VOL. XXV, Issue 2, UO

THE UNIVERSITY VOL. XXV, ISSUE 2

OBSERVER 9TH OCTOBER 2018

UNIVERSITYOBSERVER.IE

Illustration: Michael Donnelly

Science Octopuses on MDMA Lillian Loescher P13

Image: Dylan O’Neill for The University Observer

Health Services spent over €140,000 referring students to external counsellors last year

Dylan O’Neill DEPUTY EDITOR The UCD Health Service spent a total of €142,020 referring students who sought counselling on campus to external counselling services for the academic year 2017/2018, The University Observer has learned.

Information received under the Freedom of Information Act showed that 672 vouchers were issued last year to students who applied for an appointment with a counsellor on campus. This is a stark increase from the previous academic year, in which 215 vouchers were issued by UCD Health Services. €32,536 was spent in 2016/2017 referring students to external counsellors.

To cope with the demand for counselling services, UCD Health Services began issuing vouchers to students to cover the cost of seeking counselling outside of UCD in 2015/2016.

In relation to the term 2015/2016, the document states that UCD Health Services operated a “subsidy scheme from whereby student were given €250 subsidy amount toward counselling.” The total expenditure for that year amounted to €7,600, with a total for 44 individual subsidies issued to student cases.

The University does not currently offer subsidies on external counselling. UCD Health Services operates on a policy of offering students who are seeking to meet a counsellor, vouchers to see an external counsellor. All students who sign up for a counselling appointment are emailed the offer of the voucher which entitles them to five free counselling sessions with an external counsellor that is partnered with UCD. Pieta House and Samaritans are both examples of the type of external services that have partnered with UCD. In an interview with the University Observer, Director of Student Health in UCD, Dr Sandra Tighe said that the increase in the amount spent on referring students to external counsellors year on year “was due to service demands”.

“UCD Health Service provided vouchers for off-campus counselling where the students needs were sought... We engaged external providers in November 2016 as we identified the increased

demand on the counselling services”, Dr Tighe said.

At the time of going to print, Dr Tighe told the University Observer that there are currently 133 students on the UCD Health Centre list for internal appointments, consisting of students who have applied for counselling from the start of the academic term 2018/2019 and students who signed on during the summer period. When seeking an appointment with a counsellor in UCD, students are referred into one of three categories: ‘standard’, ‘priority’ or ‘emergency’.

Students who fall into the ‘priority’ and ‘emergency’ categories “have been offered an inhouse on-the-day appointment,” according to Dr Tighe. Dr Tighe re-iterated that all student who come to the Health Services are given the option of availing of vouchers for five sessions with an external counsellor affiliated with UCD. “Those students that opt not to use a voucher are then placed on a ‘first appointment’ list for internal counselling.”

Dr Tighe was unable to answer how many UCD students have been referred to outside counselling services by the Health Services since the beginning of the academic term 2018/2019 as “the reportable statistics are compiled on a monthly basis and we cannot offer finalised statistics on the number of students being referred to our affiliated off-campus counselling providers at this time as we have yet to get final numbers back for September.”

Along with the increase in expenditure over the past three years, UCD has increased the amount allocated for hiring three internal staff.

Namely, one full-time clinical lead, one full time

student well-being assessment professional and one part time student well-being assessment professional. When asked about what the role and responsibilities of the student well-being assessment professional is, Dr Tighe replied “the role of the assessment professionals is similar to that of a triage professional; to meet with every student who presents for counselling to determine how their needs would best be met.”

The three new positions are set to be filled by December 2018.

Recently, UCD has introduced new out of office hours services for students needing to see a counsellor. The University has re-affiliated with Niteline, a service that provides UCD students with ree, anonymous, confidential listening and information, from the hours of 9pm to 2:30am every night during term time.

Dr Tighe told the University Observer that Student Services have worked “in consultation with UCDSU, UCD Student Counselling and UCD Student Advisers” to introduce SliverCloud, an online therapy service available 24-hours a day to students. The service was launched on Thursday 4th October, during ‘Mental Health Week’. This online service is “user driven”, with “live referral links within Silvercloud which places users in touch with UCD student health & adviser professionals.”

SilverCloud offers students “self taught course providing positive coping mechanisms...with modules with content relevant to their current needs and at their own pace,” however it is not “an all accumulating therapy.” The service is aimed at students experiencing “stress and mild cases of anxiety and depression.”

Comment Is objective journalism dead?

Nathan Young & Robert Burke P7

Features Should STEM include the arts?

Adesewa Awobadejo P8

Sport Club focus: Athletics Ciaran Crowther P19 9TH OCTOBER

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NEWS

Glasgow University launches Campus news programme to atone for slavery ties in brief Gavin Tracey

Mental Health Week sees the launch of SilverCloud in UCD Mental Health week saw events all over the country, as well as the UCD campus from Wednesday 3rd October to Wednesday 10th October, aiming to promote good mental health among the student body. Events included health walks, exercises in mindfulness, as well as seminars for people in managerial roles, on how best to “recognise signs and symptoms of stress and mental health” and acquire a “better understanding of the issues in staff welfare.”

One of the most covered events was the launch of SilverCloud, an online service for UCD students that provides modules in content relevant to their current needs. The service has already been integrated into Trinity College Dublin.

Mental Health Week 2018 saw a marked improvement on the same week last year, which had to be postponed due to the condition of the grounds.

#RaiseTheRoof March sees thousands turn out in show of urgency On Wednesday the 3rd October, up to 10,000 people took to the streets of Dublin City centre, protesting the housing crisis, increasingly referred to as a national emergency.

Organised by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and the National Homelessness and Housing Coalition, the march attracted a number of groups, including various Student Unions, as well as a number of TDs. Many Labour TD’s were met with jeers and taunts, as many believe they are partially to blame for the crisis, being in government with Fine Gael from 2011-16. UCDSU contributed to the strong presence at the march.

The march attracted a diverse crowd, with nearly all political parties attending, bar Fine Gael. Other groups involved ranged from the Union of Students Ireland (USI), women’s groups like the National Women’s Council of Ireland, and Traveller groups.

Many of those marching saw the march to be a success, citing the fact that the government lost a vote in the Dáil, on the motion to declare the issue a national emergency.

The motion also calls for rent controls to be introduced, as well as an end to evictions into homelessness. While the vote does not have to be acted upon by the government, it adds even more pressure on to Fine Gael to deal with the crisis. Despite this pressure, many agree that it will not lead to any form of substantial policy change.

Rebecca Carter takes her place in UCD Ms Rebecca Carter has started in her first year of Veterinary Medicine in UCD, after winning her High Court case against the State Exams Commission. Ms Carter, who missed out on the first round offer by only six points, and on the second round offer by only one, sought a review of her papers. Upon doing so, she found that the examiner had a made a basic arithmetical mistake, resulting in a ten point loss When she contacted the State Exams Commission (SEC), they informed her that they would not be able to correct the mistake until mid-October, effectively denying her a place in her desired course. In court, the SEC claimed that her case was merely “self-serving”.

In his written statement, Mr Justice Richard Humphreys criticised the system as being “highly unfair”, and that Ms. Carter had found herself in a position that “cannot be repeated”. He labelled the system as being “manifestly not fit for purpose”. It is unclear as to what effects this ruling will now have on the process by which exams are reviewed, with counsel for the SEC warning that it would allow up to 5,000 cases to come before the court next year.

Rebecca was met with cheers in the Student Centre, and was welcomed to UCD by the Union’s sabbatical team.

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AUTHOR: CONOR MCCLOSKY The University of Glasgow have published a report on their historical ties to slavery and the slave trade in Africa and the Caribbean, following two years of research. The report, which was published in September of this year by Professor Simon Newman and Dr Stephen Mullen, acknowledges the gifts, monetary and otherwise, that were given to the University by individuals who had profited, in different ways, from slavery. Both authors are from the University’s history department.

Despite having no direct links to slavery, the 546 year old university has officially recognised how it has benefited from funds provided by at least 16 individuals who profited from slavery. They now wish to make amends through a programme of “reparative justice” which will focus on increasing diversity and awareness on campus. Through this programme, the University of Glasgow intends to simultaneously raise awareness of what has been described as a “troublesome” part of its history, while removing the traces of this history from its campus.

The report acknowledges how it “is impossible to calculate the precise financial benefit that racial slavery generated for the University of Glasgow” but places estimates between £16.5 million and £200 million in The vastness of this gap is supposedly justified on the

present-day value.

The vastness of this gap is supposedly justified on the grounds that the report aimed to “establish whether or not the University of Glasgow reaped significant financial benefits from donors who owned enslaved people or who profited from the trade in enslaved people or the goods they produced”, rather than to calculate the degree with which they have benefited from such funds.

This reparative justice programme will not see monetary payments made to any communities who may have been affected by slavery between the 17th and 19th century, but rather intends to increase awareness of the University’s history “while moving forward in new directions to benefit the University community”.

This report lays out 9 objectives which the University’s Senior Management Group have committed to follow “with the goal of achieving reparative justice and enhancing awareness and understanding of the history of the University’s connections to both slavery and abolitionism”.

These objectives include an increase in “racial diversity of students and staff”, scholarships for BAME (Black, Asian and minority ethnic) students from Afro-Caribbean descent and the naming of a major new University building or space to “commemorate a significant figure” such as James McCune Smith, an alumnus of the University who

was once a slave. The report addresses how awards and buildings within the University have been named after the same individuals who had profited from slavery to which the University now wishes to dissociate from.

Further objectives include “the creation of a creative arts and sciences series with performances, events and lectures ranging from poetry to film-making to medical and scientific research relating to both historical and presentday slavery” and “the creation of an interdisciplinary centre for the study of historical slavery and its legacies” in the University.

The University intends to complete these objectives within the decade. Sir Geoff Palmer, a retired professor from Heriot-Watt University and Scotland’s first black professor, welcomed the report and called on similar institutions to make similar amends. The actions of the University of Glasgow have not faced any major criticisms surrounding their handling of this issue.

The University of Glasgow has a somewhat unusual historical relationship with slavery. Despite having benefited from at least £16.5 million in funds from those involved in slavery, it was an institution that publicly opposed the practice during the 18th century. The University employed three professors who were active in the Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade (founded in 1787) and sent anti-slavery petitions to the British parliament during that time. The report addresses how this part of the University’s history is a source of pride but exists in stark contradiction to the fact that the University was benefitting from the practice they sought to end during this period.

There are no known connections between UCD and slavery. However, ties do exist between the slave trade and other Catholic educational institutions. One such example is Georgetown University, in Washington DC, which in 1838 saw the sale of 272 slaves by the Jesuits who ran the University so that they could repay a debt. The sum of the debt is approximately $390,000 in present-day value.

In 2017, Georgetown replaced the names of two halls, which had previously been named after two Jesuits who had been involved in the sale, in memory of Isaac Hawkins, a former slave who was the first individual listed on the Articles of Agreement for the sale, and Anne Marie Becraft, who established a school for girls of colour in Georgetown in the 1920s.

It remains to be seen how other universities, both in the UK and the rest of the world, will act, and the question remains whether this programme of “reparative justice” is a one off, or if it will lay the groundwork for other institutions to follow suit?

Universities demand crackdown on ‘essay mills’ AUTHOR: KILLIAN CONYNGHAM Academic plagiarism is once again in the spotlight, as 46 university officials in the United Kingdom have written to the UK Secretary of State for Education calling for a ban on companies offering written-to-order essays. The letter came amidst reports that, despite ongoing efforts by both universities and governments globally, plagiarism cases are on the rise. Such a ban has already been implemented in New Zealand and Australia, and is currently being considered

by Minister for Education, Richard Bruton.

The targeted companies, referred to in the letter as “Essay Mills”, provide students with unique, personalised essays, written by other students and academics, with price depending on length, timeframe and desired grade.

According to the letter, these companies “undermine the integrity of UK Higher Education and are unfair to the vast majority of honest, hard-working students”. The signatories of the letter include the Vice-Chancellors of over 30 UK universities as well the heads of many other third level education institutions.

