Vol. XXIV University Observer - Issue 1

THE UNIVERSITY OBSERVER LIBERAL LEO? VARADKAR’S IMAGES VERSUS HIS AGENDA PAGE 9

PRONOUNS WHY IT MATTERS TO USE THE CORRECT ONES PAGE 11

SEPTEMBER 19TH 2017 VOLUME XXIV ISSUE 1 UNIVERSITYOBSERVER.IE

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE WHY WE SHOULD BE CAUTIOUS ABOUT AI PAGE 12

UCDSU RETRACTS INFORMATION ABOUT ABORTION FROM HANDBOOKS AOIFE HARDESTY, EDITOR

UCD STUDENTS’ Union have reprinted their Winging It in UCD handbooks due to the presence of illegal content about abortions. The original handbooks ordered by the union for the current academic year arrived before Orientation week, after which the legality of content on page 59 was raised.

Speaking to the University Observer, Students’ Union President Katie Ascough explained why the original handbooks “could not” be handed out: “There was no date on the publication. There was an issue with the VHI section, it said that it was open to nonmembers which is not the case anymore. There were some wrong phone numbers in it, and there was some illegal content regarding abortion information.”

The content on page 59 provided information about obtaining an abortion safely, specifically a price list for different clinics outside Ireland, and information about purchasing abortion pills online.

Providing this information is in breach of the Abortion Information Act of 1995.

The removal of the abortion information was one of the main reasons for the reprint, with the remaining four SU sabbatical officers objecting to the removal of the details. The abortion information in the original handbook is almost identical to what was published in last year’s edition, with the exception that students are directed towards a specific website to obtain abortion pills online.

Before the original handbook was printed, all five sabbatical officers viewed the book and were able to make edits they felt necessary. Whilst Ascough claims she did not know providing the information on page 59 was illegal, the remaining sabbatical officers were in full knowledge of the illegality of that content.

Campaigns and Communications (C&C) Officer Barry Murphy said “I always knew it was illegal, the rest of the team always knew it was illegal, that it was in breach of the act.”

Ascough claims that it was only after the handbooks were printed and had arrived at UCD that a member of staff raised the issue of the possibility of the content being illegal, it is at this point that she sought legal advice from the union’s lawyer. Ascough read the following information to the University Observer: “The penalty for breaches of the act are a class B fine not exceeding €4000 and forfeiture of the offending material.” She added “To my knowledge that could be applied to anyone who is actively involved in breaches of the act or in sanctioning the breach.”

Ascough made the decision to remove the illegal content after a consultation with the students’ union’s lawyers. Murphy re-wrote the section in an attempt to publish the information in a manner that did not appear to promote individuals getting abortions, but “this was never entertained [by Ascough].”

He also did not meet with the SU lawyer. “The legal advice from our lawyer was passed to us from Katie, I only heard it from Katie. It really annoyed some sabbats that they couldn’t [hear] first-hand legal advice except through the president. I regret that at the time I didn’t have the advice from our lawyer before it was published, and since then.”

On this matter, only the SU President dealt with the lawyer. According to Graduate Officer, Niall Torris: “Sabbatical Officers were told that legal advice would only be given to the President or the COO [of the Union] but it would never be given to a Sabbatical Officer,” this is something which bothers Torris in “a wider context”.

Welfare Officer Eoghan Mac Domhnaill says he understands how difficult making such an executive decision was for pro-life Ascough: “It’s a difficult position I’d imagine, possibly having to face the prospect of going to court for something that you don’t fundamentally believe in.” However, he agrees with the concern that due to the illegal content, any individual, whether a class rep, staff member, or college officer, handing out the book would be liable to be sued for

providing the information. of “back in the day when condoms were illegal, the Throughout her campaign for SU President, students’ union put out condom dispensing machines, Ascough often repeated that she would “delegate” on they went to court in the 1990’s [over providing inmatters concerning the campaign to Repeal the 8th formation on abortion] and it’s looked back on as one amendment. That the publishing of this information of the proudest moments in the history of the union.” was prevented is something Education Officer Robert Murphy, Sweeney, Mac Domhnaill, and Torris Sweeney feels is a failure to delegate. “It contravenes were all prepared to stand by the original handbooks the quote she gave that she would delegate the issue, and were all prepared to hand out the books to people I don’t feel that it was properly delegated.” This with the illegal content still present. Murphy said sentiment of not appropriately delegating the matter “this is the year to do it, to push the boat out. Myself, was echoed by Murphy: “I respect her views, and I Eoghan, Rob and Niall were all happy to do it. We respected her during the campaign, she said she would were all happy to hand out the book, and handing it delegate. I thought she would delegate completely. I out alone so we would not be engaging college ofdidn’t think it would be a case by case basis.” ficers, volunteers, class reps.” They are all “against The Winging It handbooks contain other illegal [the removal of the content]”. advice (such as how to remove a clamp from your The newly printed, and dated, handbooks do not car) but Ascough sought legal advice for the abortion contain pricing information for abortions, and do not information because “this year with the potential contain information on where to obtain abortion pills referendum coming this is a big year for this issue online. They are being given out by the SU throughout and we felt there would be a spotlight on this kind of Freshers’ Week. information.”

In the past the SU has engaged in illegal activities while campaigning for laws to change, Murphy speaks

Page 59 of the original and reprinted Winging It in UCD handbooks.

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NEWS

Campus News PRESIDENT DEEKS DIRECTS DECOMMISSION OF COMPUTER LABS in Brief Brían Donnelly

NEW SOCIETIES’ CHAIR LAYS OUT PLANS FOR THE YEAR James Alkayed, the newly appointed Chair of the Societies’ Council, has detailed his plans for the forthcoming year, which includes placing an emphasis on increasing the exposure of UCD Student Societies.

To drive the project, the Societies’ Council have chosen a new Communications and Social Media Executive who will be assisting them to better market the group of over 70 societies.

Speaking to The University Observer, Alkayed has said: “societies have been such an integral part of my University experience that I see this change as an immediate priority” In addition to Alkayed’s own plans for the year, he has also noted the role that societies themselves play in making changes across campus.

“Societies are always finding new ways to appeal to the wide range of students that we have on campus. New events, projects, and ideas are continuously being executed in order for societies to grow…

“We have recently recognised a new Nutrition Society that has already begun planning events and thinking of news to promote a healthy lifestyle in the University… Societies… are constantly finding new gaps in the market and… come to the Societies Council to aid them in achieving and establishing something truly great.”

Brían Donnelly, News Editor THE number of computer labs across UCD campus is desktop computers have been replaced with more seatto be reduced to a “bare minimum” on the direction ing arrangements. of President Andrew J. Deeks, according to UCDSU Schemes in which students were able to rent lapEducation Officer Robert Sweeney. The high cost of tops are now confined to those found in the libraries. maintaining desktop computers is seen as the primary Students may rent laptops for up to three hours at a reason behind their removal. time and will no longer be able to rent them for use Speaking to the University Observer, Sweeney outside of libraries. expressed disappointment and concern over the plan, “Contributing to the Student Experience” is an which has already seen computers removed from the identified key objective of UCD’s IT Strategy 2015fourth floor of the James Joyce Library. The decision 2020. In the IT Strategy document, available online, it to remove the computers was made without consulta- is stated that “regular interaction with the UCD student tion with the Students’ Union. The Union was only in- community throughout their relationship with UCD” is formed of the plan after enquiring with library staff as necessary to ensure “positive outcomes from [the] use to the reason for the removal of desktops. Information of technology solutions and services”. UCD IT Services of the changes was published on the UCD IT Services’ also lists “engaging the community in the design and website on 12th September. delivery of services” as one of their four values.

“We see it as a very negative approach,” Sweeney Other stated IT Strategic Themes included in the has said. He added that “they’ve also taken away the report are supporting research, enhancing educational ability to rent a laptop, so you can now only rent a technology services, and enabling global engagement. laptop within the library.”

IT Services have committed themselves to enhance the “Students from engineering or business who re- “provision of information solutions and services that quire laptops in their programmes can no longer rent support the student journey through UCD.” them directly from IT Services… which means that IT Services currently have over 700 open access students who are financially disadvantaged now have PCs and SUAS (Stand up and surf) facilities available to be forced to buy a laptop when they can’t afford it.” for staff and student usage across campus.

Areas in the library in which there were previously Details of changes to the laptop loan service

found on the IT Services website state that the service has been ‘streamlined’ across UCD and that 24 extra laptops have been made available, split evenly between the James Joyce library and the Health Sciences library.

The website also contains recommendations on buying new laptops, with discounts available for UCD students on Apple and Dell hardware. Enhancing the services that support a ‘Bring Your Own Device’ culture and reviewing the need for services such as laptop loan schemes, computer labs, and SUAS facilities is a specific actionable goal found in UCD’s IT Service Plan up to 2020, which has been published online.

The 2016 Annual Review of IT Services shows a significant jump in the number of students who own smartphones and tablets. Smartphone ownership among UCD students jumped from 70.2% in 2013 to 96.7% in 2016, while 42% now own a tablet compared to only 19% in 2013.

95% of students linked their academic success to their laptops in 2016, an increase on the 71% who did so in 2013.

NEW DEAN OF LAW SCHOOL INTRODUCES READING WEEK FOR LAW STUDENTS Professor Imelda Patricia Maher, the new Dean of Law and the inaugural Sutherland Full Professor of European Law, has introduced a reading week in the first semester in recognition of in-term assignments.

The School of Law now joins other Schools with assignment-heavy modules, such as that of History, of English, and the language Schools, in providing a week free of lectures. Some schools on the BA programme, such as that of Politics and International Relations and of Economics, do not schedule reading weeks for their students.

A graduate of UCD, Professor Maher has published extensively on competition law and EU governance. She was previously editor of of the journal Legal Studies and is a member of the editorial boards of the European Law Journal and of the Irish Yearbook of International Law. She has also held Fellowships at Peking University School of Transnational Law, the Institute of Legal Studies, London, and Notre Dame Law School in London.

Since assuming office on 1st September, replacing Professor Joseph McMahon. Professor Maher has hosted the Society of Legal Scholars’ Annual Conference in the Sutherland School of Law.

GENOMICS MEDICINE IRELAND PARTNERS WITH UCD TO LAUNCH GENOFIT RESEARCH STUDY Irish life-sciences company, Genomics Medicine Ireland Ltd has partnered with UCD’s Institute for Sport and Health to launch Ireland’s first large-scale research study into the role of genetics on fitness and health.

The GenoFit Research Study will be open to anyone aged 18 and older from the broader UCD Belfield campus community of approximately 30,000 people.

This community includes undergraduate and postgraduate students along with academic, research, administrative and support staff. Residents from the local community who visit the Belfield campus for sports and recreational activities will also be invited to participate in the study.

The study will combine advanced scientific technology in genomics, the study of all of a person’s genes, together with detailed lifestyle information to provide a comprehensive view of the potential genetic factors contributing to fitness and health.

A new clinic has been established in the UCD Institute for Sport and Health to conduct the study, which will be overseen by Professor Giuseppe De Vito, Head, UCD School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science and Dean of Performance Science and Professor Colin Boreham, Director, UCD Institute for Sport and Health.

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NEW IRISH DANCE ENSEMBLE BASED IN UCD Brían Donnelly, News Editor APPLICATIONS are open for a new Irish Dance Ensemble directed by UCD Dance Artist in Residence, Jean Butler. The five-person ensemble offers students with Irish dancing experience a financial bursary, the opportunity to train and develop their artistic talents, and to perform at high profile events in Ireland and abroad.

Interested candidates are asked to make an initial online application to be considered for audition via the Scholarship Applications tab on SISWeb. The application contains general questions about the candidate’s experience, their goals and aspirations as part of the ensemble, and requires the submission of a video clip of the candidate performing a chosen routine.

The closing date for online applications is 1st October while auditions will follow in the second week of the month and involve an individual interview in front of a panel as well as a group workshop. Any questions in relation to the application or audition process should be directed to Grainne.OHogan@UCD.ie.

Director Jean Butler has performed as the original female lead dancer and co-choreographer of Riverdance in 1994. Since 2005, Butler has worked with The Abbey Theatre, The Project Arts Centre, and The Dublin Dance Festival, among other organisations.

With deputy choreographer Kristyn Fontanella, Butler plans to host informal dance lecture demonstrations of her personal research and findings, and take part in conversational lectures. In directing the new group of Irish dancers, they will help performers improve their technical and stylistic dancing skills, while also develop a deeper and more extensive understanding of what constitutes Irish Dance performance.

While UCD already offers opportunities in drama, singing, orchestra, and musicianship, this will be the first time a bursary will be offered to Irish dancing students.

“Adding Irish Dance to our performance repertoire was a very natural step for us as we knew we were missing this element of our cultural heritage” Eilis O’Brien, Director of Communications explains.

“Our existing performance students have already shown that they love to take their art to stages beyond these shores. The UCD Choral Scholars for example, are wonderful ambassadors who perform to the highest international standards, have recorded under classical label Signum Records, and regularly tour overseas while managing to complete their studies in subjects ranging from archaeology to zoology.” This may be a chance for Irish dancers to gain similar recognition.

PICTURE CREDIT PRAYITNO VIA FLICKR

UCD IN THE COMMUNITY LAUNCHES FOR-CREDIT VOLUNTEERING ELECTIVE Brían Donnelly, News Editor UCD IN the Community, a campus-wide initiative to promote civic engagement through ‘core activities,’ has launched a 5 credit volunteering elective which will be available during both semesters this academic year.

The module was inspired by a similar scheme established in NUI Galway, where the Students’ Union has helped to engage 10,000 student volunteers. The ‘Community, Volunteering, and Leadership’ module will require students to engage in 50 hours of unpaid volunteer work for any organisation that has subscribed to the scheme.

Students will then be asked to compile a portfolio of their volunteering work and reflect upon it in a written diary. In total, students will complete 120 hours per semester, including lectures, practical assignments, and the volunteer placement.

UCD Students’ Union, itself an organisation for which students can volunteer, are encouraging students, charities, and similar volunteer-driven organisations alike, to take part. Approved organisations can include UCD Clubs and Societies.

UCD Clubs and Societies can register their opportunities on the UCD in the Community website, while students interested in volunteering outside the elective can register for such opportunities on StudentVolunteer.ie.

Student Leaders are also being recruited to help promote the scheme across the campus. Training will be provided to student leaders to organise events and activities, register students on studentvolunteer.ie, and expand the programme to a greater number of organisations.

Speaking to the University Observer, Campaigns & Communications Officer Barry Murphy has said that the scheme aims to “reward our volunteers, rather than just giving them a free slice of pizza, they can get credits.”

“UCD students can volunteer say three hours with SVP, an hour with the SU, and volunteer maybe four or five hours writing an article for [the University Observer]. Or, they can work, say, with dogs trust.”

The scheme supports and promotes similar volunteering opportunities already established on campus, such as Enactus UCD, a non-profit entrepreneurial organisation, and Fáilte Refugees, a campaign which aims to increase awareness of global migration and support the integration of refugees into Irish society.

The programme is also open to staff members by offering their knowledge and expertise to benefit others.

The project is based in the Science building and has three staff members. It is sponsored by Professor

Mark Rogers, Registrar and Deputy President, while Joe Carthy, Principal of the College of Science, is providing academic leadership.

PICTURE BY PEXEL

NEWS National News in Brief VAST MAJORITY (96%) OF NURSING GRADUATES REMAIN IN IRELAND AUTHOR: BRÍAN DONNELLY New statistics released by the Higher Education Authority have revealed that 96% of Irish graduates with nursing degrees remain in Ireland for work immediately after graduation. Those who choose to leave the country in search of employment tend to go to Great Britain (2%).

The ‘Nursing Fact Sheet’ examines changes in demand and enrollment for undergraduate and postgraduate nursing courses, as well as the fortunes of those who graduate. Data for the survey was recorded from HEA-funded nursing institutions such as DCU, NUIG, TCD and UCD, as well as a number of Institutes of Technology.

Between the academic years 2011/12 and 2015/16, there was a 6% increase in the number of new, full-time nursing entrants, with the total number of full-time undergraduates and postgraduates studying nursing across Ireland increasing only marginally by 1% over the same period. Nursing students from Dublin make up almost a quarter of the total number enrolled.

The survey also found that 90% of all nursing students are female and that almost half of all nursing students were in receipt of a SUSI grant in 2015/16.

CANNABIS MARCH HELD IN DUBLIN

UCD SU PRESIDENT WILL NOT ATTEND MARCH FOR CHOICE

A rally was held in the Garden of Remembrance, Dublin, on Saturday 16th September, urging the government to allow for the legal use of medicinal cannabis. The rally was organized in response to the online campaign, which adopted the hashtag #BRINGAVAHOME on Twitter.

The campaign focuses on Ava Barry’s treatment for Dravet syndrome, in the Netherlands. The condition causes Ava to suffer from severe epileptic episodes, and medicinal cannabis, which is currently unavailable under Irish law, helps prevent these intense seizures.

The 120-person rally was supported by People Before Profit TD, Gino Kenny, who voiced his opinion on Twitter @Ginosocialist: “On my way into Medicinal Cannabis Protest in City Centre. Time the Dáil Dinosaurs wake up in the 21st Century.

MIM- MIH”.

Ava’s mother, Vera Twomey, documented her daughter’s treatment and the impact it had on her family, with her time split between her residence in Cork and her daughter in the Netherlands.

Twomey has said that the aim of this campaign is to allow Ava and other sufferers of the disease to “access medical marijuana in [their] own country”. In December 2016, Minister for Health, Simon Harris, announced he would facilitate a bill introduced by TD Gino Kenny to reach the committee stages of the Dáil.

