VOL. XXIV, Issue 2, UO

THE UNIVERSITY OBSERVER HEAD TO HEAD IS THE PRO CHOICE MOVEMENT TOO AGGRESSIVE? M. O’DWYER CONNOLLY VS A. CREAN PAGE 7

DRUG DECRIMINALISATION SHOULD RECREATIONAL DRUGS BE LEGALISED? DES COOKE PAGE 10

10TH OCTOBER 2017 VOLUME XXIV ISSUE 2 UNIVERSITYOBSERVER.IE

SPACE REMEMBERING CASSINI CHRISTINE COFFEY PAGE 12

FEMALE REPRESENTATION POOR AT SENIOR LEVELS IN UCD RUTH MURPHY DEPUTY EDITOR INFORMATION SOURCED by the University Observer under the Freedom of Information Act 2014 revealed that women in UCD are less common in senior positions and earn less than their male colleagues. At senior levels men are more likely to be hired, promoted, and earn more wages.

As of June 2017, though there are 15 more female Lecturers/Assistant Professors than male, twice as many men bear the titles of Associate Professor, Professor, or Full Professor. There are 165 women in these positions compared to 340 men. This is a slight improvement from the 2015/2016 academic year.

According to information published in Volume XXII, Issue 6 of the University Observer there were 339 male Associate Professors, Professors, and Assistant Professors and just 149 females in the positions.

UCD applied to the Athena SWAN in 2016, an award for those contributing to women’s position in higher education and STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths, and Medicine). According

to UCD’s submission, “Only 20.7% of UCD Full Professors and 17.8% of STEMM Full Professors are female.” The percentage of female staff and students in UCD is generally lowest among STEMM subjects.

Notably, is it at more senior levels that female representation seems to be almost absent. The submission mentions that 65% of Lecturers/Assistant Professors in Health and Agricultural Science are female but at Full Professor level only 13% are female. Similarly, in Engineering 24% of Lecturers/Assistant Professors are female, also dropping to 13% at Full Professor level.

Women are also less likely to hold permanent contracts or receive promotions to professor positions in UCD. The Athena SWAN submission revealed that from 2014 to 2016 fewer female than male research and faculty staff were on permanent contracts. Women held 35-40% of permanent contracts in these areas.

Wide female representation is also absent at governing levels, and while many women sit on committees such as sub-groups of the Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion group, just one third of those on the University Management Team are female.

Female staff do not earn as much as male staff in UCD. The information sought by the University Observer showed that just under 43% of those who were earning over €70,000 in June 2017 are female.

613 men and 461 women earn more than this figure.

While some of this may be due to men holding more senior positions, men and woman doing the same job do not get the same wages in UCD. According to

UCD’s Athena SWAN submission, the average salary of female lecturers in 2016 was lower than males at the same level. The difference in average yearly salary at each level of employment ranged from just under €500 to almost €2500. While the average pay did not vary as much at Full Professor level it can be noted that the majority of Full Professors are male.

According to UCD’s Financial Statements for 2015/2016 President Andrew Deeks was on a salary of €185,350 per year. The statements did not mention if this included his accommodation but showed that at least eleven people earned more than this figure.

However, the University Observer was informed that only one member of staff earned more than President Deeks as of June 2017. This person is male. According to the Financial Statements the highest wage of any member of staff in 2015/2016 was between €320,000 and €330,000.

In his letter endorsing UCD’s submission for the Athena SWAN President Deeks admitted, “It is clear that there is a gender gap in UCD from associate professor level upwards and in key leadership positions, most notably in STEMM schools.”

UCD’s strategy 2015-2020 states, “we will promote gender balance and equality of opportunity among students and employees of the university.”

Despite this promotion not showing itself in the wages and numbers of female staff across different levels, UCD was awarded the Athena SWAN award in March of this year.

UCD RANKED 3RD IN SUNDAY TIMES UNIVERSITY OF THE YEAR

AOIFE HARDESTY EDITOR ON SUNDAY October 8th, the Sunday Times released their University of the Year Guide, a prestigious and detailed analysis of third level institutes across Ireland and the UK. A separate list is released for Ireland.

In the University League Table for Ireland, UCD came in third place, out of 21 institutions. Trinity

College Dublin and University College Cork placed first and second respectively. NUI Galway was named Irish University of the Year.

Third level institutions were ranked based on graduate employment levels, progression rates between first and second year, spending on facilities, and student staff ratios amongst others.

UCD receives a favourable write-up in the guide.

The guide explains that UCD has a 90% progression rate from first year to second year and that 70% of students graduate with a 1:1s or a 2:1. UCD’s position as first in Ireland in 40/43 subjects offered as measured in the World QS rankings is mentioned.

Student staff ratio in UCD is 17:8 which leaves UCD behind 14 other institutions. Trinity and UCC also had poor student staff ratios. Waterford Institute

RUSANGANO FAMILY

INTERVIEW WITH G. K. JONAS OF THE LIMERICK-BASED HIP HOP TRIO. CIAN MONTAGUE OTWO P14

BOLLYWOOD

A BRIEF HISTORY OF INDIA’S FILM SCENE. PAURUSH KUMAR OTWO P12

SURPRISING FINDS IN CARDIFF

VISITS TO THE WELSH CAPITAL REVEAL A CITY STEEPED IN HISTORY. AOIFE HARDESTY OTWO P26

of Technology had the best ratio.

UCD came second for spending on facilities. Sports facilities in UCD were rated 4 star. UCD’s modern sports centre and Olympic-size swimming pool might have won the university five stars if it were not for the lack of a running track.

Graduate unemployment was measured at 5.6%, with UCD in 12th place for graduate employment overall.

In the guide, UCDSU President Katie Ascough says the worst thing about UCD is that “Trying to get a place to stay near college is hard and expensive.” She recommends the SU’s Winging It in UCD guide “which tells you how to live cheaply here.”

GASTRO GAYS In the QS World University Rankings UCD is ranked THE FOOD BLOGGERS TALK ABOUT GOOD in 168th place.

FOOD, BLOGGING, AND LIFE.

ZOE NICHOLSON OTWO P21

10TH OCTOBER 2017 1

NEWS

CAMPUS NEWS IN BRIEF

KAROLINA ROZHNOVA, BRÍAN DONNELLY

PETITION FOR IMPEACHMENT RESTARTS AFTER REJECTION

STUDENTS MARCH FOR THE FUTURE OF HIGHER EDUCATION

The group of UCD students behind a petition to impeach UCDSU President Katie Ascough have begun collecting signatures after their initial petition was declared invalid. After a total of 1620 names were submitted on Monday 2nd October, the Returning Officer declared that the absence of students’ signatures rendered the petition void.

Photo Credit: Aoife Hardesty

This omission however did not discourage the group of UCD students behind the petition who restarted their efforts to compile a valid petition on Wednesday 4th October.

Article 6.5 of the SU constitution requires a referendum by petition to contain the name of each petitioner, their programme, stage, student number, and an exact wording of the proposed referendum. Students’ signatures were the only part left out.

With the help of over 20 volunteers collecting the signatures on short notice, the group reached the required number of signatures on the day. Finn McLysaght told the University Observer that even though they were “briefly upset with the rejection,” they were ultimately pleased, as “this facilitated more people’s engagement with our campaign prior to the actual referendum.”

At the time of writing, the signatures were due to be handed to the Returning Officer on Monday October 9th. If this petition is accepted, an impeachment referendum will be announced and scheduled for probably three weeks into the future, and campaigns for and against the impeachment will formally commence.

SOCIAL HOUSING POLICY RESEARCH WINS RESEARCH IMPACT COMPETITION A research project focused on Social Housing Policy has been declared the overall winner of UCD’s Inaugural Research Impact Case Study competition.

Professor Michelle Norris’ research centred on the factors which eroded the sustainability of Irish social housing and the differences in financing between Ireland and other European countries, where the allocation of finance is more effective. Norris’ findings have been credited for a change in Government policy towards the provision and funding of social housing for low-income households.

The research demonstrated that a reliance on central government grants to fund social housing renders the sector acutely vulnerable to budget cuts during difficult economic periods. The work recommended grants being replaced with loans, repayable using tenants’ rents.

The Case Study competition offered a grant worth €2,500 to the researcher whose work was found to have had a significant impact on an external, non-specialist audience. Nine runners-up were entitled to grants of €500.

Professor Norris has recently been re-appointed to the Housing Finance Agency, where she has acted as Chairperson since 2011. The agency finances social housing initiatives and mortgages for low-income borrowers, managing €3.6bn in outstanding loans.

UCD TO HOST HORIZON 2020 RESEARCH WEEK IN MID-OCTOBER The National Launch for the final Horizon 2020 Work Programmes, an all-island event being jointly hosted by UCD Research, Enterprise Ireland, and InterTrade Ireland, will take place in UCD on Wednesday October 18th.

Following the launch, UCD Research will host a week of lunchtime workshops focused on the best approaches to competitively apply for, and achieve success in, Horizon 2020 applications. The workshops will run from Thursday 19th October to Wednesday 25th October from 12:00hrs-13:30hrs in the UCD Research Boardroom.

Horizon 2020 is the largest EU Research and Innovation programme to date, with nearly €80bn of funding being made available from 2014 up to 2020. It is the financial instrument behind the EU’s Innovation Union, a flagship initiative aimed at increasing Europe’s global competitiveness, and has supported numerous researchers. Some of these researches were involved in the discoveries behind the Nobel Physics and Chemistry Prizes 2017. This year’s budget is in the region of €30bn.

Additionally, H2020 aims to combat gender exclusion in the sciences by committing to a target of 40% female-led contracts. The inclusion of gender training costs is a key feature of the programme.

2 ISSUE 2, VOLUME XXIV

AUTHOR: AOIFE HARDESTY Students took to the streets of Dublin on Wednesday October 4th to march for the future of third level education funding.

The march was arranged to take place one week before the government release their budget for the next year. The demonstration was organised to show the Minister of Education, Richard Bruton, that students need answers for how third level education will be funded in the future.

The Cassel’s Report published in 2016 outlines three possible options for the future of finding third level education. One option is the introduction of an income-contingent loan scheme, where third level is free at the point of entry but which graduates than pay back the fees when in employment.

A second option is increased government funding to make higher education free at the point of access, and the third option is third level education which is entirely government funded.

The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) and UCDSU are against the introduction of an incomecontingent loan scheme.

Speaking to the University Observer UCDSU Education Officer Robert Sweeney explains that they will be marching against the introduction of incomecontingent loans. “The main aim of the march is to campaign for grant investment and also for publicly funded education, and the third message of the march is saying no to student loans. So the focus we’re going

with this year is ‘Student Debt Kills Dreams.’ We’ve seen student loans scheme fail all over the world, in the UK, and in Australia.”

Another concern of Sweeney’s is the SUSI grant scheme “SUSI grants are not covering rent. UCD is in a unique area and I think that is why we have to be so vocal at the march because students come from all over the country to the most expensive place in the country when they could probably be the most broke.”

In a press release, USI President Michael Kerrigan outlines why he believes an income-contingent loan scheme would have disastrous results. “In a country where generations may never get mortgages or a home, saddling more debt onto children or increasing fees cannot be the answer to plugging the funding gap for their education. An income-contingent loan outlined in the Cassel’s Report is a drastic increase in fees from €3,000 to €5,000 a year in disguise.”

In response to the March for Education, the Minister of State, with responsibility for Higher Education, Mary Mitchell O’Connor has said: “This is a very important sector. The Government is aware we need to fund our third level institutions so we produce thoughtful, inspired graduates to enrich our growth as a society.

The Government must look at long term sustainable funding streams to make sure that our universities and our Institutes of Technology continue to excel and be world class.

I am adamant there will be no undue financial pressure placed on parents and students. We simply do not want our students graduating burdened with the kind of debts that we have seen in other countries.

We are awaiting the report from the Cross Party Education Committee on the Cassells’ report. Once we have that report, I will bring it to cabinet and will make it one of my top priorities to ensure that there is a fair outcome for students and their parents” Ahead of the budget, the University Observer spoke to TD Thomas Byrne, Education spokesperson for Fianna Fáil who says his party are committed to improving funding for higher education institutes.

“Higher education institutions remain significantly underfunded and this is having a detrimental impact on our future social and economic prospects. Fianna Fáil has been pushing for additional investment in higher education and we have highlighted that at least an additional €100m to €120m is required in Budget 2018 for recurrent funding for Universities and Institutes of Technology.

“We are proposing that this funding comes from two sources - €65m from additional revenue via the National Training Fund and €44m from central exchequer funding.”

The budget is to be delivered on Tuesday October 10th.

UCDSU AND SOCIETIES’ COUNCIL SLOW TO UPDATE WEBSITES

BRÍAN DONNELLY NEWS EDITOR Minutes from UCD Students’ Union Council meetings have not been published online since the 7th meeting of the previous Council, held on 27th February 2017.

The minutes of the final two meetings, held on 27th March and 10th April, are missing from the UCDSU website, as are details of any forthcoming meetings to be held.

The last two UCDSU Council budgets have not been published, with the latest available budget being that of the 2014/2015 Council under the direction of the SU President at the time, Fergal Hynes.

The SU Council is composed of the the sabbatical Council website was not updated for a period of two officers, campaigns coordinators, and elected officers and a half months before the 3rd of October, a period representing the various Schools and classes in UCD. including Freshers’ Week. The events section appears The UCDSU Constitution states that the Council must only to show events listed at this time last year. meet at least once every 3 weeks of the ordinary teachThe UCD Societies’ Council is the representative body for the interests of all student societies in UCD. It ing term.

Issues affecting students, both in UCD and nation- is responsible for promoting, supporting, and funding ally, are discussed at these meetings, such as motions over 80 societies in the university. to support ‘UCD for PrEP,’ the SU position regarding The Societies Council have posted videos to their students’ fees and university funding, and the cost of Facebook page promoting Freshers’ Week and socire-sitting and repeating exams. eties through posts about ‘Society of the Week’ and Furthermore, the UCDSU Policy Book, which de- ‘Fred’s Golden Tickets.’ More recently they uploaded tails which officers and representatives are responsible interviews with comedian John Bishop and Reverend for particular SU mandates, has not been published for Al Sharpton. The Societies’ Council’s twitter account the current academic year. Ongoing SU mandates and has been less active only posting the timetable of policies include establishing voting rights for students events for the Monday and Tuesday of Freshers’ Week. on erasmus and on placement, increasing the number Many societies’ twitter posts were retweeted by the of litter and recycling bins on campus, and campaign- Societies’ Council account. ing for the repeal of the eighth amendment from the Irish Constitution.

Similarly, the news section of the UCD Societies’

NEWS UCD CELEBRATES 25 YEARS OF PRESIDENT’S AWARDS

NATIONAL NEWS IN BRIEF DOIREANN DE COURCY MAC DONNELL, BRÍAN DONNELLY, ADESEWA AWOBADEJO

GOVERNMENT TO HOLD SEVEN REFERENDUMS WITHIN THE NEXT TWO YEARS

.AUTHOR: AOIFE HARDESTYOn Thursday October 5th, the Old Student Centre Atrium filled with past and present students from UCD who had been recipients of the President’s Award for Excellence in Student Activities. The event was in celebration of presenting students with such President’s Awards for 25 years.

Attended by successful alumni such as the likes of Rossa Fanning, Gavan Reilly, and David Matthews, the event sought to highlight how involvement in student activities could help further students’ futures in both their careers and personal lives.

Also launched at the event was a book of testimonials from past award recipients. In his foreword of the book, UCD President Andrew J. Deeks says “Our students are the lifeblood of our University, and I am extremely grateful for their ever-growing engagement through our sports clubs, student societies, the Students’ Union, and other student activities.”

The event commenced with an address from President Prof. Andrew J. Deeks, and continued with a panel discussion led by Eoghan Murphy (former chair of the Society’s Council) with Gavan Reilly and Sinéad Ingoldsby, both of whom received Presidents’ Awards, in part, for their work as Editors of the University Observer.

Reilly now works as political correspondent on TV3, and Ingoldsby is a producer with the BBC. In discussion, both credited their involvement in student activities as that which shaped their time in UCD, as well as aiding in their careers.

In order to be awarded a President’s Award, a student must be nominated for their non-paid work in student activities. The nominations are reviewed by a committee who have, what was described at the event as “passionate arguments” about which students are most deserving of the prestigious award.

Nominations open in the second semester with the Award Ceremony taking place in the O’Reilly Hall towards the end of that semester.

The take-home message from the event was clear, time in university should not be spent striving for awards, but spent engaging with others, taking risks, doing something you believe worth doing. UCD boasts over 80 student societies, nearly 60 sports clubs, a Students’ Union, a radio station, and two newspapers. Whilst all involved in the running of these do not receive Presidents’ Awards, all are contributing to making UCD a better place. Acknowledging and celebrating such activity is the reason the President Awards exist.

The cabinet has approved plans to hold seven referendums over the next two years, covering a variety of topics, such as the eighth amendment, the voting age, and voting rights for citizens abroad.

The announcement of a vote on the eighth amendment comes after the Citizens’ Assembly delivered a report to the Oireachtas in June of this year. The report recommended that the eighth amendment not be retained in full.

Other issues to be put to a public vote are whether the clause on blasphemy should be removed, whether the ‘women’s place in the home’ clause should be altered, and include roles ‘in and beyond the home,’ whether Ireland’s divorce laws should become more liberal, and whether provisions should be made for directly elected Mayors in particular cities.

However, in response to calls by the Labour Party, the Green Party, and others, for a referendum on the public ownership of water services, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has declared that no such vote would be held.

The privatisation of such services, Varadkar said, is ‘impossible and absurd.’

BUDGET 2018 TO BE ANNOUNCED The National Budget for 2018 is due to be announced by Minister of Finance Paschal Donohoe on Tuesday, October 10th. It will outline the projected government expenditure and taxation for the coming year.

There is speculation that there will be a cut to the Universal Social Charge and an increase of the threshold for higher-earning PAYE workers. DIRT is to be cut by 2%, as promised in Budget 2017.

In response to the housing crisis it is believed that there will be an effort to ease the tax burden on landlords, despite the property tax remaining unchanged until 2019.

It is expected that details on a Sugar Tax beginning in 2018 will be outlined. Although there is no indication of a rise on the excise duty on alcohol; an increase of the excise duty on tobacco or diesel is anticipated. As of 2017, it is estimated that almost 30% of the price of a pint is due to tax.

Although Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s speech on June 28th alluded to a ‘hidden fiscal space’ in the current government expenditure, he has since ruled out any budget ‘surprises.’