A recent study conducted by Prof. Philip Newton at Swansea University Medical School revealed that in samples from 2014 to present, an average of 15.7% of students admitted to having paid someone to complete an

assignment. This figure is up from the historic average of just 3.52% in 1978.

What makes “Essay Mills” of special concern to universities is the fact that each essay is one of a kind.

This allows them to pass the plagiarism detectors used by the universities, which can only check the submitted essay against databases and the internet.

This idea of a ban on such services is not only being considered in the UK. The letter itself actually makes reference to an Irish Bill, proposed in May of 2017 by the Minister for Education and Skills, Richard Bruton. This Bill would include “new powers to prosecute ‘essay mills’ and other forms of academic cheating”, and would make Ireland the third country in the world, after Australia and New Zealand, to introduce specific measures to combat this issue. Minister Bruton said that the proposal is “vital to ensuring an equal playing field for all our students.”

It remains to be seen how exactly this bill would be implemented, and which companies fall within the Minister’s definition of “Essay Mills”.

Something mentioned specifically both in the Irish proposal and the letter is preventing these companies from explicitly advertising their services, especially using wording that implies the essays are made to be fraudulently passed off as

as a student’s own work. The letter makes explicit reference to the London underground, likely due to an Advertising campaign by “Okessay.co.uk” in 2016. The posters, which were located in tube stations, had the slogan: “Got an essay due tomorrow?”.

While it is clear that such advertisement would not be acceptable under new legislation, it is less clear how the legislation would handle essay writing services that do not condone their essays being passed off as the students own. The Dublin based site “writemyassignments.com”, offer “support, consultation and editing services as well as sample papers for undergraduate and postgraduate students.” Their terms and conditions state they “do not condone our customers to submit documents received through our services to any third level institution under the pretence of being their own work”.

Any legislation intending to help resolve the concerns brought up in the letter would almost certainly have to address the possibility of students abusing such services by submitting the work as their own regardless. In New Zealand, for example, websites such as “essaywriting. nz” still advertise themselves as “Cheap Write My Essay Solutions From New Zealand”, despite legislation being in place there since 2011.

NEWS

Image: Dylan O’Neill

UCC responds to housing crisis by asking staff to take in students AUTHOR: JADE SOPHIE WILSON In late September 2018, it emerged that University College Cork’s Student Residential Services & Community Relations Officer, Gary Mulcahy, sent an email to UCC staff asking them to consider renting their spare rooms to students and to encourage their family and friends to also consider housing students.

Mulcahy appealed to staff due to the fact that 40 UCC students were still without accommodation in the second week of the academic year. It was reported that many students are staying in B&Bs, hostels or sleeping on couches while they search for more long-term housing to accommodate them for the full academic year.

With rising rents and a lack of purpose-built student accommodation, rent prices have become increasingly burdensome on students, and the homelessness crisis continues to deepen across the country. Some universities have found that they are oversubscribed each year as demand for rooms outstrips their limited supply.

The pressure on international students and those who live too far away to commute has lead to a number of students deferring their college places until they can find affordable accommodation, or even dropping out entirely.

The lack of affordable student housing is an enormous barrier to accessing education in Ireland, where fees are already the second highest in Europe, after Italy.

The problem extends beyond Dublin and Cork. The Department of Education figures have shown that demand for student accommodation in Limerick is expected to outnumber supply by more than 2,169 students by 2019.

This has led universities across the country to try and tackle the housing crisis in a variety of ways. At the ‘Raise the Roof” rally last week, USI stated “For years we’ve been saying that there is a massive issue. We could see that there is a 2% increase in the students attending college coming year on year…and yet the numbers of student houses and beds were not being build to match the need.”

In 2017, TCDSU and UCDSU relaunched a campaign with Daft.ie to secure student accommodation, asking homeowners to rent their spare rooms as digs accommodation. Under a Union of Students in Ireland (USI) scheme, supported by the Department of Education, those who host students in digs can earn up to €14,000 in non-taxable income under the rent-a-room relief tax break.

TCDSU have also condemned Airbnb’s priority of tourists over residents in Ireland who are in dire need

National news in brief Brían Donnelly

UCC makes over €225,000 Department of Education in library fines over four most frequently lobbied by years employers’ and business group Fines charged on overdue books have become a significant source of revenue for university libraries in recent years, information received under the Freedom of Information Act has shown, with the library in University College Cork collecting €226,910.94 between January 2014 and September 2018. The library currently has €66,709.92 in outstanding library fines.

Meanwhile, the library in NUI Galway has received €207,813.37 in library fines to date since 2014. The library in NUIG introduced automatic renewals in January 2018, reducing the amount collected in fines by almost 40 percent to €31,078. The NUIG library is owed approximately €141,584 outstanding fines which have accumulated since 2014. The amount received in fines has fallen each year since 2014 when the NUIG library brought in €68,000.

The library experienced a near-€12,000 fall in revenue from fines in 2015, dipping again in 2016 to €52,353.77.

PwC becomes Maynooth’s highest paid consultancy firm in 2017/2018 PwC, the world’s second largest professional service firms, has secured a 5 percent year-on-year increase in revenue earned from Ireland’s youngest university, becoming Maynooth University’s (MU) highest paid external consultancy firm.

The multinational consultancy firm with offices on Spencer Dock, Dublin 1, received €181,716.51 last year, pushing the previous highest-billing firm, Graham Pelton UK, into second place. PwC were previously MU’s 9th highest paid consultancy firm in 2015/2016, receiving €59,655 that year, before almost tripling its revenue to €173,345.13 in 2016/2017.

However, Graham Pelton, a UK-based fundraising and management consulting firm, has received over €466,000 over the last three years, making it the university’s highest paid consulting firm since 2015/2016. MU has used a total of 211 consulting firms since 2015, according to documents released under the Freedom of Information Act.

Representatives from Ireland’s largest business lobbying group, Ibec, have directly lobbied the Department of Education more than any of the 242 other registered lobby groups. Records show that representatives from the largest lobbying group in Ireland have directly lobbied the Department 48 times over the last 3 years, while Chambers Ireland, a network of Irish chambers of commerce, has lobbied the Department 31 times. Think-tank Social Justice Ireland and non-governmental organisation AONTAS submitted 18 and 17 lobbying returns, respectively.

Records show that Ibec urged the Government in 2016 to “commit to a new sustainable funding model for higher education” which would include fees and a student loan scheme.

6 groups representing students, including UCD Students’ Union, TCD Students’ Union and Union of Students in Ireland (USI) also lobbied the Department directly. Mary Immaculate Students’ Union lobbied the Department 4 times, while UCDSU and ULSU did so twice.

DITSU, TCDSU and USI directly lobbied the Department once since 2015. However, UCDSU has lobbied other public bodies and representatives a total of 10 times, with UCDSU Graduate Officer Niall Torris lobbying NUI Senator Michael McDowell earlier this year. Since the Regulation of Lobbying Act commenced, TCDSU recorded 17 instances of lobbying while USI submitted 20 lobbying returns.

In total, 893 instances of direct lobbying to the Department of Education have been recorded, with 68 percent of lobbying efforts involving a public policy or programmes. 22.5 percent related to matters involving public funds, while almost 9 percent of lobbying related to legislation. Less than 0.5 percent involved zoning or development matters.

Check universityobserver.ie for more.

of housing, and have been actively critical of overpriced student accommodation. TCDSU have previously denounced Kavanagh Court, owned by a private student accommodation company Uninest Student Residences, for charging 950 per month for a room.

Last year, UCDSU went undercover to expose the substandard conditions of properties advertised to students and the extortionate costs which were being charged, many of which did not have the option to sign a lease or contract.

Practices such as these are expected to worsen as rent prices have skyrocketed above the peak of the Celtic Tiger.

Average Dublin rents have gone up by 12.4% in the past year, and Galway has faced a 13.6% increase.

In August, Maynooth Students’ Union protested high rent prices when the Students Union President, Leon Diop, removed a property advertisement from a Maynooth students accommodation page due to it being too expensive.

The room was advertised for 600 per month. On Twitter, he wrote “a landlord trying to charge 150 weekly in Maynooth.

I remember a time when that was two weeks rent.”

UCD Students’ Union has also refused to advertise some student digs due to homeowners overcharging students.

UCDSU President, Barry Murphy, told the Irish Times that

the Union has refused to advertise digs in places such as Ailesbury Road and Killiney that were looking to rent out spare rooms for over 1,000. “As far as we’re concerned, they’re taking advantage of students because they know demand is far outstripping supply,” he said.

In the past month, several housing protests have taken place around the country. In September, students from UCC and Cork Institute of Technology protested the lack of student accommodation as well as rent prices in Cork.

UCC Students’ Union President, Alan Hayes, told the Evening Echo that “families are having to take out loans on top of mortgages to put their children through college and that’s not acceptable.”

On 3rd October, an estimated 10,000 people attended the Raise The Roof rally at Leinster House. Speaking at the rally, USI President Síona Cahill criticised the government for the “complete lack of planning” which has led to the crisis.

Calling students to action, she added: “This is the social justice issue of our generation, a locked out generation. We must demand better, and not settle for less.”

International news in brief Una Sinnott

Irish schools to begin campaign emphasising foreign languages and student exchanges Launched by the Minister for Education, Richard Bruton during Autumn, the campaign is supported by a website that will act as a “one-stop shop” for schools, parents and students interested in language learning. According to government officials, this is to help our country secure a spot among the top 10 in Europe for language teaching and learning.

“We have set the ambition to put Ireland in the top 10 countries in Europe for the teaching and learning of foreign languages, as part of our overall goal to have the best education system in Europe,” Richard Bruton commented on the matter.

He added that 10 Irish schools will be awarded €15,000 each who would not otherwise be able to participate in exchange programs. This monetary sum will be used to contribute towards exchange costs such as flights, to offer scholarships to students.

Chinese college students must solve puzzle to access wi-fi Mental Health week saw events all over the country, as well as the UCD campus from Wednesday 3rd October to Wednesday 10th October, aiming to promote good mental health among the student body. Events included health walks, exercises in mindfulness, as well as seminars for people in managerial roles, on how best to “recognise signs and symptoms of stress and mental health” and acquire a “better understanding of the issues in staff welfare.”

One of the most covered events was the launch of SilverCloud, an online service for UCD students that provides modules in content relevant to their current needs. The service has already been integrated into Trinity College Dublin.

Mental Health Week 2018 saw a marked improvement on the same week last year, which had to be postponed due to the condition of the grounds.

Image: Gage Skidmore (Flickr)

White House administrator pushing to ban Chinese students from studying in the USA In the Spring, the White House administration was debating how to combat Chinese espionage. Stephen Miller urged the President and other officials to stop admitting Chinese students into the U.S. Miller’s proposal was rejected recently over concerns about its economic and diplomatic impact. Media reports commented that the State Department has been cutting back the length of visas it grants to one year for Chinese graduate students studying in certain subject areas.

Terry Branstad, the U.S. Ambassador to China, who is a former Iowa governor, challenged Stephen Miller on the matter, arguing that banning Chinese students would do greater harm to small colleges, including institutions in Iowa, than to wealthy Ivy League schools.

The Trump administration had another student related topic on its desk since college commenced, with an investigation underway to see whether a Georgia University’s policy allowing students to choose the bathroom corresponding with their gender identity contributed to a “hostile environment” for female students.

The issue of transgender toilets is a hot topic with the department announcing that it is currently investigating the complaint after a girl was attacked in her college restroom.

9TH OCTOBER 2018

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COMMENT Liar until proven innocent: The supreme exception Considering the recent confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS), Brianna Walsh questions how the presumption of innocence affects how victims are treated In reflecting upon the confirmation hearings for Judge Brett Kavanaugh, a Yale student declared “Kavanaugh is a symptom of a much larger problem at Yale, where Yale is complicit in giving powerful men power and then being complicit when they abuse their power.” In fact, Kavanaugh is a symptom of a much larger problem than just Yale, where society as a whole is complicit in giving powerful men power and then being complicit when they abuse their power. The case has sparked yet another global debate around sexual violence against women, the legal and societal presumption of innocence, and the corruptions embedded in criminal justice systems regarding rape.