Ruth Murphy, Deputy Editor

LEO VARADKAR TO BLOCK BREXIT TALKS

UCD Students’ Union plans to take part in the upcoming March for Choice without the participation of President Katie Ascough. The march will take place on Saturday September 30th, starting from the Garden of Remembrance at 1:30pm Something that may have a significant effect on the campaign is that UCDSU’s president, Katie Ascough, will not be attending the March for Choice.

When asked on the issue she told the University Observer, “The march is on a Saturday, it’s not working hours and I think that we are very comprehensively represented at the march and so I won’t be there.”

Ascough is pro-life and has previously attended public pro-life events. When attending a pro-life protest on Grafton Street in October of last year, on the same day as the March for Choice, she told the Irish Times that “I am in UCD and the Students’ Union there is very much in your face pro-choice.” She described this as “very unfair to the students who are pro-life.”

Ascough also attended the Rally for Life in July of this year, following her election in March.

Last November a referendum on whether or not UCDSU should take a neutral stance on abortion failed, with 64% of students voting to support campaigns

to repeal the 8th amendment.The Students’ Union also made a submission to the Citizen’s Assembly last year stating that “on behalf of its membership, UCD Students’ Union advocates for comprehensive reproductive health services in Ireland including the provision of safe and legal abortion for people that choose it.”

When asked by the University Observer if she had any plans to attend a counter protest to the March for Choice this year she replied “absolutely not.”

Speaking on UCDSU’s plans to attend, Barry Murphy, the Campaigns & Communications Officer, said “I have met with UCD for Choice several times.

We’re doing videos, we’re holding placard and postermaking workshops on the 27th, 28th in the [Student Centre] atrium.”

Ascough stated that her role in the lead up to the march “is facilitating, making sure that the budget is there, that everything is in place and just letting Barry really take lead.” In the run up to union elections last year, Ascough promised that she would deal with the issue by “communicating and delegating.”

Murphy said “ideally it would be great if she was [there]. I respect her views, and I respected her during

the campaign, she said she would delegate”.

But UCDSU will march without Ascough, all other sabbatical officers and several SU staff will be present at the march. According to Murphy “The march is on the 30th. We’re doing a breakfast in town.

We will organise a point to meet here in UCD and a point to meet in town, for the breakfast and before the march.”

He added that the SU will be getting a new banner and new t-shirts designed and plan to do something similar to the “Vote for ME” campaign, which was run for marriage equality. “I’ll be going to society stands with Snapchat and Instagram stories, talking to people asking ‘why are you going to the march?’”

He also highlighted a slight change in direction for the campaign turning away from the starkness of the Strike 4 Repeal. “UCD for choice wants to expand what they’re doing to the less passionate students, who’ll vote pro-choice but won’t go to the march.

We’re trying to make it more relatable to get them more involved with the campaign. The colours are changing to be friendlier. [The] pro-choice movement has come across as aggressive and to be more accessible we are going to move to [be]more friendly [and] happy.”

Leo Varadkar is set to block talks with Britain on exiting the European Union, after he stated at a Fine Gael Party meeting on Friday that he was “not optimistic” and that “as of now, enough progress hasn’t been made”. The comments were supported by Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney who stated that talks would not progress any further unless “a significant further move” was made by British officials.

The EU has stated that progress on withdrawal can only begin after all 27 countries agree that sufficient headway has been made on Britain’s withdrawal terms. Varadkar’s statements come after he commented that more clarity was required in regard to the future of the border between Ireland and the UK, Britain’s only land frontier if their withdrawal is successful. An EU summit about the status of the talks is set to begin on the 19th of October.

Disapproval by any of the 27 members on the progress of Britain’s will most likely lead to a failure to agree to the next stage of talks at the summit.

Brían Donnelly Dylan O’Neill Fiachra Johnston

19TH SEPTEMBER 2017 3

NEWS International News in Brief Fiachra Johnston

RUSSIA REFUSES CALL FOR DIRECT ACTION ON NORTH KOREA Russian Ambassador to the UN Vasily Nebenzya has said that his country will enforce UN-imposed sanctions on North Korea but nothing more. The news comes days after reports of Russian Smugglers supplying items such as oil and textiles to the Pyongyang area. China has also not yet accepted an appeal for an oil embargo by the USA, however, the USA has also dropped plans for an embargo on anything other than textiles, and has rescinded an order of a naval blockade on the country.

In a joint news conference between UK Foreign Minister Boris Johnson, Prime Minister Theresa May and French President Emmanuel Macron, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson described the attempts to appeal to either country for harsher measures on North Korea as “Very Difficult”.

North Korea continues to up the ante in regard to nuclear testing. Their sixth test, detonated on the 3rd of September, was its strongest yet, and resulted in the UN Security Council unanimously voting on a ban on North Korea importing any natural gas or condensates. The KNCA news agency quoted Kim Jong-un as wanting “to establish the equilibrium of real force with the USA and make the USA rulers dare not talk about military option for the DPRK”.

BRITISH AND CANADIAN UNIVERSITIES WATCH NUMBERS OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS UK’s desire to decrease immigration and Canada’s policy of welcoming international students are affecting their student numbers, Fiachra Johnston, reports.

The UK Office of National Statistics has reported that since 1992, the number of students in the UK has almost doubled to 1.8 million. Of those, 60,000 are international students. While this might seem like a drop in the ocean, these students bring in more than £400m in revenue, while British universities receive an additional £500m in EU funding. These 60,000 students make up approximately £1bn in annual revenue.

It’s no wonder then, that officials are worried about this group. This year alone, applications to UK schools dropped by 5%, or about 2,500 - potentially on foot of the ruling Conservative Party’s commitment to reduce inward migration following the British exit from the European Union.

In July of this year, the UK government’s statistics watchdog warned that figures relating to the number of foreign students overstaying their visas were “potentially misleading.” Political demands for a review and overhaul of the student visa system followed the publication of these figures. As Home Secretary at the

time, Theresa May had previously supported measures which would clamp down on foreign students studying in the UK, despite the boon to Universities and the Treasury.

However, it is not just a loss of foreign students that seems to be the issue. Across the pond, in Canada, there has been a large increase in foreign university entrants over the past few years, particularly after the US Election in 2016. According to Richard Levin, university registrar at University of Toronto, speaking to CBC, “Foreign students now make up 25% of the incoming class at U of T.” This doesn’t stop at university level, as Toronto high schools have reported a growth of 5 to 10%, or around two thousand new foreign students per year.

Students from outside North America are also increasingly choosing Canada over the USA. Cheaper tuition, a more stable political climate, and a fear of gun crime have all been cited as potential reasons for the rising popularity of Canada’s universities.

Canada, which boasts four universities in the QS World University Rankings, now offers pathways to citizenship for foreign nationals who graduate there.

An aging population, declining birthrate, and the promise of shoring-up additional tax revenue has prompted the Government to reshape Canadian demographics.

This is in stark contrast to the British government’s stance on the arrival of foreign students - a policy choice that May’s administration may come to regret. Universities in the UK are continuously searching for reasons to raise their tuition fees, especially since the depreciation of the pound.

Currently, British universities are allowed to make annual fee increases linked to inflation, but under legislation passed last April and coming into effect in 2020, universities will be only be allowed to raise fees if there is an a link to quality improvements. Fees across Britain increased to £9,250 this year.

UK PM RAISES TERROR THREAT LEVEL AFTER UNDERGROUND BOMBING

CRITICISM SURROUNDING FIRST FEMALE PRESIDENT OF SINGAPORE Singapore’s Halimah Yacob is under controversy after being sworn in as the country’s first female President on the 14th of September. Criticism has stemmed from Yacob, a former parliament speaker of the Malay Muslim Minority, taking office without an official vote, after government authorities decided that her opponents did not meet the criteria to be eligible, and swearing her in the day after.

Social Activist Gilbert Goh stated that “Singaporeans feel a sense of betrayal” over a lack of a vote. Goh had also led silent protests in Hong Lim Park last week over the vote, with many there referring to Halimah Yacob as “An appointed president”, and declaring the date of the walkover, September 11th, as “the day democracy died”.

With a majority of the 5.5 million residents of Singapore being ethnic Chinese, Halimah Yacob is also the first Malay President of the city-state in almost 50 years. A member of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s People’s Action Party, Yacob was the favourite to win after PAP received 70% of the popular vote in a snap election, and Lee introduced constitutional changes reserving the presidential election for specific ethnic groups if no member of that community had held the position in thirty years.

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PHOTO CREDIT VIA STATE.GOV

Prime Minister Theresa May has raised the Terror Threat Level in Britain to critical, after a homemade explosive was detonated at Parsons Green Station in London. The bombing, which injured 29 people in a district line carriage, is the fifth terrorist attack in the UK in the last six months. May also reported that armed police and members of the military would be replacing regular officers on the streets and in the underground in the coming days due to the increased threat level.

Members of the Islamic State have claimed responsibility for the attack, however no life-threatening injuries occurred from the attack, and Parsons Green station has since reopened. Scotland Yard’s Super Recogniser division has said that CCTV footage led to the arrest of an 18-year old man in Dover who is suspected to be the bomber.

Residents near a house Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey were also evacuated as the building was raided by armed police in connection with the arrest, according to the Metropolitan Police.

GEORGE HOOK’S FUTURE UNCERTAIN AFTER CONTROVERSIAL STATEMENTS The backlash that ensued after George Hook’s remarks on rape have had significant results, Daniel Forde, investigates.

Since Friday 8th September, George Hook has become the subject of much public furore. On his Friday show, High Noon, the Newstalk broadcaster made comments concerning a recent UK court case where a former Commonwealth Games swimmer raped a 19-year-old girl. Hook said on air “Is there no blame to the person who puts themselves in danger?” referring to the victim. These comments attracted controversy, with many calling Hook’s views abhorrent. Notably, this is not the first time that Hook has made controversial statements regarding rape. In a 2015 interview with lawyer Ivana Bacik, Hook questioned if there was not “implied consent” between two people living together, again referring to a recently determined case. Hook has since issued an apology, stating that he was regretful of his remarks.

Despite the apology, a large public outcry has arisen against Hook. The National Women’s Council of Ireland and the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre both condemned his comments. Sharon O’Halloran, the

CEO of Safe Ireland also called his position “untenable.” Even more serious is the backlash from Hook’s fellow colleagues. Dil Wickremasinghe, the presenter of Newstalk’s Global Village, who has experienced sexual abuse, announced that she would not appear on air, in protest, until the 23rd September. Chris Donoghue, another Newstalk presenter, described Hook’s comments as “disgusting” on Twitter. 20 members of Newstalk staff also drafted a letter calling for Hook to be taken off the air.

Hook’s comments have even been condemned by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar who described them as “unacceptable.” Protests over the comments began outside Newstalk’s Dublin offices on 14th September. Perhaps the greatest indicator of how serious the controversy has become, is the withdrawal of Hook’s sponsors. On Monday, Dalata hotel group terminated its sponsorship of High Noon, with Tesco cancelling its advertising on the show on Thursday.

It should be noted however that there is also an

undercurrent of feeling that the reaction to Hook’s comments has been disproportionate. The most public example of this is Pat Kenny’s defence of Hook, calling him “a decent man.” Further comments over Facebook display the general feeling that while Hook made a severe misstatement, he should not be so severely upbraided.

All this has culminated in Newstalk’s decision to suspend Hook. Whether this means the end of his career is still uncertain. Perhaps then the most fitting summation of this entire incident is Hook’s words themselves.

Rape is an emotional subject and commenting on it requires some caution. If Hook was unaware of this he should not have been given the discretion to speak, and if he was aware of this he should have been more careful. His decision to speak publicly implies some recognition of the potential consequences. Therefore, if as he suggests, “there should be blame to the person who puts themselves in danger,” is this not a situation where he has been hoisted by his own petard?

COMMENT

PICTURE CREDIT: WIKIPEDIA

GOVERNMENT TYING ITS OWN LACES TOGETHER OVER PUBLIC SERVICES CARD Government officials are playing coy over intentions for PSC, writes Brían Donnelly.

Driver theory test, passport renewal, welfare claims: just a few vital services of which you will not be able to avail unless you register for a Public Services Card (PSC). Launched in 2011 for use by welfare recipients, the PSC has been forced slowly into use by a large, and still growing, number of government departments.

Paraded as part of the toolkit to combat fraud and

New legislation and the wide scope of services available proves that the PSC is intended to be more than just a remedy against welfare fraud. improve the efficient provision of public services, civil rights campaigners have lamented what some view as the introduction of a mandatory national ID card ‘by the backdoor.’ Ireland, Denmark, and the UK (excluding Gibraltar) are currently the only EU member states not to issue national ID cards to their citizens.

Presentation of an ID, strictly in the form of the PSC, is required to claim pension payments. Failure to produce a PSC, rather than a driver’s licence or a passport, has resulted in payments to a woman in her 70s being refused and back-payments denied, regardless of whether

she registers for a PSC in the future.

New legislation and the wide scope of services available prove that the PSC is intended to be more than just a remedy against welfare fraud. Legislation coming down the tracks contains a provision which allows people the option to include their date of birth on the card and use it as a valid form of ID outside of entities listed in the Act, something which is currently illegal. The list of entities which have access to your information encompass a plethora of areas and stages of life. It includes the HSE, multiple educational institutions such as universities, technical colleges, the CAO and the Higher Education Authority, as well as the National Treasury Management Agency and the Revenue Commissioners.

Notwithstanding access to public services, the card should either be a valid form of ID, or it should not. The Government’s insistence that this is going to be some form of quasi-ID, while also remaining a necessity for public services, undermines what is their true, and legitimate, aim: a mandatory national ID system which streamlines data collection across public services. The Data Protection Commissioner’s calls for transparency regarding mandatory use of the card have emphasised this failure to come clean. What is clearly meant as a compulsory, single point-of-contact between individuals and the state has been poorly masqueraded as a potentially convenient option.

Regarding the end-goal of the PSC, the format of the card speaks for itself. During registration, a

photo of the user is taken in such a manner as to allow verification software to identify and confirm that the presenter is who they claim to be. There’s no denying that explicit incentives exist for the Government to make the card compulsory for every citizen. Curbs in welfare fraud, less bureaucracy at bottlenecked services, and alleged security benefits aside, the exchequer will receive a 5% discount on the cost of the cards if 3 million cards are produced before the end of the year.

By playing coy with their intentions, the Government is setting the stage for a stronger public backlash in the future. Despite emphasising that the PSC will only include a date of birth if the user chooses, Minister for Social Protection Regina Doherty’s failure to reveal the true intention of the PSC has painted the picture of

The Government’s insistence that this is going to be some form of quasi-ID, while also remaining a necessity for public services, undermines what is their true, and legitimate, aim.

a department giddy with excitement over their new toy, but without direction.

This is unforgivable, as the foundations for the PSC lie in legislation from 2005. Officials have had more than enough time to discuss the final scope and use of the PSC, and it would be naïve to think that they haven’t done so. Speaking on Newstalk recently, Ms Doherty described the card as mandatory, but not compulsory, a distinction she may come to regret making.

The fudge on the Government’s part could be put down to concerns over whether the legal foundations for a national ID card already exist, rather than a card solely for availing of public services, and whether the collection and processing of data on Irish citizens is within the boundaries of EU data protection and privacy regulations. Officials have firmly placed their heads in the sand and must be hoping that the public will naturally develop an affinity to having a broad spectrum of data being held on them and potentially having to produce an ID on request.

THE END OF THE J1?

Among the uncertainty of the J1 programme, Ruth Murphy, sorts through what we know now.

The J1 has been a major part of the entrance to adulthood for many Irish people, with the name becoming synonymous with poorly paid jobs, unfortunate accommodation, and fun adventures with new and old friends.

Before Donald Trump came to power he announced his wishes to scrap the J1 programme.

Whether or not this was going to happen was widely debated and the part on his campaign website that said that he wished to replace the J1 programme with “a resume bank for inner city youths” disappeared.

While it is usually foreigners of a different skin colour who offend Trump most it is not a huge surprise that Trump has plans to prevent further immigration.

This does not mean however that this is not an important issue. The end of this programme could take away opportunities from so many Irish people and hurt them much more than the programme could possibly hurt Trump himself.

While many vouched that the J1 was here to stay, USIT, one of Ireland’s most popular travel companies for the J1 programme, announced that it would no longer be taking applications for its 2018 graduate visa programme.

The J1 visa covers two separate programmes. One programme is for third-level students to travel to the US on a temporary work visa. This allows students to work for the summer. You must have a job organised before you go. After your work visa expires you may stay in the US for 30 days as a tourist. The other programme is the one seems to be currently in most

danger. Someone who has recently completed a level seven or higher qualification may travel to the States for one year to do an internship. Upon arrival you have 90 days to find an internship.

USIT state on their website that “Whilst the USIT programme is a specific bilateral agreement between Ireland and the US, it falls under the” J” category of visa regulations. These visas are all up for review, leaving considerable doubt around whether the option

While Irish people may be passionate about the J1 programme and why it should exist we cannot guarantee that Americans share our views and not Trump’s.

will be available at all in 2018.”

It is unclear why USIT is not accepting applications for the graduate programme but has made few comments on the summer programme. It may be simply be because the summer is far away and they are waiting on information in the meantime. USIT’s website encourages those pondering the programme to go now, “anyone availing of the current 2017 allocation will be safe (i.e. getting the visa before Dec 31st 2017

allowing you to stay in US for 12 months duration) so we would urge those on the fence thinking of availing of the opportunity to be safe not sorry and avail of this

USIT has stated that anybody who has applied for the 2018 programme will be refunded. fabulous programme while it exists.” USIT has stated that anybody who has applied for the 2018 programme will be refunded.