NEW FUND FOR COLLABORATION BETWEEN GLOBAL UNIVERSITIES ANNOUNCED

SINN FÉIN, THE PARTY OF UNITY, APPEARS DIVIDED ON ABORTION ISSUE AUTHOR: OWEN CUSKELLY On Saturday Septem- north and south, to allow for terminations in the cases ber 30th, the streets of Dublin city filled with tens of of fatal foetal abnormalities, rape and incest.” thousands of people calling for greater access to aborSinn Féin Deputy Leader, Mary-Lou McDonald, tion services at the ‘March for Choice.’ The march’s was occupied with a party meeting in Letterkenny organisers estimate that up to 40,000 people were in along with the party’s finance spokesperson, Pearse attendance. Yet of the dozens of groups present there Doherty, when the March for Choice was happening. was one noticeable absence: Sinn Féin.

The party’s housing spokesperson, Eóin Ó Broin, According to a Sinn Féin spokesperson, a multi- and MEP Lynn Boylan were in Barcelona observing tude of party members and representatives attended the the contested Catalonian independence referendum. event in an informal sense. However, with senior party Ms. Boylan tweeted a picture of herself sporting a figures otherwise engaged at the time of the march it ‘Repeal the 8th’ hoodie in support of the march. may cause some to question the party’s commitment Notwithstanding the lack of party support, some to the controversial issue. representatives like TD Seán Crowe from Dublin South “The march went beyond the party position” said West and Councillor Sarah Holland of Rathfarnham the spokesperson, who affirmed that Sinn Féin does did participate in the event.

Despite Sinn Féin’s absence, a number of other advocate for the repealing of the eighth amendment but the party stance “does not go as far as the rally parliamentary parties attended, supporting the march’s organisers.” The rally organisers, the Abortion Rights cause in a more official sense. The Social Democrats, Campaign, campaign towards the achievement of full Labour, and Solidarity-People Before Profit all took access to free, safe, and legal abortion services for all part championing the rally’s message under party banners. The Green Party were represented at the march women in Ireland.

Sinn Féin submitted their party’s position regard- by the Young Greens. A notable amount of government ing abortion rights and the protocol for repealing the ministers and TDs were present on the day also includeighth amendment to the Citizen’s Assembly debating ing the prominent figure behind the 2015 Marriage the topic in March 2017. This submission states that Equality campaign, Minister for Children Katherine the party is in favour of “the introduction of legislation, Zappone.

The Social Democrats maintain, since their establishment in mid-2015, that the eighth amendment should be repealed in its entirety and that the recommendations of a Citizens’ Assembly should be put before the public. Labour advocates the repeal of the eighth amendment from the Constitution and the passing of legislation to allow for abortions in the case of fatal foetal abnormalities, rape, and incest.

The revamped Solidarity-People Before Profit alliance contend that the eighth amendment should be repealed fully and that a woman should have full access to free and legal abortions in the Republic.

Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael representatives were not accompanied with official party support at the march, much like Sinn Féin. Fine Gael TD Kate O’Connell was spotted, however, and is known to support the pro-choice movement.

Fine Gael’s current position on the amendment is unclear. It states it wants to allow the special Oireachtas Committee debating the Citizens’ Assembly report on the eighth amendment to proceed without comment.

This inter-party Oireachtas Committee, which will determine the wording of an exact referendum proposal, is comprised of 15 TDs and six Senators from various governmental parties.

A new programme which will allow for greater collaboration between Irish universities and global institutions has been announced by Minister for Education and Skills, Richard Bruton TD, and Minister of State for Higher Education, Mary Mitchell O’Connor TD.

To be implemented between December 2017 and December 2018, ‘The International Academic Mobility Programme’ has a €500,000 fund and will give an estimated 100-150 academics from universities, Institutes of Technology, and colleges across Ireland, the opportunity to travel and collaborate with partner institutions. This includes private, independent, and not for profit colleges such as Griffith College, as well as public institutions.

Professionals in teaching, technical, management, and administrative positions from eligible institutes are eligible to apply. Irish academics, or teams of academics, may spend time working with academics in overseas universities on joint projects. The fund facilitates travel and individual supports, and notably, the development of new student exchange programmes between international universities.

Launching the programme, Minister Bruton said, “working closely with international institutions is key to the success of our higher education sector, especially in the light of Brexit, and other global challenges and uncertainties we face.”

10TH OCTOBER 2017 3

NEWS US GOVERNMENT ROLLS BACK ACCESS TO FREE BIRTH CONTROL Donald Trump’s government has rolled back a ruling from the presidency of Barack Obama requiring employers to provide free birth control to their employees. In announcing the ruling, the US Department Health & Human Services (HHS) cited a report stating that access to contraception lead to “risky sexual behaviour.” The new rule allows employers to refuse birth control to their employees if doing so violated their religious or moral beliefs.

The ruling overturns a key feature of the “Obamacare” program, and expands upon an exception that allowed religious institutions to refuse offering birth control to their employees.

It is estimated that millions of women will no longer be able to afford contraception if not provided by their employers. Roger Severino, head of the HHS Office of Civil rights, has claimed that only a limited number of employers will opt out, lowering the number of women affected.

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan marked the ruling as “a landmark day for religious liberty.”

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, however, has described the decision as “appalling,” stating, “this administration’s contempt for women reaches a new low.”

TESLA’S ELON MUSK OFFERS TO REBUILD PUERTO RICO’S POWER GRID Chief Executive of Tesla, Elon Musk, has offered island-wide aid to Puerto Rico in the form of rebuilding its power grid, after it was destroyed during Hurricane Maria. The country, which has seen over 90% of the island left without power, has been slow to recover in the wake of the hurricane. Musk’s aid would see the electricity grid rebuilt using solar power and Tesla’s Powerpack storage batteries.The offer came in the form of

a tweet by Musk, where he claimed he had done the same for many small islands, but stressing that “there is no scalability limit, so it can be done for Puerto Rico too.” A system similar to what Musk has offered the island is already being installed for use in South Australia with Atlassian founder Mike Cannon-Brookes. The 100-megawatt facility is purported to power up to 30,000 homes once it goes online.Governor of Puerto Rico, Ricardo Rossello, has replied on twitter, saying “Let’s talk.

Do you want to show the world the power and scalability of your #TeslaTechnologies? PR could be that flagship project.”

PRIME MINSTER OF ICELAND SOLD BANK ASSETS HOURS BEFORE FINANCIAL CRASH OF 2008 Icelandic Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson is reported to have sold millions of króna worth of investments hours before the government seized control of the country’s finance district in 2008.

New documents released reveal that Bjarni, an MP within parliament at the time had insider information about Icelandic bank Glitnir, a bank in which he had stored millions of IKR worth of assests, mostly bonds with the bank’s Sjóður 9 investment fund.

Bjarni also had ties to Glitner’s Head of Investment Banking, Einar Örn Ólafsson, who was involved in Bjarni’s election campaign in 2007. The PM also met with Glitner CEO Lárus Welding in February 2008, two days before selling his shares in the bank, totalling 117 million IKR (€971,000). Bjarni was criticised heavily in 2015 after being mentioned in the Panama papers as owning a third of the company Falson & Co, an investment he did not mention in the Icelandic Register of Parliamentary Assests.

Iceland’s coalition government fell apart last month, after it was revealed Bjarni’s father, Benedikt Sveinsson, wrote a letter appealing for the release of a convicted child molester “to restore his honour.” A snap election has been called for later this month to decide the fate of parliament.

4 ISSUE 2, VOLUME XXIV

POLICE LEFT WITHOUT MOTIVE FOR MASS SHOOTING IN LAS VEGAS

AUTHOR: BRIANNA WALSH The world awoke

Mandalay Bay Hotel on the south side of the Las

The shots were traced back to the 32nd floor of the

not to have to reload but just move on to the next

last Monday morning to tragic news from Las Vegas Strip. Former FBI Assistant Director Chris Vegas. Stephen Paddock, 64, of Mesquite, Nevada Swecker described how the shooting suspect had had opened fire on a crowd attending the Route 91 smuggled multiple weapons into his hotel room in the Harvest outdoor country music festival from his days preceding the attack, turning his dwelling into a 32nd floor room at the Mandalay Bay Resort and “fortress.” According to Swecker, Paddock likely set up Casino where he was staying. He then shot himself. multiple firing positions and had at least eight to ten The events ultimately lead to his own death and that high-velocity shoulder-fired assault weapons. Almost of 58 others, while over 500 concert goers were left two dozen weapons were found in the room overall. injured, some in critical condition.

Swecker envisions a setup that allowed the shooter

weapon, mainly due to the bump-stocks attached to the rifles, an accessory that allows weapons to mimic the firing speeds of fully automatic guns. LVMPD Sheriff Lombardo believes that the suspect brought the weapons in on his own and reports that hotel employees were in and out of the room and “nothing nefarious was noted.” The evidence suggests how the shooting was meticulously pre-planned, with cameras set up by Paddock in his room to “spot anyone coming for him,” officials say.

Despite more than 1000 reported leads and tips, authorities are still puzzled with the little credible information to indicate Paddock’s motive. Islamic State took credit for the act of domestic terror, but lack of evidence discounted such a claim. Paddock’s girlfriend Marilou Danley is continuing to co-operate with investigators, despite little more arising so far from this collaboration.

Paddock’s brother described his sibling as “the king of microaggression.” He had no criminal record and little interest in politics or religion. He had a stable job but regularly gambled. He kept cigars at hand, although he himself did not smoke. There has also been consideration to the fact that Paddock’s father, who was a bank robber on the FBI’s most-wanted list in the 1960s, was diagnosed as psychopathic.

The news erupted on social media Monday morning as users took to Twitter and various other sites to voice their views on the matter. The modern culture of “fake news” came into play once more. Some doubted the reported facts of Sunday night, with talks of multiple shooters, supposed involvement of the left-leaning group Antifa’s and the release of information that later proved to be false. Youtube is also reported to be editing the way it’s search engine picks videos to play on the site, after an array of clips promoting false conspiracy theories about the shooting were prominently featured on the site.

THE QUEST FOR INDEPENDENCE IN CATALONIA: THE EU HOLDS BACK AUTHOR: ROSE DOHERTY The European Union failed to answer calls to step in and help Catalonia’s appeal for independence as Catalan President Carles Puigdemont and other politicians, including the mayor of Barcelona Ada Colau, demand recognition.

In a parliament meeting in Strasbourg on Wednesday the 4th of October, leaders of the European Union agreed with the Spanish government’s statement that the referendum was illegal. The Council of Europe, separate from the EU, said the vote did not meet required standards for a fair referendum as it is not recognised by the Spanish Government, led by Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.

The First Vice-President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans addressed the parliament describing the scenes of violence at the polling stations as ‘saddening.’ Timmermans ultimately validated the attacks, however, saying, “It is a duty of any government to uphold the rule of law and this does sometimes require proportionate use of force.”

Over 700 people were injured as police became physical to implement the Spanish court order to prevent the referendum in the north-east region of the country. Disturbing scenes from the Spanish national police and Guardia Civil shocked the country as offic- of the Spanish government and neglects the Catalan ers were seen using rubber bullets, beating people, and people. pulling the hair of women and the elderly in an attempt In a TV address last Tuesday, King Felipe VI echoed to remove ballot boxes. the Spanish government’s words that Sunday’s vote The results of the vote showed that 90% of Catalans was illegal and undemocratic. He described those who voted for independence, however a mere 2.2 million voted for Catalonian independence as trying to destroy people of the 5 million registered voters (42%) of “the unity of Spain,” potentially harming Spain’s ecoCatalonia’s population took part in the referendum. nomic and social status. Prime Minister Rajoy praised This suggests the rest of the population against Catalan the Spanish police for defending the law and the EU independence did not want to legitimise the referendum for its support. or were too afraid to face the violence.

The Spanish Government says the Catalan president Catalan President Puigdemont criticised King Felipe must first respect the law before any talks take place beVI of Spain while his wishes to talk with Madrid were tween the two opposing sides. Timmermans showed the ignored, saying the King simply follows the decisions EU’s agreeance on the importance of the law, saying of

PHOTO CREDIT: JOSEP RENALIAS

FIACHRA JOHNSTON

PICTURE CREDIT: C. MENDOSA/VOA

INTERNATIONAL NEWS IN BRIEF

the Catalan leaders, “you can work to change the law, but you cannot ignore the law.”

Hundreds of thousands of Catalans took to the streets last Tuesday to protest the violence as they insist the referendum is a right of free speech and self-determination. Puigdemont said Catalans were more unified now than ever following the recent assaults.

EU officials have warned Catalonia that leaving Spain would also mean leaving the EU. They have called for the Spanish and Catalan governments to discuss matters between themselves as the EU claims it has no grounds to intercede. Puigdemont has suggested independence will be implemented on Monday October 9th.

COMMENT THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE: REWARD OR ENDORSEMENT? Amid controversy over Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi’s treatment of Myanmar’s Muslim minority, Katie O’ Dea considers the purpose of the Nobel Peace prize today.

The hope that prize winners bring is invaluable in the struggle against violence and that is what makes the awards so important and so relevant today.

A report released in February of this year, by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) documents mass gang-rape, murder, and the burning of houses and villages by Myanmar’s army and police forces. It is estimated that half a million Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh in the last month alone. The violence which started in October 2016, has received widespread international criticism, but Suu Kyi held her silence on the persecution of Myanmar’s Muslim minority for nearly a year. Malala Yousafzai and Desmond Tutu, both Nobel Peace Prize winners themselves, are among those criticising her for ignoring these crimes against humanity and have

implored her to act.

Suu Kyi finally acknowledged the situation on the 19th of September, condemning the rights abuses and saying that violators would be punished. While this is welcome progress, is it too little too late? The renowned human rights campaigner was a victim of human rights violations herself for over two decades and has dedicated her life to non-violent campaigning for democracy. However, it took her almost a year to even acknowledge the sickening anti-Rohingya violence perpetrated by her own security forces, and she has yet to take action. Amid this controversy, many have called for the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to her in 1991 to be revoked. The Burmese State Counsellor is not the first Nobel Peace Prize laureate whose moral integrity has been called into question and is unlikely to be the last.

Just under nine months into his first term in office former U.S. President Barack Obama was awarded the prize for his creation of a new climate where “dialogue and negotiations are preferred as instruments for resolving even the most difficult international conflicts.”

During Obama’s tenure, the U.S. bombed seven different countries, dropping 26,171 bombs in 2016 alone.

Over his two terms in office, Obama approved 563 drone strikes, ten times as many as were approved under the previous Bush administration.

Whether the recipients deserved the prize in the first place is another question, but to suggest that the prize be revoked based on subsequent actions of the individual seems unnecessary. Nobel laureates are honoured based on specific commendable actions and achievements. They are not awarded based on an evaluation of a person’s morals and actions over a lifetime. An individual’s subsequent actions are irrelevant; what is relevant is the impact that these inspirational people have.

According to the Global Peace Index 2017, violence costs 12.6% of the world’s GDP or equivalent to $5.40 per person per day globally and there are only ten countries in the world today that are considered

completely free from conflict. That is 185 countries engaged in some form of conflict or another. Recognition of the pursuit of peace and those who achieve it, even if only in a small way, is important regardless of the situation, but especially so considering these figures.

Suu Kyi was awarded the prize for “her nonviolent struggle for democracy and human rights.”

Her admirable actions cannot be changed. What she does stand to lose is the near universal admiration and hope that she used to command. The hope that Nobel Peace Prize winners bring is invaluable in the struggle against violence and that is what makes the awards so important and so relevant today. Without hope, we can have no aspirations for a better future or motivation to affect change. Hope is such an important part of human resilience. It shows us that regardless of what is going on in our lives, we can always have the belief that it will get better. While this is universally relevant, it is

PICTUR CREDIT: PETER SOUZA VIA WIKIPEDIA

MYANMAR’S DE FACTO head of government and 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Aung San Suu Kyi, has received much criticism in recent weeks due to her apparent indifference to the plight of Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state in Myanmar. People are even suggesting that her Nobel Prize should be revoked.

During Obama’s tenure, the U.S. bombed seven different countries, dropping 26,171 bombs in 2016 alone. vital to ordinary people in countries engaged in conflict or struggling with terrorism.

Without hope, we have fear. Terrorist groups and those engaged in conflict use fear as a political weapon and the best way to counteract terror is with hope and kindness. That is what Suu Kyi represented when she won the prize in 1991 and that is what we turn to when terror strikes. Media outlets no longer profile terror attack suspects or consider their motives. The emphasis is very much on the victims; the kindness shown between strangers in times of need and the process of rebuilding whatever was damaged in the attack.

On Friday October 6th this year, it was announced that the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons.

The Nobel Peace Prize has the exposure to propel that feeling of hope to a larger audience and highlights the actions of inspirational individuals. They are a beacon of hope and humanity, and showcase those with a commitment to their ideals, inspiring the rest of us. It gives us that thing without which we could not live: hope.

#TAKETHEKNEE Daragh Fleming examines the new wave of peaceful protest in the US and the reactions to it.

The true nature of the protest has nothing to do with the anthem or the flag.

Since the revelation of the NFL’s mistreatment of Kaepernick, and the apparent refusal of any team to make him a contract offer, the movement has gained traction again. In the past three weeks, individuals, and even entire teams have taken to one knee in protest against a racist America, and to stand in solidarity with those who have protested before them. The tension came to an explosive head on Friday the 22nd of September when, during a rally for Senator Luther Strange in Alabama, President Trump lashed out, unprovoked, at all NFL players who had taken the knee in protest. Trump went on to urge any and all NFL owners to terminate the contracts of any player

support for the NFL players. It is hard to disagree with the protest. If you take the anthem itself at face-value, it’s not exactly the most racially sensitive song, which seems strange considering it represents a country consisting of many different races. Specifically, in the third stanza, the lyrics tell of killing ‘slaves’ who joined the British side of the fight.

This thread in particular has carried through to the present day. Not only does the country have an issue with police brutality against black Americans, it now seems that the violence has spread. Take, for example, the most recent such event in Charlottesville, where a young white woman was run down with a car and killed as she protested against racist idealism. This outcome was met with outrage across America, and indeed the entire world.

It is difficult to predict how this current situation will conclude. There is anger on both sides of the conflict, but we have to remember that #TakeTheKnee started as, and is still very much, a non-violent public protest. Nevertheless, those who are in support of anthem or the flag, which merely act as a means to an Trump are undoubtedly fuelled with outrage at the end. Why then, are people so upset with the protest? Is disrespect they feel at this protest, despite its silent it a misunderstanding of the situation, an overreaction, nature in an era when the right cling to the excuse of “free speech.” or are reactors being racist?

