in my constituency campaigned for marriage equality last year. I’ve found out which candidates have made my life in this country difficult, and which would make it better. I’ve established which candidates support repeal of the 8th Amendment and will deliver a referendum (and campaign in

favour) on the issue.

From your typical Fianna Fáil family, I’ve bucked the trend and used all of my votes to decide what I wanted to see for this country, rather than following what tradition dictated. No matter where I was at the time, I have returned home for all but one vote since first registering when I turned 18.

Individual votes were extremely important for grá to be made law last May, but in a general election individual votes could count for even more. Your individual vote could shift the balance of power and decision-making nationally - your vote is that powerful.

This power comes from the voting system we

have in Ireland where your second, third, fourth preferences can decide who gets elected. The candidate I used my first national vote of my life on in 2011 lost out on a Dáil seat by a mere 17 votes. She lost out to a now government TD, even though for the first few rounds of counting she was leading. Your preferences do count.

One of the key issues for me in General Election 2016 is repeal of the 8th Amendment. Not every party has given a commitment to hold a referendum on, and campaign in favour of, repeal. Therefore I’ll be making sure I know who will deliver on this issue and only they will get my first, second, third, or fourth preference vote.

Whatever issue is important to you, find out where your candidates stand on it. This election is even simpler than those that have gone before, in that you can now use online apps such as Whichcandidate.ie and Smartvote.ie to find out your candidates’ position on many issues.

Voting in this country has gone through a long process over hundreds of years. In this, the year of the 1916 Rising centenary, remember those who fought and died through the centuries to ensure you could enter your voting booth on Friday to decide who will govern and how this country will work.

Don’t be sitting on your sofa two years from now complaining about “that crowd”, whoever they may be, not providing for the country you want to see. Don’t be the problem - Be the solution by simply putting a few X’s on a piece of paper.

Polling stations are open from 7am to 10pm on Friday. Bring some ID (just to be safe). Your voice matters. Your vote matters. You could decide the future of this country with just your vote - Use it.

UL has a wealth of talented people EILÍS WALSH I can’t believe it’s the third issue of An Focal already. Time is flying. I think I’m settled into my role as Deputy Editor and thus love playing around with different ideas.

This issue has some new writers which is fantastic! I’ve been making it my mission to recruit new people into contributing as much as possible.

This time we have Michael Boyle reviewing box office hit ‘Deadpool’, a film that is extremely different from any other superhero film that has been out for a while. So take a look at that. The creative writing is full of poetry and a piece of note is ‘Just One’, a poem by Christopher Dunne.

UL Kayak Club were extremely successful while competing in intervarsities. Patrick McKiernan wrote a hilarious satire piece on LIT wreaking havoc at the university that is a must read. As you

can see, the University of Limerick has a wealth of talented people in many different fields.

The Leaders Debate was held in the University of Limerick on Monday, the 15th of February. While it meant that the university was crawling with Gardaí and it meant that the areas in and around the Foundation building were sealed off, it still was an exciting event. I for one am not interested in politics but I think we should be proud because it really was such an honour to have such an important debate held in our very own university.

Maybe it will inspire you to take a greater interest in politics. Or perhaps it will have the opposite effect.

In the last few days I’ve become very focused on passions, what mine are, what others’ are and how you can go about developing those passions.

The quote I’ve chosen for this editorial is one

by Dr Wayne Dyer. Upon researching him I discovered he is a self-help

author and a philosopher.

The quote is something that I think we should try to take on board, just as my first quote was.

My passion is writing, talking about films and blogging. I can talk for hours on end on these passions. One of my favourite things is to listen to someone talking about the things they are passionate about. So I’m very happy that I finally can do what I like to do, all day, every day. Writing for An Focal has made this possible. So whether you love doodling on your lecture notes, racing karts around a track or taking photographs, keep doing it.

As the weather improves, the photo opportunities are improving, and so this is me encouraging you once more to tag your Instagram pictures of the university and the surrounding area with #anfocalul or mention us @anfocal_ul on Twitter for a chance to be featured in the paper.

We have such a beautiful

campus, take for instance the walkway down by Dromroe where you can see ancient ruins, or the opposite direction down

by Kilmurry where there is an identical ruin hidden by trees. If you cross the Living Bridge or Thomond Bridge you’ll find yourself in Co Clare. Endless beauty. If you walk along the river, chances are you’ll see swans and kingfishers. Once I saw eels migrating through the Shannon, heading for the sea through Co Clare.