Injustices such as these prevent millions of women from coming forward to report their experiences of assault.

Dr. Christine Blasey Ford has accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her while the pair were teenagers in high school. Two other women have also reported that Kavanaugh has exposed himself indecently in the past and has been complicit in trying to get young girls drunk at college parties so that they could be raped. Kavanaugh has been nominated by President Donald Trump to fill a seat on SCOTUS, the highest court in the land. SCOTUS make rulings that affect all of society, on issues involving the constitution. In a dramatic series of events in the US Senate, Kavanaugh’s nomination for the position of Supreme Court judge was approved by an 11-10 majority vote. However, final confirmation of this became subject to a week-long delay when it was agreed that there would first be a full FBI investigation into the sexual assault allegations.

The case is reminiscent of multiple accounts of rape and sexual assault that have shaken courtrooms, the media, and society throughout the world in recent history. One recalls the Steubenville rape case, a small town setting in which even convicted rapists were mourned in the media and community as having had their football careers stolen and futures destroyed, while the victim was slated for “her own bad behaviour”, blamed for being abused and for “people trying to blow up our football programme because of it”. Finally, to bring it even closer to home, one cannot forget the latest case of rape decided in Northern Ireland, in which Ulster rugby players were found not guilty of the reported assault. Opinions flooded our own media. On the one hand, citizens of Ireland got #IBelieveHer trending, crying that the verdict does not equate to innocence; it simply means there was not enough evidence to prove certain guilt. On the other, the accused received defence and sympathy from society, who were angry that their rugby careers may be tainted as a result of the case.

In most justice systems across the world, including our own, the accused is afforded the presumption of innocence; the burden lies on the prosecution to prove the guilt of the defence. Until that point, there is an assumption that

the accused is innocent of the crime, in the interests of upholding the rule of law and the right to a fair trial, a provision protected in the Irish Constitution. However, as valid as this right stands, when rape and sexual assault comes into question in today’s culture, especially involving those in positions of privilege and power, we forget something. A presumption of innocence does not, or rather should not, result in a presumption that the victim is always lying, especially when it is statistically proven that in the majority of cases, they are not.

This point becomes especially significant when we pair such a presumption with the demonstrable failings of the criminal justice system. The traumatic process in Ireland, for example, treats sexual histories, clothing choices, and general behaviour of the victim as fair evidence against

“A presumption of innocence does not, or rather should not, result in a presumption that the victim is always lying” them. A 2009 study for the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, looked at 40 rape cases between 2003-2009 in which frequent applications to introduce evidence about a plaintiff’s sexual history were granted, on the basis of the defence’s claim that the complainant was promiscuous.

The process of getting to trial and the aftermath is equally disturbing; delays in gathering evidence and gaining a date for a hearing can leave a complainant stranded for years, while inconsistent, often unfair sentencing further worsens the ordeal if the accused is proven guilty, a rare occurrence.

Considering all this, why would someone put themselves through such a system if they wasn’t telling the truth? Why would a woman lie when 90 percent of victims choose not to report their cases, because they recognise the increased trauma that they will suffer as a result? Why would a person lie when they know that their success is limited from the start, when they know that there is a mere 8 percent conviction rate in rape cases in Ireland? Why would a woman lie when she realises that one in three cases result in a partially suspended sentence? Why would she even come forward in the first place?

It would be dangerous to remove the presumption of innocence from our justice system. Cases in which the accused is innocent of rape must occur, however rarely. However, the legal and societal outlook that the

Image: Charles Edward Miller

complainant in such cases is certainly lying as a result of this presumption, is an unfair outlook and not the logical conclusion from the premise. This interpretation shames women in a society in which they are already sexually stigmatised. Women are blamed for their own abuse, due to how they act, what they wear, how much they drink, while simultaneously being treated as mere objects for men’s sexual pleasure. This is highlighted in the Whatsapp messages exchanged between the Ulster rugby players earlier this year, where the complainant in that case was described as a “merry-go-round” they each got to ride. A justice system that facilitates this culture only serves to normalise it within our society and prevents women from reporting their experiences of sexual abuse.

If we persist in considering the character of the accused rapist, their power and position, we must also begin to acknowledge the systematic obstacles that face victims in their pursuit of justice. In doing so, we can begin to realise that while protecting the right to a fair trial is important, conversely, it is equally as significant not to jump to the conclusion that the complainant victim is lying, when it has been proven that this is a rarity. We must reform the narrative, before the narrators become utterly powerless, hopeless, scared. Silent.

“Why would a woman lie when 90 percent of victims choose not to report their cases, because they recognise the increased trauma that they will suffer as a result? Why would a person lie when they know that their success is limited from the start, when they know that there is a mere 8 percent conviction rate?”

Race for the Áras 2018 With the presidential election kicking off, and the centre stage filled with mostly non-politicians, Andrea Andres examines if they are fitting candidates for the Presidency.

After a colourful cast of characters declared interest in running for the office of the President, ranging from burlesque dancer tuned Marilyn Monroe impersonator Sarah Louise Mulligan to Kevin Sharkey, who dreamed of Famine villages complete with red-head girls strumming the harp; the field has been narrowed down to five candidates.

Notably, this the first election since 1966 in which an incumbent president is being challenged for their office.

The challengers are Dragons Den alumni Peter Casey and Sean Gallagher, Gavin Duffy, Sinn Féin candidate Liadh Ní Riada, and Senator Joan Freeman, a psychologist, and founder of Pieta House.

Higgins’ age has been a source of contention during his 2011 campaign. The issue of his age has cropped up again as he seeks another term in office. Former presidential candidate against Higgins, Senator David Norris, speaking to the Seanad, said: “With the best will in the world, do you want a president who’ll be 85 in the last year?”. Perhaps the other candidates are emboldened that Higgins is 77.

They might even deem him an ineffectual leader. At this age, what more can Higgins offer? Maybe it is time for him to throw in the towel in the presidency.

Peter Casey has emphasised “extending the influence

“There’s no need to overshoot with pompous promises and projects” of Ireland around the globe” in his campaign. He wants to set up an “Irish Birthright Programme”. This programme will encourage Irish people abroad to send their children to Ireland to help them gain an understanding of their roots.

This may boost tourism as well. Casey has even suggested the setting up of massive open online courses. He vows not to take the “bonkers” salary of the president, instead he will donate the monthly cheque of €27,000 to a different county council.

Gavin Duffy is basing his campaign on “five pillars”: youth, age, diversity & inclusion, respect and working together. His most notable idea is “the creation of an Ireland International Youth Corp, so young people aged between 18 and 25 can volunteer to take part in a year-

long, certified training and development programme – to

“Just because someone is a successful businessmen doesn’t mean they will be an excellent president” find their direction, build personal skills, travel overseas and support emerging communities”. He wants to utilize the soft powers of the president to create positive social change.

Sean Gallagher launched his campaign online, after he came second in the last presidential race, when a tweet imploded his campaign. He promises to campaign for a united Ireland and intends on building on the work Mary McAleese has done during her presidency. He believes that “we will see a united Ireland in [his] lifetime.” It feels like Gallagher is returning to do unfinished business. He seems to understand the soft power of the president and has said that “it is less about legislation and more about imagination.”

Just because someone is a successful businessmen doesn’t mean they will be an excellent president. The playing field of politics is vastly different from that of business. They aren’t conducting any sales or doing negotiations. They are representing Ireland in foreign trips, welcoming dignitaries, making keynote speeches in various functions. Their words and behaviour will be scrutinised. They will be held to the standard of that of a president, not that of a businessman. One misstep could lead to controversy, and bad impressions last. As well intentioned as the grand ideas is of the Irish Birthright Programme and Ireland International Youth Corps may be, it all feels unnecessary and grandiose. What are the chances that these projects could come to fruition during their seven year term? Where will the funding come from for these initiatives?

Senator Joan Freeman wants to use the president’s soft power to bring awareness to mental health issues and create more national discussion around the issue. She even promised to hold a summit on mental health. Speaking

Illustration: Freya Williams

to Carlow councillors, she says she has been accused of “being a one trick pony, but that trick is very big”. She was also nominated by former Taoiseach Enda Kenny as a senator. She has some political experience, but she has never contested an election either. Despite her single issue campaign, it is an important issue in Irish society.

However, she needs a much more multifaceted campaign.

A president has to be able to comment on other issues.

A controversy has already erupted as it was revealed that she has been given a €120,000 loan from LA-based Irish businessman Des Walsh, founder of Herbalife, which had been accused of operating as a pyramid scheme in the US. Whether or not she will come out unscathed from this controversy is for the future to reveal.

Ni Riada’s centrepiece will revolve around a united Ireland. She wants to shift the focus of the public to the issue of Irish unity. She believes that the “next great debate will be about Irish Unity” and wants to “start

that conversation”. She also vows to hold the Oireachtas accountable. She would use the “ability to address the Oireachtas, to remind legislators of the values that matter - sharing prosperity, caring for all citizens and showing solidarity with others”. Ni Riada is a showpiece and a mouthpiece for Sinn Féin, but she has tried to distance herself from the Sinn Féin with the lack of the party’s logo in her posters. Ni Riada has political experience as an MEP for Ireland and looks like she could take on the job of the president. She seems to feel like she’s obliged to run, as Sinn Fein didn’t want Higgins to run unopposed and she only intends to serve one term if elected.

The candidates should work within the parameters of the office. There’s no need to overshoot with pompous promises and projects. What Ireland needs is a figurehead with strong principles to represent Ireland in a dignified manner. A leader needs to stand for the values the Irish people hold.

9TH OCTOBER

5

COMMENT A quiet referendum With the upcoming referendum on blasphemy, Rosemarie Gibbons explores whether the implications are as divisive as previous referendums on religious affairs.

Ideas surrounding censorship and free speech are prominent topics of debate globally. This could be attributed to several things: easy access to social media, the influence of Western culture, or the evermore multicultural nature of societies.

A popular argument is to tout the very American ideal of ‘freedom of speech’ as the ultimate ideal for a free society. However, the free speech debate becomes a little more complicated when translated to these shores, as the individual does not have complete legal freedom of speech in Ireland. However, this is something Irish voters may soon change where religion is concerned.

Ireland is set to vote on repealing article 40.6.1 on blasphemy from the constitution this 26th October. The legislation, as it stands, was last updated in the Defamation Act of 2009. This update defined ‘all theistic religions’ as protected under the constitution, where its original 1937 iteration was established under a monotheistic Catholic Republic. While the potential fines for cases of “publishing or uttering” blasphemy currently in place are substantial, up to the sum of €25,000, there has never been a successful prosecution under blasphemy law in the history of the republic.

It initially seems that the primary beneficiaries of any change to the law would be critics of the Roman Catholic Church. To say it plainly, the Church has not had an easy few years in terms of public relations. Once a bastion of unchallenged faith, Ireland’s rapid and continuing social change in the last few decades has eroded the Church’s grip on public life in almost every aspect of society.

Many of the Church’s critics have welcomed recent amendments to the constitution with open arms: the repeal of the Eighth Amendment lifting the ban on abortion, the passing of the Fifteenth Amendment legalising divorce, the passing of the Thirty Fourth Amendment allowing for same sex-marriages. The public is seemingly less accepting to the idea of an intertwined church and state than it once was, the former having previously heavily influenced the latter.

However, unlike the last two referenda on abortion and equal marriage, the upcoming blasphemy referendum seems more of a curious bookmark in the decay of Church control in Ireland, than a divisive social issue. The referendum has had significantly less coverage than past referenda in the media, perhaps because it holds far less emotional currency to the average person. In the context of a post-Repeal and post-Yes Equality world, the blasphemy ban seems very small in comparison to its effect in day-today life.