Ironically, if Trump had not spoken so out of hand about Kaepernick and the protest in general, the movement may not be as big it is. Trump is the catalyst for a movement he is overtly against. What is concerning is that President Trump has to be aware of the violence that has occurred against black Americans in recent years. He is also surely aware that his words, as president, will undoubtedly lead to more violence in the near future.

As tensions rise, more celebrities have been getting involved and letting the world know how they feel about the conflict. People such as P-Diddy, Macklemore, Stevie Wonder and others have been active on social media and on stage to express their PICTURE CREDIT: U.S. A F PHOTO/STAFF SGT. DEBBIE LOCKHART

If you have been online in the last few of weeks, the hashtag #TakeTheKnee will probably look familiar to you. Take The Knee is a peaceful protest in the face of radical nationalism and police brutality, summed up in 3 words. You may be surprised to read that the entire movement started with one man, Colin Kaepernick who began his protest in 2016. His protest exploded during his team’s third pre-season game and the third time he sat during the national anthem. Kaepernick eventually decided to kneel instead of sit on the bench as a way to show respect, akin to a military funeral, while still expressing his thoughts. He was protesting against a flag which “oppresses black people, and people of colour.” This idea is also at the forefront of the current protest. Sports professionals are no strangers to political protests, but with an antagonist such as Trump at the helm of the opposition, the #TakeTheKnee movement was destined to grab the world’s attention eventually. who participated in the silent protest. “Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a b**** off the field right now, out, he’s fired. He’s fired.”

Trump’s harsh words sparked fury amongst many pro-athletes in and outside of the NFL. Current NBA champion Stephen Curry made it public that he would refuse any invitation to visit the White House, which is a traditional event for the NBA championship team each year. Trump responded by revoking his invitation.

What started as a peaceful but powerful protest against racism has become something much larger. It appears that there is now a political stand-off between those who support the NFL athletes, and those who support Trump in his ridicule of a protest which he deems ‘unpatriotic.’ However, while they have become infuriated with the ‘unpatriotic’ acts of the NFL, it appears that the true nature of the protest has nothing to do with the

Trump is the catalyst for a movement he is overtly against.

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COMMENT ARE WE TALKING ENOUGH ABOUT CONSENT? Heather Reynolds wonders if the SU showing first years a video about consent is enough.

UCD’s choice to cancel their workshops is leaving its students behind the curve.

UCD students’ union cancelled their consent workshops in February 2017, citing a lack of interest and a marked under-attendance from students, however this has not been a deterrent for other universities.

Oxford continues to hold regular workshops throughout orientation, even though attendance can fall as low as three people per workshop. As well as this, Trinity has seen an uptick in attendance this year, with up to 93 people attending one of their workshops, even though they are about as mandatory as the scarf ceremony is in UCD. Considering that other universities hold these workshops regardless of attendance rates, and local universities are seeing an increased interest in these workshops, it seems odd that UCD has downsized their attempts to talk about consent on campus.

That is not to say that UCD is doing nothing. The video shown at orientation, Tea and Consent by Blue

Many in UCD were not aware of the classes’ existence until after they had ended.

Seat Studios, is a highly informative video with a clear message, despite its short run time. However, there are many topics that are discussed in larger workshops that this video does not address, such as consent within an established relationship, or how alcohol can impede decision-making. It also does not discuss other circumstances that can affect someone’s ability to consent, such as large age differences or power imbalances.

These situations are too complex to discuss in a three minute long video, but they are necessary discussions to have, which is why larger workshops have been rolled out on so many campuses.

These discussions are necessary for many reasons, and should be had in all learning environments from an early age, which, coincidentally, Blue Seat Studios also has a video for. According to a USI study carried out in 2013, almost 20% of Irish female students have had unwanted sexual experiences whilst in their current educational institution. This makes it particularly important we have this discussion within universities and their campuses. However, in university, where basically everything you do is optional to a certain degree, it can be near impossible to get students to attend them, with many believing they know it all already.

This lack of interest and assumption of knowledge is what led to UCD cancelling their workshops.

Trinity College increased their intake by giving each hall in their accommodation a set time to attend a workshop and by advertising the workshops heavily,

ILLUSTRATION: MARK COYLE

CONSENT WORKSHOPS are becoming a staple aspect of student orientation on campus, with major universities such as Trinity College Dublin, Dublin City University, and Oxford University in England making them a sizeable aspect of their orientation timetable.

Trinity has faced such a high demand for these workshops that they have had to plan more for students who were unable to attend the previous batch. So why is it that while other colleges have such a high demand for consent workshops, UCD has cancelled theirs, opting instead to show a three-minute video during another aspect of their orientation programme?

using flyers to promote the classes, and timetables in each residence kitchen. They reached 200 students in the first day of workshops, in comparison to 400 over the full week last year. Workshop coordinators also linked an increase in public discussion to their increased attendance. In comparison to Trinity’s highly publicised classes, many in UCD were not aware of the classes’ existence until after they had ended.

The SU’s main issue with continuation of the workshops, aside from an underwhelming turnout, was the financial cost. Consent workshops for the 15/16 and 16/17 academic year cost the SU €1,800, with no financial assistance from the university, despite said assistance being promised when the workshops were first introduced. However, the SU have not released their accounts to the public since 2014, so this figure is difficult to confirm, and is difficult to take seriously, considering recent events.

Consent is a difficult discussion to have on campus, but it is an important one, and with more campuses every year joining the discussion, UCD’s choice to cancel their workshops is leaving its students behind the curve.

DIT, WIT, Queens University Belfast and NUIG all expanded their consent workshops this year, leaving UCD as the only college to downsize their engagement with students on the issue of consent. This only further indicates that this decision is a firm step backwards.

IS A HARD BORDER STILL A POSSIBILITY? Could Brexit be the mechanism that reignites the troubles in the north? Dean Swift examines the possibility of a hard border being implemented.

The Troubles that ravaged the north seem a distant memory to the youth of Ireland, but to many Brexit is feared to be the tool which will allow them to begin anew. One of the key issues arising from Brexit, at least in the Irish sphere, is the border between the North and the republic, a key to the arguably shaky peace that exists today. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Prime Minister Theresa May had a meeting in Downing Street on September 27th to discuss the issue.

While promises have been made that no hard border will be implemented in Ireland, these promises should be viewed with caution. A poll taken for Huff Post UK shows that 59% of voters “want Theresa May to step down immediately.” The promises made by one prime minister are not a guarantee from another. Therefore, it is important to discuss the potential reality of a hard border in any form.

Should a hard border be implemented it is only reasonable that the British government pay for its operations. It would be costly, especially taking into consideration that the American-Canadian border costs the Canadian government over €1 billion per annum to operate 250 crossings, according to Varadkar. While considerably smaller, the cost of an Irish border would be significant, particularly with the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) giving a conservative estimate that “a hard Brexit will cost Ireland €200m a year and deprive us of 49,000 jobs over a decade.” One could argue that the border protects the citizens of the Republic of Ireland as well as those of Northern Ireland, and therefore the Republic should also pay. However, the borders themselves could instigate violence. They were major targets of the IRA during the troubles and

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were removed when peace was established, to help in maintaining that shaky peace. If a hard border were implemented would it be fair to make the Republic also pay for its upkeep?

One could argue that the border protects the citizens of the Republic of Ireland as well as those of Northern Ireland, and therefore the Republic should also pay.

One of the many reasons people voted for Brexit was the issue of immigration. The hard border seems to be a clear extension of that sentiment, however the British government has repeatedly ruled out Northern Ireland having special treatment in Brexit negotiations.

As a piece in the Irish Times states, “London is not prepared to explore the treatment of Northern Ireland as a separate entity, subject to separate rules, or for it to remain part of the customs union or single market, as some politicians North and South have urged.” The suggestion that no hard border would exist is paradoxical. It would also easily allow for the movement of other Europeans into the North with ease via the Republic of Ireland. The management of the situation has been incompetently handled at best, negligent at worst. The lack of a clear decision is worrying and leaves the possibility of a hard border a looming reality.

The management of the situation has been incompetently handled at best, negligent at worst.

The idea of a coastal border has been thrown into the mix several times during the Brexit negotiations as an alternative to a hard land border. Varadkar, who has been Taoiseach since June of this year, made his intentions clear very early. As the Irish Independent reports, “he is said to want customs and immigration checks moved away from the land border to ports and airports—effectively drawing a new border in the Irish Sea”. A coastal border is the only realistic way to avoid a hard land border that fully coincides with Britain’s aims in Brexit. However, the British and Northern Ireland government are opposed to the idea of a coastal border as outlined in a paper issued by the British government which dismisses it as “economically and constitutionally unviable.” The only truly viable and straightforward option that avoids a hard border has been firmly rejected by the British government.

With the idea of a coastal border rejected and the promise of no border remaining contradictory to the main aims of Brexit, Ireland is in an uncertain area.

How the Irish border is handled is fundamental to Brexit, and a very dangerous issue if not handled correctly. Unfortunately the lack of decisiveness, the potential for change in leadership, and the rejection of a coastal border make a hard border a very real possibility.

ILLUSTRATION CREDIT: MARK COYLE

COMMENT

HEAD-TO-HEAD

PHOTO CREDIT: PHOEBE IRELAND

THE PRO CHOICE MOVEMENT IS TOO AGGRESSIVE

IN FAVOUR Michael O’ Dwyer Connolly argues that the pro-choice campaign is

AGAINST Opposing the motion, Amy Crean argues that to hide the rage of

ABORTION IS arguably the most controversial and divisive topic this country has faced in decades. It remains a moral dilemma for billions of people who view it as an issue of basic human rights or, more seriously, life and death. Due to the fact that it is such a serious and morally dividing concept, how campaigning is done for or against its legality is of immense importance. The eighth amendment was added to our constitution in 1983 with a resounding referendum victory of two thirds of the vote for the pro-life cause. In the decades since, public opinion has shifted to be more ambiguous, with various polls suggesting any vote on the issue now would be a close call.

Both sides have accused each other of unbecoming tactics but there is far more controversy surrounding the pro-choice campaign. One of the most noticeable issues with their campaign is the reported financial backing of foreign billionaires and organisations, most prominently Hungarian-American-Jewish investor, George Soros. His various NGO groups have pumped tens of millions of euros into the pro-choice campaign, giving it considerable fiscal pull and contributing to its glamorous and completely one-sided media coverage. This is a man famous for profiteering off economic hardships, using his billions to fund the sneaking of refugees into Europe via Libya.

He has also helped fund the overthrow of democratically-elected governments in places such as Ukraine, as well as engaging in shady political activities via NGOs. One must question exactly how much foreign moneyed interest is invested in the pro-choice campaign. Are they truly independent, and if so, do they really want to be associated with such a man?

There is also the issue of attitudes within the pro-choice campaign, with many rightly criticising it for demanding extremely liberal abortion laws. This includes the view of some who wish to legalise ‘partial birth abortion,’ which is essentially without restriction and up to the day of birth. This is a concept most find morally reprehensible, and this aggressive view actually turns away many moderate voters, who would be in favour of abortion in cases of rape, incest, and so forth but not abortion on demand.

In vast swathes of the western world there is an all-consuming ‘liberal’ or left-wing bias in the media and among the younger generations. This has created an intellectual vacuum that tends to restrict open debate on controversial issues like abortion, as many people feel too intimidated to openly express their views. They fear social reprisals and being ostracised by their peers simply because their views do not conform to the will of the great behemoth of political and social establishment thought.

All of this is without mentioning the lack of attention being paid to global trends. In Russia, the USA and Poland especially, pro-life movements are fast gaining traction. These countries have had lenient abortion laws for decades.

In the case of Russia, for almost a century due to communist policy between 1920 and the collapse in 1991 (with well over 50 million abortions performed there in that period). However, the countries most experienced with abortion now appear to be rejecting it, something often overlooked by the pro-choice campaign.

On the issue of abortion, on which there is no consensus and which is often approached from completely opposing moral standpoints, can elements of the pro-choice campaign afford to be so aggressive, divisive, unscrupulous about their backers and opposed to free debate? If they want success, which requires persuading the middle ground, the only logical answer is no.

AS THE pro-choice movement in Ireland grew, so did the criticisms of how it presented itself. Not surprisingly, the various campaigns, from the Abortion Rights Network advocating for Free Safe Legal to the ‘depressing’ Repeal jumpers, were all met with backlash of a similar nature. The overall movement has been described as aggressive, angry, and shrill. The policing of their presentation came largely from non-campaigners and was telling of a common perception amongst those less politically active, who are influenced to view minority battles for rights as extremist. There are numerous issues with the prioritisation of respectability politics in any movement.

It shifts focus from the central cause of concern. It upholds misleading narratives about who is entitled to justice, and it weakens the foundations of the movement for further progression.

There are valid ways to engage in critiquing a movement and constructively analyse its methods. Tone policing however, looks less to the arguments of a group and more to how it presents them. The problem with that, and particularly in an issue so emotive as abortion access, is that it completely changes the focus from the inhumane abortion legislation to the supposedly angry, hostile women charging the fight against it. Clearly playing heavily on sexist assumptions, the aggressive women stereotype is seen as unpalatable and somehow not representative of the average woman, who is presumably more docile. Angry feminists have long been framed as overreacting and by talking more about that characterisation of Repealers, the movement becomes seen as more vicious than the regime it is combatting. This is in spite of the eighth amendment having been condemned as torture by the UN, as well as meeting heavy criticisms from other bodies internationally.

This troublesome and misrepresentative characterisation leads into another issue; presenting a question of who deserves justice, and more disturbingly, presenting a restrictive answer. The stories of those who have travelled for abortions are being shared with increased regularity to appeal to the humanity of prospective voters and to demonstrate the cruelty of our laws. Yet those saying the movement is too ‘aggressive’ want these stories packaged in a specific manner, one that has no room for anger at the injustice of the situation. The Perfect Victim phenomenon is as strong as ever. This is the idea that only survivors who are otherwise flawless, who are modest and forgiving and unthreatening, are even seen as victims at all.

Anger won’t earn you sympathy. Aggression doesn’t look good when abortion is already framed as an act of violence. While there are issues with earning understanding and empathy as part of the campaign, to attempt to police a natural emotional aspect of being treated unjustly is demonstrative of how removed you are from that injustice. It is unfair to ask the movement to hide its anger, when doing so means there won’t be attention given to the long list of legitimate reasons we have to be angry. The years of unheard appeals, the exporting of healthcare, the ongoing influence of religious institutions in spite of their history of cruelty towards Irish citizens, how is hiding that somehow fundamental to the movement’s success?

If every pro-choice campaigner were to be nothing but mild-mannered and polite, it would be misrepresentative of the pain many have suffered that has brought it to such levels of mobilisation. They’ve been engaging politely for years to no avail. The emotive image of the movement is not in contrast to well-presented facts and reasoning behind the challenge to legislation, but an imperative accompaniment, examining not only the legal implications but the personal devastations.

REBUTTAL BY AMY CREAN

REBUTTAL BY MICHAEL O’DWYER CONNOLLY

It is undoubtedly true that abortion remains a divisive topic, but this is largely rooted in the spread of misinformation by anti-choice movements. There are many pro-choicers calling for abortion on demand, but the framing of this as being in favour of ‘partial birth abortion’ is incredibly misleading. In jurisdictions where there is no legal restriction on abortion, very few occur late in term, and almost exclusively when there are direct threats to the life of the pregnant person.

It is unfair to suggest that criticism of presentation is something suffered most by the pro-choice side, if anything far more media criticism is directed at the pro-life campaign for religious elements or for using shocking (albeit real) abortion imagery in campaign material.

The aggressive feminist stereotype is not unwarranted, as anyone who has witnessed a pro-choice march can confirm.

No one likes aggression from either of the two genders. Image matters, and it is not an image you want cultivated.

To refer to the eighth amendment as “torture” is a gross misrepresentation and quite frankly insulting to anyone who has been through actual torture as I’m sure Guantanamo inmates would attest. The eighth amendment has saved thousands of lives whether or not you believe the woman’s choice matters more than the child’s right to life. Torture exists only to harm. Not to mention the questionable judgement of the UN given that they have Saudi Arabia on the human rights council.

I disagree that you still have a long list of reasons to be angry about this topic. We are no longer the Ireland living under the oppressive religiosity of times past, as we saw with the referendum of 2015. To risk looking angry or unwilling to debate will turn away the middle ground (as anger and irrationality always does) that you desperately need if you wish for your campaign to succeed.

not truly independent and suppresses the views of others.

In New Zealand, where abortions have no restriction based on gestational age, but can only be performed if a doctor deems it necessary for the health of the pregnant person, abortions after 20 weeks constitute only 0.5% of all abortions. In Canada, where abortion is entirely decriminalised, under 0.6% of abortions occur after 21 weeks. This shows that the ‘aggressive’ stance of abortion on demand does not have the outrageous impacts often suggested.

What is morally reprehensible is only permitting people bodily autonomy when their pregnancies are results of direct violence. The anti-choice movement shares inflammatory and misleading narratives to stir up anger towards those already in incredibly vulnerable positions, framing their choices as murders. That is far more aggressive than any demand for legislating human rights.

repealers would be to hide the myriad reasons to be angry.

10TH OCTOBER 2017 7

FEATURES IRELAND’S LGBT+ DISCRIMINATION AND LEGISLATION In May 2015, Ireland became the first country to legalise same-sex marriage by popular vote in a national referendum and in June 2017, Leo Varadkar became Ireland’s first openly gay Taoiseach. How did Ireland, previously known as a conservative Catholic country, earn itself a reputation around the world for liberalism and LGBT+ acceptance?

Just over 25 years ago, homosexuality was still a crime in Ireland. In 1982, a series of homophobic beatings took place in Fairview Park, which was used as a meeting place for gay men at the time. Declan Flynn was attacked and killed there in September 1982. His death led to public protests and Ireland’s first gay pride festival in March 1983.

We are nevertheless moving to a new and beautiful place that none of us back in the 1970s or 1980s could have ever imagined.

The same year, both The High Court and The Supreme Court ruled against David Norris in his case against the criminalisation of homosexual acts. Norris then took his case to the European Court of Human Rights, represented by Mary Robinson, and in 1988 they ruled that Ireland’s anti-gay laws went against Article 8 of their Convention on Human Rights, which protects the right to privacy. The Irish government later passed the Criminal Fraud (Sexual Offences) Act decriminalising homosexuality in June 1993.

Tonie Walsh, LGBT+ activist and journalist said, “We live in a much better place than where we found ourselves before Marriage Ref or decriminalisation.

We are blessed with an array of positive images in the

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media and pop culture. Two lesbians or gay men can hold hands and kiss in public without fear or censure, or worse a murder.”