In a Facebook live video about the announcements the head of the programme Melanie Young said: “we were of the understanding that this programme was going to run for three years… to bring us up to 2020.”

Speaking on the future of the programme Young stated “we have no idea when a decision will be made.”

When asked if American companies were nervous to hire foreign students she said, “it certainly hasn’t affected our stats” and added that “our percentage is up of people actually hiring interns.”

The J1 has faced scrutiny in the past. When the New York Times reported on the Berkeley balcony tragedy it did not fail to mention the reputation of the programme: “[T]he work-visa program that allowed for the exchanges has in recent years become not just a source

of aspiration, but also a source of embarrassment for Ireland, marked by a series of high-profile episodes involving drunken partying and the wrecking of apartments in places like San Francisco and Santa Barbara.”

This excerpt was criticized for being featured insensitively in an article reporting the injury and deaths of several Irish J1 students. The New York Times did apologise to the Irish people but the full article was not removed from its website. While Irish people may be passionate about the J1 programme and why it should exist we cannot guarantee that Americans share our views and not Trump’s. The view of us as “drunken Irish” who could cause trouble may still linger.

Meanwhile, Trump allows some angry Americans to protest the existence of black people. The destruction of this programme makes little sense, like many of Trump’s plans.

Companies such as USIT and SayIt will no doubt suffer major losses if this programme does end and may already be losing money, as they cannot guarantee places on the 2018 graduate programme. USIT is now greatly advertising its other programmes.

IIrish students who wished to do the J1 programme are now stuck with few options. You can go for the 2017 programme, not go, or pick another destination. If you do go on the programme you face living in a country run by Donald Trump so either option might be a little disappointing. Trump has proved that he can harm even those who are living this side of the Atlantic. No doubt the friendlier neighbour of the States, Canada, is looking more attractive than ever.

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COMMENT MUNROE BERGDORF AND STRUCTURAL RACISM In the aftermath of Munro Bergdorf’s sacking, Eve Ryan, analyses how a Facebook post received such a strong backlash.

The rise and fall of Munroe Bergdorf has the ups and downs of a Shakespearian tragedy, ending with her being fired and widely criticised. She has been lambasted by mainstream media, and received death and rape threats.

PHOTO CREDIT BY NICK YOUNGSON

The lamentable choice of forum to discuss the real issue of institutional racism does not render Bergdorf responsible for the vitriol she has received.

Munroe made a Facebook post in which she claimed that all white people are guilty of racial violence amidst a broader criticism of institutional racism. The post describes modern society as a product of racial oppression, thriving only on the backs of slaves and a “racist infrastructure” which embeds a racial bias in the minds of all white people. It is the quotation ‘Honestly I don’t have energy to talk about the racial violence of white people any more. Yes ALL white people’ that has really landed her in hot water.

Thousands have been offended by these remarks, and she has been labeled a racist and “at odds” with principles of diversity.

There are several reasons why Bergdorf’s remarks have generated such controversy. She has repeatedly cited the context of the Charlottesville attacks: a white supremacist march, which was met with a counter protest, resulting in a man driving his vehicle into a crowd of counter protesters, injuring 19 and killing one. It was in the rubble of this harrowing event, an unambiguous display of racial violence, that Bergdorf chose to plant the flag of institutional racism and label all white people perpetrators of “racial violence”. As she later explains, she defines “acts of violence” as encompassing any unconscious bias, privilege, or societal structure that informs the lesser treatment of those of colour. This connection between her words and the events at Charlottesville begs for misinterpretation, although the lamentable choice of forum to discuss the real issue of institutional racism does not render Bergdorf responsible for the vitriol she has received.

A common criticism of Bergdorf’s statement is that her charge that “all white people” are racist is overly simplistic, many pointing to the fact that white Americans accounted for many of the counterprotesters at Charlottesville. This response feeds the

misconception that it is a betrayal of white allies to criticise their social inheritance. Bergdorf’s post, she has stated, was purposely impersonal and related to the system of white power, not individual white people, but in any case the now notorious post and its backlash speaks to the fact that whatever our point in the debate, we lack the language to adequately communicate it.

We are yet to accept racism as a spectrum. It remains evocative of slavery, brutality and not the corner shop owner who feels generous for employing a black youth on the tills. Racial issues are incredibly complex but the language we employ to describe it has not undergone an evolution. “Racism” when synonymous with the organised intolerance demonstrated at the Charlottesville attack, fortunately is relatively rare.

“Racism” meaning the inequalities rooted in the very fabric of society is common. In the “racism” Bergdorf describes, white people are racist by virtue of their status of beneficiaries from an oppressive and unequal paradigm. By simply existing in the world and profiting from the inequality that is our legacy, we are racist.

Without rising up in revolt, we are racist. No white cloak or slur necessary. This idea that one can be racist through mere acquiescence of the state of affairs is ludicrous. It criminalises inaction. It feels aggressively intrusive. It places an onus on white people to engage in the destruction of the architecture of modern society.

Bergdorf’s argument challenges not only our perception of racism but, by requiring us to step out and act as a moral imperative, she attacks the principles of self-interest that are the cornerstone of western economics, philosophy, and moral reasoning. To be labelled racist for preserving one’s self interest runs contrary to the individualism that has characterised the west since Descartes. It is clear that Bergdorf’s remarks hit a nerve. This is not just because of the grandiosity of her claims, but because in calling for a new way to think about race she implicitly calls for something more: a new way to operate in society.

FOREVER A LOAN? Adam Lawler explores whether income contingent student loans are becoming an increasingly viable option for Irish students or not.

College is expensive. This is a truth universally-acknowledged and accepted grudgingly as a fact of life designed to make things harder for us. After all, nothing is more Irish than the narrative of struggle. The question is, do we have to struggle, or are we making it harder for ourselves? When countries from Australia to America to the Netherlands who have incomecontingent student loans, are in danger of using an outdated model?

pay them off on time. To them, student loans might as well form the shiver-inducing concept of the next series of American Horror Story. It is a long-term commitment, one that arguably should not be foisted upon bright-eyed eighteen year-olds seeking only to enter the world of higher education without understanding the full cost until years down the line, when they will be forced to delay financial commitments such as home-ownership, indefinitely.

There is also the question of whether this system would actually be viable in Ireland. It is hard to tell.

Some parents rightfully balk at the average cost per annum of sending their child to college As it is, we benefit from a ‘free fees’ system which is not free, as the government covers the cost of attending university while asking students to pay a contribution of approximately €3,000. This is the system we have been implementing for years, but the flaws in such a system are obvious. Some parents rightfully balk at the average cost per annum of sending their child to college and in a lot of cases have to rely on financial aid in the form of grants like SUSI, which can be difficult to acquire for some due to the sometimes laborious application process and requirements.

This is in addition to some thinking that our failure to adapt is leading to Irish colleges to drop in university rankings. The National Competitive Council chairman Peter Clinch wrote in the council’s ‘Competitive Challenges 2016’ report that the underfunding of higher level education is to the detriment of our worldwide status, and that “while controversial, if we are to avoid damaging Ireland’s competitiveness, we have no option but to introduce a funding model for higher education that combines increased state funding alongside deferred payment of fees through income-contingent loans.” Is Irish third-level

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It could get to the point where Irish ICLs are not a pipe dream but a necessity

education being funded enough? Perhaps that is not as much the question as how our universities will fare in the long shadow of uncertainty caused by events such as Brexit, and how relevant and competitive we could remain if we changed with the times.

With the stakes in mind, how do income contingent student loans work? Simple: by offering higher education for free, until the student has started earning above minimum income, with fees depending on the course and college. This would mean that students would not immediately be hit by the brick wall of fees at the point of entry, an aspect of college which for many students, is a deterrent from attending at all.

As with most types of loans, payment plans can be negotiated so as to be affordable as we advance in our careers, and would only eat a small percentage of earnings (in some countries between 0 and 8 percent).

In America students repay the loan over a period of

ten years. In a concurrent programme in Sweden, the period is a considerably more extensive at twenty-five years. England offers a less pressurised thirty years.

In a piece for the New York Times, Susan Dynarski perfectly captures why this loan system, especially ones with a longer repayment time, works because of the nature of finance itself: “We pay for cars over five years and homes over 30 years because homes last a lot longer than cars. An education pays off over a lifetime, so it makes sense that student loans should be paid off over a long term.”

The downsides of the income-contingent loan system are, however, clear to see from the outset. The nature of the concept means that some students would feel as if they are still paying for their tuition long after they have finished using it. Everyone has heard the stories of Americans, bogged down by loans until they are in their thirties, who are under extreme pressure to

Emigration poses a problem for such a system in a country where its young people rightfully flee for greener pastures at the first opportunity. However, costs and sheer numbers of budding students are ever-increasing with projections that €600 million in additional core funding will be needed within the next four years. It could get to the point where Irish incomecontingent loans are not a pipe dream but a necessity, so now is the perfect time to start making plans.

PHOTO CREDIT BY PICSERVER.ORG

COMMENT

IT’S TIME TO SAVE THE PLANET

In the aftermath of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, Aoife Hardesty examines the relationship between climate change and natural disasters.

Organisation’s reports of 2016 temperatures show that 2016 was the warmest year on record with the hottest average global temperature since records began in 1880. The International Panel on Climate Change has estimated that the upper ocean has got 0.4 degrees Celsius warmer since the 1970s, and warmer oceans breed more severe hurricanes.

The warming of the Earth not only directly warms the oceans but is also resulting in the melting of the polar ice caps, melting of the Greenland ice sheet, and melting of glaciers. The water from the melting ice eventually enters the oceans, and is resulting in rising sea levels. Data NASA has taken from satellites show that global sea levels have risen by 86mm since 1993, if that trend continues it will result in a sea levels rising by four foot by the end of the 21st century. Higher sea levels combined with heavy rainfall from larger rainclouds, due to warmer oceans, result in a greater risk of severe flooding during hurricanes, and it is in this way that climate change is exacerbating the severity of hurricanes.

The devastating effects of hurricanes are easily seen by searching on the internet, or turning on the news, and it is inevitably the poorer members of society who are worse affected: those who live in poorer quality houses, and those who cannot afford to leave the affected areas.

Moving stories and images hit us from Florida showing the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, but we see less from Cuba where towns were destroyed, infrastructure swept away, and extensive flooding prevalent.

Over one million people were moved out of the path of the hurricane and moved to temporary shelters including caves. The strength of Irma when it hit Cuba was at the most powerful strength of any storm that has hit the island in almost a century.

This is not to say that the people of the USA are

any less deserving of our sympathies, but the damage such strong hurricanes can inflict on an entire nation could be catastrophic, and unless we start taking climate change seriously, the next time a hurricane hits, it could wipe a country off the map.

The Paris Agreement has been signed by 195 countries and ratified by 160. The overall aims of the agreement are to slow down the increase in global temperatures, to make it financially viable for countries to have lower greenhouse gas emissions and to improve the ability of the world population to adapt to the adverse effects of climate change. Climate change is a real, serious, and immediate threat, both for environmental and humanitarian reasons, and this is why the Paris Agreement must be taken seriously.

With a country now reeling from the devastating effects of climate change, it now seems even more ludicrous that the President of the USA wishes to withdraw

the USA from the Paris Agreement. Officially, the Trump Administration informed the United Nations of the intention to withdraw, but this is a process that will be unable to occur until the agreement has been in force in the USA for three years.

In Ireland, the Paris Agreement entered into force in December 2016. If we all take steps to reducing our carbon footprint we will be able to play our part in helping to save the planet. The whole world needs to act quickly before we end up killing our planet, and all the other life-forms who share the world with us, and before Earth (through no fault of its own) ends up killing us.

PHOTO VIA WIKIMEDIA

Earth is in trouble, and much like a toddler in pain, Earth is reacting by throwing a tantrum. Except tantrum is too light a word to describe the recent hurricanes, which have battered the Americas, and tantrum, is too light a word to describe how climates all across the globe are changing.

Global climates are changing, this is climate change, it is real, it is happening now, and it is happening fast. In order to understand why worldwide action is necessary to counter climate change, we must first look at just why climate change is resulting in more severe hurricanes.

Hurricanes are not caused by climate change.

Hurricanes are a type of tropical cyclone. These are spirally arranged thunderstorms rotating around a centre “eye” of low-pressure. The term hurricane is used to refer to a tropical cyclone that occurs in the Atlantic Ocean and north-eastern Pacific Ocean.

Tropical cyclones form over large bodies of warm water. As water evaporates from the ocean’s surface it condenses into clouds. The strong, rotating winds are caused by the momentum generated from the Earth’s rotation.

Hurricanes are naturally occurring phenomena, but in recent years (and this year particularly) they are increasing in strength and frequency, and this can be largely attributed to the effects of climate change.

Speaking to CNN recently about Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma, Sean Sublette, a meteorologist with Climate Central said: “climate change makes these very bad storms worse. It’s not the approximate cause of the storm but in the case of a really bad storm, climate change can make it totally disastrous or catastrophic.”

As CO2 emissions increase and are trapped in our atmosphere, global temperatures rise, and this includes ocean temperatures. The World Meteorological

LUXURY HOUSING FOR SOME, COUCHES FOR OTHERS With more purpose-built accommodation springing up, Ruth Murphy questions how this will contribute to the crisis.

It is good to know that a cinema is an integral part of student accommodation while fair rates is not.

According to a report by city planner John O’Hara to the Dublin City Council roughly 80,000 students currently live in Dublin and the Dublin area is short 16,000–18,000 beds to accommodate these students.

The number of students is set to rise and no doubt these new students will need beds. According to the report, in December 2016 there were just over 9,100 beds available in Dublin. The report highlights that the building of 5,835 bed-spaces had been approved for construction but of these, at the time of the report, fewer than 500 had been built and just 1,749 were under construction.

The council’s City Development Plan’s policy QH31 states that the council plans “to support the provision of high-quality, professionally managed and purpose-built third-level student accommodation on

campuses or in appropriate locations close to the main campus, in the inner city or adjacent to high-quality public transport corridors and cycle routes, in a manner which respects the residential amenity and character of the surrounding area.”

As that which makes money succeeds best in this country it appears to be the most expensive or luxury accommodation that is being built while cheaper options might not surpass the planning stages.

Dublin City Council wishes to prevent there being a high concentration of student accommodation in one area. Suggestions have been made to restrict the amount of accommodation in a one kilometre radius or a quarter of a kilometre radius. With expensive accomodation going ahead this may mean that cheaper options will face more difficulty finding a suitable location.

New Mill, a luxury site located in the Liberties is charging from €249 to €345 per week and is completely sold out for the coming college year.

According to their website, for this luxury price you get broadband, bicycle storage, and floor to ceiling windows among other things. How floor to ceiling windows are to help a student’s college experience is unclear. A similar option, Buckley Hall, in the city centre offers spaces from €178 per week to €1090 for a seven bedroom apartment. If you so wish you could rent a seven bedroom apartment to yourself while many cannot afford a single bed. Well, only can only rent it if you book for the summer as it is full for the year. According to their website, Buckley Hall offers facilities including free waste disposal and security in the form of “fob access and remote monitoring.” Car parking is also available “upon request.” Dorset Point, set up by the American property giant Hines, charges at least €235 per room and is also booked out for the year. Aparto, who run the space, as well the Montrose accommodation, offer a gym and a house dog or cat at each location. Montrose still has a few rooms to spare.

You can get a classic ensuite or superior ensuite for €255 or €288 per week.

The government has little problem with this.

The council mentioned in its planning conditions for making sure the sole use of these new sites is student accomodation that “the ancillary facilities including the gym, cinema and café/restaurant at ground floor level shall be retained as an integral part of the student accommodation.” It is good to know that a cinema is an integral part of student accommation while fair rates is not.

According to the report, in December 2016 there were just over 9100 beds available in Dublin.

How is one to attend university outside of their home town if this the accomodation available and there is not enough of it? Many may turn to daft.ie in search of homes and rooms to rent and may find the horrors highlighted by the SU’s snapchat campaign.

Mouldy bathrooms and a month’s rent asked for in advance should be expected. Scammers can also take advantage of students as they are in such desperate need of accomodation. Never give a deposit without seeing the property first.

Student accomodation is being built to combat the accomodation crisis but there is not enough of it and it is not available to all. Let them eat daft.

PHOTO CREDIT BY WIKIMEDIA BANNETTS

As an FOI sourced by the College Tribune showed, UCD residences’ occupancy rates have been static in the last few years. In an accommodation crisis it is no surprise that all available options are full and that new accommodation is being built across Dublin. Developers can guarantee that their properties will be filled, even if rents rise. This is where one of the major problems with our accommodation crisis sits. Universities and companies can charge whatever they want and not suffer the consequences. Instead they will make money on the backs of a national crisis with government support as they are alleviating a great burden on the state.

Meanwhile students with less money are effectively forced away from accommodation and may end up sleeping on couches even if their family do manage to afford to send them to university with or without SUSI grants.

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FEATURES COULD BREXIT CAUSE PROBLEMS FOR IRISH UNIVERSITIES? With much of the political and social fallout from Brexit still to be sorted, Daniel Forde investigates what the ramifications will be for Irish universities and students.

The effects of Brexit and the consequences it will have on third-level students are still only emerging. Britain’s decision to leave the EU will have wide ranging ramifications for university life both at home and abroad. Because of the uncertainty surrounding Brexit there has been a sharp increase in the amount of applications from international students to Irish universities. The British government have promised that fees and financial aid for EU students will remain the same for the current academic year. However, apart from Scotland, there is no similar guarantee that this will continue into next year, or even beyond that, according to Deputy First Minister of Scotland John Swinney. It is probable that EU students will need to apply for student visas in the UK, but this system could also change.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd has commented that a two-tier system could be introduced, whereby “lower quality courses” would have stricter rules concerning immigration. UCD alone can report an increase in nonEU student applications of 26% while UCC can boast the even more staggering 40% increase. This rise in numbers could lead to universities being strained in their capacity to admit students. UCD President Andrew Deeks has suggested that places available to Irish students may need to be capped to accommodate the greater demand.