However, the question does stand to how seriously Irish people take blaspheming in their everyday lives. You don’t need to be in the country long to notice that ‘taking

the perceived somberity of the Catholic Church in Ireland.

The palatability of the sitcom still stands, not only as a standalone comedy, but as a fairly radical criticism of the Church’s sometimes awkward place in Ireland in modern times.

An argument frequently made around the time Father Ted was first being aired was that despite the extreme success of the show with both British and Irish audiences, it “wouldn’t be made here”, that such a programme would not be produced by any of our national broadcasters. This is something to reflect upon: is our national media still afraid today of falling foul of the Church? It seems the lines are blurred when it comes to joking about God, but the lines do still exist to many.

The issue of blasphemy in the Irish context was thrown back into public debate in early 2015, with British actor Stephen Fry’s appearance on Gay Byrne’s The Meaning of

“It would be a mistake to think, in our more diverse societal landscape, blasphemy is an issue only affecting Catholics in Ireland” Life, in which Fry decried God as “mean-minded”, “stupid” and “selfish”. Reports circulated of a formal complaint being made to the Gardai, prompting investigation, which gave way to the shocking possibility Fry could be charged and fined for his personal views expressed on the programme.

Following the incident, Minister for Health Simon Harris labelled the laws as “silly” and “embarrassing”, and as incompatible with Ireland as a democracy, and expressed his hopes for a referendum on the issue.

Another high profile incident was when British documentary maker Louis Theroux encountered a possible offence to blasphemy in 2016. Rumours that his feature documentary, My Scientology Movie, was not to be released in Ireland due to the blasphemy laws circulated in the media. Although this reasoning was dismissed by some experts of the Defamation Act, the film never received a theatrical release in Ireland, with little understanding as to why. Theroux’s subjects often include fundamentalist religious sects. Incidences such as these, involving such high-profile figures from outside of Ireland, serve as blistering reminders of who we were as a people not so long ago, under the thumb of a prohibitive Church, and

this portrayal is at odds with our self-perception of ‘modern Ireland’.

Despite who we think the law may affect in everyday life, the law’s existence represents something that isn’t solely an Irish or Catholic matter. Our traditionally Catholic island can make the mistake of being narrow in our understanding to the sensitivities of other belief systems.

The tragic 2015 attack on the offices of satirical French magazine Charlie Hebdo was a direct response to an issue of the magazine “blaspheming” the Prophet Muhammed, whose image is not to be reproduced according to some interpretations of the Qur’an. It would be a mistake to think, in our more diverse societal landscape, blasphemy

think, in our more diverse societal landscape, blasphemy is an issue only affecting Catholics in Ireland. If we are to debate the matter of blasphemy seriously before the vote takes places, it would be to the detriment of those in favour of retaining the blasphemy law to exclude diverse theistic voices from the debate.

While it may make the cut on a future episode of Reeling in the Years, the blasphemy referendum is not likely to be as era-defining in our culture as referendums past. However, for hardline secularists, the free-speech movement, and the atheist community, it is by no means a little victory. It is a perhaps a signifier of even more radical change to come.

An Gardaí and the ceamaraí With Justice Minister, Charlie Flanagan, supporting a proposal for legislation to prevent Gardaí being filmed or photographed on duty, Michael Tuohy explores what effect this may have on society.

The Garda Representative Association (GRA) wants legislation introduced which would make it a crime to photograph or film a garda while they are carrying out their duty. While you can’t blame any trade union for wanting to protect its members, it was disconcerting to hear the Justice Minister agreeing with them.

Speaking on RTÉ, Charlie Flanagan refused to immediately shoot down such a draconian measure, and when asked if he was in favour, he replied simply “I am”.

Now obviously, no member of An Garda Síochana should be subjected to abuse or intimidation via social media or otherwise, just for doing their job. These people are members of our communities, most especially in rural areas, and they also have human rights which must be protected. That is a principle not stated often enough, but a ban on recording on-duty gardaí or posting images or videos of them on social media - which Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan appeared to support a fortnight

“Gardaí were almost directly involved with the death of a person they were meant to protect and absolutely no action has been levelled against the gardaí involved over 12 months later. Yet they expect people to fully respect their privacy 24/7” ago - is not only not the answer or a good response, but it’s an extremely hypocritical stance given recent events surrounding the gardaí.

The objective of protecting national security must be balanced by the right to freedom of press. One of the UK’s most highly regarded judges, the late Lord Bingham, explained it as such: “Those concerned may very strongly wish that the facts relating to such matters are not made public…Experience however shows, in this country and

6 VOLUME XXV, ISSUE 2

elsewhere, that publicity is a powerful disinfectant. Where abuses are exposed, they can be remedied… The role of the press in exposing abuses and miscarriages of justice has been a potent and honourable one. But the press cannot expose that of which it is denied knowledge.”

You could say the same about the issue of photographing and filming on-duty gardaí. In the aftermath of the North Frederick Street incident, many rumours and counterrumours were thrown about. It has been alleged that the incident proved that the gardaí resort to confrontation and force too quickly. In the absence of objective evidence and statistics to prove otherwise, the gardaí were immediately put on the back foot.

The hypocrisy of the GRA and the Justice Minister proposing such measures at a time like this is laughable.

Just a year ago, members of An Garda Síochána were posting private CCTV footage of Dara Quigley across the internet, with complete disregard for the privacy of the private citizens they’re meant to protect. A month and a half ago, we found out that despite their breach of Data Protection Laws, the members of An Garda Síochána would not be punished in any way.

Quigley, an activist and journalist, had what her mother called a “psychotic episode” in April 2017 and ended up walking naked down Harcourt Street. After Quigley was arrested by gardaí under the Mental Health Act 2001, someone shared a video of the incident online. Another member of the force then uploaded the footage to Facebook where it was viewed over 100,000 times. A few days later, Quigley took her own life.

Quigley’s mother says the incident on Harcourt Street was caught on Garda CCTV, which covers parts of the city centre, and that after the arrest, a garda went to Pearse Street station to a CCTV control room, rewound the video to show the incident, and while it was replaying, recorded it on their phone.

That garda then shared the clip with a WhatsApp group that included other gardaí. Someone from the group then shared it to Facebook, and from there, it spread.

Gardaí were almost directly involved with the death of a person they were meant to protect and absolutely no action has been levelled against the gardaí involved over 12 months later. Yet they expect people to fully respect their privacy 24/7, while they take part in morally bankrupt removals of peaceful protesters, supporting privately hired bailiffs, as they assault private citizens.

Regardless of your views on the protesters, or the sight of gardaí in quasi-paramilitary gear, we are still free

citizens of this State, and we enjoy freedom of assembly, freedom of association and, yes, we also enjoy the freedom to record the things we see in a public place. You don’t have to like or agree with the people doing the filming, but such a profoundly authoritarian shift in the law would be

“It is essential that independent recording of police operations is facilitated and permitted. both unjust and unworkable.

It is essential that independent recording of police operations is facilitated and permitted. There have been famous allegations of police brutality – such as the violence between protesters and officers during the

infamous Dame Street debacle of a decade ago – which was only cleared up by video and photographic evidence, or the more recent 2014 Jobstown protests, in which video footage later emerged which contradicted the sworn testimony of members of An Garda Síochána. Any move towards criminalising such an act of civil disobedience would immediately place us somewhere around Turkey in the league of open societies.

Even services as essential to a functioning, transparent democracy as court reporting would fall immediately under threat. In fact, it would take the average person about 30 seconds to see all the ways this could be abused by nefarious members of the force.

If the events of the last few years have proven anything, it is that the people need to know they can protect themselves against rough treatment.

The law will never happen, but it is worrying that a serving Justice Minister should even allow it to be put forward for consideration. The current situation is obviously far from ideal – but the proposed alternative is genuinely chilling.

COMMENT Head-to-Head

Is objective journalism dead?

YES

NO

Robert Burke

Nathan Young

“If you don’t read the newspaper, you’re uninformed. If you do read it, you’re misinformed.” This quote by Mark Twain has never carried such weight than in the deceitful world we live in today. Amidst the bias of the big news outlets of today, it can be hard to know where to turn for objective journalism, and even harder to know what to take on board as true. How has mainstream media gone from being a trustworthy source, a steadfast reporter on the world’s events, to a complex and often questionable commentator on events? It is partly due to the turn that ‘free speech’ has taken in today’s world, and partly due to mainstream media never having been truly impartial.

Free speech has become a different concept to its initial inception. On one side, we have almost exorbitant political correctness, whereby nothing is said without backlash from some group. On the other side, we have those who take freedom of speech to an extreme sense, feeling they have a responsibility to voice any thought, however inane it may be. The result: we see two extremes in journalism; one a bland, ‘tip-toeing around the bigger issues’ report style of journalism that carries no substance. The other, an overly opinionated or weighted style, purposefully accentuating one particular point of view or side. Of course, there is a middle ground with some news outlets that attempt to, and in most cases succeed, in delivering the news in an open and factual manner. However, even with the ‘genuine’ news outlets, the question must be asked as to whether the news that they are reporting has been cherry-picked, whether facts are being unfairly represented, or even if they serve as a distraction.

A prime example of unfair representation in the media was the Liam Miller fundraising match debacle. For those of you who missed this bloodbath of sporting giants, Liam Miller was an ex-Irish international soccer player who passed away following a long battle against cancer. As a testimony to his commitment to the sport, the FAI proposed a fundraiser match be played in Páirc Uí Caoimh. This proposition was not immediately sanctioned by the GAA, citing a rule which prohibits other sports from being played in their grounds. While this decision was regrettable and eventually overturned, the GAA were portrayed in the media as, to quote Damien Duff, “old dinosaurs” for weeks on end. However, much of the scrutiny in the media was driven by the FAI themselves, and fuelled by public outcries of emotion - not what one might call the basis for objective journalism.

However, Twain lived the majority of his life in the 19th century, causing us to question whether or not objectivity was ever truly in existence. Take for example, American news coverage of the Vietnam War. As the war went on, journalists begun to change their sources of information from official press releases to first-hand accounts by travelling to Vietnam. Is this not what objective journalism is? An attempt to seek out the truth? It is, but they became so sickened by the horrors of the war, that their portrayal of the war horrors turned into a portrayal of the war as a failure, despite the successful containment of a Viet Cong attack that began to turn the tide. The coverage, despite this huge victory in a critical stage of the war, led to upheaval and uproar in the States, followed by a growing lack of faith in then-President Lyndon Johnson.

In their attempt to be objective, these journalists achieved the exact opposite.

So, can we ever truthfully say that journalism is objective? Probably not. There are far too many ulterior motives, too much sleight-of-hand, and too much misconstruing of the facts for us to whole-heartedly take the news stories that we see as fact.

For objective journalism to have died, two things must be true. First, there must have been a time when objective journalism existed. Second, it must no longer exist, or at any rate must be in short supply. Depending on how it’s defined, journalism has never truly been objective, or truly objective journalism is as strong as ever.

In the most absolutist way of defining objectivity, journalism could never be objective. Decisions on what stories go on the front page, which details are to be included and which left out, and how much coverage to give any particular story are all subjective decisions. Without a bit of subjectivity, news coverage would be incoherent, boring, and devoid of context.

Therefore, a less rigid meaning of the term is needed. Perhaps a better definition would be “journalism that is both true and gives the reader an accurate understanding of the state of things”. An imperfect definition, to be sure, but a workable enough one, and on that discounts both what is untrue, and what is framed and contextualised in an unfair or misleading way.

