An Focal (XXIV. Edition 7) by An Focal ULSU

VOL. XXIV Edition 7

POLITICS: SEANAD VOTING CLOSED TO UL GRADS Pg 7

JANUARY 2016

INTERVIEW:

BRAND NEW SATTIRE PAGE

A STORM IN A TEACUP Pgs 8 & 9

Pg 20

UL spent over €6.5m for security over five years The University of Limerick has paid more than €6.5m over a five year period for security services at the university, An Focal can exclusively reveal. TOMÁS HENEGHAN Figures released to An Focal under the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act reveal that from 2006 to 2011, the University of Limerick (UL) spent just over €6.6m on security costs. The most recent security provider, Noonan Services Group Ltd, has been engaged by the university since 2010 with its current three year contract due to expire in 2017. In 2004 the figure for security services at UL was almost €785,000, however the figure almost doubled to more than €1.4m in 2010. Maria Connolly from the university’s Information and Compliance office told An Focal the increase in costs related to the expansion of the institution in recent years. Ms. Connolly explained: “The increase in the University of Limerick’s annual security costs are directly related to a more than 50% expansion of the University building stock (including the addition of three new villages in the intervening period). “In addition, rates of pay have increased over the period in question.” From 2004 to 2011 UL has significantly expanded its campus and buildings including the construction of the Engineering Research Building and Millstream Courtyard buildings, Health Sciences Building, Kemmy Business School, Languages

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Building, Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, and the Graduate Entry Medical School. A number of on-campus student villages were also opened from 2004 onwards. This includes Thomond Village and Cappavilla Village. Further expansion of university buildings is also planned in coming years with the Government announcing in October 2014 an allocation of €10m from the national budget to the University of Limerick for a new library building. The university authorities declined to release figures for the years 2012 to 2014 as they were deemed commercially sensitive information. However the university confirmed that Noonan Security Group have not been the sole security provider for the University of Limerick since 2004. Keating Security Services Ltd, Sheehan Group Security Solutions Ltd and Federal Security Solutions Ltd are amongst the groups who previously provided security services to UL. Ms. Connolly confirmed: “Contracts are generally awarded for three years with options to extend for up to two periods of one additional year.” The current security providers, Noonan Services Group Ltd, have been contracted by UL since 2010, while the current contract is due to expire in 2017, with no extension granted to this contract at the time of contact.

One of UL’s newest buildings - UL Graduate Entry Medical School

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January 2016 NEWS

31% increase in 304 bus fare since 2009 There has been a 31% increase in the fare for the 304 bus route which runs from the University of Limerick (UL) to the city centre in the past five years.

EILÍS WALSH According to the timetable set by Bus Éireann buses are supposed to arrive periodically every ﬁfteen minutes, however in a number of circumstances this is not the case in practice. On one date last month one student observed at least a forty ﬁve minute delay in buses to the university despite other services arriving within that time. He told An Focal: “It’s unacceptable that the fares have gone up and the service seems to have just gotten worse. I had arranged to meet someone in Limerick city but by the time the bus got to UL it was too late to meet the person despite them travelling into the city to meet me” “I think Bus Éireann needs

to either reduce the rates again or improve the service significantly,” he added. It was noted that more often than not this service is unpredictable and as a whole unreliable. University of Limerick Students’ Union VP Academic Officer, Marian O’Donnell commented on the impact of this service. Ms O’Donnell said: “The majority of students have to suffer a forty five minute delay instead of fifteen minutes. This stops students going into the city. In the last four years fares have risen each year and services haven’t improved. “This has had a real impact on students; with them coming to lectures late and being late for buses home on Fridays.” A second private service has

Photo: www.buseireann.ie been acquired by Dublin Coach as of December 2015, catering for the same route meaning Bus Éireann is now competing with this private ﬁrm. The 307 and the 308 also run the same route. Students attending the college for a number of years have noted a ten cent increase per annum and no observable improvement in the service. A number of students have observed some

occasions where it appears too many passengers were permitted on the bus at a particular time. Other students have observed instances where buses are overcrowded upon arrival. In conversation with An Focal one student said: “The drivers often take on way too many passengers. There’s sometimes as many standing as there is

UL to host two TDs for Social Democrats public meeting TOMÁS HENEGHAN THE University of Limerick’s (UL) will play host to two TDs from Ireland’s newest political party, the Social Democrats, this week. The event, which is being organised by UL Social Democrats society, will host a meeting with TDs Catherine Murphy and Róisín Shortall, entitled ‘Meet the Social Democrats’ on Thursday, January 28th, at the Graduate Entry Medical School on UL’s North Campus. The event is also being organised in conjunction with

CREDITS EDITOR: Tomás Heneghan DEPUTY EDITOR: Eiliís Walsh CONTRIBUTORS: Aisling O’Connor, Anna Parkes, Anthony O’Brien, Ciara Corcoran, Colin Clarke, Darragh McCarthy, Graham Sturdy, Kiera Thornton, Liz Gabbett, Maoilíosa Ní Loideáin, Marian O’Donnell, Mark Nother, Paul Jordan, Ryan O’Rourke, Seamus Toomey, Seán McKillen PRINTING & LAYOUT: Midland Web Printing

the party’s General Election candidate for Limerick City, and former UL student, Sarah Jane Hennelly. The meeting is open to members of the public to attend to discuss issues and debate with the two Social Democrat TDs, alongside Ms. Hennelly. Commenting on the event, Ms. Hennelly said: “At this stage of the campaign, people want to know more about us. I’ve found the level of interest and awareness on the doors incredibly exciting and although the track-record of the three founders is wellknown, it’s important to me and to them that they meet as many people from the constituency as possible. “This will be a great chance for any voter to hear about the most credible and exciting alternative in Irish politics today.” The former Independent TD, Ms. Murphy said of the event: “I am delighted to join our Limerick City candidate Sarah Jane in her home city to meet local people and hear the issues affecting them. “When we established the Social Democrats we did so with a commitment to involve people in the process so as to be truly representative of people. The only way to

sitting”. A spokesperson from Bus Éireann confirmed that the increase in bus fares had been approved by the Department of Transport and the National Transport Authority (NTA). She also explained the benefits of using Leap Cards which she said have been “introduced onto all Limerick City Services in early 2015” and that holders of Leap Cards can avail of a discount of 24% compared with the current cash single fare. According to the 304 Bus Éireann timetable, buses are supposed to arrive every fifteen minutes between the hours of 7am and 8pm, and “30 minutes thereafter until 11.30pm on weekdays.” When An Focal enquired into the frequent delay in the 304 bus service, the spokesperson explained that congestion was the biggest impact on the reliability of buses. It was stated that additional resources were deployed “where possible”. The

NTA are reported to be reviewing this route in conjunction with Bus Éireann. When asked about the issue of overcrowding and whether Bus Éireann has a policy in relation to the number of passengers permitted on each bus, the spokesperson explained that “overcrowding is not permitted by Bus Éireann”. She said: “Each city bus has its own certiﬁed maximum seating and standing capacity at which they can operate.” According to the spokesperson, the “standard capacity for city buses is 86 passengers and the capacity consists of 45 seated and 41 standing passengers”. As it stands, no major improvements have been announced by the NTA or Bus Éireann in relation to the current standard of service. Information in relation to Leap Cards can be found on www.leapcard.ie and www.studentleapcard.ie respectively.

The Stormy Teacup. PHOTO: AISLING O’CONNOR

Popular Limerick cafe, The Stormy Teacup reopens (L-R) Catherine Murphy TD, Sarah Jane Hennelly, Social Democrats candidate for Limerick City, James Heffernan, Social Democrats candidate for Limerick County, Róisín Shortall TD, Stephen Donnelly TD. PHOTO: SARAH JANE HENNELLY - SOCAIL DEMOCRAT FOR LIMERICK CITY FACEBOOK PAGE

do that is by getting out and speaking to different people across the country.” She explained: “I have a keen interest in genealogy and because of the fact that two of my great grandparents hail from Limerick City, I spend a lot of time in the County on family tree research. I have always received a warm welcome in Limerick, and people regularly stop me on the street to speak about my experiences with Siteserv and related issues. I look forward to joining Sarah Jane to have those conversations with people on a wider scale.” Ms. Hennelly added: “I personally am incredibly

proud to be able to bring these two women to the city and for people to meet them. As two independent TDs, both Catherine and Róisín made huge waves in tackling corruption and calling out mismanagement of public money. “Now, together in a group of like-minded people with a strong vision and wellthough out ideas, I believe we will change the course of Irish politics into the future. I ﬁrmly believe we are offering the type of politics that Limerick city needs, wants and deserves. I imagine it’s going to be an invigorating evening and all are welcome.”

AISLING O'CONNOR AFTER shutting it’s doors last September, the popular Limerick cafe, The Stormy Teacup had its soft reopening on November 16th last year. Following a social media countdown to tease and excite the customers, the cafe, located in Foxes Bow reopened its doors under new ownership. As Malgozata Zararko, a member of UL’s very own Tea Appreciation Society put it: “We were all quite upset when Stormy Tea Cup closed down. It was the only place we could go to apart from our usual on campus meetings without leaving Limerick or planning a trip.” The cafe is well-known amongst University of Limerick students, and other Limerick residents, for its wide variety of teas, hot chocolates and coffee. The new owner, 19-year-old

Adam Reeves had a rushed opening as he had only purchased the cafe a month prior to the re-opening. The initial closing was seen as a huge blow to the cafe’s regular customers, such as Emma Ryan, who described the cafe as feeling like home. With its unique ambiance, and quality products, and events such as movie nights we’re in for a real treat. Customer Brian Johnston cited the brownies as the: “best brownie I have ever tasted. It was so tasty that I bought another tea and another brownie...That's what I call good business.” High quality products like this are not surprising, with Mr. Reeves placing emphasis on high quality goods. Many, like Johnston, would argue that Limerick needs more places like The Stormy Teacup. “You really feel like you've invited someone for a cup of tea at home. It's terriﬁc,” Zadarko added.

January 2016

UL has joint highest drop-out rates in 2012/13 The University of Limerick (UL) has the highest student drop-out rate of all Irish universities, holding the place jointly with the National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG), according to a new report from the Higher Education Authority (HEA) earlier this month.

WOLVES

APP COMING SOON

The HEA report, ‘A Study of Progression in Irish Higher Eduction’ reveals UL had a 13 percent dropout rate in the academic year 2012/2013, alongside NUIG. The report also shows that of the 13 percent who didn’t progress in UL, 17 percent come from the computer science field of study. This is followed closely, at 15 percent, by those from the engineering field, excluding civil engineering. The non-progression rate for students in the healthcare area of study is the lowest within UL, at just 6 percent and is the second highest nationally, two percentage points below UCD, but also mirroring the national average for healthcare nonprogression rates. UL surpasses the other national universities in the area of construction and related fields, with an 8 percent non-progression rate, while the next lowest nationally is UCC at 16 percent. The lowest dropout rate

was reported as 7 percent at Trinity College Dublin (TCD), while the other two Dublin universities, Dublin City University (DCU) and University College Dublin (UCD) rank above UL at 12 percent and 11 percent respectively.

The lowest dropout rate for Munster universities was found at University College Cork (UCC) with a dropout rate of 10 percent, while the ﬁnal Leinster university, National University of Ireland Maynooth (NUIM) ranked at 9 percent.

