University Observer Volume XVIII - Issue 2

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volume xviii · issue ii · www.universityobserver.ie nobel laureate

Prof. Peter Doherty

PSYCHIATRY’S THIRD WAY

talks about his legacy and the challenge of sustainablity

health & science

IRELAND’S CONFLICTED PERCEPTION OF MENTAL ILLNESS

Features

ASH

REPUBLIC OF LOOSE RUBBERBANDITS ENTER SHIKARI GHOSTPOET

OTWO

UCDSU AgSoc apologise for damage at Goat pub Welfare Furniture, window and public property amends destroyed ‘1000 Ambulance and Gardaí called to the scene Condoms’ SU President condemns AgSoc’s scheme behaviour ________________________________________ Kevin Beirne

________________________________________ UCD Students’ Union marked World Contraception Day on the 26th of September by giving out one thousand free condoms. The original plan was for each condom to be numbered, and for each owner of a numbered condom to post their story of how they used it on the 1000condoms.com website, which has accumulated twenty-one stories at the time of going to print.

According to UCD’s Welfare Officer Rachel Breslin, the plan encountered some difficulty, “The issue arose that even when we posted it on Facebook before [World Contraception Day], people were saying ‘I want to get involved, what if I’m not in that day and don’t get a condom?’”.

It was then decided that the numbering would be scrapped, but the website (1000condoms.com) would stay up and condoms would still be given out, which allowed the campaign to spread further than the 1,000 recipients of a free condom, as everyone was now encouraged to share their stories.

“Sex is for everyone. It can be good or bad, or very mediocre!” jokes Breslin, but she also points out that there is no pressure to do it now; “I was very keen to make sure that people didn’t feel pressured into having sex”.

As well as recording past experiences, Breslin says the website can be used to say “I haven’t found someone, this is what happened to my condom” and says “that would actually be a really good outcome of the campaign”.

Breslin deemed the campaign economical, “if we look at what was done around sexual health in the past there were workshops, we had various demonstrators in and I looked at those, and they cost money - they cost more money than we spent on the posters and the condoms, which we already ordered in anyway, so I certainly feel it was very cost effective”.

The idea for the campaign came from people being “a little bit afraid to talk about sex, and if they are talking about sex it’s more the whole “laddish” idea or the “laddish” concept of sex and that all sex is great and that they maybe have to make up a myth about their sexual experiences” explains Breslin, “so what I wanted was a campaign that encouraged people to wear condoms but to encourage more conversation about it and get people to talk about their bad experiences of sex, which do exist”.

Breslin says that she is “really pleased with how it’s gone and I think it has encouraged open dialogue about sex; it really put forward the message that people have had experiences that were awkward, experiences that were clumsy... it is ok to talk about it”.

Read Phillipa White’s Opinion piece on the ‘1000 Condoms, 1000 Stories’ scheme on page 13 of this issue.

A series of trees lay broken in the aftermath of the AgSoc event in The Goat ________________________________________ Katie Hughes Goatstown Road”.

News Editor According to the source, it took ________________________________________ many years of liaising with the local UCD’s Agricultural Science Society county councillors to have the trees (AgSoc) held a fundraising event in planted, so it was met with “great the Goat Public House in Goatstown regret” that a number of them had on the 28th September. The evening, been destroyed. Auditor of AgSoc, the proceeds of which went to John Douglas, refused to confirm that charity, turned into alcohol-induced it had been AgSoc members who broke mayhem with both the Gardaí and an the trees, “I seen trees broken this ambulance being called at different morning but again, I didn’t see it going stages of the evening. on […] I seen five or six trees broken”.

Complaints were received by A representative from the Goat the University Observer from an stated that the students stayed for an anonymous source stating that “from hour and a half after the bar closed, approximately 10.30pm until at least refusing to leave when asked to do so; 3am there was shouting, swearing, additionally, “they broke tables and urinating in public, breaking of glasses chairs – one table and five chairs”. and bottles, and the main reason I am An ambulance was called to the contacting you, the destruction (by Goat after a girl allegedly put her way of snapping in half ) of a number head through a window. Douglas was of recently planted trees on the unsure as to exactly what happened;

“not too sure, she was stitched up and whatever had to be done with her, cleaned up”.

Douglas stated that “we didn’t want anything to upset anyone, we just wanted to have a bit of fun; it’s for charity sure, we just wanted to raise money for charity, sure that’s what AgSoc have been doing for years, any nights they did was for charity”.

The source of the complaint, who is also a UCD alumnus, was “really appalled at the manner in which these students behaved and [the] picture that they have now portrayed of UCD Agricultural Science Students/UCD - I would expect a lot more from them”.

Student Union President Pat de Brún commented on the negative effect that the incident could have on events organised by other societies in future; “Obviously it’s hugely damaging to the reputation of students in UCD. It puts future society, Union and sports club events in danger in terms of what venues we can use”.

Douglas insists that, in order to prevent a similar situation arising again, he would “find out who’s causing the trouble, find out who the messers are - it’s not acceptable, we would e-mail the members, that behaviour won’t be allowed on any Ag nights, it’s not the Ag way”.

AgSoc have made a formal apology for their members’ behaviour on the night. The Goat will not be seeking compensation from AgSoc. Read Kate Rothwell’s analysis of this story on page 5.

De Brún files complaint against the University Times ________________________________________ Katie Hughes News Editor ________________________________________ UCD Students’ Union President Pat de Brún has filed a complaint to Trinity Students’ Union following the publication of “wholly inappropriate” comments aimed at a former UCDSU sabbatical officer in one of Trinity College’s student papers, the University Times.

Overall, de Brún considered the article, a satirical piece entitled ‘You should have gone to UCD’ to be “funny

and in good spirits, just general rivalry banter” but deemed jibes made at last year’s UCD Ents Officer Jonny Cosgrove unacceptable.

“I have no problem at all with any form of college or any other form of media looking at the performance of an elected officer, that’s part and parcel of the job. I think it becomes inappropriate when the person has left the role and gone back to being a student.

When that person is a member of this Union I think we have a duty to look after them.”

Though de Brún insists that he filed a complaint to “let them [UT] know of my dissatisfaction and the Union’s dissatisfaction with that article”, the Editor of the University Times, Ronan Costello, insists that “my reading of it, I wouldn’t have seen it as a complaint from UCDSU, I think it was a complaint on behalf of a friend really”.

Though Costello says that he will be issuing neither an apology nor a retraction as “it was a satirical opinion piece, it wasn’t meant to be taken as seriously as people have taken it”,

he concedes that “it was in our Freshers’ Week edition, targeted specifically towards Freshers, it was just to make those who were coming in feel good about their choice”.

“There’s an inevitability about the reaction to it. Some people were going to like it and some people weren’t. It’s doing the rounds now; it’s one of the most read articles we’ve ever posted.

So I’m guessing that more people liked it than didn’t.

“When you put something like that up, there’s a Facebook widget

there and it would get recommended by people if they like it. I thought it was a satirical opinion piece and it was filed under such a headline on the website. The writer’s byline is Spoofer-in-Chief”.

De Brún has received a reply from Costello which did not include an apology, “it was along the lines of it is appropriate to comment on things of that nature and past officers because they were once elected”.

Analysis on page 5

2

NEWS IN BRIEF TradSoc contacted by Revenue Commissioner Emily Longworth UCD’s Traditional Music Society (TradSoc) has been contacted by the Revenue Commissioner with regard to payments made to the society for public performances.

A TradSoc respresentative explained that “they just wanted to know if TradSoc get paid for the sessions we play in pubs […] I informed them that TradSoc don’t get any payment for the sessions we do – they’re solely for enjoyment.”

TradSoc stated that there was “no reason to be worried” about Revenue’s contact with University students. However, prior to last week they had not been aware of the account tracking. “I haven’t heard of it before […] but we’re perfectly happy to comply with Revenue.”

A similar approach is taken to any TradSoc music lessons which may take place later in the year, as they receive no payment for any such classes, and they are defined as open ‘workshops’. This would exclude them from any interest Revenue may have in their involvement with education in the Arts.

It would appear that the account tracking runs on a ‘spot-check’ basis as, according to the society representative; “Revenue hadn’t contacted the society at all” in her years as a member of TradSoc. There was no discussion of any other accounts issue, and Revenue had no immediate follow-up inquiry.

The University Observer · 4 October 2011

Observer News Freshers’ Ball makes loss news@observer.ie

________________________________________ Angela Clarke ________________________________________

The Freshers’ Ball took place in the Wright Venue in Swords on September 19th. Attendance at the annual event reached an estimated 2,000 people, a significant increase on last year’s 1,500.

Ticket prices showed no increase from 2010’s price of €18, despite the upgrade in venue and included return bus service to Swords.

Student’s Union Ents Off icer Stephen Darcy was delighted with the start to Freshers’ Week and felt it was ver y well received, despite only selling close to 2,000 of the 2,400 tickets available.

Darcy admits that the Freshers’ Ball always budgets for a slight loss but believes it worth starting the year on a high note by “providing students with a quality event that they will remember for the rest of the year”. He noted that Lil Jon had a wider appeal to older students and received a great reception.

Despite speculation that a large number of guest passes were handed out, increasing the financial loss made, Darcy was adamant that no more than fifty free passes were handed out to those who had seriously contributed throughout orientation week.

“I wouldn’t agree with giving out a few guest passes as a strategy to pull in larger crowds as [a guest list pass] is so easy to come by these days – all you have to do is

comment. I’d prefer, with something like Ents, for people to really deserve a ticket if they’re going to get in free.”

Following on from the Freshers’ Ball, the Saw Doctors played the Student Bar on Wednesday and Arthur’s Day saw the bar packed with just under a thousand people. Darcy is determined to sustain momentum throughout the year with LMFAO, one of the biggest acts ever to play UCD, being announced to play on Monday 7th.

Darcy is aware that the biggest struggle Ents will face this year will be a financial one, as students can’t afford to go out as much as in previous years.

The Ents Office is launching several initiatives intent on supplementing Ents’ revenue and maintaining affordable

costs for students. These include the introduction of two weekly UCD Ents club nights, Monday in Dandelion and Wednesday in Tripod, which will both yield a percentage of the door price for reinvestment into Ents.

The establishment of a set three euro Monday to Friday drinks menu in the Student Bar is next in a series of efforts to encourage students to go out, as well as Thursday nights, which will see the return of Thursday Night Live with weekly bands, a late bar until 2am and drinks promotions.

Darcy will be launching the Ents Executive this week, which is a current Ents Crew project that aims to get more people involved with tangible responsibilities in Ents.

THE FORTNIGHT IN PHOTOGRAPHS

Ulysses Medal Katie Hughes UCD recently awarded the Ulysses Medal to Nobel Prize winner Peter Doherty. Professor Doherty is the only veterinary scientist to ever win a Nobel Prize. In 1996, he was awarded the prize for Physiology or Medicine for his research into the role of T cells in the immune system.

The award was presented by the Principal of the UCD College of Agriculture, Food Science and Veterinary Medicine, Professor Maurice Boland.

Following the presentation, Professor Doherty gave a talk to veterinary science students outlining his career, from university to winning a Nobel Prize.

The medal, inaugrated in 2005 as part of the university’s sesquicentennial festivities, is awarded to individuals “whose work has made an outstanding global contribution”. The honour has so far been bestowed on twenty individuals.

Previous recipients of the Ulysses Medal include playwright Brian Friel, biomolecular scientist and Nobel Prize winner Dr Phillip Sharp, and businessman Dermot Desmond.

Freshers’ Week Practical Joke Jon Hozier-Byrne Three UCD students orchestrated platform, he tore the mannequin away a practical joke which involved from him and threw it to the ground. throwing a newspaper stuffed When asked why the management dummy off a bungee-jump crane of Bungee Ireland allowed the student during Freshers’ Week. to bring a home-made mannequin The students convinced the onto their crane, co-owner of Bungee management of Bungee Ireland, Ireland Helena Connolly responded, Helena Connolly and Michael Connolly, “This man went up, he was trusted to allow one of them to tandem-bungee not to do what he done... We’re very jump while attached to the mannequin. disappointed, we’ve been coming They assisted the student by duct- here for eight years, and we’re very taping the mannequin to him. However, disappointed in their behaviour.” as the student jumped from the crane’s

Undergraduate Awards Katie Hughes The winners of the 2011 Undergraduate Awards were announced on the 23rd of September. Of the twenty awards, UCD received one while Trinity College received nine and University College Cork two. This is a decrease from last year when UCD claimed eleven of the forty-one awards.

The 2,345 submissions entered this year were shortlisted by a judging panel before winners for each category were announced.

The President of Ireland will award the Oscar Wilde Gold Medal to the winners in a ceremony in Dublin Castle on October 28th.

Current President, Mary McAleese, discussed the merits of the awards, “these awards encourage our top undergraduates to believe in the validity of their work and in their entitlement to a public place of respect within scholarly discourse”.

The sole UCD winner was Deasún Ó Riain in the Celtic Studies and Irish category.

The Trap’ Closes Katie Hughes The area in the Newman building commonly known as ‘The Trap’, which hosted a number of pool tables, has recently been closed.

A UCD spokesperson stated that “on the completion of the Newman Library redevelopment project, the space will be used for teaching and learning activities”.

The UCD Pool and Snooker club have been using the area for practice sessions but were not notified that it was no longer going to be available for them to use. The president of the club, Steven O’Reilly, stated that he “didn’t get any notification; to be honest I was quite disappointed […] after running the pool and snooker club in UCD for the last four years”.

It is uncertain where the club will practice now with no space being allocated for them in the new Student Centre, “if we’re wanting to do proper training it’s looking like we’ll have to go off campus, even for the pool”.

RAW episode filmed in UCD Katie Hughes An episode of the fourth series of RTÉ television drama R AW was shot in UCD’s Health Science Building on Saturday 1st of October.

The building was transformed into the ‘St Thomas Regional Hospital’ for the purposes of filming.

Producer Ciara McIlvenny explained the reasons behind choosing to shoot at UCD, “we can’t film in normal hospitals, or if we can it’s going to be restricted. This is the perfect location because they’ve obviously got wards set up and also you can film here

on Saturday as the campus was closed – it’s purely pragmatic reasons”.

Aisling O’Sullivan, who plays Fiona, co-owner of RAW, Tara McKeon, who plays Fiona’s sister Emma and Kelly Gough, who plays Kate, were all present on set as well as Dermot Crawley, who returned to the programme as the character of Dan. The episode being filmed was the sixth and final installment of the new series, which is set to air in January or February 2012.

The University Observer · 4 October 2011

3

NEWS

INTERNATIONAL

L&H Membership

NEWS IN BRIEF

by Aoife Valentine

Film to be shot on University of Notre Dame’s campus ________________________________________ George Morahan ________________________________________ UCD’s Literary & Historical Society (L&H) passed the 5,000 members mark at this year’s Freshers’ Week. As it stands, the L&H signed up 5,104 members, which, according to the society’s auditor, Christine Simpson, breaks the L&H’s previous record for the highest number of sign-ups of 4,816 set three years ago.

After a modest return in 2010/11, the L&H also became this year’s most popular society, forcing LawSoc into second place. Simpson describes the week as having gone “absolutely brilliantly” and puts the society’s success down to the dedication of its committee members; “The committee worked so unbelievably hard. I think the more people we had around the stand and generating interest, getting people involved was always going to pay off in terms of membership figures.”

In addition to the effort put in by the society’s prominent members, Simpson judges that the range of events and competitions held by the L&H during Freshers’ Week played a vital role in

their success. “We had loads of things going on during the week. We had the sex before marriage debate, the comedian Paul Foot was in on Tuesday, the ‘Where’s Wally?’ competition.” The prize for the competition was a sky diving voucher worth €360.

As a result of several notable guests pulling out of appearances last year, all societies must now have confirmation for guest appearances before publicising them. Guests of the L&H this year include physicist and former pop star, Brian Cox, Oscar-winning composer, Hans Zimmer and celebrity chef, Heston Blumenthal. Regarding the belief that the L&H has commanded a guest list of higher intellectual calibre this year, Simpson maintains that “the most interesting people are the people with a fantastic CV,” rather than figures of towering celebrity. She also believes that all of this year’s confirmed guests have “really made a contribution to their field and the world that we are living in now.”

With LawSoc suffering a disappointing return, Simpson was quick to

downplay any rivalry between UCD’s two largest societies. “Our focus is not on competing with, or comparing ourselves to, another society.” She goes on to suggest that such rivalries would repel potential members. “Often I think that looks negative to new members signing-up. So, if you have a negative campaign, I think it will detract from both societies rather than being positive and looking forward to events that

are to come.”

Simpson also refused to be led on the allegations made by Janet Templeton (the wife of actor, Martin Sheen) directed at LawSoc and any potentially negative affect it may have had on the society this year: “Every society will be impacted by their previous sessions, but I think that could have affected any of the societies. I think they did a fantastic job during Freshers’ Week.”

Cost effectiveness top of agenda for Class Rep training weekend ________________________________________ Anna Curran ________________________________________ The Students’ Union annual Class Representative elections are set to take place on Tuesday 5th and Wednesday 6th of October. With nominations at an all time high, it is expected that all 150 positions available will be filled.

The newly elected class reps will attend a training weekend at a yet undisclosed location from October 7th to 9th along with the President and VicePresidents of the SU. The aim of the weekend is to equip the new reps with the skills and information necessary to deal with issues they will face within their constituencies in the coming year, as well as to organise social events for their classes.

Class rep training has been a contentious issue in recent years, especially in light of the alleged damages to property caused by the UCD class rep training weekend which took place in Wexford in 2008. Subsequent Students’ Unions have been keen to change the perception that the class rep training weekend is just a three day party funded by UCD. The cost of the weekend has not yet been revealed, but SU Campaigns and Communications Officer Brendan Lacey has guaranteed that it will cost less that last year’s €11,000. Lacey is responsible for organising the weekend, including the venue, accommodation, dates and itinerary.

Rather than taking place in the familiar surroundings of UCD, the C&C Officer believes the training needs to take place off campus to better encour-

Fundraising has begun for the filming of a movie in the University of Notre Dame, commemorating the swim team bus accident which happened twenty years ago.

The crash caused the bus, carrying the women’s swim team home from a meeting, to overturn four miles from the campus. Two students were killed in the accident and another, Haley Scott DeMaria, was severely injured and told she would never walk again.

Following two operations and a long period of rehabilitation, she was able to walk with the aid of a cane, and eventually, on her own. She wrote a book based on her experiences, What Though The Odds: Haley Scott’s Journey of Faith and Triumph in 2008. The following year, screenwriter Dan Waterhouse began work on the screenplay for the movie, which DeMaria looked over as writing progressed.

The film, which will be called Two Miles From Home, was originally intended to be funded independently but DeMaria has now begun steadily compiling a financial plan necessary in order to gain interest from investors and studios. “This is such a personal story,” she said. “If I can’t do it right and with integrity, I wouldn’t do it.”

Charges dropped against four Cavalier board members Formal university charges filed against the five-person managing board of the Daily Cavalier, a newspaper in the University of Virginia, have been dropped against four of the five members.

The charges concerned an alleged breach of confidentiality of a pending case surrounding purported plagiarism on behalf of an ex-staff writer for the paper. Chair of the Committee for the plagiarism case, Ann Marie McKenzie, claimed an editorial published in the paper jeopardised the student’s court proceedings, and filed University Judiciary Charges against the board.

Originally McKenzie had accused the Managing Editor, Andrew Seidman, Executive Editor, Matthew Cameron, Chief Financial Officer Allie Vandriver and Operations Manager Alyssa Juan, but the only charge remaining is against Editor-in-Chief Jason Ally. The five members of the board had claimed that their right to freedom of expression and free speech protected them, and it is alleged this may have influenced McKenzie to drop most of the charges.

The board have also taken issue with an article in the University Judiciary Committee’s (UJC) Constitution, which declares that the committee “shall not have jurisdiction over the exercise of journalistic and editorial functions by student groups.” However, the UJC have since claimed that the exemption doesn’t automatically apply in all situations. Enquiries concerning disputes as to facts still need to be made, which allegedly allows the UJC the jurisdiction to continue investigating the case, in this instance.

Student grant struggles in Cyprus following budget deficit age reps’ attendance and participation as well as interfaculty bonding.

Lacey also refers to the Youtube video made to promote running for class rep, “for the most part, I think most people saw the video for what it was, which is a light-hearted attempt to engage people, to get the idea out there, to get people talking about running for class rep”.

The cost-cutting measure of the campus-swap idea proposed by Lacey in his campaign manifesto has not been implemented this year. The measure proposed that UCD class reps would use facilities belonging to another University during the day and stay in a hostel at night for the training weekend.

Instead, reps will be staying in holiday home style accommodation this year.

According to Lacey, “We were very close to getting it [the campus swap] done and circumstances just conspired against [us] that it couldn’t happen.”

Another of Lacey’s proposed innovations for the class rep system is the Class Reps’ Handbook, which will be introduced this year for the first time, although it will be a small, no-frills production in order to keep costs down, “Obviously costs are an issue so it’ll be very low-key, low-scale, but it will be there.”

A large budget deficit in Cyprus has caused the government to cut the amount of money available for student grants. In a move that will save the country 200 million Euro, they have decided to cut funding to grant bodies by ten per cent.

The European Students’ Union (ESU) has expressed alarm at these announcements and has backed the protests organised on the 27th September against these changes.