An important distinction to be made is between “subjective” and “partisan” journalism. During any controversy, a sure fire way to appear objective or to be even-handed, to speak of both sides as if they are equal, as if they both have a point. During some debates this may be a fair move, but at times it can fail. Take the “debate” over global warming. While there are some minor kinks in some parts of the scientific knowledge, global warming is happening and that it is caused by human activity is objectively true and proven. However a cursory glance at the mainstream media would lead you to believe that there may be some scientific backing to the deniers claims. Outside of science, the best example is the use of the middle ground in discussions surrounding major politicians and their legacies. Figures on the far right are often described as “charismatic”, which is a subjective judgement. A more objectively accurate descriptions such as “racist” are often not used to avoid the appearance of partisanship.

This culture of avoiding the partisan to instill a sense of apparent objectivity has a detrimental effect on the objectivity of news sources, and does the reader a disservice. However, there is a tradition within journalism that eschews this practice, instead opting to “say it as it is”. Journalists such as Seymour Hersh, Jessica Mitford, I.F. Stone, and of course George Orwell exemplify this tradition. All the writers listed above were at least a little partisan and activist in their styles and objectives, but all of whom published many pieces that were both true and gave their readers an accurate understanding of events. Seymour Hersh called the My-Lai massacre just that, a “massacre” committed by the US military. It may have been more moderate to have called it an “incident”, to say that while it may have been a massacre, it may also have been collateral damage. It would also be false and wrong to describe it as such.

Objective journalism, rather than merely non-partisan, has always existed at least on the fringes of the media landscape, usually in investigative teams for larger media empires or as radical smaller publications, but in recent years it’s started to see some revival with the traditional liberal order often failing and people looking for deeper and more meaningful coverage. The increasing popularity of Private Eye; the fact that BuzzFeed has gone from the butt of all jokes about clickbait to the proud proprietors of an Orwell Prize nominated investigative team ands the Washington Post openly saying that President Trump’s statements on Michael Cohen were “not just misleading. Not merely false. A lie.”, are all symptomatic of a journalistic culture genuinely trying to be objective and informative, telling the readers what they truly need to hear.

REBUTTAL

REBUTTAL

While a lot of the case made above is clearly true, it isn’t convincing on the point being discussed. If the discussion were “is journalism always objective?” then readers would no doubt now know that it wasn’t. Adding to the GAA story, most people who study the media, even casually, could add tens of accounts of the press harassing their targets or running campaigns of moral outrage without having checked the details of the case. However, the point is: sometimes good journalists get it right, because they have looked into the story from multiple angles and they know what the truth is.

It’s telling that the case of journalists looking for sources other than the US military during the Vietnam War is used as a negative example above. Military and White House press releases from the time lied. They lied to the press and, by extension, the American people. They claimed that the Gulf of Tonkin incident was an act of aggression by the Viet Cong.

They claimed that the My Lai massacre was a successful military operation against a military target, and that the war was a winnable success even as Robert McNamara commissioned a study which declared the war “a lost cause” and the administration was only still fighting to save face. Given this context, it’s staggering to think that anyone believes skirting press releases is a crime against journalistic objectivity.

The point in the opposing introduction on impartiality bares repeating, and it’s necessary here. Using Seymour Hersh and his exposure of the My Lai massacre as an example, consider the following: If Hersh had not been a partisan of the anti-war movement, and hadn’t been immediately suspicious of a report of an officer being arrested for the murder of “more than one” civilian, then no one would have exposed the extent of the crime. If Hersh had been “impartial”, he would have swallowed the official pill along with the rest of the press, and we’d all be poorer and less informed for it.

This is not to say that being partisan is the same as being objective, and Hersh and his ilk using their skepticism of those in power to guide them to the truth of the matter is not at all the same as cable news anchors using their opinions as the basis of their stories. The sooner readers recognise this distinction, the better.

In the same way an absolutist view of objectivity is not suiting for journalism, as it can never truly be objective, an absolutist view of death is not fitting either. Objective journalism has digressed from an engaging yet informative resource, to a milky, mild, mediocre, and altogether boring affair. It is dead, in the entertainment sense of the word. True objectivity is not possible, but any attempt to do so doesn’t have to be draining to read.

As stated above, a surefire way to appear objective is to appear even-handed by providing both sides of the argument.

This is a technique used in the subterfuge of journalism, to shield the true incentive and angle of the article, journalist, and paper as a whole. This “cursory glance” at mainstream media, which can lead to the belief that the global warming deniers claims hold some truth, is a perfect example of journalism being subjective. This even-handedness is the overall effect of opposing views of the topic that are conveyed across the media as a whole, not by one outlet. This is not the issue at hand, as there will always be opposing points of view that may balance themselves out. True objectivity comes in the ability to compare both sides of the argument, leaving the reader to decide for themselves which side of the argument to take. This happens, but more often than not, the readership of one outlet may lean heavily to one side of the argument than that of another. True objectivity is not devoid of opinion, it can be populated with opinion, but that opinion should be easily discernible from the truth, therefore discarded or accepted as one pleases.

As for the existence of objective journalism, it does indeed exist in small pockets, much like some people still smoke on campus, regardless of the instatement of UCD as a smoke-free campus. The few stragglers that continue to light up regardless, do not classify the campus as a smoking campus, much like the rare objective paper does not mean objective journalism is strong in the media. One good crop doesn’t make a harvest.

Nathan Young

Robert Burke

9TH OCTOBER

7

FEATURES Turning the blue county green in UCD In a year where climate change has reared its ugly head, Eva O’Hara investigates whether UCD is leading by example in creating a greener campus here on our patch of the world. litter and waste, climate change and energy. While the Green-Campus programme does not aim to reward specific environmental improvement projects, it instead looks

“In the past, UCD did not have a reputation of breeding eco-warriors”

Tackling climate change is the communal responsibility of everyone on this planet. From the children on the Green Committee recycling milk cartons to the policy-making politicians of the Oireachtas and beyond. Not one person on this planet is left unburdened by this obligation nor our lives untouched by the effects of it.

So what are we doing about climate change here on our home-turf, UCD? What has UCD, the ‘Global University’, the innovative research powerhouse, done to lead by example in creating a greener campus?

In the past, UCD did not have a reputation of breeding eco-warriors. More recently, the Students’ Union has mandates from multiple sabbatical officers manifestos to tackle climate change as of September 2018. The Union is mandated to have an Environmental Officer on the Council, who is responsible for creating environmental changes across campus. UCDSU President, Barry Murphy listed the removal of single use plastic products from Union shops as one of the changes the current team have undertaken to promote a greener campus. In the long run, Murphy says he “is lobbying university management and have been for the past few months right up to the President

and to [Vice President for campus development] Michael Monaghan for setting up a similar group to EDI but for the environment. So, an action force that would be chaired

by Michael Monaghan and would have contributors from across the university, from the SU, from the environmental societies, from a representative from each school and faculty. The task force would come up with concept and set goals, for example that we would be “plastic free” by 2020 and work to aim to meet that goal.”

However, the Union is not considered the only possible harbingers of change when it comes to the question of a greener campus. The Green-Campus Committee, registering with An Taisce in 2016, aims to achieve the Green Flag for UCD by 2019. According to UCD Estate Service’s website, “Green-Campus is holistic, aiming to make environmental awareness and action an intrinsic part of the life and ethos of educational facilities. This should include the students, academic staff, non-teaching staff, as well as media, local business, contractors and visitors.”

UCD Green-Campus encourages students to submit their ideas to the committee, bringing changes along the lines of the typical and familiar green campus themes, such as

to reward long-lasting, committed improvement from all individuals involved - both students and staff. Currently, UCD does not have the Green-Campus flag and is not listed as an “awarded site” by An Taisce.

What if we were to look at students alone. What can a student do individually to bring about positive environmental change to their surroundings? The ordinary student need not feel out of their depth in the effort to be more environmentally conscious - in fact, it’s the smaller things that aren’t really thought of as making an impact that lay the important foundations for a more sustainable society. Darcy Lonergan manages SAVES2, an environmental initiative, at the National Union of Students Ireland. SAVES2 (Students Achieving Valuable Energy Savings 2) is a project funded by the European Commission under Horizon 2020 which aims to focus on not only students living in on-campus accommodation but students living in the private-rented sector.

When explaining the Student Switch Off Campaign, Lonergan sheds light on the aims of this initiative. “It’s all about getting students to save energy and also how they can build up tips on how they can be more environmentally friendly and to help combat climate change… but the main thing is energy.” These tips include simply switching off appliances to save energy, recipes that make use of leftover food to combat food waste and general suggestions on how to think smarter when it comes to shopping for produce covered in plastic. However, the duty of encouraging and maintaining a greener campus does not rest solely on the shoulders of students, but university authorities and management too. This key combination is proven to yield better results. “We really do need the two of them on board, we need to get them together. I think you really need students leading the way and taking action… a lot of the time [the authorities and staff] don’t know if students would be willing to do this sort of thing.”

If UCD students have not heard of this campaign, it is probably due to the fact that UCD is not an affiliated member of the USI. Where UCC, Maynooth and DCU jump leaps and bounds ahead as climate change combatants,

UCD seems to lag behind slightly, seemingly mildly interested in the whole quest for a greener campus. It is these universities that set a fantastic example for what could be achieved. UCC has opened its first waste-free cafe. Maynooth was awarded its Green Flag on the 25th September. Trinity handed out fabric tote bags during Freshers week, as opposed to the plastic bags you see students carrying around here in UCD. While UCD students remain silent on climate issues, the future environmental aims and projects outlined by the UCD Strategic Campus Development Plan 20162021-2026 show what the University can look forward to in the coming years. This plan sees key consideration of “a broad range of issues, including the general quality of the environment, sustainable development, cultural and recreational facilities, interaction with neighbouring communities, and access to public transport networks.”

The plan envisions a green infrastructure network, the promotion of landscape, biodiversity and heritage here in UCD, but also ensuring its commitment to delivering

“It’s the smaller things that aren’t really thought of as making an impact that lay the important foundations for a more sustainable society.” the Public Sector 2020 energy targets of 33% improved efficiency, having achieved 25.6% reduction to this date.

It is these ‘behind-the scenes’ stirrings that sends relief rushing to the quiet climate-change concerned. The future looks bright, and well, green for a sustainable and environmentally conscious UCD. However, it’s time to look at ourselves as students, it seems. What can we do to lead by example in creating a greener campus? Why do we care, or more so, why do we not care? Why are we clearly ignoring the visible decline of the world that is not too late to stop? Lonergan’s words should echo in our minds.

“I just think it’s really important because we are going to have a huge crisis. Ireland didn’t have a clue how to cope with a bit of snow and floods and there is going to be more and more coming. We have to spend so much money dealing with the aftermath of these things... How much did the snow cause businesses? That’s taxpayers money.”

Should STEM make room for the arts?

Against a backdrop of crises in housing and healthcare, Adesewa Awobadejo examines to what degree the arts are worth protecting.

The relevance of arts in society has always been a controversial debate and in the height of many pressing issues, the debate continues. With the emergence of a housing crisis resulting from a rapid rise of homelessness and many other prominent social issues, the question of where arts and culture stand, and more importantly should it still receive funding in the midst of these crises, is an important question to some.

One of the most popular questions often inspired by this debate is simply ‘what do the arts have to offer society?’ To some, art is undoubtedly significant while to others its significance is considered to be on a lesser plane, if considered at all. Is art just a form of escapism from the “real” world, or does it actually have something to offer society? Kellie Hughes, the Artistic Director at the UCD Ad Astra Academy for Performing Arts, establishes that

art offers meaning to the world. Its significance can be seen in the sense that through art, we can view the world in a meaningful way and art can also bring personal revelation.

In terms of its significance, Kellie says “when we either express ourselves or if we’re struck by a piece of art that either disturbs us or excites us we find something about ourselves that we don’t know about…. If you get good art it can really disturb you. It can excite you and ignite questions. Without that, what are we?” Speaking to some students from UCD, their response was mixed: “of course, the arts are important. I would be wrong to argue they offer no real substance but they’re not as pressing and important as other things.”

We can see art taking a new form in society, for example the abbreviation of STEM becoming STEAM with arts right in the middle. This leads us to another interesting aspect of

this discussion, and that is whether arts should be classified in a separate category from the four traditional areas of Science; Technology; Engineering and Mathematics, or if it should be merged with everything else to accurately place and acknowledge the role the arts and culture plays in our day-to-day lives.