FACT BOX • 13% student drop-out rate in 2012/13 • Joint highest rate alongside NUIG • 17% from computer science field • 15% from engineering field (excluding civil engineering) • Drop-out rate for students in the healthcare (6%) lowest within UL • UL above other national universities in construction and related fields - only 8% dropout rate

January 2016 LOOKING BACK

In five years time Five years ago today, UL’s students were greeted with this An Focal, carrying a front page that could easily be from today. Though there’re no cars submerged in the depths of the Schumann fountain, students are facing into new and harsher waters in terms of their financing. TOMÁS HENEGHAN On January 25th 2011, the economy was on the floor, the government was crumbling after the sudden withdrawal of the Green Party from the governing coalition two days earlier. Now we stand in a somewhat familiar position, in so far as there is an election due within a month. However, the economy now breaths easier again and the leading government party, Fine Gael is set to make history as it prepares to return to power for a second consecutive term. Fine Gael, in many senses now takes the mantle as Ireland’s main party, the one we comfortably reelect for fear of the alternative. “Hunt report recommends graduate tax,” declares the headline of the January 2011 front page off-lead. The Hunt Report has recommended a graduate tax system for third level education in Ireland. This would introduce fees, however the cost would hit your pocket after graduation and only when you’ve found employment. The typical UL student of 2016 now faces the same threat - or opportunity, depending on your point of view on the issue - as those who went before. A new possibility of a graduate tax system is now on the cards, despite the upturn in the economy, compared to the situation in 2011. What can we say of the past five years then? UL has new buildings, a continually growing campus, further proposals for a new student centre to accommodate our booming student growth. Nationally we have a recovering economy and another government preparing to leave office - with very slim hopes of returning in its current form within the next five years, but yet equally set to make a history by facilitating its senior member to return to power for a consecutive term for the first time since the foundation of the state. We’ve also now entered the long-awaited centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising. Is it a case of having changed, changed utterly, or are we still the same students, the same citizens as our predecessors of 2011? Could the January 25th 2021 An Focal see our new library light up the front page, alongside revelations of a new student population of 17,000? Perhaps the front page will lead with a story on the abandonment of Thomond Village due to worsening winter floods? A new student centre under construction? Nationally, could we see a return of Fianna Fáil to government benches? Maybe Sinn Féin will reach its ambitions and lead the 2021 government? Perhaps even a Fianna Fáil/Fine Gael coalition - although that scenario can’t realistically be ruled out in the coming months if we’re to be completely honest. @TomasJHeneghan

January 2016 CO-OP/SU

My co-op experience:

Thinking outside the box Deepak Chopra once said, “Instead of thinking outside the box, get rid of the box.” I began my co-op journey at the Learning Hub, Limerick on Monday the 11th of January. Already it is abundantly clear to me that there are no boxes to be found at the Hub.

ANNA PARKES I embarked on my co-op journey with three other UL students. Like myself, my fellow students were attracted to the Hub because of the admirable work done by the workers and volunteers here. First established in 2007, the hub works alongside local primary schools and youth groups in the Northside of Limerick. An educational centre with a difference, the staff at the Hub use innovative and entertaining teaching methods to keep local children interested in education. Unlike the standard educational institutions, this is not a stuffy and regimented centre; instead it is one which encourages young people, and allows their creativity to flourish. The central objective of the Learning Hub is to fight the issues of educational disadvantage and early school leaving, which are prevailing problems in the Northside of Limerick. I for one was ready to become a warrior of the Hub, and to join the fight for a bright, educated future for the younger generation of Limerick. Upon our arrival at the Learning Hub, we were warmly greeted by the welcoming staff. We were introduced to the key programmes that run at the Hub; Story Hub, Art Hub, Music Hub,

Science Hub, Health Hub and the Youth Café. In the coming months I will attempt to get involved with as many projects as possible, so watch this space! One thing that really resonates with me is how eager the staff are to use our different interests, and how they can add to an already stellar centre. As soon as I mentioned my passion for writing, I was encouraged to engage with the Story Hub programme. This programme certainly excited me, and will be a definite feature of this column in the coming weeks. I also mentioned that I have a keen interest in drama, and am a member of the UL drama society. I caught a gleam in the eye of James, the project co-ordinator, as soon as I mentioned my love for the stage … what have I let myself in for?! Classes at the Learning Hub have not been restarted fully, as the children who attend the Hub are still settling into school after the Christmas break. However, the Art Hub was the first to find its feet again. On Wednesday we faced our first official task – assisting Cronin, head of the Art Hub, with his class. Admittedly, I was a little apprehensive. The art room itself iwas bursting with colour and cheer. Fantastic creations adorn the walls, tables and every available surface. The source of my apprehension

arrived in the form of the children who arrived for their class – what would they think of me? An intruder in their cosy haven? Thankfully, my worries were quickly abashed. The children were delighted to have new faces, and immediately began to question us excitedly. As soon as I told them I am a Westmeath native, I was hit with a tidal wave of One Direction related questions. “Do you know Niall Horan?” “Have you met him?” “Have you met his family?” (No, no and no!) Meet and greet over, Cronin introduced the subject of outer space – the muse for his young artists in the coming months. Their faces lit up with glee as he divulged that their ideas will be incorporated into a ﬂoat for this years St. Patrick’s Day parade. The children settled down to work, and refreshingly, they were given free reign. Not one child was told “You must draw an alien” or “That’s not how a spaceship would look.” Cronin encouraged every child, and it was clear that they have nothing but admiration for their mentor. Thus my ﬁrst week at the Learning Hub came to an end. I honestly cannot wait to see what next week will bring, as more classes start and I meet many young talents – with not a box in sight!

Sabbatical Officer Elections 2016 LIZ GABBETT SOME of you reading the title above might be asking, what is a Sabbatical Officer and what do they do? Simply put, a sabbatical officer is a full-time paid student officer elected by the students of UL to represent the students’ interests at university committees and beyond. Maybe you are thinking you would like to be El Presidente or maybe you would like to be the Welfare Officer, Academic Officer or maybe an Executive member for the next academic year? It is a great opportunity and privilege to represent all students, there is a lot of work involved and a lot of responsibility but those who have served as sabbatical officers all say it was a fantastic experience and they learned so much. All current registered UL students are entitled to run for election.

Here is what you need to know: Week 7, March 10th sees the election for the full-time Sabbatical officers and Executive Officers representatives. You will choose your representatives for 2016-2017, those students who will represent you on the University decision making committees, who will speak on your behalf to government ministers, HEA officials, journalists, county council officials and gardai. Who will lead the campaigns that affect UL students? You, the students, will decide who your officers will be when you vote online on Thursday, 10th of March. Nominations for all positions open Monday 9am, Week 6. You can collect a nomination form from the SU Reception and you must get 20 proposers and 40 seconders to sign your form. Completed forms, complete with a €50 refundable deposit, must be returned to the

SU Reception by 5pm, Friday 4th March Week 6. Campaigning starts after the candidates have been confirmed later on Friday around 7pm. Uncontested Sabbatical officer candidates run against RON (ReOpen Nominations) to give you a choice on whether you want that candidate to represent you for that particular position. I strongly encourage any person thinking of running to please come talk to me to find out more information. Email me to arrange a meeting: liz. gabbett@ul.ie You can find more information, such as job descriptions, campaigning and election rules etc. at http://tinyurl.com/ ulsuelections All the best Liz Gabbett ULSU, Democracy Development Manager

January 2016 POLITICS

Are young people involved in politics? KIERA THORNTON WITH the general election in Ireland rapidly approaching, it is worth asking whether or not young people are adequately involved in Irish politics, and the effect the involvement (or lack thereof) of young people has on the politics of the country. A statistical analysis of the last general election shows that the average age for a candidate elected to the Dáil was 48, which begs the question whether a political system with such a low amount of young elected officials can truly cater for young people and provoke enough interest among the youth to get them involved in politics. While the number of young people voting has seen a significant rise and perhaps peaked in last May’s marriage equality referendum, young voters still cast less votes than the other age groups in the 2011 election according to findings published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO). The CSO reported that 62% of respondents between the ages of 18 and 24 said they had voted. This is likely the effect of young people feeling disenfranchised by a system in which they lack much representation, and regrettably reduces the ability of young people to influence government policy that will affect us in the future. To find a good example of young people taking initiative in politics, one should look to the north. The elections for the Northern Irish Assembly are also taking place this year, where 22-year-old Belfast woman, Ellen Murray recently announced her candidacy. The Green Party candidate is not only the first transgender person to stand for election on the island of Ireland but could become one of the youngest sitting members of the Assembly. In her campaigns, Murray has already sought to appeal to the youth of the Belfast West constituency, drawing on her experience of working with marginalised young people

as a youth worker in the area. She believes that there is “a clear underrepresentation of many groups within the Assembly, including women, young people and the LGBTQ community” and hopes to give a voice to these groups if elected. Closer to home, there are three candidates standing in Limerick City who are under the age of 35 - namely the Green Party’s James Gaffney, Social Democrats candidate Sarah Jane Hennelly and Cian Prendiville, standing on behalf of the Anti-Austerity Alliance–People Before Profit (AAA-PBP). The latter is perhaps the candidate who has placed the most emphasis on young people in his rhetoric. Caherdavin native Cian Prendiville, an alumnus of the University of Limerick, describes his party on his website as a “new movement for young people and the working class”. During debates, Prendiville has notably brought attention to the socioeconomic phenomenon which suggests that our generation is likely to be the first to be worse off than our parents, experiencing high levels of unemployment, emigration and poor mental wellbeing. He has also used his campaign to bring attention to issues of importance to students, such as the quality and cost of education. You simply cannot underestimate the significance of these young candidates in Irish politics. These candidates are more likely to be in touch with students and young people and to bring attention to the issues that matter to us the most. This is not to say that older political representatives are incapable of working for the benefit of young people, but the healthiest political systems have people from all age groups involved. Those elected at the next election are going to be responsible for government policy going forward, most likely for the next five years, and the voices of young people matter more than ever right now.

James Gaffney, Sarah Jane Hennelly and Cian Prendiville

Time for students to ‘come home’ to vote again Students in Ireland have always been regarded as being quite politically inactive, however that is less to do with being possibly lazy, uncaring or detached from greater Irish society, and more a direct indictment of the Irish political system and our political establishment at large. DARRAGH McCARTHY Traditional politics, “pale, male and stale”, offers very little for us students, and so for the longest time, the term ‘politics’ alone would bring a sour face to even the most bubbly and optimistic of young people. It is not directed at us, and in an age of austerity and pitiful employment opportunities, emigration and low-pay is the most likely prospect for most of us. So in an Ireland experiencing a mental health crisis, among other problems adversely affected students that the conservative political establishment would rather not have to deal with, what is the point of trying to involve ourselves in a system that offers nothing for us, and does not want us? The more elderly ‘grey vote’ is a prized commodity in Irish politics, and the young are neglected, as they are, for the most part, not politically conscious, active, or at the very least, even registered to vote. So ‘hope’ is certainly not a word that would come to the minds of most students regarding politics, if anything, only apathy or distrust and distaste for something that is generally felt to be soaked in lies and manipulation in pursuit of votes on election day. However, on May 22nd last year, Ireland went to the polls in the largest referendum turnout in the history of the state, and voted ‘Yes’ to the margin of 62% in the Marriage Equality referendum, introducing same-sex marriage for the first time globally through popular vote. The Marriage Equality referendum was more than just about giving same-sex couples in Ireland the ability to marry, rather it signified so much more than that. The referendum was something that wasn’t abstract, or layered in political jargon and unnecessary over-complication. A section of the population was being denied a right granted to the majority, and sensing

Colm O’Néill (LU don Gaeilge), Annie Hoey (USI Deputy President), Kevin Donogue (USI President) and Cian Power (VP South) launch the USI General Election Manifesto 2016 earlier this month. PHOTO: USI.IE/CONOR MCCABE PHOTOGRAPHY this obvious injustice, students and those that tend to be less ‘political’, used their voice to express their opposition to inequality. Over 60,000 younger people registered to vote for the first time, and 50,000 returned from abroad for voting day. The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) coordinated voter registration drives across the country resulting in the registration of almost 30,000 students, and on one day of registration in UL, over 450 students were registered to vote. This can only suggest a seismic shift in politics in Ireland, one where a new generation can proudly turn their back on our religious past layered in controversy and scandal, in favour of what can only be seen as a desire for a better, more equal Ireland. But will this desire for a new Ireland be reflected in the upcoming general

election? The USI is running its voting initiative calling on students across the country to #MakeASmartVote, by using sites like Smartvote, “the Tinder for Politics”, to gauge which candidates they are most aligned with. These are excellent ways for students who used their voice to say yes to equality in 2015, to support other issues that are present in Ireland today that they care about, issues that the USI has taken up through its Student Election Manifesto 2016. Issues such as accommodation, funding for access to higher education and a repeal of the 8th amendment are among the top issues for students according to the USI. The conservative nature of Irish politics can be easily viewed as beginning to change, as students become politically active and use their vote wisely to support the change they want to see in

this country, rather than succumbing to the apathy that allows some political parties to thrive, and in turn, offer nothing for young people. The latest figures have shown that some 80,000 students registered to vote over the past two years. Following the marriage equality result, politics can be transformed into not a dirty word for Irish students, but in light of the supposed inclusive and progressive Ireland that has been built this centenary of 1916, we can go to the polls this general election and demand real change. As the likely election day of February 26th draws ever closer, it is yet to be seen just how much of an impact students will have in the politics of this “modern” Ireland, but if current statistics indicate anything, it is that students and young people will again have a massive impact on the outcome.