The ESU’s Chairperson, Allan Päll, said: “The cut on student grants threatens the right to education for everyone because it deprives financial support from many students. Students are a vulnerable group in society who need support in their endeavours for studying.”

Päll concluded: “The best way of addressing the economic crisis is investment in education, young people, citizens and competences.”

4

NEWS

The University Observer · 4 October 2011

Welfare Crew Training ________________________________________ Katie Hughes News Editor ________________________________________ Training for this year’s Welfare Crew took place on the 1st of October in UCD’s Student Centre.

Students’ Union Welfare Officer Rachel Breslin was “absolutely delighted with the day” and felt that her aim of organising modules that would “equip the welfare crew with the skills that they would need for the campaigns of the year” was successful.

She stressed the necessity of the Welfare Crew and the need for appropriate training, “it’s important they have basic skills, then they can pass them onto people that they meet and refer them onto me”.

Science is no longer the most prominently involved faculty in the Welfare Crew; there is now a majority of both Arts and Science students, though Breslin insists that most faculties are in some way represented.

Members of the Welfare Crew discussed ideas for upcoming campaigns relating to exam stress, stigma around mental health, healthy living and finances. This was a way of “putting a lot of skills from last year into practice” says Breslin and credits the members saying that “they came up with really good campaigns that I’m going to be implementing in the next few weeks”.

A module was run on body image, led by a representative of Bodywhys.

Debates and workshops took place on what students consider their attitudes towards body image, eating disorders, and the media and their portrayal of how people should look. Supports for people with eating disorders or those affected indirectly by them were also discussed.

Former UCDSU Welfare Officer and current Union of Students in Ireland

(USI) Welfare Officer Scott Ahearn made an appearance at the event, presenting a module on behalf of Reach Out. According to Breslin his presence was helpful as “he was aware of what the Welfare Crew does and how to direct a module at the people in it”.

The key difference between this year and last year’s training was the absence of a Safe Talk module regarding mental health and speaking with people about suicide. It didn’t take place this year as “half the crew had already done it, I will do it later in the year and will open it out to outside the welfare crew”.

Overall Breslin was very pleased with the event, “I’m really happy with the modules, so may people came to it, we had twenty-four people so that’s a really big strong crew to start the year”.

She hopes that more people will join the initiative once class reps are elected.

Voxpop: Centralisation of Services ”I know from working in UCD during summer schools that the person behind the desk is needed for different things”

Sean Ryan-McCaffrey 3rd year Arts

”The machines are a lot better, they are more accessible and friendly to be honest”

Mark Quinn 3rd year Zoology

“You need a person so they will know what you are talking about”

Claire Wilson 2nd year Phd in Chemistry

________________________________________ David Farrell ________________________________________ Services desks across all faculties on campus were replaced by automated machines over the summer, with the only staff-operated desk remaining on the garden level of the Agriculture Building.

A UCD spokesperson explains that the services desks were centralised at ‘Campus Services’, located at the Agriculture Building, due to a reduction in funding and restrictions under the Employment Control Framework, from September 2011.

This change and consequent new

”I prefer people, they are more friendly. You can get more information from them”

Caoimhe Hansen 3rd year Phd in Chemistry

“People are helpful but computers are quicker, less queues”

Michael Shimoaka 2nd year Arts

“I find them very difficult to use, it’s much easier with people.”

Laura Greene 4th year Arts

Centralisation of Services restrictions have had an affect on UCD’s societies, who can no longer book rooms through the Arts service desk. The new location is described by Literary and Historical Auditor, Christine Simpson, as “slightly peculiar”.

What has affected the L&H the most, according to Simpson, is the removal of the Arts services desk, “it just means not being able to book directly through Arts or have access to, for example, the corridor where we store the chair and things like that; just practical, small difficulties after

debates at the desk as they’re no longer staffed after 5pm”.

She continues to say that the move was “something that I can’t see as necessary, I assume it was done to cut funds – if that’s necessary then fair enough, it just makes things more difficult, a lot more complicated or less intuitive or easy”.

Societies have admitted to facing difficulties in obtaining rooms for events and meetings. Auditor of UCD Deutsch Society, Vicky Ainsworth stated, “I was trying to book

a room for the society to use in Newman and actually haven’t heard back from them (campus services) about whether or not I’ve gotten a room in Newman, but they were saying something along the lines of that they could only give me a room in Ag.” Ainsworth went on to add that it “deters people from coming to a society event” and feels societies need rooms “in the building where the society would be most prominent”.

Auditor of the Film Society, Natasha Walsh, was particularly annoyed

at the lack of notice of the changes, “we weren’t told until we went back and everything was changed; it was then I was worried because I wasn’t really sure how things had changed”.

However, overall she takes a positive stance on the new system as “we did find that the AV equipment in the Ag building is far superior to that in the Arts building, so, in many ways, it’s worked out for the better”.

UCD Services had not commented at the time of going to press.

The University Observer · 4 October 2011

News Analysis

NEWS

5

Showing Our True Colours Following SU President Pat de Brún’s complaint regarding an article in the University Times, Katie Hughes asks why the piece provoked such a strong reaction

T

Damage Control

he good-natured rivalry between UCD and Trinity’s students is a long-standing tradition, and is likely to continue into the future, as it is second to no other pair of Irish universities. We laugh, we joke, we insult – and for the most part, it doesn’t pose a problem as each university takes quips in their stride. But how far is too far and how low a blow are we willing to inflict?

A recent article in the University Times regarding the rivalry between the two institutions appeared to be, for the most part, written in good nature and proved to be highly enjoyable reading. However, a jab at a former UCD sabbatical officer is the questionable line that proved to be the unnecessary addition to an otherwise entertaining piece.

What for some may be considered a minor, innocuous joke, is in fact an attack on a person’s physical appearance. A blow like this is as cheap and common as can be found and in fact demonstrates the lowest form of humour, or lack thereof.

To single out one person who is no longer in the public eye and making as underhanded a comment as was made is a tasteless gesture for which an apology should be issued. Indeed, one would have assumed that such a personal attack would not have appeared in as reputable a publication as the University Times in the first place. However, as it was published both in print and on the newspaper’s website it became readily available to those outside of Trinity College. This drew the article in question to UCD Students’ Union President Pat de Brún’s attention, and led him to lodge a formal complaint to Trinity College Students’ Union.

This complaint did not seem to be taken with the serious consideration that it merited as the University Times editor Ronan Costello dismissed it as one made on behalf of a friend as opposed to the attitude of UCDSU, which, as confirmed by de Brún, it was.

The mockery of UCD’s facilities, location and accomplishments is one

aspect of the article, and one that was handled in an undeniably humorous manner. However, to pick out one student from the university and poke fun at them is just unreasonable. It is nothing short of bullying. The whole scenario seems very out of character with the fantastic student publication that has hitherto been produced.

Each respective institution’s successes and failures will ultimately be drawn upon when sourcing material for a piece such as ‘You Should Have Gone to UCD’ and it is these accomplishments and these failures which should have been not only the crux of the argument made, but the sole focus. As is clear when reading the piece, the basic argument of the article regarding the rivalry between the two institutions was more than sufficiently covered without needing to throw in a jibe about one particular, current UCD student.

It is not only via student publications that the competition between the two universities is expressed. Colours matches that take place every year over a variety of sporting disciplines including rugby and hockey see teams from both Trinity and UCD furiously competing with nothing at stake but their own, and their university’s, pride.

Since when did the physical appearance of an individual student represent the quality of a university and why did a comparison of, for example, these sporting abilities not suffice?

Given all the attempts to raise awareness among students that physical appearance should not matter and should not undermine your self-confidence, why would a newspaper of such a highly regarded university contradict some of the ideals that the university is trying to teach its students?

As it stands, it would appear that the perceived rivalry between UCD and Trinity is nothing but a desperate effort to instill a pseudo-patriotic loyalty into incoming first year students.

As motivating as this may be for some people and as good a punchline as it makes, it is still necessary to remember where the line should be drawn.

ambulance were called to the event.

These are essential services that could have been needed at the scene of any number of emergencies that night, and their presence at the society event could surely have been avoided, were it not for a needless over-consumption of alcohol.

Students, like anyone else, have the right to go out and enjoy themselves.

This right however, does not extend so far as to allow gross disrespect for the property, and indeed community, of others. One person’s careless actions can, and often do, as this unfortunate incident has proved, have a negative impact on a great number of people.

All that it takes to prevent such occurrences is a little consideration, selfcontrol and self-respect.

As the actions of students at an AgSoc event receive widespread condemnation, Kate Rothwell examines the possible repercussions of their behaviour

T

he news of the damage done to the Goat pub and the general disruption caused in the Goatstown area at an AgSoc event last week will no doubt make for disheartening reading for anyone who would expect more mature behaviour from their fellow students. The incident is certainly even more disappointing for the UCD School of Agriculture, Food Science and Veterinary Medicine. It is troubling enough to think that members of a society which is based in their faculty and made up mostly of their students have been linked to grave incidents of vandalism and disruptive drunken behaviour; the situation is made even more acutely embarrassing by the fact that members of this agricultural society have been accused of damaging a number of trees. Forestry is one of the main programme areas in the School, but it is not only lecturers in this subject who will have been both baffled and disheartened by the actions of a few thoughtless AgSoc members.

It is relatively safe to assume that those who caused the damage at the Goat last week were a minority among the group. This always seems to be the case in such incidents – the ‘one or two people spoilt the fun for everyone’ lecture that we heard so often at school continues to be repeated at third level, and with good reason. A similar case of student misconduct was brought to our attention just a few weeks ago when reports of unruly behaviour on ‘Black Monday’ led to the cancellation of Dublin Bus services. The people who turn what is meant to be a fun night out into a regrettable incident are reinforcing a stereotype that the majority of students would prefer to

disassociate themselves from – the clichéd image of a drunken ‘young adult’ who all too often loses their respect for others in a haze of alcohol-induced recklessness.

AgSoc have since apologised to the proprietors of the Goat, but the damage in this instance involves more than the replacing of a windowpane and some pieces of furniture. The reputation of the society has been tarnished beyond repair, and this in turn affects the image of the entire UCD student population. Instances of such disruptive student behaviour in public venues decrease the chances of any other society being able to book similar events in the future. And who could blame the management of any club, pub or bar for being reluctant to allow a student event to take place on their property?

The prospect of a very healthy bar tab for the night may be tempting, especially given the current economic climate, but the potential for damage must also be taken into account.

A certain number of students do not seem to realise (or worse, do not seem to care) that when they damage something in a public venue, the price of its repair comes out of somebody else’s wages. When they smuggle beer glasses out of a pub, someone will have to pay to replace them. Students are very often quick to complain that they are short of money, but some do not seem to make the connection between someone else’s physical property and its monetary value – it is difficult to imagine that the students who broke a table and chairs in the Goat would be tolerant of anyone keying their car, smashing their bedroom window or stealing their iPod. The damage done at the Goat last week was not carried

out on personal property however, but on the livelihood of the proprietors.

Those responsible for the breakages may not appreciate the seriousness of their actions at present, but they may come to realise it should they be involved in the running of a business later on in their lives.

Another worrying aspect of this story is that both the Gardaí and an

6

The University Observer · 4 October 2011

Observer Features

Skin sells

E

arlier this year, the L&H removed posters put up for their ‘Sex before Marriage’ debate. A photo of a young woman in rather racy lingerie was replaced with a more conservative picture of a wedded couple. The decision was made by the auditor of the society, Christine Simpson, who states that the posters were changed at the society’s own discretion and that “there were no complaints”. But would this poster have been taken down if it had been a scantily-clad man, or would it have slipped under the radar? It seems that there is huge controversy over any advertising campaign that portrays women in a provocative manner, yet when it is a man it is almost

national level. In 2010 Hunky Dorys released their ‘rugby’ ad campaign and received a shocking three hundred complaints at the beginning of the year. The advertisement was criticised by both men and women for being sexist, exploitative and inappropriate.

According to The Rape Crisis Network “the posters add to attitudes and behaviour that make Ireland a place where the casual and everyday sexual assault of women is permitted and unchallenged.” The Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland (ASAI) demanded that the Hunky Dorys billboard poster showing a woman in a very low-cut top with the caption ‘are you staring at my crisps,’ be removed

and therefore, opportunity for the public to attack.

However, not all sexually-charged advertisements create as much

With the portrayal of sexuality in advertising a topical subject in UCD as of late, Natasha Murtagh explores the different responses each gender receives female models standing in bikinis, it is far more likely that the promotion effort would have soon been shut down.

A Dolce and Gabbana advert also

“I feel there is a difference between selling sex and encouraging people to debate the issues behind sexuality. If such ads encourage debate, I consider this to be a positive thing.” taboo to show dissent.

For Christine, the gender of the model is unimportant, and would not have altered her decision to pull the posters, although she does feel that issues of sexuality are good for creating discussion. “I feel there is a difference between selling sex and encouraging people to debate the issues behind sexuality. If such ads encourage debate, I consider this to be a positive thing,” she comments, adding that advertising must be balanced with a need to avoid offending people. “As a debating society, we want to encourage our members to challenge their preconceived notions, to question and to voice their opinions.”

The use of sexuality to create debate is an idea that is also employed at a

and banned from further display.

The embroilment over these advertisements occupied the pages of nearly every newspaper in Ireland and the UK during the upheaval. This year Hunky Dorys launched a similar campaign representing GAA players, which received a different reaction from the public. Briege McAtee, the business development manager at the Irish Times explains that “the communications director of the GAA, Lisa Clancy, asked all of her members not to retort on the campaign, even when asked to make a statement on the issue, and she was right to do that.” If the GAA showed no concern for the advertisement, it meant Hunky Dorys wouldn’t receive as much PR attention

Brooke Shields, aged 15, in the infamous 1980 advert for Calvin Klein Jeans.

“Do you want to know what gets between me and my Calvins? Nothing.” controversy. For example, the equally revealing Nestlé Aero Bubbles advert, which showed the almost entirely naked model Jason Lewis enjoying the chocolate treats, aired on television with few complaints. The presence of topless male models outside a number of Hollister shops, including the branch in Dundrum Shopping Centre, was met with the same apathy. Had these been

exploited the male form. “The seminaked man in the Y-fronts definitely sparked a reaction with men, I remember Ray D’Arcy discussing it on his radio show,” McAtee remarks. However, not nearly as many people complained, and the ad continues to air on TV. No matter what the difference in reactions, it seems that nudity is an effective form of advertising. The

Aero ad received a great deal of good publicity and a company representative explained that “the ad is a fun and tongue in cheek way of explaining why Aero’s bubbles create such a unique molten chocolate experience […] we are confident this will be the most alluring ad to hit the airwaves for a long time.”

Largo Foods Company experienced similar positive effects. This year they continued to release their racy images for Hunky Dorys crisps and have been rewarded with an impressive brand growth of €1.5 million over the past year. Despite the barrage of criticism they endured, it was clearly worth riding out the storm.

However, to say that ‘sex sells’ is to over-simplify the issue. The tendency of the exploitation of the female form to cause greater offence than that of the male is something which requires further consideration. Are women more easily offended by the sexualisation of their own form or is modern Irish society still uncomfortable with public displays of female sexuality?

Seemingly shallow advertisements pose serious questions about social gender inequality in Ireland, as well as our attitude towards the association of non-sexual products with overtly sexual connotations. Some of us are outraged by the sight of scantily-clad models, others offended by a gender imbalance in modern marketing, and some are simply amused or aroused by explicitly sexualised adverts.

Analysing a sexy advert is relatively straight-forward; deciphering the public’s response however, is a far more complicated task. Sex certainly sells, but only if it’s how we like it.

“Nestlé Aero Bubbles advert, which showed the almost entirely naked model Jason Lewis enjoying the chocolate treats, continued to air on TV with few complaints.”

Closing the Trap Door

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or so long an integral part of studying Arts at UCD, the Trap has now been emptied of its pool tables and is to be used, pending the completion of the Student Centre, as a temporary facility for the Ad Astra Scholarship scheme. First years, or those simply

unfamiliar with the Newman Building, may not even be aware that its basement housed a pool hall until this year.

The Trap came into existence via a rather unofficial route in 1976. For years, consecutive Students’ Unions had petitioned college authorities to open a

games room on campus but to little avail.

Billy McGrath, a sabbatical officer at the time, recognised that no progress was being made and decided that alternative actions had to be taken. Along with other members of the Union, he smuggled pool tables into the campus and left them in

“The Trap was more than a pool hall, it was a place to get away from college life. Essay deadlines and exam worries were left at the door”

The Art student haven that was ‘The Trap’ is no more Elizabeth O’Malley looks at thirty-five years of the beloved pool hall, from its legendary beginnings to its eventual closure a disused room. When they came in the next day to find no one had moved them, the Trap was born.

The current Campaigns and Communications officer, Brendan Lacey, alluded to the Trap’s unofficial origins when confirming that it had closed.

“They just closed the doors and told us – well, they didn’t even tell us it closed [… ] it’s not our space at the end of the day,” commented Lacey before adding that “it’s an awful shame the Trap is gone.”

It’s incredible to think of the generations of students who have spent their time in the Trap between, or during, lectures. “There was this one guy who had a special glove for table football,” says Aideen Hayden, Education Officer of 1981-82. “It was all to do with the flick of the wrist. And I remember our very first Rag Ball […] the Trap was open and we all sat around playing Space Invaders and table football wearing long dresses and dress suits.”

Many memories were formed at the Trap. Among the numerous rumours about the pool hall is the story that Ken Doherty played a student there in 2003 after he was awarded an honorary fellowship by the L&H. For most students though, it was simply a cherished place to go to blow off steam and play games with your friends.

“The Trap was more than a pool hall, it was a place to get away from college life. Essay deadlines and exam worries were left at the door, meaning there was always a chilled out vibe,” says Tiernan Kenny, final year Arts student. “No man or woman ever felt stressed or unhappy at anything other than the prospect of losing at pool, and even then there was always the option to pop in another coin and have a rematch.”

It’s not only the regular patrons of the Trap who will feel the loss, but also the

UCD Pool and Snooker Club. According to the club’s president, Steven O’Reilly, the closure of the Trap means that the running of tournaments, which usually have numbers of more than seventy people taking part, will have to be held in the Student Bar. “It’s going to be mayhem now getting that many up in the bar,” he opined. “We haven’t got any facilities of our own.”

O’Reilly was also not given any notice of the Trap’s closure and feels that the situation has left the club in a “vulnerable” position. He has applied to get space in the old sports hall once the new sports facilities have been completed.

This idea of finding a replacement space is echoed by Lacey. He states that the SU is currently “looking into finding other spaces, particularly for the pool tables and that, kind of a hang out spot for students” and suggests that the new Student Centre will be their primary focus.

For Lacey, there is the added problem of loss in revenue that the SU gained from the pool tables and assorted machines.

According to the 2009/2010 budget, it brought in €10,000. Last year it was expected to raise an estimated €12,500.

Hayden adds that the Trap was the Union’s single biggest source of income in the late seventies and early eighties.

Though the story of the Trap’s origin seems like the stuff of Belfield’s many urban legends, the actual day to day running of the facility was much more ordinary. It was a room with pool tables and a couple of arcade games, but it managed to become a UCD institution largely because it was a place where students could escape from the daily stress of college life and unwind. The secret of the Trap was the sense of community engendered by it, something that will not be easy to replace.

The University Observer · 4 October 2011

FEATURES

7

PSYCHIATRY’S THIRD WAY T

In the lead-up to World Mental Health Day, Matt Gregg investigates Ireland’s conflicted approach to a global debate “Politicians should be encouraged to listen.

I would like during the elections, on the doorsteps, if politicians were asked about their commitments to mental health. The proportion of the health budget being spent on psychiatry has reduced from twentythree per cent in 1968 down to six or seven per cent in 2010.”

– Dr. Casey “Stigma hits not in the head but in the heart. We need to show a bit of love and compassion around that community, around the great normality of madness.

There’s nothing wrong with madness” – John McCarthy, Mad Pride Ireland “It’s actually taking the ‘them’ away and accepting that there’s only a ‘we’ in all of this. The distance between a bad day and a mental health crisis is something we can only explain for ourselves” – JP Swaine

here can be normality in mad- against the psychiatric establishment ness. At first glance, perhaps, this in Ireland. He contends that the ‘medimay seem a contradictory turn cal model’ of psychiatry does not really of phrase, yet it encompasses an idea understand the concept of ‘madness’, that is fast becoming the new way of and is over-reliant on the use of drugs. approaching mental health. For so “What I am saying is that there is no long, the concept of mental health and record of people being diagnosed. You mental health disorders were confined cannot diagnose a mental illness. You to a select few amongst the general cannot,” argues John, a former patient population. These people, not only cut of St. Patrick’s Hospital in Dublin. “We off from society by the walls of mental have all bought into this diagnostic box. institutions, were further imprisoned We have all bought into the fact that by social stigma. Though not complete, psychiatrists can somehow [diagnose]. much progress has been made in tear- I got four different diagnoses but I’ve ing down the physical walls of these never had a psychiatrist take my pulse. outdated institutions. It is now time to And yet he can state, within twenty finish tackling the figurative barriers. minutes of talking to me, that I have a “A huge amount of people delay seek- chemical imbalance in my brain.” ing help due to the fact that they take John instead argues that “madness” the view that other people will view needs to be embraced as a part of the them negatively. People still see hav- human condition and a sign of indiing a mental health issue as a mark of viduality rather than labelled as a disshame,” explains JP Swaine, managing ease. “I have lots of friends who hear director of the mental awareness group voices. They have no problem with First Fortnight. “I suppose it’s just a hearing voices; they lead very producvery common Irish social phenomenon tive lives. But they can’t talk about it so of not accepting vulnerability and a they have to carry the burden and the failure to counteract mental health dis- secrecy of hearing voices in their head orders when they occur, which leads and in their hearts,” bemoans John. them to worsen due to the time lapse to “And that’s where it hurts the most. respond to them.”