Endless photo opportunities, and we want to see!

You’ll see a few mentions of Charity Week in this issue and I hope you’re ready to get involved.

While we all want to have fun, I hope you’ll also be donating as much money as you can to support our chosen charities! The next issue of An Focal will be out after Charity Week so you’ll want to look out for cool photos in that.

Twitter: @eilis_walsh

20

February 2016/2 ENTERTAINMENT

UL Top Yaks Rumour has it that Willie O’Dea will be releasing and playing his debut single “Fianna Fáilin’ For You” during rag week Black Dog for Taoiseach When you murder a bus drivers family and he looks at you like you’ve just given him a €20 note I accidentally woke up on time for college so I’m rewarding myself with the day off 16: I’d love to have a million euro. 18: I’d love to have 1000 euro.

College: I’d love to have a tenner.

You know it’s bad when you have to ration toilet paper Light switches / Light bulbs should have two modes, the normal brightness mode and the “I just need to pee, don’t blind me” mode I am so so so bad at the college part of college I watched the debate last night and skipped my 3 o’clock lecture today to watch Countdown. Growing up is scary!

“I’ve put that slide on sulis” great. Can you put up all the notes?

DOWN 1 What colour is Hades in the film Hercules?

2 The actor who voices Kenai in Brother Bear?

4 What is the name of the social worker in Lilo and Stitch?

6 Bambi's rabbit friend in the film.

8 What food did Lady and Tramp eat in the film?

9 Who sings the song "You Will Be In My Heart" in Tarzan?

10 Which character did Robin Williams voice in Aladdin?

15 Which dwarf swallowed soap in the film Snow White and the Seven Dwarves?

16 What kind of tournament is held to win Maid Marian's favour in Robin Hood?

18 Which Disney film was the first to have a female director?

ACROSS 3 Kovu's brother in The Lion King.

5 One of the kittens in AristoCats plays this instrument?

7 Who are the warriors attacking villages in Mulan?

10 What was the name of the ancient spirit who speaks to Pocohontas in the film?

11 What nationality was Lumière in Beauty and the Beast?

12 Which shoe did Cinderella lose when the clock struck twelve?

13 What object was inside the stomach of the crocodile in Peter Pan? 14 What year was the first Disney film released?

17 What is the name of Ariel's fish friend in The Little Mermaid?

19 The colour of the dragon in Sleeping Beauty.

Edition 8 crossword solutions Across 2. Eamon Gilmore 3. Michael Noonan 5. Leinster House 9. Social Democrats 10. Joan Burton 11. Micheál Martin 12. Young Fine Gael 14. Five years 16. Lucinda Creighton 17. Michael D Higgins 18. Progressive Democrats 20. Seanad

Down 1. Ógra Fianna Fáil 4. Eighteen 6. Jan O’Sullivan 7. Frances Fitzgerald 8. Enda Kenny 13. Fine Gael 15. Rainbow 19. Six

21

February 2016/2 SATIRE

LIT students burn down ULSU in protest at being called scumbags PATRICK McKIERNAN THE University of Limerick (UL) campus is in a state of shock this morning as the community recovers from the aftermath of a campus-wide protest by Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT) students last night.

Locals in the Castletroy area were told to remain indoors throughout the evening as a group of 100 or so LIT students congregated to protest against students of the UL calling them scumbags.

They began protesting throughout a number of areas of the UL campus before all

meeting up in the Students’ Union courtyard where they began to cause disruption to students and members of staff.

Leader of the protest, Jon-Joe Dowling told An Focal that they staged the protest in order to: “stand up for the lads trying to make something of themselves, like.

“We’re sick of these stuck up gowlbags thinking they’re class cus’ their daddies can pay for their education. We get a bad rep because of them, like and we’re here to show ‘em we’re not all bad j’know?”

Protestors were determined to not let their €4.20 bus fare go to waste as they proceeded to cause havoc at the

Castletroy-based university.

During the protest UL students were called names such as “posh w***ers”. Locals from Elm Park and College court heard there was a “mad session” on in the courtyard and soon made their way to the scene, with a number joining the protestors.