While it was no longer illegal to be in a same-sex relationship, it was not until 2010 that The Civil Partnership Bill passed in the Dáil, allowing same-sex partners to register their relationship and be treated in the same way as spouses under the tax and social welfare codes. However, even after this came into effect in January 2011, the law specified that married couples or single individuals may adopt, but same-sex couples could not jointly because same-sex marriage was not legal at the time. This meant that only one parent in a same-sex relationship could sign the adoption papers, and if the couples separated, only one parent would have rights to the child. One month before the Marriage Referendum, which passed by a landslide of 62%, same-sex couples were granted the right to adopt children together.

Since July 2015, all individuals over the age of 18 are entitled to alter their birth certificates and passports to state the gender they most identify with. Thanks to The Gender Recognition Act, transgender people can now avoid being wrongly gendered, or ‘outed’ when applying for work or college places as long as they are legally an adult. This plays a huge role in reducing discrimination and violence against the transgender community.

We live in a much better place than where we found ourselves before Marriage Ref or decriminalisation.

A huge component of discrimination against the LGBT+ community in Ireland has undoubtedly stemmed from the country’s deep roots in Catholicism.

In Ireland, over 90% of schools are Catholic, and a number of major hospitals also have religious affiliations, such as the Mater Hospital, owned by Sisters of Mercy. Earlier this year thousands signed a petition and protested against the proposed role of Sisters of Charity in the new National Maternity Hospital in Dublin. David Gough, a well-known Gaelic football referee who has also taught in a Catholic primary school, recalls feeling anxious back in March 2015 when he decided to make his sexuality public by wearing a rainbow wristband in Croke Park. However, he describes the reaction of his principal, Board of Management, and pupils’ parents as “very supportive.”

Ireland has certainly come a long way over the past century. However, despite the momentous changes in Ireland’s laws and the massive shift in public

perception of the LGBT+ community, discrimination on a smaller, day-to-day basis remains. Lesbian, gay, and bisexual people are still unable to leave a pension to their same-sex widow or widower, while oppositesex couples have always had the right to do so.

In May this year a man was charged for vandalising The George (Dublin’s best known gay bar) with a homophobic insult and a Nazi swastika symbol. Issues such as the ban on homosexual men donating blood (for a year after sexual activity) and bi-erasure remain and need to be addressed. Walsh concludes “We still have work to do where marginalisation and subtle discrimination continue to exist, but we are nevertheless moving to a new and beautiful place that none of us, back in the 1970s or 1980s, could have ever imagined.”

PHOTO CREDIT: WILLIAM MURPHY VIA FLIVKR

Jade Wilson chronicles a history of LGBT+ discrimination in Ireland through legislation.

FEATURES LESSER SPOTTED UCD: CLASSICS MUSEUM The Classics Museum is a hidden gem, tucked away in the corner of the Newman building, open to all, known by few. Ruairí Long investigates, in another instalment of Lesser Spotted UCD. UCD’S LIST of surprises is long, but then again, the campus is big. Although the cynical final years among us may titter at the shaken bunches of freshers scurrying about in groups, even they will be surprised by some things hidden close to home. As close to home, in fact, as the Newman Building. Newman is both hectic and deathly quiet, depending on floor and corridor.

On a wet Wednesday, as theatre L booms and An Cuas chats, the Classics corridor is peaceful: soft sounds audible over typical white noise. On that exact corridor lies room K216, home to the UCD Classical Museum.

Two curators of the museum Dr. Jo Day and Kaylinn Bednarz spoke to the University Observer about the museum. Day said “the collection was founded over one hundred years ago, by a Professor of Greek called Henry Brown. It was initially in Earlsford Terrace where UCD began, and when UCD moved out to Belfield it moved too and it’s been this room since the 1970s.”

That’s one of the unique features of this museum, its personality. It feels low key, with something familiar in its distinct differentness..

Sure, Trinity has the Book of Kells, but you will most certainly not be bombarded by tourists here. It is the only museum of its kind in an Irish university, and is fully fledged, with display cabinets, interactive exhibits and descriptions galore. This museum is almost cosy, an alcove of fascination and intrigue run by its two warm and friendly curators.

According to the assistant curator of the museum, Kaylinn Bednarz, the museum is quiet, “I’d say 20 visitors just drop in a week.” Structured visits for tutorial groups are also arranged for tutorial groups. Day

describes these visits as having “12 or 15 people [per group] and there is a difference between structured visits as and people who just drop in.”

That’s one of the unique features of this museum, its personality. It feels low key, with something familiar in its distinct differentness. Its purpose is to educate you as a student of UCD, it has no pretensions. You can get a personal tour of the museum from a curator. Their passion and knowledge is easy to feel in a conversation.Bednarz says she enjoys the surprise people show when they actually see what is contained inside that one room, and she always makes sure not to harass any visitor who doesn’t want to talk.

Over 2500 items are stored inside the museum, items that can be up to 7000 years old. The curator, Dr.Day, believes the museum holds an attraction for people to see new things. “Whatever you’re doing, engineering or commerce or medicine, this stuff is still interesting. Just to see things that people were making and using from 4000BC up until the 3rd century AD. I think that’s bound to be interesting.”

Bednarz’s favourite item in the museum is the loom weights on which she did a masters’ project. She added “I also wrote an article about them in the Trowel, the UCD archaeology publication, and I’m working on

a display right now for that, it’s just in the preliminary idea stage. I like them because there’s not that much known about them, there’s a lot to learn from them I think, so it’s kind of like one of those mystery objects that there’s a lot there, just trying to figure out exactly how they were made and used.”

You can get a personal tour of the museum from a curator.

Their passion and knowledge is easy to feel in a conversation.

Although the idea of a museum is not everyone’s cup of tea, it may be the least offensive activity to tell

the folks back home about, moving the topic on from the fact that much of your time in Dublin is spent on Harcourt street. Many of us even enjoy a visit to a museum now and again, Dublin is sprinkled with many world-renowned ones that attract many a tourist.

Lucky for you, there is no need to risk the 46A, you can simply take yourself into a central building on campus instead. So, if you ever feel like you are lacking in the culture department, and are dying to embrace something artsy, even for five minutes, why not give it a visit. There is a list of things you must do alone, and visiting a museum without the distraction of company is one of them. It’s ultimately soothing.

The museum is open Tuesday to Friday in the late morning, closing at 1:30pm. It is, like many things in university, what you make of it. Hours and hours of work, stored lovingly in the hope that students like you will learn something, anything, from the intricacies of the collection. Masters’ theses have been written on many of the items you will be looking at. There is far more than meets the eye in the displays, just simply have a good hard look. You can even buy a postcard to send to your Granny.

A WAGE FOR LIVING? With the concept of a Universal Basic Income gaining global popularity, Rory Clarke explores how it could affect Ireland today.

THE IDEA of a Universal Basic Income (UBI) is not a new concept. From 19th century industrial England to modern Finland this controversial social experiment has been trialled to varying extents. The basic premise is that the state gives a regular payment to every citizen within its borders. This payment, which is enough to live sufficiently, would be universal, unconditional and automatic. The government commits to giving every one of its citizens enough money to survive, from cradle to grave.

One argument for the introduction of a UBI is that it would free workers from low-paid, menial and often pointless jobs, allowing them to make valuable contributions to society, such as working with children, charities, the disadvantaged, or the elderly. Thousands of people sacrifice valuable time each year to contribute to worthy causes, giving up the opportunity to earn money at the same time.

Ms. Anne Ryan, of Basic Income Ireland explained that they “are very keen on promoting the idea that UBI would really support artistic and creative work” as “the benefits that [such work] brings to society are great.” By forgoing schemes such as UBI, the prevalence of charity work may well decline as people are forced to take practical decisions to survive.

Conversely if it was implemented, these people would be able to live a decent, if frugal, lifestyle while finding fulfilment and satisfaction.

Rebutting this argument many people claim that UBI would result in crippling labour issues for industries which require such workers to survive (restaurant, hotel, or service industries). Dr Christopher Jepsen, of the UCD School of Economics, argues that if UBI payments were “more generous than minimum-wage jobs, then employers would struggle” as even under current social welfare “employers find it hard to hire minimum wage workers”.

An interesting perspective offered by Ms. Ryan is that UBI would be a hugely beneficial “investment in rural Ireland.” She argues that introducing UBI would do much to tackle the “geographical imbalance” in our country as people previously forced to move or commute to urban hubs could set up enterprises in their own localities. Furthermore, consistent financial support would be of great benefit to small rural farmers or fishermen who are often overlooked by targeted government programs.

Another benefit, enumerated by Ms.Ryan, is that with UBI “the benefits trap is gone.” Currently, unemployed people living on social welfare payments see a decline in income upon their return to the workforce, their wages being less than social welfare. Therefore “sometimes it’s not worth their while financially.” The core difference between UBI and social welfare is that it is unconditional and constant. It does not decline or disappear with the procurement of employment. Therefore, there would be no overt incentive to intentionally remove oneself from the workforce. In fact, it is argued that the security that UBI would provide would lead to an increase in entrepreneurship and new ventures. As Ms.Ryan says, “it would put a floor of support under people for taking risks.”

For those who argue against UBI, migration is an important issue upon which they base one of their foremost arguments. Living in a world where UBI is not the norm, early pioneers could face a significant influx of people wishing to avail of their generosity. “Welfare

Tourism,” as it is termed by Ms.Ryan, has been seen before. With the introduction of the ‘Welfare State’ in the UK in the second half of the 20th century, immigration from foreign countries grew exponentially. While Dr. Jepsen points out that “the government would have to clarify residency rules for UBI eligibility,” it would nevertheless be difficult to differentiate people coming to this country for genuine reasons from those looking for residency to benefit from a theoretically generous UBI scheme A prevailing argument against such a scheme is its potentially enormous cost. Already burdened by our existing social welfare system, increasing the scope of income payments could lead to high taxes (Basic

Income Ireland proposes a 45% flat tax) and reduction in public services. That being said, as Dr. Jepsen highlights the cost of “UBI may not be nearly as large as people think, assuming that UBI replaces a lot of social welfare rather than being an add on to it”, to which Ms.Ryan adds “the way that it would be financed is all the current social welfare payments would go into it”.

The arguments and counter-arguments in respect of this issue are varied and complex. While UBI remains a theoretical concept rather than a detailed plan it may be impossible to adopt clear positions regarding it. While its financing and other details remain uncertain its impact may be impossible to accurately determine. The devil is in the details.

PHOTO CREDIT: FREE POSTERS VIA FLICKR

Theoretically the government commits to giving every one of its citizens enough money to survive, from cradle to grave.

10TH OCTOBER 2017 9

FEATURES DRUG DECRIMINALIZATION IN IRELAND, A STEP FORWARD OR A STEP BACK? With many questions being raised about the clogging of the courts with minor drug charges and the stigma surrounding drug use, Des Cook investigates if Ireland would benefit from decriminalising drugs.

This proposal however would radically change Ireland’s drug policy bringing the country in line with the likes of Uruguay and Portugal.

Due to these grim statistics a change in the direction of Irish drug policy appears to be on the horizon.

This July a new National Drugs Strategy was published by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Minister for Health Simon Harris, and Minister of State for Drug Strategy Catherine Byrne. Included in it was a proposal to decriminalize the possession of drugs including heroin, cocaine, and cannabis for personal use.

Dr Gillian W Shorter, an expert in addiction currently working in Ulster University, agreed with the proposal’s conclusion that Ireland’s current drug laws are flawed. “There’s an emphasis on criminal behaviour. [The current drug laws] are actually quite detrimental as they put people off getting treatment, getting the help that they need and seeking advice for harm reduction, which if you’ve decided you’re going to take drugs or you’re going to drink alcohol to excess

is very harmful to yourself.” She added, “I think we forget that addiction affects everything, it’s never just about the drug or alcohol abuse, there’s always much more to it. I think the big thing we could do is take a much more health focused approach and invest more in addiction treatment services for the full range of use of substances.”

Ireland’s only previous experience with a radical

line with the likes of Uruguay and Portugal. Dr Shorter was unequivocal in her stance on whether decriminalizing small possession charges would be beneficial.

“I certainly welcome anything that I think reduces the stigma of people who use drugs and it will save a lot of resources as well. I think it’s not going to be easy to implement, but obviously that’s why we have a government and we have a civil service, to help us

change in drug policy came in March 2015 when due to a law being struck down as unconstitutional by the Court of Appeals, many drugs including magic mushrooms and ecstasy were temporarily made legal.

While this event succeeded in raising Ireland’s profile on prolific media outlets such as LadBible, this legal quirk did not result in any great shift away from the long held belief that tougher laws resulted in less drug use.

This proposal of decriminalisation would radically change Ireland’s drug policy bringing the country in

implement these things, and I know it’s going to be difficult but taking that health approach rather than that criminal approach really will make a difference. It’ll help reduce stigma, it’ll help encourage people to get treatment, and we’ve seen from places like Portugal about where we might see some pitfalls, we can now anticipate those in advance.”

Since Portugal decriminalised the personal possession of all drugs in 2001 the results have been mixed. Drug use has declined among those aged 15-24,

PICTURE CREDIT: THE3CATS VIA PIXABAY

THE PROBLEM of drugs in Ireland is not going away, and the reality is that under the government’s current strategy the issue is getting worse.

According to an All Ireland Drug Survey, between 2010 and 2015 use of ecstasy went up from 0.9% to 4.4%, with the overall use of any illegal drug among the general population increasing from 7% to 8.9% over the same time period. Apart from the damage done to drug user’s health, the crime that is financed by the sale of narcotics continues to worsen, with ten murders taking place in Dublin in the last two years as a result of the ongoing feud between the Hutch and Kinahan cartels.

the group seen as most susceptible to initiating drug use. Despite this, lifetime use of drugs among the general population has actually increased slightly and the murder rate remains more or less the same as that of 2001. One area where the policy has succeeded is in improving the health of drug users. The number of newly diagnosed HIV cases among people who inject drugs has declined dramatically over the past decade, falling from 1,016 to 56 between 2001 and 2012.

Bernie McDonnell, the Director of Services at Community Awareness of Drugs, had a different perspective on the issue to Dr. Shorter. “We in CAD are opposed to any moves to decriminalise drugs as we believe it would lead to increased use and increased problem use. We believe that the agencies currently helping those in addiction should receive increased resources to further extend their services.”

An important point to consider when discussing the proposal is that decriminalization is different to legalization. Those caught with drugs would still be able to be fined and assigned community service, similar to punishments for offences such as failing to wear a seatbelt. The selling and distribution of drugs would remain a criminal offence, meaning the trade would not become a regulated taxable industry in the vein of cannabis in the US state of Colorado. This means gangland crime will not become redundant and drug use would continue to fund elicit international organizations.

There is no clear way forward in terms of combatting the problem of addiction in Ireland, with clear differences of opinion among those involved in the issue. However, most agree that more funding for treatment and care is needed, but the debate as to whether decriminalizing drugs will improve the situation looks set to continue.

DO STUDENT LOANS KILL DREAMS? With a new report on higher level funding being examined by the Oireachtas, Elizabeth Wells asks whether a student loan scheme would help or harm students.

Higher-education institutes (HEIs) across Ireland are facing a major funding crisis. The Cassells’ report, published in March of last year by an expert group, concluded an increase of €600 million in funding annually would be needed by 2021, and a further increase of €I billion would be needed by 2030. The report outlined three potential solutions for funding.

Under the current system, students above a certain income threshold pay €3000 a year in fees, while the remaining funding comes from exchequer resources.

The first option in the report is to retain these fees while increasing exchequer funding. This would result in an approximate €1 billion increase in state funding per year by 2030, according to Dr. Aedin Doris, part of the expert group who contributed to the report and an economics lecturer at Maynooth University.

The second option is to eliminate these fees entirely, subsequently providing all funding from exchequer resources, resulting in a roughly €1.26 billion increase in state funding.

The third option would be to introduce fees, of either €4,000 or €5,000 per year, for all students and implement an income-contingent loan (ICL) program, requiring a €5.6 to 7 million increase in state funding needed, respectively.

Income-contingent loans are not repaid until the borrower reaches a certain income threshold, at which point the rates are paid in accordance to the borrower’s annual income. This scheme would potentially put students in €16,0000-20,0000 of debt upon graduation.

The ICL scheme has been met with fierce opposition from student organizations across the country. The Irish Second-Level Student Unions have launched a #saynotoloans campaign on social media, calling on the legislature to reject any bills that would involve implementing student loans.

The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) organised Marches for Education in 2016 and 2017 with thousands of students taking to the streets of Dublin to call for greater access to education.

“We are trying to get a lot of public and media attention,” Kerrigan said, “and show how students are angry, how we are not willing to accept any form of income-contingent loan scheme, and that we want the higher education funding crises to be fixed.”

Kerrigan called for increased funding to be provided from the exchequer and the National Training Fund, as well as possibly obtaining further funding from a percentage of corporate taxes because “businesses, especially large corporations, make huge profits off of the highly-educated individuals that Ireland provides.”

Kerrigan and USI believe education is a fundamental right that should be publicly funded for all citizens. “[Education] is important for students to help them progress in life and give them the chance to get the best quality of life as they can get.”

On the other hand, because both students and the public reap benefits from higher education, a case can be made that the cost burden should be shared between the student and the state, the report states.

Doris’ stance is that the ICL scheme would be the most feasible option for solving the current funding dilemma, and Doris believes the benefits for higher education far outweigh the cost for students.

“On average, Irish graduates earn about €350,000 more over their lifetimes than those with just a Leaving Cert. The returns to Higher Education in Ireland are the highest in the OECD,” she said.

Under an ICL scheme, if a student does not reach a certain income, they are not required to pay it back and are therefore “insured” from being unlucky or unsuccessful in the labour market.

Doris said she believes an ICL program would not

have adverse effects on enrollment, specifically in students from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

“The whole idea is that because no student has to pay up-front fees, no student is prevented from attending college. This has been borne out by the experience in other countries with ICLs. Students from lower socio-economic backgrounds are not discouraged from attending college if fees are covered by an ICL scheme,” she said.

The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education is reviewing the Cassell’s report, but no decision has been made.

According to a report published by The Journal in July 2017, the Labour Party has called on the government to reject implementation of an ICL scheme, which was supported

by Sinn Féin.

However, neither Fine Gael nor Fianna Fáil has taken the idea off the table.

The Irish SecondLevel Student Unions have launched a #saynotoloans campaign on social media, calling on the legislature to reject any bills that would involve implementing student loans.

PHOTO CREDIT: ALTERNET.COM

10 ISSUE 2, VOLUME XXIV

STUDENT VOICES POSTCARDS FROM ABROAD: MONTREAL

PHOTO CREDIT: STEVE SHOOK VIA FLICKR

Still in the early days of her year abroad in Montreal, Saoirse Hanely writes back to UCD about her experiences so far

Montreal seems to be undergoing an identity crisis of it’s own, and, not being able to identify as wholly Canadian, or wholly European.