Stigma hits not in the head but in the Founded in 2010, First Fortnight heart. We need to show a bit of love and uses arts events preceded by discus- compassion around that community, sions concerning mental health in an around the great normality of madness. attempt to bring greater awareness There’s nothing wrong with madness. to the general public and break down We’ve made it something to be afraid the prevailing stigma. JP believes that of – my priority is trying to show that music events or plays can be used to madness is a gift.” John compares the engage people who would not normally social struggle of the abjected mentally give much thought to the conditions of ill with that of other civil rights movemental health. “What we want to do is ments; “If black is beautiful, madness is to draw them into the issue, the debate a gift.” and to draw them into the centre of the Dr. Casey confirms that there is no debate that really this is about life and ‘test’ in the conventional sense, and that living,” JP reasons. “For too long we’ve diagnosis is instead reached by assesstalked about mental health in terms of ing the symptoms of patients. However, life and death - it’s really in terms of life she disagrees that this undermines the and living.” usefulness of psychiatry and feels that This is a point echoed by Dr. Patri- Mad Pride Ireland’s claims increase cia Casey, a Professor of Psychiatry the risk of stigmatisation. at UCD and the Mater Misericordiae “Mad Pride are a problem because Hospital. “It’s improving, but I certain- they don’t believe in psychiatric illness, ly agree that there is a stigma attached they don’t believe in the role of psyto receiving psychiatric treatment. Of chiatrists and I think they actually concourse I believe it should be broken tribute to stigmatising psychiatry,” she down because it deters people from argues. “I mean one of the ways you get coming forward for help and treatment. over stigma is not to pretend that someI think simply talking about it, giving thing doesn’t exist, but to acknowledge people insight into what modern psy- that it is a reality. I think Mad Pride chiatry is like [...] not still talking about want to ignore the reality of psychiinstitutions.” atric illness and that some people do Dr. Casey emphasises that there has need medication and that some people been a shift in Ireland’s psychiatric do sometimes kill themselves because approach, which now focuses increas- they haven’t been adequately treated.” ingly on the outpatient procedure and This polarisation of views is hardly talking therapies. However, she main- surprising. Recent documentaries, tains that there is still a long way to such as RTÉ’s ‘Behind the Walls’, have go, as current waiting lists are still ex- painted an accurate and frightening tremely long; for example, Dr. Casey’s picture of how poor the conditions currently stands at three months. in Irish psychiatric institutions were “Politicians should be encouraged for a long time. Heavy dependency on to listen. I would like during the elec- dangerous cocktails of drugs to keep tions, on the doorsteps, if politicians patients sedated and instances of abuse were asked about their commitments were far too regular to be dismissed as to mental health. The proportion of the the actions of a select few. It was really health budget being spent on psychia- only with increased debate concerntry has reduced from twenty-three per ing mental health and the continual cent in 1968 down to six or seven per thrusting of institutions’ reports into cent in 2010. That shouldn’t have hap- the public domain that Ireland’s menpened because sale of the lands and old tal health establishment began to shift institutions should have allowed this towards the less custodian version in to remain the same if there were no place today. increases. So it means that the money This idea of dialogue as the best from all this has been siphoned off by way to improve Ireland’s approach successive health boards, the HSE and to mental health is one area in which governments for other things.” both Dr. Casey and Mad Pride Ireland The legacy of these institutions are in firm agreement. “There are all continues to shape other aspects of kinds of misinformation and ignorance the mental health debate. Mad Pride out there. I think if we can get out the Ireland, founded by John McCarthy, message through various media outlets is a group that campaigns vigorously that psychiatry has changed, I think

that will help break down the stigma.

The public will see that these conditions are treatable, people get over them and people can live fully productive lives, which would be wonderful. I mean that the number of people that I treat that are doctors, lawyers, teachers [...] all walks of life you know; from the highest echelons to the humblest of the humblest is quite heartening,” explains Dr. Casey. “People are able to come through these spells and live very productive lives to the extent that you would not know that they had just walked out of my office.”

Similarly, John describes Mad Pride Ireland’s main objective as creating “a space to have a debate. The function of Mad Pride Ireland is to open a debate [...] Our other function is to dispel the senseless fear created on purpose for an agenda of what I like to call the ‘medical model’. All we are trying to do is to open up a conversation around whether I am correct or incorrect about whether there is an agenda or not. I think that fear is coming from voluntary agencies and certain members of the medical community, certain members of the HSE, certain members of the judiciary [...] we need to open up.

And if I’m wrong? Well, at least we will have had the conversation.”

However, dialogue will require compromises on two sides as both currently maintain that the other is too set in their ways to engage in a meaningful manner. “Mad Pride Ireland has never received any invitation or encouragement in private or in public from Dr Patricia Casey to engage in any way,” states John. “We would welcome such an invitation. Mad Pride Ireland has always stated we can only progress through debate. This is not anti-psychiatry - this is about human rights and power”. Likewise, Dr. Casey believes Mad Pride Ireland “are un-engagable. I have tried on several occasions and attempts to engage with them [but] don’t really get very far because they have a very set view. I think the best thing is to ignore them.”

Assessments of mental health and appropriate care remain heavily disputed. For example, people with personality disorders present a problem because they demonstrate both symptoms of psychological distress and social rule-breaking behaviour. This behaviour invites punishment as well as therapeutic responses. This is a reason why care can be challenging and sometimes evokes strong resistance, which can lead to confusion and negativity.

However, this cannot become a reason to hide, deny or shame.

To quote JP of First Fortnight, “it’s actually taking the ‘them’ away and accepting that there’s only a ‘we’ in all of this. The distance between a bad day and a mental health crisis is something we can only explain for ourselves; no-one can say particularly there was anything special or unique about them.

That their bad days turn into a series of bad days and, ultimately, into a crisis that they felt they lost control of. Sometimes our bad days are just bad days and get better the next and we have to count ourselves lucky for that, and understand that we actually have walked a little of this road, even though we pretend we can’t imagine it.”

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FEATURES

The University Observer · 4 October 2011

Unknown Art O

n the 20th of September 2011, the UCD School of Architecture marked the start of its centenary year by launching a brand new art installation in Richview. The installation is composed of over two thousand coloured linoleum tiles, each with a past Architecture student’s name engraved on it, that are suspended from the ceiling in the Red Room. The ceiling was the brainchild of a small group of UCD Architecture students who spent the summer using resources from the School of Architecture, working on plans for a permanent installation to commemorate this special year.

The work itself was inspired by the red linoleum floor that was already in

With the UCD School of Architecture celebrating its centenary year, David Moloney goes in search of visual artists at UCD

Screenshot from Les Voyeurs, a short film by Stephen Horgan film. It is still a long way from being a finished project but this hasn’t stopped Stephen from looking to the future. He plans on attempting to bring it to major film festivals; Jameson Dublin Interna-

“It’s objective with a camera because a camera is a dumb instrument that can’t think about what it is doing” the room, and each tile is made from a variety of coloured linoleum. The past students’ names are engraved into the tile and they are ordered chronologically, starting in the bottom left corner.

One interesting aspect of the design is that the colour of the tile is determined by the length of the names, so all the blue tiles have names of similar length.

Combined with the chronological aspect, this makes for a controlled chaos that is very visually impressive.

This installation serves as a reminder that although UCD does not offer any courses in art, there is still a determined contingent of students who create visual art in their spare time. One of these students is Stephen Horgan, a third year English and Film Studies student who writes, directs and produces short films in his spare time. He makes a large variety of films, ranging from short sketches to ten to fifteen minute pieces, and he is currently in the process of directing his first feature film. Filmmaking is a compulsion for Stephen. He explains that he has always known that he wanted to make films, believing that “cinema is an art form because it is an amalgamation of all of all other arts; it’s the ultimate art form.”

However, it was not until he attended UCD that he managed to practice his art. “I always knew I was going to make films for a long, long time but I didn’t have the resources until now,” explain Stephen. He has found UCD FilmSoc to be very helpful in providing the necessary resources, enabling him to draw upon a large pool of actors, a massive problem in the past, and also lending him the required equipment for film making. Balancing his passion with his coursework does prove difficult at times because filming is incredibly time consuming and challenging, but Stephen is adamant that it is worth it.

The feature film he is currently working on is called Snatch and Bail, the tagline of which reads ‘A world where the only thing that outmatches a passion for crime is a crime of passion’.

The script revolves around the story of two professional thieves who reunite after retiring to save a life. Those involved in the production are primarily students, but the film also features two professional actors, David Duffy of Fair City and Ray Reilly, star of upcoming television series The Lives of Larry.

Stephen acknowledges that both Duffy and Reilly have been immensely helpful with the overall production of the

tional Film Festival, Slamdance Film Festival, and even the Sundance Film Festival are all in his sights.

Michael Hayes is a fifth year architecture student whose main artistic interest is photography. He mostly takes photos of buildings and architecture and remarks that he hasn’t had any trouble regarding finding resources to help him pursue his art. His interest in photography developed thanks to the numerous modules involving learning photography and using Photoshop in his course. His choice of art form was also influenced by compulsory class trips. Architecture students are often required to use a camera rather than sketch buildings when on site visits as some of what they are observering is intricately detailed, so taking photos saves them a great deal of time.

Michael enjoys photography because it is direct and “gives you an object that you can study afterwards, which gives you a level of detachment from the building that you cannot achieve while you’re there. For example, you might miss details or events in the scene that the photograph can cap-

ture, and this is also true for gaps in the building itself that you may not notice at the time or realise the significance of until afterwards.” There is also a certain level of security using photography because “you know it’s accurate but with a sketch you’re editing what you see so you don’t get an objective picture of it. It’s objective with a camera because a camera is a dumb instrument that can’t think about what it is doing, it just sucks in all the details and gives you a photograph. It also means that the photograph can often surprise you because a camera can pick up things you didn’t see or didn’t intend to pick up.”

What had started out as just taking a few photographs for class has now turned into a passion that Michael is getting real recognition for. He will be exhibiting postcards of photographs he has taken as part of the Open House Dublin Festival from the 7th to the 9th of October. The festival is Ireland’s largest architecture festival and takes place all across the city. He will be exhibiting as part of the Architectural Association of Ireland’s exhibition, entitled ‘Describing Architecture’, which is located at No. 4 Capel Street, Dublin 1. The exhibition will focus on disseminating architecture and how it is possible to portray architecture through different media forms.

Another student who is heavily involved in visual arts is the street artist Anon, who wants to remain anonymous due to the grey legal area that murals and graffiti represent. One side to this artist’s work is painting “large, multicoloured productions and murals

with elaborate letters, patterns and characters”, another is painting their name “in elaborate ways, in elaborate places”. Anon believes that “one kind of compliments the other”. When asked why they got involved in this divisive art form, Anon replied that “I do it because it’s exciting, creative, innovative, productive, destructive, addictive and it has absolutely no rules or boundaries. I get a strong sense of satisfaction and accomplishment from every piece I do, regardless of how big, small, intricate or simple it is. It’s something that not many people can relate to or understand which, in a way, motivates me further to keep doing it”. Anon started doing graffiti and painting murals

“I do it because it’s exciting, creative, innovative, productive, destructive, addictive and it has absolutely no rules or boundaries” around 6 years ago and was inspired by the new graffiti that could be seen appearing every day on the Dublin trains.

The artist loved “how many different

A photograph by Michael Hayes from an uncoming exhibition called ‘Describing Architecture’

things people could do with a few letters, especially in a place where they weren’t supposed to be”. When asked whether any resources are available to aspiring artists such as themselves, Anon said that they are extremely limited, and that “there are around four or five questionably ‘legal’ spots to paint in, most of which are either far out of the way, or in undesirable parts of the city”. This lack of resources is attributed by Anon to the rising levels of illegal graffiti in the country, stating that instead of the government wasting time trying to prevent illegal graffiti, they should be providing designated areas for street artists to practice and hone their talents.

Prospects may seem bleak at the moment for many up-and-coming visual artists trying to access proper resources and support for their chosen art form. Nevertheless, it appears that some changes are underway in the UCD School of Architecture that will improve the situation. The UCD School of Architecture currently has a working relationship with the National College of Art and Design (NCAD) and students from both schools share some theoretical lessons on creativity in design. The head of the UCD School of Architecture, Professor Hugh Campbell, explained that they aim to make the School’s working relationship with NCAD more formal and increase the integration of both groups of students.

Professor Campbell says that he hopes that, in the future, modules shared between the two schools would not just be theoretical but also practical, and that this would enhance UCD students’ chances of developing and focusing their creativity. It is also not just Architecture students that he is referring to, he hopes that some of the modules that will come from this collaboration will be available as electives to all students in UCD. All of this represents hugely positive developments in UCD’s promotion of art, with changes that will have a huge impact on student artists in the years to come. The college currently has a fantastic extra-curricular art scene that deserves recognition and support for their work. If not, students who are already struggling to balance their course with their art could be forced to stop doing something that they love, and the University as a whole would be the worse for it.

UCD may not provide degrees in visual art, but the work of our student artists more than qualifies their ability. Those who hope to bring their work to a wider audience can draw inspiration from the success of alumni such as James Hanley and Dr Brian O’Doherty, who have now firmly established themselves in the art world. Creativity abounds in UCD; hopefully our numerous artists will soon be given the prominence they deserve, and be allowed to brighten up the concrete-heavy corners of our campus.

The University Observer · 4 October 2011

FEATURES

9

gcoinne an Aontais Eorpaigh.

Is dócha, áfach, gurb é Geert Wilders na hÍsiltíre an polaiteoir antoisceach is cáiliúla ar fad de chuid na heite deise Eorpaigh. In 2010, bliain an olltoghcháin dheireanaigh san Ísiltír, bhain a pháirtí, atá glan in aghaidh na hinimirce, an tríú vóta is airde amach.

Is dócha mar sin go bhfuil an t-ádh orainn in Éirinn nár tháinig aon pháirtí náisiúnach antoisceach ar an bhfód ar nós tíortha eile na hEorpa. Ach tá tacaíocht Pháirtí Náisiúnta na Breataine ag dul i bhfairsinge i Sasana agus cúis náire a bhí ann do mhórán Sasanaigh

nuair a toghadh Nick Griffin ina Fheisire Eorpach i 2009.

An cheist atá ag go leor Eorpaigh ina dhiaidh ionsaithe an tsamhraidh seo san Iorua, ná an féidir amhlaidh tarlú i dtíortha eile? Bhuel is dócha (agus bheiféa ag súil leis) gur eachtra aonuaire a bhí i gceist. Ach táimid i lár an chúlaithe geilleagair is mó ó na tríochaidí i leith faoi láthair. Am cinniúnach atá ann don Eoraip, agus mar a deirtear sa Ghaeilge “ní neart go cur le chéile”. Is náisiúnachas antoisceach a scrios an Eoraip sa chéad seo caite, an bhfuilimid chun an stair a aithris?

Náisiúnachas ag teacht ar an bhfód san Eoraip arís?

C

or tábhachtach don chine daonna ar fad ab ea 9/11 agus is cuimhin go maith le cách cá raibh siad nuair a tiomáineadh dhá eitleán isteach san Ionad Trádála Domhanda i gcroílár Manhattan ar an lá breá fómhair sin deich mbliana ó shin. Bhí a lá na cinniúna féin ag na hIoruaigh an samhradh seo.

Lá báistí gruama a bhí ann sa tír Lochlannach, nuair a bhris Anders Behring Breivik síocháin a tíre lena ionsaithe marfacha gan choinne i lár na príomhchathrach Oslo agus ar an oileán iargúlta Utøya. Mharaigh sé trí scór is deichniúr dá chomhthírigh óga le linn sléachta ag campa samhraidh a bhí á reáchtáil ag Páirtí Lucht Oibre na hIorua. Níos luaithe sa lá, phlandáil sé buama ag foirgneamh rialtais in Oslo.

Ní féidir a shéanadh go bhfuil baint ar leith ag gníomhartha uafásacha an fheallmharfóra Ioruach leis an fás suntasach atá tagtha ar ghrúpaí antoisceacha ar fud na hEorpa le blianta beaga anuas.

Tá an Eoraip i lár na géarchéime is tromchúisí le fada an lá. Agus an chosmhuintir ag fulaingt go mór, tá páirtithe antoisceacha ar dheis agus ar chlé ag eirí níos láidre ar fud na Mór-Roinne.

De ghnáth, is é an lucht oibre is mó a fhulaingíonn le linn cúluithe geilleagracha ar ndóigh, agus is go han-tapa ar fad a éirímid braon den pholaitíocht phríomhshrutha. Agus tá a fhios ag cách céard a tharla nuair a d’éirigh pobal na Gearmáine míshásta le polaiteoirí na Poblachta Weimar sna tríochaidí. Is chun radacachais ar fad a chuaigh an pholaitíocht sa tír sin le linn an Spealta Mhóir agus chuaigh páirtithe antoisceacha ó neart go neart – ní amháin na Naitsithe, ach na Cumannaigh chomh maith.

Ach más rud é go bhfuil leibhéal suntasach míshástachta ar thoghthóirí na Gearmáine faoi láthair, bheifeá ag súil leis nach bhfuil rudaí chomh éadóchasach sin, is a bhí sna tríochaidí! Mar sin féin tá fo-pháirtithe na Gearmáine ag fail an ceann is fearr ar na bpáirtithe Rialtais. Bhí rath thar na bearta ag an bPáirtí Foghlaithe i dtoghchán na

Agus an Iorua fós ina cíor thuathail ina dhiaidh shléachta an Iúil seo caite, caitheann Séamas Ó Meachair súil ar an mborradh faoi pháirtithe antoisceacha san Eoraip

An Iorua faoi bhrón tar éis ionsaithe Behring Breivik i mí Iúil seo caite míosa seo caite i mBeirlín. Chaill páirtí le Pen, ceannaire an ‘Front National’ sóisearach an Rialtais a gcuid suíochán (páirtí antoisceach den eite dheis) ar fad dá bharr. san iomaíocht don uachtaránacht. Níl Tá sé thoghchán stáit as a ché- gnaoi na bhFrancach ar Nicholas Sarile caillte ag páirtí an tSeansailéara kozy a thuilleadh agus tá mí-chlú ar Merkel, ábhar mór imní di gan amhras. Dominique Strauss-Kahn anois de Díbríodh go binsí an fhreasúra don bharr na heachtra san Ostán Sofitel i chéad uair riamh iad sa Stát Baden- Nua Eabhrac i mí Bhealtaine na bliana Württemberg in iardheisceart na tíre. seo. Ní haon ionadh é mar sin go bhNíl cáin-íocóirí na Gearmáine ró-shás- fuil tacaíocht láidir go leor á léiriú don ta íoc as botúin na Gréige, na Portaingé- ‘Front National’ sna pobalbhreitheanna. ile agus na hÉireann, is dócha!

San Eilbhéis agus san Ostair tá ag In ainneoin feirge na nGearmánach, eirí go maith ag páirtithe náisiúnacha is cúis faoisimh é nach bhfuil borradh na heite deise chomh maith. Tháinig ar bith ag teacht ar náisiúnaithe den Barbara Rosenkranz, iarrthóir Pháirtí eite dheis sa tír sin. É sin ráite áfach, ní Saoirse na hOstaire, sa dara háit i féidir neamhaird a thabhairt ar aiséirí dtoghchán uachtaránachta na bliana agus ar bhorradh an antoisceachais i seo caite mar shampla. Bhí an Fhiondtíortha eile na hEorpa. Is iomaí tír ar lainn go mór i mbéal lucht polaitíochta an Mór-Roinn ina bhfuil lagar ag teacht na Bruiséile chomh maith nuair a fuair ar thacaíocht na bpáirtithe príomh- an páirtí fíor-náisiúnach ‘Perussuomashrutha agus grúpaí antoisceacha ag laiset’ beagnach 20 faoin gcéad den tapú na deise. vóta sa toghchán ba dhéanaí acu níos Sa Fhrainc mar shampla, tá Marine luaithe i mbliana. Is páirtí é atá glan i

Gluais: sléacht .................................................................................................. massacre polaitíocht phríomhshrutha ................................... mainstream politics borradh ......................................................................................................... surge Páirtí Foghlaithe .............................................................. The Pirate Party antoisceachas .................................................................................. extremism eachtra aonuaire ................................................................... one-off event

Postcards from Abroad: Toronto

With the start of the college year fast approaching, Niall Spain finds that accommodation problems are not just restricted to Irish shores

I

arrived in Toronto homeless. This I arrived, the walk seeming far loncame to be when, despite applying ger than ten minutes with two heavy for on-campus accommodation suitcases strung over my shoulders back in February, there were somehow and an equally heavy bag on my back. no spaces available for me when July I was sweaty and tired after a jourrolled around. Trying to find a suitable ney that had lasted more than sixteen abode from Ireland had proved dif- hours. I would probably have said yes ficult, but the college assured me that to a bed in the middle of a building it would be easy to sort out when I ar- site; unfortunately, that’s exactly what rived.

I did.