The situation quickly escalated however, as petrol bombs made from siphoned petrol from some LIT lecturers’ cars were thrown through windows of the UL Students’ Union. The building was soon an inferno.

Luckily no one was injured during this incident.

University security later arrived on the scene, however

when they realised there was nothing they could do to end the protest they called the Gardaí. Security then continued to patrol the area until Gardaí arrived.

Twelve Garda squad cars eventually arrived and attempted to take control of the situation but protestors shot several warning shots from semi-automatic Glock handguns in response. Gardaí were forced to retreat and call for reinforcement.

Irish Special Forces then arrived on the scene within an hour and decided their best approach would be to offer a cup of tea and to talk things over. These attempts failed and

one final effort was made to bring peace to Castletroy again as Taoiseach Enda Kenny intervened to contact urban hero, Conor McGregor to try and talk to the protestors.

Mr. McGregor agreed but unfortunately was too far up his own hole and nobody to could make out what he was saying.

Luckily, the UL Comedy society was holding its first newbie stand up night in the Scholars Club, next to where the riot was taking place.

After the 123rd unresponsive joke, the LIT students could not take the awkward, silent tension anymore and decided to call it a night.

Happy that they made their point, they piled into the last 304 of the night and left the campus.

Cigarette butts and cans of cider littered the area following the protest and questions are now being asked of UL’s security and whether this UL/ LIT squabble is really “just banter” anymore.

If any positives are to be taken from this event it is that Amber leaf rollies were sold out within half an hour of LIT students arriving, leaving UL students with healthier lungs to continue calling LIT students scumbags.

Elderly woman collapses following Tinder encounter MAOILÍOSA NÍ LOIDEÁIN

ULSU to hire new micro-pig staff The University of Limerick Students’ Union (ULSU) is to begin hiring part-time micro-pigs from the beginning of next month.

TOMÁS HENEGHAN IT is expected the animals will work primarily around the main Students’ Union building, however they will also take up a position delivering fortnightly editions of An Focal.

ULSU President, Colin Clarke said of the new job opening: “We’re proud to be offering this historic opportunity to hard-working and dedicated micro-pigs. We’re a growing university and union and we can’t continue as we are.

“Those interested in just lazing around the SU all day should avoid applying. What we’re looking for is hardworking lads, pigs who’ll do

their fair share and of course deliver the paper in a professional manner.”

SU authorities have confirmed they will be taking on up to six micro-pigs and following a successful trial period, all six will likely be offered full-time contracts.

A number of sources, who did not wish to named, said there is also a general hope around the Union that a sleigh or carriage of some sort will also be invested in to make the work easier for the micro-pigs.

It is understood the Union hiring committee has already prepared staff t-shirts for the micro-pigs to distinguish them as “leading members of the university community” A general warning will also be issued soon to all students

and staff clarifying that the pigs are employees and should not be treated as pets.

A leaked report from the SU, seen by An Focal reporters, says: “Any student seen or reported petting, cooing over or picking up the new micropig employees will be subject to an on-the-spot fine of up to €500.”

There are also preparations underway to create new “micro-pig crossings” around the off-campus housing estates to facilitate An Focal deliveries by the pigs.

Once introduced, the University of Limerick will be the first third-level institution and workplace in the country to include micro-pigs on its payroll.

A woman was taken to hospital from the Foundation Building in UL last Monday as onlookers claimed to have heard her scream “tinder” before passing out.

It was unclear whether this was with regards to a small fire that was started previously to try to evict certain politicians from the building.

With further research it became clear that the “tinder” this woman was raving about was that of the dating app, however the word ‘dating’ is used very loosely here.

In hospital after coming to, the woman relived her horrific ordeal saying: “I was sitting there drinking my coffee when I kept overhearing the word ‘tinder’, so naturally enough I opened my ears, wondering what they were yapping on about.

“The two young ones were talking about ‘profile pics’ - whatever that is - and comparing them on their phones, y’know, the phones with The Internet on them.

“They kept swiping their fingers, mostly left. Strange girlíns. Anyways, they said that if they saw another picture of a man in Machu Pikachu they would delete the thing.

Where’s that place anyway? I remember going to Knock for my holidays - ah those were the days.