THE GRAVITY of uprooting myself from everything I know, and everything I’m used to, and relocating 4464 km away for nine months didn’t hit me until I was at airport security. I had spent the previous week gradually saying goodbye to everyone bit by bit until it was just me and my mother parting ways at 5am. Once past the security I realised what a big step it was that I was taking. Every decision from then on out was totally my own (calling home for advice isn’t as easy when you have time differences to take into account). It terrified me, but in a way that was every bit as exciting as it was scary. I say all of this in past tense but truth be told I’m still finding new ways to be both scared and excited.

I now find myself five weeks into my year abroad from UCD, and three weeks into my classes at Université de Montréal. One thing I keep returning to since my alarm went off at 3.30am on August 28th, is that I very nearly ended up missing this opportunity

altogether. Before I started college I assumed I’d spend a year abroad somewhere, but changed my mind when I settled into UCD. I came to fully understand the facts of going abroad that they leave out of the information sessions (namely: money, most of your friends graduating without you, money, administration in different countries, money).

When applications opened in the first semester of second year, I kept putting it off until the deadline had all of a sudden rolled around and I decided I would stay put and finish out my degree. However, when college started back in January, I realised just how much I wished I had at least applied, and so when applications reopened briefly, I did. Assuming my grades wouldn’t be good enough to get me a spot regardless, I didn’t actually put much thought into where I was listing as my preferred destinations and put Montreal, Quebec as my first choice. I’ll let you guess how the

While I cannot explain, even to myself, why I chose Montréal, I am beyond ecstatic that I did. rest transpired. While I cannot explain, even to myself, why I chose Montreal, I am beyond ecstatic that I did.

Montreal is often described as a European metropolis in a North American setting, so before coming here I expected different but still somewhat familiar. It appears I was wrong. Montréal seems to be undergoing an identity crisis of it’s own, and, not being able to identify as wholly Canadian, or wholly European.

It falls completely into a beautiful, messy and totally unique grey area in between. I can at least confirm, with the utmost sincerity, that it is nothing like Ireland.

All it takes is one terrible cup of tea to realise how far you are from our little Island. That said, I seem to have met at least half of Ireland’s young population here.

When I walked into my building’s communal kitchen, at a point when I was feeling particularly homesick, and heard two undeniably Irish voices, I could have collapsed with the relief of hearing something so wonderfully familiar. Now, I’m the privileged member of a prestigious 28-person strong group chat composed of Irish students living in Montreal. If you only knew the kinds of mutual friends we all seem to have, the kind of small country (and even smaller town) connections you just couldn’t make up.

Of course, French is the main reason I’m here, and while a somewhat unorthodox decision, this city has been perfect in that regard. I can practice French when I need to and when it gets too much I need only head to the almost completely Anglophone downtown area for a break. My classes (that last THREE HOURS EACH) are entirely French-speaking too which is definitely making a difference. Although I have definitely been surprised by the workload. I had always heard that the year abroad was a bit of an easy pass but I have yet to see how anyone ever thought that. I’m the first to admit I’m usually a Grade A slacker, who only really applies herself for a panic-stricken week for midterms and then exams. Here, that’s not going to fly, there is always some kind of coursework to be done, and even when you think you’re finished, you’re probably not.

It’s been one hell of a rude awakening.

I’m still adjusting. Thankfully the blind panic and get-me-on-the-next-plane-home feelings have been left behind in my second week here (I’m sure I’ll be reacquainted with them at some point over the next 8 months). For now though, I’m nothing but excited for what’s to come. This city is an incredible place filled with amazing, interesting and eccentric people in one of the prettiest settings I’ve ever seen. All that said, while I put down some roots here a part of my heart lies in the middle of the main lake in UCD, guarded by swans and just waiting for me to come back.

PUBLICLY FUNDED EDUCATION - WE NEED TO MAKE IT AN SU PRIORITY! With a loan system for third level education becoming a possibility, Joanna Siewerska, Chair of UCD Labour Youth explains why UCD Students’ Union THERE ARE many issues and barriers facing Irish students today. From healthcare and housing, to the general pressures of student living, often on a tight budget and away from home. Those issues require us to come together to fight for change. Over the years, our Students’ Union, and many unions and activists across the country, have done important work to fight for our rights and for a better educational experience for students who will come after us. However, we need a strong SU team now more than ever.

During the last budget campaign, even Fine Gael recognised that 100 million euro was an absolutely vital minimum investment needed to keep things going in higher education.

UCDSU are mandated to campaign against a loan scheme for third level education. The SU, along with a number of students, attended the March for Education last week, but UCD had one of the lowest turnouts from any third level institute at the march, and this issue does not seem to be as big a Union issue as others.

The education funding crisis and the threat of an income contingent loan scheme is a topic which requires far more of our union’s attention and leadership here in UCD. As the country continues its economic recovery,

our generation must play a key role in building a better and fairer society. Investment in education is a pivotal element of that.

I was involved in the Irish Second-level Students’ Union when I first heard about the Cassels Report. The Cassels report offers three potential solutions to the funding crisis at third level, and gives pros and cons of each, as well as explaining the issue in a broader context. Much can be said about it, and in particular the courage and thorough work of the group who worked on the report. For me, it was the gateway to understanding education inequality and fuelled a passion to fight for the right to free education.

After reading the Cassels report, it was eye-opening and shocking for me that despite such clear evidence of how detrimental loan scheme systems have been to education systems across the world, they were still considered a viable option for Ireland. Despite clear and obvious evidence that they wouldn’t even come close to addressing our funding issues in education (rather, push the State into greater debt) they remained on the table. They are still there. They can still happen!

During the last budget campaign, even Fine Gael recognised that 100 million euro was an absolutely vital minimum investment needed to keep things going in higher education. The actual sum invested by the government fell well short of that. There’s a problem here. We need to say this loudly as the budget is upon us.

Third level institutions are struggling to facilitate their students, and many services on campuses are suffering as a result. In UCD, a staggering 58% of funding for the university comes from non-exchequer sources.

We need to push for much greater public investment to protect and enhance education as a public good.

Many people continue to argue that students are simply apathetic to educational funding, that generally voters don’t care about education much and that’s why

it suffered such a cut during austerity. This is the most ridiculous argument that anyone could make.

It is not true that students don’t care. I refuse to believe that we are living in a society where disadvantage, inequality, and vulnerability don’t matter, and solutions to them are not worth debating, and a better future is not worth fighting for. Investing in education is needed across the board, from establishing a national preschool system to give all children an equal grounding for school, to a courageous investment for equal access to third level education. We must recognise and celebrate that education is a life changing opportunity and it is crucial that all our children and young people have access to it.

Education fuels our economy with bright, skilled, and ambitious adults. We, as young people, must be central to the debate on how education funding and reform will develop into the future. As the receivers of

education, we are the real experts on what it’s like to overcome barriers and to progress through education and into working life. Our needs and rights must be at the core of this debate and our voice must be the catalyst for change and investment.

As the elected representatives of our voice on this campus, our Students’ Union have the privilege and duty to stand as our leaders. This is the one issue which impacts students and their families directly and uniquely. We cannot let our representatives forget that and must support them in their campaigns to stand up for higher education.

10TH OCTOBER 2017 11

SCIENCE CASSINI ENDS ITS MISSION BY INTENTIONALLY CRASHING INTO SATURN’S ATMOSPHERE Cassini enabled us to explore parts of our solar system in ways never before imagined. Christine Coffey explores the amazing spacecraft’s legacy.

Six new moons were discovered and the birth of a new moon was witnessed.

On October 15th 1997, the Cassini-Huygens mission launched with a rocket launcher from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. It was the start of a mission that would last 19 years, 11 months, and 15 days. NASA and the European Space Agency entered this joint venture with modest objectives compared to the return of information received from the probes.

They wanted to gather more information about Saturn’s many moons, profile the planet’s complex gravity field, and more specifically the mysterious rings that were first observed by Galileo in 1610.

The spacecraft initially used Venus and Jupiter’s gravity fields to slingshot itself into the outer Solar System, before eventually arriving in Saturn’s orbit on July 1st 2004. The spacecraft comprised of two main components, Cassini, the American orbiter, and Huygens, the European landing probe. On Christmas Day in 2004 the Huygens landing pod was detached from the Cassini orbiter to enter the atmosphere of Titan, Saturn’s largest moon. This moon is bigger than the planet Mercury and its size dwarves Pluto, which was still considered a planet when this project started.

Titan is a very cold ‘Earth-like’ moon, with average temperatures of -179.5oC. Huygens completed the farthest landing away from Earth and simultaneously

the first landing in deep space. The landing probe collected data from Titan which was previously unobtainable because of the density of its atmosphere, which appears orange when viewed from space. We now have a clearer image of the moon itself, with its liquid

In Cassini’s last manoeuvre, the orbiter had one more encounter with the moon Titan which changed its trajectory and set it hurtling towards Saturn, a manoeuvre which has been named the ‘Goodbye Kiss.’

PICTURE CREDIT: NASA/JPL-CALTECH

DESPITE BEING arguably one of mankind’s most successful space missions and a flagship for future international collaboration between NASA and its European counterparts, the general public were largely unaware of the progress of the Cassini-Huygens mission.

That is until they discovered that NASA were going to intentionally crash it into Saturn last month. Nothing draws a crowd quite like the impending write-off of a $3.27 billion space probe.

methane lakes and ethane clouds that combine with nitrogen to create the moon’s organic smog. Titan’s methane cycle is rather similar to our water cycle here on earth. Today, Huygens boldly squats where no landing probe has ever squatted before and patiently waits to be retrieved. As of yet, no retrieval mission is planned.

The Cassini orbiter went on to do a lot of travelling after its split with Huygens. Its total distance covered came to an astounding 7.9 billion km. A total of 294 orbits of Saturn were completed and much was discovered about the rings of Saturn in particular. The rings themselves are composed of rocks ranging in size from as small as fine dust to as big as mountains. The ring system itself is over four Earth diameters wide, but very thin, kept in place due to the gravitational pull of a large number of moons. The mission revealed gigantic hurricanes on the planet itself, the largest of

which is located at Saturn’s North Pole. This storm is over twice the size of earth, has an eye approximately 2000 km wide and bizarrely, is almost a perfect hexagon in shape.

Although Titan was the main focus in terms of Saturn’s moons, the people working on the project greatly underestimated the extent of information they would collect about the planet’s moons. In particular, the moon Enceladus was the surprise of the mission.

Cassini reported geysers firing water and strong evidence of an ocean under its surface. This means there could be potential microbial life on both Titan and Enceladus. The moon Pan deserves a mention too, as Cassini imaging revealed similarities in shape to ravioli or a really large walnut. Six new moons were discovered and the birth of a moon was witnessed.

With little fuel left and a reluctance to leave

Cassini in orbit in case it should crash with Titan or Enceladus, contaminating them with microbes from earth, an executive decision was made to terminate the mission by crashing the orbiter into Saturn’s atmosphere. NASA sent the orbiter into close proximity with Saturn’s rings, much closer than it had been sent before. In Cassini’s last manoeuvre, the orbiter had one more encounter with the moon Titan which changed its trajectory and sent it hurtling towards Saturn, a manoeuvre which has been named the ‘Goodbye Kiss.’

On September 15th 2017 Cassini crashed into Saturn’s atmosphere, igniting and breaking apart in a poetic end to a mission that encapsulated the ideals of space travel perfectly. As Linda Spilker, a member of the Cassini-Huygens team said, “We take comfort knowing that every time we look up at Saturn in the night sky, part of Cassini will be there, too.”

RESISTANT BACTERIA ARE SET TO RALLY FOR REVENGE

PHOTO CREDIT: NIAID VIS WIKIPEDIA

Antibiotic resistance is on the rise with no sign of stopping, but just how much should we be concerned? Aela O’Flynn investigates.

TB, SMALLPOX, syphilis, polio, the very names of these diseases strike dread into those with long memories. These were once among the most deadly infections on the planet, killing millions, including thousands of Irish in the years between the Great Famine and the 1950s. In Dublin alone, TB which used to be referred to as “consumption,” was the AIDS of its day, at one time killing more than 10,000 people a year.

Half of these fatalities were children. Thanks to vaccination and antibiotics, modern medicine began winning the war against disease, eradicating smallpox and successfully controlling many of the other diseases. So are we safe now?

Every minute of every day, the bacteria all around

12 ISSUE 2, VOLUME XXIV

us are planning a revolt. Antibiotic resistance is now deemed “one of the biggest threats to global health, food security, and development” by the World Health Organisation. The bacterial battle plan is simple. When someone contracts a bacterial infection and is treated with antibiotics, the drugs kill most of the bacteria, leaving a small number of drug-resistant bacteria behind. These bacteria grasp control of the infected territory and multiply. The antibiotic being used to treat them is ineffective against these survivors, so given a weakened immune system or outdated antibiotic treatment, they are enabled to multiply.

Antibiotic resistance has reached crisis point. It is

estimated that 25,000 people die as a result of it every year in the EU alone. We could blame the bacteria, but the truth is that we put ourselves in this position.

We have become far too reliant on drugs that cannot keep up. Antibiotics have been over-prescribed, poorly dosed, and incorrectly used by doctors and patients alike. They are also extensively used in agriculture, sometimes to treat infections, but more often as a supplement to promote food growth in animals. Even now that the dangers are clear, we continue to abuse antibiotics as if nothing has changed.

You may be wondering how this will affect you.

You don’t have tuberculosis and you have no plans to catch typhoid anytime soon. Unfortunately, these infections are only the first line of attack. As the bacterial resistance gathers strength, all the advancements of modern medicine are threatened. The risk of infection from caesarean sections, organ transplants, and chemotherapy are increasing at an alarming rate due to our inability to produce new antibiotics to fight them.

For all of our research and development, we’re being beaten by bugs.

The number of new antibiotics being approved by the FDA has been decreasing steadily since the 1980s, despite the surge in antibiotic resistance over the same time period. This ultimately comes down to cost. Developing new drugs requires huge investment, which only pharmaceutical companies may be able to afford. Unfortunately for us, the figures simply do not add up for these companies. Why should they develop an antibiotic when other drugs, such as those for chronic diseases, will yield a much healthier profit?

The burden is left upon smaller pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms to develop antibiotics slowly and at great cost, only to be acquired by the giants of the market. This simply is not sufficient if we want to stay

ahead of the resistant bacteria.

As if the scene wasn’t bleak enough, resistance has bred yet another beast: the Superbug. This is the broad term for any strain of bacteria that has become resistant to antibiotics, but some are definitely causing more concern than others. The most commonly cited of these is MRSA, an infection which is resistant to almost all of our normal antibiotics, as well as a whole host of other drugs. It is a clever bug, attacking the most vulnerable, often those in hospital or those living in very close and unsanitary quarters. The longer this infection takes to treat, the further it spreads throughout the body. It can even become life-threatening. We are unlikely to encounter the most resistant forms of MRSA in our daily lives, but it announces the arrival of bacteria that are evolving to beat almost anything that we have to throw at them.

The time has come to defend ourselves against the advancing bacterial army. We need not only to invest in laboratory experimentation to combat antibiotic resistance, but this research must be shared among labs worldwide in order to expedite our search for solutions.

On a day-to-day basis, we need to protect ourselves from becoming infected in the first place. We have become complacent about the spread of germs, a complacency which we can no longer afford.

It is time that we become responsible with our use of antibiotics. They should be used only when necessary, and the full prescribed course must be completed. Unfortunately, all of these “solutions” are only temporary. There will come a time, in the not so distant future, when antibiotics simply will not be able protect us from bacterial superbugs. When that time comes, we can only hope that we have found an alternative. The clock is ticking.

SCIENCE IS ANYONE ALIVE OUT THERE? Are we alone in the vastness of space? The Fermi Paradox gives us some ideas regarding this. Danielle Crowley investigates.

If this is true, we have not heard from anyone because we could be one of the only life-forms in the universe.

Conservative estimates for the number of sun-like stars out there are about 500 quintillion, or 500 billion billion. Estimates suggest one-in-five of those stars is orbited by an Earth-like planet which results in 100 billion billion planets that could host life as we know it.

If only 1% of those planets host intelligent life like that on Earth, that is 10 million billion civilisations in the tiny patch of universe visible to us. In the Milky Way alone, that is 1 billion Earth-like planets and 100,000 civilisations.

These are some mindboggling numbers. So where is everyone? Why have we not seen or head them?

There are several hypotheses for this silence.

PICTURE CREDIT: QUAN CHEN VIA FLICKR

HAVE YOU ever looked up at the sky and wondered: “Are we alone?” Many astronomers have also pondered this question, but so far they have failed to come up with a definitive answer. One of the most famous trains of thought here is the Fermi Paradox, named after physicist Enrico Fermi.

The paradox is the contradiction between the supposedly high probability of other civilisations in our galaxy, and the lack of contact with or evidence for them. Simply put: there are an almost infinite number of planets out there, so why have we not heard from them?

Let’s add some hard numbers to this. There are about 100 to 400 billion stars in our own galaxy, the Milky Way, and there is roughly that same number of galaxies in the observable universe at least. So, that gives us between about 1022 and 1024 stars in total. In other words, estimates suggest there are 10,000 stars in the universe for every single grain of sand on Earth.

One is that our universe is very old, about 14 billion years old. Our planet is about 4.5 billion years old, and the earliest evidence for life we have is around 3.8 billion years old. Almost all (99%) of the life that ever lived on Earth is extinct, so it is possible given the immense age of the universe that there was other intelligent life, but we have missed them. Modern humans have not been around long at all in the scheme of things, so maybe other races visited us, but so long ago we cannot remember them, or we were not evolved enough then.

Another suggestion is “The Great Filter”. This states that in the evolution of life there is a wall that is very difficult for life to overcome. There are three versions of this theory. In the first we are rare, as we have already surpassed the Filter. If this is true, we have not heard from anyone because we could be one of the only life-forms in the universe to have surpassed the filter and become living creatures.

In version two, we are the first to reach the state of “intelligent being,” in which case, we and some other species are on the way to super intelligence and possibly contact, but we are not there yet.

Maybe we have not met yet because space is made up of civilisations of introverts.

Version three holds that the Filter is still ahead of us, and that like all that came before us, we are doomed to fail to pass through it. Maybe it is a natural event that wipes out life, or maybe a nasty side effect of intelligent civilisations is that we will inevitably

end up destroying ourselves. In this case, we could be heading towards inevitable demise, like many of our galactic neighbours before us.

Other hypotheses stem from the idea that other civilisations are indeed out there, but that there are multiple reasons why we have not heard from them.