Not only would places be affected by incoming international students but increased competition for places could also arise amongst Irish students. The lack of clarity over the British government’s approach to EU students has meant that fewer Irish students are choosing to study in the UK. Already UCAS has reported an 18% drop in Irish student applications. If this number continues to decline it means there will be

more students looking to study at home. The logical consequence of this is that CAO points will rise, meaning it could be difficult to secure a place in the course of your choice. The increase in international applications may also exacerbate this increased competition. The CAO has reported that the number of EU applications has risen to 17%. Both of these developments could lead to the Leaving Cert having even greater weight for Irish Students and a more competitive atmosphere would surround college applications. Furthermore, third-level institutions would need greater funding in order to meet this growing demand. Brexit could lead to Irish universities becoming more selective in who they give places to, as well as potentially more strained in their ability to cater to student needs.

Brexit could also create a challenge for cooperation between Irish and British universities. Already the prospect of Brexit has made many academic staff in the UK reconsider working in British universities. In a January 2017 survey carried out by the University and College Union, of 1000 lecturers and professors, three quarters of continental EU academics said they are more likely to leave the country after Brexit. This would affect Ireland as it means the potential to share and pursue new academic research would be greatly reduced. In Horizon 2020, an EU innovation and research programme, the UK is Ireland’s largest collaborator with total academic partnerships numbering 900. The UK receives approximately £2 billion back from this program which is now under threat from Brexit. The potential outcome of all this is a large portion of current research in Irish universities could decline due to the twin reasons of a lack of funding and more restrictive political conditions. Thus not

only could undergraduates lose out under Brexit but post-graduates and university staff would suffer too.

However, there may also be a silver lining. A report by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) last year reflected on how Irish universities could benefit post-Brexit. Ireland could position itself as a magnet for academic talent if education received the right kind of investment. We offer easy access to European institutions and once the UK leaves we will be one of the few native English speaking nations in the EU. Our academic programs would be significantly enhanced

by EU funding. The HEA also suggested that Ireland could market itself as a hub for high quality academic by reaching out internationally to other universities in research programs. Another more tangible benefit would be the revenue gained from international students attending our colleges, estimated at €1.4 billion a year. Unfortunately, to accommodate all of this we would need both investment in our universities and planning in order to properly implement it. In short, Ireland’s universities could convert Brexit from a crisis into an opportunity but only if they act swiftly and decisively.

Brexit could lead to Irish universities becoming more selective in who they give places, as well as potentially more strained in their ability to cater to student needs.

TRUMP, NORTH KOREA, AND THE DANGERS OF APPEASEMENT With all eyes on Donald Trump’s twitter feed to see if WWIII has begun, Ciaran Busby asks whether or not his strongman rhetoric is helping or hindering the situation.

In under a month, under the Kim Jong-Un dictatorship, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) has launched two intercontinental ballistic missiles over Japan, as well as allegedly testing an extremely powerful hydrogen bomb. Apart from the consequences associated with global threat levels, there is also the aspect of international laws, historical similarities and the added threat of the U.S. President, Donald J. Trump.

In the past year, terrorism has been at the forefront of the news headlines, social media feeds, and the population’s headspace. Until recently, the North Korean dictatorship had faded from the headlines, replaced by attacks from ISIS in ever-nearing cities and regions. At the time of writing this however, Kim Jong-Un has once again come into prime focus of the media with his attempts to instil terror in the global community testing increasingly more powerful weapons of mass destruction.

Problems surface in the appeasement of North Korea from the United Nations in the same manner of which Britain and France appeased Nazi Germany before the onset of WWII. Problems surface in the appeasement of North Korea from the United Nations in the same manner of which Britain and France appeased Nazi Germany before the onset of WWII. Little has been done to condemn the dictatorship bar the efforts of world leaders’ comments on the matter. That is apart from the words of the United States President.

Although the consensus is that Trump’s tweets are

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the ramblings of a madman, his stance on the terror threat from the DPRK is validated. Given the historical successes of appeasing to an increasingly irrational and unhinged dictator, it is perhaps a rational reaction to threaten “Fire and Fury.”

this circumstance.

If fear will restrict the menace from the DPRK commanderin-chief, then fear is what we should instil.

That said, it would be unquestionably wrong for Trump actually to launch an offensive on the state.

Nuclear strikes on the country would cause irreparable damage to the region. During the Cold War, the world hung under the constant threat of nuclear war. Luckily, nuclear war was averted and a peace was reached whereby the nuclear threat between the USA and the former USSR is now non-existent. The cold war was enough to suffice the thirst of power hungry and bloodthirsty leaders, resorting to a competitive show of aeronautics in the space race.

However, while some positives arose from the cold war, notably the space race, this nuclear conflict has only the potential for harm on both sides.

The ultimate problem we face currently is that our world leaders are not prepared to face a tyrannical dictator, hell bent on destroying the United States, their territories, and their allies. Trump would prefer to break with the policies of the Obama administration in relation to Nork Korea, and take a far more aggressive and hawkish tone. While it is incredibly unlikely that he would unleash the USA’s nuclear arsenal on the country, he is not above threatening to do so. The UN’s up till now tepid response to the North Korean situation is changing. Led by the US United Nations

ambassador Nikki Haley, stronger sanctions have been imposed. An inexcusable flaw in any other president, that of being easily influenced by top aides and general, is perhaps the saving grace of this situation. So far, at least, it seems that cooler heads are prevailing.

It all whittles down to a few unsavoury facts.

There is nothing that anyone can do, bar defend against the potential of all-out war. Apart from speaking candidly on the matter, all that world leaders can participate in is strengthening missile defence systems, implementing protective alarm systems for their citizens, and construct bunkers and bomb shelters to protect against an offensive attack.

Japan, has unfortunately faced the consequences of nuclear war once before and knows all too well the horrors of such an act of a Weapon of Mass Destruction being deployed. North Korea launching missiles in their direction is not only disrespectful to the hundreds of thousands of people who lost their lives at the end of WWII but increasingly worrying as it creates the

potential of another Japanese city burning as the world watches on.

In retrospect, the atrocities of war are real.

Relative peace has blessed our generation in the west regarding the threat from a world or nuclear war, and we must remain confident in the experience and judgement of our presidents, generals, and politicians to do the right thing, if anyone knows what that is.

However critical the international community may be of Trump and his transactional worldview, we should consider the possibility that he is right in this circumstance. If fear will restrict the menace from the DPRK commander-in-chief, then fear is what we should instil.

History has shown time and time again that appeasement simply does not work, and in this case a hardline military stance alongside crippling UN sanctions may be the way to, if not diffuse, defend more than ignoring or appeasing.

FEATURES DIARY OF A TAOISHMUCK An exclusive look into the personal diary of Leo Varadkar.

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PHOTO CREDIT LINE-TOODLINGFC VIA PIXABAY, ILLUSTRATON BY MEADHB SHERIDAN

LIBERAL LEO? With international attention being drawn to Ireland’s first openly gay Taoiseach, Amy Crean asks whether this praise is warranted in the face of Mr. Varadkar’s very conservative politics.

The incessant praise surrounding Varadkar’s appoint- During his time as Minister for Social Protection, ment to the office of Taoiseach is a study in modern Varadkar had the opportunity to amend the Gender identity politics gone very, very wrong. That a 38 year Recognition Act to include and support young trans old, half-Indian, openly gay man became Taoiseach and non-binary people, but he did not. Labour leader made headlines internationally, and understandably so. Brendan Howlin has spoken out on Varadkar’s conserOff the back of the successful marriage referendum, it vatism in an interview with the Irish Times, saying that seemed to follow a new and shocking trend of Catholic he even opposed the legislation initially.

Ireland embracing diversity at speed.

Another major issue facing the LGBT+ comThe image of Varadkar as a progressive politician munity is that they are disproportionately affected is rooted almost exclusively in his identity as a gay by mental health issues. Last year, Varadkar cut the man of colour. Whilst on a representational level this mental health services budget significantly while the is absolutely a step forward for Irish politics, in terms country was experiencing a mental health crisis. of policy it does not translate to any positive action.

The Taoiseach is keen to distance himself from He has done nothing for the majority of Irish people his identity as a gay politician. It is incredible how of colour. His history on race issues is hardly a shining often his sexuality is brought up as a positive point example of inclusive politics. when he actively spoke out against LGBT+ people In 2008 he came under fire for suggesting that raising children during the debates around the Civil the State deport foreign workers by incentivising Partnership Legislation in 2010. “Every child has a them with ‘three or four or six months of benefits’ if right to a mother and father, and, as much as is posthey return to their home countries as a measure to sible, the State should vindicate that right” is not the decrease unemployment rates. He has failed to address stance one expects from the man celebrated for being the systemic abuse within direct provision, the system openly gay. Varadkar may be a gay man, but he is a for asylum seekers that has met consistent criticism conservative first. for its human rights abuses. He has done nothing to He has repeatedly emphasised that his sexuality aid immigration procedures nor has he addressed rac- “is just a part” of who he is and “doesn’t define” him. ism on any meaningful level, despite record numbers This stance is one strongly embraced by his supporters, of racist assaults. The European Network Against who see the dismissal of his sexuality as a progresRacism Ireland’s reports on racist abuses have shown sive step. Speaking to the University Observer, Conor a consistent rise since their launch in 2013, but the McGowan, chair of UCD Young Fine Gael, said “I lack of hate crime legislation in Ireland is seemingly really like the way his sexuality never came into the not on Varadakar’s agenda. A non-white Taoiseach is campaign. That it was just like, oh, okay, that’s fine. not an accomplishment for the progression of racial I think the best thing was that it was never a barrier.” equality when he fails to enact any policy changes that Perhaps his sexuality was not a barrier because Ireland aid ethnic minorities. has become more accepting. Maybe it was that he careSimilar metrics should be applied when analysing fully chose to draw little attention to it and focus on the just how progressive his status as an openly gay man truly defining aspects of his identity: privilege and class. is. Whilst representation of LGBT+ people matters, it Varadkar is first and foremost a conservative, who is a very small step when it has no impact on policy. is more ideologically aligned with a Christian elite than

the oppressed groups he is continuously connected to by his liberal supporters. He opposes abortion on demand, having previously stated that he is ‘pro-life’ and has repeatedly remarked on the 8th amendment in dismissive tones. In one radio interview, he compared women travelling to England to obtain abortions to people going to Las Vegas to gamble. Then again, empathy towards issues that largely affect women was hardly to be expected from the man who appointed a mere seven women to his cabinet of thirty-four.

He spearheaded the ‘Welfare Cheats Cheat Us All’ campaign earlier in the year, which attempted to bring attention to the issue of welfare fraud at a cost of over €160,000. It speaks volumes of his rigidly right-wing politics that he chose to focus on the economic cost of supporting those at the bottom rather than the lining of the pockets of the 1%. He is driving the argument

that it is the poor, the working class, the migrants who depend on State support who have caused economic turmoil as opposed to tax-avoiding corporations and banks.

Leo Varadkar is to young people, people of colour and the LGBT+ community what Thatcher was to women: a sign that you too can reach the top in spite of your marginalised status, as long as you have money, and the backing of the conservative 1%.

PHOTO CREDIT WILLIAM MURPHY VIA WIKIPEDIA

19TH SEPTEMBER 2017 9

FEATURES LESSER SPOTTED UCD: TUNNELS Although little is known about the vast network of underground tunnels that run underneath campus, myths and legends about their supposed purpose are rife among students. Gavin Tracey investigates the Newman part of this mystery and separates fact from fiction.

With the total number of students who attend UCD over 30,000, it is no surprise that it has its own collection of myths, legends, rumours and conspiracy theories, most of them based on UCD’s strange architectural quirks and oddities. While most of them turn out to be untrue, they tell us something about what the collective mind of UCD wants to be true about the college. We know that the lake was not installed to prevent riots, but rather for drainage, but we want it to be true so we can look back nostalgically at the student riots of the late 60s, almost proud of the fact that an actual lake was built to stop us from gathering.

The wide steps that force one to lurch down or lunge up are said also to be part of this riot proof design.

Perhaps the most mysterious of all these architectural quirks is the vast and sprawling network of subterranean tunnels that link most of the buildings together.

They stretch the entire length of campus, accessible from most of the larger buildings on campus, and they exit in seemingly random locations, from the front of the student centre to the back of the water tower. The UCD tunnel system is the subject of much speculation, but the most easily accessible tunnels are those beneath the arts block.

Perhaps the most mysterious of all these architectural quirks is the vast and sprawling network of subterranean tunnels that link most of the buildings together.

When students were asked just what they thought the tunnels were for, they came back with a plethora of answers, some grounded in reality, some a tad more fantastical. The prevailing belief is that they were built so that lecturers could escape if students started rioting, but there is no clear evidence to back up this claim. One student commented that the tunnels were a good “masturbation station,” but it is clear that this was not the intended use of the tunnels. One student seemed adamant it was to provide an escape in case of an IRA attack. When asked why the IRA would bomb a university in the republic, the student in

question responded “Sure you never know what those lads would be up to.” Another had heard rumours of a monster, some had heard rumours of a secretive UCD society that meets in the labyrinthine maze for unknown, yet still nefarious, reasons. In short, no one really seemed to know why they were there. And so, armed only with a small keychain torch, your trusted reporter took it upon himself to get to the bottom of it.

I decided to try out the Newman tunnels.

On either side of the two largest lecture halls are two cylindrical brick walls, waist high, descending into the depths of the building. No ‘keep out’ signs, no warnings, just a spiral staircase that leads you into a dark pit. As you continue down the stairs, the noise of students milling around, which you had not really been aware of before, slowly fades, and you become painfully conscious of the new-found silence around you. As you reach the bottom nearly all sound has died away, and before you stretch, it is a low-ceilinged tunnel, dimly lit.

As I go further in, my claustrophobic tendencies clash with my curiosity, resulting in me advancing in increasingly panicked fascination. It is only now I realise that perhaps I was not the best person to send on this assignment. I begin to hear murmurs, a soft voice. Could I have discovered the secret society? How will they react to an intruder? As it turns out this is just a lecture taking place in Theatre N above me, the door that resides just beside the stage at the top of the theatre is to my left. I fight my urge to burst into the hall Kramer style and continue further. Unfortunately, I reached an impasse, the tunnels are only accessible to the elite few it seems, not open for the student population to wander about freely. I make my way back up, scaring a student at the top of the stairwell in the process.

When we dug around into all the myths and legends surrounding them, we could find nothing. As is usually the case, the truth seems to be the simplest answer. The tunnels are there purely for maintenance reasons. There are no overhead cables running along campus, they are all routed underground through the tunnels. The lack of any information about them turns out not to be a vast conspiracy theory, but purely because there is not much to know about them. Yet the myths will continue, tied in to some strange narrative of student rebellion and covert activity, no matter how many times we are told that sometimes a maintenance tunnel is just a maintenance tunnel.

PHOTO CREDIT RUTH MURPHY

Moville

Annagry

Derry

Letterkenny

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Traveling home to

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Monaghan

Route A Route B

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STUDENT VOICES HARRY POTTER, BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER SINCE 1997 In wonderful world of wizardry, Megan McGrath, explores how Harry Potter has united the shy readers of this world.

PICTURE CREDIT: MEADHBH SHERIDAN

Harry Potter and the world created by J.K. Rowling is an international phenomenon, adored by witches and wizards of all ages. Ever since the first book was published in 1997, Harry Potter has been captivating fans and has brought together people from all walks of life. The universe J.K. Rowling has created within her novels emphasises the importance of friendship, loyalty, and acceptance. Characteristics which its fans embody wholeheartedly, making it easy to find friends wherever you go.

The Wizarding World has become so popular that clubs, societies, and conventions have been created to bring together fans of the franchise. Anyone who’s read the books or seen the movies will know of quidditch. A sport adored by witches and wizards in the Harry Potter universe. Real life quidditch teams have been formed all over the world to bring together fans of this fictional sport. A quidditch match is certainly an odd thing to watch, but it is a fun and active game (although sadly the brooms don’t actually fly).

LeakyCon is a convention specifically created for fans of Harry Potter. It gives fans a place to come together, to attend panels and discuss aspects of the franchise and to meet up with the stars from the movies. Danial Breen, Vice-Auditor of UCD’s Harry Potter society, attended this year’s LeakyCon in Dublin: “I thought the atmosphere of LeakyCon was great because you were surrounded by fans who are as passionate about this worldwide phenomenon as you are. I ended up talking to people who live near me and talking to them about college and all sorts. Also Evanna Lynch was so nice to meet. She was very kind and you could see the passion she had because she was a fan before becoming Luna, it was a great experience.”

So much good has been done by fans in the name of Harry Potter. They have come together through charity groups in order to help people all over the world. Lumos is one such group, set up by J.K. Rowling herself in 2005. Lumos works to help the

millions of children in institutions worldwide regain their right to a family.

Over the years I have heard the stories of so many Harry Potter fans and a common thing that always stands out for me is that many of them are generally shy people. I know this is certainly true for me. In many cases, it was their love for Harry Potter that gave them the confidence to talk to other fans and to make friends. I know Ciara Murphy Public Relations Officer for UCD’s Harry Potter society feels the same way. “It was just such a friendly and inclusive atmosphere that for me, who would’ve previously classed myself as shy, completely changed everything for me.”

