VOL. XXIV, Issue 3, UO

THE UNIVERSITY OBSERVER WOMEN ON WEB ARE ABORTION PILLS SAFE? ORLA KEAVENEY PAGE 10

GRAVITATIONAL WAVES WITNESSING A KILLANOVA AOIFE HARDESTY PAGE 12

1ST NOVEMBER 2017 VOLUME XXIV ISSUE3 UNIVERSITYOBSERVER.IE

POSTCARDS FROM ABROAD EXPLORING SEVILLE ON ERASMUS ISABELLE GERAGHTY PAGE 11

UCDSU PRESIDENT KATIE ASCOUGH IMPEACHED AOIFE HARDESTY EDITOR On Friday morning, the final results of the impeachment referendum were announced at 12.45am. The will of UCD students was clear: SU President Katie Ascough, would be impeached.

Overall turnout for voting was 6611, one of the highest in recent years. Some UCD students queued for up to half an hour to vote. 69% voted in favour of impeachment.

In her concession speech, Ascough stated, “I have been open and honest in answering very many questions. I have respected the law. I feel confident that I have done all that I could for the students that I am grateful to have been elected to represent. This is a sad day for me but it is also a sad day for our university.

Universities should be a place of freedom of speech, freedom of thought, and freedom of association, fairness, respect for those who do not wish to break the law and respect for others with different beliefs.”

A yes to impeachment vote was returned from every faculty buidling, even on Ascough’s home turf, Science, where 72% voted yes. A majority yes vote was narrowly

won in Quinn, with 55% in favour, 45% against. The largest turnout was seen in Arts, with 1787 students voting.

77% voted yes to impeachment in Arts and Agriculture, the largest percentage of yes votes for each building.

Ascough first became involved in Students’ Union politics when she was part of the campaign Students for Fair Representation. This campaign sought to change the Students’ Union stance on abortion from pro-choice to neutral. They obtained sufficient signatures at the beginning of the 2016/2017 academic year to call for a referendum on the SU stance on abortion. A previous referendum in October of 2013 had resulted in a prochoice stance on abortion.

Students for Fair Representation felt that a prochoice union did not fairly represent students who were pro-life or on the fence about abortion. The referendum had a large turnout and 64% voted for the SU to maintain its pro-choice stance.

Fast forward to the second semester and Ascough’s presidential campaign began. When questioned, she did not deny her pro-life views, and promised to delegate on matters relating to abortion. However, she did not advertise her pro-life stance, which led to some students voting for her without knowledge of it.

Thanks to student engagement, charisma, and ideas for positive change on campus, Ascough gained support. Support for her opposition was split amongst the other three candidates, ultimately strengthening her campaign. Much of the voting took place on the same day as the Strike 4 Repeal which meant that many

pro-repeal students were not on campus.

On March 9th Ascough was announced as UCDSU President for 2017/2018.

Officially, Ascough became President on 15th June, her 21st birthday. During the summer months, the sabbatical officers got along well with each other, and they ran a successful housing campaign that garnered interest from national media.

The good work of the summer came to a head at the end of August, when Ascough, against the wishes of her fellow sabbatical officers, and against the advice of the COO of the union, made an executive decision to remove the Winging It in UCD handbooks from circulation and rewrite its abortion information.

Ascough claimed that her reason for making this decision was that providing the abortion information in the handbook would be illegal under the 1995 Abortion Information Act. Written legal advice to Ascough from the SU’s lawyer Richard Hammond advised this route to be the prudent course of action, but in an earlier phone call he had stated he could defend the books in court. He also confirmed that the chances of a case against the union were extremely low as since the 1995 Abortion Information Act, no one had actually been charged for publishing similar information.

When the decision to remove the abortion information was made public, a group formed and started a petition calling for an impeachment referendum.

CLAIRE HENNESSY INTERVIEW WITH IRISH AUTHOR AND EDITOR CLAIRE HENNESSY CLAUDIA DALBY PAGE 14

DANCE THE EVOLUTION OF DANCE SAMBHAVI SUDHAKAR PAGE 8

UCDSU TO SUPPORT MARRIAGE EQUALITY IN NORTHERN IRELAND Author: Caoimhe Donnelly A MOTION for the UCD Students’ Union and SU Executive to support the campaign for samesex marriage equality in Northern Ireland was passed unanimously at the most recent Student Council meeting. The motion was proposed by UCDSU Education Officer Robert Sweeney and seconded by Campaigns & Communications Officer Barry Murphy, and should be particularly focused on by the President and the Campaigns & Communication Officer.

In the agenda of the second UCDSU Council meeting, seen by the University Observer, the council noted that the mandate on marriage equality was close to expiring “at a time when not all citizens in the Island of Ireland have the right to equal marriage.” Furthermore, it was recognised that a “large majority of UCD Students support equal civil marriage” and that “the fight for

an individual’s liberty should take precedence over any personal belief or view of individuals or groupings associated to [the SU] or members of the SU.” This last addition ensures that the SU can support marriage equality even if one sabbatical officer does not support it.

Additionally, the Council also mandated that an LGBT+ Pride Flag or poster declaring UCDSU’s position in relation to marriage equality be put up “in plain sight at the SU reception desk” to make the Union’s support evident. Currently there is a pride flag hanging from the SU reception desk. The SU is also mandated to work with Students’ Unions in Northern Ireland where possible to further the goal of the mandate.

Speaking to the University Observer, Engineering Student Joshua Gorman-Climax stated that “there was upset when Northern Ireland was referred to as a separate country.” It was Gorman-Climax himself who made such a suggestion. Accepting that the SU

BUMP&GRIND INTERVIEW WITH THE DRAMA TROUPE holds a ‘pro-unity’ mandate, Gorman-Climax had atDYLAN O’NEILL PAGE 5 tempted to put a discussion on the agenda to clarify

what this stance entails, however, it was removed from the agenda by the chair of the council.

Other motions included in the agenda related to replacing the “limited abortion information provided in this year’s edition of the Winging It handbook in any future similar campaigns.” This motion was proposed

by Gender Equality Campaign Coordinator Sadhbh McCarrick and seconded by Stage Two Engineering Representative Paul McGoldrick.

The council noted the “disadvantage of not having comprehensive abortion information available on campus during an unplanned pregnancy” and that the “fundamental rights of the members of the UCDSU” were being restricted by the recent retraction of abortion information from the Winging It in UCD handbooks.

FESTIVALS THE ART OF INVERSION RITUALS CONOR CAPPLIS AND AARON COLLIER PAGE 7 1ST NOVEMBER 2017 1

NEWS CAMPUS NEWS IN BRIEF UK UNIVERSITIES REQUIRED TO PROTECT CONOR CAPPLIS

FREE SPEECH

Author: Dean Swift MINISTER OF State for Universities and Science COMMITTEE ESTABLISHED TO REVIEW in the UK, Jo Johnson, recently made a government announcement, outlining plans to allow the Office RESIT AND REPEAT FEES for Students (OfS) impose sanctions in the form of A committee has been formed by UCD in partner- fines if ‘no platform’ policies are enforced by stuship with UCD Students’ Union to review the fees dents’ unions in relation to controversial speakers. charged for resitting and repeating modules. It This is a continuation of Johnson’s plan to expand was established following a proposal submitted freedom of speech and “vigorous disagreement

by UCDSU to the University Management Team’s based on mutual respect” in universities, which was Student Experience Group, and is a subgroup of outlined in a letter published in March. In February, this branch. The group, which is expected to make the magazine Spiked published a report indicating a recommendation on resit and repeat fees, con- 90% of universities in Britain restrict free speech. ducted its first meeting on Monday 23rd October.

As part of a consultation, launched on October 19th,

In an email to the University Observer, UCDSU Education Officer Robert Sweeney said that “the issue of repeat and resit fees has been a major one for students, and one the students’ union has tried to tackle for years.”

“UCD students view the fees as unreasonably high as it has become financially crippling in many cases.”

Sweeney expressed optimism in relation to the committee, stating that “when looking at type of engagement we want, partnership is always the one we work towards; students being able to bring agenda items to the table for decisions to be made on.”

Members of the UMT SEG include the UCDSU Education and Welfare Officers, the Deputy President of UCD, and a nominee of the Student Societies. The remit of the group includes, among other areas, counselling and advice services, campus accommodation services, and other student support services.

BLEEPERBIKES AVAILABLE TO RENT ON CAMPUS BleeperBikes, Ireland’s first ‘dockless bike sharing service,’ are now available throughout the UCD Belfield Campus. These are station-free bikes that can be rented in just seconds. The GPS-enabled bikes are located on bike racks throughout the campus. All you have to do is download the BleeperBike App, register an account, search for the nearest BleeperBike to your current location, scan the QR code and you’re free to roam about the campus as you please.

This system allows for quick and easy bike rental for those who are unable to have their own bike handy when they need it the most. To finish up, just find a designated BleeperBike parking rack, lock the bike securely, and press end journey on the app. Pricing ranges from pay as you go options of €5 for 5 bike rides, to student deals of a 3-month membership for €20.

The bikes feature built-in LED lights, responsive brakes, a power generating hub on the front wheel, and a smart lock which contains the GPS. A ‘Bleeper Points’ system allows you to collect points which can be used to pay for subsequent trips. Points are earned for every ride, for reporting a broken BleeperBike, and for reporting incorrect parking. There is also an account opening bonus. Points are lost for failing to park at a designated parking rack, cycling on the footpath, and breaking a red light while cycling a Bleeper.

UCD SOCIETIES COUNCIL APPOINTS COMMUNICATIONS & SOCIAL MEDIA EXECUTIVE

on how the OfS will perform its functions of upholding education standards, the Department of Education aims to expose a wide range of issues and ideas in a safe environment without fear of “censorship, rebuke or reprisal.” The consultation will also examine the publication and justification of high salaries for senior staff.

In Johnson’s letter, he stated “that it was the ‘legal duty’ of universities to ensure as far as practicable that freedom of speech is secured for ‘members, students, employees and visiting speakers’.” The powers of the OfS could include the ability to fine, suspend, or deregister universities. Officials anticipate the OfS will receive these legal powers in April 2018.

As reported in the Telegraph, the Department for Education has previously stated that the OfS “will be able to hold universities to account on their duty to secure free speech, ensuring it is upheld by staff, student unions and student societies.”

“In the last year alone, 21 universities have banned high profile speakers from attending lectures, debates or speeches because of their views, including Oxford, King’s College London and University College London.” A Department of Education report found that

examples of censorship where groups have sought to stifle those who do not agree with them.”

Recently in Trinity College Dublin, it was announced that Nigel Farage would visit the College Historical Society (the Hist) where he would receive the society’s Gold Medal. The medal was to be awarded for Farage’s outstanding contribution to public discourse, relating to his role in the campaign for Brexit.

The announcement sparked backlash against the decision to award Farage for his role as a Brexit advocate, and the Hist has since announced they will not be presenting Farage with a Gold Medal. Speaking to the Irish Times, the auditor of The Hist explained they award Gold Medals to those “who have made their mark in many different fields as well as in the public sphere, and to individuals who often hold divergent views.”

Although the Hist will no longer present Farage with the Gold Medal due to the disagreement of a large number of students, Farage is still invited to visit the Hist.

EVENTS & MARKETING MANAGER LEAVES AFTER DECADE WITH UCD STUDENTS’ UNION

BRÍAN DONNELLY NEWS EDITOR UCD STUDENTS’ UNION Events & Marketing Manager Paul Kilgallon has left his role after nearly ten years of association with the Union. Kilgallon came to UCD in 2005 to study Economics and History and says that the “vibrant and buzzing” nature of the college led him to get involved with the SU and events management and logistics.

Speaking of his undergraduate years, Kilgallon says “it was a different time back then, the student bar was very much the hub of social activity in south Dublin.

The Executive Committee of UCD Societies It was amazing.”

Council has announced that Thomas Arnold will “I started DJing when I was in fourth year in school, be appointed as Communications & Social Media and when I came to college I knew I wanted to DJ Executive. He will serve a 10 month term and work and play at the social events. I worked really hard with various UCD societies on different projects to achieve that and when I was in second year, the including producing short videos for online display. Entertainments Officer Holly Irvine gave me the opArnold has already been involved in the Social portunity to DJ for Ents and that’s where it started, and Media aspects of many groups in the university I never looked back.” including UCD Student Recruitment and UCD “The first gig I ever worked on was Aslan in the Alumni. He has also done an extensive amount student bar and it just manifested itself from there.” of video work for different groups around the “My first role within the union was part of the Ents university over the past 12 months. So far, a large crew and I was hooked from then.” Kilgallon says. amount of content has been made and published on “Obviously I was working on UCD Balls and stuff like the UCD Societies Facebook page, showcasing the that, I was just a general volunteer first and foremost, niche and lesser-known societies during Freshers’ but my first job with the Union was in September 2010.

Week. The UCD Societies Council has over 80 I was hired as Events and Logistics Coordinator, and recognised student societies, and its social media that role was basically to support the Ents Officer.” presence includes Twitter and Facebook.

Kilgallon is credited as being the driving force behind large and popular events in UCD, having hosted acts such as Diplo, Deadmau5, Calvin Harris, and Gavin James at UCD and student events. However,

2 ISSUE 3 VOLUME XXIV

multiple universities have banned the sale of certain newspapers in student union premises. This can be seen in UCD, in 2015 UCDSU banned the sale of the Irish Daily Star in campus shops.

The report suggests that more than 60% of universities severely restrict free speech. This number has increased from previous years, with the Telegraph reporting that “the survey shows that [the number of] universities now severely restricting speech... has risen by nearly 10 percent in a year, up from 55 percent in 2016.”

The Chairman of the OfS, Sir Michael Barber, has stated that the OfS will “vigorously” promote free speech in British universities. Barber emphasised that freedom of speech is “a fundamental aspect of learning at university.” Minister Johnson reiterated that the UK government would promote free speech “at all costs” and that freedom of speech “goes to the heart of democratic values and is a principle universities hold dear.”

“I know there is good practice out there, and am proud that some of our university leaders and academics have publicly defended free speech. But there are still

Kilgallon describes the UCDSU staff as being the “unsung heroes” of the Union.

“The sabbatical officers work flat out, and I’d never question their work ethic. They’re brilliant, but the staff do a really great job and it’s the team that complements each other that makes this place so great.”

Kilgallon plans to continue working on The Ball in the years to come, and has also accepted a position with an events marketing company in Dublin, who will help him develop his own business ideas around “what I do best: student events and marketing.”

When asked about the 2012 audit report, the subsequent severe debt problems of the Students’ Union, and whether sabbatical officers or Union team members suspected financial mismanagement, Kilgallon replied “Yes.” “Everyone internally knew that it wasn’t being managed properly. Stuff happened that shouldn’t have happened in a professional organization. That was the problem, it wasn’t a professional organization.”

“It was a combination of friends working towards the same goal rather than anything official. And the problem was that the person in charge wasn’t involved enough on a day-to-day basis down here and was overly concerned about finances, but wasn’t managing the finances properly.”

In response to the financial difficulties, the union imposed severe cutbacks. “People in the commercial sector were suffering.” Kilgallon explains. “We had to close the photo-copy bureau… two people lost their jobs… We had to close the bar, and countless people lost their jobs.”

However, the veteran Union member stated that “the Union is much stronger for it now and I think it’s very much learned from its mistakes.” He expressed full confidence in the new Chief Operating Officer, Fiona Hammond. “She’ll steer it in the right way.”

Referring to the recent widely-covered referendum on the impeachment of former-UCDSU President Katie Ascough, Kilgallon states that there has been “one political scandal too many.”

“I would do this job forever, [but] when you add the politics that the University environment brings, it

makes the job very difficult. It makes any job in here very difficult, and to be [employed by the Union] for seven years, putting up with that politics has aged me dramatically. Maybe not physically, but mentally.”

“Everyone has an agenda… Unfortunately I just had to draw a line in the sand.”

Kilgallon says that it was a tough decision to leave the SU as he has spent “seven years building the brand… I inherited it and there’s an awful lot of history behind it.”

“I set a certain standard that I took very much from my predecessors, and I hope that standard would continue. We have a history of getting some amazing acts through the doors of UCD and that’s very much through hard work.”

Paul Kilgallon left UCDSU on Friday, October 27th.

NEWS NATIONAL NEWS IN BRIEF

NEWS ANALYSIS: IMPEACHMENT CAMPAIGN AND NATIONAL MEDIA COVERAGE Author: Aoife Hardesty THE CAMPAIGN before the impeachment referendum lasted just over two weeks. Despite the concerns that many had about the decision to remove abortion information, it was ultimately the conduct of Ascough’s campaign that would prove her downfall.

students against her. The decision to speak in favour of impeachment was made in response to Ascough labelling the sabbatical officers as sexist, bullying liars.

In a Facebook post that has 4500 reactions at the time of going to print, Campaigns & Communications Officer Barry Murphy announced his reasons for supporting impeachment. This statement reinvigorated the Had Ascough stuck to telling her side of the Winging impeachment campaign, and even the ruling that the It scandal, she may have survived the impeachment sabbatical officers were not permitted leave to camattempt. Although it is hard to know if people would paign could not dampen the momentum. The impact have believed that she made the decision for legal rea- had already been felt. sons after she rewrote the abortion information without On Thursday evening, with permission, all four legal assistance. (The current abortion information in sabbatical officers canvassed students to vote yes for impeachment. Welfare Officer Eoghan Mac Domhnaill the handbooks remains illegal.)

Instead, Ascough framed her narrative for the cam- had originally made a public post on Facebook saying paign, as being against ‘intolerant pro-choice bullies “should a referendum be called I’ll be standing by Katie who cannot stand to have a pro-life president.’ The all the way,” but following comments made against campaign singled out members of the impeachment campus media, he publicly announced on Wednesday campaign as bullies, and called out Ascough’s fellow that he would be endorsing her impeachment. sabbatical officers as sexists liars and bullies, instead of engaging with what were legitimate questions.

A concern for many, including a member of Ascough’s own campaign team, was the level of involvement of non-UCD students. Members of Ascough’s own family (who have links with the IONA institute) were heavily involved, as were several Trinity students.

Speaking to the University Observer Amy Crean of the impeachment campaign said she believed “the result reflects on how the campaign was run, I feel that the concerns that were brought forward early in this campaign had not been dealt with and that’s why we got to the stage of holding a referendum…what I would like people to take from this result is that it’s about democracy, that we voted for representation and transparency.”

Ascough ran a prominent online campaign whilst the momentum of the impeachment campaign dwindled.

The announcement on the Monday evening before the referendum that three sabbatical officers would be taking leave to campaign for impeachment pushed

National Response The drama of the impeachment referendum gained the attention of national media leading to confusion as to how someone could be impeached for refusing to break the law. However, UCDSU has a history of breaking the law to encourage social and legal change.

Scrutiny has fallen on UCD over how this appears to be a case of preventing free speech, and refusing to tolerate alternate viewpoints. It should be noted that for many students this referendum was not pro-life versus pro-choice, but about the trustworthiness of their president, and could they trust her to not let her views influence her work in leading a pro-choice union.

Ascough spoke on the Pat Kenny Show the morning following her impeachment. There is little doubt that more public appearances are to follow and that she will be involved in campaigning against repealing the eighth amendment. Through impeachment, Ascough has become a pro-life martyr and this will strengthen her position for the upcoming national referendum regarding the eighth amendment.

According to the EACEA’s report, Ireland’s higher education system featured a high percentage of feepayers and a low percentage of grant recipients, putting it in line with member states such as Belgium, France, and Italy. While first-time third-level students in Ireland are exempt from paying full tuition fees, students are expected to pay a €3000 student contribution for each academic year.

60% of Irish undergraduates paid the €3000 student contribution and other tuition fees for the 2017/18 academic year, while only 44% of students received need-based grants. By way of comparison, the percentage of grant beneficiaries in Sweden and Denmark stood at 89% and 85% respectively, while at the lower end of the scale, only 4% of Croatian students in higher education received state-funded grants.