Space is a pretty big place after all, and if we live in the space equivalent of the middle of nowhere there could be practical reasons why we have not been stumbled across yet.

Maybe other species are perfectly happy where they are, and have no interest in exploring or colonising, thank you very much. Maybe we have not met yet because space is made up of civilisations of introverts.

Other possibilities for why we haven’t made contact with other species are scarier. It could be that there are one or more “predator” civilisations in the depths of space, and other races have the good sense to stay quiet, like birds when a raptor soars overhead. This makes our habit of sending out messages potentially risky indeed. Maybe this race has exterminated every intelligent civilisation it came across.

What could be the most likely reason is that we are just too primitive for other races. Either we are sending out signals no one listens for, or not listening to the right ones. Maybe life from other planets is so different to life here that it could be right under our noses and we would not notice. Perhaps we look so primitive to other life forms that Earth is the equivalent to a zoo or nature reserve, in which case they are not going to even bother communicating. We could be so insignificant that they have not paid us much thought.

Whatever the answer is, it is mind-blowing to think of all the different possibilities. Maybe we are not real at all and this is a simulation. Maybe the aliens came here, met the dinosaurs and decided to never return. It is certainly food for thought next time you look up at the night sky.

EDUCATION’S MOST POPULAR NEUROMYTH

PHOTO CREDIT: MAXPIXEL

The idea that people learn best in their own particular way: their so-called “learning style” is a very popular idea in education. Aoife Muckian investigates why it continues to be so popular despite a lack of supporting evidence.

THE FIELD of Psychology is vast, and its benefits are many when it comes to education. The field of education, however, has historically been highly susceptible to fads. One such fad that has been widely adopted has been that of the “learning style.” There is in fact very little scientific evidence for the idea that different individuals learn in different ways. The promotion of this idea across many educational systems around the world has thus allowed it to gain the status of “neuromyth” among members of the Psychological community.

Proponents of the learning styles approach to teaching believe that some people are best suited

to a visual approach, while others rely on listening techniques in order to study more effectively. This may sound familiar to many Irish students who have attended study skill sessions offered in schools and universities. This neuro-myth has enjoyed enormous popularity in recent decades.

In March of this year, 30 prominent members of the neuroscience community wrote to The Guardian calling for the widespread neuroscientific myth of learning styles to be discouraged from educational use.

They felt that in the long run, the teaching of this myth would be a costly drain on resources and facilities that could be better used for learning methods supported by

science. “Such neuro-myths create a false impression of individuals’ abilities, leading to expectations and excuses that are detrimental to learning in general, which is a cost in the long term,” they wrote in the letter.

One study conducted by researchers from various universities in the U.S. have found that studies which supported the learning styles method had inadequate evidence to back up their claims. When they ran a study testing whether or not a person’s preferred learning style optimised their ability to study effectively, they did not find enough evidence to suggest that this was the case.

Despite this and other similar studies, the learning styles approach to teaching is widely promoted in schools and colleges even to this day. A 2012 study surveyed 242 primary and secondary school teachers in the Netherlands and the UK about their beliefs in various popular neuro-myths in education. It also enquired about how often they had encountered these myths in schools, and it tested their general knowledge about the brain. Despite answering an average of 70% of the general knowledge questions correctly, 93% of teachers from the UK and 96% of teachers from the Netherlands believed that there existed different styles of learning among their students.

Along with being the most widely-believed myth in the study, the learning styles myth was also one of the most frequently encountered by teachers surveyed in the study, with 98% of the British teachers confirming that they had seen it being used in schools.

Why is the neuro-myth of learning styles so popular despite being so widely criticised by neuroscientists and psychologists? One way to explore this question is to examine the history and origins of the learning myth.

Part of the history behind the learning styles theory can be traced back to the idea that people can be split into

various “types.” This idea was introduced in its current form by the psychoanalyst Carl Jung and started to gain popularity in the 1940s. Carl Jung’s theories about personality were incorporated into the now famous Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Test (MBTI). Though this personality test has likewise received very little scientific support, it still remains popular among employers and individuals alike.

Researchers have theorised that the ability to place people into categories holds a kind of philosophical appeal for some people. They posit that this may be why despite the lack of evidence in their favour, tests like the MBTI or myths such as the learning styles idea stubbornly maintain their popularity. The emphasis that the learning styles myth puts on individualism may also be appealing to parents and their children, especially in an education system which traditionally has encouraged uniformity. Teachers may also favour this method both as an educational tool and as something which reaffirms individualism in the minds of children.

It may be important to note that different students do prefer to learn in different ways. The myth is that these preferences reflect differences in performance.

The truth is that no matter what style somebody prefers to learn in, everybody learns most effectively in the same way.

Psychology and Neuroscience are becoming increasingly influential on how our young people are being educated. With this in mind, scientists working in these areas are more interested than ever in ensuring that their findings are accurately translated into educational practice. They hope that by debunking myths like this, education will become evermore effective and evidence-based.

10TH OCTOBER 2017 13

GAEILGE IMTHAIRISCINT NA HÉIREANN DON CORN DOMHANDA RUGBAÍ 2023 Rinne Éireann tairiscint ar Corn Domhanda Rugbaí 2023, déanann Garrett Ó’Cinneide scrúdú ar an tairiscint seo

Tá fás dochreidte tagtha ar an rugbaí i sochaí na hÉireann le cúpla bliain anuas. Tá go leor cúiseanna éagsúla le sin. Ina measc, is dócha go raibh éifeacht mhór ag an bhfeabhas a tháinig ar thorthaí ár bhfoirne le teacht an ré proifisiúnta. Faoi Warren Gatland agus Eddie O’Sullivan ag tús na Mílaoise, bhí foireann idirnáisiúnta againn a bhí ag dul in iomaíocht cheart leis na foirne is fearr ar domhan go rialta don chéad uair i dtréimhse an-fhada. Dar ndóigh, ba thréimhse rathúil í do na Cúige freisin. Idir 2006 agus 2012, bhuaigh Cúige Mumhan agus Cúige Laighean cúig Choirn Eorpacha idir thú i seacht mbliana. Nuair a éiríonn comh maith le foirne áitiúla i spóirt faoi leith ní chuireann sé an iomarca ionadh ort go dtiocfadh fás ar an spóirt sin sna ceantracha sin.

Tagann an tacaíocht sin ó gach cúinne de sochaí na hÉireann. Áfach, is dócha gurb í an fhianaise is soiléire don fás seo ná an tacaíocht atá faighte ag iarrachtaí an IRFU chun an Corn Domhanda Rugbaí a óstáil. Tagann an tacaíocht sin ó gach cúinne de sochaí na hÉireann.

Dar ndóigh tá sé faighte ó na sluaite atá bainteach le rugbaí; Brian O’Driscoll is a leithéid. Áfach, feictear dáiríreacht na hiarrachta sna daoine eile. Tá réaltaí móra ar nós Liam Neeson agus Bob Geldof i ndiadh a dtacaíocht agus a gcabhair a thabhairt i leith na

hiarrachtaí a phoibliú trí físeanna. Bhí an Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, i measc an grúpa a chuaigh trasna chuig Londain don taispeántas. Is dócha gurb é an ball is tábhachtaí ná an CLG. Tá siad i ndiadh gealltanas a dhéanamh go mbeidh an comórtas in ann staideanna an CLG a úsáid don chomórtas. Is pointe lárnach é sin don tairiscint. Gan an tacaíocht seo ní bheadh an IRFU

Meastar freisin, go gciallaíonn sé sin €1.5 billiún inár ngeilleagar. in ann comórtas a óstáil ar chor ar bith.

Dar ndóigh, tá go leor buntáistí éagsúla bainteach leis an tríú ócáid spóirt is mó ar domhan a óstáil. Is é an príomhcheann ná an spreagadh geilleagrach. Meastar go mbeadh timpeall 445,000 breis turasóirí dá bhfáighimís an comórtas. Deir an IRFU go gcaithfidh na daoine seo €800 milliún sa gheilleagar anseo. Meastar freisin, go gciallaíonn sé sin €1.5 billiún inár ngeilleagar. Cinnte, tá seans ana-mhaith go bhfuil áibhéil sna staitisticí sin ach níl aon dabht go dtabharfadh an comórtas spreagadh ollmhór d’óstáin na tíre agus is dócha don gheilleagar ina iomlán.

Faraor, tá seans réasúnta ann nach roghnóidh na tíortha eile Éire. Tá iomaíocht láidir againn i bhfoirm an Fhrainc agus an Aifric Theas. Is é an príomhmíbhuntáiste atá ag Éire ná cé comh beag is atá sinn. Tá sé réasúnta soiléir go bhféadfaimís an comórtas thar a bheith áitheasach a óstáil.

Is í an t-aon fhadhb ná an ioncam a gheobhadh Rugbaí Domhanda as an gcomórtas i gcomparáid leis na tíortha eile. (An grúpa atá i gceannas ar rugbaí timpeall an domhain) Seachas Páirc an Chrócaigh, níl aon staid againn a bhfreastalaíonn níos mó ná 52,000

daoine. Ní bheadh ach 2.2 milliún síocháin ar fáil in Éire. Sin i gcomparáid le 2.6 milliún sa Fhrainc agus 2.9 milliún san Afraic Theas. Ciallaíonn gach suíocháin breise airgead breise do Rugbaí Domhanda. Sin airgead arbh fhéidir leo a infheistiú ar ais isteach sa spóirt ar fud an domhain.

In ainneoin é sin, tá seans maith ag Éire nuair a bhreathnaítear ar fhachtóirí eile. Is oileán beag sinn agus ciallaíonn sé sin go mbeadh sé réasúnta éasca d’fhoirne agus do lucht leanúna taisteal timpeall na tíre.

Freisin, tá cáil dar ndóigh ar Éire mar tír an-chairdiúil agus is féidir a fheiceáil ó na físeanna atá curtha amach ag an IRFU go bhfuileadar ag déanamh iarracht an íomhá dearfach atá ag Éire go hidirnáisiúnta a úsáid an

méid is gur féidir leo. Déantar go leor tagairtí do na mílte daoine thar lear le dúchas Éireannach. Is iarracht shoiléir í sin chun béim a chur ar an lucht féachana domhanda a bheadh ag an gcomórtas dá mbeadh sé in Éire.

Gan dabht, is deis iontach í an comórtas seo d’Éire.

Dar ndóigh, is seans é chun spreagadh a thabhairt don gheilleagar. Áfach, is dócha gurb é an cúis is mó ar chómhair d’Éire é a óstáil ná an seans chun ár dtír a fhógair don domhan. Seans chun cultúr na hÉireann a thaispeáint do sluaite dhaoine ó háiteanna comh fada uainn leis an Airgintín, an tSeapáin agus an Nua Shéalainn. Is deis í chun craic, spraoi agus piontaí a roinnt thar chomórtas spóirt le 445,000 cairde nua.

PHOTO CREDIT: ARUN MARSH VIA FLICKR

AG DEIREADH mí Mheán Fómhair, chuaigh grúpa beag Éireannaigh trasna go Londain chun taispeántas a dhéanamh os comhair grúpaí beaga eile ó thíortha ó gach áit ar domhan. Is í cúis an taispeántais seo ná chun réitiú cá háit a mbeidh an Corn Domhanda Rugbaí i 2023.

CONAS AR FÉIDIR LINN ÍOMHÁ AN GHAEILGE A DEIMHNIÚ?

Labhaireann Fiadh Melina faoi na fadhbanna do dhaoine a labhraíonn Gaeilge.

Bhí rialacha ann ionas go labhraímid Gaeilge leis na múinteoirí ach go minic úsáideadh Béarla

Tá sé soiléir gur teanga í an Ghaeilge atá plódaithe le magadh agus a lán easaontaithe, go háraithe ó dhaoine óga ar nós sinn féin. D’fhreastail mé ar ghaelscoileanna i gCorca Dhuibhne, thosaigh mé sa bhunscoil faoi mhná rialta – bhí sí an-dóití – agus bhí an Ghaeilge caite isteach i m’aghaidh an soicind a shroich mé an mheánscoil.

‘I hate Irish’ a mhírigh daoine go coitianta. Fiú amháin i scoil a dhearna iarracht mhór an rud codarsnach a dhéanamh don teanga. Deirim an frása sin as Béarla chun béim a chuir ar mo phointe. Bhíomar i nGaelscoil.

Bhí orainn cumarsáid a dhéanamh trí Ghaeilge agus sinn ar scoil, ach ní dhearna éinne é sin. Fiú amháin sna ranganna, bhí rialacha ann ionas go labhraímid Gaeilge leis na múinteoirí ach go minic úsáideadh Béarla.

Nuair a smaoiním anois air, ba rud an-aisteach é.

Ní féidir liom chuimhniú ar am sa bhunscoil ina raibh an méid seo gráin ag daoine don Ghaeilge. Cheap mé ag an am go raibh spraoi ag baint leis – sea, is mise an sórt duine lena dtaitníonn teangacha – agus is é sin an fáth a chuirim an cheist, cad is cúis leis an bhfuath a thagann ar dhaoine don teanga nuair a shroicheann siad an mheánscoil?

Is dócha go bhfuil an fhadhb ceangailte leis na hábhair atá ar churaclam na meánscoileanna. Nuair a bhíomar sa bhunscoil, bhíomar óg agus ag an aois sin bíonn gach rud nua agus corraitheach. Is féidir leis na scéalta a mhúintear dúinn a bheith mar gheall ar thuras Aoife sa zú, no eachtraí Sheáin sa chathair mhór, fiú amháin faoi hiasc ag labhairt lena chairde san fharraige.

14 ISSUE 2, VOLUME XXIV

PHOTO CREDIT: OLIVER DIXON

Aithníonn siad go bhfuil fadhb ann mar nach gceapann daoine go bhfuil Gaeilge ‘cool’ nó ábhartha a dhóthain.

Bhaineamar taitneamh as na scéalta seo mar go raibheadar oiriúnach dúinn ag an am, agus bhíodar cosúil leis na scéalta a bhí á léamh againn sa rang Béarla. Ní raibh béim curtha ar an slí ina raibh an scéal scríofa as Gaeilge.

Nuair a chuamar ar aghaidh chuig an mheánscoil, d’athraigh cúrsaí. Bhí orainn léamh faoi Mhaidhc Dainín nó féachaint ar fhíseáin mar gheall ar rudaí eile nach raibh pioc spéis againn iontu. Dá bharr an comhair go mbeadh ionadh iorann go dtosaíonn an ghráin ag an bpointe seo. Gan dabht, tá sé tabhachtach an cultúr agus sochaí stairiúl thart orainn a fhoghlaim,

ach níl aon bhrise uaidh seo. Seo an fhadhb ar scoil, ach cad a tharlaíonn sa bhaile nó sna meáin cumarsáide?

Le cúpla bliain anuas is dócha go bhfuil triail déanta ag TG4 chun rudaí a dhéanamh a bhfuil nasc níos láidre againn leo. Bhí clár teilifíse Eipic ar siúl an bhliain seo caite, agus bhí béim ar stair 1916 lárnach ann gan dabht. Ach déanadh é i stíl ina bhfuil a lán cláranna sna meáin Béarla déanta. Leis an stíl seo, agus leis na carachtair corraitheacha, rinne TG4 rud éigin thar a bheith áitheasach.

Is é sampla eile d’iarrachtaí TG4 i leith casadh nua a chur ar an nGaeilge ná an craoladh de chluichí

rugbaí Pro14. Léiríonn sé sin go soiléir a chuid iarrachtaí chun an Ghaeilge a chur os comhair grúpaí nach gcloisfeadh é go rialta seachas sin.

Sampla níos áitheasach fós ná na físeanna ceol a thagann as Lurgan gach Samhradh. Casann siad seo an íomhá don Ghaeilge a mbíonn ag daoine go minic mar teanga seanfhaiseanta nach bhfuil ábhartha sa lá atá inniu ann ar chor ar bith. Ina theannta sin tá imeachtaí ar nós na Pop Up Gaeltachtaí ag déanamh iarracht an rud céanna a dhéanamh. Aithníonn siad go bhfuil fadhb ann mar nach gceapann daoine go bhfuil Gaeilge ‘cool’ nó ábhartha a dhóthain agus dá bharr tá siad ag déanamh iarracht na slite ina úsáidimid Gaeilge a athrú.

Is dócha gurb é seo an tslí a cheart don teanga imeacht ar aghaidh. Táim féin tar éis gearrscannáin a scríobh faoi shárú agus seachas é a dhéanamh sa Bhéarla, thóg mé an deis chun é a dhéanamh as Gaeilge. Táim ag súil go mór leis agus ceapaim go bhfuil sé oiriúnach go leor go mbeadh suim ag roinnt daoine óga ann, fiú amháin dá mba rud go bhfuil gá dóibh cúpla foththeideal a léamh.

Caithfimid, na daoine a bhfuil suim agus paisean againn don teanga, roinnt obair a dhéanamh chun é a mheasctha ar ais sa sochaí ginearálta. Gan dabht is féidir linn é sin a dhéanamh trí ealaín, b’fhéidir beagáinín díospóireacht agus meáin cumarsáide mar seo. Tá an chéad choiscéim tógtha agam, cad a déanfaidh tusa chun cabhrú linn?

BUSINESS THE INDEPENDENT COFFEE INDUSTRY VS. GOLIATH Eoin Duffy investigates the emerging war between independent Irish cafés and the corporate giant Starbucks. small businesses cannot sit around feeling sorry for themselves. They must face up to the challenge or risk dying out like so many before them.

The online world we live in today offers boundless opportunities to small businesses that are both feasible and obey their resource constraints. Today it is possible to promote a small business on social media at little to no cost. By thinking strategically and creatively, a local independent business in the city can drive a social media campaign to the Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram feeds of thousands within hours.

The power of a well-run social media platform cannot be overlooked, for a bit of humour and innovative content creation can work wonders in getting the word out about your small business.

around their products. By adopting the words ‘But First, Coffee’ as their official slogan, they created a catchy phrase that became synonymous with their brand in the Los Angeles area. As of recently, over 136,000 Instagram posts were accompanied by the #butfirstcoffee, with the majority accompanied by the location of Alfred Coffee & Kitchen. These examples show the vast potential opportunities social media can offer, once it is creative and innovative in its implementation.

Closer to home, the success of Beanhive on Dawson Street is another aspect to appreciate for those independent cafés seeking to stay afloat in a barista-eat-barista world. At Beanhive, one can expect

a treatment to a flurry of extravagant latté artistry on their favourite roast. Differentiation to this extent is a necessity in the combative response to MNCs such as Starbucks pushing competition out of the market.