January 2016 POLITICS

Seanad voting: not for UL? This year’s upcoming Seanad elections will allow the graduates of Trinity College, UCD, NUIG, NUIM and UCC to cast their vote on who should gain the six Seanad seats allowed to represent graduates of third level education in Ireland. However graduates of major institutions such as UL and DCU, not to mention all of the IT’s around the country, remain ineligible to vote.

MARK NOTHER Following this year’s General Election, and within 90 days of the dissolution of Dáil Éireann, there will be another election to decide the membership of the 25th Seanad. Expected to take place in early June, the Seanad elections will decide the 60 senators that will make up the upper house for the next five years. Of these 60 seats; 11 are nominees of the recently elected (or re-elected) Taoiseach; 43 are elected by the sitting TDs, local government councillors and outgoing senators; and six are elected by the graduates from the constitute institutions of the National University of Ireland and Trinity College Dublin, split 3 apiece. The current Seanad’s six university representatives being: NUI Senators Feargal Quinn, Rónán Mullen and John Crown, and Trinity College Senators David Norris, Ivana Bacik and Seán Barrett. This state of affairs has been the case since the introduction of the Constitution of Ireland in 1937 despite numerous calls for change from politicians, the public and advocacy groups, such as Graduate Equality, alike. There was in fact a referendum in August 1979 which despite a low turnout (around 28%) was passed with over 90% in favour. This led to the

introduction of the Seventh Amendment of the Constitution (Election of Members of Seanad Éireann by Institutions of Higher Education) Act, 1979. This amendment, quoting from the official text of Bunreacht na hÉireann, “Allowed the State to extend the provisions for the election of members of Seanad Éireann by certain universities to other institutions of higher education in the State”. However this was never enacted by the government of the day, nor any of those to have held power subsequently, despite the mandate to do so. The result of this is that there is no voice for over half of graduates from third level education to elect representatives that are supposed to represent them despite a thirty-six year old mandate for government to allow them this right. Instead circa 150,000 NUI graduates, and only 50,000 of their Trinity College counterparts, will elect the 6 senators whom will represent graduates over the next 5 years.

Reform Under the current coalition’s programme for government there was a motion to abolish the Seanad which was narrowly defeated (51.87% against) by the people through referendum on 4th October 2013. The popular consensus being that rather than abolition there would instead be

reform, although there is of course the possibility of a certain amount of the vote against being protest votes against a government with falling popularity. However as it stands the Seanad Bill 2015, which is currently being debated through the houses of the Oireachtas, is the summation of these calls for reform and it includes provision for the extension of Seanad voting to “all graduates of third level education in Ireland”. This bill was submitted by a Seanad working group in May last but Taoiseach Enda Kenny has recently said it will not be passed by the Dáil before the upcoming general election. There is a feeling amongst those opposed to the bill that it does not offer ‘true’ reform, but is merely a platitude towards those that are seeking changes that will make the upper house more relevant. One of these, Senator David Norris, a Trinity College seat holder, who, whilst speaking in a Seanad debate on the 2015 bill, argued: “The Bill goes a small way towards rectifying an idiotic situation” and that the current proposal “would magnify the existing disparity”, in terms of the democratic deficit showcased by 200,000 electing six representatives whilst the Taoiseach alone elects 11. Senator Norris did however go on to say he would vote in favour of the bill, should the occasion

arise, “because it is some token gesture towards Seanad reform”. In all there is a fear that this talk of reform could be

lost in the confusion around a general election. Indeed should the government fail to be returned to office then the future of this bill is even less

certain. Either way for the next five years the majority of Ireland’s third level graduates will remain without representation in the Seanad.

Seanad Éireann • Upper House of the Oireachtas • 60 senators • 43 elected by TDs, senators & city and county councillors to 5 panels: Culture & Education, Agriculture, Labour, Industry & Commerce and Public Administration • 6 elected by graduates of NUI colleges and TCD • 11 nominated by the Taoiseach

• Can initiate and revise legislation (exception: financial legislation) • Failed referendum to abolish the house in 2013 • Seanad elections held 90 days after dissolution of Dáil Éireann • Successful referendum to extend voting to graduates of other 3rd level institutions • UL, DCU and IT graduates excluded from voting for the 6 third level senators

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January 2016 INTERVIEW

A STORM IN

My An Focal debut was poignant from me. On one hand, it was rather amusing to see my name in print, but on the other, what I had written was an article about the closure of one of my favourite places in Limerick and I was genuinely gutted. AISLING O'CONNOR Thankfully, Santa came early this year and the café once again burst into life, serving delicious beverages and treats to all. I sat down with new owner, Adam Reeves, over coffee to discuss what’s in store for The Stormy Teacup.

clear cut business. “To be totally honest, there was no attachment for me and here. The first time I came here was to scope the place out. I wish it was more romantic than that but it was literally a simple business decision.”

What inspired you to reopen The Stormy Teacup? How did you feel when it initially closed? “The first I heard of this place was on Facebook when I saw the post about it closing down and I saw the reaction to it and thought there might be something here if we reopened it and took a different approach. “I came up and had a look and decided that we’d see if we could make an offer to the people that did own it in terms of taking it over and there was definitely an opportunity to work something out. That was pretty much it, it was purely a business decision. There was nothing else around it, it was

Did you always want to own a café or was it something you

“There was nothing else around it, it was clear cut business.” saw in this place? “I never in a million years saw myself having anything like this, I never saw myself going down the whole food route to be honest. Like, if you said to me six months ago about having something to do with food and drink I would have told you that you’re crazy. I would have been against it, I would have decided against opening it.

Stormy Teacup cafe. PHOTOS: CALEB PURCELL “I think the pros outweigh the cons in this case and that it made so much business ends that we could work out the whole food and drink barrier afterwards.

Everything before that was purely marketing and software based.” What are your plans for the future of The Stormy Teacup? “Product was the first thing for me, the first building block and our product has to be really good and consistently good. I didn’t feel it was before, the second thing was basic little processes that if they were done well for the future. I’d look at events and things like that and just trying to sweat as much money out of the place we can get to be honest.” Will Stormy classics like movie night and board game nights be returning or is this a new era for The Stormy Teacup? “Yeah, absolutely. Most of it, stuff like that, is going to be what people tell us they want. It’s going to be simple as that. They had the movie nights, game nights, that kind of thing, they will all come back there’s clearly demand for them they worked for them before and they’ll work for us now. “We have exciting music

“I still am operating a company but no one knows there’s a 19 year old sitting there doing it.”

stuff happening, I’m a musician in my own right. To be honest I thought that’s where I was going. This Christmas was all going to be working on my bands EP and that kind of thing so music is going to be a big thing here and then you have to look at after hour stuff like the whole space between 1:30 in the morning and 5 o’clock in the morning, that whole area. There’s nothing being done there, I think that could be a good opportunity for us.” Are you a tea or coffee person? “Coffee.” So what’s your favourite

drink on the menu? “I always drink a flat white, we do a really good flat white. I was always coffee more than tea but tea is kind of growing on me, like I’m ordering tea, sampling tea, tasting tea, and serving tea so it is definitely growing on me. “But again, going back to your first question, it was purely a business thing, there was no I didn’t love tea and wanted to own a tea shop. I had no experience in a café, or tea thing before, it’s all new to me. It’s getting more and more 50/50 as it goes on.”

January 2016 INTERVIEW

A TEACUP What’s it like to be a young business owner? “Tough. It’s tough. It’s fine in terms of the business side of it, I was never worried about the business side of it. I trust myself enough to carry that on, what’s though is when it’s such a public place. I had digital marketing behind me, I had social media marketing, I had sales and all that stuff, it didn’t matter that you were young. “There w e r e n o

so we had literally a month to do all the business side of it, all the physical side of it, renovating and everything that came with it. “I literally had to go head first into it and it was as simple as that. So I just disappeared of everyone’s radar but I think it’s an easy enough balance. It’s gotten to a stage now where it’s grand, which is good, I thought it would be more than that, I thought it would b e

“I was always coffee more than tea but tea is kind of growing on me, like I’m ordering tea, sampling tea, tasting tea, and serving tea.”

‘you’re operating a company’ and I still am operating a company but no one knows there’s a 19 year old sitting there doing it. Whereas here, I think more and more people are realising that ‘wait a minute, the dude’s 19’ so I guess there’s that feeling of, in a very paranoid way, what people are saying, people are looking at you going ‘he’s 19’. “You’re not gonna be as respected and that stuff, you’re going talking to a bank and you’re going talking to a bank manager and there’s a 19 year old across the table. Stuff like that is strange, it doesn’t make a difference and it’s become very clear for a finish how serious it is and how… I don’t know what the word is, how beyond my years I am, we are. “But the only thing is when you’re in such a public role so young, running something as big as this and I am literally the face of the brand and it’s very hard being the face of the brand as big as this when you’re 19. That face is a 19 year old face. You’re in a sea of people who are 40, 50, 60 and that’s tough.” It is difficult to balance the business, and music, and a social life? “Yeah, the lads end up getting worried about me, I was getting texts from them, from different groups of friends, kind of going ‘are you still alive?’. As soon as we decided to do this it has to be a very quick turn over. We didn’t buy this until October

next summer when I could crawl out of here and get back into the life but it’s not. It’s fine.” How do you feel about seeing this place up and running? “It’s amazing, to be honest, I don’t know. It’s weird to be honest with you, it’s weird to have. I keep saying it, I was never in any business before this, it was never a public thing, I see people coming through to door and it’s something that I own, something that I’m running and that’s weird. “People are physically coming to us, and it’s all organic. It’s not in a digital space where they’re coming to you but you’ve made them come to you type of thing, we’re making them come but people are physically coming and bringing their friends, physically ordering something, we’re physically making it, yet to become a normal thing which is cool. It’s still in that fun, exciting sort of stage. It’s very new and exciting, I guess I’d call it. It’s fun, it’s definitely a happy place. @thisdreamsalive