“They kept talking about pictures with dogs then and other animals. Is it a dating site or an adopt a pet site?

That confused me anyways.

The language out of the two of them then - ‘mad bastard’ this and that. Filthy. It must be a gaming site too as they were on about detective work or something - ‘pick the fella from the group’. Strange thing altogether.”

She continued: “Next thing I knew they were gasping like they were out of breath or something. The shock on their faces. So I said to myself ‘ah sure have a little look to see for yourself.’ So I had a little peek over the young one’s shoulder and my heart started going

ninety.

“All I remember is what looked like a fella in a rubber suit, that latex stuff they make my kitchen gloves out of I think. Next thing I woke up here in the hospital.

“I’ll tell ya now, if they keep the pet adoption thing and maybe the odd fella on the site, it might go places, but get rid of those fellas in their dress-up. They should stick to selling those things on e-bay or adverts.”

The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, has since left hospital and is doing fine. She has also downloaded Tinder to “see for [herself] what it’s about”.

22

February 2016/2 CLUBS & SOCIETIES

UL Kayak Club win 7th consecutive intervarsity title

ULKC have matched NUIGs record for most consecutive Irish Kayak Intervarsity titles after winning their seventh title in a row on the 7th of February.

SAM O'CONNOR The weekend consisted of paddlers competing in five different disciplines of kayaking. Canoe Polo kicked off the competition on the Friday morning. For those unfamiliar with the rules of Canoe Polo it’s a team event with 5 players on each side, it also has some similarities to hurling, rugby and soccer.

UL had been seeded into the toughest group in the whole competition with Letterkenny IT, NUI Maynooth and DCU to play and get to the semifinals. The DCU game was our first match and also the most important, in the past matches had been settled with only one goal in the difference. UL managed a huge upset victory against DCU along a massive score line of 10-2. That wasn’t the only score line ULKC dominated, Letterkenny and Maynooth were beaten 10-0 and 9-0 respectively.

In the semi-finals UL faced

an extremely strong and intimidating DIT team with a number of international paddlers in their ranks. After the first half UL were 6-1 down, a quick team talk at half time and a change in game plan meant UL were ready for war. Quick goals off the break brought the score line to 6-5. Some conservative play and timewasting by DIT meant that the final score was 7-5 to DIT. This loss was not all bad news though as we were still in the 3rd place playoff against NUIG. We decided before the match that we would play a team of only first and second years, which paid off as Conor Lowe shot two screamers past the NUIG goalkeeper. The score at fulltime was 2-1 to UL putting us third place in polo.

The second event to take place on Friday was the flatwater slalom race, a short timed race course with a number of gates which must be correctly navigated. The super-quick UL slalom squad placed 3rd in this event

On Saturday morning groggy heads were woken to compete in the white-water event. The race is a timed sprint down a number of intense rapids.

ULKCs representatives in this event were: Mark Scanlon, Caoimhe Farrell, Gavin Sheehan and Jack Phelan. Collectively they placed 1st in this event after a blistering run.

In the afternoon the freestyle event took place in Tuam, the conditions on the water were less than desirable. A piercingly cold wind and a lack of sunlight meant the competition was set to be a cold one.

Freestyle kayaking is essentially trying to do a many tricks on river wave in a set time period, the harder a move is the more points it scores. UL had a solid crew consisting of Andrew Regan, Conor Lowe, Caoimhe Farrell and Eoin Keyes. The atmosphere along the river bank watching the competition was fantastic, UL were by far the loudest with their chanting and cheering whenever one of their paddlers

ULTGC back for a fantastic semester 2 CLODAGH DOYLE WHAT a semester it has been so far. We hope all of you have settled in well. ULTGC really kicked things off with a bang this year. Not only did we travel to Glasgow for our first international competition of the year but we also organised an awesome, glowtasic UV Paint Party.

Our trainings are back to their usual times (Tuesday 7pm-10pm and Thursday 7pm-8:30pm) so don’t be shy and bounce along. We have a

range of stations for you guys to try. From gymnastics to DMT to trampolining. There is never a dull moment.

For those of you who were at the UV Paint Party this Thursday, we hope you got absolutely covered in paint and had the time of your lives. We hope you loved it as much as we did. It was an unreal night to say the least. Shout out to the UL Trampoline Club for making it happen. Also, a huge thank you to the PhotoSoc and the International Society for helping us out too. You can check out all your photographs

from the night on the UL PhotoSoc Facebook page. (Tag all your friends in the cringiest photos you can find.)