However, it is important to some that the arts remain in a different category for classification purposes, so as to elevate it and show that it’s worth investing time and money in. Kellie defies the need for categories and establishes that art can coexist with society, “I think,if I even take an example of the people I work with here in university, one of the scholars who have just graduated and had a piece of work in the Dublin Theatre Festival is Katie O’Byrne. She was a neuroscientist so her art and her scientific brain both sit together and they’re not mutually exclusive.”

In recent times the crux of the debate around arts is often to do with funding. The Arts Council’s grant from the Irish Exchequer in the year 2018 was €68.2 million. The Director of the Arts Council of Ireland, Orlaith McBride, had a clear vision as she said with the 2018 budget, it would “create opportunities for the public to experience a large-

“In a time where 1 in 6 people in Ireland live in poverty, and with approximately 100,000 homeless with figures increasing does one’s perception towards the arts change?” scale work of excellence, as well as work of real artistic ambition, by supporting organisations through its two new funding programmes.” In a time where 1 in 6 people in Ireland live in poverty, and with approximately 100,000 homeless with figures increasing does one’s perception towards the arts change? Should funding temporarily decrease? Could even a fraction of the funds be useful for something else?

For Kellie, it’s not a question of whether the arts are more important than public services. She argues that people as a whole need culture to have something to survive for. She says “I absolutely agree that other frontline services need it to be running. I think that if you take away the arts and the arts’ role in society, that creates a whole load of other problems. Down the road it’s not as pressing as obviously if I have a heart attack and need to go into an A&E ward.

It’s a pressing issue but down the road if you take away art I think you take away the soul of the society and I think it’s incredibly important for our wellbeing but also for our understanding of ourselves.”

While the soul of a society may be important in the long run, according to some of the students “when we look at these pressing issues we can clearly see that people’s lives are at stake. I think it’s a matter of dealing with those issues with urgency and if that means using other resources, I think that should be okay.” Undeniably arts are important to culture and society but the question how important it is and it’s relevance remains.

Whether you consider the arts as a discretionary past time or something that tells us about ourselves, you cannot deny that even in times of crises, the arts will always be there. Be it in a grand theatre or just from word of mouth, the stories that are brought to life, tell us about our history, our struggles but also our survival as a community.

Image: Camille Lombard

8 VOLUME XXV, ISSUE 2

FEATURES Has the Education Plan passed the test?

Doireann DeCourcy McDonnell asks whether the Strategy and Action Plan 2016 - 2019 has lived up to its purpose.

“To provide the best education system in Europe”. This is the ambition of the Department of Education’s Statement of Strategy and Action Plan 2016 - 2019. The seventy page report published in September 2016 by the Minister for Education, Richard Bruton lays out thirteen key objectives of the department, and how they propose to achieve them. In his forward Minister Bruton claims “too often in previous governments, ambitious plans like this were published but then little achieved.” Now entering into the final academic year of the Statement of Strategy we ask the

“According to a report by the Higher Education Authority, in some third level institutions, as many as 27% of 2016/2017 first year undergraduates did not continue their studies.”

out to do, with a huge jump in students achieving the top possible grades. Of the approximately 62,500 students who took the exam 47 of these students achieved the eleven top grades. The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment explain that the goal of the new system was to bring in newly developed subjects, such as the new English curriculum, with a focus on key skills and shorter courses.

The Junior Cycle continues to roll out more changes this year with business studies and science being examined under the old system for the last time. CSPE (Civic, Social and Political Education) is also no longer going to be available to students, with a new Wellbeing program being introduced in its place. The Government aims to have this Wellbeing Policy for schools finalised and published this year; as proposed in the last iteration of the Action Plan. “The changes taking place as part of the new Junior Cycle bring great positivity to our schools. Teachers are engaging collaboratively, participating in professional

learning experiences with other teachers in their schools and at inservice training” commented Maighréad Mhic Dhomhnaill, Principal of Seamount College, Kinvara.

A main objective of the Action Plan is to increase the leadership structures in schools by providing 3,000 new management posts. The Department of Education has done this by introducing Assistant Principal I and Assistant Principal II posts (informally known as ‘A and B posts of responsibility’). They are designed with the intention to create a middle management. This middle management is a new interface for students and parents to deal with issues they have and also a point of contact to the school.

With this additional responsibility, the teachers that are promoted to these posts also receive an increase in wages; €8,520 for AP1 and €3,769 for AP11 secondary school posts.

One of the Government’s key objectives stated in the Action Plan was to create a framework that reduces

cost bearing on parents. A Fine Gael meeting heard this week that this budget would “not be a giveaway budget, but a broadly balancing one.” The Society of St. Vincent de Paul has previously come out to say that schools are being forced to use voluntary contributions to pay for the basest of amenities such as lighting and heating; voluntary contributions that are paid by parents and guardians. The charity reported an increase by 20% the number of parents contacting it for help to cover back-to-school costs.

Fianna Fáil leader, Michéal Martin raised the point in

“One of the Government’s key objectives stated in the Action Plan was to create a framework that reduces cost bearing on parents.” the Dáil previously, asking the Government to raise the capitation grant and stating that “the existing capitation grant is wholly inadequate, particularly for DEIS schools, and priority must be made for an increased capitation grant in the forthcoming budget”.

An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar responded that “an increase in capitation is absolutely something that is under consideration for this budget,” but he also reminded the Dáil of the investment in school and technological university building and the 5,000 teachers they had hired since the Action Plan was first published. Furthermore, the Action Plan for Education 2018 has committed to providing further support for DEIS schools in the form of programmes for teachers to “promote social and emotional competence, resilience and school connectedness in all learners”.

Going into the final academic year of the System of Strategies, the Government plans to complete and publish many of the reports they undertook and guidelines they have proposed as part of the Action Plan, such as the new primary language curriculum and research on impact in schools of changes to the Leaving Certificate Grading System. Their is also a major focus on the standard of competence in languages. Already there has been a drop in the uptake of traditional study of French with students opting for German and Spanish instead. The Government plans to build on this by increasing choice of languages available, such as the introduction of Lithuanian and Chinese, and an increase in students taking an Erasmus year (4100 students in higher education).

“Education improves our society, boosts our children’s potential and is integral to our economic success. Our approach to education is about giving every child an equal opportunity in life, and that’s why the Government is determined to build the best education and training system in Europe by 2026” comments An Taoiseach in the 2018 Action Plan for Education. All of this is true and although according to OECD Glance at Education 2017 report, we still have a significant way to go to being the best system in Europe, the Government is taking steps in the right direction.

question whether or not Minister Bruton’s administration has followed the same trend.

The report outlines five clear objectives: to improve both the learning experience and success of learners; to improve the progress of learners with special educational needs or at risk of educational disadvantage; to help those who deliver educational services to continue to improve; to bridge the gap between education and the wider community and to improve national planning and support services.

The Statement of Strategy and Action Plan predicted that the number of students enrolling in full time third level education would be 176,000 in 2018, rising slowly every year. In actuality, the number of enrolments increased much more quickly than expected, reaching 180,500 students by 2016/2017, a 10% rise in the last five years. Yet, it begs the question if an increase in enrolment numbers is a true reflection of a better education system, given the drop-out rate is also rising?

In the year 2012-2013, 84% of full-time undergraduate new entrants progress onto their second year in 2013-2014.

However according to a report by the Higher Education Authority, in some third level institutions, as many as 27% of 2016/2017 first year undergraduates did not continue their studies. In a statement from a spokesperson for the Department to the University Observer stated: “We are building on our existing successes, for example, Ireland already has a top 5 position in Europe in several important spheres (including post-primary literacy, third level participation, take up of STEM at third level) and a top 10 position in others (educational attainment, innovation, low dropout from school).

In 2017, the first group of students completed the Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement, which replaced the Junior Certificate that had been in place since 1989. The results which came out on Wednesday September 12th show that the new Junior Cycle has achieved what it set

Is the MSM ban on blood still justified?

Caoilfhinn Hegarty discusses the controversial blood donation ban for MSM and whether or not it truly is a safeguard in medicine health service status and safe sex practices, not gender or sexual orientation”. Dr Martin Davoren, the Executive Director of the Sexual Health Clinic in Cork, also feels that blanket restrictions on certain orientations are unnecessary. He is of the opinion that the screening process for those who wish to make a blood donation should take a different approach and instead be more concerned with the “sexual risk taking activity”, of individual potential donors “whether they are a heterosexual or homosexual person” and that the IBTS needs, in all situations, to take into account “some of the risks their donors have undergone under the past few months”, regardless of orientation. He says that the IBTS needs to ensure that “it’s not about gender, it’s not about sexual orientation, it’s not about anything it shouldn’t be about”, with regards to screening blood donors.

The screening of would-be blood donors has improved dramatically since the 1980s. Initially, in 1985, the first HIV antibody test was only designed to screen blood products - not diagnose AIDS. In addition to this was the complication of ‘the window period’, a period of roughly six months wherein it was a possibility that the virus could not be detected and HIV positive individuals could test as negative. This was a large factor in the decision to place the lifetime deferral on blood donations on MSM. Technology has advanced significantly since then.

For example in November 2002, the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first rapid HIV test

Illustration: Michael Donnelly

In the mid-1980s the AIDS crisis was sweeping the globe and causing widespread panic. AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), a condition which causes the gradual failure of the immune system and allows infections and cancers to grow unrestrainedly, is the result of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). In the 80s it was considered a death sentence. At the time, a person diagnosed with AIDS had anywhere between just nine to eleven years to live. Nowadays, with advancements in medicine and the introduction of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), every effort is being made to combat the prevent contracting the HIV virus.

HIV is a sexually transmitted disease, but transmission can also occur through a number of bodily fluids, such as breast milk and - crucially - blood. On 10th December 1982, a Californian baby became the first known case of a person contracting AIDS via blood transfusion. At this time it was evident from statistics that certain demographics were at a considerably higher risk of being HIV positive: sex workers, frequent drug users, and men who had sex with men (MSM). Around the world, governments and organisations began placing lifetime bans on these men

donating blood, including the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS).

In recent years, due to more sophisticated screening processes for the virus, several countries rescinded this lifetime ban in favour of allowing MSM to donate after a twelve month period of abstinence from all sexual activity.

These countries, to name a few, included France, Germany, South Korea, and Australia. In April 2016, the IBTS held a conference where data from countries who had adopted this abstinence period was displayed. According to the data there had been no increase in HIV positive blood donations since the change in policy. As a result it was concluded that “international experience had shown that a one year deferral is as effective as a lifetime deferral from the point of view of protecting the blood supply against the risk of HIV transmission”. In January 2016, the one year deferral policy was brought in.

However there is controversy surrounding the issue, with many LGBTQ+ groups claiming that the restrictions in place are discriminatory. The National LGBT Federation believes the restrictions are “unnecessary” and that “the ability to donate blood should be based on an individual’s

“Nowadays, with advancements in medicine and the introduction of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), every effort is being made to combat the prevent contracting the HIV virus.” which had a 99.6% accuracy rate and gave a result in 20 minutes.

Due to these strides some countries have shortened their deferral time for MSM, with the United Kingdom currently holding the shortest deferral time for in the western world at just three months. LGBT groups have

pointed to these factors as justification for reviewing and changing current policies on MSM blood donations, and ultimately replacing them with less stringent and, they feel, less discriminatory practices. The National LGBT Federation asserts that “any policy that conflicts with equality, as [the IBTS’s] clearly does, should be required

“In the year 2000, the World Health Organisation estimated that between 15% to 20% of new HIV cases worldwide were as a result of blood transfusion.” to meet a very high standard of justification. In light of much improved and more robust screening processes in this area over the past 30 years, this policy falls well below that. It is now time Ireland joined the growing number of countries who are repealing these 1980s era restrictions in their entirety”.