In many cases, it was their love for Harry Potter that gave them the confidence to talk to other fans and to make friends.

I doubt when J.K. Rowling first dreamt up the story of The Boy Who Lived she realised what effect it would have on the rest of the world. The story of Harry Potter and J.K. Rowling’s fight to have his story told is inspirational and has impacted the lives of so many people.

Harry Potter is not just a franchise, it is a community of like-minded people brought together by their love of this amazing, magical world. So many lifelong friendships have been made over a shared love of the wizarding world of Harry Potter. And I hope that over the years to come more people will be drawn into this amazing world and will find the same welcoming environment as so many fans before them.

WHAT’S UP WITH PRONOUNS? In the confusing world of pronouns, Chloe Maguire Sedgwick, sheds some light on why they matter to them and why they should matter to you.

Transgender (trans) is an umbrella term for anyone who’s gender doesn’t align with the gender they were assigned at birth, non-binary people fall under the trans umbrella.

I’m Chloe, I’m non-binary, and my pronouns are they/them. This is a fact that angers and baffles many a person out there, and I’m here to tell you how to use them and why you need to use them.

First things first, what are pronouns? They’re the little words that let us know who you are referring to without you having to use a name each time. He/him pronouns typically refer to men, and she/her pronouns typically refer to women. This isn’t the case in all situations as what pronouns you use are a personal choice that is made for a whole rake of reasons. However, this common gendering of pronouns is the motivation behind why a lot of non-binary people use they/them pronouns, or other gender-neutral pronouns such as ze/ hir and ey/em.

In conversation, it just means that instead of saying “she/he has an excellent nose”, you would say “they have an excellent nose”. It’s a simple change in the words you use, that makes a big difference to the person you are using them for.

If you’re having difficulty using the correct pronouns for someone, practise. The issue a lot of people have with they/them pronouns is that they aren’t used to using them. This may be a reasonable explanation for a certain amount of slip-ups for a certain amount of time, but there’s a point where that excuse falls through.

It might take some time to get used to, and this why you have to actively try to get used to doing it.

More and more people are using they/them pronouns, and other pronouns you may not necessarily expect, so it’s a useful skill to get the hang of. It’s not okay to just ignore it and keep misgendering people because it has a significant impact on that person’s mental wellbeing.

Misgendering someone means that you are refer-

It’s not okay to just ignore it and keep misgendering people because it has a significant impact on that person’s mental wellbeing. ring to a trans person with the wrong name/pronoun/ gendered noun. If I was referred to as a girl or with she/her pronouns by someone, they would be misgendering me. If this isn’t a daily reality of your living situation, it can be difficult to understand how harmful it is. When your gender and the gender people assume of you align, being accidentally referred to with the wrong pronoun simply doesn’t hold the same weight.

The thing about being misgendered is that it physically hurts. The more I’m misgendered in a

PICTURE CREDIT: SAPNA SATYANARAYANA

situation, the quieter and quieter I get until I just can’t speak. Another useful term here is gender dysphoria.

And in particular for pronouns, social dysphoria is at play. Gender dysphoria is essentially the disconnect and discomfort trans people experience, in this case when being referred to incorrectly.

Gender dysphoria can result in anything from losing a sense of who you are, even outside of your gender, to physical symptoms like chest and stomach pains. It can be incredibly alienating to be called something that just doesn’t reflect who you are. Each trans person experiences dysphoria differently, but the general consensus that unites us is that it is Not Fun. That’s why if you are asked your pronouns in a situation; don’t say “just use whatever” if you know that people are going to refer to you correctly. It makes trans people sound unreasonable when they have a specific pronoun (or pronouns) they need you to use, that people would not otherwise use.

Also don’t joke about even being okay with being referred to as “it”. Again, it makes us seem unreasonable, like asking you to use they/them pronouns for us is as bizarre as calling a person “it” (a term we can all recognise as dehumanising).

What I have found in my journey of transness is that the best way to find out someone’s pronouns is to introduce yourself with your own name and pronouns.

This doesn’t place the burden on the person you’re talking to. It’s best to make a habit of introducing yourself this way, instead of leaving it to when you

think you might be talking to a trans person.

The important thing to note here is that all trans people are different, and we don’t all look the same. I don’t have a sign on my head letting people know I’m non-binary, and I also don’t glow a nice neon yellow colour to signal to people that I use they/them pronouns. You can’t make assumptions about someone’s pronouns much like you can’t make assumptions about someone’s name.

It’s a simple change in the words you use, that makes a big difference to the person you are using them for.

My last two pieces of advice are 1. Use people’s pronouns even when they aren’t around, it’s just disrespectful to do otherwise and 2. If you don’t know whether someone is comfortable with having their pronouns used in all situations, ask them to find out how best to proceed.

My overall message: respect people’s pronouns!

19TH SEPTEMBER 2017 11

SCIENCE THE GROWING ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN MENTAL HEALTH: HOW SILICONE CIRCUITS ARE CHANGING NEURAL ONES Technology is a double-edged sword. Mairead Boland explores how we can use it to our advantage in the treatment of mental illnesses.

In recent years a lot of media attention has been focused on the negative effects that technology can have on our mental health. Attention is mostly paid to how children and teenagers suffer from cyber bullying, and how excessive time spent on social media has been found to result in a negative body image. Studies have even found a link between social media use and a desire for plastic surgery. The website Psychology Today recently reported that over 60% of us experience feelings of jealousy or inadequacy on a daily basis by comparing ourselves to others on Facebook. This constant feeling of jealousy can lead to low self-esteem and depression. These issues are bound to become ever more pressing in our increasingly technological society.

Less attention is paid however to the many positive ways in which technology can be used to enhance our mental health. Technology is increasingly being used to treat mental illnesses.

One such technology is referred to as computerized Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or “cCBT” for short. It has been shown to be very effective in the treatment of schizophrenia, anxiety, mild to moderate depression, and some phobias.

With the growing prevalence of smartphones in mind, professionals working in mental health areas have begun to develop apps which can be used by people suffering from anxiety and depression. Users of the app Beating the Blues complete 8 hour long lessons, which are designed to help them change their behaviour and focus on doing activities they enjoy. It helps users to make a plan and motivate themselves to carry out enjoyable activities. It also contains videos of people who have used the app before so that users know they are not alone in feeling depressed or anxious. Beating the Blues has been very successful and

is currently being recommended by G.Ps in Ireland.

Fear Fighter is an application similar to Beating the Blues. It consists of nine steps which help users to overcome their fears. It even provides exposure therapy, which allows users of the app to simulate being exposed to their fear frequently enough so that over time the fear diminishes. Another promising digital method of mental health treatment is Avatar Therapy, the pilot study of which is currently being carried out in UCL. The aim of Avatar Therapy is to reduce the severity and rate of voices hallucinated by sufferers of schizophrenia. The program works by allowing the person to create an avatar and assign it to a voice which speaks to them. A therapist can speak to the patient through the avatar and coach them about how to control the voice. The idea is that when the user hears voices in their day-to-day life, they have built up the ability to confront them, and in doing so, diminish their power. This study is especially promising as it has been found to be more effective than current pharmacological treatments for schizophrenia.

There has also been a recent surge in research into the use of cCBT to treat eating disorders on university campuses. One study aimed to use cCBT to increase awareness of the risks associated with eating disorders and to prevent symptom progression of anorexia and bulimia. It also aimed to improve body image. In a small scale study on University Campuses, it was found that participants had less severe symptoms of eating disorders when compared with a control group who did not get cCBT. Computerised Cognitive Behavioural Therapy has some notable advantages over traditional CBT. One of the primary advantages is that it can be delivered on-demand. Somebody who is suffering from

depression can log onto their computer, tablet or smartphone, and use an app whenever they are feeling low, rather than waiting for an appointment to see a therapist. Additionally, it can be used by those who do not live near a therapist, or who are not feeling confident enough to attend a therapist. It is also far less expensive than visiting a therapist.

It is likely that the popularity of cCBT will continue

to grow as more research bears out its effectiveness.

The treatment method is already being recommended by therapists and G.Ps in numerous countries. Given that this is a new tool in mental health, there are likely ways in which it has yet to be exploited. It appears that in the near future computerised forms of therapy may supplement traditional therapy, and may make therapy an affordable and accessible option for thousands of people.

WHY SHOULD WE BE WORRIED ABOUT AI? We have been living with computers for decades – why fear their improvement? Stephen Naughton investigates.

Elon Musk, chief of Tesla and SpaceX has long voiced his worries about the development of Artificial Intelligence, while continually calling for legislative regulation in the field. In contrast with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s recent declaration that people need not worry, Musk is both passionate about AI and its capabilities, while concerned for human safety. AI is a broad field of research spanning self-driving cars and search engines to image and face recognition, video gaming and chat robots. It uses learning algorithms in neural networks to advance its own capabilities. These networks are based loosely on how the human brain operates, and they allow a computer to learn and problem solve when given objectives.

The concern Musk holds is that AI today can learn to succeed in many tasks much quicker and often far better than any human can. Facebook’s face recognition is now better than that of a human. Autonomous vehicles have lower error rates than human drivers.

Google can not only describe the contents of an image, but also search images based on description.

Even more startling, a recent paper showed that AI is capable of synthesising images from descriptions as well as human voices, faces, and expressions.

The computer programme Deep Blue famously defeated chess Grandmaster Gary Kasparov in 1997.

From that moment on, human chess players were to be forever inferior to their digital counterparts. In May of this year, Google’s AphaGo AI beat the world’s top player of the ancient Chinese game Go for the first time. Go differs from chess in that the number of possible board configurations far outnumbers anything that could be calculated by a computer in a reasonable timeframe. For this reason, experienced players say that the game is played by intuition rather than logical deduction. Indeed, the chess computer that beat Kasparov in 1997 did so by quickly computing all possible moves on each turn, then making the move to which it assigned the highest probability of game victory. This brute computational power is not feasible in a game like Go, where, to quote the national lottery: the possibilities are endless. This was claimed to make the game difficult for AI, but all that was changed this year.

The power of AI goes beyond board games, however. Recently, Danylo Ishutin, a professional player of the computer game Defense of the Ancients

12 ISSUE 1, VOLUME XXIV

2, was defeated by an AI robot. What took Ishutin 12 years to master, only took the self-learning robot eight months to perfect. One startling point made by Ishutin in a post-match interview was that the robot was using strategies “never seen before.” It made fools of some players by playing “baiting” strategies learned from opponents. The robot attempted to trick its attackers into thinking it has been weakened, when in fact it has laid out traps for them.

Another example of computer cleverness is given by Youtuber ‘sentdex’, who created an AI robot (named Charles) which learned how to drive by itself in the 2013 Grand Theft Auto V video game. Through a deep-learning neural network, Charles went from not knowing how to steer, accelerate or understand what a crash is, to avoiding the game’s police down crowded streets at speed. It learned what it could crash into, what it had to avoid, and how to reverse out of a collision. It could even shoot rockets to clear its path. On a disturbing note, the learning behaviour of the robot was uncannily like that of a human driver.

Charles appeared curious, especially when confronted with novel situations.

Why should all this be cause for alarm? These are just games, after all. The answer to this question is that games are about achieving objectives. The best players are those who complete the objective in the most efficient way, whether by doing it the fastest, or with the highest score, or whatever is the highest-order goal of the game. The issue with AI arises when in order to achieve the highest-order goal, it disregards what to us are common sense lower-order goals.

A humourous example of this runaway effect is of an AI which is told to stop all spam emails. A good objective, no doubt, but not when the AI’s way of doing this is by killing everybody in the planet. Sure, a world without people is a world without spammers, but we have higher goals than “spam should be gone”.

Human survival cannot be subordinate to other goals.

Concerns like this are the reason why people like Elon Musk are investing tens of millions of dollars into AI safety research. Computers are becoming increasingly efficient, and as they learn how to learn, we will soon cease to be able to predict how they will achieve their goals. As our technology advances, discussion about this topic is likely to heat up in the years ahead.

On a disturbing note, the learning behaviour of the robot was uncannily like that of a human driver. It appeared curious, especially when confronted with novel situations.

SCIENCE SAVING AFRICAN WILD DOGS Aoife Hardesty talks to zoologist Holly English about her work with African Wild Dogs. pressure amongst others. Recording this information allows the team “to collect information on animal behaviour, as well as [tracking their] movement.” For English’s project she collaborates with London Zoo and is using the data loggers on African wild dogs living in the zoo. “By matching the outputs of these data loggers with behavioural observations and CCTV footage, we can construct a sort of behaviour guide, so that when these data loggers are deployed on freeroaming African wild dogs in the future, we can figure out what they were doing, even when they were out of sight!”

The benefit of data loggers such as the Daily Diary is that “these collars can teach us not only where animals go and how long they spend there, but what they’re doing and where they’re doing it. We can build a picture of animal behaviour when there are no human observers that might cause study subjects to act abnormally. These profound insights into animal behaviour can be hugely informative to conservation efforts.”

For African wild dogs, the collars will enable researchers to “learn about hunting patterns and strategies, and how these vary depending on whether the pack has pups. The Daily Diary’s temperature and light sensors can be used to tie in with current research investigating climate change impacts on this species, by assessing shade-seeking behaviour and activity levels at different environmental temperatures.”

At the time I interviewed English, she was in Brazil, attempting to discover how “this work on wild dogs can be applied to other members of the canid family.” English describes the Brazil project as “expanding [her] canine repertoire,” she is working with

three different canine species; “the maned wolf, the crab-eating fox, and the pampas fox. The maned wolf is roughly the same size as an African wild dog, but these species live very different lives. Wild dogs live in packs and are strictly carnivorous, whereas maned wolves are solitary and up to 50% of their diet can be made up of fruit. Comparing these species with the much smaller, omnivorous crab-eating and pampas foxes can potentially tell us a lot about broad patterns of movement and behaviour seen across the canid family, and how these vary with body size and feeding ecology.”

Inspired by these dogs from a young age, English has worked hard to get to the point of being a

grown-up achieving her dream. Her love for African wild dogs has never wavered. She describes seeing a pack in South Africa and being “in awe of how hardy they are. Two individuals [in the pack] were missing a back leg each, despite this they were still able to take part in hunts!”

She thinks part of why her love for the dogs has never wavered is because “they were that first spark of inspiration that started me on this journey into zoology.

A journey that began the day I first watched a documentary about African wild dogs, and will hopefully continue for many years to come.”

PHOTO CREDIT HOLLY ENGLISH

As children we all have big dreams about where we’ll be when we’re grown-ups. We dream of the exciting jobs we’ll have and aspire to be the coolest person ever.

For zoologist Holly English, her dream as a ten-year old has come true, she is now a zoologist working with African Wild Dogs. At the age of ten, English “happened across a documentary on African wild dogs. I’d never heard of them and according to the documentary they were endangered. So in the way that children do, I casually decided I was going to save them.”

African wild dogs are a canine species that live in desert and arid regions of South and East Africa. Their colour varies between individuals and it is thought that this allows the dogs to recognise each other by sight at distances of 50m to 100m. As English grew up and learned more and more about the dogs, she became fascinated by “their pack structure and social behaviour.” She chose to do a masters degree which would allow her to do as much independent research as possible. The best part she says “is collecting my very own data on African wild dogs. Not only because that’s something I’ve wanted for a very long time, but also because of the feeling of triumph it brought after encountering numerous pitfalls early on in my masters.

An important lesson in all of this for me was learning how often and the extent to which research can go wrong. So maybe the second best part has been learning to adapt and persevere!”

English’s project is based in a lab that “uses very sophisticated data loggers to study fine scale animal movement” these data loggers are worn as collars by the dogs. In the lab they are referred to as “Daily Diaries.” The data loggers can record 40 data points per second, and record speed, temperature and

BABY, I’M AN ADDICT – WHAT DOES SCIENCE UNDERSTAND ABOUT ADDICTION? Is addiction a failure of will or a disease of the brain? Su Wei Ng investigates.

Is addiction a failure of will or a chronic illness? This question has been the subject of much debate over the years. Addiction can become all-consuming regardless of the legal status of the drugs involved. Severe health deterioration, and emotional and psychological damage are just some of the effects associated with patterns of addictive drug use. Over time, addicts become less able to perform day-to-day activities, and their routines can be thrown into disarray. Nonetheless, some individuals still maintain their habit regardless of these effects. The reasons for this are of central importance to those trying to understand addiction.

According to United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, more than 200,000 people worldwide die every year from drug abuse and drug related diseases such as HIV and hepatitis. About 1 in 20 adults worldwide is addicted to alcohol

Addiction was believed to be a failure of will back in the 1930s. In this model, it was viewed as a failure of morals on the part of the addict, simply a lack of self-control. By the comparatively enlightened 1980s, researcher William Willbanks had proposed three main models of addiction: the moral model, the learning model, and the medical model. These models differed mainly in the causes they attributed to drug use, and the degree to which they acknowledged the role of free will. The moral model of addiction posited that addiction is a choice based on poor values or a choice made by individuals with low moral standards. In contrast to this, the medical model interpreted addiction as a desire which is completely out of the addict’s control.

The learning model viewed addiction as a result of

choices made by individuals who was influenced by their surroundings and environmental factors.

“Addiction is a brain disease,” Alan Leshner declared in Science in 1997. This view heralded the new scientific consensus on the issue, and led to addiction being recognised as a chronic illness which alters the brain structure and functions, rather than a moral failing. This new outlook was supported by researchers who had critiqued the old model of addiction for not considering the issue of relapse, and for ignoring the physiological effects of drugs, and the sociological backgrounds of addicts. The scientific consensus surrounding the causes and maintaining factors of addiction changed mainly as a result of the medical profession’s growing knowledge of the physiological factors associated with addiction. Addiction was increasingly perceived as a disease, specifically, a brain disease which progressed over time.