The report identified these grants as the most common form of student support in Europe, and a key contributor to students’ perception of their financial security during their studies. Ireland’s relatively low grant availability means students are often dependent on family financial support or part-time work to pay for their education. While many financially disadvantaged students are exempt from paying fees, and eligible for need-based grants, the report noted that some disadvantaged students face significant difficulties in accessing higher education in Ireland.

Eurydice’s report comes in the wake of the UK’s decision to move away from a student grants and loans system towards an exclusively loan-based system. As

of the 2016/17 academic year, undergraduates in the United Kingdom may receive a maintenance loan for living costs up to a maximum value of £11,002 per year.

92% of students in England availed of these loans, with loan repayment contingent upon employment that pays above a ‘repayment threshold.’

In the 2016 Cassell’s report, a similar loan system was suggested as one of the three options for the future of funding third-level education in Ireland. However

CSO RELEASES TENTH PUBLICATION OF ‘WOMEN AND MEN IN IRELAND’

The 2016 edition of ‘Women and Men in Ireland,’ which details gender differences in the activities of men and women, was released this month by the Central Statistics Office. The report uses progress indicators which are presented in five themes: society, employment, social cohesion and lifestyles, education, and health. These indicators are used to to assess Ireland’s situation relative to those of other EU and European nations.

The report found that Irish women are more likely than men to have obtained a third-level qualification, with 55.1% of women aged 25-34 having a third-level qualification in 2016 compared to 42.9% of men in the same age group. While the rate of employment among men is higher, at 69.9%, than for women (59.5%), men also have a higher rate of unemployment at 9.8% (7.1% for women).

Female representation is low in Dáil Éireann, where, in 2016, 22.2% of TDs were women. Average female representation in national parliaments in the EU in 2016 was 28.7%. Ireland obtained a score of 69.5, or eighth highest in the EU, on the Gender Equality Index in 2015. On this scale, 1 indicates total inequality and 100 indicates gender equality. The EU average was 66.2.

OECD/EU REPORT ON IRELAND’S ENTREPRENEURIAL EDUCATION LAUNCHED

EUROPEAN REPORT SHOWS IRELAND LAGS IN STUDENT GRANT PROVISION Author: Darragh Fitzpatrick EURYDICE RELEASED its annual report on National Student Fee and Support Systems in European Higher Education this month, as part of an ongoing Education, Audiovisual, and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) study across the 28 EU member states.

BRÍAN DONNELLY

last month, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar downplayed the possibility of the introduction of loan-based financial support in Ireland, citing the example of US graduates being “saddled with enormous debts.”

Eurydice’s report on National Student Fee and Support Systems in European Higher Education for the 2017/18 academic year can be viewed in full on the EACEA website.

Minister of State for Higher Education Mary Mitchell O’Connor last week launched an OECD/EU report on the role and effectiveness of entrepreneurial education in Ireland. This report shows that Higher Education Institutes (HEI), in particular, are fundamental to fostering entrepreneurial career paths for students and staff.

The report found that most HEIs focus on “significant development and embedding of entrepreneurship education in programmes at both undergraduate and postgraduate level,” and that University College Dublin and Trinity College Dublin in particular are jointly “committed to mainstreaming entrepreneurship into the wider student experience” through their Innovation Academies, which seek to provide “transformational education experiences for the betterment of society and the economy” through workbased learning, business start-up and incubation programmes, and mentoring and coaching initiatives.

Launching the report, Minister Mitchell O’Connor said that the report “is a testament to the quality of the teaching in our Higher Education Institutions” and that “the findings of the review will inform best practice in entrepreneurial education across Europe.”

Dr Muiris Houston, a health analyst with the Irish Times, has predicted that the Health Service Executive is likely to face insurmountable pressure this winter due to the ineffectiveness of the H3N2 influenza vaccine.

HEALTH ANALYST PREDICTS HSE COLLAPSE DUE TO INEFFECTIVE VACCINES Houston points to the difficulties encountered by the Australian health system in their recent winter as a foreboder of the challenges ahead. According to infectious diseases expert Prof Peter Collignon of the Australian National University, an estimated 85% of those who were vaccinated and then exposed to the flu virus were subsequently infected. The average rate is 40-45%.

The current flu vaccines were chosen by the World Health Organization in February and contain the same strain of H3N2 as the Australian health service received. Dr Houston predicts that a combination of the “particularly nasty” H3N2 infection, fewer critical care beds in the system in 2015 than in 2008, and “policies that actively disadvantage and alienate healthcare professionals,” will lead to a “major failure” in the health system.

During the ‘influenza season,’ which, in the Northern Hemisphere, generally commences in October and continues to May, the Health Protection Services Centre (HSPC) compiles a weekly influenza report. The report for the week ending 22nd October states that there have been “sporadic confirmed cases of influenza… reported to date this season” and that incidences of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which causes infections of the lungs, have started to increase.

PHOTO CREDIT: PIXABAY

1ST NOVEMBER 2017 3

NEWS INTERNATIONAL NEWS IN BRIEF NEWS ANALYSIS: HURRICANE OPHELIA

Zelimkhan Bakayev, a 26-year-old Russian musician who has been missing since August 8th is now believed to have been arrested, tortured, and killed by Chechen authorities in an anti-LGBT concentration camp.

Bakayev’s phone number has been disconnected and his social media profiles deactivated since he went missing. Friends and family are questioning the legitimacy of a video posted by a man who looks like Bakayev, claiming to have moved to Germany.

Although there is no official confirmation as of yet, a witness claims they saw the pop-star being arrested in Grozny where he was planning to attend his sister’s wedding.

Russian LGBTQ Network founder Igor Kochetkov stated in a press conference “At the end of August, we received confirmation of our earlier presumption that Bakayev was detained by Chechen authorities due to suspicion of homosexuality.”

In Chechnya, being openly gay can lead to a death sentence. When asked about the persecution of gay men and the existence of the LGBT concentration camps, Ramzan Kadyrov, leader of Chechnya, commented “We don’t have those kinds of people here.

We don’t have any gays. If there are any, take them to Canada.”

ROBERT MUGABE BRIEFLY ELECTED WHO GOODWILL AMBASSADOR Recently the World Health Organization announced their decision to elect Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe as their Goodwill Ambassador. Mugabe, 93, was appointed to the role to deal specifically with non-communicable diseases such as cancer and heart disease.

Many have expressed outrage at his appointment and have deemed him unsuitable for the role. Mugabe has been blamed for the collapse of Zimbabwe’s healthcare system and economy during his 37-year reign as Prime Minister and President. His government has been accused of rigging elections and repression of political opposition. The United Nations have denounced various human rights abuses that occurred under his leadership.

Following worldwide public outcry and pressure to rescind the decision, director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus released a statement on his Twitter account @DrTedros, saying “Over the last few days, I have reflected on my appointment of His Excellency President Robert Mugabe as WHO goodwill ambassador for NCDs in Africa. As a result I have decided to rescind the appointment.” On the decision to reverse Mugabe’s controversial appointment to the role, director-general added “I have… consulted with the government of Zimbabwe and we have concluded that this decision is in the best interests of the World Health Organization.”

UNITED STATES AIR FORCE TO BEGIN PREPPING NUCLEAR BOMBERS

According to a senior Air Force official, The United States Air Force is preparing to put their nuclear bombers back on 24-hour alert for the first time since the Cold War ended in 1991.

Air Force chief of staff, General David Goldfein has commented “This is yet one more set in ensuring that we’re prepared. I look at it more as not planning for any specific event, but more for the reality of the global situation we find ourselves in and how we ensure we’re prepared going forward.”

The global situation Goldfein refers to is the recent threats of nuclear war exchanged between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump, as well as growing tensions with Russia.

Nuclear-armed B-52s at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana are being prepared and the base is being refurbished for smooth and highspeed take-off within a day’s notice. An old building from the Cold War period is now being renovated for more than 100 crew members to sleep in and be ready to man the bombers in the event of an emergency. A new nuclear cruise missile is also currently being developed. “Our job is options,” Goldfein stated.

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Author: Mathilde Viret HURRICANE OPHELIA, was first tracked as a tropical storm on the October 9th. It became a hurricane in the Atlantic and was given a red warning for coastal areas and orange warning for the rest of the country by Met Éireann on the October 14th.

Set to hit Ireland on the 16th, defence forces were deployed, and engineering assets were stationed in Cork in response to Met Éireann’s statement: “There is potential risk to lives.”

The Department of Education closed all schools and universities on October 16th, and many stayed closed the following day. Wexford, Galway, Cork, and Waterford were hit perhaps the hardest, with significant damages along the south and west coasts. The ESB has confirmed that 360,000 customers were left without power because of Hurricane Ophelia. The storm has resulted in €1 billion in economic losses, mostly due to lack of productivity.

Three deaths were recorded due to the storm, with another two as a result of fatal injuries that occurred during the storm. Two rough sleepers were also found dead in the wake of the hurricane.

The first death occurred at 11.40am on the October 16th in Aglish, Co. Waterford. Clare O’Neill (58) was struck by a tree while driving. Her mother who is in her 70s, was in the passenger seat. She suffered non-lifethreatening injuries.

At 12.30pm in Cahir, Co. Tipperary the second fatality occurred as Michael Pyke (31) was attempting to clear a fallen tree with a chainsaw. He was pronounced

dead at the scene.

In Dundalk, Co. Louth, the third death of the storm occurred at 2.45pm as a tree fell on the vehicle of a man named Fintan Goss in his 30s.

Father of five Conor Lordan, in his 50s, suffered fatal injuries shortly after 2pm as he fell from the roof of his shed while attempting to fix it in Kilgarriff, West Cork.

John Donnelly, a man in his 70s died as a result of injuries suffered as he fell from a ladder while attempting to repair some of hurricane Ophelia’s damage on his shed roof at 3pm in Kilmacanogue, Co. Wicklow.

On the October 19th, a rough sleeper was found dead in Temple Bar in the early hours of the morning. Local Counsellor Christy Burke said it is likely he had been

dead for some time. Similarly, at 9.45pm, a 23-yearold man was found unconscious in Drogheda. He was brought to Our Lady of Lourdes hospital where he was later pronounced dead. The charity Inner City Helping Homeless (ICHH) has since said that both deaths could have been prevented, and denounced the government for the lack of facilities put in place to provide shelter to the homeless during the storm.

Hurricane Ophelia was the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic, with gusts of up to 191km/h recorded in Co. Cork. The Royal Netherland Meteorological Institute has since said that due to a rise in sea temperatures, Europe is likely to see more hurricanes like Ophelia.

PHOTO CREDIT: PIXABAY AND WIKIMEDIA

RUSSIAN MUSICIAN REPORTEDLY KILLED IN CHECHEN “GAY PURGE”

CAUSES SEVEN DEATHS AND €1 BILLION ECONOMIC LOSS

NEWS ANALYSIS: HARVEY WEINSTEIN ALLEGATIONS SPARK CRISIS IN HOLLYWOOD Author: Ekatherina Gillen ON OCTOBER 5th, New York Times reporters Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey published a story detailing a number of sexual harassment and assault allegations against established

Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, going back as far as three decades ago. Later that week Kantor and Rachel Abrams followed up with several other accounts, including household names like Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow. Two weeks later the list of accusers had reached over fifty women. The claims are currently under investigation by law enforcement forces in New York, Los Angeles, and London.

Kantor says she was inspired to write the story as the New York Times made a real commitment to revealing sexual harassment this year. The story was released soon after the Bill O’Reilly case was unveiled and women from the Silicon Valley came out with revelations of their own. Following the allegations, Weinstein was fired from the Weinstein Company on October 8th as an employee, and later resigned from the company’s

board, as did most other board members. Weinstein “Me too” on social media, which began the #metoo was also expelled from the Academy. hashtag. After 24 hours, Facebook reported that 4.7 Weinstein’s behaviour had been a long-standing million people had engaged in conversation surroundjoke in Hollywood. During a 2013 Oscar Nomination ing the hashtag. #Metoo was translated into several Announcement Seth McFarlane congratulated “five la- other languages and used globally across several social dies” on no longer having “to pretend to be attracted to media platforms, and resulted in thousands of women Harvey Weinstein.” In 2005 when asked if she had any speaking up about their experiences and shedding light advice for a young girl moving to Hollywood, Courtney on the magnitude of the issue.

Love responded with “I’ll get libelled if I say it… If As a result of the revelations, many victims felt Harvey Weinstein invites you to a private party at the empowered to come forward with their experiences.

Four Seasons, don’t go.” She later said the statement These included Terry Crews, who has not named his has significantly impacted her career. Additionally, abuser out of fear of backlash from the abuser himself. claims were made that the contract Weinstein had with Weinstein’s former secretary broke a £125,000 nonhis company had several clauses detailing increasing disclosure agreement to bring her own experience to amounts that Weinstein would have to pay to the com- light, and McKayla Maroney spoke of the US gympany for every sexual harassment claim the company nastics team’s doctor, who faced allegations from over 60 women. 14-year-old Finn Wolfhard has left his had to deal with because of him.

In response to claims against Hollywood’s sexual agency due to their relationship with Weinstein, and harassment culture, Alyssa Milano, one of the pro- Channing Tatum has cancelled his directorial debut ducer’s most outspoken critics, called on all women with Weinstein’s production company. that experienced sexual harassment or assault to post

PHOTO CREDIT: PIXABAY

Jade Wilson

COMMENT

HEAD-TO-HEAD IF YOU DO NOT DENOUNCE MORALLY OBJECTIONABLE ACTIONS, YOU ARE AS GUILTY AS THE ACTOR.

IN FAVOUR

PICTURE CREDIT: JOHNHIN PIXABAY

AGAINST

In favour of the motion, Adam Lawler argues that silence can ruin lives and careers and propagate harmful beliefs.

Opposing the motion, Dylan O’ Neill argues that some are not in the position to denounce the actions of others.

Complicity is a punishable offence. Everything from helping someone to rob a bank to listening as your friend plans a murder could land you in prison, and the phrase “aiding and abetting” is firmly in the legal lexicon, as is the word “accomplice.”

From the safety of your computer screen it is easy to comment anonymously and pass judgement on the acts of others. When it comes to publicly sharing your opinions, it becomes more difficult to openly denounce these acts without putting yourself in the line of criticism.

However, there is a type of complicity that does not amount to prison time, and with it comes a huge canyon of moral grey area that is currently being explored. The overlap and disparity between plain unlawful and simply morally wrong needs to be addressed.

Harvey Weinstein is case in point. After a staggering number of actresses came forward with allegations of sexual harassment, an equally staggering number of male actors have come forward to say that they had previous knowledge of Weinstein’s behaviour. This extended period of discretion allowed Weinstein to rack up countless more offences, terrorise more women, and ruin more lives, all of which could have been stopped dead if someone had spoken up.

This is especially important in cases of sexual assault, where women still have difficulty being believed.

Men need to be allies, and making an admission like a child mumbling an apology for not stopping his friend throwing rocks is not enough.

On a wider scale, president Donald Trump denounced the actions of white nationalists in Charlottesville with a whimper of a statement before backtracking completely, thus further incentivising a group who do not need encouragement. A US president failing to use his position to denounce a known hate group, which is constantly growing in influence and threatens the country more every day, is the definition of complicity. This is to say nothing of Trump’s daughter, Ivanka. Whenever she speaks or posts online about any issue from sexism to bullying, hordes of people scream in unison, “Why do you not say this to your father?” Her complicity in her father’s twisted regime has gone so far as to be parodied by Saturday Night Live, and her silence is deafening considering that she is in the position to affect real change.

This is a large-scale example, but we need to look at the effects of complicity on a campus level. #Fight4Katie, a campaign run for and by former UCD Students’ Union president Katie Ascough to avoid impeachment in the recent referendum, was covered by Breitbart, an American right-wing news outlet. After a UCD student posted a screenshot demanding the campaign denounce Breitbart, the page stated that it would be “imprudent to condemn a news outlet for spreading their opinion on the matter.”

This statement, which amounts to “that has nothing to do with us,” is insubstantial, considering three things.

Firstly, the nature of the site is widely known to be a propagator of hate and vitriol. Secondly, the opposition many already had to Ascough’s views and suspicions that they impeded her ability to act as SU president. Finally, the fact that parties outside UCD and even outside Ireland are known to have helped with her campaign. Ascough herself released a belated statement after the backlash but with all of this known why, with so much to lose, would the campaign not immediately release a statement distancing themselves from the site and denouncing their views? On the other hand, SU sabbatical officers distanced themselves from Ascough, a necessary move considering the damage done to the SU’s reputation by the issue.

Silence is no longer a choice people can make at their leisure. It is a form of complicity. It can mean the needless propagating of suffering when simply using one’s voice can help to save lives and careers, and raise awareness for issues that are too often overlooked.

REBUTTAL DYLAN O’NEILL Speaking up against deplorable acts, whether committed against you or someone else, is obviously the ideal, especially where victims have difficulty being believed.

In cases of sexual assault, how can we expect victims to speak out when the people to whom they report the crime are skeptical of its occurrence? Should we condemn them for their silence? No. The problem is not that the victims remain silent and thus should be held as accountable as the perpetrator, the problem is that we will live in society that does not provide a safe refuge for victims to report the crime without fear of backlash from the perpetrator.

The use of both Donald Trump and Katie Ascough as examples further illustrates this point. Both were elected into a position and given a platform, becoming instantly recognisable to their public. Their inability to denounce white nationalists and right-wing publications, respectively, highlights the divide between them and the general population. These cases must therefore be treated as isolated incidences as they are misrepresentative of the majority. Trump was elected by the Electoral College not popular vote, and Ascough was impeached by 69% of the students who voted in the referendum. Both have received extraordinary assets that are not available to the general public, so we should expect them to denounce morally objectionable acts as they carry more weight than that of the general public.

Take, for example, a young child experiencing homophobic or transphobic abuse from a parent or guardian.

They don’t have the financial, let alone emotional, means to openly call out their parent/guardian and face the consequences of possible abandonment. In this case, we would understand the child’s silence and not condemn them as equally culpable as their abusive relative.

Another situation in which denouncing morally questionable acts does not make you just as guilty is when all the information is not yet known. We live in the age of the Internet, and information is available to us at the touch of a button, but how reliable is the source? Waiting until all the information is available before passing judgement does not mean you condone the acts in question, it means you want to make an informed decision on the situation as a whole.

In November 2012, after the BBC made public the Jimmy Saville scandal, Lord McAlpine, a former Conservative politician was reported to have sexually abused a former resident of the Bryn Estyn children’s home. After Newsnight reported this story, there was a public uproar. However, the High Court ruled that the accusations were wholly false and BBC apologised.

It is easy to accuse people of not standing up against intolerance in the world because ideally, we should follow the example of our role models. However, our role models are usually famous and utilise the platform they have been given to lead and call for a better society. Unfortunately, this only applies to the privileged 1%. The majority of people do not have the means of name recognition to be so vocal about morally questionable acts and elicit such a national outcry against them.

Recently in the news surrounding the Harvey Weinstein scandal, there came to light stories about a whisper system among female actresses to warn each other about potentially dangerous men. These women did not speak openly about it, because they could not, for fear of being blacklisted and putting their careers in jeopardy. I do not hold these women accountable for the actions taken by one man, simply because they did not speak publicly about it. I blame the culture of not protecting these female actresses that Hollywood has allowed to grow. While I admire actresses such as Rose McGowan for taking to social media to denounce the actions of Weinstein publicly, her Twitter account was temporarily locked after she spoke out against him which is a clear indication that the culture still at large.

It is the classic case of the Trolley Problem. In this thought experiment, you are standing beside a railroad track with an out-of-control train trolley coming towards five people tied up on the track. You see a lever beside you that, if pulled, will divert the trolley onto another track where only one person is tied up. Do you pull the lever?

If you were to pull the lever, you would be actively committing the murder of the person on the other track who would have otherwise been safe. By not pulling the lever five people will die, but are you really to blame?