After landing in Toronto, I grabbed The bed was in the corner of a dusty a bus outside the airport into the city. room surrounded by copper pipes, I was glad someone had told me about planks of wood, large electrical saws this because a three-dollar fare fitted and bundles of wire. I was assured my budget far better than a seventy- that the work was finished and that dollar taxi ride. As the bus dropped me no dust would get on my stuff. I caved, a ten-minute walk away from the only and said yes. It had been a long day and lead I’d gotten in the accommodation there was a free Mexican meal waiting hunt, I thought that perhaps my luck for me at college. I didn’t want to miss was changing. that. That was my second mistake.

It hadn’t. The room I saw adverRegardless, a quick shower, detised in the Toronto Star ended up spite the filthy nature of the bathroom, being already booked out, but the somewhat validated my decision and woman who owned it offered me a I left for college refreshed. Helpful temporary bed in her living room for a directions written in chalk on the low enough price. I didn’t commit but, ground led me to St. Michaels, the secdespite fears of arriving in a serial kill- tion of the college for Arts students, er’s den, I told ‘Bessy’ I would at least and to my free Mexican meal. It was check it out.

‘Frosh week’, the Canadian Fresher’s That was my first mistake. week, and daily free meals were just

one of the many events.

I was asked to pick a colour of bandana which would assign me to one of a number of different groups for the events of the week, the point of which was to help everyone make friends from the start. Leaving it up to fate, I told the guy to pick one. I remember thinking that whatever colour was chosen would establish the course of the year. I got orange. Whether this turns out to be a good omen or not remains to be seen.

It started well. The minute I entered the orange group I heard the familiar tones of an English accent and swiftly made friends with its owner thanks to the fact that, among the group of Canadians, we were the only two who knew what Ribena was. It was after this chance encounter that the first of the events for Frosh week began. This was a lip-synch competition which involved each group taking to the stage and performing a dance to an assigned song. In front of everyone.

Sober.

Canadian fresher’s week is strange.

The night dragged on and, thankfully, we bailed on the situation before

we had to perform. I grabbed the subway home and realised, to my dismay, that there were no curtains to cover the large windows of the ‘building site’.

The windows in question also looked out onto a busy road. The effect of passing cars in the darkness was like trying to sleep beside a strobe light. To top it all off, some mysterious cat came into my room and wailed at me all night long. None of the items I threw at it deterred its vocal efforts and, as far as I know, Bessy doesn’t even own a cat.

The next day I was woken by a screaming contest between the landlord and her two amazingly annoying children. Well, it was either that or the entry of a group of blowtorch-wielding builders at pretty much the same time.

When I returned that night, my room had no walls and my stuff was layered in dust. Needless to say it’s been a rocky start but it’s definitely provided me with more than enough motivation to find myself a real place to live.

Wish me luck.

“When I returned that night, my room had no walls and my stuff was layered in dust. Needless to say it’s a rocky start”

10

FEATURES

The University Observer · 4 October 2011

Flesh & Blood T

Following the recent decision in the UK to allow homosexual men to donate blood, Ethan Troy-Barnes investigates why Ireland is yet to follow suit

he Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) is no stranger to controversy. The body, responsible for the regulation and provision of all donor blood products in Ireland, has fend its discrimination between pro- tion unnecessarily prohibits low-risk been the focal point of a number of pub- spective heterosexual and homosexual homosexuals, such as those who praclic health scandals in the past. Perhaps donors, as they believe it shows a clear tice monogamous, safe sexual behavthe most notable of these was the provi- difference in the risk posed by these iour. However, the IBTS counter that sion of Hepatitis C-contaminated blood two groups. “The fundamental differ- “individuals can only attest to their own to numerous patients in the eighties. ence between heterosexual and homo- behaviour when donating and [cannot] It is understandable, therefore, that sexual risk is the different rates of new speak for their partner,” implying that the IBTS is determined to exclude any infections with sexually transmitted even if a homosexual person considers high-risk donors whose contributions infectious diseases in the two popula- themselves to be low risk, their partmay endanger the safety of patients in tions. [A 2010] report clearly shows that ner may practice unsafe sex with other receipt of donor blood, particularly by there is a continued rise in the number individuals without their knowledge, transmitting infections such as HIV or of new HIV cases among MSM, who making them high-risk by association.

Hepatitis C. To this end, many groups are now the majority of new cases of Yet, the IBTS also claims that “Eviare prohibited from donation. One such HIV infection in Ireland. New cases dence from heterosexual partnerships group is men who have sex with men of HIV infection among MSM has suggests that ‘innocent’ partners are very (MSM), which includes any man who has doubled since 2005. MSM have a much often entirely unaware that their partever had intercourse with another man. higher rate of both existing and new ner/spouse is unfaithful.” Despite this However, in recent years, there HIV infections than the heterosexual fact, in their assessment of donors, the has been widespread relaxation of ex- population.”

IBTS will not prohibit heterosexual doceptions regarding MSM. “Germany, On the other hand, Dr. Del Aguila nors who practice monogamous, safe sex Italy, Poland and Spain allow MSM to disagrees. He insists that the IBTS is from giving blood on the grounds that donate,” explains Dr. Conor Malone generalising, and by doing so, miss- their partner/spouse may be unfaithful. of Gay Doctors Ireland, a group repre- ing the key issue at hand. “It’s not the “IBTS policies are internally inconsenting LGBT medics nationwide. “A practice that they are looking at – if the sistent. For instance, a woman who has number of other countries have de- practice is safe or unsafe – but who is sex with an MSM would be banned from ferral periods of six to twelve months. [having sex] with whom,” says Dr. Del donating for 12 months, but a man who Even our neighbours in the UK have re- Aguila, who continues that a more ap- has sex with an MSM is banned for life. vised deferrals down to twelve months.” propriate assessment would instead What is the scientific basis for this differIt is this recent loosening of restric- look at sexual practices known to in- ence? There is none,” argues Dr. Malone. tions in the UK earlier this year that has crease a potential donor’s risk of carry- “As doctors, we know that these donors sparked renewed criticism regarding ing an infection. “It should be, ‘Are you have similar risk profiles, and yet the the IBTS’s stance on the issue. Many using condoms?’, ‘Have you used con- IBTS discriminate against the gay man. expected Irish policy to change follow- doms in the last six months?’, or these This is blatant homophobia.” ing the new British legislation, but no kinds of questions where you can see if such changes were made. The IBTS has the person represents a risk or not, insince stated that there are no plans to dependent of his or her sexual identity.” revise their policy on blood donations This view is echoed by Gay Doctors in the near future. They defended their Ireland. “IBTS policies stigmatise gay current policy, arguing that they have men, [and] are a form of government“a responsibility to ensure that there is sponsored homophobia” according to a sufficient supply of safe blood to meet Dr. Malone, who claims that Irish policy the needs of patients.” is outdated. “The IBTS enforces an arbi“Men who have sex with men are trary ban based on the fears of the 1980s disproportionately affected by HIV ac- HIV epidemic. Some MSM are high risk, cording to recent Irish data,” say the while many others are low risk. The IBTS, insisting that the exclusion of same is true of heterosexual donors. We MSM donors is based solely on sexual are asking the IBTS to distinguish beconduct uniquely practiced by homosexuals which may lead to the spread of blood-borne viruses, rather than the sexual orientation itself. “The reason for this exclusion rests on specific sexual behaviour, such as anal and oral sex.

There is no exclusion of gay men who have never had sex with a man, nor of women who have sex with women. The decision is not based on sexuality or orientation, only specific actions.”

Dr. Ernesto Vasquez Del Aguila, a medical anthropologist from the UCD School of Social Justice, challenged these assertions. He commented that the screening questionnaire currently used to assess the risk posed by potential donors before donation “doesn’t look at if the person was using protection or not, but the emphasis is if the person was having sex with someone of the same sex. That’s a direct discrimination.”

According to Dr. Del Aguila, the survey is obsolete and assumes that only MSM may donate infected blood. “The origin of this [survey], of these concerns, was in the eighties, where HIV/ AIDS was considered a ‘gay disease’.

That is a myth now, all the evidence says that AIDS is spread [throughout] the general population.”

This raises concerns that by focusing on, for example, HIV/AIDS as a ‘gay disease’, the IBTS is understating the risk posed by HIV-infected heterosexual donors. “HIV/AIDS is becoming more and more a heterosexual disease,” explains Dr. Del Aguila. “There are certain countries – particularly in Africa – where the pattern of transmission is heterosexual [and] there are more heterosexual people who are HIV positive than homosexual people.”

However, despite HIV and other blood-borne viruses’ higher prevalence in heterosexual communities in some tween these groups, instead of lumping countries, recent Irish data suggests all gay men into a single category.” that new cases of HIV/AIDS are on the Dr. Malone’s comments highlight a rise in Ireland’s homosexual population. common criticism of the IBTS policy.

This fact is used by the IBTS to de- It is often claimed that current legisla-

The subject of laboratory screening of donated blood is also an issue covered by IBTS policy. All blood is currently screened following donation.

This is to ensure that donated blood is free of blood-borne viruses. Therefore, many question the need for prohibition of MSM donations if all blood will also be subjected to laboratory testing to ensure its safety anyway.

The IBTS believes that this train of thought is incorrect and maintains that exclusion of MSM donations is necessary as the current screening techniques are not perfect. “Every blood donation is tested for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), syphilis and human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV). However, despite improvements in blood screening tests, a small number of infected donations may be missed because of the ‘window period’ between getting the infection and the test showing a positive result.”

Dr. Del Aguila again calls the IBTS’s protocol into question in this regard, claiming that the IBTS is still discriminating against homosexual individuals. “[This ‘window period’ is] a risk with everybody. My point is: why are they treating homosexual people in a different way to heterosexual people?

“Health practitioners need to revise this [policy], and learn from other countries, because [currently] they are limiting the access for people who need these blood transfusions.”

“The IBTS enforces an arbitrary ban based on the fears of the 1980s HIV epidemic. Some MSM are high risk, while many others are low risk. The same is true of heterosexual donors. We are asking the IBTS to distinguish between these groups, instead of lumping all gay men into a single category.”

The window period works for both. But here, it only works for gay people.”

Despite his criticism, however, Dr. Del Aguila understands that the IBTS’s main priority is to safeguard the wellbeing of patients in receipt of donor blood. “It’s a public health initiative.

The intentions were very good. The intentions were to protect the general population. That was the original goal.”

He continues that the issue of MSM blood donation is a complex one. “I’m a medical anthropologist. I work with public health, and I’m absolutely aware of these topics. They don’t want another crisis like in the UK,” he says, before suggesting that the IBTS has a dual responsibility. “I think they need a balance, and I would emphasise this, between protecting the general population, [and the] need to protect the rights of these people who need [this] blood” but warns “they don’t have access because of this very restrictive policy.”

In light of these criticisms, why is Ireland so reluctant to introduce change, unlike other countries such as the UK? Dr. Del Aguila believes that it is difficult to pinpoint the exact reason for Ireland’s hesitance to amend its policy. “I don’t think that this is a cultural issue, I don’t think that Ireland is behind the UK. In terms of gay marriage for instance, the majority of the Irish population are supporting gay marriage.”

In the end, he muses that “people make policies,” and it is therefore up to policy makers to remedy the situation. “Health practitioners need to revise this [policy], and learn from other countries, because [currently] they are limiting the access for people who need these blood transfusions.”

“The reason for this exclusion rests on specific sexual behaviour, such as anal and oral sex. There is no exclusion of gay men who have never had sex with a man, nor of women who have sex with women.

The decision is not based on sexuality or orientation, only specific actions.”

opinion.

The University Observer · 4 October 2011

11

Should the college year be extended?

With the country’s institutes of technology calling for a longer academic year, Matthew Jones and Evan O’Quigley debate whether UCD’s college year should be extended

no.

yes.

Evan O’Quigley

Extending the college year in orEnglish language standards der to improve educational stand- may very well be falling, as UCD ards, as has been proposed by the academic Mary Daly has recently country’s institutions of technol- stated. It’s likely the case that if ogy, would be relatively pointless. you asked most students to define The summer break given to col- an apostrophe, most would not be lege students in Ireland may be able to give a correct answer right quite long. You might even find off the cuff, but extending the yourself going out in the middle of college year is not the answer to the night to steal milk from your this. With improvements in spell neighbour’s doorsteps just to rid checking software on computers, yourself of the boredom, but all spelling and grammar is becomsorts of things can happen during ing less of an issue. the summer. It can be a great time Students are expected to alfor students to explore. It offers ready know how to read and write us the chance to work, go abroad before they enter third level eduor improve on a hobby such as cation. Poor spelling and grammusic, art, sports etc. mar is not the fault of the univerIf students made better use of sities, most of which base their the college year, literary stand- courses on the notion that their ards could be improved signifi- students have prior knowledge cantly. If they took the time to of such concepts. Perhaps Ireland study in between bouts of going needs to examine how grammar, out and getting wasted, sleeping punctuation etc. are taught in the it off and crying their eyes out the first place, instead of making arnext morning while sitting in the guments about whether the acashower hung-over, their grades demic year should be lengthened. would be bound to pick up. PerThe college year shouldn’t be haps they could have their hango- extended, but maybe the college ver in the lecture theatres instead, week could be. Most arts students while learning at the same time. for example, are expected to atMulti-tasking is vital. tend fifteen hours a week and end The real issue in education is up missing half of those hours. how second level education is There should be more done to entaught, not third level. The Minis- courage students to make better ter for Education Ruairi Quinn was use of their time in order to sucabsolutely right when he recently ceed in their studies, so that afterstated that the Junior and Leaving wards they can enjoy the summer.

Cert programmes need to be reformed. It is rather ridiculous that Rebuttal by students come out of secondary Matthew Jones school, year after year, without The arguments put forward by knowing a single thing about the my fellow writer were simplistic subjects they took for their Leav- in the extreme. The question was ing Certificate. There seems to be whether the college year should a consensus that the best way to be extended to facilitate betachieve high points and guaran- ter standard of education yet he tee yourself a college place is to spent a long time bemoaning the learn all the course work off by current secondary school system. heart. This system needs to be It is a direct contradiction to changed immediately if literary state that students spend a lot standards, among other things, of their time either drunk or hunare to improve. gover and then to claim that they The culture of predicting what would benefit from their weeks will come up on the Leaving Cert being filled with study hours. In exams may allow for good results, fact, extending the college year but in reality, Leaving Cert points would give them more time, and are not representative of one’s in- ensure that they lose out on less telligence. I don’t mean to say that study hours. everyone who learned a lot off for The argument that cramming their Leaving Cert is actually an more classes into the current idiot. Far from it, in order to re- time-frame would make students ceive quality third level education work better is also weak. My colyou have to play the game, and league uses the Arts degree as rote learning is doing exactly that. a model for increasing work, but The system of practising previous answer me this; how many mediexam papers and simply cover- cal science students can afford to ing the courses during second- add even more work to their alary school education is far more ready packed timetables? harmful to students then having long summers during third level.

“There should be more done to encourage students to make better use of their time in order to succeed in their studies, so that afterwards they can enjoy the summer”

“Give a student three months off and you can be guaranteed that by the end of it their heads will be so alcohol-soaked and packed with celebrity gossip that they barely remember what course they’re in”

As we recover from the summer and settle into our fourth week of term I have to ask, how many of you remember last year’s lessons?

I’m going to take a wild guess and say that most of you reading this column studied French at Leaving Certificate level, and when you got your Leaving Cert, you were kind of able to sort of speak the language. Pop quiz: what does this sentence mean?

“Mon aéroglisseur est plein d’anguilles” If it took you more than a few seconds to translate that sentence, then you are proof of the problems that surface when students do not study for long periods of time.

The fact of the matter is that when students are away from their studies for any period of time, they immediately start thinking of things to do other than study. Give a student three months off and you can be guaranteed that by the end of it their heads will be so alcohol-soaked and packed with celebrity gossip that they barely remember what course they’re in, never mind the inner workings of a particle accelerator, or complex verb structures in a foreign language.

So what’s the solution to this crisis? The answer is simple; extend the college year by a few weeks. This extra time needn’t be entirely focused on learning new information, but can incorporate more revision and re-enforcement.

Speaking at a recent conference with the Teacher’s Union of Ireland, the country’s institutes of technology said that it would be wrong to blame any shortcomings in students on their second level education, especially when the college year is so short. It’s not just foreign languages that suffer from lack of use though; UCD Academic Mary Daly criticised the standard of English language writing seen in third level students, claiming that in recent years, “the apostrophe had gone the way of the dodo”.

How many of us have witnessed ‘text-talk’? In this method of communication, vowels seem to be optional and consonants can intermix like it’s a night out in XXI’s.

There have been reports coming back from traumatised lecturers that some of this writing has even made its way into essays.

This can’t go on. The whole idea of taking a quarter of the year off is insane, especially when other holidays are taken into account,

Matthew Jones leaving the entire total term times amounting to only about six months. Letting the minds of students relax to the point where they forget basic grammar rules and the correct use of punctuation clearly points to a flaw in the system: too much free time.

A typical Arts student has about fifteen hours of lectures and seminars a week. Students are expected to do individual study for around two or three times that number of hours. While this seems good in theory, a great many students don’t follow the advice of their professors and just do the bare minimum to pass their course. If students aren’t working to their full capacity during the college term, how can we expect them to work on maintaining their education during the massive gap between end of term exams and the start of the new year?

As I have already made clear, the only really viable way of ensuring a standard of education that doesn’t diminish during the summer is to shorten the summer break and give students more time to absorb what they have learned before they are told: ‘well done on your exams, we’ll see you in a few months.”

Rebuttal by Evan O’Quigley

It’s true that many students return from the summer a little fuzzy at first after four months of binging, sleeping and generally doing very little that’s productive. However, this is going to be the case whether there is a two, a three or a four month summer. The college year is structured so that people can ease into the year before getting tough assignments. Of course, there is also the fact that courses are split into modules, meaning students have less to remember from before the summer, and can restart more easily come September.

There are without a doubt many students whose literacy abilities are failing them, ultimately leading to embarrassing situations, such as submitting assignments filled with text talk and so forth.

However, this has likely got little to do with the length of the summer, but more to do with distractions in general. They’re everywhere, just look around you phones, Facebook, iPods and the rest. People need to find a way to separate their social life and their academic life in order to succeed, regardless of how long the college year is.

12

OPINION

sexual politics Following the release of new statistics regarding female representation in world governments, Emer Sugrue looks at the way female politicians are portrayed in parliament and in the media

I

“Ambition and competence are seen as masculine traits, and these women must surrender all femininity to have a hope of playing with the big boys”

n a recent report by the InterParliamentary Union on the representation of women in government, it was revealed that Ireland ranks at eightieth in the world when it comes to female presence in parliament. Women make up just 14.5 per cent of the Dáil. This puts us below Iraq at 25.2 per cent, and Afghanistan at 27.7 per cent. Rwanda, the highest ranked country for female representatives, has 56.3 per cent. As a western, supposedly developed nation, this is pretty appalling. We were one of the first places in the world to have female members of parliament and cabinet ministers yet we have scarcely progressed since the 1920’s. Why is this? All the mechanisms are in place to have women in government and yet the numbers are massively skewed. Sexism in rife is politics in a way that would not be acceptable for any other minority and all sides are complicit.

One source is definitely the men in power. Female politicians find themselves harangued on all sides, excluded from the ‘boys club’ of parliament. In April the UK Prime Minister David Cameron, when faced with questioning from the shadow Treasury Secretary Angela Eagle in parliament, told her to “calm down, dear”. More recently when receiving questions from another female member he declared, “I know the honourable lady is extremely frustrated” to jeers and laughter from the

The University Observer · 4 October 2011

backbench. The female MP then portrayed this way. Ambition and stormed out of the house. Only competence are seen as mascutwo years ago it was found that line traits, and these women must conservative backbenchers had a surrender all femininity to have a policy of shouting offensive com- hope of playing with the big boys. ments every time a woman got up Thatcher is still viewed as somehow to speak. It’s very hard to be taken not being a ‘real woman’. seriously when old men are shoutCategory B women play up ing “boobies” and “melons” over their femininity, a tactic which is a parliamentary question. That re- becoming increasingly common. ally happened, I wish I was joking. Sarah Palin is the epitome of this Powerful women are judged on role, which boils down mostly their sexual appeal in a way men to attractiveness. Palin is an exnever are. Political sexism is most beauty pageant winner, mother pervasive not in the parliaments, of innumerable strangely named but in the media. The way vari- children. She is a PILF and the ous female figures are written and media lapped it up. There is a new spoken about gives the clearest wave of women in American poliview of the problem; women are tics who are simultaneously an objudged more commonly on their ject of sexual desire and an ultraappearance then by their propos- traditional wife and mother, with als or actions. When Obama visit- Christine “not a witch” O’Donnell ed the UK, there was a borderline and Michelle Bachman following psychotic amount of coverage in Palin’s footsteps. It seems to be about what Michelle Obama was slowly creeping across the pond going to be wearing. Sky News too and it’s no wonder; if you are had live twenty-four hour cover- going to be judged for your atage of the visit and barely men- tractiveness anyway, why not use tioned what was to be discussed in it to your advantage? the meetings; it was all about the The effect this pigeonholing clothes. What colour suit would has on female representation is she wear? What about her hair? to reduce women from potential Here is a fitness expert who is go- leaders and equals to two-diing to spend two hours explaining mensional characters in a poorly Mrs. Obama’s arms. Even the Sec- written drama, just like the chick retary of State Hilary Clinton isn’t flicks in which the lead is inevitaimmune, with a storm of contro- bly saved from herself by finding versy beleaguering the American a man to take care of her. They are media last year about the political women first, leaders second. appropriateness of Clinton wearMany women, I’m sure, do not ing a hair clip to a meeting. And conform to these roles, but they then there’s Sarah Palin. don’t get media coverage. Even Female public figures tend to be from student journalism I know placed into a sexualised framework that you need to look for an anof one of two categories: A: the de- gle, the story, the interest. And a sexualised, masculine, ball break- woman quietly and competently ing, power hungry bitch or B: the doing her job is not a story. But coquettish, family orientated ‘lady’. maybe it should be. As backwards Category A is the more traditional as it seems, newspapers do not stereotype and classically includes report the people’s view, they creMargaret Thatcher, famous for hav- ate it. We create the framework ing “bigger balls than her cabinet”. through which women in politics She reportedly even had voice are viewed. Our 14.5 per cent coaching lessons to lower her pitch representation reveals that after so she could be taken more seri- eighty years of supposed equality, ously and be heard over the rau- women are struggling to compete. cous noise in the British parliament. Legislation isn’t enough; we need Hilary Clinton, hair clip aside, is also a complete overhaul of attitude.