January 2016 ERASMUS

Erasmus Diary

It’s Barca baby RYAN O'ROURKE SUNNY skies, sandy beaches and sweet sangria. That was the plan at least when I set off on my Erasmus adventure. To say I was nervous was an understatement. This would be my first time living abroad. But there was also an undercurrent of excitement. This was a true adventure, the type we talk about after a few beers. I was moving to paradise. Chasing my dreams of an apartment overlooking the beach, with the sun on my back and the sand in my toes. It was a risk that’s for sure, but what’s life without a few risks? Landing in the airport the first thing I noted was the weather. Leaving Limerick it had been cold, wet and windy. Here, the sun was shining and it was a modest 18 degrees. The Irish equivalent of a summer’s afternoon, if you were lucky. This I could get used to. Getting into my hotel (I had yet to find an apartment) I was pleasantly surprised at the view from my balcony. It overlooked a large part of the city and had a great view of the hills behind the city. A castle reminiscent of Disneyland, with glowing fairy lights and a giant big wheel sat atop one of the hills. It was a great start to my trip abroad. However, my good luck was not meant to last. After a few days, the romance of the city began to wear off. I started to think I had bitten off more than I could chew. I had yet to find a house, the rent prices

were high, but the hotel was costing me a fortune. With a couple of horrible viewings, and a dodgy encounter with a scam artist, it was starting to take a toll on my mood. On top of that I had come to the country with no Spanish whatsoever. Being able to ask for no onions on my burger was a thing of the past. The city itself was a shock to the system. It was huge. Along with tales of pick pockets and muggers, it seemed I could never let my guard down. Things only seemed to get worse. A mishap on the metro lead to hefty €50 fine (do not throw your ticket away). It

Always on the go, never sleeping. There was a new adventure around every corner. A street performer or a singer. The architecture of the city itself was mesmerising. The giant buildings were expertly crafted and always seemed to be framed by a bright blue sky. It was beautiful. My luck finally turned. We found an apartment right in the centre of the city. It was expensive but worth the price. After that everything seemed to click into place. I finally began to fall into step with the city. I made friends, other Erasmus students like me. I went out and learned that the

“The locals speak two languages. Spanish and Catalan. Pick up a few phrases in Catalan, your effort will be greatly appreciated.”

didn’t seem like I was going to find a home. I was terribly homesick, missing my friends, my family and a good old snack box. I was on the verge of packing up and heading home. But I couldn’t give up yet. Although I wasn’t quite enjoying it yet, there was something about the city I couldn’t quite shake. It was alive, like nowhere I’d ever seen before.

Spanish club scene is something unique in itself. With the clubs not closing till 6’o clock, it’s a far different scene to Ireland. So from roof top bars, to champagne and international DJ’s, I was hooked. The intoxicating pull of Barcelona had finally grabbed hold of me. It was beautiful. It was glamorous. It was fast paced and it was wild. It was perfect.

I don’t know how the next few months will treat me, I’m here until June. College is starting properly soon, so I’m sure that will bring some new hurdles. The language barrier is still there, but hopefully I’ll begin to pick the language up as time passes. There’s plenty more to see and do here and I plan on doing it all. But until then, here are a few things to remember if you’re visiting Barcelona. • The locals speak two languages. Spanish and Catalan. Pick up a few phrases in Catalan, your effort will be greatly appreciated. • The Catalonians take great pride in their city. Respect

that. • Don’t cross a road when the little man is red. You will die. • Mopeds are evil. There’s loads of them and the drivers are all crazy. Laws do not apply to them. • Everyone has a dog, just roll with it, it’s awesome.

• Don’t throw away your public transport ticket. They will fine you. • The drinks are cheap and strong, but the night is long, pace yourself. • The city never sleeps. You want Sushi at four in the morning? I know a place. • Smile, it’s Barca baby.

“The city never sleeps. You want Sushi at four in the morning? I know a place.”

January 2016 FRESHERS

Fresher’s Diary: Back for part two KIERA THORNTON IT sure is wonderful to be back. I recall viewing the timetable at the start of the first semester and thinking about how much I would enjoy the long winter break, planning to balance productivity with relaxation. Well, I must inform you all that I was drastically incorrect. I have just had the dullest and most boring six weeks of my life. Up until New Years, I was kept reasonably busy between my job, preparing for the holiday season and going to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens several times, but, following that, after my contract at work ended and the busy part of the holidays settled down, I was lost for what to do. Of course, I had great plans for the few weeks, including volunteering, writing and revising, but they were unsurprisingly lost to hours spent on the computer staring at Tumblr and Facebook. Now I am all set to be back at university and raring to go for the new semester. I anticipate walking down the tree-lined path past the main gates for the first time in a while soon. My motivation took a bit of a hit when I received my new timetable, admittedly. It would be overly pessimy exam results but it is fair to say that the chance of me namely society activities and, of course, publishmistic of me not to point out that it could have getting five A1s is minimal, so whatever I do fall down on I ing more world-class (totally being objective) been significantly worse – my hours are spread will be looking to perfect. Lest I forget, as a language student, articles in An Focal and telling people to read evenly across the days for the most part, I start I need to spend way more time in the Language Learning my world-class articles in An Focal. later on Friday and finish early most days – but Hub than I did last semester. With all the gaps in In addition to that, I recently some of my hours make society activities a bit my timetable, there is, quite frankly, no excuse. realised that I actually only more awkward than before and I am most disapAny deficiency in my results in those exams have two more semesters on pointed to not have escaped the barbarian tyranny “I wish all my fellow can be directly blamed on the lack of time I campus at UL before cothat is finishing late on Friday. Even though committed to spending in the LLH. operative education and my evening tutorial on Friday is in my favourfreshers and the student Speaking of exams, those feel like studying abroad. That ite module, I feel as if I will struggle to be as a very distant memory now for someis two more semesters enthusiastic as I should be about it. I’m sorry, it body as a whole the best thing that was the main focus of my until I spend two away doesn’t matter how much I like you, but if you life for weeks. Looking back on them from the university. dare invade my Friday I have no tolerance, none of luck with the upcoming gives me a mixture of accomplishment It tends to be somewhatsoever. and unease. Could I have done worse? thing that students are I suppose I should encourage positivity within semester, let’s make it an Most certainly. Could I have done better? excited about but, for the page in print I’m privileged to have. I pledged Probably. There is no point me, the idea of spendto learn from some of the mistakes I amazing few months for in looking back because ing time away is quite made last semester. To my credit, all” short of rapid advanceanxiety-inducing. I like to think I had a fairly “I pledged to learn ment in time travel Just after I have settled into good first semester both acatechnology I won’t be able life at UL after my first three demically and socially but, from some of the mistakes to change anything when semesters here, I will be leaving again, let’s face it, there are always they’re still relevant. Instead being plunged into a brand new environment going to be certain bits I can I made last semester.” I look to the future and the semester once more. It isn’t a case of being against going improve on. For myself, I ahead. away but it is mildly terrifying at the same time, want to focus on procrastinatMy overall feeling for the new semesthough I suppose it really just encourages me to ing less and mixing with others ter is one of excitement, because who make the most out of the time I have on campus more, and, self-contradictory as wouldn’t be excited? Getting up super early most here. When you put it into perspective, it is those two may sound, I believe it is posmornings, tons of assignments only to culminate in exams going to be a relatively small portion of my life, sible to fulfill both. that will likely be more stressful than the last set, it really yet also an extremely important part of it, and On top of that, I seek to keep up some of the is living the dream. In all seriousness, I am quite excited. It determination to take advantage of it will be key. good work in getting assignments done well in may be an academically challenging semester but I relish the I digress, let’s return to the present, shall we? time and upholding my attendance and punctualchallenge. There are other things to look forward to as well, The first problem I can see myself encountering ity. At the time of writing I have not yet received in the coming weeks is that academic success, particularly in my discipline, requires a lot of consistent work not just to achieve a high standard but to uphold that same high standard. Granted, relaxing is not just allowed but very important. Alas, I might just have taken that principle to a logical extreme over the holidays. Most of my modules are going to build on what I learned last semester and I am more than a bit worried that I have forgotten so much of it that there is little left to build on. I have this nightmarish scenario in my head of sitting in my first lecture of the semester, having everything the lecturer says flying over my head and feeling so frightened and out of place. Hopefully a small bit of revision will be enough to refresh my memory. All the concerns and nervousness aside, here’s to another great semester. If I was told now that the second half of my first year were to be as enjoyable as the first half, I would be very satisfied, and there is no reason why it can’t be. I wish all my fellow freshers and the student body as a whole the best of luck with the upcoming semester, let’s make it an amazing few months for all!

January 2016 REVIEWS

THE DANISH GIRL EILÍS WALSH I remember coming across the trailer for The Danish Girl while browsing on YouTube. It immediately caught my eye because of Eddie Redmayne, a prominent English actor who plays the main character. This is a screenplay that took ten years to develop. Where to begin? I was hooked after watching the trailer and that is usually a good sign with films. It is directed by Tom Hooper, the man behind The King’s Speech (2010) and Les Misérables (2012). The film focuses on artist Lili Elbe and his wife Gerda Wegener. Its main focus is the true story of how Elbe came to be one of the first known men to transition into a woman and undergo sex reassignment surgery. Honestly I was entranced within the first few minutes of the film. Even if you don’t analyse films like I do, you will be in awe at the Danish

KIERA THORNTON AT last, the third series of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has started airing this side of the Atlantic. Switching from Channel 4 to E4, the new series premiered at 9pm on Sunday 10th January, and the second episode aired at the same time on Sunday 17th January. We are well behind American audiences (and perhaps some of our readers who are not as patient), for whom the ﬁrst ten episodes of the series aired before Christmas, but we are slowly going to catch up. With the premiere, you

landscape. Wild, rugged and alien almost yet breath-taking. Then we are taken to 1920’s Copenhagen, a world of art, social events and the life of a man hiding his true identity for the better part of his life. Gerda awakens Einar’s suppressed feminine nature when she asks her husband to pose for a portrait. Feeling the touch of silk and wearing women’s clothes Einar feels something change, a change that is soon seen to be irreversible. Einar’s wife begins to paint Einar as Lili and soon her paintings are exhibited to a very enthusiastic Danish audience. While at an art exhibition as Lili, Ben Whishaw's character Henrik falls for her and the pair kiss, in full view of Gerda. Einar is terriﬁed of the irrepressible feeling that he is living in the wrong body. An art dealer picks up Gerda’s portraits of Lili and announces that they are to be exhibited in Paris. The pair move to the city and Lili lives her life openly as a woman. This provokes very frightened

feelings in Gerda who feels as though she is losing her husband. The pair’s relationship gradually shifts from a romantic one to a sisterly one. She discovers that Einar has kissed a man before, once when he was very young. This is Hans (Matthias Schoenaerts), a childhood friend. She makes contact with him and when he comes to meet her she finds herself attracted to Hans. However the pair don’t embark on a romantic relationship. Instead they become pillars of support for Lili as she undergoes traumatic mental and physical changes. The film highlights the very real danger transgender people face even today as there is a large group of people opposed to those living openly as transgender. In the film Lili begins to wear more feminine clothes in public yet is set upon by two men who are ignorant and don’t understand. The Danish Girl also emphasizes the serious risk in sex reassignment surgery, as when Lili rushes her surgeries

to remove the “foreign” parts of her, she weakens and dies. I found it very moving when Hans asks Lili how she is and she replies “Entirely myself”. She passes away peacefully after her second operation, being too weak after a bout of fever. Gerda and Hans travel to Lili’s childhood home and stand out looking across the water. Gerda’s scarf, one worn by Lili blows away. Instead of chasing it she lets it go and in a sense lets Lili go. I found the imagery beautiful at this moment, in a way Lili is now free. We are shown various reactions to the revelation of Einar’s being transgender, human reactions. Some doctors deeming the man schizophrenic, mentally unstable and incurable. At this time being transgender was something alien to the Danish community, and in Denmark Einar is unable to live an ordinary life as a transgender woman. The best known actors in this ﬁlm are the leads, Eddie Redmayne as Lili and

beautiful Swedish actress Alicia Vikander taking the role of Gerda. These two had amazing chemistry and I want to credit Vikander for holding her own and bringing Gerda to the screen in such a striking way. While there has been some criticism of a cisgender man playing a transgender character, I think Eddie Redmayne did the character justice, he can play a woman so well it’s unnerving. It would not be surprising to me if he has received an Oscar nomination for this role by the time this review is out. I really learned a lot about

the transgender world. This is a world I am aware of, yet know next to nothing about and perhaps it’s time I took the time to read into it more. Something I noticed in the cinema was that there were more of the older demographic than expected. This I take as a sign that people are becoming more accepting to those who identify as transgender. This ﬁlm was beautifully shot, looking really classy and authentic. I would recommend it to everyone, whether accepting of transgender people or not. It’s an eye opener either way.