Not pulling the lever and refraining from involvement, while questionable in its own right, is still not the same as actively taking a life. This is taking it to the extreme, but the point still stands.

REBUTTAL ADAM LAWLER You say you do not hold the actresses accountable for not speaking out sooner, and that is exactly the point.

We blame Harvey Weinstein for perpetrating the act as well as those who knew about the actresses and remained silent, not the actresses themselves. In the case of various forms of abuses perpetrated by friends, family members and strangers, these people do not have the means to speak out because they are the victims in this situation. Therefore, they cannot and are not complicit. It is usually not possible to be complicit in your own mistreatment. We do not blame the victims because there is already a clearly defined term for that.

We are not talking about the people who are on the receiving end, we are talking about the casual observers who are aware of a creepy uncle’s predatory passes, the guy who never calls out his friend’s racist comments.

Yes, it is important to ensure information is true before spreading it, but even when the action in question is one hundred percent true there is a good chance it will itself be denounced as untrue, congruent with the new post-truth movement. Yes, there are more high-risk situations that require care and sensitivity, but the basic truth is that if someone witnesses or is aware of someone’s morally objectionable actions and, if they can, do not act, they are just as guilty.

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COMMENT FIANNA FÁIL AND THE 8TH AMENDMENT In the aftermath of Fianna Fáil voting to support the unborn’s right to life, Ruairi Long wonders whether this decision will impact their future. diehards. Like Trump and his Rust Belt, they are picking their niche with great precision. Politics is a complicated game nonetheless and Fianna Fáil know the tricks of the trade. Could this be their ticket back to power?

From case X to Katie Ascough, its resilience as a relevant issue proves that Fianna Fáil are diving into some murky waters by taking such a firmly oppositional stance.

What has driven Fianna Fáil to take this staunch viewpoint? Has the party really reached a point, after six years as opposition and their longest period away from power since they were first elected, that they feel the need to make such a risky move? Although the decision was reportedly met by applause during the Ard Fheis, has Fianna Fáil now isolated many thousands of voters who are adamant that the country should indeed repeal the eighth amendment? This includes the majority of the student bodies of Ireland’s top third level institutions such as UCD, UCC, and Trinity, who are all pro-choice. That is a lot of passionate voters being isolated by Mr. Martin and his colleagues. These are also voters who have a real involvement with the issue, voters who are almost certainly going to be pushed toward the more liberal tendencies of Leo Varadkar

and his reasonably popular Fine Gael government.

Regardless of the stances of universities or Varadkar, Fianna Fáil are crawling back into their default position as a party with more traditional and, as many would argue, regressive policies. This is a position they have often held, whether the party has been led by Haughey or De Valera himself. However, this move may be one of the best developments for Irish democracy in recent times. It is vital that any minority view be represented in Leinster House, or else the country would become a quasi-single-party state, with only one outlook. Some thanks are due then to Fianna Fáil, for taking a viewpoint which may be backwards and may prove disastrous, but one which ensures fair representation for all citizens of our nation.

Abortion has consistently caused controversy in its time as Ireland’s key political issue. From case X to Katie Ascough, its resilience as a relevant issue proves that Fianna Fáil are diving into some murky waters by taking such a firmly oppositional stance.

Even the UCD Students’ Union, a body whose job is to represent and work in the interests of the students in the university, has been divided by the issue. Many would argue that Fianna Fáil’s new stance denies the truth that abortion is happening en masse, and that it cannot simply be ignored or deemed an issue that need not be put to referendum. It is a subject so delicate that it required the citizens’ assembly, who were set up to debate it, to first listen to a presentation on how laws are made and changed before they could be allowed to debate the issue they had gathered to discuss.

PICTURE CREDIT: VIA FLICKR

2017 IS THE 80th anniversary of our constitution, Bunreacht na hEireann. It was written primarily in 1937 by a Fianna Fáil government headed by Ireland’s historical and political equivalent to Caesar, Eamon de Valera. It seems fitting that the same political party that wrote what many call a dated and conservative constitution would still be outspoken about key issues surrounding it.

Fianna Fáil held their 2017 Ard Fheis, or AGM in layman’s terms, on October 13th and 14th. De Valera himself would have been proud of the muchpublicised outcome of the meeting, in which Fianna Fáil voted against a motion to support the repeal of the 8th Amendment. They are therefore protecting the right to life of the unborn and ratifying the constitution of 1937. This constitution still stands today as the guidelines of our country, albeit with some major changes. The divorce referendum, the marriage equality referendum, and more constitutional changes have rocked the country and proved divisive. However, the scope and energy behind both sides of the abortion campaign has been second to none, bringing thousands to march and protest on the streets of Dublin on several occasions.

In the current political landscape, this decision will have huge consequences for the major opposition party of Dáil Éireann. It shows that the party has decided to try and attract a group of voters who are not clearly represented in the government. The failure of Renua, the newcomer to the political scene, to win any seats in the 2016 General Election might have been a warning for Fianna Fáil to avoid that same group of voters. However, according to articles in thejournal.ie, Renua did win 2% of the vote and are entitled to a quarter of a million euro of funding. This smidgeon of success may put the spring back into the step of Fianna Fáil’s

IS THE NRA RESPONSIBLE FOR AMERICA’S ATTITUDE TO GUN CONTROL? The NRA is one of the most successful lobbying groups in the USA, but what do they actually do? Heather Reynolds investigates its history and enduring influence.

The second amendment protects an individual’s right to bear arms.

The battle for gun control began in 1939 with United States v. Miller. This case set the precedent for gun regulation in the U.S. for the first time, wherein the court ruled that a sawn-off shotgun could not be of military use, and thus could be regulated against. This precedent stood for almost seventy years, not without challenge, but was eventually struck down in 2008, during the case of District of Columbia v. Heller. The plaintiff, Heller, argued that Washington D.C.’s strict handgun ban was unconstitutional, as it contradicted the second amendment. Unlike the 1939 Supreme Court, which placed a great deal of emphasis on the military ties in the amendment, the 2008 Supreme Court sided with Heller for the abolition of the handgun ban.

The District of Columbia v. Heller was a landmark case and ruled that the second amendment protects an individual’s right to bear arms, unconnected with the military, as this was the intention in which the amendment was made. This ruling revitalised the movement

6 ISSUE 3 VOLUME XXIV

in the U.S.A to strengthen gun protection laws, and revitalised the National Rifle Association (NRA).

The NRA is among the largest of the special interest lobbying groups in America, with an annual budget of $250 million and a membership that is typically placed between 3 and 5 million. When the NRA began in 1871, it originally pushed for better gun control, playing an active role in lobbying for both the National Firearms Act of 1934 and the Gun Control Act of 1968. However, its origins are not political in nature. It began as a scientific research and promotion group, and provided education for both communities and politicians alike. That is not to say that the NRA were not political, however it was not a key aspect of the organisation at the time.

The NRA as an organisation did not become outwardly political until the 1970s forming of its Political Action Committee in 1977, which gave them the power to fund legislators as an organisation, allowing them to further their message.

This change in direction was not just a shift to political lobbying. The 1970s also saw a shift in the primary mission statement of the group; it no longer advocated for gun control. Instead it pushed heavily against any new legislation that could potentially hinder any individual from gaining access to a gun. This change in ethos correlates with a shift in leadership, as well as the shooting of long-time member Kenyon Ballew during a raid by the federal government in 1971. Ballew was under suspicion of stockpiling weaponry, made illegal by the Gun Control Act of 1968. The shooting paralysed Ballew and turned the NRA against the government, and began their lobbying against any gun control measure they attempted to introduce.

The NRA has stuck with this stance ever since, with their members remaining active lobbyists against gun control. They have lobbied against the Manchin amendment, which would have prohibited those on the federal terrorism watchlist from purchasing firearms. Their reasons being, individuals who had not been charged

of committing crimes could be added to the watchlist.

They have also lobbied against multiple amendments to allow for a national database of gun owners, and

Between their public appearances and their political lobbying, they leave little room for debate.

against mental health histories being added to background checks.

In 1996, the NRA lobbied to put in place the Dickey amendment in 1996, which disallowed the Centre of Disease Control from allocating any funds towards researching gun related deaths, meaning that no major studies on gun control have been conducted in the US for over 20 years. Outside of their lobbying efforts,

they have also appeared in the media several times to dispute claims that gun control could have prevented mass shootings, going as far as to claim that the Sandy Hook Massacre of 2012, in which 20 children were murdered, was faked by the government to push for stronger gun legislation.

The NRA has been pivotal in decrying, delaying, and halting any movement involving gun control at every level of government since 1977, spreading misinformation and twisting circumstances until they appear to be the saner choice. Between their public appearances and their political lobbying, they leave little room for debate on gun control, and no room for any change in the stance of the politicians with whom they are associated.

PHOTO CREDIT: VIA WIKIMEDIA

THE SECOND amendment to the U.S.A constitution was implemented in 1791 and is defined colloquially as “the right to bear arms.” The full amendment reads “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a Free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” The intention behind the amendment was to ensure the government could never exert total control over its people. By having a people with the right to bear arms, the will of the people would prevail. The citizens of the U.S.A would have the power to overthrow their government by violent force if it was required.

COMMENT #METOO AND THE CONFESSIONAL OF SOCIAL MEDIA Vedanth Govi dissects the effectiveness of the #MeToo campaign in addressing both the harrowing truths and the wider implications of sexual violence..

WHEN THE Actor Alyssa Milano suggested that anyone who has been sexually harassed or assaulted use the hashtag #MeToo on Twitter, she could not have foreseen its impact. She started the hashtag to convey the enormity of the problem, and may have unwittingly highlighted the difference between the words ‘enormousness’ and ‘enormity;’ ‘enormousness’ is a word that denotes large in size or number. ‘Enormity’, as many custodians of the English language will insist, is particularly loaded. Apart from being a qualifier of size, it refers to extreme wickedness and evil monstrosity, both of which are characteristic of Harvey Weinstein and his ilk, as the reporting of several American news agencies would have us believe.

The onus to bring forth the nature and extent of the violence unfortunately lies on the survivor of the violence.

As interest in the story has piqued, the mainstream media has disappointingly reduced the #MeToo campaign to an Oedipal parable of the fall that will eventually come for men like Weinstein who have used their power to prey on vulnerable women.

However, this take barely scratches the surface. Many horrific #MeToo accounts of abuse, harassment, and molestation point towards the fact that more often than not, the abuser does not have to be a man in a position of power. Surveys on sexual harassment in the workplace show that over 50% of women are

harassed by male colleagues who are of the same rank in the office hierarchy. In other words, while one can be prematurely reactionary and triumph over the fact that the #MeToo campaign has coalesced into a beacon of light illuminating the darkness of predatory sexual behaviour, a deeper investigation reveals that it erases the complexities that emerge from these testimonials.

These complexities, which inhibit conversations around sexual violence, are difficult to explore. This is not only because of the pain, trauma, and misery that make for the bedrocks of a wider malaise, but also because hashtag campaigns act as an opium that can temporarily placate us in how we read sexually predatory men. Are the abusers men in power like Harvey Weinstein, Donald Trump, and Bill Cosby? Are they the men that we meet every day, our best friend’s father or the local plumber? They are both. These are men that are embedded in our everyday in ways that are immediate and local but can also feel distant, and still very much rooted in the social and cultural imaginations of the society we inhabit.

The question then changes to why has the #MeToo

campaign etched itself into our collective memory as a singular narrative that focuses overwhelmingly on the workplace harassment of vulnerable western women?

The answer lies in analysing the social cost of such campaigns. The onus to bring forth the nature and extent of the violence unfortunately lies on the survivor of the violence. While one can argue that the #MeToo campaign has helped release a floodgate of emotions that has proven to be cathartic, one must not forget for a single second that the act of coming forward and providing a testimonial overlooks the truly silent voices. The wording of the #MeToo hashtag makes it appear like a confession, when we must recognise that there is more to the idea of honesty than a confession.

Additionally, the campaign creates the illusion that sexual violence is episodic. In celebrating the voices that have come forward, #MeToo must make for a provision in its conscience to acknowledge that sexual violence is ongoing, repeated and not as transient as our Facebook and Twitter feeds. If one has to make an honest estimation of the success of any campaign, they have to look at the legacy it leaves in

its wake, especially for those it represented. The grim truth is that the generality of a social media campaign does not allow us to locate the position of the problem.

In conclusion, the general public could sit reading one op-ed after another about the power of #MeToo without thinking of the women in their lives, and whether this campaign would help them navigate the mental calculations they make on a daily basis. The bitter pill that we must swallow is that #MeToo will not stop your best friend from looking over her shoulder every time she goes for a jog late at night. A girls’ night out will still be incomplete without untoward sexual advances from drunken men, and she may still rather take the stairs than enter a lift full of men. Until hashtags and social media campaigns recognise the constant threat of sexual violence in every seemingly mundane scenario, #MeToo will remain a confession that dies inside the confessional.

THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF THE ABORTION REFERENDUM FOR ALL With the ramifications of the lead up to the marriage equality referendum still being felt, Daragh Fleming, explains the possible negative effects of the upcoming referendum.

LGBT+ teenagers are 3 times more likely to attempt suicide. dum itself had consequences that will reverberate throughout Ireland and the world for years to come.

However, the controversy around abortion is different.

It’s different because it involves human life, and this is a very sensitive topic. It’s appropriate to suggest that in terms of seriousness and impact, legal abortion will be hugely more significant than gay-marriage, in that it affects all people in society. Considering the impact the gay marriage campaign had, and continues to have, on people’s mental health, what will be the fallout of the Repeal the 8th campaign?

Although, the same-sex marriage referendum completely changed the lives of the LGBT+ community in a positive manner, there is no doubt that the campaign itself took a toll on the mental health of both those who were pro same-sex marriage, and those who weren’t. A large portion of those who were against the movement were conservative Catholics, the idea of gay marriage is fundamentally opposed to their religious beliefs. It is important to understand that in the era of modern-liberalism, just because a belief system is contra to our own, it doesn’t make that belief system inherently wrong. Therefore, it is easy to understand

that a person of faith who believes gay-marriage to be wrong, would be affected mentally by such a referendum being passed.

In contrast, had marriage referendum went in favour of the ‘No’ vote, the consequences of this would undoubtedly have taken a toll on the LGBT+ community.

LGBT+ teenagers are 3 times more likely to attempt suicide. This is not a symptom of being LGBT+, but rather being treated differently because you are LGBT+.

Since the referendum passed, studies have found that many young LGBT+ teenagers came out due to the confidence given to them by the ‘Yes’ vote. Had the referendum gone the other way, it isn’t hard to imagine the negative impact this would have had on the LGBT+ community’s mental health.

Now, take that up a notch. Today we are talking about abortion, which by definition is the ending of pregnancy by purposeful human interference. For a practicing person of faith, this means the ending of a complete life, which is therefore considered murder. It is harrowing to consider if you did believe abortion was murder, living in a country that openly supported that message. There is no telling what effect that would have on a person’s mind-frame. Although, nobody would be forced to have an abortion, could that person really continue to live in a country where those around them are freely allowed to commit, what they believe to be, murder?

However, as mentioned, Ireland is becoming a very liberal state. In light of this, it is unfair to assume rights over any person, or their bodies. This is the fundamental argument that sits at the core of the prochoice movement, and it’s a strong one. The Repeal the 8th campaign has its foundations in the idea that women should have autonomy over their own bodies.

This is coupled with the fact that no person should have to carry and deliver a child out of rape, abuse, or otherwise. The trauma of being raped should be enough justification alone to allow abortion in these

circumstances. As it stands, the situation regarding abortion already affects the mental health of women, who become pregnant due to rape. It also causes issues in a human rights context, as women believe that they do not have the same rights as men do. How then, will mental health be affected for women, if in May, they are told that abortion will remain illegal?

As it stands, the average prison sentence for illegal abortion is 14 years, while the average prison sentence for rape is only ten. Imagine living in a country where you are punished more severely for aborting a child conceived out of rape than the person who raped you

in the first place? Would you be able to continue to live there? Furthermore, how do you think your mental health would be?

On both sides, there is no question that there will be repercussions for mental health following the abortion referendum. Although 26 legal abortions took place in Ireland in 2016, it appears that for many, the current situation is simply unacceptable. The question that remains is, can we find a solution that will accommodate both sides of the moral debate, or will we continue to exist with the ‘us-and them’ atmosphere that is emerging in modern-Ireland?

PICTURE CREDIT: VIA FLICKR

AS THE referendum to repeal the eighth amendment looms on the horizon, the debate around this controversial issue is at its highest level of tension, and rightly so. In the past number of years, Ireland has become a benchmark of what it means to be a liberal state, becoming the first country to legalise same-sex marriage through popular vote.

If you recall, the ‘Yes Equality’ campaign was indeed a controversial campaign, and the referen-

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FEATURES HIGH PREVALENCE AND POOR AWARENESS OF IRELAND’S MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEM CLEAR IN UCD With students being some of the most likely people to suffer from mental disorders, Gavin Tracey, investigates the mental health situation in UCD today.

According to a study undertaken by the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland (RCSI), one in five young people in Ireland experience a mental disorder at any one time, and a shocking one in two people aged 19-24 will have already experienced a mental disorder over the course of their life. The study also linked the high rate of substance abuse in this age bracket to mental disorders. In Ireland we have higher rates of mental disorders than the UK, USA, and Germany. With this being such a prevalent issue, many students were dismayed at the postponing of Mental Health Week.

Speaking to the University Observer, Welfare Officer Eoghan MacDomhnaill stated that this was simply because the grounds on which they were going to be held were damaged from Freshers’ Week.

MacDomhnaill does agree that there is a mental health crisis facing this country, “we’re seeing it ourselves with the people coming into the office.” He talks about the long waits for the campus counselling services, saying that “it’s as bad as last year, if not worse.” The issue of long waiting lists for the counselling service is a concern for many students, while many are not even aware that such a service is available

to students. When asked about the lack of awareness and visibility of the services provided to students, MacDomhnaill admitted that this was an issue, saying “I think that the main problem that we have is that we have so much information that we need to get out about different things, we have the information, but just being able to give it in the right format is incredibly difficult.” Cliodhna O’Connor, from UCD’s Youth Mental Health Lab said that she believed that “people don’t necessarily realise the supports that are there, but also how understanding people are as well. I think that UCD is really well equipped with student advisors and counselling services.”

illness in Ireland is decreasing amongst young people, who are being made aware of it from a young age.

O’Connor also believes that social media has played a role in the mental health of our generation. It is no secret that sites such as facebook and Instagram encourage people to present an image of themselves that may not be entirely accurate. We display all of our best moments, a sort of digital trophy case, and measuring one’s life against an online trophy case of a friend can lead to a lot of problems. O’Connor writes in a blog post that “the illusion that everything is as it seems on social media can damage our self-esteem and general happiness.” These sites are designed in such a way

that they can almost hijack our brain’s reward system and keep us scrolling for hours, not engaging with the content, leaving you “with feelings of envy, resentment, loneliness and sometimes depression.”

There is work left to be done, lots of it. Young people need to be given the tools at a young age to deal with the unique set of challenges that face them. Awareness is important, but what is needed above all else is the funding, on a national and university level, to offer the necessary supports to those who need it most.

Anyone who is suffering from stress, anxiety or depression can contact the UCD counselling service or student advisers.

It is no secret that sites such as facebook and Instagram encourage people to present an image of themselves that may not be entirely accurate.

We asked her whether she thought that there is a mental health crisis facing Ireland. “The research that has been carried out by our lab would suggest yes, mental health is hugely prevalent” and she added that “it is the leading health problem in young people today.” The Youth Mental Health Lab (YMHL) carries out research to understand and address the problems of mental health in young people, and also aims to create a forum to allow young people to talk about such issues.

She goes on to say that the stigma surrounding mental

PICTURE CREDIT: PRIYA GARG

Everyone who has attended a third level institution has heard the same mantra, that the years you spend in university will be “the best years of your life.”