“Female public figures tend to be placed into a sexualised framework of one of two categories: A: the desexualised, masculine, ball breaking, power hungry bitch or B: the coquettish, family orientated ‘lady’”

As Fianna Fáil’s political strategies bring them further criticism, Richard Clune examines the party’s duties, and the role they have in the future of Irish politics Fianna Fáil’s decision to neither field a candidate in the upcoming presidential election, nor endorse or nominate an Independent candidate, has been met with opposition from many quarters, ranging from deputy party leader Éamon Ó Cuív to many political commentators and the public.

This is the first time Fianna Fáil has opted not to run a candidate in the presidential election in its eighty-five year existence. It also made the chances of David Norris and Dana Rosemary Scallon getting the required nominations a lot tougher. For a person to get their name on the ballot paper, he or she needs the support of twenty members of the Oireachtas (TDs and Senators) or four local Councils.

Public opposition to this move is based on the idea that it is undemocratic for Fianna Fáil to neither run a candidate nor allow its members to nominate freely, but this doesn’t stand up to closer scrutiny. The party is, by and large, a private organisation, which can decide whether or not to run a person in the presidential election. The Socialist Party and People Before Profit Alliance have chosen not to put forward a

TOO

BIG

TO

left-wing nomination but they are not under pressure to do so.

Fianna Fáil not allowing its members to back Independents may be bad for the party itself, but Fine Gael and Labour aren’t allowing this either. Fine Gael has seventy-five TDs, meaning that there is the possibility that fiftyfive members could easily have signed the nomination papers for Norris or Dana, but Enda Kenny decreed otherwise.

Fianna Fáil leader Mícheál Martin views the lack of funding within the party as the reason for not fielding an internal candidate.

Voter anger and the ‘anybody but Fianna Fáil’ sentiment among much of the electorate would make it extremely unlikely that the new President would be from the party. As such, it appears that Martin has made an intelligent judgement for the good of the party. Another factor is that the two party members who showed interest in running for the party over the past number of weeks, Brian Crowley and Labhras Ó Murchú, don’t have much of a public profile.

Indeed, many people would never have heard of Ó Murchú before, nor recognised his face when it

FÁIL

appeared in the papers last week.

Crowley is an MEP for Munster and, again, does not have a strong profile. This all indicates that a Fianna Fáil name on the ballot paper would simply give the Irish people another opportunity to bury the party.

However, Fianna Fáil’s verdict not to give an Independent the required support to get them on the ballot is perplexing. The situation looked set for the party to swoop in and nominate David Norris after he reinstated himself in the race for the Áras on The Late Late Show a couple of weeks ago. From a distance it looked like a win-win situation. Fianna Fáil could be the good guys and give the electorate the name they have consistently wanted for the last six months and even if Norris lost, they would not have lost any money, any energy in canvassing votes and, in my opinion, any credibility.

In nearly every poll taken since Norris announced his intentions to run last March, he has almost always come out on top. In a recent poll in the Sunday Independent, twenty-nine per cent said that they would vote for Norris, a massive twelve per cent more than his nearest challenger, Mi-

chael D. Higgins. Even when he had to defend himself after comments about paedophilia and the age of consent, and had to withdraw when he wrote letters of clemency for a former lover, his support from the public has been overwhelming. Whether or not you wish to vote for him, if he had not been nominated it would illustrate some serious flaws in our nomination process.

Incredibly, the party which lead the country as recently as March is now behind Sinn Féin at just ten per cent in opinion polls and for the first time in its life, is facing the real and increasing possibility of extinction. Public anger is constantly rising as the party’s main TDs, and even Ógra Fianna Fáil here in UCD, appear to forget the past fourteen years and the devastation the party has brought upon the country. Against this background the actions of the party are under constant scrutiny, and they would be well advised to tread carefully and at least attempt to read the national psyche.

Their actions suggest that this may not be their course of action however, but the party will have to learn quickly if Fianna Fáil is not to become a thing of the past.

The University Observer · 4 October 2011

OPINION

13

JUSTICE FOR ALL, EXCEPT As Ireland’s human rights review approaches, Simon Hall explores the problems and abuses the UN faces “Although we have a reputation for raising concerns about human rights abuses abroad, it seems that we’re not so attentive at home.”

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he Universal Declaration on Human Rights was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris in 1948, in the wake of the last world war. It represents the aim to rescue human dignity from centuries of religious bigotry, homophobia and sexism.

The declaration is, in this writer’s opinion, our defining document, the finest achievement of mankind working in unison and the rejection of man’s inhumanity to man. In subsequent years, many more related documents have been ratified, including those constituting the International Bill of Human Rights.

Regrettably, these rights lack enforcement. There is no international police force with a mandate to take action against abuses, such as the over-reliance on weapons of mass destruction to sanction the liberation of Iraq from Saddam Hussein and sons.

In the absence of any prosecuting agency, the resulting inertia resulted in a body of international law with no élan vital. A rough

analogy would be a guard dog, rights and the policing of their also highlighted the conflicted chained to a post, heavily sedated abuses - Mary Robinson, former tone of our founding document. and with its teeth removed, but in- President of Ireland, was also UN This needs to change. All refertermittently woken by noise.

High Commissioner for Human ence to Christianity and to God The United Nations Commis- Rights from 1997 to 2002 - but in our Constitution should be resion on Human Rights (UNCHR), Ireland is not exempt from scru- moved by referendum. set up in 1946, was charged with tiny. Our UPR hearing will take In recent months we have also monitoring abuses of human place at the United Nations Office witnessed huge so-called ‘rallies rights but has utterly discredited in Geneva on October 6th. for life’, in opposition to the poitself in its lifetime. One example Although we have a reputa- tential provision of abortion serof the commission’s failure to live tion for raising concern about vices in Ireland. This resurgence up to its ideals was its granting human rights abuses abroad, is largely due to developments in Sudan full membership just as its it seems that we’re not so at- the law. The Irish Supreme Court government were intensifying the tentive at home. In advance of has ruled in favour of women ethnic cleansing of Darfur. the Irish hearing, a seventeen- seeking an abortion when their In 2006, the United Nations member coalition of Irish rights life is in danger, in line with the General Assembly voted over- organisations and NGOs have constitution, but there is no legal whelmingly for the dissolution compiled a detailed report criti- framework for deciding when this of the UNCHR and the establish- cising our human rights record. is the case. And in 2005, in A. B. ment of its successor, the United Chief among the grievances, and C. vs. Ireland, the European Nations Human Rights Council certainly from this writer’s per- Court of Human Rights ruled that, (UNHRC). This is a slight permu- spective, are the lack of religious while abortion is not a fundamentation of a simple acronym but a freedom, the absence of abor- tal right, the Irish statutory ambigigantic step in the right direction. tion services, confusion over guity needs rectifying.

The UNHRC is responsible for children’s rights and the nonThere are two options: full leoverseeing the Universal Peri- recognition of travellers as an galisation, or full statutory clarifiodic Review (UPR) of member ethnic minority. Also of concern cation inclusive of abortion in the states every four years, when the is the failure of the Irish state to event of the mother’s life being in Council ensures a thorough inves- ratify six important treaties, in- danger. On the one hand, Ryanair tigation into human rights viola- cluding the optional protocol to may go out of business, and on the tions in all constituent countries. the Convention Against Torture. other, women may have to continNon-Governmental Organisations The preamble to the Constitu- ue to live with the psychological (NGOs) also have a contribution. tion of the Republic of Ireland, a and emotional problems which Nice as that is, unfortunately secular state, opens “in the name accompany unwanted pregnancy. there is no mechanism for punish- of the Most Holy Trinity.” The pre- Either way, our government need ing member states. International amble also acknowledges “all our to tackle this issue head-on. criticism and condemnation will obligations to our Divine Lord, Ireland considers itself a piohave to suffice, large measures of Jesus Christ.” The oaths of presi- neering country for human rights, which will be brought to bear on dential and judicial office demand but there are numerous grave the guilty party. In the past even that God direct and sustain said inconsistencies in our legislation this has not been possible, so it is office. A ‘pious Jew’ would likely that need to be addressed before progress of some kind. be uncomfortable with the pre- we can truly consider ourselves The Irish people, as well as our amble, and a conscientious athe- a beacon of justice. We can only government, are renowned for ist would effectively be barred hope that this month’s hearing international agitations support- from the office of President. The will lead towards the final impleing the implementation of human recent blasphemy law debate has mentation of true human rights.

Under Pressure In light of the SU’s latest sexual health campaign, Phillipa White asks whether sexual liberation has gone too far

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he moral climate in our society has changed significantly over the past few decades. The once penetrating scent of postcolonial Catholic guilt concerning all things sexual no longer lingers; sexually active single women (and indeed men) are not publicly decried and our generation, and that which went before us, have collectively mastered the intricate manoeuvres of the walk of shame home on any given morning.

Not only have most, if not all, forms of sexual behaviour been liberalised and liberated from taboo, but sex has become ubiquitous, commonplace and present in many aspects of our daily lives. Indeed, a recent campaign run (and then subsequently amended) by the UCD Student Union undoubtedly confirmed the accuracy of the above statement in my mind.

The campaign originally aimed to distribute one thousand condoms to one thousand UCD students. Aptly named ‘1,000 Condoms, 1,000 Stories’, it was then planned that each condom recipient would be asked to anonymously post online the intimate details of their sexual exploits, after said condom was put to use. So in other words, the campaign intended to not only educate students about contraception and safe sex, but also to encourage one thousand students to enjoy some nice, Union-endorsed love-making.

I would not class myself as an old-fashioned moralist or even a social conservative by any means, but something about this whole concept sends a slight but very real wave of unease all the way to my liberal core. A campaign that casually downplays all sexual behaviour, tries to tell me that “sex is for everyone” and therefore I should “JUST DO IT” is a risky endeavour with which I am not to-

tally comfortable.

Consider the average group of first year students on campus. For the most part, they are an impressionable bunch, intoxicated by post-Leaving Cert freedom and independence, lapping up the half-truths and promises hurled at them in the Freshers’ Tent like it was a smooth bottle of Buckfast.

If they are lead to believe that casual sex abounds on campus, they

“It seems both reckless and dishonourable to put unnecessary pressure on first year students, or students of any age for that matter, to have sex.”

are more than likely going to believe it. Alas, giving naïve eighteen year-olds this impression is one thing, giving them a condom and urging them to take part in all this supposedly rampant sex is another thing altogether.

It seems both reckless and dishonourable to put unnecessary pressure on first year students, or students of any age for that matter, to have sex. However, my reluctance towards campaigns such as this stems from the wider message that they send out to society.

Ultimately, these types of campaigns convey the message that sex is meaningless. Sex is everywhere. Sex is cheap.

Since the dawn of the Sexual Revolution in the 1960’s, any stigma surrounding sex has dissipated.

No boundary remains uncrossed, no territory uncharted, and what is left is an arguably over-sexualized world. Suggestive images are used every day to sell all sorts of products, from chocolate to cars, from soft drinks to body wash, and ev-

erything in between. Pole-dancing kits for kiddies may have been removed by a familiar supermarket giant in 2006, but aggrieved parents need not look far in the search of clothes for their children that could easily be mistaken for shrunken pieces of Christina Aguilera’s wardrobe. In short, the omnipresence of sex on the market and in the media has transformed it into something as ordinary as another consumer product.

Simple economics tells us, however, that when a product does become more widely available, its price drops. This is exactly what has happened to modern day intercourse. Yet devaluing sex benefits nobody in the greater scheme of things. If sex is just a casual thing and if one divorces intimacy from sex, then this leads to the erosion of relationships and the bond between the two people involved can be no more meaningful than a sandwich.

Yes, it is unquestionably a good thing that sex has been liberalized and is now a source of enjoyment rather than shame. Nonetheless, there is a difference between liberalizing sex and trivialising sex.

The ‘1,000 Condoms, 1,000 Stories’ campaign went a step too far in portraying sex as something as special and as important as buying a take-away or going to Coppers.

Some people may always view sex as a whimsically as this, but for others, sex is intrinsically linked to profound intimacy and fulfilment.

Running the risk of sounding like a humourless prude, I believe that it is unwise to coax and encourage students into copulation. If all taboos about sex have been expelled, then what is left to prove?

We live in an era when any kind of sexual behaviour is accepted and we no longer have to fight for our right to coitus. Students should therefore be free to make mature decisions about how, when and if and why before they “just do it”.

“There is a difference between

liberalizing sex and trivialising sex”

14

health

&

The University Observer · 4 October 2011

science

An Interview with...

Prof. Peter Doherty Nobel Prize winning scientist and world renowned veterinarian Professor Peter Doherty talks to Alison Lee about his career and the scientific challenges facing the world today

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he world’s first vet school was founded in 1761 in Lyon, France, in order to combat the deadly cattle plague of rinderpest that was wreaking havoc across the globe. 250 years later, the world is a very different place; rinderpest has been eradicated and 2011 is being celebrated internationally as ‘World Veterinary Year’. This September 22nd a smaller-scale but nonetheless significant event in the history of Irish veterinary medicine took place; the inaugural ceremony of our very own School Of Veterinary Medicine in UCD. Guest speaker at the event was the inspirational Professor Peter Doherty, a veterinarian who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1996. Professor Doherty kindly spared some time to talk to the University Observer about his life as a scientist and the challenges faced by mankind in the twenty-first century.

Having a chat with a Nobel Laureate is both amazing and daunting in equal parts (what does an undergrad say to a globally-renowned academic?), but the elderly gentleman with the broad Aussie accent and great sense of humour was nothing like the scientist I had imagined.

Peter Doherty was born in 1940 in the sub-tropical city of Brisbane, Australia. volved in regulatory work, disease invesHe was brought up as part of a large ex- tigation, animal production studies, lab tended family very much influenced by studies and so forth.” the traditional values of his English and Even though Professor Doherty enIrish heritage. It was his family’s influ- tered his university studies hoping to purence that opened Peter’s eyes to the pos- sue a career in research, he never imagsibilties offered by a life dedicated to sci- ined where this would eventually take ence. According to Professor Doherty: “I him. “I went into the veterinary thing got interested in research from a cousin thinking I wanted to work on diseases of mine who was a medical scientist who of food production animals, I wanted to was working on virus infections, but I improve the food situation - I was young, didn’t want to be a medic. I didn’t want and altruistic and I’d been quite religious to be around sick people - I thought that for a time (I’m not at all now but I was at would be boring” But why did he choose that stage) and I wanted to do good.” Any to enter the world of scientific research aspiring Nobel prize winners reading this via the seemingly unorthodox route of can take comfort in the fact that Professor veterinary medicine? “That was kind of Doherty wasn’t always a model student; the culture at that time in Australia,” Pro- “I did well in the first three years, which fessor Doherty explains. “We had these [were] very scientific, but the clinical part enormous agricultural industries and we wasn’t very well taught at all. I was also were very dependent on agriculture at going though a few things personally; my that stage - it was always said that Aus- dad died very young and very suddenly. I tralia rode on the sheep’s back. About half think I ended up drinking a fair amount the people who went to the vet schools at of beer and playing a lot of cards. I wasn’t that time went on some sort of scholar- a grade-A student, and I didn’t graduate ship from the various state departments with honours.” The terms of his scholarto become government vets - they’d be in- ship dictated that the newly-graduated

“I went into the veterinary thing thinking I wanted to work on diseases of food production animals, I wanted to improve the food situation - I was young, and altruistic and I’d been quite religious for a time (I’m not at all now but I was at that stage) and I wanted to do good.”

Photographs by David Nowak Professor Doherty had to spend several joined with the MHC complex, thereby think genetic engineering is going to have years working for Queenslands Depart- signalling infection to T-cells. In addi- to play a big part - we need to engineer ment of Agriculture and Stock, but he tion, everyone’s MHC complex is specific plants that can fix their own nitrogen.” soon became disenchanted with life as a to them - hence our bodies can tell ‘self’ He also feels that “obviously energy is of government veterinarian. “I said I want- from ‘non-self’. This concept, familiar to enormous importance, anything to do ed to go into the lab so the state depart- any biology undergraduate, has played a with energy - transforming us from this ment who controlled me sent me into the huge role in our understanding of immu- fossil fuel burning era to a much cleaner field.” Doherty laughs. “Then I diagnosed nity, viral disease, and the development of and greener type era.” It’s not often you trichomoniasis [a reproductive parasite vaccines. hear someone simultaneously advocating of cattle] in an area where they thought The Nobel Prize is awarded retro- both genetically-engineered crops and they’d eliminated it.” This move prob- spectively - Doherty and Zinkernagel green energy, but Professor Doherty is ably didn’t make him too popular with received it in 1996, over thirty years after no doubt right in saying that “we should his employers, but it didn’t stop him from they completed their study. At the time, be approaching the planet in terms of receiving a Masters degree for a depart- did Doherty realise the future impact his sustainable systems, as far as possible ment project he undertook on Leptospira work might have? “We knew it was big - it and science has to be absolutely central bacteria. After this he decided to pursue was really spectacular. We got some spec- to that.” a career in further basic science. “They tacular results out very quickly. In 1973 no Peter Doherty has made a great consent me off to be a diagnostic virologist one had heard our names. In 1974 we were tribution to the realm of science, but he’s but that didn’t really interest me, so I took on the world scene.” This breakthrough not quite finished yet. He is still invoved myself off to Edinburgh. I applied for a put an end to Professor Doherty’s vague in research at the St. Jude’s Children’s job in Nature and went to the Moredun plans of someday returning to veterinary Research Hospital in Memphis, TennesResearch Institute. I did my PhD part- research. He became an associate profes- see, where he is working on the influenza time while working as a senior scientific sor at the University of Penyslvania and virus. Swine flu and bird flu might seem officer, then a senior veterinary research has been involved in human medical re- like old news but sadly they’re by no officer.” What Professor Doherty refers search ever since. means gone for good; Professor Doherty to as “basic science” is really anything Professor Doherty is approaching his recently attended a conference where he but that. Also known as ‘fundamental’, fiftieth anniversary as a medical scien- learnt that “bird flu can jump [from birds or ‘pure’ science, basic science describes tist. “It just shows I’ve got no imagination to humans] after only five mutations - five the most basic objects; forces, the rela- – I never worked out how to do anything mutations is not that much for a flu virus.” tions between them and laws governing else!” he laughs. After spending so many It’s not all doom and gloom though; when them. After completing his PhD, Profes- years at the forefront of human health he’s not overseeing influenza research, sor Doherty returned to Australia to pur- research, what does he feel is the biggest Professor Doherty enjoys Memphis’ sue this abiding interest. Here, working challenge faced by mankind in the twen- country music scene and even has time in the John Curtain School of Medical ty-first century? “From our point of view to write books for non-Nobel prizewinResearch (JCSMR) in Canberra, he made as veterinarians, feeding the world - it’s a ners like you and me to read. Two are the scientific breakthrough for which he massive problem. You can’t just get out of currently in the works; one on pandemwas awarded the Nobel Prize. He worked animal agriculture - a lot of people say we ics, and another, tentatively titled Sentinel with Swiss scientist Rolf Zinkernagel on should stop eating animals and only eat Chickens. Doherty explains that the latter T-cell immunology, and together the two vegetables […] But that’s not how a lot of is “about birds and the environment and men revealed the purpose of the enig- people in the world are going to live, es- poisoning and how birds work”, pausing matic ‘MHC complex’, a molecule found pecially in the developing world.” Disease to briefly quiz this humble journalist on on the surface of cells which was known has had a huge impact on agriculture the anatomy of the bird lung (needless to to be involved in transplant rejection. lately - another problem for farmers and say, he knows more about it then I do). If However, Doherty and Zinkernagal dis- consumers alike. Doherty explains “the these sound too intense then look out for covered its main function; when viruses avian influenza virus, H5N1, has killed The Beginner’s Guide To Winning the Noinvade our bodies, they enter our cells something like a billion chickens, often bel Prize, his own account of becoming a where they are relatively safe from our in very poor communities where whether Nobel Laureate. immune systems. But luckily, our bodies your chickens are alive could well deRinderpest may be gone, but new have evolved clever ways to deal with this. termine whether or not your kid goes to challenges have emerged not only for ‘Killer T-lymphocytes’ recognise and de- school.” And a food shortage in the face vets, but for all scientists and indeed the stroy the virus-infected cells, leaving our of a growing population isn’t the only human race. We need scientists like Peter healthy cells unscathed. How do they tell problem we face. Soil quality is another Doherty now more than ever - scientists the diseased and healthy cells apart? The issue; “A lot of African soils are nitrogen who don’t just work in the lab and publish virally-infected cells display particles of deficient - globally we’re running out of papers, but who lead us and inspire us in virus on their surfaces, modified and con- phosphate” warns Professor Doherty. “I an ever-changing world.