could say that S.H.I.E.L.D. returned to truly dealing with superheroes, as the season begins with an alliance assembled by Coulson featuring former S.H.I.E.L.D. agents looking to contain new superpowered Inhumans to eventually be trained into the new team. It was in all respects a very suitable and exciting premiere. Daisy (formerly known as Skye) had a particularly explosive appearance, and long-term fans of the series will notice the evolution of her character since series one. Those familiar with the last season will, of course, be asking what becomes of

Simmons. Having been transported to an alien planet when sucked into a monolith at the end of season two, the premier features Fitz desperately trying to ﬁnd out how to rescue her. This involves Fitz going on a solo mission to ﬁnd information about her fate. Indeed, Fitz is another character whose development will intrigue fans of the series, and the premiere episode shows him with a new determination. Hearts will break at the scene where Fitz is seen pounding the monolith, begging for Simmons to be set free. That particular storyline becomes the focus of the

second episode of the series, when Fitz is helped by his fellow agents in ﬁguring out the portal. Once again we see the chemistry of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents in working together, and viewers will be taken aback by the sheer emotion of Fitz, obviously driven by his love for Simmons to rescue her, months after she initially disappeared. I was personally glad to see the return of Simmons, having dreaded waiting for much of series to see her again. The second episode takes up more of the storylines where they left off at the end of season two, and also saw

the return of another former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent in the form of May. Having taken a hiatus, she was tracked down by Hunter and enlisted to help in his own personal vendetta for Ward by inﬁltrating Hydra. Ward himself was returned to the spotlight in this episode, having his own plans for getting revenge on S.H.I.E.LD. He is shown to be in the process of rebuilding Hydra, which makes one speculate as to whether or not Ward could pose a serious threat to S.H.I.E.L.D. over the coming series. Nonetheless, this thirst for revenge is intriguing and likely going to be central to

Ward’s character arc over the course of season three, and it will be interesting to see how the writers play on this personality which has divided fans of the series, with some in love with Ward and others who would be delighted to see him crushed to pieces. My verdict of the ﬁrst two episodes is, in essence, that they were enough to leave me thirsty for more, and presumably enough to keep viewers hooked over the next few weeks. The blistering opening to the series has left me apprehensive to ﬁnd out what will transpire in the coming episodes.

January 2015 REVIEWS

Centre for Student Life BOOK REVIEW

GO SET A WATCHMAN

UL Student Union invite you to propose ideas for the New Student Centre that will serve all the students of the university. A room to reheat meals

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GRAHAM STURDY FIFTY five years after the publication of one of the best selling, culturally defining novels of the 20th century, comes Harper Lee’s second novel, ‘Go Set a Watchman’. Lee’s first novel ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’, is a story that resonated with multiple generations around the world. It is a classic book, one that is undeniably a literary masterpiece. ‘Go Set a Watchman’ is not that book.

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The plot follows our returning heroine, JeanLouise Finch, as she returns home from New York to her small town of Maycomb, Alabama. But many things have changed in this sequel. The voice of young Scout Finch is no more; she is now Jean-Louise Finch, a strong independent woman who works in the big city, New York. Those who were hoping to get another glimpse at a broken world through a child eyes will be disappointed. There are no such insights in this novel. The fantastic dynamic from ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ wherein an adult Scout told the story through her childhood memories is gone. Instead, there is a bland, detached third person voice that will just make you want to put the book down. This is a great disappointment as the novel is set during an incredibly important time in American history. The civil rights movement had gained serious traction and actual change is coming upon the people of Maycomb County. While there are still some thought provoking moments and poignant theories on the condition of man, it’s a shame that the precedent set by ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ only serves to let the reader know that the author can handle these moments with much more skill than is evident in the novel. The plot does not follow an array of wacky, lovable, and believable characters, racial prejudice, what it is to grow up, human moments,

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If you’d like to have something published in An Focal this semester please email anfocal@ul.ie by the deadlines below. paragons of virtues and life lessons. Instead ‘Go Set a Watchman’ reads like a passable young adult novel. Love triangles and big decisions about whether to be a traditional mother, or a career driven woman slow down what otherwise could have been an exceptional return by Harper Lee.

person. This may be due in part to the dubious nature in which ‘Go Set a Watchman’ was published, many people believing that an elderly Harper Lee may have been coerced by a publisher into releasing it what is essentially a ﬁrst draft of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’.

Characters that readers may have been eager to welcome back into their lives are mysteriously dead without any real explanation, or have suddenly had their most deﬁning characteristic ﬂipped. One character is so far removed from their previous incarnation that it’s impossible to believe that they could be the same

For whatever reason, the plot is not as compelling as it could be as the subject matter itself seemed the perfect subject to return to. Ultimately, Go Set a Watchman is an entertaining novel on its own merit but is not a worthy successor to ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’. But that’s a hard act to follow.

Edition 8 (available from Week 3) Deadline - Week 2 - 5pm, Monday, 1st February Edition 9 (available from Week 5) Deadline - Week 4 - 5pm, Monday, 15th February Edition 10 (available from Week 7) Deadline - Week 6 - 5pm, Monday, 29th February Edition 11 (available from Week 9) Deadline - Week 8 - 5pm, Monday, 21st March Edition 12 (available from Week 11) Deadline - Week 10 - 5pm, Monday, 4th April

January 2016 VOXPOP

Voxpops: #GE16 This month Anthony O’Brien went out on campus to ask some questions for An Focal. With the 2016 General Election expected within a month, we wanted to know how many UL students knew about it and if they planned to vote. 1. Do you know about the General Election coming up in Ireland? 2. Do you plan to vote? 3. Do you mind if I ask who you intend to vote for?

Colin Brannan, Masters in Creative Writing 1.Yeah 2.Yeah 3. I haven't decided yet, Probably Independents

Avril Horan, 2nd Year PME in Languages 1. No 2. I didn’t know about it, so no

Thomas McLoughin, 3rd Year in Pharmacutical and Industrial Chemistry 1.Yeah 2. I do 3. Haven’t decided yet. Fianna Fail maybe

Austin Duignan, 1st Year Medical Student 1. I do yeah 2. If I’m around yet 3. I’m not sure yet. I’ll weight it up

Niamh McKenna, Final Year in Liberal Arts 1. I have a fair idea of it, but I’ve yet to register 2. Well I have the registration form printed off 3. No idea yet, I have to do some research

Sanobar Fahir Nehmin, 1st Year PhD in Optical Sensors 1. No, I don’t know about it 2. No, because I’m not from Ireland, I’m not an Irish citizen

Padraig Leahy, 3rd Year in Business Studies 1. Yes, I’m quite aware of it 2. I plan to 3. I plan to vote for Fianna Fail.

Shane McNamara, 2nd Year Masters in Education

Patrick Laheesh, Final Year in Chemical Engineering

1. Yeah, I did 2. Yeah, I plan to vote 3. Not sure yet, undecided so far. Probably Fine Gael though

1. I don’t know about it 2. I’m actually in my ﬁnal year, so I’m extremely busy with my projects, and need to focus

Voxpops: #GE16

Edmund Kennedy, 4th year in Chemical Engineering 1. Yes I did, someone told me 2. I do if I have the time to get home to my local constituency 3. I don’t know at the moment, I’ve been too busy with ﬁnal year stuff to pay attention to it.

Seán McKillen, 3rd year PhD in History 1. Yeah, I’ve heard about all the potential election dates 2. Of course 3. I actually don’t know, I always ﬂy towards the Independents but there’s so many types of them now. Limerick will be hotly contested. I think I probably lean towards the Social Democrats at this stage

January 2016 BEAUTY

Beauty on a Budget - Homemade Masks MAOILÍOSA NÍ LOIDEÁIN HOLDING diplomas in ITEC, CIBTAC and CIDESCO and having worked in a spa for some time, I have come across and have used various brands of beauty products. As natural as these products claim to be, there is nothing more natural than making your own. Natural ingredients such as fruit can have a beneﬁcial effect not just internally but externally if used in homemade face masks. The best thing about these is that you know exactly what is in your mask as you have made it.There are no parabens or chemicals that you cannot pronounce which do absolutely nothing but harm you. Being a student means everything is on a budget. This includes cheap food, cheap alcohol and cheap student cinema nights. Unless the local salon offers a great student discount, we don’t venture in there for facials. It is likely that fake tans, nails and waxes would precede the thought of getting a facial. But after all that fun in The Stables at International Night or Costello’s

out the pit. Chop up and mash in a bowl. Place on face for 5-10 minutes. Wash off. It will leave your skin nourished and moisturised. An alternative is to take the peeled skin and place that around your face as there will be enough avocado on this also.

on a Thursday, surely your skin deserves a bit of pampering. So here are a few homemade facial mask recipes for individual skin types.

Avocado Face Mask for Anti-Ageing (never too late to start looking after your skin) 1. Avocado (can be found for cheap in Lidl or Aldi) Peel the avocado and take

Honey and Lemon Mask for Acne/Oily Skin 1. A half real lemon or a few drops of lemon oil. 2. Two teaspoons of honey (Manuka honey has higher antibacterial properties, but regular honey is ﬁne to use too and cheaper) Squeeze the lemon into a bowl, add the honey and mix. Apply for 10 minutes and wash off. Honey is anti-bacterial and antiseptic. This mask will help with acne and scars and give a natural glow to your skin.

Egg and Honey Mask for Dry Skin 1. One teaspoon of honey 2. One white egg mixed with coconut oil Mix all the ingredients together and apply to the face. Leave on for 10-15 minutes, then rinse off with warm water. Coconut oil has a variety of beneﬁts but especially for people suffering from Eczema. You can apply the coconut oil to the affected area and also use organic coconut oil to cook

with. There are a variety of one ingredient masks that you can apply to your skin that will nourish, hydrate and give your skin an overall boost. These include bananas, mayonnaise and honey on their own. These masks are for women and men alike so give them a try and let us know how you get on.