We are fed a certain image of university life, replete with parties, close friendships, and time spent “finding yourself.” Of course, what is never shown is the reality of student life for the vast majority of students: stress, anxiety, feelings of loneliness and alienation, as well as the overwhelming pressure one is under at all times to have a good time. For many students, they are living away from home for the first time in their life, and find themselves completely isolated and under pressure from week one to get working.

DOES ANTIFA CROSS THE LINE IN ADVOCATING VIOLENCE? Priscilla Obilana evaluates Antifa practices and gathers the opinions of politics professors and Antifa Ireland to find out more.

FASCISM PLAYED a significant role in the 20th century and recently it has begun to raise its head once again and in response, so too comes Antifa, an anti-fascist movement, in fierce opposition. The situation, however, is not quite as straightforward as fascism versus anti-fascism, as those who are anti-fascist do not necessarily support Antifa. The main reason for this is Antifa’s violent means go against the morals of many anti-fascists. Antifa, a leftist organisation, faces criticism from leftists and the media due to the methods they employ. To determine whether the practices of Antifa are legitimate or useful, the University Observer spoke to Antifa Ireland and political professors in UCD.

Luther King being such figures that have proven that a tactic of peaceful resistance is highly effective. Concerns about violent methods being used to combat violent ideologies are often raised as it begs the question “Is it not hypocritical to combat violence with more violence?”

Antifa Ireland makes the point that “Fascism is a clear statement of intent to violence” and so must be met head on. This coincides with an observation made

by UCD politics Professor Andy Storey: “Given the overt violence that is inherent in fascism, violence seems to me morally justified in opposing it.” Professor Graham Finlay, a lecturer in the school of Politics and International Relations, also notes that “many supporters of Antifa are not supporting violence as a goal in itMilitant anti-fascism first came to the fore in Europe self.” However, not everyone sees it that way, Professor during the 1920s as a continent-wide movement whose Alexa Zellentin, also with the school of Politics and practices involved revolting against fascism in coun- International Relations, says “Generally, I do not belief tries like Italy, France, Spain and Germany. In relation that even important ends justify all means that might to past fascist defeats, Antifa Ireland says, “Physical work to achieve them.” force is the only thing that has ever defeated fascism A commonly agreed viewpoint, by all interviewed, is when it has been given space to organise.” that regardless of whether violence is needed to defeat violence or not, it does affect public support which is also necessary to acquire. Professor Finlay raises the point that sometimes violence can push potential supporters towards the opposition. “Whether pro-active attacks on fascist rallies and events leads to a reduction in their numbers or support will also vary from case to case” and “the white supremacists claim... it is attracting support to their cause.” Professor Storey adds “Violence that is disproportionate to the threat posed is not only morally problematic, it likely alienates popular support for anti-fascist action.”

In Ireland, an anti-fascist organisation was officially formed in 1991. Ireland has been relatively free from any major fascist uprising. Antifa Ireland says that “Fascism is extremely weak in Ireland because of the Contemporary critics do not see it that way, and they successes of militant anti-fascism over many years.” meet Antifa with disapproval and chastisement. Our Fascism has, however, become a visible threat as of late. generation has a clear reluctance to use violence as a When asked about its possible future in Ireland, Antifa means. We have been shown that non-violent methods says “Fascism has no foothold in Ireland and it never can be powerful with Mahatma Gandhi and Martin will because of the actions of militant anti-fascists.”

In democracies there are many ways to take a strong and visible stance against hateful ideologies that do not involve violence against persons or destruction of their property.

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Paradoxically, Professor Finlay says, “we would be naïve to think that they are not active in Ireland” and Professor Storey thinking along the same lines says that fascism exists in Ireland “but not in a mass or organised way, not yet anyway.” It can be seen, Storey explains, through “racism and other fascist-style sentiments (such as hostility to asylum seekers, Muslims, etc.).”

This was also noticed by Professor Finlay in “the public discourse surrounding multiculturalism, immigration and class in Ireland and the comments one hears in social media, comment sections and on the street.” Professor Zellentin summarizes it by saying “fascism is always a latent threat.”

However, there are many ways to be anti-fascist without being Antifa.

As Professor Zellentin puts it, “in democracies there are many ways to take a strong and visible stance against hateful ideologies that do not involve violence against persons or destruction of their property. We should make use of them.” Professor Finlay suggests that the state should fortify itself against fascism all the more because, “The state’s mechanisms for reporting and redressing racist and discriminatory behaviour were seriously weakened during austerity with the closure of the National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism and the cuts to the budget of the Equality Authority and its eventual merger with the Irish

Human Rights Commission.”

While Antifa practices do have a history of success, showing that their measures are useful and in some cases necessary for the anti-fascists, be they Antifa or not, is vital to avoid distracting from the actual fight and to prevent disagreement among anti-fascists.

PHOTO CREDIT: VIA WIKIMEDIA

FEATURES THE RIGHT TO DIE: DYING WITH DIGNITY OR A DANGER TO PUBLIC HEALTH? With many wishing for the right to die with dignity, Elizabeth Wells, looks at the reasons for and the issues surrounding euthanasia.

When Michael Nugent’s wife, Anne Holiday, was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2009, doctors gave her six months to live. As Holiday had seen both of her parents experience long, painful deaths at the hand of cancer, she quickly decided she did not want to share the same fate.

“The only thing that was really stressing her was the concern about having to go through unnecessary suffering,” said Nugent. “She didn’t want to go through that so she wanted to make preparations to take her own life if she needed to.”

The Court said the judgement did not prohibit the state legislature from introducing such laws as long as the “appropriate safeguards” were put in place.

This revelation led the couple to Tom Curran and Marie Fleming, who were in a similar situation.

Fleming had multiple sclerosis and also wanted to be able to end her own life. Fleming’s situation differed from Holiday’s in that due to her illness, Fleming was actually physically incapable of taking her own life and would therefore need assistance.

While suicide has been effectively legal in Ireland since 1993, assisted suicide and euthanasia are treated as either manslaughter or murder and are punishable by up to 14 years in prison.

Seeking to change this, Nugent and Curran formed the Right to Die campaign in 2013. Nugent said the campaign has two main objectives.

“As Right to Die Ireland, we are campaigning for the right for seriously ill people to get the best medical resources if they want to stay alive for as long as they can, and the second is the right of terminally or seriously ill people to have the right to die peacefully when they choose if they want to,” Nugent explained.

Holiday ended up dying a year and half after her diagnosis from natural causes. Fleming, however, fought to face death on her own terms. She and Curran brought a case before the Supreme Court in April 2013 to secure a lawfully assisted suicide, a right Fleming argued should be granted to her under the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. The Court ruled that the Irish constitution secured no such rights. However, the Court said the judgement did not prohibit the state legislature from introducing such laws as long as the “appropriate safeguards” were put in place.

The effectiveness of such safeguards has been highly debated in countries where euthanasia is legal, including Belgium and the Netherlands, and some fear what the ripple effects of passing such a law would have on public safety and ethical medical care.

According to a report published by the Canadian Medical Association Journal, the rate of euthanasia/ assisted suicides in Belgium has increased from 0.2% since the inception of the law in 2003 to 1.7% of all deaths in 2013. An article published in Current Oncology presents the argument of a “social slippery slope,” in which safeguards become more and more relaxed over time allowing for higher rates of euthanasia. In the Netherlands, for example, when the law was first constructed in 2001 it was to be reserved only for people with terminal illnesses with no other options when euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. Now, anyone over the age of 70 who is “tired of living” may be considered for euthanasia, the article stated.

Furthermore, the article reported that more than 500 people are involuntarily euthanized in the Netherlands each year. The article defined involuntary euthanasia

as “a situation in which a person possesses the capacity but has not provided consent.”

“They haven’t worked in Belgium, they haven’t worked in the Netherlands, why would they work here?” said David Quinn, religious and social affairs commentator for the Iona Institute and spokesperson for the Christian Advocacy Group.

It boils down to a matter of respecting an individual’s personal choice to “die with dignity.”

Nugent said concerns about safeguards are often not grounded in facts and even if they were, it is not enough reason to deny someone the right to end their own life. To him, it boils down to a matter of respecting an individual’s personal choice to “die with dignity.”

“Ultimately, it’s that your life is your own, it’s not anybody else’s and just as you shouldn’t be forced to die, you shouldn’t be forced to stay alive if you have decided you want to die.”

Quinn argues that because of the knock-on effects legalizing euthanasia can have on society, euthanasia and assisted suicide must be treated as a public act, and warns against suicide taking on “a normative kind of character.”

“It creates a new norm around dying and suffering,” he said. “And the norm is that assisted suicide is the way out of this. And I just think a compassionate society has to offer something other than assisted suicide to people in extreme distress.” He suggested that there are alternatives to euthanasia, saying “We’ve got to offer something better than suicide. You’ve got for example palliative care.”

Currently, no such bill for Ireland to legalize euthanasia or assisted suicide is being examined by the Oireachtas.

LESSER SPOTTED UCD: CENTRE FOR EXPERIMENTAL ARCHAEOLOGY AND MATERIAL CULTURES In this edition of Lesser Spotted UCD, Dylan O’Neill takes a look at the Centre for Experimental Archaeology and Material Cultures.

Located behind Roebuck Castle, not many people know of this history gem that is quite literally off the beaten track, with students having to walk along the hiking trail to reach the centre. However, once you have arrived you will be treated to authentic reconstructions ranging from, “the Mesolithic, earliest in Ireland 7000-9000BC, up to the latest we have is probably medieval. The medieval bread oven over there is probably 1200-1300 AD. It’s kind of a mix,” according to a PhD student working at the centre.

Overseeing the development of the centre is Professor Aidan O’Sullivan, Deputy Head of the School of Archaeology, who describes the centre as the “only dedicated university campus facility for experimental archaeological research, teaching, and public engagement in the world.” Established for the use of Undergraduate and Postgraduate Archaeology students under the MSc programme introduced last year. Under this programme, students are required to carry out a research project within the field of experimental archaeology. A PhD student explained that: “the basis of experimental archaeology is finding a problem in archaeological record, and trying to come up with a hypothesis with how something may have worked.”

Isotope preparation and seed and bone analysis are then

as part of their assessment. The kiln originated in the Roman era, and has been reconstructed entirely from an excavation carried out by the centre. It was used as a method of converting clay into pottery and bricks for structural support.

The centrepiece of the centre is the giant crannog, which is a man-made hut that sits atop a lake. Records show that earliest crannogs go back as far as the Neolithic Period in Europe. Of the estimated 1200 examples of fossils located around Ireland, it has been amazingly reconstructed due to it being excavated from a waterlogged building found in Deerpark Farms in Co. Antrim. This example has been dated from between 800 BC to 200 AD. From the wattle and heather that they found on the excavation, they were able re-build the crannog. It even withstood Hurricane Ophelia.

Although there are specific open-days for the public, students are welcome to visit the site of the centre, and chat to the researchers working there. However, caution is advised due to the ongoing work.

The centre for Experimental Archaeology and Material Culture, is “a place where we can train our undergraduate students in past technologies, the reconstruction of ancient buildings, food and cooking, and other types of activities which leave archaeological traces that we find in excavations,” and deserves to be featured as more than an under-appreciated part of an archaeology degree, but as a staple of UCD’s historical renovations.

PHOTO CREDIT: DYLAN O’NEILL

DYLAN O’NEILL ARTS&LIT EDITOR

carried out on the samples in the lab to give an accurate date of the sample’s creation.

Among the reconstructions modeled after findings from excavations, was a Viking house that was located among the Viking Houses in Fishamble Street. “The house was reconstructed true to plan and based on a hypothesis of the way the roof was built.” As the centre is a location for research, the entirety of reconstructions were remade using materials around the period in which it was first built. The anthropomorphic bog figures present were used to identify the markings made either from a flint axe or a metal blade, by charcoal and wood specialists.

An example of one of the smaller reconstructions on the site was the Quorn Hill. Building the hill up from remains that were found at an excavation site allowed the students to experiment and determine how the hill worked. They uncovered key features in the structure such as the flu, for lighting the fire, and the wicker basket that protects it from the weather. “They are features that would have been very common in Ireland, but we don’t really know how they work,” this statement emphasises the need for the field of experimental archaeology. Experimental archaeology allows researchers to answer questions and discover the function of materials from the era under investigation. This comes in particularly handy when the remains that have been excavated don’t match the materials been recorded in literature around the same time period.

Having begun development a year ago, many reconstructions were started at different stages due to size and complexity. The Scottish Mesolithic huts were among the first to be rebuilt, only taking a day to reach completion. One item of particular intrigue is the kiln ovens, a project undertaken by undergraduate students

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FEATURES ARE ABORTION PILLS PUTTING WOMEN IN DANGER?

PHOTO CREDIT: MEGAPIXEL

With abortions being illegal in almost all circumstances in Ireland, Orla Keaveney investigates the safety of abortion pills ordered online.

WHEN THE details about abortion access were removed from the Winging It in UCD handbooks, it drew attention to the fact that this information is still illegal to distribute in Ireland. The 1995 Regulation of Information Act states that information regarding abortions is only legal under certain vague conditions. One of the main conditions is that the information be solicited.

Information about how to obtain an abortion, through pills, in Ireland is illegal, although there has never been a prosecution for this crime.

Nobody has been charged for taking abortion pills in Ireland since the 2013 Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act outlined the Destruction of Unborn Human Life as an offence.

The limits of the law have been publicly demonstrated by pro-choice advocates. In October 2016, People Before Profit TD Bríd Smith brought abortion pills into the Dáil and showed them to her fellow TDs, challenging the government to arrest her. “You could arrest me for having it and give me 14 years, but you ain’t going to do it” Smith told the Dáil. “You know that if you dare to implement it, you would bring hell-fire and brimstone down on top of this house.”

Doctors in Ireland continue to be put in the inappropriate position of having to interpret the Constitution in the course of caring for sick women.

The activist group, ROSA (for Reproductive rights, against Oppression, Sexism & Austerity) has operated a Bus 4 Repeal since 2015, distributing abortion pills to people in cities across the country. These pills were obtained from Women On Web, an international organisation that provides mifepristone with misoprostol, which are taken together to induce miscarriage. Although only about twenty women got pills from the Bus 4 Repeal during its three day tour of Ireland, the British Medical Journal reported that three Irish women order pills direct from Women On Web’s site every week.

Lauren* is a UCD student and abortion rights activist, and has been an active member of ROSA since she was 19. While travelling on the Bus 4 Repeal in 2015, Lauren saw first-hand that the laws regarding abortion pills were not enforced: “We were very open about the fact that we had pills and we were going to give them to women. It was in the papers, we had journalists on board – and nothing happened.”

“The police spoke to us once that I can recall, in Galway, to tell us to move our bus because it was creating an obstruction. They didn’t say anything about the pills. When a journalist asked them, ‘Why aren’t you arresting them?’ they said ‘We have no evidence,’ even though we had pills on board.” Lauren says that highlighting the ineffectiveness of the law was one of the main motives for the Bus 4 repeal. “It is very unenforceable, and that’s the point. The rule exists, not to stop women from having abortions, but so that Irish people can pretend, ‘Isn’t Ireland great? Irish women don’t have abortions’ but that’s not true and it’s never been true.”

According to Senator Ivana Bacik, Reid Professor of Criminal Law, Criminology, and Penology at Trinity College Dublin, “To hand out pills randomly to people, even if you tell them they’re abortion pills, is not an offence.”

“Similarly, it would have to be proven that this was a pill that was capable of causing miscarriage. What happens when people import pills that are seized by customs is that the Irish Medicines Board will examine them.

Until the forensic evidence establishes that that’s what it is, there’s not going to be a successful conviction.”

Ireland’s legal system is founded on common law, which means that criminal judgements are largely based on decisions in past cases (“precedence”) along with the constitution and laws. Since a case regarding abortion pills has never come before the Irish courts, it’s unclear how much evidence would be needed to convict a woman for taking an abortion pill, or how strict the punishment would be.

10 ISSUE 3 VOLUME XXIV

In Northern Ireland, unlike the rest of the UK, abortion is still illegal in most circumstances. There have been cases where women have been prosecuted for the use of abortion pills. Most recently, in 2016 a Belfast resident was tried for terminating a pregnancy after her housemates reported her to the police. After pleading guilty, she was given a three-month sentence, suspended for one year.

In the Republic, to prove that a woman has committed the Destruction of Unborn Human Life, the most likely source of evidence would be from the woman herself, or people she shared this information with.

However, if a woman suffered any complications in her induced miscarriage, she would need to seek medical help. This could involve informing a doctor or medical professional of the fact that she used an abortion pill to terminate her pregnancy.

According to the Medical Council’s Guide to Professional Conduct and Ethics for Registered Medical Practitioners, a doctor is required to maintain patient-doctor confidentiality wherever possible. “Confidentiality is a fundamental principle of medical ethics and is central to the trust between patients and doctors. Patients are entitled to expect that information about them will be held in confidence. You should not disclose confidential patient information to others except in certain limited circumstances.”

However, it is unclear whether an illegal abortion falls under these “limited circumstances.” For instance, a doctor must disclose patient details “when ordered by a judge in a court of law,” which would only happen if the case was already brought to trial. Doctors are also expected to break confidentiality “in exceptional circumstances when it is necessary to protect the patient or others from serious risk of death or serious harm.” It is not stated whether this applies to a foetus.

Doctors themselves have expressed frustration at the lack of clarity surrounding the issue. Last month, Dr Peter Boylan, chairman of the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Ireland, told the Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment that “doctors in Ireland continue to be put in the inappropriate position of having to interpret the Constitution in the course of caring for sick women. Medical personnel have no difficulties in obeying clear legislation and medical regulations, but we are not trained for the complexities of constitutional interpretation, nor should we reasonably be expected to be.”

Senator Bacik believes that it would be highly unlikely and unethical for a doctor to report that their patient had taken abortion pills. “I think it would be absolutely appalling if a doctor, or any medical person who was given that information, reported it. It would be appalling, and it would be very, very dangerous because it would deter women from going to hospitals.”

While it is very important that a patient is honest with their doctor about the substances she has taken, Bacik highlights that a woman is under no obligation to disclose the country in which she took the pills. “No doctor should ever ask where the abortion had taken place because clearly, an abortion that you’ve had legally in England, where there is some – rarely, but sometimes – complications, people do have to go to hospital to get help after that, that’s perfectly legal here.”

On the Women On Web site and the Bus 4 Repeal, women are asked to share their medical information before obtaining the pills. This relies entirely on the women’s own accounts, as doctors are not able to physically examine the women. Women On Web have no way to verify that the pregnancy is at the stage when abortion pills would be safe to use.

According to Midwives for Choice, “The abortion pill is safe in the first trimester of pregnancy up to 13 weeks gestation, equating to the risks involved in spontaneous miscarriage, so problems are rare. The risk of associated complications increases after 13 weeks gestation.” The potential complications associated with abortion pills include incomplete abortion (where the products of conception aren’t fully expelled), heavy bleeding, infection, or on-going pregnancy with a slight increase in birth defects.

Abortion pills have no impact on future fertility and is considered safer than a surgical termination.

These risks of abortion pills are very similar to those associated with a natural miscarriage, and are “easily treatable.” To ensure that women

receive the most effective care, Midwives for Choice would “strongly advise that women fully disclose the medication they have taken and be reassured of the standard of care and support that they’ll receive.”

Although obtaining abortion pills online is not the ideal option for terminating a pregnancy, it is often the most effective option available to Irish women, and is significantly cheaper than travelling abroad. Women On Web asks for a donation of €70-90 for its services, though it does offer some financial support to women who cannot afford this. The World Health Organisation has classified pills obtained through Women On Web as safe, particularly as an alternative to “backstreet abortions” in countries where terminations are illegal.

In his statements to the Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment, Dr Peter Boylan stated that “in 2017, the eighth amendment is unworkable.