More is being learned about the neurology of substance abuse, too. Neuroscientists have discovered significant changes in brain anatomy, chemistry, and cell-to-cell signalling in the brains of addicts.

Antonello Bonci, a neurologist at the National Institute on Drug Abuse in the US, defined addiction as a form of pathological learning. This learning is thought to be mediated by the neural mechanisms responsible for craving and pleasure in the brain’s reward system.

More specifically, the neurotransmitter dopamine has been heavily implicated in addiction. Dopamine serves several important roles in the brain and body, one of which is the strengthening of the circuitry that augments response to pleasure in a brain region called the nucleus accumbens. In addition to this, neuroscientists have discovered that the most abundant excitatory neurotransmitter in the vertebrate nervous system, glutamate, also plays a role in addictive behaviour. Glutamate’s role in synaptic plasticity means that it is responsible for cognitive functions like memory and learning. These functions take place in the prefrontal cortex at the front of the brain. However, this seemingly benign role can take a nasty turn when glutamate interacts with dopamine in the brain’s reward system. With repeated exposure to an addictive substance resulting in interaction of nerve cells in the nucleus accumbens and the prefrontal cortex, these

neurotransmitters work together to build an addiction.

According to United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, more than 200,000 people worldwide die every year from drug abuse and drug related diseases such as HIV and hepatitis. About 1 in 20 adults worldwide is addicted to alcohol. While substance abuse is relatively easy to track, there is less numerical data available for other compulsive activities, such as gambling. Neuroscientists hope that by studying the brain mechanisms underlying addictive behaviour, effective treatments may eventually emerge for all kinds of addictions, drug-induced and otherwise. The shift from old ‘moral’ model of addiction, to the new neurological model is the result of a greater understanding of these mechanisms. It marks a new era in the dispassionate treatment of addictions, and the compassionate treatment of addicts.

The scientific consensus surrounding the causes and maintaining factors of addiction changed mainly as a result of the medical profession’s growing knowledge of the physiological factors associated with addiction.

19TH SEPTEMBER 2017 13

GAEILGE AG EITILT SAN AER Téann Garrett O’Cinnéide ag taiscéalaíocht i ndomhan na haerlínte buiséadacha I 1992 ní raibh ach grúpa beag aerlínte a d’úsáid Aerfort Bhaile Áth Cliath gach seachtain. Ní raibh tú in ann eitilt ach go 36 cathair éagsúla san Eoraip. Sa lá atá inniu ann, is féidir leat eitilt go 127 ceantar éagsúla san Eoraip agus go leor eile taobh amuigh de. Cad is cúis leis an athrú tobann seo? Cuid mhaith dó ná polasaithe an Aontais Eorpaigh agus cumhacht an saormhargaidh chun úsáid a bhaint astu.

Cúig bliain is fiche ó shin d’fhógair an Coimisiún Eorpach polasaí nua ar a chuir siad Spéartha Oscailte.

Go bunúsach b’é polasaí chun an margadh eitlíocht a dhírialáil. Ní gá dul ró dhomhain isteach sna staitisticí chun a fheiceáil cé comh éifeachtach is a bhí an polasaí seo. I 1992 bheadh eitilt ó Milan go Páras 25 uair níos costasaí ná a bheadh sé inniu. Síos ó chostas €400 go €15. Deir go leor daoine gurb é ceann de na polasaithe is fearr a bhí ag an gCoimisiún ríomh. Fiú Michael O’Leary, ceannaire Ryanair, fear a deir gur “morons” iad an Coimisiún Eorpach agus a ghlaoigh “the evil empire” ar an mBruiséil, gurb é “the stand out achievement of the EU over the last 25 years. It has lowered airfares and enabled citizens to travel freely all over Europe”.

Is dócha go bhfuil cúis faoi leith go bhfuil tuairim comh flaithiúil aige ar an bpolasaí. Tá sé mar gheall ar an bpolasaí seo gur rugadh na haerlínte buiséadacha atá aithne againn ar fad inniu orthu. Aerlínte ar nós Ryanair agus Easyjet lena bhfuil tú in ann eitilt timpeall na hEorpa ar chostas níos ísle ná ticéad traeineach uaireanta. Roimh an polasaí b’fhíor annamh an rud é go n-eithleodh daoine. Bhí sé seo roimh laethanta an Tíogair Ceilteach agus ní raibh an t-airgead ag daoine chun deireadh seachtain a chaitheamh i bPáras nó in Amsterdam mar a dhéantar go han-mhinic inniu.

Dá mba rud é go bhfuil breis fianaise á lorg agat don ceangailt idir an polasaí seo agus fás na haerlínte buiséadacha féach ar an am ar bhunú iad. Bunú Easyjet i 1995 agus anois is iad an aerlíne is mó sa Bhreatain.

Ceann eile nár chloiseadh mórán faoi roimhe seo ach atá ag teacht go mór chun tosaigh ná Norwegian.

Bunaíodh iad i 1993 agus is iad an tríú aerlíne is mó san Eoraip anois. Is dócha nach bhfuil Ryanair nó Easyjet ró-shásta leis an bhfás sin ach táim cinnte go bhfeabhsóidh an iomaíocht caighdéan na seirbhíse agus praghasanna don tomhaltóir.

Dar ndóigh níl na comhlachtaí seo gan conspóid.

Bíonn Ryanair sna nuachtáin go rialta mar gheall ar gach straitéis sprionlaithe a chumann siad. Le déanaí bhí an t-athrú ina bpolasaithe i leith málaí. Roimhe sin bhí daoine ag gearán faoin chostas chun síocháin a roghnú. Níos faide siar bhí conspóid nuair a dúirt siad go mbeadh ar phaisinéirí táille a íoc chun na leithris ar an eitleán a úsáid. Freisin bíonn cumha ag daoine go rialta do seanlaethanta Aerlingus ina gheofá béile ar gach eitilt agus ní raibh ort íoc chun mála a iompar.

In ainneoin an conspóid agus an cumha ar fad áfach is léir go bhfuil cúrsaí taistil níos fearr ná a raibheadar riamh don tomhaltóir agus do na gnólactaí.

Don tomhaltóir tá praghasanna íslithe, tá roghanna ardaithe, agus cabhraíonn an breis éascaíocht taistil go mór leis an ngeilleagar go ginearálta. Do na gnólachtaí tá margadh ollmhór acu nach raibh ann roimhe agus freisin dá bharr tá siad in ann na céadta daoine breise a phostú nach raibheadar roimh 1992.

Faraor tá cúis ann gur chóir dúinn a bheith buartha faoi todhchaí an mhargaidh seo. Is é sin an tionchar a mbeidh ag Brexit ar na haerlínte. Braitheann cúrsaí go mór ar an gcomhaontú a thagann an Bhreatain agus an

AE chuige ach tá faitíos ar go leor daoine go gcaillfidh Ryanair agus aerlínte eile a gcead isteach go moil tábhachtacha atá acu sa Bhreatain. Beidh an éifeacht ar aerlínte an Bhreatain níos measa fós. Tá seans ann nach mbeidh cead acu cuid mhaith aerfoirt Eorpacha a úsáid dá mba rud é nach dtagann siad chuig comhaontú.

Fiú dá mba rud é go bhfaigheann siad comhaontú éigin tá sé beag nach cinnte go mbeidh roinnt cearta caillte acu. Is é an fianaise do seo ná nach bhfuil ach seacht as

na naoi príomh cearta ag Swiss Airlines. Go bunúsach ciallaíonn sé sin go bhfuil ar gach eitilt a dhéanann siad dul ó nó chuig an Eilbhéis. Chuirfeadh sé sin srian ollmhór ar a sciar den mhargadh agus bheadh sé go dona do gheilleagar an Bhreatain go ginearálta.

Is léir gur ré an-tábhachtach í seo i leith todhchaí an mhargaidh eitlíocht san Eoraip ach pé rud a tharlaíonn beidh cúrsaí i bhfad níos fearr ná a bhí roimh 1992.

ILLUSTRATION BY MEADHBH SHERIDAN

CÉ COMH TÁBHACHTACH AGUS ATÁ DRONNUILLEOG ÉADAIGH? Déanann Niamh O Regan beagáinín machnamh ar bhratacha agus conas mar a chaithtear leo.

Is mór an caint ar bhratacha i láthair na huaire, idir stair na mbratacha éagsúil i SAM agus Baineann tábhacht ar leith le bratacha agus baineann samhaltas ar leith leo. Is annamh a cruthaítear brat trí thimpiste nó gan comhairle. Bratach na Ríocht Aontaithe mar shampla, meascán de cheithre bratach difriúil. Bratach na hÉireann; glas ar son na náisiúnaithe, oráiste ar son na aontachtóirí agus an bán atá eatarthu mar an féidirtheacht agus an dóchas go mbeidh síochán agus aontas idir an dhá pobail lá éigin.

Tá ómós bainte leis an bhratach i mórán áiteanna, ach in ainneoin an tábhacht soiléir seo, ní hannamh go bhfeictear an bhratach i mí-úsáid nó an truailliú i slí éigin. Tá dhá saghas de thruailliú ann, an truailliú a bhaineann le caitheamh aníos ar grúpa daoine, agus an truailliú eile a tarlaíonn nuair a úsáidtear an bhratach i slí dearfach.

Ar thoradh ar a dtábhacht, tá nósmhaireacht áirithe maidir le bratacha. Tá bun nósmhaireacht leis an cuid is mó dóibh; ní bhíonn an bhratach ar an talamh riamh, é má’s rud é go bhfuil an brat crochta bun os cionn is minic gur comhartha é go bhfuil an tír in ancair. Tá slí cuí is ceart le gach brat maidir le conas gur cheart í a chrochadh (cuid acu iompaithe go cothrománach cuid eile go ceartingearach). Bíonn rialacha ann maidir leis an slí go n-iomptar í, an modh go bhfilltear í, rialacha maidir leis an próiséas ceart í a ardú agus a ísliú. Nuair atá an bhratach síonchaite, ní cheart í a úsáid a thuilleadh. Ní haon ábhar grinn é prótacal na bratachaí. Is mórán tír ann go mbíonn leabhráinín beag ar fáil ina leagtar amach an prótacal agus leantar é go cruinn agus go dáiríre.

Is siombail de thír é an bhrat, ach is siombail a dearadh ag am difriúil, le míniú difriúil. Bheinn á rá go bhfuil tábhacht leis toisc gur oll-siombail de náisiúin é nó oll siombail de stát, agus é mar samhlú a bhainnean leis an stát ina iomláine, ach cad má’s rud é nach bhfuil cion agat ar an stát, nó ar an náisiúin, sa cás go bhfuil an brat dearaithe i slí a eisiann do mhuintir nó sa cás nach mbaineann and siombalachas leat in aon slí? Má mhaslaíonn an bhratach do chás, cén fáth go mbeadh meas agat uirthi? Ag an am céanna, nuair a déantar iarracht tír nó náisiúin a mhaslú trí brat a loit, tá tuiscint á thaispeáint go bhfuil tábhacht bainteach leis an bhrat i slí éigin. Is masla agus drochbhéas ollmhór é bratach a dhó.Tá an méid sin de thábhacht agus de siombalachas bainte le brataigh go bhfuil sé anois do-dhéanta bratach a dhó mar agóid i gcoinne stát éigin. Bhí an méid seo le feiscint le linn an feachtas i bhfábhar Brexit; bhí fonn ar dhuine éigin bratach an Aontas Eorapach a dhó, ach ní raibh an bhratach faoi bharr lasrach ar chor ar bith.

Bíonn bratacha in úsáid ag cluichí spórt agus le linn agóide polaitíochta. Aithnítear bratach go hidirnáisiúnta, mar an t-aon rud reatha faoin tír, athraítear na ceannairí agus uaireannta na teangacha, ach fanann an bhratach. I gcomhthéacs an spórt is í an bhrat an slí is fosa an lucht tacaíochta a aithint ach cé go n-úsáidtear iad chun tacaíocht agus alliance a thaispeáint, is minic go bíonn an bhratach truaillithe de thoradh ar scríbhneoireacht, nó maisiúchán eile uirthi. Cuirtear ina leith, go bhfuil meas iomlán acu ar a dtír agus tuigeann siad tábhacht an bhratach i gcomhthéacs aitheantas, ach nuair a bhristear leis an prótacal, loitear an bhrat agus caithtear drochmheas uirthi. Fiú mura mbíonn annuraim i gceist d’aon ghnó, is í sin an torradh.

Cad má’s rud é nach bhfuil cion agat ar an stát, nó ar an náisiúin, sa cás go bhfuil an brat dearaithe i slí a eisiann do mhuintir nó sa cás nach mbaineann and siombalachas leat in aon slí?

Is minic comh maith go núsáidtear bratacha le linn agóidí polaitíochta, ar nós go bhfuil an tír ina iomláine ag tabhairt tacaíochta don chúis, fiú mura bhfuil. Is minic go bhfuil mórán daoine i dtacaíocht leis agus nach bhfuil fadhb ann, ach nuair atá a mhalairt i gceist.

Ag derieadh an lae, is é an fadhb atá ann ná nach rud pearsanta í an bhratach. Is cuid den Stát í, ní cuid den rialtais ach an Stát é féin. Ní tógtar bun ábhar an stát agus athraítear an comhdhéanamh de don chraic.

Baineann an bhratach leis an náisiúin, agus gan dabht baineann sé leis an saoranach, ach ní hé sin an rud céanna le seilbh a bheith ar rud éigin. Tá an argóint eile ann gan dabht, faoin easpa tábhacht atá ag bratach.

Ní ach cearnóg daite éadaigh atá i gceist, agus ar cúis éigin, ba cheart go mbeidh ollmheas ag daoine uirthi.

Seachas an bhratach áfach, cad eile atá ag tír ar bith a dealraíonn ó gach aon tír eile í?

PHOTO BY TOM PAGE

14 ISSUE 1, VOLUME XXIV

BUSINESS THE BRILLIANT BUSINESS OF CELEBRITY FEUDS With Taylor Swift continuing her fury against other artists, Ciarán Busby, looks at how feuds create profits. smiley emoji under an Instagram photo of Brown’s ex-girlfriend. Tweets were tweeted, and shots were fired, culminating with the two announcing that they had signed a contract to partake in a three-round pay per view boxing match. Even though the perceived fight of the year never transpired, a combination of the debacle over the internet and the resulting traditional media attention served to advertise the pair’s personal brands.

Diss tracks began as genuine disputes, sometimes tragically leading to real-life murders during the 80s and 90s with gangster rappers spitting rhymes of spite towards each other, dividing neighbourhoods and coasts alike. Drama associated with two warring factions has long been the subject of public interest, and the success of rap battles can be attributed to the human thirst for gossip.

is What You Came For.” For Jay-Z and Kanye, the two considered each other brothers before West threw around lewd comments on stage towards Jay-Z’s family, as well as calling out Jay-Z for lyrics on his single, “Kill Jay-Z,” supposedly meant as a dig at West.

The point I’m trying to make is that in 2012, when the war between Perry and Swift began, Taylor made the most opening week record sales of anyone in a decade. That same year, Perry re-released her bestselling album, “Teenage Dream” after only two years of its initial release. In 2014, Swift and Perry had their biggest rift, which culminated in Swift’s best-selling album to date. Not to mention the allegations accused

by Kanye of “Kill Jay-Z”, driving views to both YouTube and other streaming services by consumers deciding for themselves whether there was a case of shade being thrown.

In more recent times, examples of this celebritfeud (marketing campaign conspiracy) has come to a strange climax. Chris Brown and Soulja Boy became sworn enemies after the latter commented a

Record labels, noticing these trends, began to collaborate in a win-win scenario driving sales of their artist’s tracks and boost their fame or infamy, depending on the star. Retreating to the comfort of Taylor Swift’s example, her most recent hit “Look What You Made Me Do,” is a direct offensive to Swift’s adversaries.

Without individually naming any one artist, Swift has built her brand well enough, that even on a surfacedeep analysis of the video or lyrics, the audience can easily understand that this track is supposed to poke fun at her plethora of foes. Not to mention the obvious self-deprecating representation of her past-selves, a blatant mockery of those who have criticised Swift over the duration of her career.

In an ever-challenging industry, to market effectively it isn’t unheard of for artists to find increasingly creative ways to generate buzz. For the promotion of Kanye Wests “Yeezus” album in 2013, the star resorted to projecting his music video for “New Slaves” on 66 unique buildings across the globe.

This publicity stunt garnered West worldwide

assuming Hendricks small batch to be the leader in a secretive entry to the populous mind-set. Starbucks were huge early adopters of the stealth marketing and UGC concepts, actively miss-spelling names of customers on their takeaway coffee cups, leading to the obligatory, “Oh they got my name wrong, lol” post.

More time will tell if more artists follow this trend, or if any personalities slip up and reveal the brilliant business of celebrity feuds as fact. As for now, it remains no more than an educated guess. However, if I were the marketing manager of an international celebrity, I would surely capitalise on the free publicity gained from this straightforward and fruitful avenue.

A SHIFT IN IRISH NIGHTLIFE With many nightclubs permanently closing their doors, Daniel Forde, looks at the reasons for this depression in Irish nightlife.

The nightclub scene in Ireland has been experiencing some difficulty in the past few years. A range of different factors has made it harder for nightclubs to appeal to the masses and maintain success. As early as 2008, 37% of nightclubs had reportedly closed in the country.

In 2011 it was also reported that 25% of clubs had closed across the nation, cutting over 600 jobs.