The free coffee initiative was a start for independent coffee shops. It publicised the all too real fact that this is a serious problem they are facing, but in the long run, these businesses need to generate a more sustainable means of competing. They cannot expect more business just because customers may pity them. They have the power to fight back against the Goliathan Starbucks with some creativity, guile, and a real will to embrace the challenge. Facing the competition headon presents their only real chance of survival.

The independent coffee shops are basically being run out of business.

It’s not fair.

Lessons can be learned from the success stories of various independent coffee shops across the United States of America, where competition for business is even greater. Take for example, Elm Coffee Roasters in Seattle, they hire some of the city’s best photographers to generate content for their social media platforms. Seeing professionally crafted aesthetic images imprints a great first impression on the minds of potential customers, and makes their offerings more marketable and appealing.

Similarly, Alfred Coffee & Kitchen also expertly drew on the power of social media to generate a buzz

PICTURE CREDIT: PEXELS

LAST MONTH, independent coffee shops across Ireland declared war against one of our country’s most profitable multinationals and their greatest current threat: Starbucks. A devastating message was sent out beneath a seemingly charitable gesture when more than 20 locations in Dublin city alone provided free coffee to hundreds of customers. Our favourite independent coffee outlets are in grave danger of going under thanks in-part to the growing prominence of this giant American competitor.

To gain a better understanding of the gravity of the challenges they currently face, one must only look at how they have saturated the market that they occupy. Starbucks operates out of 52 locations in County Dublin alone, with that number set to increase over the coming years. In comparison, most independent coffee shops must get by with only one revenue stream.

The availability of Starbucks offerings around every corner is always going to pose a serious threat to small competitors. However, we cannot act as if this is not to be expected.

We are not a protectionist nation by nature. We are but a small isle with less than 5 million residents, therefore, it is understandable that we are highly dependent on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and various Multinational Corporations (MNCs) to significantly boost our otherwise unsustainable Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Companies such as Starbucks provide sizeable funds in the form of taxes that contribute to essential government expenditure. That is not to mention the significant amount of employment and, without being biased, the great tasting coffee that they provide daily.

In the wake of the public showing of solidarity against Starbucks, many public figures came out and had their say on the situation. Dublin City Councillor Mannix Flynn was one of the most notable to wade in on the conversation saying,“The independent coffee shops are basically being run out of business. It’s not fair.”

How is this unfair? Business is business, and business is generally unfair. Our country operates as a free market economy, which means the remaining

IREXIT – TO STAY, OR NOT TO STAY. Eve Ryan explores the argument of an Irish Exit from the EU. The Brexit landscape has earned long-standing Irish euro-sceptics new allies. The argument against EU membership is no longer confined to issues of political ideology but has transcended to concerns of economic pragmatism. A new London Think Tank has recommended an Irish exit from the EU, as have economist and Professor of Financial and Health Services Ray Kinsella and former Irish ambassador Ray Basset to name a few.

The political elite has repeatedly stated its commitment to remaining within the EU, and mainstream media has echoed this sentiment. Their position is unwavering. What is less clear is the reasons behind this steadfastness. The arguments proffered for remaining are alarmingly unconvincing and fail to answer the concerns of euro-sceptics. It is necessary, now more than ever to re-examine Ireland’s position in the harsh light of the post-Brexit terrain.

Arguments to remain are illuminated by nostalgia for the romantic ideals of peace, democracy, and cooperation as espoused in the infancy of what is now known as the European Union. 80% of EU law is decided by qualified majority voting, meaning agreement of 55% of Member States representing 65% of the EU population. Under this system, Ireland represents 1% of the vote. The interests of the EU have become synonymous with Franco-German interests, which diverge significantly from Irish concerns. Ireland, having aligned itself with the UK on many issues, has tailgated on the UK vote. Post-Brexit, Ireland is left, as Professor Ray Kinsella in the Irish Times describes, “marginalised, peripheral and dependant.”

It cannot be denied that EU membership has done wonderful things for Ireland and its economy; its workplace directives have accelerated workers’ and women’s rights. It revitalised agriculture through the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and has injected billions into the Irish economy. It did these things, but it is now not doing these things, and based on

the political machinations of Juncker and Macron, it is doubtful the EU will act in our interest again. The facts have changed; hence our opinions must change, and we cannot allow the triumphs of the past to blind us to the failures of the present.

The interests of the EU have become synonymous with Franco-German interests, which diverge significantly from Irish concerns.

The call to leave an open market of 500 million potential customers does not seem an economically sage move. Trade with the UK takes up a high proportion of all Irish trade with the EU. Post-Brexit, 66% of Ireland’s world trade will occur outside of the EU. The influx of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Ireland is commonly attributed to our ability to access the EU common market. While there is an element of truth in this assertion, FDI in Ireland is primarily concerned with exporting to English speaking markets such as the USA and the UK. The markets of Canada, the USA and the UK collectively amount to 425 million versus an EU post-Brexit market of 435 million; the former represents a marketplace more in line with the customer base at which Irish exports traditionally target.

Access to the European market is, of course, important. However, we should not be held hostage by the assumption that our economy relies on Europe to stay afloat. If anything, the mounting desire to harmonise corporate tax rates and bases across the EU poses a threat to our economy. As Wolfgang Munchau described in The Financial Times, the Irish business

model based on low corporation tax is not sustainable in the EU. Ireland’s economy is buoyed up by FDI. It faces a choice: find a new business model to enable continued competitiveness in the EU market or capitulate. The question arises as to how Ireland, given its labour market, natural resources, and infrastructure can somehow cultivate a new domestic industry to rival the long-established industrial capitals of Europe.

The challenge of devising a new currency has also been cited as a disincentive to leave. Conversely, we should view this as an opportunity. As the pound falls, how is Ireland to compete in the English-speaking export markets with which it does almost 66% of its trade without control over its monetary policy? As stated, FDI is directed at English speaking markets, declining competitiveness in these markets is undoubtedly a more significant threat to the attractiveness of Irish

answers to these questions, eschew the common but often untrue rhetoric and look to reality. For only then can we make a truly informed decision as to our fate, and only then can democracy prevail.

The markets of Canada, the USA and the UK collectively amounts to 425 million versus an EU post-Brexit market of 435 million.

FDI than an EU exit.

This article does not seek to promote an exit from the EU. Instead, it calls for better reasons to remain.

The debacle of Brexit is characterised by its lack of a plan as to what a UK outside of the EU would look like.

Ireland has the opportunity to make such a plan, only then can Irexit be duly considered. We must inform ourselves as to what the EU is, what powers it has, what powers Ireland has, and the attainable relationship with the UK and EU. We must seek unbiased

10TH OCTOBER 2017 15

PUZZLES THE LITERARY ALPACA Across

Down

6. Dutch philosopher after whom a European student programme is named (7)

1. Type of amenity named after the founder of the Irish Women Workers Union (6)

7. Actor featuring in a film adaptation of an Irish book of the same name, also starring in Downton Abbey and The Tudors

2. Post meridian ceremony, available in many hotels, conception of which is attributed to Anna Russel (12)

9. Medical devices not legally sold in Ireland without prescription until 1992 (7)

3. First peppers to travel in space (9)

11. Prominent novel of a famous UCD graduate, finished in Paris prior to his 40th birthday (7)

4. Name of the location of the bar in the Newman Building (14) 5. Substance to which the curator of the British Lawnmower Museum is allergic (5) 8. Brand of cakes and sweet treats, also author of The Man Who Would Be King (7) 10. One of the vocal styles Ladysmith Black Mambazo sang in, developed as a result of a song of the same name (5)

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

ILLUSTRATION BY DANIELLE CROWLEY

SUDOKU Easy

16 ISSUE 2, VOLUME XXIV

Medium

Hard

EDITORIAL

EDITORIAL THE REVELATION that abortion information was removed from the Winging It in UCD handbooks has many students outraged, with many calling for the impeachment of UCD Students’ Union President Katie Ascough. Meanwhile the March for Education happened while most students were distracted.

Ascough refuses to step down and appears eager to win.

Even before a referendum has been called she has been seen standing in front of the Science building holding posters encouraging people to vote no. Ascough has declined to make comments until after a referendum is called.

While many online, often people who do not attend UCD, laugh at the ‘liberal snowflakes’ who decided to impeach their own democratically elected president there are some issues to consider here.

An impeachment referendum is called if there are enough signatures. There does not need to be grounds for the president’s impeachment. If students feel that they are not represented by any of their sabbatical or college officers they are free to gather signatures and have a referendum if enough are obtained.

Contrary to the thoughts of many, Ascough is not being impeached because she is pro-life. People are calling for her impeachment because they believe she has consistently got in the way of the repeal campaign which the union is mandated to support.

Katie Ascough was democratically elected. However, student politics is not known for its voter turnout. Last year’s presidential elections took place on the day of the Strike 4 Repeal. Many pro-choice students were more interested in attending the strike than voting in the election. Furthermore, Ascough was against three

pro-choice candidates. If UCD students had voted 1, 2, 3, down the ballot the pro-choice majority could have ensured a pro-choice president but as they did not, the pro-choice votes were split between the other candidates leading Ascough to a win.

Many students, who did not attend hustings or read the College Tribune or the University Observer before her election were not aware that she is pro-life. Her campaign was well managed and her image appeared friendly and professional.

Those who were fully aware that Katie Ascough is pro-life may have listened to her describe how she would “delegate” and “communicate” on the issue of repealing the 8th amendment. One must also remember that while student votes on abortion have always had pro-choice leaning results, there are pro-life students on campus and those who lack an opinion or are on the fence, like most Irish political parties claim to be.

As one student interviewed by UCDTV put it, when asked about Ascough removing abortion information from the handbook, “It never really affected me so I don’t care.”

It may come as a shock that she became president of a pro-choice union but there are other issues that affect students and she explained that she was really passionate about microwaves.

With all this happening, other issues such as consent, student loans, and the accommodation crisis have been forgotten about. The March for Education had a poor turn out from UCD with the issue being completely overshadowed by the impeachment petition. There was also a protest for PrEP which most students

(and the student media) were not aware of. Members of UCD SU and UCD for PrEP stood outside the Four Courts demanding that Gilead Sciences drop the prices of their drug to prevent HIV. The price is currently too high to enter the Irish market.

On a more positive note for many, the March for Choice had a large turn-out. It may indeed by the case that Katie Ascough’s roadblocks have only served to make students more angry, passionate, and determined to repeal the eighth. We cannot say what Ascough’s intentions were but this reaction is certainly not what she desired.

The reactions of students to Ascough’s decisions show that there are students who passionately care about what is going on in their Students’ Union. On the other side, there are students who believe in Ascough’s ability to lead. The current chaos within the Union shows that despite a general appearance of apathy towards student politics, there are students who care deeply, and these passions will pave the way for an interesting referendum on whether to impeach or not impeach the President.

Whatever the outcome, let’s hope that in the lead-up, and in the aftermath, we have a Students’ Union that is able to do their jobs.

Reports recently from your online edition and other media outlets of the petition calling for the impeachment of Students Union President Katie Ascough have disgusted me. Listening to those organising the petition, you would think that the President is guilty of squandering €8,000 of union funds, the money of ordinary students, in order to promote her personal pro-life agenda against the official policy of the union.

In truth, however, this is not the case. The information on abortion pills supplied in the ‘Winging-It’ handbook was illegal. The Regulation of Information (Services Outside the State For Termination of Pregnancies) Act, 1995, more commonly known as the Abortion Information Act prohibits the supply of information on abortion except in certain circumstances. Under Section 3 of the Act, “it shall not be lawful” to publish information on abortion in a “book, newspaper, journal, magazine, leaflet or pamphlet, or any other document”.

In short, Ascough’s personal views on abortion are not relevant. The information was illegal. Publishing it would have been against the law. The same way it is against the law to rob a bank or not pay your tax. If the information was published, criminal charges could have been pressed upon the union. Moreover, Ascough,

NEWS EDITOR Brían Donnelly DEPUTY NEWS EDITOR Fiachra Johnston COMMENT EDITOR Adam Lawler FEATURES EDITOR Gavin Tracey SCIENCE EDITOR Emmet Feerick BUSINESS & CAREERS EDITOR Ciarán Busby

CHIEF OF PHOTOGRAPHY Phoebe Ireland CHIEF OF ILLUSTRATIONS Meadhbh Sheridan

his president by using the slogan “reheat the eighth.”

Hanging in the Union by the skin of his teeth, is the almost-recently-retired-Welfare Officer, Eoghan Mac Something Irish. Talley was delighted to hear that one sabbatical officer had finally seen the sense to drain the swamp by leaving the Union himself. Alas, Mac “We only kissed once and it won’t happen again!” retracted his resignation before Talley could extend his congratulations, but not before a certain college newspaper Tribbed up and published their big scoop on Twitter.

Speaking of trashy college rags, it has been intriguing to see the interest those filth in Trinity have been paying to our esteemed University of Cesspit and Degeneracy (UCD). Talley highly doubts no scandals are brewing in Trinity, but believes Trinity’s student media is wishing they were in UCD. It’s too bad they’re still failing to break any real news.

Back on home turf, you plebs are going to have to gear up for another round of referendum campaigning.

Be prepared to be bombarded on your way to classes, in classes, and all around your classes, by hacks, the general scum that Talley despises most of all. There will be people wanting to impeach their Fearless Leader Katie “Microwaves for all!”

Katie “Reheat, Not Repeal” has disappeared recently

following her public crucifixion due to her censorship of abortion information. Fear not plebs, she will rise again in a few days time and try and win your votes.

Talley wasn’t even aware that a rally for PrEP had taken place, but with a Union so dedicated to making the world a better place for its LGBT+ members, Talley is sure the Union cared deeply about this rally.

The SU takes pride in the role that they believe to play in LGBT+ issues. They like to claim playing a major role in getting marriage equality passed, but Talley would like to know where the Vote For ME (Marriage Equality) sign has gone from a certain office.

Talley wishes this current sloppy excuse for a union of students a dramatic and exciting year, maybe the SU could supply free popcorn to all students while they watch the SU go up in flames?

TALLEY OUT XOXO

as President could have been liable for allowing the information to be published.

The President did not just take a rash decision and ordered the books to be reprinted. She took legal advice from the union’s lawyer and then decided to remove the said information. Perhaps if the union took legal advice before printing the books, we would have not have had this problem in the first place.

More worryingly, however, were the reports in your front page article, dated September 19th, that senior officers in the union were “in full knowledge” of the illegality of the content. What sort of example are they setting to students? The union, as any organisation are entitled to their views, but how can we expect students to become good, law-abiding citizens when their union leaders willingly and confidently break the law in order to promote their own political campaigns?

BROADSHEET CONTRIBUTORS Katie O’Dea Heather Reynolds Dean Swift Ruairí Long Rory Clarke Des Cooke Elizabeth Wells Saoirse Hanley Christine Coffey Niamh O’Regan Aela O’Flynn Aoife Muckian Danielle Crowley Fiadh Melina Garrett Ó’Cinnéide Eve Ryan Eoin Duffy Karolina Rozhnova Adesewa Awobadejo Doireann MacDonnell Owen Cuskelly Brianna Walsh Rose Doherty Daragh Fleming Amy Crean Michael O’Dwyer Connolly Jade Wilson VISUAL CONTENT CONTRIBUTORS Danielle Crowley Mark Coyle

LETTER TO THE EDITOR Dear Madam,

DEPUTY EDITOR Ruth Murphy

SPORT EDITOR Ian Moore

TALLEY HO!

I have been spending my afterlife as a ghost, and haunt the Students’ Union corridor. I bring my gossip back here, where I reveal the juiciest secrets to you plebs.

For all you degenerates who may be confused with what’s going on in your Students’ Union, fear not, the entire student population is confused right now, so let Talley explain the goings on to you.

Fearless Leader of the Union, courageously leading the Union out of lawsuits, is President Katie Fiascough.

More criticism on her later.

The man quietly shouting something about student fees is your Education Officer Robert Whiney Swiney.

The slipping by of the March for Education may be what’s making Floberworm Swiney so whiney these days. “Won’t someone please think of the money??”

Outraged Graduate Officer Niall Toadis is fed up of newspapers forgetting him, misquoting him, and making fun of his glorious beard.

One man who is trying to stand up for reproductive rights is the Campaigns & Communications Officer, Barry Murphy. Unfortunately for Mr. Environ-Murphy, he doesn’t quite see eye-to-eye with President No Abortions Ascough. Talley suggests he try uniting with

EDITOR Aoife Hardesty

EAGARTHÓIR GAEILGE Garrett Ó’Cinnéide

TALLEYRAND My name is Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, during my lifetime I was a French bishop and became a Prince, the Prince of Talleyrand to be accurate.

THE UNIVERSITY OBSERVER TEAM

COVER PHOTO Phoebe Ireland

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

SPECIAL THANKS Belated thanks to the following: Róisín Guyett-Nicholson Martin Healy Louise Flanagan HAPPY BIRTHDAY Ruth Murphy Join up to write for THE UNIVERSITY

Correspondence may also be sent to editor@universityobserver.ie

Yours etc., Patrick Duffy, 4th September 2017

10TH OCTOBER 2017 17

SPORT CAMPUS SPORT ROUND-UP

UCD Hosts the 1984 EAKF Championships

One-goal lead for Norway bound UCD A 2-1 HOME VICTORY against Molde FK has given UCD’s youngsters a slender lead heading into the second leg of their UEFA Youth League tie.

The away side had the lion’s share of the possession during the early exchanges, eventually taking the lead after 13 minutes. A poorly defended corner allowed Molde captain Leo Oestigaard to beat Conor Kearns at his post.

The game was turned on its head with two UCD goals in the final two minutes of the first half. The game was leveled in the 44th minute with Luka Lovic on hand to tuck away Conor Crowley’s parried shot. It was 2-1 a mere 40 seconds later, as Molde defender Elias Mordal was caught unaware by UCD’s Sean McDonald, the striker rushed on goal and his low shot slipped through the hands of Jonatan Byttingsvik in the Molde goal.

Conor Kearns had to be at his best on a couple of occasions during the second half as shots Christian Dahl and Eman Markovic threatened UCD’s lead. In the dying embers of the game, Andrew O’Reilly looked certain to double the home sides advantage only to be stopped in his tracks by some last gasp Molde defending.

A 2-1 lead will give the students a slight advantage ahead of the game in Norway on Wednesday, October 18th as they hope to make it into the second-round draw.

In senior team news, four UCD AFC players have been named in the PFAI’s First Division Team of the Year.

Conor Kearns, Evan Osam, Greg Slogget, and Georgie Kelly have all been rewarded for a stellar season, while Kelly has also been nominated for the individual player of the year award.

UCD Karate Club celebrate the big Four-0 UCD WELCOMED legendary karate practitioner and sensei, Masao Kawasoe as UCD Karate Club began its 40th year celebrations last week. The club hosted an open Shotokan Karate course with the 7th Dan JKA instructor passing on his knowledge to UCD Karate Club members and instructors.