When it was enacted 34 years ago, neither the worldwide web nor the abortion pill had been invented... The genie is therefore out of the bottle in respect of online access to the abortion pill. The grave concern that we doctors have as a consequence of this reality is the potential for harm caused by the use of unregulated medication by Irish women and girls.”

Under the current system, the Irish government has no way of regulating the substances that women are sold online under the guise of providing safe abortions. When asked if there would be any legal consequences for people selling fake abortion pills, Senator Bacik responded, “No, there wouldn’t under Irish law.”

Although Women On Web is a seemingly safe source for abortion pills, the restriction of information about the subject means that women in crisis pregnancies may not be aware of this organisation. The lack of legal protection means that these women would be easy targets for online scammers, who could offer a cheap solution for vulnerable women who are unable to afford to travel for abortions.

Although Lauren never encountered such cases of fraud in her activism with ROSA, she is “sure that they exist, that there are websites out there that aren’t legitimate. That’s why it’s so important that women know about Women on Web, and know that it is safe and the fact that they’re being denied that information and that they’re not able to go to their doctor and get abortion pills, it’s really putting women’s lives at risk. It’s not acceptable at all.”

To ensure that women receive the most effective care, Midwives for Choice would ‘strongly advise that women fully disclose the medication they have taken and be reassured of the standard of care and support that they’ll receive..

When the removal of abortion information from the Winging It handbooks attracted media attention, many questioned why it was the role of UCDSU to distribute information on abortion. Given the complexity of the issue, especially regarding abortion pills, it is clear that there is a need for organisations like Students Unions to provide reliable information and support for people considering these options. *Not real name.

STUDENT VOICES SCISOC’S SCI-CLE TO GALWAY FOR CMRF With Science Society’s charity Sci-cle to Galway coming up in January, Katie Hackett, gives the lowdown on the event.

Since we began in 1990, UCD Science Society has become Ireland’s largest student-run charity, giving massive amounts of money raised by our members to the Children’s Medical Research Fund in Crumlin Children’s Hospital. CMRF provides vital funding for Our lady’s Children’s Hospital in Crumlin and The National Children’s Research Centre to enable little patients to have the best possible outcomes. They raise funds for a variety of reasons, including purchasing vital equipment for Our Ladies Children’s Hospital Crumlin, investing in ground-breaking research, and creating Brighter Days for their patients and their families when visiting the hospital. With over 120,000 children passing through their doors every year, CMRF is such an amazing charity and we are so proud to be contributing to their vital research every year.

To raise money, we’ve held numerous fundraisers over the years, like our successful annual Pubathons and mystery tours, as well as our Science Ball, but to date, our biggest event is our Sci-cle to Galway. Not many people like the idea of getting on a bike and travelling 200km across the country over two days in the depths of January, but every year our great members do exactly that, and this year is no different! On the 26th of January 2018, 130 brave students and marshals will bear the winter winds and days of a sore bum from the saddle to raise vital funds for CMRF. Leaving Liffey Valley at 8am in our warmest thermal underwear, we set off in groups of 30 students for Athlone. Behind each group is a mechanic’s car in case your bike decides the cycle is too much for it, an ambulance in case your heart decides the same thing, and a support car. Every 20/30km, or roughly every 90 minutes, we stop for a water break and lunch. We travel in pairs and sing and chat the whole way, so by the end of your day, you’ve made 30 new friends.

After 100km, we stop in Athlone for a lovely meal in the Athlone Springs and a well-deserved night’s sleep.

Since we started this crazy fundraiser, the Springs have been so welcoming, even letting our tired cyclists make use of their swimming pool and sauna facilities.

After this lovely sleep, you should be ready for day

two. While it’s still dark out, our cyclists set off on the second leg of our journey. After a lovely breakfast, we set out on more 20/30 km bouts broken up by snack breaks. On our last stop, we stop into the little town of Craughwell in east County Galway. There, we get a lovely lunch of ham sambos and soup provided by the lovely Irish mammies there! They’ve always been so

Finishing a thesis is a good feeling, falling in love is a great feeling, but there is no better feeling than knowing you don’t have to cycle at all anymore once you reach Eyre Square in Galway.

course meal. One of our marshals, who has done the Scicle seven years in a row now swears that this is the best meal you’ll have in your life. It’s our reward for this magnificent feat.

With our stomachs lined and our bums starting to recover from the saddle, it’s time to let the real fun begin! Carbon night club has, for the past eight years, welcomed UCD Sci Soc with open arms and wonderful drink deals. Despite the fact that you’ve just cycled 200km over two days, everyone somehow finds the energy to boogie the night away with this huge new group of friends, most of whom you didn’t know three days previous. This is by far the best night of the college year, with the sense of comraderie getting stronger with every move made and shape pulled.

Stumbling into the hostel at god knows what hour, there is a slight sadness in the air. Knowing that you’ll

be going home from such an amazing trip in 12 hours puts a bit of a dampener on the mood, but knowing you have just raised vital funds to help the amazing children who attend Our lady’s Children’s Hospital in Crumlin and The National Children’s Research Centre override that feeling.

The bus back from Galway to Dublin is always a fairly quiet one. We’re exhausted from this monstrous cycle, we have sore feet from all those shapes we were pulling, and we’re sad that we’re going to have to wait another year for this weekend to come around again, but knowing that the money we raised is going to do so much good and that you can do it all again in a year’s time? That’s what keeps us peddling on.

good to us and each year come back to us and help us out. We are so grateful for them, as they really brighten up our day. From there, only 20 more km until we reach the end of our journey. Galway here we come!

Finishing a thesis is a good feeling, falling in love is a great feeling, but there is no better feeling than knowing you don’t have to cycle at all anymore once you reach Eyre Square in Galway. Knowing that you have just cycled 200km and have made it alive is truly something you cant imagine.

After the photos and tears, both students and marshals take to the streets of Galway city with buckets to kindly ask the locals if they can help us increase our final cheque amount for CMRF, and like the lovely people they are, our buckets are overflowing by the end. When we have finished shaking buckets and have finally gotten our breath back, we head to Kinlay Hostel to relax for a bit and shower (hopefully) before we head to the Connacht Hotel for a gorgeous three

POSTCARD FROM ABROAD: SEVILLE Immersing herself in the “oven of Spain,” Isabelle Geraghty is learning embrace the unplanned life of the Spanish city of Seville. infatuated with my new surroundings, that I began to see a more realistic portrayal of Spanish life. By far the biggest shock to my system, as a girl who loves schedules and planners, was realising that Spain does not. On one of my first days of class, I arrived promptly at eleven o’clock to the assigned room and found that myself and another Erasmus student were the only ones waiting outside the classroom. We were joined by our fellow classmates and teacher about twenty minutes later. I have since learned that ‘Spanish time’ is completely different to the rest of the world, and as long as you’re not more than ten minutes late, you’re early.

‘Spanish time’ doesn’t just apply to punctuality, but also to your entire daily schedule. I am still adjusting to the calm streets when I come home at four o’clock because the entire world is sleeping, the getting ready to go out for dinner at nine or ten at night and the pre-drinks that don’t start until midnight because it’s free in until three.

In Dublin, I’m used to barely having a free hour, Seville, also known as the ‘oven of Spain,’ did not filling up my time with work, assignments, and sociedisappoint, and I arrived to temperatures of 38 degrees. ties. I think that was one of the hardest things to adjust Despite being told it will cool down for winter, October to here. The first few weeks for me in Seville were a is about to end and it reached 30 degrees today at 6pm. constant series of free hours that I anxiously tried to However, I am finding it difficult to complain to my fill. One thing I have realised in my short time living friends at home about this and be taken seriously. in Spain so far is to appreciate having that free time, Just last week, Lonely Planet voted Seville the top and learn to fill it with little things like last minute city to visit in 2018. They began their article with tapas with friends, trips to galleries, and things I never “Some cities blast you away, others slowly win you over. have time for at home, like painting and reading. The Seville disarms and seduces you,” and I cannot agree Spanish take life a lot less seriously than we do at home, with them more. The seduction of this city comes in and while I love my hectic schedule, I think a lot can many shapes and forms, and what really made me fall be learned from their lifestyle about the importance in love was the beauty of every street. The entire city of taking time for yourself and learning to love your is made up of winding medieval streets and cobbled own company. pathways. Unfortunately, this does lead to daily awkward Before you go away on Erasmus, everyone tells you encounters with cars on streets that were not made to fit how jealous they are. They tell you you’re about to both drivers and pedestrians. Nevertheless, every street have the best year of your life. No one really tells you has a story to tell and the colours, intimacy, and the history about how lonely it can be, or how, as extroverted as that surround me had me hooked from day one. you might be at home, making friends in a different It was about a week in, after becoming completely language is a completely different experience. There

Seville, also known as the ‘oven of Spain’, did not disappoint, and I arrived to temperatures of 38 degrees.

are days where you will be scrolling through snapchat stories of your friends at home feeling lost and alone, thinking everyone at home is having the best time in the world, when you have been sitting in your room for four hours drinking the Barry’s Tea your mum brought over and refreshing your facebook feed. This is okay. It is important not to over romanticise your expectations of any new experience, and if all your days aren’t perfect at home, they’re certainly not all going to be perfect in a new city surrounded by people who were strangers a few weeks ago, without the comforts of home.

However, the experience of completely immersing yourself in another culture and the opportunities that arise with it, from learning to distinguish between reggaeton songs (a huge feat), to making friends from around the world and drinking €2 glasses of wine with them, is unique and special. I feel lucky to be here and am proud of myself for embarking on this journey.

Having been here less than two months, everything is still relatively new and exciting. As the novelty wears off, I can see myself slowly settling into this beautiful city, comfortably, while accepting that every day doesn’t have to have a busy schedule to be well spent.

PHOTO CREDIT: AUTHOR

After one of the most jam-packed summers of my life, I never really had a chance to think about the reality of the fact that I was about to uproot my life and move to Seville for a year. Knowing absolutely no one over there, I was excited and nervous not only to properly experience the Spanish lifestyle, but to experience any lifestyle other than my South Dublin bubble.

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SCIENCE THE ETHICS OF SELF-DRIVING CARS The fields of Philosophy and Software Engineering are not known for being interlinked. Sean Mooney investigates why this is changing with the advent of self-driving cars.

In a world where a substantial portion of the cars on the road are self-driving, how we program these vehicles will be of huge importance. The code beneath the hood will determine the car’s actions. Such decisions cannot be left up to software engineers alone. Desirable values should be discussed by society as a whole as the technology will greatly impact our lives. All new technology comes with ethical concerns around privacy and the impact on employment, but the stakes are higher for autonomous vehicles: features in the software will cost lives on the roads.

Once consigned to the depths of humdrum philosophy journals, the trolley problem is fast becoming a pertinent issue thanks to self-driving cars. The dilemma centres on how a car should behave when confronted with options in an inevitable collision. In the simple case, consider a pedestrian stepping out in front of an oncoming vehicle. Whether the car should be programmed to swerve into the wall (killing the driver) or keep going (killing the pedestrian) is a matter of debate.

The permutations of the trolley problem are neverending: If there are passengers in the car, whose life should the car prioritise - the driver, the passengers, or the pedestrians? We might want the car to protect the passerby since the passenger and driver assume some level of risk by getting in the car, but injuring multiple passengers over a single pedestrian does not seem desirable.

The utilitarian approach aims to minimise the number of total fatalities, regardless of their role in

the collision. Wanting cars to treat all people equally seems reasonable, but the manufacturer would surely want to maximise the safety of the driver. After all, who is going to buy a car which does not put their safety first? From the start, there will have to be some bias towards saving the driver.

know how it operates. Some blame should sit with the manufacturer, but they clearly state the limitations of the vehicle’s artificial intelligence. It would seem unjustified to convict a software engineer of manslaughter for a having a bug in their software, even if it did lead to a death. However this would not prevent loved ones of

intuitions will undoubtedly be tested as the pragmatic aspects become more salient. Although road deaths will drop considerably, the margin for error is razor-thin.

Bugs in the software cost lives on the street and the most ethically sanguine course of action will mean little to those who are killed.

the deceased from identifying a particular line of code in the car which caused the car to hit them.

The correct course of action is to not apply blame to anyone, but in a legal system centred around guilt and intentions, holding nobody accountable feels like an injustice.

Autonomous vehicle technology sits at the intersection between abstract philosophy and everyday life. Our

Whether society is ready or not, the technology is coming and the time to seek clarity on these ethical issues is now. As soon as we program the car to preference the life of the driver over hitting a tree, we are admitting that there are right and wrong answers to questions of morality. Eventually we will be encoding our ethical framework into technology.

The vehicle manufacturer Volvo is aiming to bring an end to traffic fatalities by the year 2020.

A more nuanced approach could consider factors which cut across social issues such as age, weight, race, and gender, but this is dangerous territory. If the goal is to minimise total fatalities over long timescales, it could be argued that a doctor should be avoided in any collision, whereas convicted murderers should not.

The car could instead be programmed to merely not take any corrective action. By avoiding intervention, the car will never take deliberate actions that result in death, even if it saves others, although that would be overly simplistic. The car could seek to protect the party that was not at fault. There is logic to this as the consequences should focus on the person that breaks the law. The edge cases are equally ambiguous.

The issue boils down to the fact that, on the one hand, human lives are immeasurable. Each encounter would ideally be dealt with in a unique way, but it is necessary to program the car with a certain set of rules to govern its actions. Perhaps some element of randomness in the system is required.

Following any accident will be the question of responsibility. It is tough to hold the owner of the car fully accountable given that they do not understand

PHOTO CREDIT: VIA WIKIMEDIA

THE VEHICLE manufacturer Volvo is aiming to bring an end to traffic fatalities by the year 2020, and the optimism in this statement is typical of the industry. With 1.2 million people across the world dying annually on the roads, it is a bold ambition, but such is the promise of self-driving cars. The technology will put an end to fatigued, angry, and careless drivers. Computers have surpassed us in calculation and chess; and driving will be no different.

SCIENCE SPOTLIGHT: UCD SCIENTISTS INVOLVED IN DETECTING GRAVITATIONAL WAVES FROM FUSION OF NEUTRON STARS Aoife Hardesty meets one of the UCD scientists behind the latest discovery in gravitational waves, and explains the importance of this discovery.

ON A clear night, if you were to travel outside of Dublin into the countryside, to an area relatively free of light pollution, and look up, you would be greeted with the inky dark night sky, dotted with billions upon billions of stars. Amongst the night sky you look at would be planets, galaxies, and invisible to your naked eyes, the answers to mysteries of the universe.

Without stars, life as we know it would not exist.

All the elements in the universe,are made inside the cores of stars.

Within stars’ cores, light elements fuse together to create heavier elements. For most of a star’s life, these fusion reactions consist of hydrogen fusing to create helium. As a star ages, the amount of hydrogen decreases as it has been used up and fusion occurs with helium atoms making heavier elements. Larger stars are capable of producing heavier elements through nuclear fusion. When stars explode, the elements are released and become part of the universe.

We, and all we know, are made of stardust.

As nuclear reactions in stars’ cores create heavier and heavier elements, the stars inevitably burst, and calculations have shown that stars reach exploding point before they would have been able to create heavy elements such as gold, platinum, and uranium.

Scientists have theorised that such elements could be created by kilonova.

A kilonova is the explosion caused by the fusion of two neutron stars, star remnants densely packed with neutrons.

On Monday, October 16th scientists around the world announced they had witnessed a kilonova for the first time ever. Also witnessed was evidence of heavy elements forming as neutrons were released from the explosion and collided with nearby atoms.

For the first time in the history of astronomy, scientists had detected gravitational waves from the fusion of two neutron stars. Previously gravitational waves had only been detected from the merger of black holes.

Gravitational waves are ripples through space-time

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caused by cataclysmic events such as the fusion of massive bodies in space like neutron stars or black holes. They were first predicted by Albert Einstein in his theory of general relativity.

Several UCD scientists were involved in the discovery including Professor Lorraine Hanlon, Associate Professor Sheila McBreen, and Dr. Antonio MartinCarrillo. Dr. Martin-Carrillo told the University Observer why the discovery is so important.

“In this case it is the first detection ever of two neutron stars merging.”

expect to see light, and we saw it.” This is where Martin-Carrillo played his part in the discovery. The Watcher telescope used by UCD Physics in South Africa was down at the time “because of people breaking in and stealing stuff.” Martin-Carrillo had to convince colleagues at Boyden Observatory to observe a certain area of the sky and send him the data. “By Sunday I saw the light source for the first time, which later disappeared. I was one of the first few hundreds

It is the first detection ever of two neutron stars merging.

Gravitational waves have kicked off a brand new field of astronomy.

Martin-Carrillo describes the importance of gravitational waves “imagine you put your finger on a pond of water. You start moving it around. As you move [your finger] you create waves and these waves start expanding out, and those are the gravitational waves.

So while electromagnetic light is at the finger and tells what the finger is doing, the gravitational waves tell what the finger is doing to the space-time continuum.”

“Gravitational waves have kicked off a brand new field of astronomy. We have detected five [gravitational waves] before ours… The first five detections have been from black hole mergers.”

This gravitational wave was detected on August 17th.

Compared to other detections of gravitational waves, this one lasted much longer at 56 seconds compared to previous detections that had lasted less than 2 seconds. “This tells you that there is something different,” Martin-Carrillo explains, “and that [it is caused] by two objects of less mass, a black hole has much more mass [causing shorter detection periods].”

Instruments set up across the globe; LIGO, Virgo, INTEGRAL, and Fermi all detected the gravitational

waves. Hanlon and Martin-Carrillo are part of the INTEGRAL collaboration and McBreen is part of the Fermi collaboration.

Due to the amount of instruments that detected the waves, it was possible to pinpoint the area of the sky from where the source emitting the waves by looking at the overlaps of areas of detection by the instruments.

Martin-Carrillo explains how the wave source was found. “From that area we knew of about 50 galaxies that could host this event. So all we had to do was go to each of those galaxies and see if there was something new that had popped up. And in one of them, called NGC4993, we saw a [light] source that wasn’t there before.”

“If you have two neutron stars [merging] you would

in the world to see [a kilonova] for the first time ever.

According to Martin-Carrillo, this discovery has paved the way for “a new era of astronomy, using multi-messenger systems. Before we received messages from light, but now we can receive messages from gravity also.”

As you gaze up at the night sky, remember this, and all the astronomical discoveries that have taken us one step closer to unravelling the mysteries about the universe, and our place in it.

SCIENCE ELON MUSK AIMS FOR MARS Space X founder Elon Musk recently announced his ambitious plans to send humans to Mars in 2024. Christine Coffey takes a look at these plans, and the background to the mission.

Mars seems uninhabitable right now, with its extremely thin atmosphere, cosmic radiation, an average temperature of -60o C.

principle of having a finite number of launches and landings that each involved losing a lot of valuable and expensive components. If Musk could overcome this problem, then interplanetary travel would become like driving a car or getting on an aeroplane in terms of reusability. Musk received a substantial sum of money from the sale of PayPal to eBay in 2001, so he decided to set up a private space company (as one does with their millions at the age of thirty).

More recently, Musk announced an update on the project, revealing that two cargo ships would be ready to launch by 2022, which would be enough to set up base on the planet. Mars and Earth come closest to each other roughly every two years, so by 2024 Musk hopes to be ready to launch the cargo ships along with

two ‘crew’ ships. A conservative estimate of the total capacity of each crew ship is 100 passengers, but they are purported to have capacities of almost double this.

There could potentially be 200-400 people living over in mars in 7 years.

The pioneering and innovative group working on the project have been successful in substantially reducing the cost of producing the rockets, and they have made significant progress in developing technology required for this project. They successfully sent the first privately-funded space rocket into orbit in 2008.

In 2015 they achieved the first propulsive landing of an orbital rocket. Most recently, in 2017, they accomplished the first re-flight of an orbital booster.