The University Observer · 4 October 2011

SCIENCE & HEALTH

THE OBSERVER GUIDE TO SURVIVING THE KITCHEN

Doctor, Doctor?

Engineering PhD student Phillip Cardiff talks to Alison Lee about his area of research, life as a postgraduate and how he hopes to help the field of medicine What is the official title of your PhD? “The Development of a Numerical Model of the Hip Joint” In layman’s terms, what does that mean?

With the help of a computer I use some fancy maths and physics to calculate the forces going through the hip joint. This means that hopefully in future better hip replacements can be designed.

Brief ly explain the background to your work.

Most people don’t know that up to ten per cent of people who receive hip replacements experience dislocation of their prosthetic joint.

Obviously this is quite upsetting for the patient and they lose confidence in their doctor and subsequent surgeries. The cause of hip replacement dislocation is not entirely understood so creating a computer model of the joint will hopefully give insights into what is happening.

Describe your typical “day at work”.

My supervisor is quite relaxed about my time-keeping so typically I get into the office at about ten o’clock. As my work is mostly numerical I spend the majority of my time on my laptop browsing through CT scans, creating 3D bone models, writing computer code, adding features to my models, and reading scientific papers. Dur-

Pictured: An x-ray of a dislocated prosthetic hip joint ing the college semesters I have teaching assistant duties where I give a few hours of tutorials a week to undergraduate students. I also sometimes have to help out final year undergraduate students with their thesis work. A couple of times a year I attend academic conferences where I give presentations on my work to experts in the field. For example, this summer I got to go to Penn State University near New York city and I was also in Zagreb for two weeks at a summer school.

What, for you, is the most fascinating thing about your field of study?

I love that I get to apply maths and physics to a biological structure such as the hip joint. It is really interesting to examine the hip joint as a mechanical component and to understand how your body is designed to cope with daily stresses and strains. Also I have always been interested in computers; learning how computer programs are written and how a computer actually works is captivating.

How could your work make a difference this particular scientific field, and to the world in general?

I think that all PhD students hope that their research might revolu-

tionise the world, but in reality adding a small blip of knowledge to your chosen field is an impressive feat. Hopefully as a result of my research, a surgeon may be able to better decide how to lessen the risk of hip instability. In addition, a better understanding of the causes of hip dislocation may be gained, leading to better hip replacement designs. As people are living longer and becoming more active, and as obesity is becoming increasingly common, this research could have a beneficial effect upon the lives of many people.

What undergraduate degree course did you do and where?

I did mechanical engineering in UCD. What made you choose to do a PhD? I got on well at school and I enjoyed the university lifestyle, so in the final year of my undergraduate I looked into job opportunities and also approached some lecturers about PhDs. Luckily I came across a PhD which really interested me so I applied for it and was chosen for the position. I chose a PhD over a job because I believe it will increase employment opportunities as well as give me a chance to work at something I really enjoy.

In your opinion, what are the best and worst things about being a postgraduate?

The best things about my PhD life are that I work on a subject that genuinely interests me, I get on well with my supervisor and also my research group are a bunch of sound guys that occasionally have time for a pint. I find that the worst things are that progress is often slow and frustrating and sometimes it is hard to work out how to surmount a problem. You really have to be comfortable working on your own, and fighting off procrastination is a constant battle.

How do you feel your PhD will affect your career prospects?

I think that completing a PhD will significantly improve my job opportunities as well as increase my prospective salary. Even with current economic woes I feel my PhD will give me relatively good employment options. Some people feel that doing a PhD may “pigeon-hole” them to a very specific field, but in my experience this is definitely not the case.

Through completion of a PhD you make many academic and industrial contacts that allow you to steer your career in the direction you want.

Brainpower boost

You’ve been in college a month now, Mammy’s cut the umbilical cord and your last attempt at cooking resulted in a smoldering bowl of primordial soup. Luckily Conor O’Nolan and Alison Lee are here to help

COOKING FOOD PROPERLY It really cannot be over emphasised how important it is to cook food, especially meat, properly, unless of course you enjoy inflicting the unpleasant effects of food poisoning on yourself or anyone you make the mistake of cooking for. All sorts of nasty pathogens can live in meat.

Campylobacter jejuni and E. Coli are members of a nearly endless list of bacteria that can be found in food; both of them are capable of making you rather ill.

The only real way of ensuring meat is safely cooked is to raise the core temperature to seventy-five degrees (or seventy degrees for at least two minutes).

That way you know that all the nasties have been burned away. Washing vegetables might seem like a no-brainer but it cuts the risks of getting sick; even most pre-packed salads need a rinse before they can be eaten safely.

CHOPPING ONIONS Despite your clear lack of experience in the kitchen, you've chosen to cook a romantic meal for your date. Trouble is, they want to see you cook. Nothing will put more of a dampener (literally and figuratively) on the situation than them seeing you cry while chopping an onion. Onions make you cry because when you chop through the hairy part at the top an enzyme is released from the damaged cells, this enzyme reacts with acids to form a volatile gas called 'Onion lachrymatory factor'.

The simple solution would be to wear goggles, but that might not add to your Naked Chef attire. A smarter solution would be to use a very sharp knife so that the onion is sliced, rather than crushed that way fewer enzymes will be released.

It also helps to cut the onion vertically, from the hairy bit to the pointy bit, rather than through the middle.

A breakthrough in animal brain interfaces could lead to exciting progress in the repair of brain damage in humans, writes Joseph Lawlor

S

cientists from Tel Aviv University in Israel have managed to further reduce the ever-decreasing gap between science fiction and reality by developing a synthetic cerebellum chip that can receive sensory inputs from a rat’s brainstem and restore lost brain function. The brainstem is an area of the brain concerned with neural conduction, and unlike previous implants, such as cochlear and prosthetic limbs that conduct one-way communication between the brain, or vice versa, the ‘chip’ can record, analyse and return a signal to the brain. This work was presented by Matti Mintz in September at the Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence meeting in Cambridge.

To prove that this concept was a possibility, Mintz and his colleagues studied the cerebellum, which is primarily concerned with coordinating and timing movement. This area is well understood as it consists of a relativity simple neural network, making following the natural biological neural ‘map’ easier to copy and test. The team analysed the communications between the cerebellum and the brain stem in real time on a chip that was placed outside the skull and was wired into the brain stem to generate a synthetic version.

When testing the chip, a rat was anaesthetised and its cerebellum was disabled before the synthetic version was

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CHOPPING CHILLIES

attached. The anaesthetisation of the rat caused the amount of neural communication to be reduced significantly and thus made it easier to follow and measure. The animal’s blinking motor reflex was then conditioned; upon the rat hearing a tone it would simultaneously receive a puff of air into its eye. The rat eventually learnt to ‘blink’ upon hearing the tone alone, only in

expectation of the puff of air. Prior to the chip being connected the animal was unable to ‘blink’, however upon connection of the chip the animal displayed the ‘blink’ reflex when it heard the tone.

The next potential step will be to test on a conscious animal, which will entail much larger cerebellum signaling across the neural network, causing

a vast reduction in the quality of any one motor signal within the cerebellum. The results of this research could eventually lead to important developments in repairing brain damage in humans. However, it has to be taken into account that these results are a long way off, considering that the model used in this experiment was relatively small.

If you thought chopping onions was too much of a hazard to deal with on your kitchen adventures, you were wrong.

While onions might make you look like a bit of a sap if you don't exercise some caution, chillies can cause you some genuine pain. Capsaicin is the chemical in chillies that causes spiciness; it's an irritant in mammals (presumably to try and discourage anything eating them, but humans are silly like that).

If you handle a chilli, wash your hands immediately afterwards, as if you get the juice in your eye it will hurt a lot.

If this does happen, rinse out your eye using cold water for fifteen minutes or so. And whatever you do, don't touch any sensitive body parts.

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SCIENCE & HEALTH

The University Observer · 4 October 2011

BEYOND THE SPEED OF LIGHT

With potentially groundbreaking data published in the last few weeks, Conor O’Nolan talks about the experiments that could change physics forever

T

wo weeks ago scientists at OPERA in Italy, working in collaboration with CERN in Geneva, published a paper which suggested that they have observed neutrinos travelling faster than the speed of light. News of their apparent discovery went viral instantly, and the findings were published on a number of news websites before the CERN website was even updated.

Should these results be verified, a large proportion of physics will have to be completely rewritten.

In the seventeenth century, Issac Newton invented Newtonian mechanics. This worked perfectly for a few hundred years, but as physics progressed it became apparent that this paradigm did not work when it came to the very fast and the very small.

In 1905, Albert Einstein published his theory of special relativity, which allowed particle physics to be better understood than if classical mechanics was used. One of the central equations in this theory was the equation describing mass energy equivalence, or more succinctly E = mc^2. This equation is considered so important that Steven Hawkins chose it as the only equation to include in his best selling A Brief History Of Time. The basic and fundamental thing that can be taken from this equation is that nothing can travel faster than the speed of light.

Wolfgang Pauli postulated the neutrino in 1930 to explain the observed discrepancies in beta decay (A type radioactive decay). It took twenty-six years for it to be experimentally verified by Clyde Cowan and Frederick Reines in 1956, who together won the Nobel Prize in Physics for this work a mere thirty-nine years later. Neutrinos have no charge and almost no mass (it is important to note that they do have some mass, but it is minute). It was also thought that they travel almost at the speed of light. The earth is continually bombarded with neutrinos from the sun, which are a product of nuclear fusion. However, neutrinos react with almost nothing, so they just pass though the earth and carry on their merry way.

The experiment that was conducted involved sending a beam of neutrinos from Gran Sasso Laboratory in Italy, 732km through the earths crust. While this seems like a massive distance, it took the particles less than 3 milliseconds. Neutrinos were produced by focusing a high-energy beam of protons onto a fixed target; this caused a variety of particles to be released, but the other particles were affected by atomic material within the earth. Neutrinos made the target 732km distance as a result of their negligible mass and no charge. The particles reached the detectors in Geneva a minute fraction of

a second before they were expected to arrive. The experiment was conducted over three years and the data for over 15,000 neutrinos was collected.

The results published are completely unexplained as of yet. The Italian scientists want other labs conducting similar experiments to run this experiment in the hope of either repeating, or falsifying, these results.

This is also not the first time that experiments have hinted that neutrinos can travel at the speed of light. The MINOS experiment run by Fermilab in Chicago shot beams of neutrinos 450 miles underground to a former iron mine with a 6,000 tonne detector in it. The findings of this experiment do not contradict the results published by OPERA. However, the scientific community as a whole does not seem entirely convinced by the results. A professor from the University of Surrey, Jim Al-Khalili, said that he would eat his boxer shorts on live television if the experiment’s outcomes were proven correct. Despite the rigorous repetition involved in the experiment, instrument error is still cited as a potential explanation for the unusual data.

If these groundbreaking results are true, Einstein’s theory of special relativity will no longer be completely correct, as a lot of it is based on the fact

that nothing is thought to be able to travel faster than light. Famous physicists have offered alternative explanations using somewhat non-mainstream physics theories. Brian Cox mentioned in an interview with the BBC that there is a possibility of our world consisting of more than just three dimensions (or four, if time is included) and that the neutrinos could have taken some sort of dimensional shortcut.

On a slightly lighter note, should these results be proven to be correct, and scientists subsequently come up with an explanation for the results, it should be possible to determine whether time travel is actually a possibility.

Up until now, physicists have been unable to give a definitive answer because there is a disparity between quantum mechanics and general relativity, but if general relatively is proven to be partially incorrect, a unified theory might be possible.

Regardless of the outcome, this is an exciting time for physics. A key part of science is proving and disproving theories that might nullify thousands of peoples lives’ work, but the pursuit of a final model that explains everything we have observed up until now is fruitless - something new, such as a better understanding of neutrinos, is always bound to turn previous research on its head.

DETOXICOLOGY

Detoxing is a process that is continually touted as being extremely healthy, but Aoife Valentine explains why most detoxes should be viewed with more caution

D

etox diets often sound like the best and simplest way of shifting a serious amount of weight in a very short space of time. No dedicating yourself to a life of salads, exercise and monotony - all you have to do is endure a short period of unpleasantness and hunger to achieve the desired results. Simple.

Detoxes claim to rid your body of a build-up of toxins, and the process supposedly results in a wide variety of things including clearer skin, increased energy levels and an improved immune system, as well as the obvious main aim of purging fat from the body.

Usually these diets force you to survive on just liquids; even the inclusion of fruit and vegetables (which must be juiced or blended) in your ‘meals’ is almost a luxury. The most well-known detox is the ‘Master Cleanse’, which comes

heavily endorsed by numerous celebrities.

The ‘Master Cleanse’ involves mixing lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper in pure water and drinking up to twelve glasses of it a day, whenever hunger strikes.

It continues over a period of ten days (and up, for the foolhardy), and the liquid concoction is your only sustenance. In addition, you have to take a morning and nightly laxative, in order to ensure everything is getting properly flushed out.

The detox is so intense, three day “ease-in” and “ease-out” eating plans are also suggested, though you are allowed eat no more than fruit and vegetables during these days, and you must only choose fruits with the lowest amount of sugar.

The problems with these types of diets are almost infinite, and can cause real danger to your health. It is important to point out that our bodies come complete with complex systems already designed to cleanse the body of harmful toxins.

One of the liver’s most important functions is to screen blood from the intestines and then neutralise and destroy any toxins found, while the kidneys remove all excess salts and proteins we don’t use up. Unless you suffer from medical conditions such as diabetes or heart disease, then chances are your body is already looking after its toxins quite efficiently.

Interfering with these systems does cause you harm, especially if you detox

frequently.

During these periods, your body is almost in a state of malnutrition. This means that as the days go on, your organs aren’t receiving all the nourishment they need, which causes them to become sluggish, quickly leading to a complete slow-down in your metabolic rate. This doesn’t speed back up automatically when you stop detoxing, so your body won’t be able to eliminate toxins as easily as it should be able to naturally, resulting in a post-detox build-up.

Repeated detoxing and prolonged periods of starvation cause your body to begin breaking down muscle and hanging on to fat cells in order to ensure a supply of calories is present in the body to act as a fuel. This causes a continual slowing down of the metabolism, and as few calories as possible are burned. Even if you stop detoxing completely (as opposed to small breaks between detoxes), fat will continue to build up until all muscles have been restored.

There are more worrying effects on the body than the process not acting as efficiently as perhaps promised. Contrary to assurances of feeling light and energetic, lethargy and fatigue will plague you. With your calorie stores being used to fuel your organs so they can function well enough for you to live, there’s not a lot going on to provide you with boundless energy, to the point where it becomes quite difficult to concentrate enough to complete normal tasks.

Overdoing it on liquids can cause your kidneys some problems too. Excess water

creates secretion difficulties for the kidneys and a reduced salt intake can exacerbate the problem. In the utmost extreme cases, this can cause water intoxication, which is potentially fatal.

Such restrictive diets cause deficiencies in vitamins and minerals, which are essential for carrying out various functions in the body. A lack of vitamin A will cause a high risk of infection and occasionally, night-blindness, while losing out on vitamin B causes slowed metabolism, hair loss, poor skin, and impeded growth of red blood cells. A lack of iron will result in dizziness, weakness and headaches, and eventually, anaemia, as well as memory loss and heart palpitations. Low levels of folic acid and vitamin B12 have also been shown to cause or intensify depressive symptoms, so at best you’ll generally be irritable and moody.

While detoxing may seem like a quick fix, it’s not all that.

With little or no studies carried out to determine its benefits, for the moment it seems science should win in the battle against marketing. If anything, detoxing encourages the idea that healthy eating is a punishment rather than a lifestyle choice. The idea that any over-indulgence can be put right with a detox allows for the development of some questionable relationships with food, especially when you consider that all evidence points to the conclusion that detoxing is not remotely effective.

Bearing in mind the negative affects it can have on your body after only a few days, you really do have to ask if it’s worth the risk.

The University Observer 路 4 October 2011

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The University Observer · 4 October 2011

Mary Davis aff !

Regards, Riffr

Talleyrand So, this is how it begins. I always knew that sooner or later the Stupid’s Goonion would try to destroy the shining beacon of hope that is satirical student journalism, but I always thought they’d go after the big fish, yours truly, or at the very least, the Turbine, which I can confidently report not only brings you up-to-date wry witticism, but also represents a cheap alternative to sawdust in even the fanciest of hamster cages. But no, Pat ‘Waaaaaah’ De Brún is bringing his expertly-honed complaining skills to bear on the stalwarts of both journalism and consubstantiation, Trinity’s own University Times.

The Goonion has never been a friend to satirists – why, look back as far as the very first SU President, Horatio Hammersmith, who famously stabbed Flann O’Brien to death using only a dessert spoon and an SU President’s sense of self importance – but this takes the preverbial pastry. So, the University Times are making fun of our exSabbatical Officer’s physical appearance?

What an unmitagated disgrace. Rest assured, gentle reader, you’d never find such vicious and untoward satire in our good, Catholic publications (unless, that is, you read the Observer last week).

It’s been a busy week for all of the Sabbats.

Rachel “the Rubberbandit” Breslin has been dishing out profilactics as quickly as Stephen “What Freshtival?” Darcy can use them, which, needless to say, keeps Breslin extremely busy. Brendan “The Cool One” Lacey has been up to his eyes with leaning against walls, looking hard, and generally keeping his nose clean. Ol’ Tight Lips Lacey has been assembling his rag-tag band of minions, all under the guise of class rep nominations. If you are running for class rep, best of luck to you. If you are a good looking female with streaks of both the blonde and naïve variety, don’t worry; you’ll get the position, Lucky Lacey sees potential in you.

Let’s not forget Sam “uel L.” Geoghegan.

This humble humourist appreciates that he was ever so slightly biting about Sam in last issue’s excellent column, and as such, would like to apologise and clarify that I have not seen Sam going through Rachel’s bins for at least a few days now, and as far as we know, he might just be an avid recycler.

But let’s skip right through the opening act and straight to the feature performance –

far be it from Talleyrand to describe Aggro Soc as mindless vandals, indeed, far be it from Talleyrand to compare them to the maurading Hun, rampaging across the Steppes, leaving no tree unsnapped and no female unhospitalised. It would be even further from Talleyrand to commiserate with the Hun for the comparison, because at the very least, their leader didn’t have a head like a fucking pineapple.

It seems every year our fine academic establishment faces the same threat; a maurading horde of Aggro Soc members, clutching a hurley in one hand and a bag of washing from Mammy in the other, swarming over the campus, over indulging on alcohol and trying pasta for the first time. It’s madness, and it must end now.

Talleyrand is personally petitioning to have UCD secede from the Republic, and only accept CAO forms if they come from Dublin, Wicklow, Kilkenny, Galway and some parts of Cork; everywhere else is bandit country.

There are plenty of other colleges that offer courses in Sports Management, you know.

Well, most likely, Talleyrand would never have the inclination to check.

Also in lukewarm news this week, apparently three Ents crew gentleman heard that Darcy was bringing in Fake Blood, only to misinterpret the memo and take it as a prime opportunity to try and terrify some first years. The three men in question, henceforth referred to as ‘morons’, stole a private sex-doll out of the office of a Sabbatical Officer who will remain nameless, although suffice to say, she was not happy about it. It was much ado about nothing; their efforts to throw the doll off the Fresher’s bungee platform was hampered somewhat when the management of the operation found the doll hidden in the platform, and rather than remove it like a rational human being, sellotaped the mannequin to moron number one, in what Talleyrand can only assume is best practise, if you are practising getting yourself into the history books for ‘most lawsuits involving one of Rachel Breslin’s sex dolls’. This is a cautionary tale, young students – this is where a degree in Sports Management gets you; standing angrily in a car park, simultaneously booting away a stuffed jumper and a career. You should have gone to DCU. Talley-ho!

Talleyrand

On October 27th the electorate will go to the polls and elect the ninth President of Ireland. Disability campaigner and social activist Mary Davis is standing as an independent candidate, and in the light of our mental health feature this issue, writes exclusively for the University Observer about the importance of mental health support structures The above picture of Mary Davis was taken

by Dave Novak at the Presidential debate that took place in Theatre L on the 28th of September

I

n a recent meeting with suicide prevention campaigner and founder of Suicide Or Survive, Caroline McGuigan, I asked if there was a single contributing factor to the continued stigmatisation of mental health in this country; the response was incredibly powerful. I was told that the key to combating stigma and challenging perceptions was to tackle the issue at a very young age. Small children are taught to brush their teeth, it’s seen as a necessity and fundamental to a child’s dental health. However, they are not taught about mental ill-health, something far more pervasive. These stigmas are destructive. You wouldn’t be embarrassed if you had a toothache, so why should you feel embarrassed if you are suffering from a mental illness? This simple yet effective example illustrates the pressing need to reform the way we raise awareness about mental health issues.

The promotion of positive mental health, along with early detection of mental ill-health, is integral to the personal development of our young people.