January 2016 HEALTH

Mind your Mental Heath 6: Social Anxiety AISLING O'CONNOR Everybody experiences anxiety to a certain degree. It’s perfectly normal to feel nervous meeting new people, doing presentations, trying new things etc. however when does it become too much? Social anxiety includes symptoms such as avoiding social situations, worrying for prolonged periods of time about oncoming events, dread of public speaking or speaking on the phone, self-consciousness, fear of embarrassment, feelings of being judged or irritating others, and physical symptoms such as shaking, difficulty breathing, and increased heart-rate, nausea, blushing, and sweating. For someone experiencing social anxiety, even ordering food or going to a checkout in a shop is a difficult endeavour. The sufferer often isolates themselves and misses out on meeting new people and memories. However, like always, we have some tips for you: • Challenge negative thoughts. Thoughts such as “No one will like me”, “I’m annoying” “I’ll do something stupid/ embarrass myself” may arise, ask yourself where the logic and reasoning behind these thoughts is. Is there any solid proof of any of these things being true? Exactly. • Breathe. The way we breathe can do wonders for our mental state. Make yourself aware of the state of your breathing, if you find yourself taking short sharp breathes change it by inhaling deeply into your abdomen and exhaling slowly. • Face your fear. Step out of your comfort zone by answering a question in class, accepting that party invitation, talking to someone new etc. it sounds easier said than done but by repeatedly challenging yourself you’ll come to realise that it isn’t as terrifying as you thought. • Focus on others and what’s going on as opposed to

•

yourself. You are not the only person in this situation. What are other people doing or saying? What’s going on around you? Remember that everything passes. We all make mistakes or feel like we’ve said or done something wrong from time to time, but these moments pass. That time you slipped up ordering in Subway won’t haunt you forever. The problem with social anxiety is when a simple situation is over analysed it appears much more sinister than it is, when you find yourself over thinking tell yourself to stop and divert your attention to something else. Rationalize. While it’s easy to feel like embarrassment will be the end of the world when suffering with social anxiety keep in mind that feelings like this are catastrophizing. While, and I do not mean for this to come off as patronizing, you do feel extremely uncomfortable it won’t kill you. Take note of how you feel and what triggers the anxiety. What situations make you feel the most anxious and try to pinpoint why. If you know what makes you anxious you can develop a strategy for dealing with it. Confidence. Social anxiety tells you that you’re not a worthwhile or engaging person to be with, and tells you all sorts of horrible things about yourself but none of that is true. Compliment yourself, I’m sure you’re a lovely person to be around and have a ton of wonderful traits. Confidence goes a long way so believe in yourself. Like always, it’s always beneficial to consult others and professionals so be sure to chat to friends and family about how you feel, and if you think counseling or medication is the route for you then go for it. @thisdreamsalive

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New Letters to the Editor section

Email anfocal@ul.ie to have your say! (*Include ‘Letters to editor’ in the subject line of your email)

January 2016 SU UPDATES

A busy semester ahead for Academic MARIAN O'DONNELL

HEY guys, Marian, your Academic Ofﬁcer here! So while ye were all off enjoying yourselves over the long Christmas holidays we put in a lot of work in the Union to try and make sure everything would be ready for ye when ye got back. When starting the second semester we all make promises to ourselves about what we are going to do

differently this semester and how we are all going to work harder and get our QCA up. Everyone tries and everyone almost always gives up after the ﬁrst week. But never fear each week gives you that same opportunity to try and achieve the mystical Golden Week that has evaded you since ﬁrst year

– stop procrastinating and get studying! Last week the results came out – for those of you who got on well, congrats! For those of you who were unhappy you should check out our guide ‘Failed an Exam?-What are my options?’ this is available on our Facebook page and was sent out in an all student email this week. This guide clearly and

simply outlines all your options and what you have to do from here, it also outlines how you can get your exam rechecked or view your exam scripts. As always if you have any problems or have any questions that the guide doesn’t answer make sure to drop into the SU or email me at suacademic@ul.ie. For the last few weeks I

have been working extensively on a few proposals and policies that will be brought to university committees over the next few weeks – hopefully making students’ lives in UL a little easier if they get passed. I have also been working with our UL Experience group on our Big Coop Survey, this will hopefully go live Week 5.

ISSE Survey: What is it and how can it make a difference? MARIAN O'DONNELL ISSE stands for the Irish Survey of Student Engagement and is a National Survey that asks students about their experiences of higher education. It is designed to inform developments within institutions while also providing a national set of data - "National Survey, Local Impact" Whether you are concentrating on getting all A’s this semester or working on your social life, this February you’ll also have the opportunity to help the University understand how it

can improve the student experience for everyone. Making sure that students have a voice in the direction that their University takes is so important to how third level institutions run. It’s important to complete these surveys so that the student voice can be heard – students engagement is key in order to make UL , and other institutes, as student orientated as possible! On Monday February 3rd, a short online survey will be offered to ﬁrst year undergraduates, ﬁnal year undergraduates and postgraduate students pursuing taught programmes.

ISSE conducts its survey in thirty participating higher education Institutes, including UL. Almost 60,000 students have participated since the national pilot survey in 2013. The survey seeks to collect information on student engagement in order to provide a more valuable and informed insight into students’ experiences. The survey collects information on how students engage with their learning environments. Students’ engagement with college life is important in enabling them to develop key capabilities such as critical thinking, problem-solving, writing skills,

FYP tips from your Academic MARIAN O'DONNELL

THIS year we are having a dedicated FYP week for our fourth year students. This will be in Week 2 and will focus on those students who are currently struggling through the process of completing their FYP. It is one of the most stressful times that you will have in college and I really feel for the students doing it at the moment – I was in the same boat last year. Because it is the one thing in college that is really self-directed learning and nobody is really doing the same project as you, often people make simple mistakes

or don’t know who to turn to for help – this is why we are focusing on providing those answers during Week 2. One of the main things that I would say to any student is to get in contact with your supervisor straight away! If you have been putting off emailing them as it’s been September since you last showed them any work, it doesn’t matter. Get in contact sooner rather than latter! The FYP is worth so much of your ﬁnal grade and it’s important that your supervisor is able to give you help editing your chapters and steering you in the right direction. For the small percentage of you out there that don’t have a supervisor yet – please

get one! Either get in touch with your Course Director, the head of your Department or approach a lecturer – but stop putting it off. For those of you who are struggling through your FYP or have hit a wall – make sure to use the supports available to you such as the Writing Centre. They will be able to answer a lot of questions in relation to format and what exactly a literary review is meant to look like.The writing Centre will be running a number of workshops during Week 2 to help you tackle your FYP – FYP 101. Keep an eye on your email and Facebook for more details in relation to the FYP Week.

team work and communication skills. The results of the survey are intended to inform UL how it can best accommodate student engagement and success. Taking the time to complete this online survey is of great help to the University

as it offers invaluable insights directly from you, the student. Another thing to consider is that for every student who completes the online survey, 1 euro will be provided to the student ﬁnancial aid fund! So by helping the University, you’re helping other Students!

January 2016 SU UPDATES

Step into an exciting semester with ULSU

COLIN CLARKE WELL lads, what’s the craic. Welcome back and a happy new year to you all. There’s an

awful lot to get excited about this semester. This year for the first time UL students will be participating in Jailbreak which is a competition for charity where students will have to get to an international location without using any money. They will have 36 hours to fundraise as they go and solve clues while travelling around Europe to find the location. It’s all for charity and a great cause and I’m looking forward to participating. Charity Week planning has already begun and I think it’s going to be a week to remember. Last year we raised over €30,000 and we will be

looking to top that this year. If any of you have ideas for events or fundraisers come and speak to me. We are also in the senior planning stage of UL Fest which will be an entirely unique event the likes of which UL has never seen before. We are hoping to have a huge festival on the lawn outside of Plassey House on the Thursday of Week 12 with the goal of raising a significant amount of money for charity and having an event where the whole UL community can come together and have a night to remember. The vision is to have this event annually and cement it into

Action-packed semester from Welfare

CIARA CORCORAN Hi everyone, Happy New Year! I hope you all had a great Christmas break and are ready to get involved in the packed semester we have planned for you! Over the last few weeks I’ve been busy finishing developing a finance and grant guide, preparing to help you all next semester and planning our awareness campaign weeks for the coming semester. This semester we have so much going on including ‘Love your body week’ in Week 5, Road Safety Week in Week 8 and Mental Health Week in Week 10. Make sure to get involved and keep an eye out for everything that’s happening- it’s going to be fun! This semester my number 1 aim is to have a successful Charity Week. Last year we raised over €30,000 and I know we can do better this year. Our 4 charities were selected last semester and they’re all hugely deserving of as much money as we can raise. The charities for this year are: • Corbett Suicide

Prevention Patrol • BUMBLEance • St. Vincent de Paul Drop-in Centre Limerick • Blood Bike Groups of Ireland We’ve some really exciting events in the pipeline for Charity Week and we’ll be looking for lots of volunteers throughout Week 6. I also hope to get a full house at the suicide awareness and prevention training in week 10 and successfully pull off some projects that are in the planning stages in the moment- watch this space! Most of all I hope to meet more of you and help as many of you as I can by the end of the year. Wolf wristbands were a huge success last semester and we have more to offer. All money raised from these bands will go towards suicide awareness and intervention training in week 10 so all of your donations would be hugely appreciated. You can get them behind SU reception, in the Welfare Office, from volunteers around campus and through some of your clubs and societies. The Welfare Team has been strong and I hope that will continue next semester. We’ve had some really good campaigns and this is just going to get better this semester. The team will be running their own campaign in week 3 so be sure to keep an eye out! If you’re interested in getting involved

with the welfare team or have any ideas of issues we can tackle around campus just email suwelfare@ul.ie. If you or someone you know is still looking for single semester accommodation you can email me or rose.merrigan@ul.ie for the mythical ‘off-campus housing list’. Also make sure to add yourself to Facebook group ‘Single semester housing 15/16’ where you can link up with other students to fill a room for someone who’s leaving. The Aldi bus was a huge success last semester and will continue this semester. Huge shout out to Evan and Eamon who looked after the bus for me last semesterthanks lads! The bus is free and will go from each of the on campus villages every Monday at 5pm and 7pm. To book your place email aldibusul@gmail.com before 2pm each Monday with your name, student ID number, time and place you’d like to take the bus and contact phone number. In September, to mark World Suicide Prevention week, a series of events were held in conjunction with the Cycle Against Suicide. We’re delighted to let you all know that €740 was raised through these events so well done to you all! Delighted to have you all back, Ciara

the UL calendar for years to come where alumni can come back home and enjoy the nostalgia of their UL experiences while listening to some amazing music. But one of the most important events that will come up this year is the referendum on a new student centre and sports facilities. For years now, the Students’ Union building has been over-capacity and not fit for purpose. The building was built for a student body half the size it is now and there simply is just not enough room. A new student centre would be a hub of campus life where students can come in and

relax and have a place to call their own. It will be centrally located on campus and will satisfy the growing needs of the student population. It will tremendously enhance the student experience for years to come. New and improved sports facilities will also be on the referendum which will see the reconstruction of Maguires pitches which will include all weather facilities. However, different to the North Campus these pitches will belong to UL students and UL students will benefit enormously. This will give clubs more training time but will also cater for your casual student who

just wants to organise a game of soccer in the evenings but doesn’t want to pay €70 euro to rent a slice of pitch for an hour. The referendum will benefit each and every student either directly or indirectly. This is merely a needle of information but An Focal will be reporting on the referendum as the semester goes on. I’ll also be continuing my Pints with the President this semester. So if anyone has any questions or queries about anything relating to the union, problems they may have or just want to ask a question, come to Pints with the President and get a free pint.