Last weekend the club welcomed back past members for a reunion karate class which saw alumni dust off their do-gi (karate suits) and return to Hall B for one day only. That evening, a reunion ball at the Talbot Hotel in Stillorgan saw members past and present come together to celebrate the club’s 40 years of success.

UCD Karate Club was formed in 1977, with students training under Sensei Brendan McGrath and Sensei Tommy McGrane (who has been president of the club since its foundation). The Karate Club is the oldest Martial Arts Club in UCD and has played a central role in Irish Karate, hosting the inaugural Karate Inter-Varsities in 1983.

The following year at the height of the 1980s karate craze, just as ‘The Karate Kid’ hit the big screen, UCD hosted the EAKF European Championships which saw world class international karate-ka and senseis descend on Belfield.

In 2013, the club established the Dublin Inter-Collegiate Cup competition in partnership with a number of Dublin based universities, once again continuing to build a strong tradition of varsity and national competition.

The club continues to thrive and its alumni are spread right across the globe. Not only have they enjoyed great success down throughout their 40-year history at Intervarsity and national level but several members have also represented Ireland on the world stage.

UCD WAVES LEFT HIGH AND DRY BY REFEREE NO-SHOW

UCD’s Sean McDonald in action during the recent Enda McGuill Cup Final.

Image Courtesy of FAI Media

THE BADGER

With no referee organised for a recent Women’s National League match, Ian Moore takes a closer look at what happened, and how poor organisation is affecting women’s football.

UCD WAVES had their recent Women’s National League clash against Kilkenny United called-off after no referee was allocated for the fixture.

The calamitous error occurred during what was supposed to be a historic weekend for women’s football, as the FAI’s Women’s Football Convention took place for the first time.

Waves centre-half Emily Cahill explained how the situation unfolded in an interview she gave to the42.ie.

“We were told that no ref had shown up yet. And no one was really sure if it was that the ref was late, or if they were never informed, or if they had gotten it wrong.”

“People were making phone calls to see what had happened. We went out to warm up as usual, but it came back to us that (because) the match had been rescheduled, and it was supposed to have taken place

18 ISSUE 2, VOLUME XXIV

weeks ago, the ref had never been informed (that the game was taking place at a different date).”

With both teams left to play out a practice match, the referee no-show is just the latest controversy to hit the women’s game despite increased investment by the FAI. Back in April, the Women’s national team sought representation in an effort to improve pay and conditions. The players accused the FAI of leaving them out of pocket whenever they represented their country.

They also had to change in airport toilets before games and share tracksuits with underage teams.

This latest incident appears to be a symptom of poor organization, within the WNL, which continues despite some progress at international level. As Cahill explained further, “it’s just a lack of organisation, which again highlighted the issues which seem to be re-emerging in our league, unfortunately.”

“Obviously, the Irish senior international team spoke up a few months ago. That was great, but it’s across the leagues that there are still cracks. It all kind of stems from that.”

Currently sitting in fourth place in the WNL, UCD Waves have also made headlines for the right reasons. They claimed the Continental Tyres Women’s National League Shield last month after a 2-1 away win over Galway United with goals from Catherine Cronin and Kerri Letmon.

Always one to dwell on the past, The Badger drags up an old debate for one more lap of the disco.

‘I hate purity, I hate goodness! I don’t want virtue to exist anywhere. I want everyone to be corrupt to the bones.’

While it’s highly unlikely that Winston Smith considered this year’s All-Ireland final when directing this remark at the Orwellian superstate that surrounded him, it’s still a pretty good summation of the Badger’s feelings on the matter.

70 September minutes saw Dublin overcome Mayo to win Sam for the third time in a row, but it appeared that Dublin couldn’t make an omelette without cracking a few eggs. John Small saw red, Ciarán Kilkenny was black carded and Eoghan O’Gara could easily have faced retrospective action for his scuffle with Colm Boyle. Not to be outdone, Mayo had Lee Keegan throwing a GPS unit at Dean Rock as he stood over the decisive free kick. This was deemed ‘“a new low”’ by Charlie Redmond in the Evening Herald.

Rational reasonable people were sucked into seemingly endless debate over this year’s edition of the annual showpiece. The Badger’s answer is simple.

Let them at it.

Each and every one of those contentious moments added to the spectacle and made the encounter all the more memorable. Are we still talking about it?

Aren’t we better off for how the game turned out?

Football hypnotized us into believing that it can only be played between two mismatched teams and at a mind-numbingly boring canter, but that final made the whole season worth it for the Badger. Even if Dublin had lost it would have been hard to say, hand on heart that I hadn’t been entertained.

Sure, to the letter of the law blah blah and on another day, a few more players may have seen red, but the aggression and intensity of this All-Ireland final reminded me just how important football is to the Badger. I’ve been bored into submission watching the Dubs on many occasions over the past few seasons but this game has relit my fire for Gaelic football.

Football, in my mind at least, has acquired a reputation as hurling’s less entertaining sibling and maybe rightly so, but this game should have given football detractors plenty of food for thought, because it’s certainly got me thinking.

On a parting note, congratulations to Ad Astra athlete Paul O’Donovan on retaining his men’s lightweight title at the recent World Rowing Championships in Florida. Nothing like the success of a fellow student to make you question your own mediocre achievements.

SPORT IRISH ROWERS STRIKE GOLD IN FLORIDA Ruairí Long reports on the World Rowing Championships. that elite level athletes lie not far away from the James Joyce library or the Newman Building. A proud member of UCD Boat Club, Paul O’Donovan studies Physiotherapy part time at UCD, and is an Ad Astra Elite sport scholar in Belfield.

There was further Irish success as fellow Skibbereen pair Mark O’Donovan and Shane O’Driscoll beat out crews from Italy and Brazil to take home gold in the Men’s Double Lightweight Skulls, their fifth gold of the season.

Sanita Puspure, who did well to bounce back from illness, bereavement, and poor form earlier in the season to reach the women’s single sculls final, missed out on bronze to Austria’s Magdalena Lobnig by a fraction of a second.

Denise Walsh was some way off the medals in her single lightweight final. Aileen Crowley and Aifric Keogh took second place in the B finals of the women’s pairs while Patrick Boomer and Fionnán McQuillan-Tolan came fourth in their C Final.

Overall, Ireland’s tally of two gold medals left them in sixth place in the World Rowing Championships medal table. A fantastic achievement for Irish rowing and one which UCD can also be proud of.

PHOTO CREDIT: GREGOR ROM

IRISH ROWING’S journey from a sport on the periphery to front and centre has taken another leap forward with two gold medals at the recent World Rowing Championships in Sarasota, Florida.

With Skibbereen duo Gary and Paul O’Donovan’s silver medal at the 2016 Olympic games creating an increased interest in international competitive rowing, there was no shortage of hype in the lead-up to the games.

Undeterred by the threat of Hurricane Irma, the organising committee stated that they were “ready to host the world’s greatest rowers,” which unfortunately did not include Gary O’Donovan as he missed the competition through illness.

Rowing without his brother in the lightweight men’s singles did not seem to perturb Paul O’Donovan as he retained his world title. RTÉ reported that “O’Donovan never looked in trouble” as he eased to victory ahead of New Zealand’s Matthew Dunham and Norway’s Kristoffer Brun.

In a now customary RTÉ interview during the championships, which was conducted while sat in a special treatment compartment, he referred to the brutally hot and humid conditions as “lovely.” Not bad for a man more used to the weather in West Cork.

For UCD and its students, it is another reminder

TEETHING PROBLEMS IN PRO 14 EXPERIMENT Leinster trips down South had its ups and downs as Christine Coffey explores.

AFTER SATURDAY’S win against Munster, Leinster sit in third place in Conference B of the new-look Guinness Pro-14 league. As expected, the Interprovincial derby drew a big crowd at the Aviva Stadium but this season, the league includes a new challenge in the form of two South African sides: the Southern Kings and the Toyota Cheetahs.

In September, Leinster were the first to face this challenge as they travelled to the Nelson Mandela Stadium for the historic first Pro14 game ‘down South’ against the Kings. Things got off to a bad start as Jamison Gibson-Park and Captain Isa Nacewa were refused entry into the country. On the pitch however, Leinster muscled their way to a bonus point victory and the Kings carried over their poor vein from the Super League.

The focus in the lead up to the game was on the visa controversy and the aftermath was marked by yet another embarrassing moment when Cian Healy was asked to leave the flight to Cape Town for the second and arguably more challenging fixture of the tour. Captain Nacewa completed his third long haul flight to rejoin the squad, only to see 15 minutes of action before suffering a calf strain that further limited manager Leo Cullen in his choices at centre.

Unfortunately, Leinster couldn’t muster a win against the Cheetahs on the occasion of UCD’s own Josh van der Flier winning his 50th cap.

Barry Daly’s hat-trick of tries just wasn’t enough to prevent a 38-19 humbling at the hands of the South African side. Leinster were clearly outplayed in the first half and couldn’t deal with the pace of the potent Cheetah back-line that included rugby sevens superstar Rosco Specman and the in-form Francois Venter.

The Southern Kings are struggling in the new league, being the only team yet to record a win after

Things got off to a bad start as Jamison Gibson-Park and Captain Isa Nacewa were refused entry into the country. six games. The Cheetahs are faring much better, sitting in third place in Conference A, but all three of their wins have come at home and they are yet to record a win on the road.

The paltry crowds in attendance were swallowed up by the large stadiums of the South African sides and the interest of the locals in this new league is questionable. Granted the experience of tours in a far-off land is an exciting development for the younger players in the league and this opportunity offers more game-time

and freshens up the league with a completely different type of opponent.

It’s feasible that some of these players would never have gotten the opportunity to play a southernhemisphere side at this level without these recent changes. Long gone are the days of the Celtic League when round-robin matches away to Welsh and Scottish sides seemed like a trek.

Perhaps someday this will all become second nature to a club structure that has adapted to an intercontinental set-up. Logistics will take getting used to and Leinster will be glad that their South African tour hit them at the start of the season, as their focus turns to the upcoming Champions Cup games.

Unfortunately, Leinster couldn’t muster a win against the Cheetahs on the occasion of UCD’s own Josh van der Flier winning his 50th cap

Moville

Annagry

Derry

Letterkenny

Lifford

Traveling home to

Omagh

Donegal or Derry?

Monaghan

Route A Route B

• Direct Express Service • City Centre Pick-up from Parnell Square • Free On-Board Wi-Fi • Competitive Fares • Sunday Night Drop to UCD Tel. 074 9135201 • www.johnmcginley.com .johnmcginley 10TH OCTOBER 2017 19

SPORT INTERVIEW WITH VINNY HAMMOND Ian Moore talks to IRFU High Performance Analyst Vinny Hammond about his work, The Lions, and why rugby coaches sit in glass boxes. penalty or see one try scoring opportunity over the course of a Six Nations, it’s worth it looking for those margins.”

Selected as part of the backroom staff for the recent Lions tour to New Zealand, Hammond worked alongside players and coaches that had been adversaries on the pitch for years.

IAN MOORE SPORTS EDITOR A CAREER-STARTING injury may sound like a sporting anomaly, but it was after picking up a hand injury whilst playing for UCD that Vinny Hammond was introduced to the club’s analysis suite by then Director of Rugby John McClean.

His dissertation in UCD was followed by a MA in Performance Analysis in Cardiff. After cutting his teeth with the IRB (World Rugby) he took up a role with the IRFU where he has remained for the best part of a decade.

Now part of a coaching staff that includes head coach Joe Schmitt, Andy Farrell, Simon Easterby, Jason Cowan, and fellow analyst Mervyn Murphy, he splits his time between work in the office and preparing for games in camp.

“We have two different types of days really, days in the office and then days in camp, where it’s seven in the morning till 11 or 12, where we’re relentlessly looking for tiny gaps.”

“Relationships are pretty tight between us and the coaches, they have to trust us and we’ve built that over time. We’ve been together the guts of six years since Joe started. It doesn’t just happen, we’ve been through some good times and some bad times.”

Using the 2014 Six Nations as an example, he stressed the importance of an analysists work at an elite level and that it really can be the difference between winning and losing.

“People say paralysis by analysis and all that.

That’s ok if I was coaching an under-15s. I regularly get asked by people what should they do when coaching their team but if it’s kids, let them play football, let them play rugby. At our level where tournaments are decided by a couple of points, if we can stop one

You’re with guys you’ve watched playing and you have your mind made up on what they’re like as people and then your perceptions change.

He states that a player being selected is “the highlight of their careers and it’s certainly a highlight for me. I grew up watching videos of the Lions. I had a Lions jersey as a kid. It’s different: a special environment that’s unique in sport.

“We were in New Zealand for 7 weeks and met up for three or four weeks and you’re with guys you’ve watched playing and you have your mind made up on what they’re like as people and then your perceptions change. Guys you worked against for however many years and then you’re in the car with them to training every day, sitting two feet from them for 12 hours of the day. It’s a crazy but brilliant experience.”

Despite the scrutiny that surrounds the team, from fans and the press alike, he says there were plenty of moments for comic relief on the tour. “Every day there was something with so many different characters around, because the media pressure was so high people think it must be really tense but it was actually a lot of fun.”

“The car was fully branded so we got abused everywhere we’d go, someone in traffic would pull up and give us a bit of stick. We went through a McDonald’s drive through and the people who were serving us started abusing us through the window.”

Past achievements and tour hijinks aside, it’s plain to see that Vinny Hammond is a man that cares deeply

about rugby and the future of his profession. Having recently returned from a sports statistics conference in Harvard, Hammond was keen to discuss the differences between increasingly stats-based American sports and those enjoyed over this side of the pond.

“There is one or two stats PhDs hired by every NFL team, every baseball team, where we talk about performance. We like to look at rugby first and let stats aid rather than drive decisions. We’ve got a nice balance and I think that’s a credit to the coaching staff.

“Sometimes you have to rely on your gut and we’ve got five pretty good guts in that office but there’s graduates from a university in Canada who can predict opposition plays with 76% accuracy. You’ve got to take note of things like that. We’d be ignorant to think that it doesn’t apply to us. Would a coach beat 76%?

That’s the challenge.”

We went through a McDonald’s drivethru and the people who were serving us started abusing us through the window.

While rugby isn’t exactly Moneyball yet, Hammond reckons there are differences between how rugby and sports like soccer and GAA grapple with this side of the game, illustrated by something as simple as where the coach stands.

“It always amazes me how soccer and GAA coaches stand on the touchline. As soon as someone successfully shifts up into the stand it will be a no brainer for them all as the view from the pitch doesn’t make sense to me. It’s a cultural thing, they want to be seen as the motivator.”

“Jim Gavin is amazing, his persona on the side of the pitch. He’s someone who I admire in coaching but unless you have his persona, you’re gonna be better off taking the emotion out of it and heading up to the stands.”

Not content with his work with Ireland and the Lions, Hammond is currently working on his PhD here

in UCD with support from the Research Council of Ireland and the IRFU.

Sometimes you have to rely on your gut and we’ve got five pretty good guts in that office.

“It’s about looking at developing players over the course of a career and how they use performance analysis. At the end of the day It’s all about getting to what actually works, if you’re doing a stack of work that nobody’s able to take in then you’re wasting your time.”

“I want to continue academically, it keeps me in touch with the university. I studied here, played here, coached here, and now I’m back studying again, I just love the place, it means something.”

CLUB FOCUS: UCD CANOE CLUB Ian Moore meets with the UCD Canoe Club.

The club competes in a wide range of events. Sprint and marathon events test the fitness and endurance of members, freestyle focuses on skill, while whitewater is all action. Pool sessions in the sports centre on Wednesday and Thursday evenings give newcomers the opportunity to hone their skills before testing them out in the wild.

Often remaining coy about their success in the water as they like to focus on the social side of things, club stalwart Simon Grennell points out, “We never mention it at the fresher’s tent but we actually do quite well.”

One freestyle event in Clifton over the summer saw them take home four medals and third place was secured at the Brian Boru Festival, Killaloe. Grennell taking home gold at the International Liffey Descent was a recent highlight.

Aside from the action on the water Grennell freely admits to the club being “completely craic-based and fresher friendly,” which is certainly an interesting way to describe the club custom of tying freshers together in the pursuit of friendship.

“Cable tying” was a key part of last weekend’s freshers weekend which saw 50 members make their way to Lahinch for fancy dress, forced socialization, and a small bit of kayaking thrown in for good measure.

Club PRO Evie Maloney has only been involved for a year and explained that the nature of the club makes it so easy to get involved. “I only sat in a boat once before I joined. It’s just so welcoming and you get to know everyone really quickly” “It’s a sport you can progress in, you can get your

20 ISSUE 2, VOLUME XXIV

kayaking licence in a year and around half of the committee had no experience before joining. You just have to push yourself to go to events.”

The rest of the year is action packed with a Colours Trip alongside Trinity’s Canoe Club planned for November, and a week of socializing and paddling in Kerry after Christmas.

Grennell says the timing of the Kerry trip is perfect

Aside from the action on the water Grennell freely admits to the club being “completely craicbased and fresher friendly,” which is certainly an interesting way to describe the club custom of tying freshers together in the pursuit of friendship.

as it’s right before Intervarsity’s which UCD will be hosting in February. “Other clubs come down (to Kerry) too and it’s really good to meet other people and make connections outside UCD. It’s just before varsities, so you can put names to faces right in time for the almighty party at varsities” It will be the first time in eight years that the club is hosting intervarsity’s and there will be competitions

across five disciplines. Collegiate canoe clubs will battle it out in freestyle, whitewater, long distance, and canoe polo events alongside the recently introduced Olympic Slalom discipline.

The club’s annual ball takes place over a weekend in March and there is also a trip abroad every year. The club has been to France and Italy during previous years but this year five members made the 4000-mile trip to Uganda where they paddled down the Nile over the course of 20 days.

The trip made quite an impact on Grennell, who explained “We were winging it really, you got the feeling

you get going over a humpbacked bridge for every wave they were so strong. It was just one of those once in a lifetime things, travelling with a special group of people.”

As beginners would want to do a bit of training before they go traipsing across Africa, their first port of call would be a swim test at one of the club’s pool sessions or getting in touch with Evie at ucdcanoeclub@ gmail.com.

The club is always happy for new members to join as Maloney says, “It’s always nice seeing new faces and making new friends, everyone gets to know everyone, and the cable tying definitely helps!”

PHOTO CREDIT: EAMON CUMMINS

FOR OVER 40 years UCD Canoe Club have prided themselves on being one of the most inclusive and energetic clubs on campus and it’s hard to disagree with them.