In the weeks after I announced my intention to stand for the presidency, I sought to establish a network of leaders in the areas of youth empowerment, active citizenship and mental health to advise me on what the President could do to break down walls of discrimination and the destructive perceptions that are still attached to mental illness and disability in Irish society. It is essential to recognise the amazing work that mental health organisations are currently doing to create real change and progressive reform in this area. Organisations such as Aware, Reach Out, Mad Pride, Headstrong, Grow and Spun Out - these

are the foot soldiers on the frontlines of the battle to change societal attitudes to mental illness, challenging the status quo, and bringing the debate ever more into our collective consciousness.

A disproportionate number of Irish adolescents battle with a range of mental illnesses. As a nation, we have a collective responsibility to accept that mental illness is one of the most serious issues facing Irish people. With the continuing fallout from economic trials and tribulations, the budgetary and spending cuts, the risk of young graduates facing long-term unemployment, comes the risk that mental health will be pushed even more to the fringes to protect other services. State safeguards in the area of mental health must be a priority and should not be subject to additional cuts. Our national discourse needs to shift from markets, bonds and banks, back to what is most important: our people.

With responsibility for managing Special Olympics across fifty-eight countries I have worked in the area of disabilities my whole life. I have engaged with world leaders. I have sat across the table with the EU and negotiated a better future for people with disabilities. From my time working with children with special educational needs in St Michael’s House in Ballymun, to bringing the Special Olympics World Games to Ireland in 2003, I recognise that real change in the areas of disability and mental health can and must happen. I believe the president can play a very important role in the area of advocacy and support, to shine a light on mental health issues, and its effects on the young people of Ireland.

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The University Observer · 4 October 2011

Observer Editorial

Quotes of the Fortnight

editor @ universityobserver.ie

A

s often as it has been said, as many times as the same moralisations have been regurgitated, it never ceases to amaze this particular Editor; the single most culturally pervasive aspect of both modern culture and its Belfield microcosm is, of course, sex. Luckily, sex is something this issue of the University Observer has in abundance. In Features, Ms Natasha Murtagh writes extensively on the unfair sexual bias in modern advertising in the wake of a recent postering debacle, while in Opinion, Ms Emer Sugrue addresses the ever-present gendering of both politics and politicians, and Ms Phillipa White discusses the recent ‘Safe Ride’ campaign, a topic on which I feel compelled to respond to.

I have been quoted numerous times, both in this publication and as a guest on Belfield FM, that in my personal opinion, Welfare Officer Rachel Breslin has done nothing short of a superb job in her opening few weeks. The introduction of the Safe Space scheme (which only a few months ago I scoffed at for its blind ambition) has been implemented, and if it saves even a solitary student from assault or worse, it will count as one of the most impressive achievements of any Sabbatical Officer in this Editor’s many years on campus. She is personable, empathetic, and by all accounts, utterly devoted to her position.

I was somewhat abashed, then, with the introduction of her ‘Safe Ride’ campaign, in which one thousand individually numbered condoms were to be distributed, and a website set up in which the recipients were encouraged to post the condom’s number and the story of how it was used. What I have no doubt was a well-meaning attempt to actively promote both safe sex and an open dialogue about the topic, seemed

Letters to the editor Dear Mr. Editor, Concerning the removal of all the service desks; in just three weeks there have been several incidents where the first half of a lecture was spent waiting for someone to fetch service personnel.

Computer terminals are a poor replacement for an on-site service team.

If this centralisation of services was supposed to increase efficiency then UCD has once again missed the mark.

Yours etc, A fee-paying student

the

“Even the most ardent post-feminist cannot help but look at our concourse as a concrete wonderland for the male gaze.” to this Editor to descend into an attempt to promote sex itself, a way of enticing students to use their condom as quickly as possible so as to get their ‘story’ online. The numbered condoms aspect of the scheme was quickly pulled, and as such, the subtextual pressure to use the condom alleviated, but it was replaced with an a purportedly anonymous, tonally juvenile chat room in which students are encouraged to “get sharing”.

I appreciate that an open dialogue about safe sex is important. I even appreciate that chipping away at the culturallyhegemonic repression of presecular Ireland is entirely worthwhile. But why must we be so frank about sex itself? What sort of perpetual adolescence are UCD students entrenched in when the act is met with such frantic, giggling excitement? I am in no way a religious or morally indignant person, but surely I cannot be the only one that has grown tired of the constant sexualisation of every event, scheme or poster to grace our campus. Even the most ardent postfeminist cannot help but look at our concourse as a concrete wonderland for the male gaze. A note to the Public Relations Officers of UCD’s societies; tradi-

tionally, women have also worn pieces of clothing that are not coquettish lingerie.

A fleeting scan of the SU-funded 1000condoms.com website reveals the sort of vulgarity that I, oh so prudishly, object to. From an anecdotal list of the top fifteen public places to have sex on campus (including, it should be noted, outside the University Observer office), issued as a ‘checklist’ to its readers, to frankly disgusting descriptions of the act itself; “she was as scared and closed as a child of abuse’s mouth” [sic]. This, unfortun a t e l y, does not amount to a frank and open discussion of safe sex.

Safe sex is something genuinely worthy of a frank and open discourse – sex itself, however, presumably needs no public discussion beyond secondary level education, particularly when it takes the tone of vile, testosterone-fuelled fauxbravado such as the aforementioned, which represents as stark an indictment of contemporary sexual politics as it does the character of its author.

As much as the website’s header implores “No judging!”, I’m afraid I just can’t help myself. In my other life as a stand-up comedian, I have been, occasionally violently, challenged about my

“why must we be so frank about sex itself? What sort of perpetual adolescence are UCD students entrenched in when the act is met with such frantic, giggling excitement?”

Sir, Despite the recent introductions of digital displays and apps to let people know when buses will arrive and the reported €1.1m being invested to introduce free wifi on board, Dublin Bus seems to have ignored the main problems in their service. Just today on the number 11 service at the gates of UCD, the signs read “due” for over 10 minutes, and when it arrived it was so full that the driver only allowed three people on. On the way back, the bus broke down. The number 11 has broken down at least three times in the last couple of months when I have been on board.

As students are so dependant on these services it’s imperative that the Students’ Union make their case for improved services. With fees the way they are we certainly can’t afford private alternatives.

Yours etc, Rebecca McCarthy 2nd year science

University Observer Volume XVIII Issue II Telephone: (01) 716 3119/3120 Email: info@universityobserver.ie www.universityobserver.ie The University Observer is printed at The Guardian Print Centre, Longbridge Road, Manchester M17 1SN.

Letters should be sent by email to letters@ universityobserver.ie or by mail to The editor, The University Observer, UCD Student Centre, Belfield, Dublin 4 The editor reserves the right to edit any letters.

All letters are subject to editorial approval.

Sports Editor Daniel Keenan

Deputy Editor Kate Rothwell

Music Editor Cormac Duffy

Art and Design Director Conor O’Toole

Film Editor Dermot O’Rourke

Otwo Editors George Morahan Aoife Valentine

Fashion Editor Sophie Lioe

Features Editor Matt Gregg Opinion Editor Emer Sugrue Science & Health Editor Conor O’Nolan Chief Science & Health Writer Alison Lee

Clarifications & Corrections It is the policy of the University Observer to rectify any errors as soon as they arise.

Queries and clarifications can be addressed to info@universityobserver.ie.

John Douglas, AgSoc Auditor on reported vandalism at AgSoc event in Goatstown

“It would want to be massively libellous before a publication issued an apology” Ronan Costello, Editor of the University Times on the ‘You should have gone to UCD’ article

“The website didn’t cost a cent – I think it’s ok, my web designing skills aren’t the best” Welfare Officer Rachel Breslin on the 1000condoms.com website

“I think loads of the most interesting people are people who have a fantastic CV” Christine Simpson, Auditor of the L&H, on upcoming society guests

“You said there was only a few questions and you’re asking a lot of questions” John Douglas, AgSoc Auditor

Editor Jon Hozier-Byrne

News Editor Katie Hughes

use of dark or offensive material, but even I cannot help but find the contents of the page somewhat upsetting. Describing the tone of the vast majority of the entries as ‘objectifying to women’ does not do them justice; rather, they represent a portrayal of women not dissimilar to the aforementioned posters. Women are, in the majority of the entries, little more than signifiers of sexual worth, even validation for the male, presented as little more than objects of use and subsequent disposal.

It is in no way fair to blame Ms Breslin for the quality of the posts made

by UCD students – I am certain that she had the very best of intentions when establishing this campaign, and that the health and well-being of her electorate are of genuine concern to her. However, this ‘openness’ about sex is simply one contemporary cultural schism that I refuse to bridge.

Sexuality, for this Editor, is an entirely private business, and for good reason; it represents the most intimate and private conceivable act between two individuals. Describing in an open forum, in remarkable detail, the intricacies of your sex life will not improve the memories, or the possible future experiences, that you and your partner might share. Indeed, it commoditises those same memories, allowing that same intimacy to be used in what is, for all intents and purposes, a marketing campaign. Whatever validation you might feel from your juvenile (and bizarrely, anonymous) boasts, it represents nothing more than a fleeting self-aggrandisement on the road to cultural purgatory.

“Unless it’s on CCTV, I didn’t actually personally see anything”

Food & Travel Editor Elaine Lavery Online Editor Ryan MacKenzie Contributors The Badger Steven Balbirnie Fearghal Bannon Westley Barnes Kevin Beirne Philip Bidnit Aoife Brophy Angela Clarke

Richard Clune Dixon Coltrane Anna Curran Faye Docherty Simon Hall Sally Hayden Lorraine Haigney Hannah Higgins Andrew Hines Sara Holbrook Matthew Jones Aaron Kennedy Joseph Lawlor Jim Maher Mark Malone David Maloney Jordan McMahon Emmet McNamee Matthew Morrow Mystic Mittens Natasha Murtagh Elena Nikonova Saoirse Ní Charagáin Gordon O’Callaghan Colm O’Grada Elizabeth O’Malley Evan O’Quigley

Mike Palmer Niall Spain Talleyrand Ethan Troy-Barnes Philippa White Killian Woods

Bernie Divilly at PIAS Giselle Jiang Dominic, Grace, Charlie, Jason, Gary, Stephen, Mark, Sandra, Paul and all the Student Centre Staff

Illustrator Olwen Hogan

Very Special Thanks Amy Bracken, Donna Doyle, Bríd Doherty, Paul Fennessey, Bridget Fitzsimons, Danielle Moran, Joe Murphy, Dave Neary, Quinton O’Reilly, Rob Lowney, Ruth McCourt, Gav Reilly, Natalie Voorheis and all other friends and family who have supported and encouraged us during our first issue.

Photographers Ciara Andrews Jon Hozier-Byrne Lorraine Haigney Caoimhe McDonnell David Nowak Special Thanks Peter, Ian, Tim, Malcolm, Ade, Jonathan, Dave, Emma, Ged, Bob, Steve (and the robots) at GPC Manchester Eilis O’Brien Dominic Martella Colm, Sabrina and Rory at MCD Promotions

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The University Observer · 4 October 2011

GREAT SU? SH T SU? YOU make the difference!

Get out and VOTE! It’s YOUR union...YOU decide!

*

Voting takes place this Tuesday and Wednesday in your faculty.

To vote all you need is your student card!

The University Observer · 4 October 2011

SPORT

21

Sportsmanship Daniel Keenan looks at ethically ambiguous incidents in sport, and questions whether or not sportsmanship is still alive and kicking

“It’s a harsh free kick” is a phrase that was to kick the ball out of play when Suarez was rightfully blasted as a dent, Mayweather swung out, deliver- up to his pre-match comments that he has been added to the lexicon of com- another player was in distress; posses- cheat, but despite his complete disre- ing two knockout blows to the face of would “go in there with class and will mentators’ clichés. Surely a free kick sion would then be given back to the gard for sporting rules and etiquette, the American. leave there with class”. Much of the is a free kick? However, it’s never as team who kicked it out of play. FIFA’s was lauded as a hero in Uruguay; a Mayweather may have had grounds boxing world has turned on him for his black and white as the rules suggest, Fair Play initiative urged players to martyr who sacrificed playing a possi- to do so, but to swing out at a boxer unsportsmanlike behaviour, though since so many variables have to be do this more often, making it all but ble semi-final so that his country could with their guard down while he is at- the fallout will only last up to his next taken into account by a referee; ev- a written rule in football; all in the get there. tempting to apologise is about as un- fight, when all is sure to be forgotten. erything from where initial contact name of sportsmanship.

Irish fans need no reminders of ethical as one can be. Mayweather deBy all letters of the law, Mayweathtook place, to momentum, to a player’s However, FIFA’s attempt to bring Thierry Henry’s infamous assistance fended his position after the fight, but er was right. Ortiz, if anybody, was the shoelaces. God forbid the same foul sportsmanship into football has ironi- to France’s winning goal in Stade de broke down emotionally as the ring one to break the rules. The head butt, takes place in the penalty area, since cally led to even more unethical acts. France in 2009. No sanctions were filled up. for which he was deducted a point, a new, unwritten rule has developed Players taking advantage of the act by ever imposed for Henry’s cheating, but Talking to boxing commentator and the second apology weren’t necesamong referees: an incident has to be feigning injury to wind down the clock his reputation was tarnished for deny- Larry Merchant, a clearly agitated sary. Whether it was mind games, or worthy of a penalty to give it. What’s are all too common at every level of ing Ireland the opportunity to qualify Mayweather said: “We touched gloves a genuine showing of sportsmanship a free kick outside the box isn’t neces- the game. Faking an injury in order to for the World Cup. and we were back to fighting, then and remorse, Ortiz was punished for sarily a penalty inside the box. stop play was as regular a sight at the One further example of breached I threw the left and right hand and attempting to apologise to his oppoRules in sport are a grey area. They 2006 World Cup as vuvuzelas were at ethics in sport is West Germany’s fa- that’s all she wrote. In the ring, you nent, while Mayweather now reigns as are often so ambiguous that they are the 2010 tournament. mous game against Austria in the 1982 just have to protect yourself at all the WBC Welterweight Champion. left to the discretion of the referee.

In 1999, during an FA cup tie be- World Cup, where both sides let the times. I was victorious. If he wants a High-profile incidents of breaches The trend continues in many sports: tween Arsenal and Sheffield United, game play out for a 1-0 win for the Ger- re-match, he can get a re-match.” in sporting ethics, which all sports mans, meaning both sides progressed Mayweather then snapped when should abide by, can be written off to the knockout stages, at the expense of Algeria. Once again no rules were broken, but it fell just short of match fixing, and once again showed football to be an unethical sport. The game is known simply as ‘Anschluss’ in Algeria, such is their anger at the performance.

Like so many incidents, Floyd May- Merchant hinted that what May- in some ways by the sportsmanlike the breakdown on a rugby pitch is well Arsenal’s Ray Parlour went through weather’s cheap shot at Victor Ortiz weather did was wrong, accusing actions of Wenger and di Canio. It is covered in the rules of rugby, but is the motions of giving the ball back to was technically legal. The referee Merchant of being biased against him, also worth noting that the media is refereed in countless different ways. United after they had kicked it out of stopped the bout in the fourth round and stating that HBO needed to fire the force which leads an incident to be While in cricket an LBW decision is play, so that one of their injured play- and deducted a point from Ortiz, who him. Mayweather’s post-match mood, high profile, and acts of unsportsmandown to the sight of an umpire, in rug- ers could receive treatment. Arsenal’s had headbutted Mayweather while despite his comments, indicates that like behaviour are always more newsby, it all comes down to the judgement Kanu however, latched on to the ball the two were tangled up. As Ortiz went even he knows his actions were ethi- worthy than a sportsmanlike incident. of a referee. and squared it to Marc Overmars, who to hug Mayweather, which would have cally questionable.

If rules are the grey area of sport, ethRules in many sports are fallible, so tapped it in for the winning goal, to been his second apology for the inciMayweather certainly didn’t live ics are the blacked out spot. open to interpretation that they can the outrage of the Blades players, who hardly be called a rule. So how, in a stood watching in disbelief. Incidents world where laws governing so many like Overmars’ goal are just the high games are shrouded in a fog of uncer- profile occurrences; these events are tainty, can ethics exist in sport? How not uncommon in lower leagues. can somebody be right or wrong when In a completely contradictory act of there is no definitive right or wrong? sportsmanship, Arsenal boss, Arsene Defining ethics in sport is not about Wenger, offered to replay the game, the rules however, just like personal which Arsenal won 2-1. Gestures like ethics aren’t about obeying laws. It Wenger’s go some way to restoring is about what is right and wrong, and belief that a Corinthian spirit still exthat is not dictated by a predetermined ists in football, but don’t pave over the set of regulations. Ethical treatment underhanded gamesmanship of others. in sport is not about morals but about Cynical fouls are another ugly area sportsmanship. of football, which highlight the unPossibly the most shining example sportsmanlike conduct so prevalent in of rule-breaking for the sake of sports- the game. Unlike kicking the ball out manship comes from an unlikely of play for an injury, there are no ofsource, ex-West Ham striker Paola di ficial rules governing these offences.

Canio. The man who is as famous for Players who illegally stop the oppushing over a referee as he is for his position scoring a goal, whether by bicycle kick against Wimbledon, had purposely fouling an opposition player one his finest moments on a football when in a goal scoring position or othfield against Everton in 2000. erwise, are liable to be given a straight When goalkeeper Paul Gerrard red. The rules are there in black and went down outside his box injured, di white, yet it is a relatively common Canio opted to catch the ball instead thing for a player to do, and is encourof shooting into an open goal, to allow aged by managers. treatment to get to Gerrard. While di Luis Suarez marred his World Cup Canio broke the golden rule of football, reputation by stopping a goal in the not to use your hands, there’s no doubt 120th minute against Ghana with that what he did was right in the con- his hand, during the 2010 World Cup text of the game. quarter-final. He was sent off, the enFIFA have tried to encourage acts suing penalty was missed by Asamoah like this. A previously unspoken and Gyan and Ghana went on to lose the rarely obeyed courtesy among players game on a penalty shootout.

Floyd Mayweather kisses Victor Ortiz during the press conference building up to the fight

Faking an injury in order to stop play was as regular a sight at the 2006 World Cup as vuvuzelas were at the 2010 tournament

Mayweather’s post match mood indicates that even he knows his actions were ethically questionable

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SPORT

SPORTS DIGEST

NFL - Same as it ever was?

Lacrosse

The University Observer · 4 October 2011

D

Women’s soccer

Basketball The National Basketball League begins again on October 2nd. A busy pre-season schedule for UCD Marian included eleven wins and only one loss, and also saw the team win the Stu Robbins Memorial competition. UCD have added to their cup-winning side with several off-season signings. After two seasons in Belfast, former scholarship holders Barry Drumm and Kevin Foley return to the club, the latter being the top Irish scorer in the league last year. The Meany brothers’ influence on the team has increased, as captain Niall and point guard Conor are rejoined by their eldest brother Kevin, who returns after a five year Superleague break.

Along with the returning players, Brendain O’Riain has joined up with the squad after earning a scholarship. UCD Marian has also signed Donnie Stith, a 6’9 forward who played professionally in Tulane for the last three years.

Stith is an explosive talent and should be one to watch out for this season.

Gaelic Games Current UCD students Rory O’Carroll, Cian O’Sullivan and Michael Fitzsimons formed the full back line for Dublin’s All-Ireland Senior Football championship win against Kerry. Other UCD graduates for Dublin included Alan Brogan, Michael Dara McAuley and Barry Cahill.

by Mike Palmer

Winning and Whining

After the offseason lockout, George Morahan reveals that all seems the same in the NFL

The UCD men’s Lacrosse team will take part in the European Championships in Hamburg on the 23rd and 24th of October.

The culmination of two seasons of intense competition, which included strong wins over NUI Galway and Trinity College Dublin by the UCD team, means that they are eligible to contend for the competition. It comes off the back of the men’s team claiming back-to-back league titles in the last two years. An experienced squad of current UCD students and alumni, led by their impressive captain Aidan Marshall, puts the team in a good position entering the tournament.

UCD graduate and former UCD Women’s Soccer Club Captain, Louise Quinn, captained Peamount FC out against Paris SaintGermain in Tallaght Stadium last Wednesday in the knock-out stages of the Women’s Champions League. This is the first time an Irish women’s team has qualified for the latter stages of the Champions League. Peamount lost 2-0, after goals in the last quarter of the game from Nora Coton-Pelagie and Cindy Thomas.

Peamount play PSG in the return leg in Paris on Wednesday.

Two UCD EAA scholarship players, Ciara Grant and Dora Gorman, represented Ireland at the U-19 UEFA Women’s Championships in Portugal. The team was captained by Gorman, who scored twice in the tournament, while Grant also grabbed a goal in the 6-0 demolition of Hungary.

The team now move into the second qualifying round, the draw for which takes place on November 15th.

The Badger:

T

he ugly realities of the NFL lockout have begun to reveal themselves four weeks into the 2011 season. After the longrunning dispute between the owners and players was settled in late July, concerns about lack of practice time and substandard performances were muff led by the excitement surrounding free agency, and general relief that the season had been ensured.

At this early stage of the season, the defensive cracks have been exposed and ruthlessly exploited, as many teams tipped to make progress this year have taken a step back, due to momentum and practice time lost due to the strike.

Much of the offseason chatter revolved around the Philadelphia Eagles as they went about assem-

bling the ‘Dream Team’. After an unconvincing win in St. Louis, they slipped to consecutive losses against the Atlanta Falcons and New York Giants, and the sheen has quickly

their offensive line, (to protect the explosive, yet fragile, quarterback, Michael Vick) would have been the more prudent course of action.