Congratulations are in order following our recent Trampoline competition, the Scottish Student Trampoline Open of 2016. ULTGC travelled overseas to Glasgow to compete in one of the biggest European college competitions of the year. We are proud to say that as a club we did fantastically well and brought home the medals to prove it. The standard was incredibly high so a big well done to our medallists: Brendan Golding - Bronze in Novice Mens Trampolining Rachel Cahalane - Silver in Novice Ladies DMT Joe O’Connor - Bronze in Mens DMT Brian Finnerty - Bronze in Advanced Men DMT Clodagh Doyle - Bronze in Advanced Ladies DMT Brian Finnerty - Gold in Advanced Two Trick To keep in touch with the club you can visit our Facebook page: ‘UL Trampoline and Gymnastics Club’. You can also follow us on Instagram at ‘ultrampoline’ or find us on snapchat with ‘ultrampclub’.

PHOTO: OISIN MCHUGH PHOTOGRAPHY

completed a difficult move. UL came second in this event to NUIG, their experienced paddlers and knowledge of the feature made sure they were miles ahead of the competition. The Final event of the

competition was the long-distance race, UL paddlers earned plenty of medals in their individual classes earning first place overall in long distance.

A huge thank you to all ULKC paddlers who competed

at varsities, also a special mention to Simon McCormack for training the Polo team and Oisin Farrell for training the slalom team. We hope to see you in 2017 at Queens University Belfast. #8inrow

DanceUL’s wild and wonderful 2016 SONYA RAMODINO PRESENTING: DanceUL’s wild and wonderful transition into the year 2016, complete with amped-up classes, sweaty rehearsals, enhanced camaraderie, and an outrageous amount of fun.

Classes are well underway, jam-packed with foundational technique and fun choreography, all carefully executed by your very own dedicated teachers. Students from all levels and dance backgrounds are invited to join any of the classes, including Hip Hop, Irish Dancing, zULmba, Contemporary and Jazz.

Whether you are craving a different style of movement, want to fine-tune your forte, or are daring yourself to dive into the unknown (which we highly encourage), these classes are for you! See the table for class times and locations.

Alongside this diverse class

schedule are your 2016 intervarsity team rehearsals. Each team consists of a variety of student dancers from across the world, passionately preparing to represent UL in Dublin for the upcoming annual intervarsity competition on 2nd March.

UCD is opening its doors to all who wish to support and take pride in their respective schools. This is an excellent opportunity to engage in a national demonstration of dance culture, and enjoy a day away from that ominous pile of books sitting precariously by

the edge of your desk. For more information and further details about the day, visit (and follow) DanceUL on Facebook, Twitter (@DanceUL), and Instagram (/ officialdanceul).

Further kicking off the semester, DanceUL was thrilled to collaborate with the Drama Society in co-hosting the biannual Table Quiz. An enormous thank you is extended to the staff of the Pavilion, for providing the space and for servicing such a successful Clubs and Societies event.

The quiz itself resulted in a cut-throat tiebreaker, with an interesting attempt to gain the upper hand (which may or may not have included the delicate art of flirtation).

Great prizes, finger food and a hilarious combination of team antics made for an incredible night. Keep a keen eye out for ample opportunities to become socially involved with UL’s dance community throughout the semester. We’re pumped to meet you.

23

February 2016/2 SPORT

CAMOGIE

UL Camogie capture the Ashbourne Cup with last minute goal Our Ashbourne camogie team treated fans to a nail biting finish in their final against UCC on Sunday 14th February in Gort GAA Club, Galway. After overcoming reigning champions WIT in the semi, a mouth-watering fixture against UCC promised to serve up a cracker of a final.

MARISA KENNEDY The game got off to a slow start with both teams showing some expected nerves in the opening few minutes as both registered wides. Patrice Diggin opened UL’s account for the afternoon scoring 3 frees from various angles before UCC registered their opening score. UCC’s star player Katrina Mackey scored a goal shortly after, leaving the Leeside College with the narrowest of leads.