The IBTS have said that they will “continue to work in this area and review [their] donor deferral policies to ensure they reflect the most up-to-date scientific knowledge” but warn that “this process must be data-driven, so the timeframe for future changes is not something that can be predicted.” There is valid reason for concern as, in the year 2000, the World Health Organisation estimated that between 15% to 20% of new HIV cases worldwide were as a result of blood transfusion. For the IBTS, its number one priority is its commitment “to supplying Irish hospitals with blood that is as safe as it can be”. The Minister for Health Simon Harris supports this stance, commenting that “the IBTS provides a safe, reliable and robust blood service to the Irish health system and has the necessary programmes and procedures in place to protect both donors and recipients of blood and blood products.”

In a country like Ireland where only 3% of the population are active blood donors despite the fact that it’s estimated that 1 in 4 people will require a blood transfusion at some time in their lives, the change in policy has largely been seen as a positive move. Whether or not the restrictions surrounding MSM blood donors will be relaxed in the future with the advancement of medical research and technology remains to be seen, but meanwhile the issue continues to be debated in the public forum.

9TH OCTOBER

9

FEATURES Maintaining ties with alumni Dylan O’Neill speaks to graduates of UCD and DCU to find out how they really feel about their respective alumni offices.

The Union of Students in Ireland have reported that that there has been a 2% increase of student numbers year on year, which will continue for the next decade. Third level education is constantly heralded as a necessity for not only beginning, but succeeding in your chosen career field.

But when we’re handed our degrees, is that the end of the “best years of our lives”? With many third level institutes funding departments to build and maintain relationships with their alumni, is it only the people who donate money to back to the college or university that benefit from this relationship?

For former UCD students, the Alumni Relations department is dedicated to offering services specifically targeted at graduates. Some of these services include a readers card for alumni to gain access to all UCD libraries, as well as a course finder for past students who are considering continuing their studies. On top of that, Alumni Relations regularly host class reunion events as an opportunity to reminisce with old classmates and potentially network with others, who are well established in their respective fields. But do graduates feel the benefit of these services in practise?

Recent UCD alumna, Rachel O’Neill, graduated with a B.Sc Neuroscience in 2017. Having only graduated last year, O’Neill feels that while access to services such as the library can be helpful if you’re doing exams for accountancy and don’t have access to a library in your workplace, as a science graduate she has had “no need to contact alumni relations.” However, O’Neill acknowledges that “if I needed them for something related to my career then absolutely” she would work with the alumni relations office in the future.

UCD Alumni relations have a strong presence on campus with it’s reunion events being covered online and with the circulation of their publication UCD Connections.

Graduates also receive regular emails that include the upcoming events and notifications of when the next issue is out. How well-received is this by graduates? O’Neill feels that “they give off the impression” that there should be a strong emphasis placed on maintaining connections between UCD and alumni. “I have a pretty low affinity for UCD as a college which doesn’t incentivise me to maintain relations with them. I’d like to think I have good relationships with many of the people in my course even if I don’t see them as much as I’d like to.”

A factor that she believes would benefit the alumni relations to take into account is the importance of being transparent with graduates. “Don’t just send them a generic email about alumni events. Organise the graduates by their course and send them things that they might be interested in. Before they graduate, they should tell students about the services they offer and why they might benefit them. I spent 5 years in UCD and I’m still not entirely sure what the Alumni Relations Office does or how it could benefit me.”

Fellow science graduate, Hannah Boylan agrees that the alumni relations are not emphasised for those who have

just recently graduated. As it is too soon after graduation to have a reunion event, she suggests “maybe career events or a showcase of what other alumni have done. The few events I have seen that are targeted at alumni just seem to be a way to make money.”

Ian Barrett, who graduated in 1983 with a Bachelor of Arts,has a different perspective on his dealing with the alumni relations office. Despite graduating 35 years ago, he has never attended a reunion event in UCD, and describes UCD’s attempts on maintaining contact is “not very strong”. Still, Barrett has served on the Alumni Committee in National College of Ireland during the term 2006/2007, and believes that third level institutes who wish to create strong relations with their alumni need to be strategic and target specific alumni closer to their campuses.

Listing his own experience of the DCU Business School Alumni Office, he “assists them [DCU Business School

“Hannah Boylan agrees that the alumni relations are not emphasised for those who have just graduated“ Alumni Office] by getting involved in a ‘mock interviewing’ evening for their MBA undergraduate class.” He explains that he completed an MBS in DCU in 2000. He suggests that he was asked to fulfill this role for a number of reasons “1). I am competent to do this. 2). DCU is close to my workplace. 3) My son is a student there. 4). It is a form of networking.”

So how does DCU differ from UCD in terms of relationships with their alumni? Cormac Warrillow, who graduated in November 2017 with a BSc. Actuarial Mathematics, describes having only been made aware of the services and events aimed at alumni through word of mouth. DCU have an Alumni Council that is comprised of graduated students that volunteer and represent the University’s alumni and organising events. The possibility of “night courses” was a reason Warrillow gave for considering working with the alumni relations office in DCU. Overall, informing students at an earlier point in the undergraduate course of what services are made available to alumni once and “an ad campaign would go a long way” according to Warrillow.

With the amount of events that the alumni relations hosts, it is not a question of lack of visibility on their part, though it appears they could benefit in attempting to have more effective communication. Younger alumni feel overlooked in the eyes of the respective alumni offices for more established alumni that have a greater ability to donate back to their third level institutes.

Celebrate 25+ years of student journalism with us Visit universityobserver.ie to learn more

SCIENCE What is malaria and how are we fighting it?

Malaria-carrying mosquitos pose a lethal threat to millions of people worldwide. Evelyn Elias investigates the current state of the scientific battle against the disease.

It has been estimated that half of all people who have ever lived have been killed by malaria. Although the statistic seems unfathomable, it may not be far off. Indeed, the parasite that causes malaria is theorized to have been around since the time of dinosaurs. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) 2017 Malaria Report, malaria affected 216 million people in 2016 alone, and killed an estimated 445,000. Malaria is an endemic in

“Malaria has been defined as a disease of poverty; there is a lack of sustainable and predictable funding to eliminate the disease in high-risk zones”

periods of time. For example, some effective preventative medications are both expensive and can lead to nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, blurred vision, and vivid nightmares.

Furthermore, the parasites are becoming resistant to antimalarial medicines, and mosquitos are becoming resistant to insecticides, threatening the control and elimination of malaria across the world.

Although this presents a grim state of affairs, all hope is not lost. Advances have been made which have reduced the number of cases by 18% in the past year alone.

Foundations like the WHO and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation are working hard to decrease the prevalence of malaria, with the goal being to one day eradicate it entirely.

These organizations fund several preventative measures. For example, between 2014 and 2016, 582 million insecticide-treated mosquito nets were delivered globally, decreasing the incidence of malaria around the

world. Malaria pills are provided intermittently to pregnant women so they can prevent the infection in this vulnerable population. Rapid-response malaria diagnostic tests have also been delivered in large quantities, to help detect malaria before its symptoms become severe. As with most diseases, early detection is best.

The bigger picture solution seems easy: why not just get rid of mosquitos instead of the parasite that causes the malaria? There are several reasons why this is easier said than done. First, mosquitos have an important role in the globe’s ecosystem – they are a necessary food source for other insects, fish and birds. Without them, we would see the population numbers of those species fall. Second, even when we try to kill the mosquitos with widespread insecticide use, they only become resistant, rendering this practice useless.

However, new and exciting research in genetic

modification of mosquitoes is underway. “Mosquito factories” could potentially eradicate the strain of mosquitos that carry malaria without causing the death of a species as a whole. Researchers have begun genetically modifying mosquitoes in such a way that they are unable to carry diseases such as malaria, dengue fever and the zika virus. These mosquitoes would be mass-produced in these factories, and could outnumber and competitively eliminate the disease-carrying mosquitoes.

To make it even more worthwhile, genetically modified (GM) mosquitoes mating with other GM mosquitos will pass on the gene that makes them resistant to infection by the parasite or virus. At the same time, GM mosquitoes mating with non-GM ones will have infertile offspring, essentially eliminating the spread of the disease through this mosquito vector. These genetically modified mosquitoes could be the future of eradicating malaria across the world.

106 countries around the world, mostly within Africa, and nearly half of the world’s population today is at risk. To put these numbers into perspective, in Zambia approximately 20% of babies do not live past their fifth birthday because of malaria. Across Africa, one child dies every 30 seconds from this disease.

In Ireland, mosquitos are mostly seen as annoying bugs that ruin patio drinks and hiking trips. But in most parts of the world, they are deadly creatures that put everyone’s life at risk with a simple prick.

Malaria is caused by a small parasite that lives in a certain type of female mosquito, Anopheles, which mainly lives in warm, tropical climates. The parasite spends most of its life cycle in the mosquito until the mosquito feeds and bites a human, transmitting the parasite. The parasite then travels to the bloodstream where it infects blood cells and finishes its life cycle. This causes the red blood cells to burst and release many other parasites, infecting other blood cells, and so the cycle continues.

Malaria makes people severely sick, causing high fevers, headaches, muscle pains, shaking chills and other flu like symptoms. If left untreated, this disease can lead to comas, convulsions, and ultimately death.

Malaria has been defined as a disease of poverty; there is a lack of sustainable and predictable funding to eliminate the disease in high-risk zones, which also makes it difficult to manage. This is in part due to the fact that the majority of places where malaria is endemic are also at risk of conflict and political unrest. Unexpected weather such as excessive rains, flooding and earthquakes can also disrupt the delivery and implementation of preventative measures.

While there are preventative and curative treatments, they can have unpleasant and sometimes dangerous side effects, and often individuals cannot use them for extended

Electroceuticals: fad or future?

As medical technology becomes more advanced, James Donaghey evaluates the prospects of using electric impulses to treat an array of health conditions.

Digital medicine is far from a new concept. In 1745, the Leyden phial, a jar used to store electric charge, passed an “electrical fire” through the body and jump-started a revolution of using electricity in medicine. More recent milestones include the discovery of X-rays in 1895, the invention of the modern defibrillator in 1930, and the portable defibrillator which was invented in Belfast in 1965. The steady march of progress is apparent in medicine, and the ever-increasing lifespan of the world’s population is credited to this. But, today, are electric pharmaceuticals, devices that treat ailments with electrical impulses, practical for long-term use?

The history of electric pharmaceuticals, known as electroceuticals, shows how once technology becomes available, people seek to apply it in healthcare. The first electric hearing aid in 1898 used the technology which was made available by the invention of the telephone and the microphone to help those with impaired hearing. The science behind the implanted pacemaker developed so quickly that the first person to have it fitted in 1958 ended up outliving his doctor.

Medicine has moved to the forefront of technological advances as the twentieth century progressed. Deepbrain stimulation is a procedure that involves implanting a neurostimulator in the patient that sends electrical impulses to the brain. Deep-brain stimulation as a treatment for Parkinson’s Disease dates back to 1987 and its success has led to its application across a spectrum of other conditions.

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) has been at the centre of huge developments in recent years due to the broad functions of the vagus nerve and the brain regions it can reach. VNS is a procedure that involves implanting a device to stimulate the vagus nerve with electrical impulses.

The vagus nerve is the longest nerve in the autonomic nerve system, and it is largely responsible for the primitive “fight-or-flight” response in humans. Many of the emotional responses in people stem from the vagus or somewhere along its loop. It acts as a feedback mechanism from our gut to our brain and it is also strongly linked to the heart and lungs. Time-tested stress-busting techniques such as meditation, breathing techniques and yoga have a direct effect on the vagus nerve which explains, in part, their effectiveness.

The VNS implant is currently just under 4 cm in diameter, but the goal for the future is to make it smaller and more finely programmable. Devices are usually placed beneath the skin under the clavicle and they deliver impulses at prescribed regular intervals. Some devices can be controlled by an external “wand” which delivers the impulse to the vagus when the wand is held near the implant.