Welcome back from the PSU

SEÁN McKILLEN WELCOME back to all those returning for the second semester. I hope it will be another enjoyable experience for you all. This promises to be an extremely busy semester for the PSU. I thought that I would take this time to highlight two important events which will be taking place in Week 4 of this semester. The first event of note is the PSU elections, which take place on Thursday, February 18th. There are two elections scheduled to take place. They are for PSU President and PSU Vice President/Treasurer. Both are crucial roles. Traditionally the VP has been elected at the AGM. Although it will remain a part time position, the impact it can have on a stable Union should not be underestimated. I have been incredibly fortunate to have such a dedicated VP in Elaine O’Connor, and it's my hope that the next President can call on a similar level of support and advice from their VP. In making it an elected position, the two successful candidates will be afforded

the opportunity to take up their roles at the same time. Nominations for both positions open on Monday 1st February (Week 2) and close on Friday 12th February (Week 3). Anyone interested in running can collect a nomination pack with full details of the election procedures and guidelines from my office in the PSU. The main point to note with the nomination process is that each potential candidate will need the signatures of 20 registered postgraduate students to put themselves on the ballot. I will be in touch over the coming weeks to provide updates on the process. Being President of the PSU has been a thoroughly enjoyable experience for me. It has been tough, challenging and yet energising. Day to day you won't be able to predict how your time will be spent. The wide range of issues facing all of us taking on the challenge of postgraduate study requires a strong and flexible character to be there to help out when needed. I have been supported well by my Council and Executive and without this stable foundation, the year could not have progressed so smoothly. The PSU is fully autonomous and as such requires somebody willing to work for the benefit of the full postgraduate community, both taught and research. Any previous affiliations to other groups in UL should be checked at the door with the focus remaining solely on providing the best possible service to our postgraduate students. If anyone is contemplating running for either position, you are welcome to

call in to me to have a chat about it. I'm happy to offer whatever advice I can. On Friday 19th of February the PSU will host its annual Ball in The Pavilion. I have circulated most of this information by email before Christmas. The main points to note are that the tickets are on sale now. They cost €25 each. This includes a three course meal, and entertainment provided by the band Drive as well as a closing set from UL DJ Society. We have significantly lowered the price of the tickets as we are not seeking to rip off students. Too many events at third level are prohibitively priced and stop many from being able to attend. This rip off culture is not welcome. The constant search for profit at the expense of the student experience is a damaging by-product of unnecessary greed. The tickets can be purchased directly from the PSU (Stables Courtyard) or at the ULSU reception in the main student courtyard. 20% of all ticket sales will go directly to nominated charities. I put out a call to the postgraduate community before the Christmas break looking for charity suggestions. You responded in great numbers and we will go about whittling down your suggestions and will announce this year’s recipients. We really hope you can join us for what promises to be a fantastic evening. If you have any queries feel free to forward them on to Sean.mckillen@ul.ie for more information. In the meantime, enjoy the beginning of the new semester.

January 2016 EDITORIALS

Welcome back for an exciting semester

New semester, new An Focal

EILÍS WALSH

This semester is big and while I can’t say too much at present about all the exciting things planned by both An Focal and the SU, I can promise you’ll want to stick around for the show. I was overjoyed with being asked to stay on for this semester as Editor for exactly that reason. This is an extraordinary semester coming and to be a part of that through An Focal is a honour. Remember, we are always open to new ideas, new writers and new content. Just drop us an email at anfocal@ul.ie and make to keep up to date with An Focal on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. And speaking of that, if you have a photo from UL’s amazing campus that you’d like to share with the whole UL community, just tag @anfocalul on Instagram and await the next edition of the paper. Have a great semester and enjoy your time here before the summer hits. And make sure you register for the supplementary register to vote if you haven’t already. Your vote matters. Twitter: @TomasJHeneghan

s o t m H l A

#ULCW

! ere

What will I be bringing to An Focal? Well I hope to bring new perspectives and to increase the amount of content relating to film, music and arts in the newspaper. Something I am really hoping to introduce to An Focal is a creative writing section, where budding poets, writers and journalists alike can showcase their work. It’s something I really feel passionate about so I do hope you’ll trust us with your work. I am a big fan of reflective pieces so I hope to incorporate this into An Focal. We’re very flexible in terms of sections, so if you come up with new ideas, please do suggest it to us. I am an avid reader, if you gave me a cereal box I would happily read the back of it while eating my Cheerios. So I genuinely will spend my time reading all the pieces sent in. If I had my way I’d spend the day reading things, whether it’s the latest article from National Geographic, reading pieces from the website Rookiemag.com or even the ingredients of a frozen pizza. I also suffer from what I like to call godeaf-when-you-read-itis. So send your book reviews this way, they will be greatly appreciated. This semester I want to encourage you to get involved in as many societies as you can, attend the events in and around the college and make the most of the semester. I hope to meet as many of you as possible and persuade you to contribute to An Focal. I’m sure you’ll see what I get up to as the semester progresses. Twitter: @eilis_walsh

and to top it all off the Erasmus Diary series will return with more variety, alongside the Freshers Diary. We also have a new page called ‘looking back’ where we reprint a page from an older edition of An Focal and review it for you. As a student newspaper An Focal has to be able to evolve and grow to better reﬂect student life at UL. This means that as well as all the changes mentioned above, the newspaper is always open to further change and in future editions will carry poetry and even a short story section. We will test-drive a range of sections, and while some may fall off during the time, we hope the ones that serve you, the students, best will be made stronger. One of the biggest changes for the newspaper this semester is the addition of a new dedicated Deputy Editor, Eilís Walsh. Eilís is stepping into the co-op position for the semester, and in to the summer break, and will be here as a second pair of hands to help guide An Focal through an even more successful semester than the last.

#ULCW

HI everyone! I’m the new co-op student for An Focal. I am a 20 year old New Media and English student from Co Kilkenny. I blog at www.nocatgotmytongue.blogspot.ie, write for TheLiberal.ie and Campus. ie respectively. I am also P.R.O for UL’s Filmmaking society, something you might want to check out. As you might guess I’m obsessed with all aspects of ﬁlm from watching them to making them. If you’re an Erasmus student, welcome to the University of Limerick! You’ll honestly have the time of your lives here. There is no shortage of entertainment on campus. There are always events on from comedy gigs in Scholars to karaoke nights in The Stables. I encourage you to attend International Night on Fridays from 10pm in The Stables where you’ll meet other internationals and integrate with the Irish students. I will most likely be there as much as I can. To other students, I hope you are refreshed after your Christmas holidays. I for one am missing the lie-ins in

the morning, but I’m slowly getting used to seeing 8am again. I know you’ll make all the Erasmus students feel welcome. I’m hoping you’ll contribute as much to the great college atmosphere as you did last year. I’m really excited to be writing for, and editing, An Focal. The University of Limerick, I feel, has a genuine community spirit and I can’t wait to immerse myself in all aspects of UL, from Open Mic night to Charity Week in Week 6. Working in the SU so far has been nothing but good craic and I am eagerly looking forward to all of you students coming back to add to the atmosphere. There’s a lot planned let me tell you! I really want to give a voice to a variety of societies in UL. I can understand people’s reluctance to put forward a piece of writing to An Focal, but you really should give a go. It doesn’t matter if English is not your ﬁrst language, we do really want to read your perspectives. Not only will it look great on your CV but it’s a chance to voice your opinion on something you feel strongly about. Is there a ﬁlm you want everyone to see? Please write about it and send it in. Is there something you disagree with, be it about something on campus or beyond, we want to know! There are endless topics you can write about. We’re open to all suggestions. I’m also hoping to showcase the best instagrams of things in and around the college, so please do tag us @anfocalul so we can pick the best ones for the paper!

up until polling day, that more younger people and students will turn out to vote than in previous elections - even that would be a slight boost. As for what post-election Ireland will look like, that’s anyone’s guess at present. We can be reasonably certain Fine Gael will break through history though and return for a second consecutive term in government for the ﬁrst time since the foundation of the state. A month out from the election we can also reasonably predict if the current government wishes to be returned to the benches of power, they’ll need a prop-up party or group to stand with them. But enough about that. Back to the new An Focal. The old classics of news, clubs & societies and sport return for the semester, however the old lifestyle section has been torn to pieces, in favour of a new layout, one which better reﬂects UL students’ passions. There’s an all-new politics section; interview exclusives; movie, tv show and book reviews; beauty/fashion section; health; satire; puzzles, cartoon and yik yak section;

As a politics enthusiast, of course one of the big features of this new year will be the 2016 General Election - which, most are conﬁdent at this stage, will likely be held on February 26th. Many (if not the majority of) students are apathetic though to national politics. The marriage referendum brought younger voters on board in a way no referendum campaign had managed to do before, however it doesn’t appear this commitment to using the hard-earned right to vote will stick. It’s unfortunate but there’s some hope, at least

It’s

TOMÁS HENEGHAN

AT An Focal we’re back and set to go again as the new semester kicks off. As promised, expect to see changes in the newspaper over the semester as it grows into a new beast, one with a broader swipe. It’s a big year too for not only An Focal, but also the country itself. The long-awaited 1916 Easter Rising centenary year has arrived, and although the newspaper will have ended it’s print run for the academic year by the April anniversary, we’re hoping to carry a number of articles on the Rising later this semester.

: FE : 20 B

January 2016 SATIRE

Marriage Referendum affecting Ireland in the worst possible way SEAMUS TOOMEY THE fears of the conservatives have rung true as two of the most horrible problems imaginable have gotten worse since the Marriage referendum passed. The Irish nation will be shocked to know that since the change in our constitution ‘the gays’ are growing in number. Yes since the government gave into the whims of a minority the nation has been shocked to see a massive increase in the number of LGBTQ citizens. With our acceptance of them young people everywhere have become gay

seemingly overnight and the nation stands at a whopping 90% homosexuality rate. Already the birth rate is plummeting and everyone is dying of the AIDS. The nation’s population has been cut in half by the queer epidemic and its devastation is comparable to the famine only this time the Catholic Church is trying to help solve the problem. As well as this straight people have been demonised and feel uncomfortable that the gays, who are weird, can wander around in the light of day holding hands, kissing and not being jailed. “Of course they’ve been able to do that for more than a decade but

now they’ve got the conﬁdence to so”, said non-bigot Bill Got, who did we mention is totally not a bigot. In fact it has just been announced that the LGBTQ community have gone on the offensive and are now planning to bring in measures that will ban straight marriage because they ﬁnd it disgusting, it makes them uncomfortable and some members of the community believe it to be unnatural and against their religion (Gaytholicism). “Even though I don’t have to have straight sex I think it’s disgusting that others are having heterosexual sex and so I want it to be banned”, said

LGBTQ member Ira Onic. If only we had listened to the non-bigoted nature fallacy spouting members of our population then maybe then we wouldn’t have a tiny minority of bigots who are

unhappy that a small group of people are happy, free and equal in our wonderful Irish nation.

UL Kayak club celebrate New laws to ban paying cleaners 40 years by submerging campus in water TOMÁS HENEGHAN

SEAMUS TOOMEY WHILE you were away on Christmas holidays to see Mammy, UL Kayak Club were busy harvesting the power of nature to complete their evil plan. Doing an ancient rain dance the club members brought down fierce storms on Limerick which raised water levels and caused the Shannon river not only to burst its banks but to push large parts of the campus beneath water. As you may have seen the dirt path to the city was completely inaccessible for weeks and our rusty bridge by Thomond village was almost swept away by the waves brought on by the Kayak club’s evil plot. Luckily for us our C&S department put a stop to it and UL lives to see another day. But the Kayak club are back and stronger than ever. They’re getting ready to recruit again this semester. If they can get more members C&S may not be able to stop them as they attempt to submerge the entire campus completely underwater, making everything accessible only by a few means of transport, which will in turn bump up their membership rates. The rowing, surf, swim and sub-aqua club too have backed the plan and with their combined forces UL is in serious danger. If they can accomplish their plan the college could be thrown into a world of difficulty. Lectures and tutorials would likely be cancelled, gym-rats wouldn’t be able to enter the arena, internationals wouldn’t be able to shift gingers in the flooded stables and God help us all, exams could be delayed. Just imagine UL Yik Yak, it would be awful, person after person reciting and reposting “tis a day for

the ducks”, oh the humanity. All you have to do to save our university is to inﬁltrate the club and bring it down from the inside, so before it’s too late join the Kayak club and stop them from taking over UL.