This decline has continued to the present day, as seen in the recent closure of many once prominent nightclubs. In Dublin alone, venues that were once staples of the nightlife scene such as Hangar, the Twisted Pepper, and Palace have either shut down completely or moved to a different location. There is still the traditional mix of Copper’s, Diceys and all the other venues centred around Harcourt Street, but the number of alternatives is steadily shrinking.

One reason attributed to this decrease is the Irish licensing laws. At the moment the Intoxicating Liquor Acts of 2003 and 2008 regulate the hours by which both pubs and nightclubs can operate. Pubs can now stay open until 2:30 am in most cases. This, however, means that a nightclub is competing with pubs for its customers for most of the night. Dublin seems to have this easier than most other cities in Ireland with numerous clubs managing to stay open until 4 am or even 5 am in some instances. In places like Cork however, where most clubs close their doors around 2 am this puts them in competition with pubs.

The 2008 Act has also made conditions for Sunday very difficult also. Clubs have to close at 1 am on a Sunday, again severely confining their possible service hours. As a result of this, many nightclubs have little actual incentive to open on a Sunday, and few do. This change further impacts their profitability as Sunday is traditionally a time when those in the service industry

finish their working week, and by closing around this period, a whole potential source of demand is left unsupplied.

The new licensing laws have also notably raised costs for nightclubs. The introduction of new Special Exemption Order (SEO) fees has strained the potential to keep costs down. Under old legislation, venues could apply for Theatre Licenses at the expense of €270 per night. Clubs could stay open until 3:30 am for seven nights a week. With the introduction of the 2008 Act, the government abolished the theatre licence and the rules became stricter and much more expensive.

Now clubs, like late night bars, have to apply for each exemption which only lets them stay open until 2:30 am. Coupled with this is the new cost of SEOs at €410, meaning that the total cost for a club merely being allowed to open its doors could be up to €148,000 for the year. That great expense must also be considered along with any overhead costs associated with running a nightclub. A notable outcome of this is the loss of innovation. Clubs have little room to reinvent their offerings due to the steep costs, and venues that are offering something different, such as Hangar, have had to close.

Finally, one more factor that has adversely affected nightclubs appeal is the change in attitudes amongst the younger generation. In regards to dating for example, with the rise of apps like Tinder. Nightclubs and bars are no longer the sole venues in which to find a romantic hook up. Now that technology allows people to meet other singles nearby, it is easy to see why it would be harder for nightclubs to attract customers.

Furthermore, nightclubs have also lost the reputation as a source for new music. With streaming services now widely available and host of other options on the

PICTURE CREDIT BYPUBLICDOMAINPICTURES.NET

PHOTO VIA WIKIPEDIA

Record labels, noticing these trends, began to collaborate in a win-win scenario driving sales of their artist’s tracks and boost their fame or infamy, Across the depending on the star. board there has In the background of most celebrity feuds is a friendship, which has been tumultuous at times. In the been an increase in case of Tay-Tay and Katy Perry, the pair were longstealth marketing time friends before eventually falling out over song accreditation in 2012-13. “What was the song?” -I campaigns feeding hear you UCD denizens exclaim with inquisitiveness.

None other than Calvin Harris’s chart-topping “This businesses.

attention. In an evolving and receptive market, the same obtrusive and over the top ideas may not continue to work. This truth is the main reason as to why the simplicity and stealth of quarrels work to advertise, build brands and gain media attention of both traditional and modern channels. User-generated content (UGC) may sound like a buzz word, but it is core to the future principles of e-commerce. If record-labels manage to tap into this emerging concept, they will without a doubt continue to dominate the feeds of every Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram user with individual users’ own musings on the matter.

In any case, across the board there has been an increase in stealth marketing campaigns feeding businesses. Gin, has developed itself to become one of the most popular spirits in recent times, with most

PHOTO VIA WIKIMEDIA

Taylor Swift and Katy Perry, Jay-Z and Kanye, Chris Brown and Soulja Boy. All these names have much more than celebrity status connecting them. While this article to some may sound as though it delves into conspiracy theory, I can assure you, it is only meant as a comment on how there could indeed be a stellar marketing strategy behind it.

internet, young people stay in to find new music rather than go out. DJs are no longer the vanguards of emerging taste. Nightclubs no longer have the same hold on young people’s attention that they used to.

All of these factors mean that the nightclub scene in Ireland is underwhelming especially when compared with its European counterparts. Other cities, such as London and Berlin, do not have the same problems with licensing laws and have a greater variety of venues on offer. Nevertheless, the problem is not insurmountable. As Craig Connolly, owner of The Building Society, recently noted: “Irish nightlife will continue to slump until laws change.” A greater nightclub scene would be of benefit to Irish tourism and would increase jobs. However, until all this changes the future appears uncertain. With such adverse conditions for success, the nightclub industry is now a case of survival of the fittest.

With the introduction of the 2008 Act, the government abolished the theatre licence and the rules became stricter and much more expensive.

19TH SEPTEMBER 2017 15

PUZZLES THE LITERARY ALPACA Across 1. Prussian born philosopher frequently studied at university across numerous disciplines (4) 5. Number of plums the Very Hungry Caterpillar eats on Wednesday (5) 6. Camelia Sinensis is more commonly known as... (3) 7. Band from Ohio playing Vicar Street for two nights in September (11) 8. Ben E King and Stephen King Classic (9) 10. Classic college summer holiday (11) 12. Profession from which Michael Fassbender name is derived (6) Down 2. Grammatical symbol originating from a corruption of a Latin phrase meaning “and by itself and” (9) 3. Explosive antlered bull, popular in nightclubs (10) 4. US state where hunting camels is prohibited (7) 7. Headliner who pulled out of the 2009 UCD Freshers Ball (13) 9. Eyes and police of the James Joyce (7) 11. Award winning book and film of a UCD Alumnus, who’s first novel Stir Fry, was a finalist for the 1994 Lambda Literary Award (4)

ILLUSTRATION BY DANIELLE CROWLEY

SUDOKU Easy

16 ISSUE 1, VOLUME XXIV

Medium

Hard

EDITORIAL

EDITORIAL As we enter a new academic year, the international In case you’re confused about the labelling of the landscape we live in has changed even further since scheme as “free fees” let me explain it for you: they our last issue of the University Observer. The past few are lying to us by calling it such. To attend third-level months have seen an increasing number of terrorist institutions a voluntary student contribution charge is attacks taking place closer to home, suspect geno- required, at the moment this is €3,000 (the contribucides overseas, the threat of missiles (and indeed ac- tion charge is actually not voluntary, it is compulsory). tual missiles) from North Korea. Brexit looms closer Should we say it’s mandatory but not compuland as we’re all still questioning what that will mean sory? Like the public services card you don’t have to for our island as a whole, our new Taoiseach polishes pay it but if you don’t you won’t be able to get the his international image as a progressive leader in the services you need. Also like the public services card it mirror each day all the while manoeuvring his right- has been posed as one thing when it is in fact another. wing agenda into place. Meanwhile in the USA, racial “Free fees” are a way for the government to make it tensions are increasing and there’s a president whose look like this nation has free education. Exactly what reign of madness is confusing the masses. the public services card is remains unclear. Is it a form The world is becoming a scarier place, and even of data collection, an identity card, or a completely closer to home in UCD, people continue to struggle. necessary item for accessing public services?

The accommodation crisis continues to hit students Debates continue around how best to proceed hard. Discussions of re-introducing bedsits are ignor- with paying for third-level education in Ireland, suging a huge part of the problem that people simply gestions have been bandied about such as increasing cannot afford the insane rents being charged in the government spending on third-level education (apDublin area. With so many people clamouring for so parently a radical notion) and introducing an incomefew available places, landlords can continue to charge contingent loan system. UCD’s SU are mandated extremely high rents (even for a bedsit) and poorer following a referendum last year to campaign against students will continue to be locked out of attending a loan system. It will be interesting to see how the colleges in the Dublin area.

Union proceeds with this campaign. Another issue Third-level education continues to be a privilege the Union is mandated to campaign for is a United and not a right in Ireland. While rising rents don’t as- Ireland, a slightly trickier issue to campaign on, and sist this, neither does the current “free fees scheme.” they currently do not seem to have a plan for how to

go forward, but time will tell.

The big campaign the SU is currently working on is the campaign to Repeal the 8th Amendment, but the latest drama within the SU has people worrying about how much of a threat the SU President (Katie Ascough) is to this campaign. Luckily for proponents of the campaign, the president is not required to be directly involved in running campaigns, that is the job of the Campaigns and Communications Officer (C&C), Barry Murphy.

The issues facing the student population of UCD may seem daunting to us all at times, and the issues facing the wider world may make us want to retreat into blanket forts, but it is worth noting that life is made of little victories. True, it seems unlikely any one of us will solve climate change any time soon, but there is a lot that one individual can do to make a change in the world. If something makes you angry, attend a march or a protest, March for Choice is on Saturday September 30th and there will be a March for Education happening in early October.

There will be days for all of us when we are unable to face the big bad wolf (whatever that wolf may be) but if we all do our bit when we can, and if we try to be decent human beings to other human beings, then we stand a chance of making the world a better place.

CONTRIBUTORS UO Credits EDITOR Aoife Hardesty DEPUTY EDITOR Ruth Murphy ART & DESIGN EDITOR Joanne Olivia NEWS EDITOR Brían Donnelly DEPUTY NEWS EDITOR Fiachra Johnston COMMENT EDITOR Adam Lawler FEATURES EDITOR Gavin Tracey

TALLEYRAND

SCIENCE EDITOR Emmet Feerick

Dear plebians!

EAGARTHÓIR GAEILGE Niamh O’Regan Garrette O’Cinnéide

It is I, Talleyrand, or to you ignorant folk, Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, creator of fires and stirrer of pots. This ghost was enjoying its sleep without any awareness of the hacks queueing up for the Students’ Union and societies corridors until my slumber was rudely interrupted by the horrendous sounds of drunken children at an event titled ‘Black Monday.’

Fresh meat has unfortunately arrived on this bleak campus and the sabbatical officers are back with their frustrating ugly tents blaring music that could make your ears bleed. The call of free pizza is not enough to prevent the Freshers’ tent from resembling a sweaty teenage disco. Get your condoms, you’re in college now so instead of avoiding the topic you can now hear the words everywhere amidst childish chuckles. Now Talley will fill you in on some of what’s happening and who’s who before the earth gets swallowed by mother nature’s rage against Donald Trump.

The sabbats are all very active in their preparations for the upcoming March for Choice. All are furiously rewriting books, inventing defence statements, and trying to appear likeable. Some are contacting lawyers.

Don’t worry, nobody cares enough about you to sue.

To run this pathetic excuse for a union we have

the queen of “delegation,” which should mean that in this dump. the rest of the team would attempt to run the mess That post-grad guy seems deeply upset lately but she continues to put her foot in it, while the oth- for being forgotten. Tally didn’t forget you. Talley ers put their feet in their mouths. Maybe Daddy Iona never forgets. That entrancing flowing beard cannot will help guide her to make sure that the pro-choice be forgotten. campaign will lack funding and not be able to spread Then there is Flobbie Swine. Through his deinformation based on some measly excuse about fensive mumbling all that anyone can distinguish is how abortions are under the microscope this year. “March…for….education.” Nobody’s sure what he’s Who’s microscope? Here I am, of course, speaking of talking about, and nobody cares.

Ms.‘OMG-she-seems-so-nice-even-though-she-likesMr. Lovely Sinn Féinn popped right out of an having-no-bodily-autonomy’ who is continuing with episode of Father Ted doing his best Daniel O’Donnell her pro-microwave status. She is adamant that she will impression and pleasing old ladies, ice-cream in hand. not attend the March for Choice and made a point of Even Talley can’t help but enjoy that grin while Mac the simple fact that it is on a weekend. Tally doesn’t Bhnilnkuhui sneaks Gerry Adams into UCD. like weekends either, Katie. Don’t worry though, you Despite incredibly obvious differences between won’t be missed. Helpful information on how to obtain these idiots who are at all levels of zero intelligence an abortion safely might be missed though. it seems they have been bonding and are very friendly Barry Marry seemed genuinely disappointed that with each other. Hopefully not too friendly. she won’t be there and feels like he’s been thrown under the bus. That must be how it feels to work under the spewing tv-trained sounds of Ass-cough. He seems to be deeply upset about recent events and not even free Dominoes can cheer him up. Don’t worry, there’ll be plenty of distracting environmental issues to tackle

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

BUSINESS EDITOR Ciarán Busby SPORTS EDITOR Ian Moore CHIEF OF ILLUSTRATIONS Meadhbh Sheridan CHIEF OF PHOTOGRAPHY Phoebe Ireland BROADSHEET CONTRIBUTORS Mairead Boland Amy Crean Daniel Forde Chloe Maguire Sedgwick Megan McGrath Su Wei Ng Stephen Naughton Eve Ryan VISUAL CONTENT CONTRIBUTORS Danielle Crowley COVER PHOTO Brían Donnelly Special Thanks Webprint Róisín Guyett-Nicholson Louise Flanagan Danielle Crowley

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

19TH SEPTEMBER 2017 17

SPORT UCD ATHLETES REPRESENT IRELAND AT THE WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES With UCD talent featuring on Team Ireland, Aoife Hardesty reports on the World University Games.

The biannual World University Games (also known as the Universiade) were hosted by Chinese Taipei and held in Taipei, Taiwan for 2017. Athletes competed in a total of 22 different sports between the 18th and 30th of August.

Athletes for Team Ireland were selected from third level institutes across the country. Ireland had athletes competing in athletics, swimming, and football. From UCD, Sarah Lavin was competing in the 100m hurdles, in swimming, Darragh Green competed in the 50m breaststroke, and David Prendergast in the 400m freestyle relay. Conor Kearns, Daire O’Connor, and Jason McClelland were on the men’s football team, and Jetta Berrill, Chloe Mustaki, and Orlagh Nolan were on the women’s football team.

Overall, Ireland placed joint 41st out of 91 teams competing. The hosts, Chinese Taipei, came in 3rd place, 2nd place went to South Korea with Japan taking overall first place.

The Universiade opened to a rocky start, with threats of terrorist activity at the opening ceremony.

This shadow hung over the entirety of the Games with roughly 5,000 armed police present for the duration of the competition.

In the 100m hurdles, Sarah Lavin came 3rd in her heat to advance to the semi-finals, but her speed slowed in the semi-finals (from 13.54 in the heat to 13.64) and she narrowly missed out on a spot in the final to Hungary with a time of 13.63. First place in the 100m hurdles went to the Netherlands.

In swimming, Darragh Green made it through his heat and semi-final to earn a spot in the final. With each race he increased his speed shaving 0.1 seconds off his time between the semi-final and final. Greene placed 6th in the final, missing his chance at a medal.

First place went to Belarus. The 400m freestyle relay team came 4th in their heat, advancing them to the

final where they placed 7th. The winners of the relay were USA. The Irish women’s football team placed 10th, and the men’s football placed 13th. Stage draws back in May had drawn the women’s team into pool B with Mexico and Canada, and the men’s team into pool A with Mexico, Chinese Taipei and France. Neither team made it out of their respective pool into the quarter-finals.

The women’s team drew nil all against Mexico, but lost 1–0 to Canada. This sent the team to classification matches, their first of which was for 9th–12th places against Chinese Taipei. The match ended in a nil all draw, but Ireland won on penalty shootouts, scoring 5 goals against 3 from Chinese Taipei. The fourth match for the team was for 9th–10th place against Great Britain. Great Britain scored a goal in each half, beating the women in green 2–0.

For their first match, the men’s football team played against France, a match that ended in a nil all draw. The team went on to lose 1–0 to Mexico, but secured victory against Chinese Taipei 2–1. From pool A, Mexico and France went on to the quarter-finals whilst Ireland and Chinese Taipei headed for classification matches. Ireland lost by 3 goals to South Africa, but were victorious against USA (4–1) and Malaysia (1–0) securing 13th place for Team Ireland.

The next World University Games will be held in Naples, Italy in 2019. Originally the hosts were to be Brazil, but Brazil pulled out of hosting due to financial problems.

THE BADGER

UCD AFC SET FOR UEFA YOUTH LEAGUE With UCD AFC qualifying for the UEFA youth league, Ian Moore, looks at the the challenge ahead.

European football is set to make a return to Belfield as UCD AFC have secured their place in this season’s edition of the UEFA Youth League.

In a draw that contained the likes of Inter Milan and Ajax, UCD have been pitted against FK Molde of Norway. It will be a two-legged affair with the first leg at home, provisionally fixed for the UCD Bowl

It’s an exciting time for the players to have a chance to compete with the best players from other countries. on Wednesday 27th September, and the return leg in Norway set for Wednesday 18th OctoberUCD’s status as last season’s Under-19 Airtricity League title winners has secured them a place in the competition and this success is due in no small part to several years of demanding work at youth level by the club. Integral to all of this is Head of Youth Recruitment, Albert Sugg, who has continually attracted some of the top young talent from across the country to the club.The games against Molde are coming at just the right time as the students are currently doing extremely well. They are in second place in the SSE Airtricity Under-19 Southern Elite Division with play-off quarter final status already secured ahead of the final game of the regular season, not to mention the upcoming Enda McGuill Cup Final in late September.

UCD will be the second Irish club to take part in the UEFA Youth League. Last season Cork City defeated Finnish side HJK Helsinki before falling to Italian titans Roma after a spirited second round

18 ISSUE 1, VOLUME XXIV

It’s going to be difficult to pick the squad as we can only pick three players who were born in 1998. performance.

Manager Maciej Tarnogrodzki spoke to sseairtricityleague.ie after the draw and was adamant that Cork’s displays in last years’ competition proves that UCD has nothing to fear and will look to field the strongest team possible despite competition rules.