Amidst a short but vicious hailstone shower, Aoife Keane, one of four dual players on the panel, pointed expertly off the left before another Diggin free put UL a single score ahead. Sarah Fryday, goalscorer in UL’s mammoth win over 2015 winners WIT on Saturday in Ballyhaunis, then struck to the net before UCC hit 2 points to leave 2 points between the teams at half

UL Camogie win Ashbourne Cup

time, UL 1-5 UCC 1-3.

The second half provided as much entertainment as has been seen on any field so far in 2016. Kerry star Patrice Diggin opened the scoring once again for UL with a free, canceling out a UCC score. Through Diggin and Keane, UL opened up a fourpoint lead which was shortly reduced back to 2 by some fine long-range shooting by the UCC forwards.

With 16 minutes left, Niamh Ryan, who bravely played the final with a severe injury to her arm, saw Clare woman Niamh O’Dea move into space. O’Dea caught the sliotar and drove at the UCC defence before popping the ball to Sarah Fryday who made no mistake and buried it past the helpless UCC custodian. Both teams traded scores before Mackey’s second goal brought life back to the at Mardyke club.

A great clearance off the goal-line by Ciannait Walsh ensured UL kept a 3-point

lead (2-10 vs 2-7) with 7 minutes remaining.

Hannah Looney then netted to draw the teams level. After a difficult game on Saturday and the battle against UCC, the impact of substitutes was always going to be crucial. Ciara Murphy and Emma Buckley both entered the cauldron with 6 minutes remaining replacing the excellent Niamh Ryan and Aoife McGrath respectively. Diggin and O’Dea put UL two points clear with 2 minutes of normal time remaining.

As the game was entering injury time, UCC really began to apply the pressure on the Shannonsiders goalmouth. UCC won a free 25 metres out in the first minute of injury time which was deflected out by a combination of UL hurleys. The ball was hit back into the square and landed straight into Mackey’s hands who hammered the ball to the net to put UCC ahead by the bare minimum 4-7 to 2-12. Those who travelled to support the girls from UL clad in white were distraught and thought they were about to experience similar heartbreak to 2015. However, they had a plan.

UL won a free on the touchline on the 45m line.

Everyone knew it was to be the final play of the match; 25 bodies landed in towards the UCC goalmouth before Player of the Match Patrice Diggin landed the ball in. It was completely fitting that the inspirational figure of team captain Laura McMahon would rise highest to flick the ball to the net, leading to surreal celebrations both inside and outside the wire!

UL successfully negotiated the final remaining seconds of the final to capture the Ashbourne Cup 2016, allowing Laura McMahon of Clare the honour to collect the cup on behalf of her outstanding teammates and management.

Otherwise, it was an ultimately successful week for UL teams with our Sigerson Cup footballers qualifying for a semi-final for the first time in 19 years. Our Fitzgibbon

UL Camogie take on UCC in Gort GAA Club, Galway Cup hurlers lost out to NUIG by a point during Week 3, but had done enough to qualify for the quarter final last week against CIT. Our fresher 1 hurlers qualified for the quarter finals while the fresher 2 hurlers are in the semi-finals after both teams defeated UCD. Our fresher 2 footballers lost out to CIT in the quarter final by a goal while our intermediate

ladies footballers got their season off to a winning start over DkIT. Our intermediate hurlers beat local rivals LIT to reach the munster final while our junior hurlers overcame CIT to reach the semi-finals.

Week 4 saw our senior hurlers play CIT for a spot at the weekend while our senior ladies footballers have a home tie against Trinity. Our

UL Camogie celebrate win. PHOTOS: UL GAA CLUB

fresher 1 and 2 hurlers are out in their respective championships while our Lynch cup ladies footballers play their second round and our junior hurlers take on UCD in the semi-finals. However, the highlight of the week will be our Sigerson Footballers.

Be sure to get out and support all our teams if you can!

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February 2016/2

i And G

County Colours - The Stables Club

Rave Of Thrones DJ Kristian Nairn (Hodor From Game Of Thrones) plus Support - The Stables Club Subtech Presents: Krystal Klear - The Library The Academic, Plus Support - Dolans Dzeko & Torres - Crush 87

Professor Green - SU Courtyard \Offical After Party - Crush 87

House Thursdays - Crush 87 DIE - DOlans Warehouse

TGIF - The Stables Club