THE Government is to introduce new laws banning the purchase of cleaning services next month, in a move aimed at deterring those in the cleaning industry from continuing to work. Anti-cleaning-industry group Turn Off The Taps (TOTT) announced the proposed new laws at the launch of an awareness event earlier this week. The new laws will ensure it remains legal for women primarily in the commercial cleaning industry to sell their cleaning services to businesses and individual homeowners, however buying these services will become illegal. Chairperson of TOTT, Andrea Middle welcomed the proposed legislation, saying her group had been working “tirelessly” for the past eight years to have the “problem” of the cleaning industry addressed. She explained: “We fully welcome this move by the Government, something which will surely save many women in Ireland from the horror of having to sell and degrade themselves cleaning toilets

and God only knows what else. “These young women are brought into this country with the promise of work and instead they’re forced to sell themselves in these horrendous situations. This needs to stop. “This is what’s causing these women to be trafﬁcked in to Ireland and it’s clear that the best way to end this human trafﬁcking is to obliterate the industry they’re being brought in for.” The event, ‘What about your daughter’, was hosted jointly between TOTT, leading Irish feminists and politicians. The event began by presenting a report from TOTT, which was created using the responses of 500 Irish citizens from all walks of life to the question: “Would you want your daughter to be a cleaner?” The overwhelming consensus from the report was that Irish people were not pleased with the suggestion of their daughters or female relatives becoming paid cleaners. One respondent said: “My Sam’s going to be a lawyer. Of course I don’t want her to clean up peoples toilets or the toilets of a fast-food place at 4am on a Friday morning. That’s disgusting. It’s demeaning

New study finds vegans dying because of lack of meat and protein in their diet SEAMUS TOOMEY A new study by bogusstudies.com has found that despite not eating meat, vegans still die. This then proves that you cannot live without meat and we’ll be expecting the timely demise of Patrick Baboumian, David Haye, Carl Lewis, Ellen Degeneres, Travis Barker and Jared Leto any day now. “It’s simply common sense,” says Doctor Ken Fred Chickenson, “Humans need meat in their diet, otherwise they’d die, why else would we slaughter 10,153

million (nearly 10.2 billion) land animals, which were raised and killed for food in the United States alone in 2010, just one year.And that’s according to a report done by the U.S. Department of Agriculture”. Well it’s obviously not a cultural thing that we and our parents were raised into, most people don’t grow up eating meat they choose to do it unlike the growing vegan population which is spread pretty much the same was as Fundamentalist Islam. Most vegans are indoctrinated by their parents the same study by bogusstudies.com found. It’s ridiculous to think

we would do such a horrible mass slaughter every single year worldwide just because we like the taste of something. The study concludes that animal deaths are completely necessary and vegan athletes and celebs like Liam Hemsworth, Miley Cyrus, Frank Medrano, Tim Scheiff, Scott Jurek and Cam Awesome are expected to die in the coming months because of protein. Oh and vitamin B12 and something to do with iodine as well, because if you eat meat your diet is basically infallible.

and it’s time we put an end to this exploitative industry.” Speaking at the event, Sister Angela, a member of the Order for Restoration of Souls, explained the problem with the cleaning services industry. “Women are being degraded. They’re selling something that’s integral to their being, their bodies, merely for the pleasure of those who pay them so the buyers don’t have to clean up after themselves,” she explained. She added: “There’s nothing wrong with cleaning for others, nothing at all. The issue here is that money is exchanging hands and, even more importantly, it’s only right that the only time a woman cleans for another is when she is cleaning up after her husband or children or the extended family. That’s how it should be, no money and certainly not outside marriage.” Well-known Irish feminist campaigner, Siobhán Cleary set her differences with the Order for Restoration of Souls, which she has previously been very vocal about, aside for the event and declared herself and the religious order to be in an “alliance of justice”. Ms. Cleary explained: “Choice is important and I do realise women must work where they can, as we all must, however in this case, no, something has to be done to stop this exploitation. This isn’t a choice, it’s just a clear case of exploitation. “Women who used to be cleaners have come to me and spoken of the appalling work they had to do while they were in the industry and they’re the experts so I have to listen to them.” When asked about a growing campaign by the Industrial Cleaners Union of Ireland (ICUI) seeking to keep the cleaning services industry completely discriminalised in Ireland, Ms. Cleary said: “I understand their grievances but we have to follow the evidence and former cleaners are providing that with their brave stories of escape from that horriﬁc, exploitative industry.”

January 2016 ENTERTAINMENT

UL Top Yaks Hey mum I did so well in my exams that the university said they’d like to see me do it all again in August xo Is a QCA of 5.0 bad? I think we’re getting a bit ahead of ourselves here, firstly what the f**k is a QCA Well those candles did f**k all for me! I’ll pay for repeats myself.The parents need not know. “yeah mam, did pretty well actually. On a totally unrelated note I’m going on a day trip to Limerick for no reason” Me: *gets emotionally invested in someone I spent half an hour shifting in a nightclub* First years asking how bad their 3.8 qcas are the equivalent of that smart kid in secondary school who said they failed everytime and got an A. What the hell Jesus I thought we had a deal... Saw black dog for the first time today, definitely star struck :D

CROSSWORD

Puzzle 1 (Medium, difficulty rating 0.52)

6 1

6 9

4 5

3 4

7 6

4 6 7

6 5

Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/sudoku on Tue Jan 19 10:18:27 2016 GMT. Enjoy!

January 2016 CLUBS & SOCIETIES

Lights, camera, action EILÍS WALSH WE embarked on our first semester of being a fullyfledged society in September 2015. Mainly what we wanted to achieve last semester was to gain loyal members and we plan on increasing our membership this semester. As a group we regularly saw films in the cinema namely Macbeth and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. It’s always a pleasure to analyse the film afterwards with people you know have the same love for film as you. We presented various lessons on lighting, sound, Hans Zimmer, audio and basic equipment for the filmmaker. However this semester we want to put a greater focus on practical work. In November we held our first event: a lock-in where we watched films from a variety of genres. Bringing together those interested in watching and making films was what we wanted and we

achieved just that. We can genuinely call one another friends. We hope to purchase brand new equipment solely for the society, which we can then let out to our members so they can be creative themselves. Our main and very ambitious aim is to write, direct and create our very own original short films. In our society we have a very diverse group of people, all drawn to different aspects of film. As a committee we want to really put some effort into this film, to make it as polished and professional as possible. This is where all of you come in. We’re calling for those interested in music, costume design, location scouting, scriptwriting and acting. If you like doing makeup, get involved! There are endless opportunities to get involved in a film. This is why we’re asking all of you in different courses, whether Music, Media and Performance Technology to Engineering to join us. If there’s a particular aspect of film you are interested in

Start the new year in top gear PAUL JORDAN FIRST of all, we here at ULRM want to wish all our members a happy and healthy new year. It’s the start of the new semester. For some, it’s their ﬁnal semester in this university. For ULRM? Well, it’s business as usual for us. We’re going to be karting in NKC, the world’s largest indoor karting centre,

WOLFPACK As part of the newly renovated ULSU Website, we have created a single “Wolfpack” membership. This is free and allows you join a Club/Society, access general and priority ticket sales, and specific info from the Students’ Union.

l Go to ULSU.IE and click ‘Login/Register’’’ If you’’ve had a UL Wolves account before click the red Migrate button

If you’’re new, click the green Login/Register button

step

To join one of our 70+ Clubs & Societies for the first time or renew your membership, you must first complete Steps 1-3 in full. These details are necessary for insurance and legal purposes as part of the process of C&S membership. You cannot become a member otherwise

4. step

l Chose the appropriate option

• (e.g Student/Postgrad/Staff)

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biggest international trip yet. If you want to ﬁnd out how to join us, then you can like our UL Racing & Motorsport page for all the info and updates you’ll need. Can’t wait to get going? Well if you’re not yet a member of our society, you can sign up at the C&S recruitment drive on Wednesday February 3rd. Membership is €5 and we can guarantee you it’s the best ﬁver you’ll spend this year.

CLUB OR SOCIETY step

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just a 10 minute walk from campus. We’re going to be karting at tracks all around the country such as Louth, Cork and Galway as well. We’ll be standing roadside to see some of the most committed men on four wheels in the country when it comes to rallying. If you prefer to spectate from the comfort of your armchair, we’ll have the return of the F1 Fry. And we’ll be going on our

JOIN A

FOR THE

please don’t hesitate to get in contact. We’d love to have you. Even if you have a love for just sitting down and watching film. If possible we want to take a group of you to film festivals, workshops around the country and maybe even a studio to inspire you to create your own films. The more places we can go the better. Believe it or not 2015 was a revolutionary year for Irish film and we’re hoping 2016 will be even better. We’re not short of creativity or talent in Ireland and we want you all to contribute to our rapidly growing film industry. Our society meets on a Tuesday at 7pm, new and old members welcome. By joining our Facebook page you can keep up to date with room changes and the society’s activities. We want to have a society that really engages with its members. We hope to see you there! Twitter: @ulfilmmaking Email: ulfilmmaking@gmail. com

Complete the registration form.

Note*** You will receive a confirmation email to activate your account before you can continue

PSST... you can WIN PRIZES

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A. Once logged in, you will be brought to the Wolfpack page. From here select the first Club/Society you wish to join from the list. B.. Then click the blue

button.

Complete the Membershi p Request Form and click Note: You must complete a separate Membershi p Request Form for each Club or Society you wish to join. You ARE NOT a member until you complete Step 6. Meet a committee member in person and pay them your membershi p fee. He/She will then approve your membershi p there and then and you will be emailed a recei pt to confirm your membershi p. You ARE NOW a member of THAT Club/Society and can check out ulsu.ie to see any upcoming events or weekly activities that you can enjoy for the rest of this academic year. If you have any problems please contact ULSU.IE/help

January 2016 CLUBS & SOCIETIES

SOCIETIES (33 ACTIVE) NAME: TIME: LOCATION: Animal Welfare Anime and Manga Architecture Christian Union Circus (new) Comedy Computer Cumann Gaelach Debating Union Wednesdays 7pm - 9pm The Schuman Building SG16 Drama Mondays 8pm Teach Fáilte (Chaplaincy) Fan Forum Thursdays 6pm Red Raisins Filmmaking (new) Tuesdays 7pm – 8pm Schuman? Games Mondays 6pm – 11pm EG-0 Main Building History International Law Literary Tuesday at 3pm, Room 3, Student Union Mature Student Medical Music Ogra Fianna Fail Mondays 6pm Room 3, Student Union Out in UL Photographic Psychology Racing/Motorsport Science (new) Sinn Féin (new) Social Democrats (new) Surgical Tea Appreciation UL Give ULFM Young Fine Gael CLUBS (33 ACTIVE) NAME: TIME: LOCATION: American Football Archery Athletics Badminton Basketball Boxing Capoeira Tues & Thurs 7pm- 8.15pm PESS Building Dance UL Darts Equestrian GAA Handball Mon 7pm - 8.15pm Thurs 8.15pm – 10pm PESS Building Karate Shotokan Kayak Tues, Wed or Thurs 9:45pm - 10:45pm Arena Pool Krav Maga Ladies Hockey Mon & Wed 6.15pm - 8pm Astro pitch, near PESS building Ladies Rugby Mens Hockey Wednesdays – 6.30pm Astro pitch, near PESS building Mens Rugby Mon - 6:40pm - 8pm Tues & Wed 6pm – 7pm North Campus Pitches (next to Cappavilla pitches Mountain Bike Outdoor Pursuits Mon/Tues/Thurs 7pm-10pm OPC Climbing Wall near arena car park Parkour Monday 7am- 8.30am Arena Courts (Monday) Tues - 8.15pm – 10.30pm The PESS Building Gym Thursdays 6pm – 8pm The Arena Sprint Track Rowing Sailing Skydive Soccer Sub Aqua Monday 9.45pm. Tuesday nights (Pilates) Arena pool Surf Club Swim Mon & Wed 10pm Arena pool Extra training 9pm on Wed Arena pool Tae Kwon Do Monday 6pm – 9pm Wed -9pm – 10.30pm Thursday – 7pm – 8pm PESS Building Trampoline PESS Building Ultimate Frisbee Mon & Thur 6pm - 8 pm Maguire Pitches , Kilmurry Windsurfing

January 2016

“Lean On Us” Help the wolfpack help the wolves

Donate 2 or whatever you can.€ Proceeds of these bands will go towards the provision of mental health initiatives within UL such as suicide awareness and intervention training. Contact suwelfare@ul.ie for more information or initiatives you would like to see