Currently the company is receiving funding from

PHOTO CREDIT: VIA WIKIMEDIA

In 2001, Musk revealed a viable project to transport a miniature greenhouse, which was known as Mars Oasis, to grow plants on Mars. He travelled with a group to Russia on two separate occasions in an attempt to secure affordable rockets for the project but returned home empty-handed. However, his disappointment was short-lived. Like Newton getting clocked on the back of his head by a falling apple, it only took Musk the plane journey back from Moscow to come to a profound realisation. He could design and build rockets for this project for a fraction of the cost that governments were producing them by manufacturing the components privately. He also decided that he could develop the software, and could lower the costs substantially if the rockets were made re-useable.

National space agencies had been operating on the

SWEET NOTHINGS: EXPLORING THE “SUGAR RUSH” MYTH

PHOTO CREDIT: VIA FLICKR

It is common knowledge that sugar makes children hyper but this popular idea does not receive much scientific support.

Aoife Muckian investigates.

MANY OF us fondly recall over-indulging in birthday parties in our childhood, mixing two different soft drinks together to make a new concoction. After the celebration and lots of slices of cake, it was a given that we would run wild outside and play. Our parents would likely attribute our high levels of energy to all of the sugar we had just consumed, the age-old “sugar rush.” Despite this being what many would consider a fact of life, scientific evidence does not appear to support the idea that sugar causes hyperactivity in children.

In 1995, a large meta-analysis carried out by the American Medical Association found that there was no link between sugar and hyperactivity in children.

This finding has been replicated by many more recent studies and meta-analyses. Why then is the myth so pervasive in society?

Part of the reason for this may be that sugar consumption and special occasions go hand-in-hand for children. Where there are parties, there is sugar and there is hyperactivity. Sugar simply becomes guilty by association. This association gets cemented into the minds of parents, and alters their perceptions of their

children’s behaviour.

A 1994 American study tested the idea that the persistence of the sugar myth is due to parental expectancy about the effects of sugar on their children. In this study, 30 five-to-seven-year old boys were separated into two groups. The parents of the children of one group were told that their children has been fed sugar, and while the parents of the other group were told that their children had not been given any sugar. In reality, neither group had eaten any sugar. However, in the first group researchers found that parents rated their children as significantly more hyperactive. It thus seems that parent’s knowledge of this myth also has an effect on their perception of sugar’s culpability in hyperactivity.

Children’s hyperactivity comes from the occasion, rather than the sugar. In blaming sugar for their children’s excitability, parents are committing that most human of errors: mistaking correlation for causation.

It seems that swapping out the cakes for carrot sticks will not change how excitable children are at a party.

Perhaps it would make sense for parents to heed an old admonition, and let them eat cake.

NASA for transporting cargo to the International Space Station, and it plans to be transporting astronauts there in the coming years. This serves as a good opportunity for SpaceX to increase the number of launches and landings they complete with their rockets, proving their reliability and honing their technology. The Falcon Heavy rocket is set for its first launch this November and if it is successful, it will be the world’s most powerful rocket. This is the rocket that Musk envisions will carry humans to Mars in seven years.

Mars seems uninhabitable right now, with its extremely thin atmosphere, cosmic radiation, an average temperature of -60o C. As writer and technologist Stephen Pertranek discussed, however, the polar caps of Mars contain mostly dry ice, and if that is heated enough it will sublime, releasing CO2 into the atmosphere. This will thicken Mars’ atmosphere, giving the planet more protection from cosmic radiation. This effect could also be used to induce global warming on Mars, which would melt some of the ice under its surface.

This would solve a lot of problems for any future long term plans, as water is very expensive to transport into space. All of these issues must be dealt with for any sustainable growth to be achieved, but for the moment we can just focus on getting a lot of heavy equipment and a few people to operate it to Mars. After this, we could turn our attention to making it more habitable for humans.

To most people, interplanetary travel seems farfetched. The thought that seemingly reasonable plans exist for living on the red planet by 2024 is a startling one. Elon Musk seems pretty confident that this feat can be pulled off. This is the man who revolutionised the automobile industry, and built a space company in ten years, and he’s determined to meet the 2024 deadline he’s set himself. Who knows, we could be planting our very own Martian-grown potatoes with Matt Damon in Acidalia Planitia on Mars someday very soon.

SHAPE OF MY HEART

From fingerprints to faces, the ways by which we can be identified are always growing. Su Wei Ng takes a look at a promising new method of identification.

PRIVACY IS a major concern in our increasingly digital world. One effective answer to these concerns has been the creation of biometric identification methods. Biometrics is the science of using the biological or behavioral patterns of a person for identification. These patterns are unique, owing to their complexity and variability within the population. Biometric methods such as fingerprint scanning, facial recognition, and retinal scanning have become the most commonly used methods to unlock digital devices. Over the last three years, researchers at the University of Buffalo have discovered a new non-contact, remote biometric tool which could be the next advancement in computer security. Its accuracy has been shown to be as high as 98%.

The Buffalo-led team plans to shrink the existing cardiac scan system to a size which would allow it to be installed onto the corners of computer keyboards and phones in future.

The identification method developed by the researchers at the University of Buffalo uses low-level Doppler radar to measure the heart rhythm and pulsations.

Doppler radar is the same system used by pilots to see bad weather, and by fishermen to see schools of fish.

On first use, the system takes eight seconds to scan the shape of the heart, and thereafter it can recognize it very quickly. It can identify a person by their heartbeat from up to 30 metres away. The combination of heart shape and heart rhythm is unique to each person, so this is a very difficult system to trick. However, it is not without

PHOTO CREDIT: VIA FLICKR

NOT EVEN the sky is the limit for entrepreneur, physicist, and visionary Elon Musk, as he reveals his plans for settling down on Mars for as early as 2024.

The CEO of Tesla Inc., Neuralink, and co-chairman of OpenAI, somehow finds time in his day to organise the colonisation of Mars at his own commercial space agency, Space Exploration Technologies (or SpaceX as it is more commonly known). That is when he’s not designing underground highways in Los Angeles, building electronic driverless smart cars, and launching projects to try and stop artificial intelligence from taking over the world and/or starting World War Three.

limitations. It can fail to function due to random noise, body movements, and it is still vulnerable to somebody standing between the intended target and the device. If the person has heart abnormalities this method is also less effective. While promising, remote identification is still a challenging endeavor.

On the plus side, this study verified that the cardiac scan does not pose any health hazards as its signal strength is over 100 times weaker than that of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

The Buffalo-led team plans to shrink the existing cardiac scan system to allow it to be installed onto the corners of computer keyboards and phones in future. The system could also be used in tandem with other methods for identification at airports and other public spaces.

Individuals and organisations around the world now use biometric identification on a daily basis to deter unauthorized access to their devices, reduce instances of fraud, and to shield against identity theft. Cardiac identification is one of the first methods of truly remote biometric identification. If its issues are worked out, it looks set to become a seamless and secure identity verification method.

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GAEILGE GEÁRCHÉIM DEARMADTA Cuirtear i gcuimhne dúinn go bhfuil níos mó geárchéime ann ná mar a cuimhnímid orthu, déanann Niamh O’Regan scrúdú ar seo.

Is cosúil go mbeadh thart ar milliúin cás den chalar faoi deireadh mí na Samhna, faoi deireadh mí Dheireadh Fomhair, bhí níos mó ná dhá mhíle duine tar éis bás a fháil mar thoradh ar an ghalar, i 2017 amháin.

D’fhéadfá a rá go thosaigh an ghéarchéim in Éimin i 2011, an bhliain céanna go raibh éirí amach i gcoinne deachtóireachtaísan Éigipt, i Tunisia, Libya. Bhí éirí amach in Éimin comh maith agus d’éirigh leis an éirí amach an ruaig a chur ar Ali Abdullah Saleh, ach is ón am sin a mhéadaigh na fadhbanna. Nuair a díbríodh an uachtarán, tháinig an leas uachtarán Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, ina áit. Deirtear go raibh easpa seasmhacht tar éis an aistriú cumhachta agus, cabhraigh an neamhchinnteacht seo le fórsa na heasaontóirí darbh ainm na Houthi agus i 2014, d’éirigh leo smacht a gabháil ar an bpríomh chathair Sana’a. Ó shin i leith, is cogadh cathartha atá sa tír. Anois, tá an tír trína chéile agus cumhacht ag grúpaí éagsúla; tá an rialtas mar a cruthaíodh tar éis an éirí amach, na reibiliúnaigh Houthi agus Al Qaeda. Anuas ar seo tá airm an Aráib Shádach ag tabhairt aire dá comharsan deisceartach i

PHOTO CREDIT: AURELIENDP VIA PIXABAY

NÍOR THÁINIG an tír go nglaotar Éimin uirthi, le chéile, go dtí 1990, roimhe sin ó, díscaoileadh Impireacht na hOtománaigh i 1918 bhí an tír deighilte i ndá leath. Is i 1990 a tháinigh Ali Abdullah Saleh, an fear a bhí mar deachtóir ar an tír le fiche bliain, chun cinn. Faoin am sin, is annamh an am a bhí ag an tír gan deacrachtaí ó sceimhlitheoirí agus reibilliúnaithe.

bhfoirm fórsa cogaíochta agus an aidhm acu stad a chur leis na Houthi níos mó smacht a fháil.

Ach tá dearmad déanta ar Éimin, ag an leibhéal daona, tuigtear go bhfuil fulaingt agus deacracht ann; feictear íomhánna agus cloistear scéalta ar an nuacht, ach ní tuigtear cé comh suntasach agus atá an fulaingt. Ón am go thosaigh an coimhlint, tá na mílte daoine tar éis bás a fháil, mílte tar éis a bheith gortaithe agus cuid mhór den milleán seo le leagadh ar an Aráib Shádach, agus baint ag an Aráib Shádach le infheistíocht ó na Ríocht Aontaithe agus na Stát Aontaithe; cé go mb’fhéidir go bhfuil na fadhbanna dírithe ar an Meán Oirthear, níl an Iarthar neamhchiontach ach oiread.

Comh maith le aon cogadh, tá ganntanas. Ganntanas bídh, ganntanas deoch, ganntanas leighis. Tá thart ar dhá trian den daonra ag fulaingt le éiginnteacht bídh agus linbh á bhreith le míchothú géar. Tá daoine ag fáil bháis in ospidéal toisc nach bhfuil a dhóthain de foinsí fágtha ag na hospidéal cabhrú leo. Tá imshuí curtha i bhfeidhm ag fórsaí an Aráib Shádach, leis an aidhm dochar a dhéanamh do fórsaí na reibiliúnaithe ach níl

ag éiri leis, agus in ionad, braithfear tionchar an dochar i masc na sibhialtaigh. Ardaítear an praghas ar bídh, atá gann ar an chéad dul síos, agus ní féidir le ospidéal a thuilleadh leigheas a fháil. De réir Oxfam, is cosúil go mbeadh thart ar milliúin cás den chalar faoi deireadh mí na Samhna, faoi deireadh mí Dheireadh Fomhair, bhí níos mó ná dhá mhíle duine tar éis bás a fháil mar thoradh ar an ghalar, i 2017 amháin.

Anuas ar buairt na éifeachtaí sláinte, tá baol an sceimhlitheoireacht ag méadú i gcónaí. Is ceárta d’antoiscigh í, tír atá buailte le . Nuair atá daoine ag streachailt dá marthantas, is fosa dúshaothrú a dhéanamh orthu siúd atá ag fulaingt. Soláthraíonn eagraíocht sceimhlitheoireachta coinníollacha maireachtála atá, uaireannta, i bhfad níos fearr ná cad atá ann. Bia rialta, leaba, seasmhacht, agus muinín comh maith, is cosúil go mbíonn cúis agus aidhm ann, rud a cabhraíonn le duine a fágadh ina bponc gan cúraim nuair a thosaigh an troid.

Tá anois smacht ag an eagraíocht sceimhlitheoireachta Al Qaeda, ar codanna den tír agus iad ag feidhmiú in áiteanna eile agus tá Daesh gníomhach ann comh maith.

Is eagraíochtaí iad seo a cuireann ní hamháin slándáil a dtír i mbaol, ach slándáil tíortha mór thimpeall orthu, agus tíortha sa domhain mhóir comh maith.

I measc na éirí amach a tharla thar an réigiúin, níor fhan mórán acu buan tar éis an athrú smachta seo. Níl ach Tunisia fágtha mar tír gan a thuilleadh doirteadh fola, ach níl gach éinne eile fós ag troid. Cé go bhfuil níos mó aire á thabhairt don ghéarchéim anois, is beagnach seacht mbliain ródhéanach don aire, tá an dochair ann. Ní mó ná Syria, nuair a tagann deireadh leis an cogaíocht, ní tiocfadh deireadh leis na fadhbanna. Ní hamháin go gcaithfear atógáil a dhéanamh ar an mbonneagar poiblí ach atógáil a dhéanamh ar bonneagar an sochaí féin. Caithfidh an pobal idirnáisiúnta cabhraigh leis an Éimin, nó mura ndéanann, agus nuair a méadaítear na fadhbanna agus iarrtar an milleán a chur ar duine nó grúpa éigin, ní bheidh aon rogha ann ach scáthán a fháil.

AN CLUB AG DUL I LÉIG Smaoiníonn Niamh O Regan siar ar an athrú atá tagtha ar chlubanna oíche an chathair ón uair go raibh sí féin ag tosú amach ar an ollscoil.

IS CUID mhór de saol an mac léinn í an oíche, agus do chuid mhór dóibh an club oíche. Léachtaí críochnaithe don lae agus tosnaíonn an ullmhú; an gléasadh agus réamh-ól, ansin, ag braith ar áit a réamh-ól agus an áit don oíche; bus, tacsaí nó fiú siúl (b’fhéidir titim) go dtí an ionad don oíche. Agus is minic go club oíche atá i gceist mar ionad an oíche atá, don amadántacht. Ach tá an cosúlacht ann go bhfuil an club oíche traidisiúnta ag dul i léig.

an bhus UCD agus thart ar lóistín na hollscoile tar éis a deich a chloig tráthnóna, níl ganntanas tomhaltóirí` ag na clubanna. Fad agus atá meath ag teacht ar na clubanna oíche seo, tá níos mó airde tarraingthe ar áiteanna nach bíonn rialacha an club oíche comh dian sin. Xico, Opium agus na beár manglam de chuid Copán agus Capitol. Bíonn atmaisféir i bhfad níos réchúiseach in sna háiteanna seo agus cé go bhfuil áit cinnte chun damhsa, tá a ndóthain suíochán ann le bheith compordach agus bíonn éagsúlacht suimiúil ag baint leis na deochanna . Fiú áit ar nós Workmans, ann le fada, ach le blianta beaga anuas tá méadú tagtha ar a clú, agus ní i gcónaí go mbíonn ar dhuine íoc ar an doras. Anuas ar seo, bíonn karaoke ar siúl acu tráthnóna Dé Domhnaigh; an ionadh an tóir?

Tá an teampall de drabhlas, Copper Face Jacks, fós i bhfeidhm agus níos láidir ná mar a bhí riamh, conas a mhealltar na sluaite? Níl na deochanna saoir, bíonn an áit plódaithe, an scuaine don leithreas fada, mór a dhóthain le bheith caillte ann agus úrláir aige atá bealaithe a dhóthain. Ach bíonn sé oscailte go déanach

agus bíonn an ceol oiriúnach don bopáil.

Ach an cheart dúinn caoineadh ar son na clubanna nach bhfuil linn a thuilleadh? An rud a deireadh faoi The Camden Palace ná go raibh na hurláir is bealaithe dá ngreamadh do bhróga riamh chuige. Ag an am céanna,

An rud a deireadh faoi The Camden Palace ná go raibh na hurláir is bealaithe dá ngreamadh do bhróga riamh chuige

is ar nós “deasgnáth aistrithe saoil” a bhí ann, é sin san áireamh, ní mórán daoine a mbraitheann uathu an áit, agus b’fhéidir gurb é sin an láidreacht is mó atá ag na clubanna agus na beár atá ann fós; mothaíonn daoine compordach agus cinnte iontu agus a ndóthain spás ann don rince nuair is mian leat, ach gan an rince a bhrú.

PICTURE CREDIT: VIA WIKIMEDIA

Caith súil siar; 2013 atá ann, agus comh maith leis an dream ar sráid Harcourt, tá clubanna oíche eile timpeall an chathair; áiteanna nach bhfuil ann a thuilleadh. Madison, Dandelion, Twisted Pepper, Lost Society, The Palace. Áiteanna a bhíodh gnóthach a dhóthain, comh maith lena comhchlubanna, ach tá gach aon dóibh imithe anois agus áit nua ina aghaidh.

Bhíodh Madison thíos faoin talamh, anois ar a díon tá Mary’s, tá WigWam in áit Twisted Pepper, níor imigh The Palace ach le déanaí agus tá sé fós mór agus le feiscint ar Sráid Camden. Níl mórán cosúlachtaí idir na háiteanna seo; ní raibh an saghas ceol céanna a sheinm

acu, cé raibh siad lonnaithe cóngarach dá chéile, ní raibh siad brúite anuas ar a chéile. Conas gur féidir le grúpa amháin de chlubanna oíche meath agus imeacht gan tásc ná tuairisc, an é an bainistíocht de, nó rud éigin níos doimhne, athrú eile b’fhéidir? Chuir Cumman ClubannaOíche na hÉireann (INA), an milleán ar an tAcht Deochanna Meisciúla, 2008. De réir an acht seo cuireadh srianta níos déana ar amanna díolachán alcól ina measc; níl cead alcól a dhíol níos déanaí ná 11.30 le linn na seachtaine agus níos déanaí ná 12.30 oíche de hAoine agus dé Sathairn, ach amháin má tá ceadúnas breise acu, agus tá costas ar sin.

Anuas ar seo tá an ardú atá tagtha ar an cáin ar alcól, an ardú ar phraghasanna tacsaithe agus an ganntanas de iompar poiblí déanach is d’oíche le linn na seachtaine.

Le seo ar fad bíonn i bhfad níos mó de chomórtais eatarthu. B’fhéidir nach féidir le an-chuid clubanna oíche feidhmiú agus a bheith rathúil ag an am céanna, nó b’fhéidir nach bhfuil Ach é sin ráite, tá níos mó daltaí ollscoile ann ná mar a bhí riamh. De réir an chuma a bhíonn ar stad

14 ISSUE 3 VOLUME XXIV

BUSINESS CRYPTOCURRENCIES: THE NEW GOLD STANDARD? Eoin Duffy examines the question plaguing the minds of many, “What is a Cryptocurrency?”

Since the foundation of Bitcoin in 2012, it has experienced an exponential growth unparalleled in the financial industry of late. Despite their continuous dramatic rise in prices, the financial sector has yet to find a sustainable use for either Bitcoin or other similar cryptocurrencies. Ultimately, how can they hope to become as ubiquitous as the likes of the euro and the dollar if there is still a widespread uncertainty as to what they are?

While mined coins possess some attributes of a currency, can they really be trusted as a valid means of exchange? Although cryptocurrencies are legal in most countries, there are some notable exceptions. For instance, China has banned financial institutions from handling bitcoins, while Russia has made it illegal to buy goods with any currency other than Russian rubles.

Examples such as these prove that cryptocurrencies are not free from restrictions and perhaps even more susceptible to intense regulations than an average currency might avoid. In addition, the decentralised nature of a cryptocurrency further distances itself from that of a standard currency. While the Euro, U.S dollar, and British pound are all issued by central banks, the likes of Bitcoin are produced by independent computers around the world.

So, if not a viable currency, can we deduce that it is a commodity? Let us take a look at Bitcoin in this

case. Since there shall never be more than 21 million coins in circulation, it matches the definition of a commodity in one sense, due to its existence as a limited resource. Furthermore, the extreme volatility of the cryptocurrency market lines up with the historical nature of commodities, whose prices are widely known to fluctuate more than other major asset classes. However, its distinct differences with traditional commodities such as gold and oil beg the question of its legitimacy to be coined under the same term. The sheer fact of its digital existence contrasts significantly with the physical nature of the commodities we are used to discussing, which makes it hard to class them as the same definitively.