“We’re confident. We saw how well Cork did last season in the competition. We’ve reached another national cup final this season and I’ve seen plenty of positives from the players so far.”

“All the players are eager to take part in the competition but we’ve also got to consider the first-team players as well. It is a discussion we will have as coaching staff as we need to select the squad which gives us the best chance of progressing.”

Regardless of who will play, it is going to be an interesting watch.

Freshly awake after his summer hibernation, the Badger has been catching up on all the sporting events he missed while sleeping.

Not only have we left the summer behind but our current meteorological pattern has seemingly skipped a beat to the kind of weather fetishized by us sports purists. The wind and rain, the kind of weather in which All-Irelands are won and away games to Stoke are lost. And long may it continue!

They say after a fat pope comes a slim one, and after last summer’s antics at the Euros and the Olympics, this summer provides slim pickings for the Badger to discuss as he emerges from his canicular hibernation. Sure, the Lions gave it a bash against the All Blacks but your new Dublincentric Badger has had to survive off McGregor mania and Croke Park canters from the Boys in Blue and that just won’t do. Even the humble League of Ireland has been a forgone conclusion for months and none of our sides even had the common decency to have a good run in Europe to keep the Badger entertained.

That all changed with one swipe of a Joe Canning hurly, the Badger, much like the West, has awoken from its slumber. Not only did that 74th minute miracle score against Tipp grant the Tribesman passage into the all-Ireland final, it also issued me my annual reminder that hurling is better than all the other sports combined.

Coincidently, this Badger has a similar attention span to that of a UCD Arts student so I’ve since been distracted by shiny things like the Premier League (‘the queen’s football’) and I’m not ashamed.

I’m enjoying every morsel of that slimy Sky

Sports soup, from the ‘Matic’s signing will let us see the real Pogba’ soundbites’ to Huddersfield’s brief sojourn in the top four (before they invariably go the way of the Blackpool/Portsmouth/Coventry dodo, because life isn’t fair).

As a part-time cynic, I could be so bold as to place the Premier League in the same category as McDonald’s or Reality TV but regardless of its status as a prole controlling device, you’ll know where to find the Badger every Saturday between now and May. For me, watching a sporting snob take in a Premier League game is akin to watching a vegetarian taking their first bite of a burger and realizing what they’re missing out on. This season, I would encourage you all to take a heavily sponsored, TV rights package sized bite.

Closer to home we’ve just had the Women’s Rugby World Cup on campus and although the Girls in Green came up short, it was worth it just to see the UCD Bowl full for the first time since God was a boy. I’m certain that the temporary seating company is still reeling in shock from the fact their product was required in a place that has less atmosphere than the moon.

On a parting note, I would recommend that everyone checks out the UCD Sports Expo this week.

I’ve always been too lazy to go and I have spent many years of my existence like a grounded child looking at everyone having fun out the window. I’m not bitter I swear.

SPORT

CAMPUS SPORT ROUND-UP COURTESY OF UCD FENCING CLUB

ENDA MCGUILL CUP UCD RFC KICK OFF FINAL DISAPPOINT- AIL SEASON IN MENT FOR THE STYLE STUDENTS

UCD Fencing Club was well represented at the recent National Epee Club Championships at the National Sports Campus with a team in both the men’s and women’s divisions of the competition.

The men’s epee team, consisting of students Sean Ryan, Colm Casserly and staff-member Shane Whelan, were ranked fourth (out of seven) after the pools. They won their quarter final match against Brian Boru Juniors but unfortunately, lost the bronze medal match to Trinity’s DUFC Team 1. After a tough semi-final, UCD men’s epee team finished in a respectable fourth place.

The women’s epee team, Sorcha Mellon-Whelan, Jess Stallard, Kristy Rozenberga and Phoebe Ireland, fought hard in the pools. With one loss to Brian Boru and a very close match against DUFC 1 which ended in defeat in the final priority minute. UCD ranked third after the pools and beat DUFC 2 in the semi-finals to finish with bronze. Although it was a faceoff between DUFC 1 and Brian Boru in the final, there was still some success for UCD on the day as our very own Alisha Mullen got gold alongside her teammates competing for Brian Boru Fencing club.

UCD may have finished the day fourth in the medals table on account of that solitary bronze medal, but it is a promising start to a season that can be built upon at the forthcoming South of Ireland Open and also the Foil and Sabre National Club Championships.

The last kick of the game in Thursday’s Enda McGuill Cup final proved to be heart-breaking for UCD AFC’s Under 19’s, as Dundalk’s Jack O’Keefe slotted past Conor Kearns after 119 minutes of action.

The Lillywhite’s had some spells of dominance in the opening stages but it was the home-side who drew first blood with Neil Farrugia breaking the deadlock for UCD on 22 minutes. The visitors responded by committing players forward with both Jack O’Keefe and Aaron Townely going close. Unfortunately for the students they couldn’t hold on until half-time.

Dundalk captain Jake O’Connor was on hand to put away a well-placed Dean Watters corner kick right on the 45-minute mark.

Both sides had attempts on goal in the second-half. Matt Lyons had to be at full stretch in the Dundalk goal to keep Yousef Mahdy at bay while the ever-dangerous O’Keefe went close at the other end. 90 minutes were not enough to separate the two sides, so extra time beckoned.

UCD initially looked the more likely to score in extra time, Joe Manley and Mahdy went close as the students pushed for the winner but it wasn’t to be. O’Keefe popped up in the box once again and on this occasion, he made it count, calmly tucking the ball past Conor Kearns in the UCD goal.

The last-gasp loss will be a bitter pill to swallow for last season’s Under-19 Airtricity League champions but Maciej Tarnogrodzki‘s side still have a league quarter final and their UEFA Youth League adventures to look forward to.

DUBLIN SHOULDN’T BE PUNISHED FOR THE GAA’S PROBLEM Speaking on the Sunday Game after Dublin’s twelve-point AllIreland Semi-Final victory over a despondent Tyrone, Meath legend Colm O’Rourke was quick to call for the end of a single Dublin senior team, David Kent argues against such a move.

As a Meath resident born in Cork, you’d probably expect me to be on the other side of this argument. After all, the Royals have been on the end of some of the many hammerings dished out by the Dubs in Leinster.

It’s almost like an annual tradition at this stage.

And it was Skryne’s finest son, Colm O’Rourke, who echoed what many fans attending club games in Meath were saying after the 31-point margin of victory in this year’s Leinster semi-final. Split the Dubs up, and make it fair for the other sides in Leinster (and beyond).

Unfortunately, that argument is not only stinking of bias, but it doesn’t make logistical sense.

Firstly, how would you even split them? Let’s take location as an example. Two teams, Dublin North & Dublin South. Lining out for the Northside, we’ve got Stephen Cluxton, Johnny Cooper, Philly McMahon, James McCarthy, Jack McCaffrey, Brian Fenton, Paul Flynn, Diarmuid Connolly, Paddy Andrews & Dean Rock. With Bernard Brogan coming off the bench for good measure. On paper, that team alone would deliver a similar result as the current Dublin side could produce against the likes of Offaly or Laois.

Dublin South would be there to make up the numbers. But let’s continue this presumption and say that the Leinster final is Dublin South vs Dublin North.

UCD RFC have started their Ulster Bank AIL Division 1A campaign with a bonus point 39-20 victory against Young Munster. Played out in undesirable conditions at Limerick’s Tom Clifford Park, the hosts took the lead early on when a Peter Meyer try was converted by Paul Downes after 18 minutes. Things evened up soon after, when Ciarán Frawley converted Jimmy O’Brian’s try and two subsequent penalties gave the Students a 13-7 lead at half time.

Young Munster started the second half brightly, a try by Ger Slattery and a penalty by Paul Downes giving the hosts a slim 15-13 lead but it was soon eroded by an insurmountable Collidge onslaught. As the second half progressed, UCD pulled away with four more tries, leaving Mark O’Mara’s late try as little more than a consolation for the hosts.

An impressive way to start the season, the 19-point winning margin will surely breed confidence going into Saturday’s first home game against colours rivals Trinity. UCD RFC will take on DUFC in Belfield on September 23rd with a 2.30pm kick-off.

Which team gets to wear the navy and blue? Are there 60,000 neutrals in Croke Park? You can bet that RTE wouldn’t be too pleased with the inevitable loss in viewing numbers. Why would any fan of Westmeath or Kildare want to watch a match where Dublin is going to win regardless? At least with the current structure, there’s a chance that there might be an upset.

A victory over this current Dublin side would be far

A victory over this current Dublin side would be far more satisfying and joyful than one over Diet Dublin more satisfying and joyful than one over Diet Dublin.

Splitting Jim Gavin’s side into two or three would do the exact opposite of what O’Rourke claims it would achieve. The Northsides’ would still blast their way to the final, while the South would at least make it as far as a semi-final.

On top of that, Dublin is not the only team completely dominating in the GAA. Kerry has won seven

of the last eight Munster championships. In the past eight decades, only once has there been a winner of the football championship that wasn’t called Cork or Kerry. If Munster had as many counties as Leinster, would people be calling for the Kingdom to be split in two? Why have there been no such calls for the Cork ladies side to be divided on either side of the Lee? 11 All-Ireland titles in 12 years is more dominating than this Dublin side has been or ever will be.

It is true that the Dubs do receive more money, and that has contributed somewhat to their relentless dominance over the rest of Leinster. The GAA’s annual report shows the Dubs received €1,463,400 for ‘youth development’. The next closest was the Rebel County.

For all of this though, the player pool for Jim Gavin to choose from isn’t even the largest in the country.

Again, that honour falls to Cork with 491 registered adult sides in 2016 (Dublin were second with 278).

Every man and his dog on the side of a pitch in this country knows that there needs to be a change in the GAA football championship. It’s literally the only competition under the GAA banner to not be structured at Senior-Intermediate-Junior level. There shouldn’t be a punishment for one of the greatest footballing sides any of us have ever seen, just because the GAA higher brass haven’t stumbled upon the solution to the major problem.

19TH SEPTEMBER 2017 19

SPORT MIXED BLESSINGS: WOMEN’S WORLD CUP SEES IRELAND FALTER BUT UCD PLAY THEIR PART. UCD hosted the recent Women’s World Cup, Ian Moore, investigates how Ireland fared.

The hosts went into their final group game against In the final, a 17,000-strong crowd were treated to a highly rated French side even on points but sapped eleven tries in an end-to-end game that saw England of confidence and energy after two laboured victories. relinquish their crown to the White Ferns despite Les Bleus smelled blood, which showed as they led leading at half time. Player of the Match Toka Natuna by 21 points at the break. Romane Menager, Caroline proved to be the difference between the two sides with Ladagnous, and Safi N’Diaye were the stars in a well her triumvirate of tries contributing to a 41-32 victory. marshalled French side that was simply unplayable at times.

On the pitch, the experience can only be described In the second half, the Irish defence doubled as disappointing. In the fallout, coach Tom Tierney lost down, limiting the amount possession and territory the his job and prop Ruth O’Brien gave a scathing intervisitors could get their hands on but Ireland could only view in the Irish Times, citing a lack of professionalmuster up a conciliation try from Cliodhna Moloney ism from management in the lead up to the tournament. in added time.

“The guys in the blazers and fancy ties need to decide if this is something they are serious about. If not, fine.

We will figure out how we manage it ourselves. We will make the most out of it and keep fighting.”

From an organizational perspective, the IRFU has been lauded by those at the higher echelons of the game. World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont had high praise for when speaking to worldrugby.org.

“This tournament will be remembered as a very special and ground-breaking rugby event. It raised the bar.

Compelling action, huge fan interaction and a strong family feel characterised an event that captured hearts and minds beyond the traditional rugby community.”

“The level of global coverage and excitement is The loss signalled a disappointing end to the tour- testament to the performances of the world’s top teams nament’s time in Belfield as the WRWC moved onto and reflects the surge in interest around the world.”

Belfast for its latter stages and north of the border did “Off the field, our friends from the IRFU did an exnot prove any happier a hunting ground for the hosts. ceptional job at hosting the event, while the volunteers Ireland struggled to muster a challenge in the fifth- and fans were simply brilliant.” place play-offs, slumping to a 24 – 36 defeat against In total, there were 45,412 spectators across the Australia, a team they had put to the sword less than tournament. 17,516 of them attended 18 games split two weeks previously. Speaking on eir Sport’s cover- between the Bowl and Billings Park and thousands age of the game, former Irish Men’s Team manager more visited the dedicated fanzone on campus.

Eddie O’Sullivan was vocal in his criticism of the team, Looking back on the tournament, IRFU president declaring “This is a disastrous result by any stretch. 12 Phillip Orr spoke to irishrugby.ie with pride. “Hosting points tells a big lie here, it’s not a 12-point game.” the Women’s Rugby World Cup has been a tremendous Defeat against the Aussies pitted Ireland against honour for Ireland and one which has been embraced the Welsh in a seventh-place play off, where they dis- enthusiastically by the Irish public. appointingly came up short yet again. A 17-27 defeat “It has been tremendously rewarding for the IRFU forced them to make do with a disappointing eighth to witness the level of co-operation north and south place finish in a competition they had gone into with at Government level, from tourism authorities, state not only hope, but home advantage and a talented agencies, the volunteers and of course from World group of players.

Rugby who have been so committed to making this a While Ireland were sluggish in the play-offs, the tournament like no other.” pool winners contested the semi-finals at the Kingspan Stadium. New Zealand vanquished the USA 45-12 and reigning champions England gave France a taste of their own medicine, running out 20-3 winners.

PHOTO CREDIT: NOTHERN IRISH EXAMINER, VIA FLICKR

Hosting the Women’s Rugby World Cup has been a tremendous honour for Ireland and one which has been embraced enthusiastically by the Irish public.

When asked why he liked to attend games at the UCD Bowl, Dermot Morgan purportedly once remarked “I don’t like crowds.” So, it’s safe to say that the late Father Ted actor would not have enjoyed August’s Women’s Rugby World Cup, which saw thousands of supporters descend on Belfield to take in the action.

Despite a tough draw for the hosts in Pool C, all of Ireland’s group games were sold-out well in advance of their tournament opener against Australia on August 9th. The Girls in Green managed a hard fought 19-17 victory against the Wallaroos in front of a packed out UCD bowl. Tries from Ciara Griffin and Sophie Spence put Ireland in front after a close firsthalf, before Hilisha Samoa carried over late on for the southern-hemisphere side to ensure a nail biting finish.

Japan were next up to face Ireland at the Bowl.

The Cherry Blossom’s let a 14-point lead slip in the second half as they fell 24-14 to the host nation, who were unconvincing in victory. Luckily, two late Paula Fitzpatrick tries, in tandem with the boot of Nora Stapleton proved enough to see off a team ranked twelve places below them before the tournament.

This tournament will be remembered as a very special and ground-breaking rugby event. It raised the bar.

CLUB FOCUS: UCD SAILING CLUB Ian Moore speaks to UCD Sailing Club about life on the water.

Beginning in 1948 with a handful of sailors and just two boats, UCD Sailing Club (UCDSC) now stands as the second largest student-run club in UCD with over 120 members. The club boasts an illustrious history of representation at both national and international level, competing in team, match, and fleet racing events.

In more recent times UCDSC has tasted success on several fronts, winning the Irish University InterVarsity Team Racing Championship and the Colours Champions in 2016. Additionally, UCDSC’s wellreceived hosting of 2017’s Inter-Varsity Championship picked up the ‘Event of the Year’ award at both the Irish University Sailing Association and UCD Sports awards.

representing Ireland at the 2017 Student Yachting World Cup (Sywoc) in Marseille. The club secured their status as Ireland’s representatives in the competition by overcoming Cork IT, Trinity, and NUI Galway in harsh conditions at April’s national selection trials.

UCDSC also have history in the competition, taking home gold for Ireland at the 2012 event in La Rochelle.

There are also plans in motion to attend further overseas events after an enjoyable excursion to the Laser Performance Collegiate Cup in Lake Garda, while the club also hopes to engage with its sizable alumni community by hosting alumni events in the coming year.

Alongside the sporting facilities available on campus, the prestigious Royal Irish Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire is UCDSC’s main training base. Their fleet of six Firefly dinghies are stored in situ and members can make use of the top class sailing facilities on offer at the Royal Irish Yacht Club.

Prospective members may be put off by the dangers on the water but UCDSC Secretary Alice Shanahan is quick to dispel any fears people may have But as we return to college, UCDSC have no “We don’t see it as dangerous, you just have to be aware time to dwell on past achievements as they have an and as sailors we’re used to it. People can get quite action-packed year to look forward to. While their nor- bad head injuries and there are some dangers on the mal sailing calendar consists of Inter-varsities, three boat but we have good safety equipment and everyone regional events, and the fabled Colours championship, knows what they’re doing.” the club have some special plans for the year ahead.

Off the water, the social life of the club is alIn October, UCDSU will have the honour of ways going to be a big draw for potential members

Not only is there a good social life among sailors in UCD but with all the colleges around Ireland as well.

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and UCDSC Commandant Roisin O’Brien said that joining the club has not only introduced her to new friends in UCD, but a community of sailors around the country. She explained “It’s a very social club, all our friends in college are in the club. Not only is there a good social life among sailors in UCD but with all the colleges around Ireland as well. Between Galway, Cork, Trinity, and Queen’s in Belfast there’s quite a large community.”

The club boasts an illustrious history of representation at national and international level, competing in team, match, and fleet racing events.

The best place for any budding sailors to get in touch with UCD Sailing Club is at the UCD Sports Expo which runs all throughout Freshers’ Week.

UCDSC can also be contacted on their various social media accounts or via their website.