The Falcons were another trendy

worn off. It’s become clear that the Eagles have just thrown a lot of money at problems they didn’t even have, while neglecting positions of need. They have a stable of decorated cornerbacks, as well as impressive depth at skill positions, but investment in their run defence or

pick this year after leading the NFC with a 13-3 record in 2010, but their success was based on their superior coaching and a great team ethic. Big name additions such as Julio Jones and Ray Edwards haven’t been able to make up for a fractured offseason schedule.

Although some supposed contenders have faded, perennial forerunners such as the New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers appear unaffected by the offseason drama. Led by quarterbacks Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers respectively, these two historical franchises have picked up where they left off in 2010, and are making a mockery of the league’s rusty defences. The aura of bland certainty surrounding the Patriots was disturbed with a shock loss to the upstart Buffalo Bills two weeks ago, but they are sure to canter into the playoffs, along with the Packers and other usual suspects, including the Saints, Jets and Chargers.

As inevitable as the success of some teams has become, the lockout has certainly shaken up the fortunes of the Bills and the Detroit Lions, who have both gotten off to unbeaten starts, while it has also upended some traditional, widelyheld beliefs. Rookie quarterbacks are meant to f lounder upon entering into the league, but Panthers QB Cam Newton has taken advantage of his superior athleticism and improvisational skill to become the most prolific first-year passer in years.

Carolina doesn’t have a lot to show for Newton’s impressive start, but they certainly look more dangerous than the turgid pushovers of last year. Andy Dalton on Cincinnati has shown promising signs of development as well, but very few other new players have been able to establish themselves so far.

This looks to be the year of the unexpected, but in actuality, it’s pretty straightforward: the most talented players and teams are thriving, while those more dependent on strategy, intelligence and routine, look to be regressing in this most exciting of seasons.

Perennial forerunners such as the New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers appear unaffected by the offseason drama

isclaimer: Before the Badger gets started it is important to note that each sentence of this article must be preceded (by you the reader because the Badger is too lazy to write it every time), with “Apparently…” and ended with “…the Badger is led to believe.” Lawsuits just aren’t in the Badger’s budget right now.

The Badger is annoyed, very annoyed. Why? Well the answer is very simple – Carlos Tevez.

There are so many reasons to absolutely detest this man. He gets paid more than any person with an IQ lower than their shoe size should, yet spends his time complaining. In fact, he complains more than the Badger, yet not quite so eloquently – probably because of the whole him being a petulant child thing.

The Argentine, although it would be safe to say Argentina would prefer to not be associated with him at this stage, has crossed the line with his gaffer, Roberto Mancini; ironically, by not crossing the sideline.

Tevez wouldn’t go on against Bayern Munich when called upon in the Champions League last week because he was upset at having been ignored after warming up a few minutes before. The Badger would like to remind you that this sorry excuse for a grown man earns over half of Barack Obama’s annual salary… every week.

The same guy tried his very best to move away from Manchester over the summer, after a failed attempt three years ago only got him a few miles down the road to another Manchester club. Unfortunately for poor old Tevez, no one wanted to pay the big bucks for him. How sad. So he stayed and now, for some reason, he feels the right to act as if Man City owes him something. Such behavior is unbecoming of someone who has so little else besides football going for him.

So bad, in fact, is this whole Tevez debacle, or ‘Tevezgate’ (because its not a real incident until someone puts “gate” on the end), that FIFA Vice-President Jim Boyce spoke out in favor of banning Tevez. As formidable as this idea sounded in Boyce’s potent Northern Irish accent, the Badger can’t help but feel that banning someone from playing because they refused to play is not a great punishment, and misses the point a bit.

But footballers aren’t all bad (well, most of them are, in fairness), like the great Lionel Messi. The Barcelona star is slowly transforming into a godamongst-footballers, so we should start putting up a tree on his birthday and exchanging gifts. If it’s not already apparent, Messi is the “winning” part of the Badger’s very clever title.

The Badger loves nothing more than throwing on a miniature Barcelona jersey and watching Messi make fools out of his opposing defenders. The little winger is mesmerizing to watch, except when he plays for Argentina, but we can only assume that’s because he’s been hit in the face by another vof Tevez’s mood swings. He’s started this season as he starts every season; sublimely.

Ok, that’s enough football talk.

We’re not getting into GAA though, because Dublin won over a week ago and frankly who even cares anyway – the Badger would like to apologise to the forty loyal Dub fans who might have been offended by that comment and the 300,000 others who hopped on the bandwagon for the day.

In keeping with the topic of whining from those who really shouldn’t be, the Badger would like to hit out at the world of men’s professional tennis. Scotland’s Andy Murray has said that there may be a strike on its way from all the really good tennis players of this world if their schedule isn’t shortened.

The Scot, who’s usually such a bubbly and cheerful guy, feels he’s being made play too many tennis matches to earn the money he wants. Of course, the option of foregoing some money in order to get the rest he needs is always on the cards, but the Badger doubts the tennis pro will pursue that avenue. Basically, Murray needs to stop being so impressionable and copying his mates in the NBA. They’re a bad influence on him.

You’d think all this cynicism would turn the Badger off sport, but really it’s the best part.

The University Observer · 4 October 2011

SPORT

When the cat’s away, the lions will play

23

Killian goes down undeR The University Observer’s resident New Zealand columnist, Killian Woods, offers further insight from the Rugby World Cup

The thought of cloning Sonny Bill Williams is frightening

Rhys Ruddock in action against The Scarlets. The twenty-year-old has captained Leinster during the World Cup.

Fearghal Bannon and Daniel Keenan look at how Leinster are progressing without their World Cup stars

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einster have made a stuttering start to this year’s Rabo Direct Pro 12 League, but with fourteen players missing thanks to the World Cup, expecting them to continue their amazing form from last season would be unrealistic. New players are being blooded, while coach Joe Schmidt also has to deal with several injuries.

Ian Madigan has benefited from injuries to Mat Berquist and the unfortunate retirement of Ian McKinley, becoming the province’s first choice fly-half in the absence of Jonathan Sexton. Madigan has looked composed on the ball so far and has kicked well, while also controlling the game with remarkable confidence. Not taking the place kicks is more of a testament to Isa Nacewa’s faultlessness rather than Madigan’s inability.

Madigan has shown his potential in the games so far, with tries against Dragons and Warriors, and his importance to Schmidt during the World Cup is unparalleled by anybody else at Leinster. Should he pick up an injury, Academy fly-half Noel Reid is the only other specialist No.10 at the province who can realistically play, and he was given game time against the league’s minnows, Aironi, in case worst comes to worst.

Eoin O’Malley has been a regular fixture in Schmidt’s side this season, without particularly impressing, and his berth at outside centre has to be put down to a lack of alternatives, rather than impressive form. Fionn Carr and Dave Kearney have added a huge amount of pace to the Leinster flanks, but Andrew Conway’s injury is sure to be of huge annoyance to Schmidt, since this period would have given the twenty year old a real chance for prolonged game time.

Isa Nacewa has continued his brilliant form this year, and looks like an all-round perfect fullback, which will mean Schmidt will be faced with a dilemma when Rob Kearney returns from World Cup action. Kearney posses a phenomenal combination of pace, strength and footwork but is let down by poor counterattacking, too often bringing the ball into contact rather than releasing players outside him.

Nacewa thrives on the counter attack, so a switch to the wing for Kearney, who possesses the attributes and has never truly been tested there, is an exciting possibility. Kearney originally broke into the Leinster team as a winger, before converting to fullback.

Tighthead prop has long been an area of concern for Ireland. Despite the temporary reprieve that Mike Ross has provided, the thirty-one-year-old won’t be around for much longer, and Jamie Hagan has become the heir apparent to Ireland’s scrummaging messiah. Hagan has started four games, only being dropped for the Scarlets game to give Leinster’s new recruit, Nathan White, game time and a chance to impress. Hagan has looked strong in the scrum, and was even rushed back for The Dragons game after getting a black eye against Ospreys seven days previous, despite White being fit.

The biggest step-up of any player has been from former UCD man Rhys Ruddock. The U20 Six Nations winning captain, already with a senior cap to his name, became the youngest Leinster captain ever when he captained them against Aironi in February, and has continued to lead the team in the absence of his more illustrious colleagues.

Ruddock has started at No.8 or openside flanker for all but one on Leinster’s Rabo Direct Pro 12 League games, and performed admirably considering his natural position is on the blind side.

His emersion as a utility back row is a massive boost for both Leinster and Ireland, but as with any utility player, he runs the risk of being played out of position to accommodate others, much like James Hook with Wales, and con-

sidering the depth of talent in the back row, Leinster would probably be happier to be grooming a young second row, rather than another battering back row.

With few prospects coming through the ranks, except for perhaps Mark Flanagan, Leinster have been vindicated in their decision to set up the “6’6’ Initiative.” The recruitment drive focuses on identifying players between the ages of seventeen and twenty-three who may have the build to play in the second row at a high level in the future, and then giving these players the top quality coaching they require in order to do so.

Devin Toner doesn’t seem to have the ability to play at lock properly: at 6”10, he is an excellent line-out option, but offers little else around the park.

After the departure of Ireland U20 international Mick Kearney to Connacht, the depth of talent has been further drained, though Steven Sykes’ competitive debut against Aironi on Saturday is a boost for Leinster, and potentially Ireland, should he pledge his allegiance to the country at the end of his contract.

The World Cup has highlighted the depth of talent that Joe Schmidt has on hand, and though some are misfiring, the youth and energy of the European Champions seems to be overcoming any problems, as the cracks which were so apparent in the opening weekend loss to Ospreys are gradually being filled.

Jamie Hagan has become the heir apparent to Ireland’s scrummaging messiah, Mike Ross

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he Rugby World Cup has brought out the best in New Zealand’s shameless, but clever, advertisers who pander to their audience at every opportunity. As a run of the mill customer I like being appealed to, especially when the products involve Weet-Bix and All Black lingerie (50% off ). The Weet-Bix advert however, creates more food for thought than the notion of scantily clad women (bear with me, this is going somewhere).

Five children play rugby in the park and fantasise about playing like the All Blacks. Using masking tape to roughly sketch numbers on the back of their XXL jerseys, they are transformed into the players they idolise.

The child wearing No.7 is immortalised as Richie McCaw, No.5 Sam Whitelock, no.8 Liam Messam and the youngster donning No.12 morphs into Sonny Bill Williams. Another child arrives as Williams as well, but is forced to amend his 12 to a 13 because he is meant to be Conrad Smith. And as everyone knows, there is only one Sonny Bill Williams.

Aside from the irony that Williams rarely starts at inside centre, mainly being utilised as an impact substitute at No.22, and the fact that Liam Messam didn’t make the All Blacks squad, the sequence epitomises certain aspects of rugby in New Zealand.

The advertisers want viewers to believe that if you eat Weet-Bix you’ll become an All Black, however, the thirty-second commercial really exemplifies the grass roots element of the game in New Zealand that drives the country’s unremitting passion for rugby. They eat rugby for breakfast, second breakfast, elevenses, luncheon, afternoon tea, dinner and supper, and even drink from jersey-emblazoned All Blacks water bottles.

When fans watch the All Blacks emphatically dispose of teams like France and bemoan that their team cannot mimic such comprehensive performances, the grass roots is what should come to mind. This is the starting point for developing such spirit, such passion.

Like the favelas in Brazil, where kids play soccer on dirt and gravel, rugby is played in the street in New Zealand. As you go to pick up a loaf of bread and milk from the shop, half a dozen kids will be playing tip rugby using the width of the path and imaginary try lines. Their passion for rugby is inherited from previous generations and embraced due to the All Blacks representing idols that the children aspire to imitate. This loyalty, learnt at such a young age, cannot be forgotten and stays with them for life.

However a caveat to this unquestionable appetite for rugby must be affirmed. New Zealand only supports aspects of rugby that include the best

interests of the All Blacks and the progression of their own team. This is typified by their willingness to abstain from the next Rugby World Cup in 2015 due to the tournament causing significant loss of revenue because of their ban on team specific sponsorship.

They are apathetic about the worldwide development of the sport, so much so that their media questions the decision to award the 2019 World Cup to Japan. And their brazen, bordering on disrespectful, attitudes about other teams is blatant when their anchors cannot fathom the name of an Irish back other than Brian O’Driscoll.

Adding context to the situation shouldn’t alter our view of their enviable situation. They have a perfect environment to continue their domination as one of the best rugby nations due to the social class of the country that love rugby. The middle-class in New Zealand want to play rugby and translate that desire into playing for their local clubs.

Ultimately that is why the natural athletes of New Zealand like Sonny Bill Williams won’t be lost to a different sport. The pinnacle of sport in this country is rugby, so that is where the best talent flocks. Not because they eat Weet-Bix, but possibly because Mammy Bill Williams wore sexy All Black lingerie 26 years and roughly eleven months ago.

On a completely unrelated, yet somewhat more substantial note, I don’t believe in courageous or brave acts from players on the pitch. Some commentators commend the bravery of players for big hitting tackles, try saving interventions and putting their body on the line. This is part of the sport and should accompany their commitment to the team.

True courage and bravery, however, is present at the Rugby World Cup in the form of openly gay referee Nigel Owens. The Welshman commands respect from players on the pitch through his comprehensive nononsense approach to refereeing and piercing tone that wields confidence in every split second call he makes.

If the International Rugby Board are intent on preventing any further confusion regarding the diverse interpretations of the laws that are meant to aid the flow of the game, then Nigel Owens must play a significant role in the tournament beyond the pool stages.

Owens has had a rough journey to the peak of rugby refereeing, which involved an intense battle with depression and a struggle to believe he could be accepted for who he truly is. Since overcoming those challenges he has became one of Wales’s first three professional referees and has taken charge of two back-to-back Heineken Cup finals.

Who knows? Eden Park, 23rd of October may yet be his summit.

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OSbserver P O R T

The University Observer · 4 October 2011

UCD maintain home record

UCD AFC – 3 Dundalk - 0 Scorers: D. O’Connor “35 P. O’Conor “39 Lyons “78

INSIDE...

We ask whether or not sportsmanship is still alive and kicking

UCD triumph over Dundalk in an anticipated return to form, reports Gordon O’Callaghan

U

CD AFC continued their fine recent home form with a comprehensive win over Dundalk on Friday night. The Students sealed what is now their forth home win in a row, comprehensively winning 3-0.

The game began as a cagey affair with neither team able to stamp their authority on the early exchanges. Loose passing and aggressive pressing from both midfields meant that it was not until the sixteenth minute that a shot on goal was registered.

Eventually UCD’s midfield partnership of Paul Corry and Paul O’Conor began to marshal control of the middle of the park, nullifying the threat of Greg Bolger and Keith Ward, the latter of whom was almost completely anonymous for the entire match.

Corry and O’Conor’s ability to control possession in middle of the park and dictate the tempo of the game allowed UCD’s wide men, Darren Meenan and Dean Marshall, plenty of time on the ball. The pair often found themselves in dangerous positions in the opening quarter, but failed to deliver the final ball that was needed.

Instead it was to be defender David O’Conor who would find the key to the Dundalk defence on thirty-five minutes.

Dean Marshall wiped in a delightful inswinging corner from the left hand side, O’Connor timed his run to perfection and powered the header home, past a stranded Paul Murphy.

Ian Foster’s side never looked like they would rally after the goal, instead spending the final ten minutes of the half hoofing the ball forward to an isolated and often disinterested Jason Byrne.

Stephen Doyle, playing as lone striker, pressed the two centre backs all night

and willingly ran the channels to open up space for Graham Rusk; in fact, it was Doyle’s hard running that sealed the win for the students in the thirty-ninth minute.

Doyle challenging for the ball in the middle of the park created an opportunity for Marshall to break down the right, he fed to Douglas and the rampaging full back dragged the covering defenders across the pitch, leaving Paul O’Conor in plenty of space. Douglas found him with a fine through ball and O’Conor simply applied the finishing touches with a low strike to the left.

Two goals up at halftime and with UCD dominating in almost every area of the park, the game was as good as over.

The intensity of the Students’ performance waned in the second half. The torrential rain, along with Dundalk offering little and seeming resigned to a loss, sapped the energy from UCD and their fans.

UCD manager Martin Russell attempted to amend the waning atmosphere in the Bowl by introducing fresh legs with fifteen minutes gone in the second-half.

The dynamic Chris Lyons replaced Stephen Doyle, with his pace adding a much-needed boost to the game. It was substitute Dean Clarke who would have the biggest impact on the half however, coming in for Dean Marshall in the seventieth minute.

The young winger, a late inclusion in the squad after Tomas Boyle withdrew with an injury during the warm-up, took his unexpected opportunity with aplomb. In the space of five minutes he used his pace to reach the byline and dragged a low square ball across the face of the goal for Chris Lyons to tap into an empty net.

page 21 This week, the Badger turns his beady little eyes on footballs newest villain Captain Michael Leahy on the ball for UCD. The Students overcame a lackluster Dundalk 3-0 to maintain their impressive recent home record.

Photographer: Caoimhe McDonnell UCD continued to press the opposition high up the pitch, as Dundalk saw out the rest of the game without even threatening to attack.

UCD have on occasions this season played naïve football, but their first half performance in particular was an assured and mature display, a far cry from the Bray match last week. With Ireland U19’s manager Paul Doolin watching from the stands, some of UCD’s emerging talent stepped up, and could be in line for a call up to the squad.

Yet Martin Russell will be focusing all of his attention on St Patrick’s Athletic on Monday night. Pete Mahon, a familiar face around the Belfield Bowl, will have his side pumped up for what could be a defining game in their league season.

With Derry City drawing at home to Bray Wanderers, the Inchicore side remains in contention for the league title, but will have to compete with UCD’s impressive home record first.

UCD AFC McKinley, Douglas, O’Connor, Leahy, Ledwith, O’Conor, Marshall (Clarke 70 mins), Corry, Doyle (Lyons 60 mins), Rusk (McCabe 81 mins), Meenan Dundalk Murphy, Madden, McHugh, Breen, C. Byrne, Gaynor, Bolger, McDonnell, N. Murphy, Ward, J. Byrne Bookings Ward, Bolger

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raeme McDowell, Paul McGinley, Darren Clarke. These are all multiple winners on the European and American Golf Tours over the last fifteen years, who also began their golfing careers by winning the South of Ireland Championship in their amateur days.

The most recent winner of this prestigious accolade, who hopes to follow in the illustrious footsteps of Major winners like Clarke and McDowell, is Stephen Walsh, a twenty-year-old recent graduate from UCD with a degree in Sport and Exercise Management.

Walsh hopes that this will be the start of many more chances to win such titles, if he continues to apply himself and work hard at his game. His route to this level hasn’t followed the path of say, Rory McIlroy, who was identified as a child prodigy at the age of seven. Walsh admits to not taking up golf seriously until he was fifteen or sixteen, and was taught the basics by his grandfather, who took him to play at his local club in Baltinglass.

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Stephen Walsh in action during the University Games in August, held in Shenzhen, China this year “I missed out on watching Tiger at his absolute best as I only started playing and watching golf in 2006”, Walsh says. “I played soccer until that point, but my knees weren’t able to hold up so I started to play golf instead and immediately loved it.”

It is a decision that has paid dividends. Aside from his success in July at the South of Ireland Championships, Walsh also had the privilege of representing UCD at the World University Games in August, which were held in Shenzhen, China.

“We played at the Mission Hills Golf Club”, says Walsh. The course was where Rory McIlory and Greame McDowell finished runners-up in last year’s Golf World Cup, and has courses designed by Jack Nicklaus and Vijay Singh. “It was such a good experience to play such a big course. The locals treated us like celebrities and it was

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great to experience the atmosphere in the Athlete’s Village.”

Walsh wasn’t able to prevent his playing partner, Japanese amateur sensation Matsuyama Hideki, from walking away with the title. Nevertheless, he describes the experience as “incredible” and hopes that he will benefit from it in the long run.

So what are his future plans in both the short and long term? “Well I’m going to Florida for the winter to train in the warmer climates. I’m hoping to sharpen up my game, get some coaching under my belt, as I’ve never actually had a golf lesson in my life, I’ve only really ever been taught by my granddad.”

The long-term aim for Walsh is to make the Walker Cup team. “That would be my ultimate goal at the minute, that’s why I’m playing and working hard. The standard is so high; it would be great to make that team.”

He cites missing out on the Irish Amateur team recently as a major disappointment and one that he is determined to rectify in the coming twelve months.

His long-term aim is an ambitious one, and for the moment remains just a dream, but Walsh believes that with more practice and experience, he can break into the European circuit. “I’d love to be out on tour playing week-inweek out. I need to get my head down and work hard at my game over the winter, and I’ll probably be in a better position to tell where I’m at and where I’m going as a golfer next summer.”

He admits that it’s a difficult path given “the incredible standard of European golf at present,” but gives the impression that he would relish the challenge of a chance to play against the top players of Europe.

To reach the standard that he has without any top level coaching is an outstanding achievement, and with the prospect of spending the winter in Florida getting lessons and practice under his belt, Walsh’s potential to reach greater heights is unquestionable.

Golf is a game of precision, and his advice to golfers of all abilities is that regular training is essential. “If you put the work in, you’ll get the reward out.”

With only a couple of years of experience under his belt, practice really could make Stephen Walsh’s career perfect.