The dotcom and housing booms both offered the illusions of easy returns, which is admittedly quite similar to the current state of the cryptocurrency market.

Is the cryptocurrency market merely a bubble?

Some point to the fact that the price of Bitcoin has risen from around $1,000 towards $6,000 in this year alone, claiming an abnormal volatility synonymous with previous markets that devastatingly crashed. The dotcom and housing booms both offered the illusions of easy returns, which is admittedly quite similar to the current state of the cryptocurrency market.

Despite all of this, there have still been signs pointing to cryptocurrencies as the potential future of the financial system. The growth and successful implementation of various Initial Coin Offerings (ICO) over the past year have identified a new and innovative way for

PICTURE CREDIT: VIA FLICKR

FOLLOWING RECENT reports concerning Goldman Sachs’ possible introduction of new Bitcoin operations within their organisation, the debate surrounding the benefits of cryptocurrencies is more relevant than ever. In the financial world, there is no single more divisive topic than that of cryptocurrencies. Wherever you ask, you are likely to receive a different response. To some, the likes of Bitcoin, Litecoin and Ethereum propose the future of the financial system, whereas to others the whole market is merely a bubble waiting to burst. For us to truly realise a potential future with cryptocurrencies, it is imperative that we fully understand them.

Unfortunately, this is where the problem begins.

firms to raise funding by offering digital currencies.

With well over $1 billion raised so far this year through ICOs, it has overtaken seed and angel funding as the method used most by fledgling tech companies, with no signs of slowing down. As well as this, pioneers of the cause also laud the fact of its decentralised nature.

They propose it as a means of avoiding identity theft, due to the fact that senders of money can choose which information (if any at all) to disclose when making online payments. Similarly, by discarding the use of third parties in making transactions, cryptocurrency exchanges are mostly free from various rates and fees that we currently find ourselves exposed to when transferring money.

With such confusion surrounding cryptocurrencies, it is no wonder that the benefit of their existence is disputed. However, as we have seen, advantages to

their use do in fact exist and are there to be exploited.

With a current total market capitalisation of over $168 billion U.S dollars, cryptocurrencies are becoming increasingly hard to ignore for financial institutions such as Goldman Sachs. However, before any potential introduction, the financial industry must ensure there is a better universal understanding of them. They cannot expect a successful implementation amongst the current confusion. History has taught us not to trust unfamiliar markets, for as we know, the failure to identify a bubble can have disastrous consequences.

IPHONE 8: HERE FOR A GOOD TIME, NOT A LONG TIME Priscilla Obilana investigates the faults of the newest iPhone and evaluates the continued patience of iPhone users.

APPLE’S ADVERTISING is without fault even if their products are full of them. The release of the iPhone 8 on September 22nd of this year saw a mass exodus of users taking to social media with numerous complaints centred around one primary subject area, the charging of the phone. Various issues surrounding this specific area are much like the iPhone releases of the past, in that there are way too many.

of products and updates to the market, resulting in a subpar outcome, sacrificing quality control for quick turnover. Their aim is not to provide iPhones for longevity but instead for frivolous moment after frivolous moment. The iPhone 8 was announced at the same time as the iPhone X; it was never meant to be a robust solid phone that would last for years, as it was being replaced in little over a month anyway. It was here for a good time, not a long time.

Not too long ago, following the announcement of the last iPhone 7, common criticism surfaced surrounding the controversial decision that Apple made to remove the headphone jack, on any and all future devices. However, reviews showed that despite those loud critiques, sales were not affected. Now with the subsequent release of the iPhone 8, although sales reportedly did not reach Apple’s anticipated forecasts, the mobile remained a definite success for the company.

Despite this, Apple consumers have, once again, taken to the internet to voice their frustrations with the latest device, speaking on a problem affectionately referred to as “Charge Gate.”

Whilst charging, the iPhone 8 has the minute tendency to physically crack from its casing.

The most prominent issue, according to users, is that the battery life on the phone is practically non-existent.

Users report a significant decrease in the competency of the battery, complaining that it is not long-lasting.

PICTURE CREDIT: VIA FLICKR

Reviews showed that despite those loud critiques, sales were not affected.

Also, many have stated that even charging the phone takes too long. Furthermore, even for iPhone holders who have not purchased an iPhone 8, updates from iOS 11 through to the most recent 11.0.3, which were criticised for being rushed, have been continuously forced on them, crippling the battery life on older models too.

Another major issue which users have complained about is they have lost the ability to simultaneously charge their phones and listen to music as the charging port is the only place where you can still connect earphones. A significant problem which affects a more substantial number of people than may be first thought.

On top of all these problems, one hardware breaking disaster has surfaced in at least two phones. Whilst charging, the iPhone 8 has the minute tendency to physically crack from its casing. Although this affects a terribly infinitesimal proportion of shipped phones, Apple are nevertheless looking into the matter.

The question remains, how does Apple, with its extensive resources, not foresee the extent of problems that their products will pose to consumers or act according to rectify them in the next phone? Alternatively, is it that they do realise this issue, but know they have too loyal a demographic for it to negatively affect them? Apple’s iPhone sales revenue alone should qualify as a hefty budget to pivot future designs to satisfy customers. So, what is ultimately to be blamed for the faults found in Apple technology?

Considering that it has only been ten years since the first iPhone’s release, it is worth considering that perhaps they do not allow themselves enough time to thoroughly create a sound product before they force out a new version. Even now, the iPhone X is available for pre-order and is expected to start shipping on the 3rd of November, a mere four weeks since the latest release.

A point of contention surrounding Apple is their rush

Apple’s advertising is without fault even if their products are full of them and this may also be part of their success It is important to note though, that despite Apple gaining so much bad press due to the abundance of faults in their devices, they manage to remain market leaders and continue to charge premium prices for, according to reviews, exceptionally faulty devices. Why do people keep purchasing iPhones? Apple’s advertising is without fault even if their products are full of them and this may also be part of their success. Before the hype of the latest iPhone dies down, with its new colour options, applications, and emojis, there’s another one to build off of the former’s buzz. They do not give consumers the opportunity to become accustomed to their current devices. It is a tried and tested formula, and they cannot be faulted for continuing in the similitude, but hey, what do I know? I’m an android user.

1ST NOVEMBER 2017 15

PUZZLES THE LITERARY ALPACA Across

Down

2. Symbolist painter famous for his depiction of the female body (5) 4. Also known as the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, highly valued and frequently stolen art piece by Jan and Hubert van Eyck (15) 6. One of the founders of a fast food chain established in 1940 (15) 8. From the Greek for conjunction, allows for neuron to pass an electrical or chemical signal to another neuron (7)

1. Central American city on the Baja Peninsula (7) 3. Cooking techniques requiring high heat and alcohol (6) 5. Ingredient in fireworks, fertilisers and previously, cured meats (16) 7. Public __________ Act, legislation governing nightclubs in Ireland (10)

For puzzle solutions, go to universityobserver.ie/puzzles/

ILLUSTRATION BY DANIELLE CROWLEY

SUDOKU Easy

16 ISSUE 3 VOLUME XXIV

Medium

Hard

EDITORIAL

EDITORIAL UCD students have exercised their democratic rights and impeached their Students’ Union president. In doing so they have garnered media attention and confusion from the wider public. Some may think that UCD students have shot themselves in the foot and impeached a president just because she wishes to follow the law. However, there were reasons for impeachment that appeared before she got in the door.

If you were listening to the Fight4Katie campaign you might also believe UCD students voted incorrectly.

At this time it may be suggested that you avoid reading the articles of columnists who are part of the IONA institute. This is not to suggest that you should stick to one source alone for your news, as Ascough might wish. The University Observer and the College Tribune have not published lies about Katie Ascough nor have the sabbatical officers, or the impeachment campaign bullied her. Neither a small, nor a large group of bullies, impeached her. The students of UCD were treated to two different sides of a story.

However, many people inside and outside of UCD are not aware of the issues that made some students wary of her position as president from the beginning.

Katie Ascough may not be her parents, but their position within the IONA institute should be a cause for concern to anyone. The IONA institute has campaigned against marriage equality and for saving the eighth.

They have previously opposed civil partnerships and the possibility of the scrapping of the clause in the Employment Equality Act 2000 that allows religious institutions to discriminate against staff who do not uphold their religious ethos. Those involved in student politics should denounce any connection to such an institution if they wish to represent all students.

Ascough herself has not been as public in her views as the institute. Nevertheless, she has canvassed against equal marriage in the past.

For many LGBT+ young people university is the place where they feel comfortable enough to finally come out. It is a place where many know that they can be accepted after hiding their sexual orientation or gender for so many years. The average LGB person figures out their orientation in their early teenage years, for trans people this may come even younger.

Secondary schools in this country are not a comfortable place to be open about who you are or whom you are attracted to. However, when you stumble into UCD and see the LGBTQ+ Society standing proudly like any other society in the Freshers’ tent you can feel a little more comfortable, even if you are too scared to approach them.

The Students’ Union, unlike the LGBTQ+ Society, can bring this feeling of acceptance from the niche to the mainstream. The pride flag that greets you as you enter the SU corridor lets people know that all are welcome here.

LGBT+ youths are much more likely to struggle with their mental health and experience higher rates of stress, anxiety, depression, and suicide than the wider population. Depression, anxiety, and stress are at their most extreme for LGBT+ people under 35. According to research carried out by the HSE, 35% of the 2264 LGBTI people surveyed had self-harmed in their lifetime, with this percentage increasing to 55.7% for those aged 14-18. This means that young LGBT+ people may find themselves relying more heavily on their Students’ Union, and particularly the Welfare Officer than other students.

Katie Ascough was not the Welfare Officer but she was head of the union and having someone at the head who does not support marriage equality does not endear you to visit the Welfare Officer nor does it make you feel accepted at UCD. At the end of the day, despite her claims Ascough did not represent all students. Respecting all viewpoints is not a way of saying you respect or accept members of the LGBT+ community. Being LGBT+ is not a viewpoint; it is who someone is.

Contrary to some national media she was not bullied out of office. Ascough was democratically removed by a student populace who felt she did not represent them and their views, she was impeached by students who felt she was not the person they wanted leading their Student’s Union.

THE UNIVERSITY OBSERVER TEAM EDITOR Aoife Hardesty DEPUTY EDITOR Ruth Murphy NEWS EDITOR Brían Donnelly DEPUTY NEWS EDITOR Fiachra Johnston COMMENT EDITOR Adam Lawler FEATURES EDITOR Gavin Tracey SCIENCE EDITOR Emmet Feerick BUSINESS & CAREERS EDITOR Ciarán Busby EAGARTHÓIR GAEILGE Niamh O’Regan SPORT EDITOR Ian Moore CHIEF OF PHOTOGRAPHY Phoebe Ireland CHIEF OF ILLUSTRATIONS Meadhbh Sheridan

TALLEYRAND Ahoy hoy, Children!

It is I, Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, breaker of hearts but not embargos, who believes that Ascough should have worried a little more about the undead than the unborn. I may not have a heartbeat, but I do have a voice.

Welcome to another issue of fake news and another shitstorm led by Katie I’m-Trying-My-Best-to-SpreadLies Ascough.

Well done to the students of this hell hole for finally learning how to vote. Maybe for the next election you’ll understand how to vote down the ballot and read between the lines. Doubtful.

Amy You-were-voted-in-democratically-and-we’llget-you-out-democratically Crean and Finn Space McLysaght have managed to finally kick rights-denier Ascough off her high-horse. Fiascough smiled at Crean probably picturing the flames she expects her to encounter in hell along with the rest of them gays, abortionists, the student media, sex workers, porn stars, and the baby sun from the Teletubbies. Like Katie prolife, love, laughter, and lies Ascough, Talley respects all views but does not care at all about most people and would be happy to see them burn for all eternity. It is not clear if Katie Give-the-8th-A-Hug Ascough gets the words “views” and “people” confused or if she sees Queer Crean as the devil tempting her in fashionable clothing and perfect eyeliner.

Replacing the anti-christ temporarily will be Barren Murphy, as he will be once the Wicked Witch of Western Ideologies finishes her spell. He will have to juggle screaming through megaphones with stating repeatedly the words “executive decision,” “I am the CEO,” and “I’m trying my best.” He will finally face his fears of being thrown under the bus by having to lead this lazy excuse for a union where students manage to vote in a puppet who opposes the majority of their views.

Roberto Sweeney, who puts the “sex” in “sexist,” has been raging against the machine. It seems Katie I-Know-Nothing-About-The-Law Ascough’s implication that the sabbats are all mysoginists seemed to only apply to herself. So if you too believe that student fees kill dreams, pop into the office of this computercarrying, resit fee-hating, hunk.

Niall DoYouKnowWhatIMeanLike Torris has had a particularly hard time trying to avoid eye-contact with the big microwave in case she rots his brain too.

Wearing his Repeal t-shirt proudly and suddenly donning Yes Equality badges like the other idiots he can be found in the bar, vomiting on bathroom walls and mumbling about USI and e-theses or e-faeces we’re not sure.

Eoghan I-Changed-My-Mind Mac Domhnaill has somehow managed to shake from the trance that he fell into that one time he saw her bare ankle.

Sure-you-don’t-get-girls-like-that-in-Monaghan Mac Domhnaill has shown regret for a disaster of a facebook post. The scum that attend this shoddy institution may forget that you supported the anti-human rights activist before she turned on you but Talley won’t.

Facebook lately has been filled with non-UCD students being, like, really mean and many of the men of UCD have complained that whatever about her hating women, gay people, pro-choice people, and human rights one of her fans said this thing to me one time and I’m hurt! Talley is so glad that you voted with your best interests at heart. If only her campaign had been this petty all along, then maybe you could get it through your thick skulls that you should not vote based on a smile alone.

Talley is sorry that Evolution-Isn’t-A-Thing-Though Ascough missed out on last year’s pride. There is no doubt that the LGBTQ+ Society, who you did not get around to engaging with, would be happy to treat you and the whole Ascough clan with rainbow flags, glitter, and Yes Equality badges for the next one. Talley will see you there, in pink heels, purple eye shadow, and a rainbow flag.

Bye bye Amy-Katie Martin Ascough, I hope you’ve learnt not to mess with the best burritos in town.

TALLEY OUT

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

BROADSHEET CONTRIBUTORS Conor Cappilis Dean Swift Caoimhe Donnelly Darragh Fitzpatrick Jade Wilson Mathilde Viret Katia Gillen Heather Reynolds Ruairi Long Vedanth Govi Daragh Fleming Priscilla Obilana Elizabeth Wells Katie Hackett Isabelle Geraghty Sean Mooney Christine Coffey Aoife Muckian Su Wei Ng Eoin Duffy Rory Clarke VISUAL CONTENT CONTRIBUTORS Priya Garg Danielle Crowley COVER PHOTO Aoife Hardesty SPECIAL THANKS Paul Kilgallon David Burns Roisín Guyett-Nicholson Brían Donnelly Dylan O’Neill CONDOLENCES The University Observer would like to extend its sincerest condolences to the friends and relatives of Helen Hardesty 1927-2017.

Join up to write for THE UNIVERSITY OBSERVER at www.universityobserver.ie/jointheteam/

Letters, corrections and clarifications pertaining to articles published in this newspaper and online are welcome and encouraged.

Letters should be addressed to: The Editor, Unversity Observer, UCD Student Centre, Belfield, Dublin 4 Correspondence may also be sent to editor@universityobserver.ie

1ST NOVEMBER 2017 17

SPORT CAMPUS SPORTS NEWS UCD FENCING TAKE INTERMEDIATES BY STORM 200 fencers from across the country descended upon UCD Fencing Club for the recent Intermediate Championships.

UCD dominated the event with nine fencers medalling across the six disciplines, significantly outperforming their rival clubs for this first time in several years. Our fencers brought home medals in every category, finishing the weekend with a medal count times that of their main competitors, Trinity College Fencing Club.

Ad Astra Scholar Alisha Mullen came second after a tense final in women’s epee, while Andrew Whyte and Adam Neville finished in second and third place respectively in the men’s foil event.

In men’s epee, Duncan Pardoe and Sean Ryan finished in second and third place respectively. Brian Cowley took home bronze in the men’s sabre and Phoebe Ireland came third in the women’s foil event.

The women’s sabre event was hotly contested with UCD fencers, Gerda Ziemele and Alba Saiz Barriuso meeting each other in the finals. Ziemele narrowly won the final 15-14, beating her club-mate Saiz Barriuso by a single hit.

Thirty athletes competed for UCD across the weekend, an improvement on last year’s twenty-four. Not only has participation increased but the club’s current medal tally is already surpassing last year’s results.

YOUNG STUDENTS UNLUCKY IN NORWAY UCD were unlucky as Norwegian side Molde FK won the penalty shootout lottery to earn their place in the next round of the UEFA Youth League.

UCD went into the game with a 2-1 lead after a spirited display in the Belfield Bowl but the game at the Aker Stadion was to be a different affair.

Early on, the College found themselves pegged back by the Norwegian outfit, with goals from Sivert Gussias and Leo Oestigaard turning the tie on its head.

In the second half, Jack Ryan’s 51st-minute strike levelled the tie on aggregate to force extra-time, and after 30 minutes without a goal, the game was decided on penalties. The shootout poised at 5-4, Luke Boore’s penalty

was saved by Molde keeper Jonatan Byttingsvik, sending the Norwegians through to the second round of the UEFA Youth League.

Despite the narrow penalty shoot-out defeat, UCD Under-19 manager Maciej Tarnogrodzki was full of praise for his side who are only the second side from Ireland to play in the UEFA Youth League.

Speaking to the FAI after the game, the UCD U19 manager said “To lose on penalties is always going to be difficult for us to take. We didn’t play particularly well in the first-half but in the second-half, we came back strong.”

“We were the better team throughout the second-half and we kept the ball really well. Molde struggled with our play and I think we did really well to get them to penalties.”

“It is always unlucky to lose that way and not progress in the competition.

I think the players should be really proud of their achievement tonight as this is a great level for them to be competing at.”

“Molde are a fully professional side and their players train throughout the week, and we’ve more than matched them tonight. They’ve got seven international players playing for Norway and we’ve only got one international, but the players rose to the level and to only lose on penalties, that is a great sign for us.”

commanding in the opening days of the competition, winning five races and staving off Durham University to secure their place at the top of the table.

Heading into the third day, UCD sat in fourth place, four points behind Kobe University of Japan. A close day of racing saw only seven points between the top five, and UCD found themselves in fifth despite winning one race while the Japanese had jumped up to first.

In what proved to be the final day due to heavy winds, the leaderboard remained stable. Durham and Strathclyde held onto second and third place respectively and Kobe hung on to be crowned champions of the 37th Student Yachting World Cup.

UCD Sailing Club take in their surroundings at the Student Yachting World Cup at Frioul’s Island, Marseilles

UCDS SAILORS REPRESENT IRELAND UCD Sailing Club came in fifth place while flying the flag for Ireland at the recent Student Yachting World Cup (SYWoC) in France.

The team, skippered by Jack Higgins and consisting of Patrick Cahill, Conor Foley, Nicole Hemeryck, Lucy McCutcheon, Luke Murphy, and Conor Kneafsey, qualified for the competition after coming out on top in April’s national trials.

UCD competed against teams from Japan, England, Scotland, Switzerland, Indonesia, Canada, Norway, and Russia across the five days of sailing.

The University of Strathclyde, representing Scotland, looked

WORLD CUP LEGACY LEAVES WOMEN’S RUGBY BEHIND

Christine Coffey analyses the IRFU’s decision to make the next head coach of the Irish Women’s Rugby team a part-time appointment.

THE BADGER

PHOTO CREDIT: OWN WORK VIA WIKIMEDIA

THE JOB of Ireland Women’s head coach is currently advertised as “Part time casual” with a “6 month contract.” This reads rather like an advertisement for a summer job in local supermarket, does it not?

Admittedly, after this summer’s home World Cup there are not many people lining up to take the job.

Following a disappointing tournament, Tom Tierney vacated the role of head coach and both he and his squad received a remorseless media dissection.

There is nothing ‘casual’ about international rugby, so why are the executives at Lansdowne Road treating it as such?

Off the pitch however, the tournament was a roaring success with thousands of rugby fans descending on Ireland to take in the action. Not only did this give the IRFU a perfect test run ahead of the 2023 World Cup bid, it also earned them plaudits from the great and good of world rugby. The women’s game is now quite rightly looking for their share of the spoils.

The IRFU maintain that they have not downgraded the coaching role in relation to the women’s team but it’s

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hard not to view this change as anything but degrading.

In response, the ‘#LEGACY’ protest has been launched to communicate the players’ disappointment at the way they are being treated from club, right up to international level. The protest started off with female rugby teams agreeing to wear white tape emblazoned with the slogan ‘#LEGACY’ on their wrists. This quickly spread to senior men’s teams at home and abroad. UCD alumnus and current cricket international Mary Waldron joined in by taping the slogan to her cricket bat in support.

Just three short years ago in France, the Girls in Green became the first Irish international side to beat New Zealand and made it to the semi-finals of the World Cup. Eventually bowing out of the competition against a strong England outfit.

Immediate action should have been taken there and then to invest in grassroots rugby and begin to prepare the squad for our home World Cup. The time for any major change should not have been the Six Nations competition the year of the tournament or the weeks leading up to the competition.

Equally the time to lay solid long-term foundations for the 2021 World Cup is right now and a “Part time/ casual 6 months” job is not the solution for the long term if we want this team to really compete on an international stage. There is nothing ‘casual’ about international rugby, so why are the executives at Lansdowne Road treating it as such?

The oft-stoic badger gears up for the pageantry of the Boys in Green as Russia 2018 comes into sight.

Supposedly I am a learned creature. My years at university have theoretically sharpened my critical faculties to the point where I welcome reason and logic like an old friend. Sure, the sands of time have molded my political, artistic, and cultural sensibilities, but when it comes to Irish football, the Badger is ready and willing to drink the kool-aid.

Robbie Keane should have got more time at Liverpool. Arsenal should have signed Shay Given.

Richie Dunne was worth two Vincent Kompany’s.

Not only do I buy into these half truths and historical inaccuracies, I proudly and unashamedly perpetuate them on an almost daily basis.

Now, it is the turn of this crop of Irish footballers who have been dutifully planting the seeds of their individual mythologies over the last few years.

Shane Long against Germany, Robbie Brady against Italy, and most recently Shane Duffy against Wales.

Copenhagen on November 11th will be the opportune time to commence a collective harvest.

While few honestly believe that what awaits Ireland in the Telia Parken in just under two weeks time will be an easy game, faith is a strange thing, and there is no shortage of it among Irish football fans. Not to

be confused with crushing expectation and the associated tabloids-on-your-doorstep pressure that has become synonymous with the England national team.

Ours is the kind of belief that can drive a team on.

This belief is supplemented by the almost supernatural power of the green jersey to turn players like John Walters and James McClean into a colossus.

Alas, the naysayers will be quick to point out some worrying statistics. Lost play-offs for the 1966,1998, and 2010 World Cup’s and a paltry 38.46% win percentage against Denmark shouldn’t bode well for the future.

But when has history ever been on our side? It wasn’t in Stuttgart when Ray Houghton put the ball in the English net. It wasn’t in the sweltering heat of Giants Stadium nor when Robbie Keane put the ball past Kahn in Ibaraki. History doesn’t have to be on our side.

As Coco Chanel once said, “Success is most often achieved by those who don’t know that failure is inevitable.” That is almost certainly the first time Coco Chanel has been quoted in a sports column in a university newspaper.

SPORT ASSAD LOOMS OVER SYRIA’S SUCCESS With Syria’s unlikely World Cup campaign finally coming to an end, Rory Clarke examines what the team means for the devastated country.

For many the football team is a symbol of hope for the much maligned state, a sporting statement to the world that there is more to Syria than bombs and death.

Indeed they had only made the playoffs after a sequence of increasingly unlikely results in Asian Qualifying. Recording credible victories against, Qatar, China, and Uzbekistan, they also secured precious draws against regional heavyweights South Korea and Iran. It was in the match against the latter that Syria secured their play-off place, snatching a 2-2 draw.

Having drawn the first leg of the play-off 1-1, Syria came into the match in Sydney with a greater chance than many had expected. This surprise was compounded when they took a shock early lead, through Omar Al-Soma’s curled effort. Although Australia were not behind for long, as Tim Cahill quickly scored the first of his headed brace, Syria dominated long portions of

the match, to the frustration of the increasingly-anxious Australian crowd. It was not to be however, as the veteran Australian captain rose again to send the watching home fans into delirium.

“The Qasioun Eagles,” as they are known, had performed better than Australia could ever have expected.

Prevailing only after extra-time, Cahill’s 50th goal for the Socceroos sent the rapturous crowds in Damascus, watching on large public screens, reeling in despair.

Images of these crowds, have been used extensively

by Syrian State television, who strove to project a semblance of normality. They believe that by showing patriotic Syrians celebrating, or commiserating even, amongst the bombed buildings will remind the world that Syria is more than a civil war. For many, the football team is a symbol of hope for the much maligned state, a sporting statement to the world that there is more to Syria than bombs and death.

However the political element of this team cannot be ignored. This was apparent in the immediate aftermath of the Iran match. Firas Al-Khatib, a player who had previously boycotted the team in protest, thanked “president Bashar al-Assad for honouring all the players” in a television broadcast. He was followed by the rest of the players who parroted a similar line of gratitude towards Assad. It was a grizzly reminder that even in the midst of euphoria these players were cognisant of their assigned role, whether they liked it or not.

Much has been made of FIFA’s refusal to suspend the Syrian FA for their political affiliation with the regime.

In 2015 Ayman Kasheet, a former player, brought evidence before FIFA of Assad’s nefarious influence. This evidence included the fact that over 35 Syrian professional players have been killed by government forces with a further 13 jailed. Furthermore he showed that the team was being deliberately used for state propaganda.

The Syrian coach, Fajer Ebrahim appeared at a press

conference in November 2015 wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with the face of Assad. In rejecting Kasheets’ evidence, FIFA said that it was an internal matter and that any complaints should be directed to the association itself.

Many Syrian natives feel that they cannot support the team, as it would be seen to be advocating the activities of the regime. This is apparent in the remarks of several Syrians who, forced to flee, have rebuilt their lives in Australia. George Salloum and Anas Ammo, both Syrian refugees, were interviewed by the Guardian before the Australia match. Condemning the regime and the team alike, they claimed that the projection of normality represented by the team does injustice to the millions who have suffered. Indeed, so alienated were they against their homeland that both men went so far as to say that they would be supporting Australia.

Conversely, the regime accuses these grumblers of undermining one of the few symbols of hope to emerge from the war-torn country since violence burst out.

Other high-profile incidents have recently come to light. ESPN reported that Fira Al-Ali, a Syrian footballer, made a dramatic escape from a team training camp upon hearing his 13-year old cousin had been killed in a government attack. He has since accused the current players of “carrying the flag of death.”

While President Assad may claim that the country has united in support of the team, it is clear that, in the end, it has simply become another battleground for the two opposing sides in this bitter civil war. Governmentapproved players and managers have lauded the regime, while former players have protested publicly against the team’s continued existence. Football has rarely proved to be so divisive.

PHOTO CREDIT: WIKIMEDIA

IT TOOK Tim Cahill’s rescuing header, deep into extra time in Sydney, to end one of the most unlikely World Cup qualifying campaigns of recent times.

Syria, a country synonymous with violence and upheaval, ranked 75th in the world, had come through almost surreal adversary to make it to a play-off tie with Australia. Forced to play ‘home’ matches 5,000 miles away in Malaysia, their campaign was shrouded in suspicion and their political loyalties questioned.

A CLUB TO ASPIRE TO Comán Stanley visits UCD Karate Club to find out more about their 40th anniversary as part of campus life.

“Karate is not to hit someone, nor to be defeated. It is to avoid trouble”.

Yasuhiro Konishi.

side and camaraderie.

Whether people had joined the club “to meet some hot guys,” or because the hurling club at the time was “s***e,” many members, over the club’s forty-year hisThis quote is important to remember for people, includ- tory, have not regretted their decision. Lifelong friending myself, who have perhaps, held a prejudice against ships have been formed, and there have been multiple karate. It is not a sport where the aim is to incapacitate instances of wives and husbands meeting through the the opponent, like in the UFC, and it is wrong to expect club. One former member credits the club with changthis of it. It is a highly disciplined martial art, which ing his life in college and getting him through medical teaches skill and builds character, not just in class, but school. Alumni relay happy and nostalgic memories in life as well. Admirably, over its forty-year history, of trips abroad, to the UK, Edinburgh, and as far afield the UCD Karate Club has upheld these core values. as Zimbabwe. They laugh when they remember the Over time it has added its own unique ‘Irishness,’ and old days, when fifty of them had to squeeze into one has created its own small, but special chapter, in the room at the hostel, and the old Intervarsity tournaments, vast world of martial arts. when the rules were more lax, no hand protection used, and more blood spilt. To this day the club still enjoy an annual trip to Lahinch, and it remains a model club where men and women are not separated. All are given

Over time it has added its own unique ‘Irishness’, and has created its own small, but special chapter, in the vast world of martial arts

Sensei Donal Phelan, and Karate Club member, Elizabeth Treacy are enthusiastic and knowledgeable.

My feelings towards Karate changed as my knowledge grew, and I was relayed with a thorough insight into the club and its history. I was also treated to an opportunity to take part in a class. I learnt basic moves, saw some one on one combat as well as a performance of a kata. I made sure to ask Sensei Donal to show me what would happen if I decided to try my luck against him, and soon, any prejudices I may still have had, were swiftly put to bed. Most importantly I was able to experience a glimpse of what hundreds before me had also enjoyed. I also found out the club’s most enduring trait, its social

an environment to showcase their talents on an equal pedestal. Aside from its celebrated social side, the club also has a rich tradition of competition and success.

One former member credits the club with changing his life in college and getting him through medical school.

The Club was founded in 1977 by Agricultural Science student, Bredan McGrath, and “force of nature,” Tommy McGrane, and is the oldest martial arts club in UCD. The club reached its zenith, in terms of membership, during the karate craze of the mid eighties,

when it had four hundred members. On October 13th 1984, the year of the film The Karate Kid, UCD played host to the EAKF European Championships. Bringing world-class international karate-ka and senseis to Belfield. Several past members of the club have also represented Ireland on a world stage. The club also takes part in competitions including the Colours Match, the Intervarsities, which they held from 2009-2015, and the Dublin Inter-Collegiate Cup. Under the guidance of senior members, Donal Phelan, Daragh O’Kelly, and Bill Hayden, and with pro-active members such as Elizabeth, and club captain Callum, the club is sure to enjoy another forty years of achievement and success.

Sensei Masao Kawasoe puts UCD Karate Club members through their paces as part of the club’s 40th anniversary celebrations.

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SPORT THE FUTURE OF FOOTBALL? THE UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE It has been called both the best and worst thing to happen to European football, but what is the UEFA Nations League? Rory Clarke investigates.

WE ALL know the feeling. The FAI posts a series of increasingly-revealing tweets announcing that Ireland will play two matches during the scorching summer months. Excitement builds as we gather our friends around, a text is sent into the WhatsApp group and we rummage around couches for spare change.

Yet, somehow we are always shocked to hear that we are set to face teams like Liechtenstein and FYR Macedonia. “No chance” we say, shaking our heads “it’s not even worth the Luas fare.” Although we have nothing against these two countries, few would pay to watch them.

We Irish, already proud minnows, dream of matches against illustrious Italians, gregarious Germans and silky Spanish. In contrast these friendly matches will no doubt be boring, the stadiums empty and anonymous youth players handed token ‘debuts.’ What could have been a much anticipated night of sport in Dublin will instead fall flat.

It is for this reason that UEFA, the European footballing governing body has created a new competition, the UEFA Nations League. Established to bring about the ‘rejuvenation of national team football’ the League is designed to eliminate scenarios such as the one described above.

UEFA insists that the new tournament will create “more meaningful and competitive matches for teams” replacing the obsolete and inadequate friendly games we have seen up to this point.

The format of the new competition is admittedly quite complex. All 55 of Europe’s football associations will be involved, split across 4 different leagues (A,B,C, and D) according to their UEFA coefficient rankings as of the 11th October 2017.

These rankings are relative to the performance of the clubs of each association in UEFA competitions like the Champions League and Europa League. For the inaugural edition of the UEFA Nations League the leagues are as follows.

League A contains Germany, Portugal, Belgium,

Spain, France, England, Switzerland, Italy, Poland, Iceland, Croatia, and the Netherlands.

League B consists of Austria, Wales, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Ukraine, Republic of Ireland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Northern Ireland, Denmark, Czech Republic, and Turkey.

League C is Hungary, Romania, Scotland, Slovenia, Greece, Serbia, Albania, Norway, Montenegro, Israel, Bulgaria, Finland, Cyprus, Estonia, and Lithuania.

League D features Azerbaijan, FYR Macedonia, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, Latvia, Faroe Islands, Luxembourg, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Liechtenstein, Malta, Andorra, Kosovo, San Marino, and Gibraltar.

The teams in each league are split into 4 groups of 3 or 4 teams, depending on the individual league, playing each other home and away, much like the current Champions League format.

At the end, the winner of each group is promoted into the next highest league and the bottom team would be

Top ranked teams will be able to truly test their mettle against stronger opposition while the lower-ranked teams will finally take part in more balanced matches.

relegated. For each edition of the Nations League, the next of which will take place in 2020, the groups within each league will be redrawn.

The draw for the 2018 edition will take place in Lausanne, Switzerland on 24th January 2018. In order to try and add spice to the competition the four group winners in League A will take part in the dramatically titled “Final Four” competition.

The first edition of this showpiece event, to be hosted by one of the four participants, will take place in June 2019. It will consist of semi-finals, a 3rd place match and a final, where the first UEFA Nations League Champions will be crowned.

One of the more complicated aspects of the new system is how it will affect qualification for the UEFA European Championships. The initial qualification process will remain the same with 20/24 teams qualifying in this manner. Ten groups will be drawn with no regard to Leagues.

The top two in each will automatically qualify with no provision for the play-offs we have today. Instead each league will have a process similar to the ‘Final Four,’ with the four group winners participating and the winner of each qualifying for the Championships.

If the winners of the Nations League groups have already qualified through the normal qualification process (as is likely in League A) the next-best placed team

that has not already qualified will take their place. This guarantees at least one spot to a team from each league.

Already this structure has been criticised as it guarantees one place to the lowly teams in League D, where they might not deserve it on merit. Of the 16 teams in League D for the 2018 edition only one has ever qualified for a major tournament (Latvia, 2004 Euros, where incidentally they scored only one goal).

UEFA believe this new system will prove to be beneficial to all. Top ranked teams will be able to truly test their mettle against stronger opposition while the lower-ranked teams will finally take part in more balanced matches. Unlike the drubbings they have been constantly subjected to by far superior opposition.

Fans who have suffered through years of dreary friendly matches will benefit from the increased competition of the League. Some say the League will be the making of European football. Others are sure it will break it. We shall see.

CLUB FOCUS: UCD BOAT CLUB Ian Moore speaks to Niall Farrell from UCD Boat Club about the history of the club and what it takes to be a rower.

IAN MOORE SPORTS EDITOR THE CLUB was founded 100 years ago, in 1917, by a small body of students led by UCD Law Professor Arthur Clery. Its first home was in Commercial Rowing Club which stood on the River Dodder, opposite what is now the 3 Arena. The club then moved to Islandbridge in 1928 and into its own boathouse in 1932.

Old Collegians Boat Club, for alumni of UCD, was founded in 1936 and UCD Ladies Boat Club, founded in 1975, was the first women’s rowing club in Ireland.

UCD (Men’s and Ladies Clubs) have won a total of 108 National Championships, more than any other University in Ireland.

A huge milestone in the club’s history was the 1974 Ladies Challenge Plate win at Henley Royal Regatta. It was the first Irish crew win at Henley since 1903, and the first in that event since 1875. UCD won again at Henley in 2010, this time in the Prince Albert Challenge Cup, which still stands as the last Irish triumph at the regatta.

UCD athletes have also represented Ireland at all levels, forming the backbone of the 1948 Irish Olympic 8+ and the 1976 Irish Olympic 4-. At Rio 2016 there was Paul O’Donovan’s fantastic Silver medal and UCD alumnus Claire Lambe being part of the first Irish women’s crew to race an Olympic final.

Training generally starts in September and the club takes part in several time-trial ‘Heads’ during the winter and right up to February or March. Regatta season also starts then, with the Colours Boat Races against Trinity on the River Liffey during St. Patrick’s Weekend, an early highlight.

University Championships at the National Rowing Centre in Cork in April is the next big goal and from

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there the races come thick and fast, alternating between Dublin, Blessington in Wicklow, Cork, and Lough Rynn in Leitrim.

National Championships take place at the NRC in July and mark the end of the domestic season. Many UCD athletes go on to compete for Ireland at various levels during the Summer and then take a well-earned break before college term and training starts up again.

We organise an annual training camp to Seville in early January each year. It is the highlight of the winter’s training and an excellent chance to get the whole squad together for ten days or so completely focussed on rowing, although we do make the most of the city’s tapas restaurants by night.

We will generally compete in London at some stage during the Spring and Summer. The Head of the River Race on the Thames in mid-March is a huge event attracting everyone from beginners to Olympic Champions and is a great early-season chance to see where you stand against the best.

London Metropolitan at Dorney Lake, the site of rowing at the 2012 Olympic Games, in early June is another chance to go up against the best of UK and Ireland on a world class course.

with long arms and legs, but it is a sport that rewards hard work rather than natural talent or potential. The most successful rowers are the ones who are willing to commit to the training and to their teammates, and to working together.

We also have coxswains who steer the boats, issue instructions, and execute race plans and tactics. In this case it helps to be small and light but with the confidence, intelligence, and authority required to command a crew of rowers who are pushing themselves to their limits.

There is a lot of work involved but there is nothing quite like the feeling of a strong, fast crew moving together in unison; the boat cutting through the water and the opposition fading into the distance. Rowers who experience it tend to dive completely into the sport to seek it out at every opportunity.

Their success of Paul O’Donovan (an alumnus of UCD Boat Club) and his brother, Paul, at Rio catapulted rowing into the mainstream in Ireland. It has been fantastic to see the press coverage given to rowing since their medal, and to see the new heights the Irish Rowing team have gotten to since. Hopefully the coverage continues to cross over to the domestic scene and the likes of the Colours Boat Races, University

Championships, and National Championships become events that the public follow with interest.

Paul was also kind enough to speak to our beginners last year and it gave them a huge boost to hear the thoughts of such a successful rower as they were just getting started.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the club, during the season we competed in bespoke Centenary kit as well as commissioning Boat Club ties and cufflinks. We also hosted a regatta at Islandbridge for our current members and alumni, which was a great occasion and a chance for members from many different decades to meet and row together.

The main event of the year however is our Centenary Dinner, a black-tie gala dinner taking place in O’Reilly Hall on November 17th. We have members and alumni coming from Ireland, the UK, Belgium, Germany, Sweden, and Switzerland, and as far afield as Australia, Canada, the United States of America and Malaysia.

It will be a unique chance for the past, present, and future of UCD rowing to gather and celebrate what the club means to each of us, and something that everyone involved with the club is looking forward to.

Success at Rio catapulted rowing into the mainstream in Ireland. It has been fantastic to see the press coverage given to rowing since the medal If results are promising at London Met, then Henley Royal Regatta in early July is on the cards which is a different level entirely in terms of the publicity and attention it garners from the non-rowing community.

Generally, being a good rower is helped by being tall

UCD Boat Club triumph in last year’s Colours Race