There has been a focus on treating autoimmune and inflammatory disorders with VNS since the late twentieth century. In studies, sufferers of ailments from Crohn’s

disease to rheumatoid arthritis generally noted a reduction in the severity of their conditions thanks to VNS. Not only were physical symptoms reported to have subsided, but psychological research shows stress relief and alleviation of depression in subjects following a VNS implant. When the activity of the vagus nerve is strengthened, one’s ability to deal with stress becomes greater. In clinical tests, 86% of patients noted some improvement in their stress tolerance after just ten minutes of VNS a day over six weeks.

The advantages of VNS over traditional drugs and over-the-counter medications are numerous. Since only the vagus is targeted, as opposed to the whole body, the risk of side effects is dramatically lowered. The success of the treatment in clinical trials has lead to much more investment and research into VNS as a medicinal solution.

Pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline recently

nvested $715 million with research organisation Verily into developing bioelectronic medicines. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (a subsidiary of the US Department of Defense) is investing in it for military personnel.

Based on the results being returned by electroceuticals and VNS, the future is bright. Non-invasive treatments are also being examined, such as the ActiPatch, which minimises pain in targeted areas of the body. Electrical bandages like this prove to be much more effective than ordinary sticking plasters, as wounds heal faster when a small current is added.

There are also drawbacks owing to the novelty of this treatment method. Cost is a significant challenge faced

by VNS, as it does not have the benefits brought by mass production that established medicines experience. Directly

related to this is the tailor-made nature of the technology at present. The devices are surgically placed below the clavicle and an ideal amplitude and frequency are found for individual patients. While small, the peripheral nerves surrounding the vagus nerve still have some chance of being impacted by its stimulation.

In terms of practicality, electroceuticals are a mixed bag. The results are promising, and the technology is feasible, as illustrated by the VNS tests that have been carried out. On the other hand, it is a costly venture that relies on growing investment to continue. It is estimated that chronic conditions affecting two billion people in the next 20 years are treatable with VNS, which would make the widespread production of the technology much more viable. The industry is relatively new and, having accomplished so much already, the future looks promising.

9TH OCTOBER

11

SCIENCE

Out of the test-tube and into the frying pan: the ‘clean meat’ revolution

With the recent development of laboratory-grown meat products, Mark Jackson discusses the pros and cons of an animal-less food industry and what it might mean for vegetarians.

Meat cultured through the manipulation and proliferation of stem-cell colonies may sound like something taken straight from the pages of a 1950s sci-fi magazine, yet the technology for ‘clean meat’ has already arrived. After all, the technology for generating artificial muscles has been around for over 20 years, and ‘clean meat’, as this animal-less meat is more commonly known as, is merely an extension of this.

The process behind meat culturing is not as complicated as one might think. A type of muscle cell known as a myocyte is obtained from an animal and it is then grown on a cell-based scaffolding inside a nutrient-rich medium.

This is placed inside a vessel known as a bioreactor where various chemical and enzymatic processes enable the tissue to thrive. Eventually, the tissue forms multiple layers and resembles what would be described as meat, but

instead of being obtained from the slaughter of an animal, it has been grown in a technologically-advanced laboratory environment.

For some, this technology marks the beginning of a new and more sustainable food supply-chain, while for others it spells the beginning of the end for traditional farming practices. The moral, ethical and environmental ramifications of ‘clean meat’ are still under debate and little is known about what the legislative guidelines would be if the practice of growing your own rib-eye became mainstream.

What is known about ‘clean meat’, however, is that it could significantly change the way in which we treat and utilise animals. The modern practices of battery and factory farming could become things of the past, an eventuality welcomed by vegetarians and vegans alike

who have continually campaigned to end animal cruelty in farming practices.

Modern farming practices have been under the microscope for at least the last 20 years. Exposé documentaries like Food, Inc. and Farm to Fridge have contributed significantly to the increase in vegetarianism and veganism by revealing amoral and inhumane farming methods, primarily in the United States. The production of artificial meat could potentially put a stop to these practices, while helping to curtail the environmental impact of modern farming.

According to the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), livestock contributed 9%, 39% and 65% of the total emissions of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, respectively, in the year 2006.

A separate study by the John Wiley library, conducted four

years later, found that 23% of total annual global warming was “directly attributable to livestock”. The greenhouse gas emissions of livestock are only set to intensify as global meat consumption is expected to double in the next thirty years, according to the FAO. There is a consensus that the artificial generation of meat will significantly curtail the current contribution of livestock to global warming. What has yet to be discussed, however, are the ethical issues concerning cultured meat and the livelihoods of cattle farmers around the world.

Will a degree in microbiology eventually enable a person to become a bona-fide cattle farmer in a laboratory, all the while making farmers effectively redundant?

The answer to that question is not yet clear. The science of cultured meat is still in its infancy, with only a handful of dishes ever created by scientists. Additionally,

“Meat cultured through the manipulation and proliferation of stem-cell colonies may sound like something taken straight from the pages of a 1950s sci-fi magazine” the process of growing these meats is expensive. To buy a meal consisting of cultured meat today would cost more than three-hundred euro per pound, a hefty investment for a few-dozen bites. While Jerusalem-based, Future Meat Technologies state that artificial meat will be affordable by 2020, in all likelihood, it will be decades until it is readily available in your local supermarket.

When the technology does eventually become affordable, it will pose a dilemma for vegetarians and vegans who abstain entirely from the consumption of any type of animal meat. While some commentators have stated that “even vegetarians” could eat the lab-grown meat, they have neglected to mention that the cell-lineage must start somewhere and so the initial muscle cells must still be obtained from a living animal. Granted, this does not involve the slaughtering of said animal, but in a way, you are still eating the animal, just without the cells having grown inside the animal itself.

This fact will probably be sufficient for those vegetarians who are only opposed to the slaughter of animals. Those who are vegetarians on religious grounds might still abstain from lab-grown meat, as it is still a meat-related product and it does originally come from animals. Whether you agree or disagree with ‘clean meat’, be assured that it is on its way.

Sleep: is it for the weak?

Robert Burke investigates the process of sleep and the cultural hush around getting sufficient amounts of it.

Love, death, loss, nature. Four things that are considered the wonders of our existence, topics that infatuate and consume artists, poets, musicians, and authors alike.

Rarely ever is sleep the focal point of a novel, poem, or art piece. Of course there are exceptions - much of Robert Frost’s poetry is sleep-themed, but by and large, we do not find ourselves as engrossed by sleep as by other topics.

The question must therefore be asked: why do we largely disregard something which we spend one third of our life doing?

The quality of our sleep affects the quality of our lives.

Unsatisfactory sleep, nights spent tossing and turning translates into less-than-maximal athletic performance, decreased cognitive function and inability to stay awake throughout the day. Why then, as a society, do we tend to underappreciate sleep, continuously fighting our natural sleep cycles by working night shifts, drinking a coffee after our dinner, pulling all-nighters in order to study, or by going out multiple times a week?

Sleep, and our perceptions of its importance have posed some of the more complex challenges to modern day science, ones which we are only now beginning to get our heads around.

What is known is that as we fall asleep, the group of nerve cells that act as a regulator for sleep and arousal, called the hypothalamus, perceive the changes in the light-dark cycle around us, and the brainstem releases a chemical which tells the muscles to relax to prevent us from acting out our dreams. Then, the Pineal Gland releases melatonin, which essentially tells our bodies that it is time to crash. All of this takes place as we are transitioning from wakefulness to sleep.

The big player in our body’s tendency to sleep is the light-dark cycle, with our bodies’ naturally beginning the sleep cycle as the light begins to dip. This is why so

“Sleep, and our perceptions of its importance have posed some of the more complex challenges to modern day science, ones which we are only now beginning to get our heads around.”

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much research has investigated the effects of looking at screens late at night. Screens emit a bright light, with blue components that mimic the light of the sky. As a result, when we look at a screen at night time, our bodies don’t realise that the sun has set, and don’t produce melatonin, the sleep-causing neurotransmitter. This is why late-night phone users sometimes struggle to stop their mind from racing as they eventually try to sleep.

With this in mind, technology company Apple created a “Night Time mode” for their mobile devices, which allows users to set a time at which their phone will switch from a full-white screen to an orange-tinted light. This mimics the reduction in blue light that occurs during sunset, and allows the brain to produce melatonin at more normal rates. However, this is not a full solution, as the very presence of light itself is a marker of day-time for the brain. While still better than normal screen mode, nighttime mode is a compromise between our desire to use our devices at night, and our desire to sleep.

However, your body doesn’t just depend on the lightdark cycle around us to take as a cue to sleep. Our two main biological mechanisms, the circadian rhythm, and the sleep-wake homeostasis also rely on other environmental cues to promote sleep. The circadian rhythm is essentially the body’s biological sleep clock. It also relies on temperature drops to control the timing of sleep. Sleep-wake homeostasis regulates sleep intensity and reminds the body to sleep after a certain time. You can thank homeostasis for producing that 15-hour coma that you enjoy after sleeping on the ground in a leaking tent in Stradbally.

So, what happens when we don’t appreciate our bodies’ needs and get insufficient sleep? The Western world is often condemned for the lack of importance which we place on sleep, yet it is the Eastern countries which seem to have a poorer relationship with the process. Take for example, the tragic death of a Japanese journalist 11 months ago, who suffered from heart failure due to ‘karoshi’ - a Japanese term coined purely to describe death from being overworked. This journalist had logged 159 hours of overtime and had only taken two days off in the month leading up to her death, forcing Japanese authorities to address the punishingly long hours expected of their workers.

Such chronic sleep deprivation can cause, or accelerate mental degradation and the development of health problems, ranging from diminished cognitive function, to poorer athletic performance.

While the Eastern world sees extremes like this, the Western world is also guilty of low-level chronically inadequate sleep. This is particularly prevalent among business people, politicians, and, perhaps unsurprisingly

“This journalist had logged 159 hours of overtime and had only taken two days off in the month leading up to her death” for readers of this newspaper - students.

This is clear by how the opening hours for on-campus libraries is extended to midnight during exam time.

Margaret Thatcher is infamously known for being able to get by on just 4 hours sleep, a badge which her successor struggled to live up to, as he was not part of the 1% of ‘short

sleepers’ who reportedly get by on 4-6 hours a night. At higher level jobs, employees are expected to sleep less and less, and be increasingly available outside of traditional office hours.

Enter Silicon Valley, and the giants of the global tech industry. Jobs and internships with the likes of Google are without a doubt the most sought after jobs, due to the perks and allowances they offer, such as their ‘Snooze Pods,’ an idea which has been recently adapted by NUI Maynooth.

The research and idea comes from the siesta, a half-hour long nap taken after lunch time. The benefits of this have been scientifically proven to include increased alertness, performance, and improved night-time sleep. While UCD does not have any Snooze Pods on campus, it may not be a bad idea to take a half-hour snooze instead of a fourth cup of coffee during study week. The benefits will be demonstrated in your exam results.

SCIENCE

Keep it positive: new study suggests people like us more than we think.

Afraid that you made a bad first impression? Fret no more! Camille Lombard explores the “liking gap” and its implications for our social lives.

Social interactions can be tricky for everyone. Whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert, in a job interview or during an introduction between friends, we all try to make a good impression on someone we are meeting for the first time. The pressure this puts us under can make it a daunting experience, but it turns out that we are better at talking to strangers than we seem to think.

In a series of 5 studies conducted by psychologists from Harvard University, Cornell University, University of Essex in England, and Yale University, and published in Psychological Science in September 2018, it emerged that we often judge ourselves too harshly on our ability to come out as a pleasant conversation partner.

“Our research suggests that accurately estimating how much a new conversation partner likes us is a much more difficult task than we imagine,” said study author Erica Boothby, a postdoctoral researcher at Cornell University.

Over the course of these studies, the professors first paired strangers and assigned them the task of conducting a 5-minute conversation revolving around mundane introductory questions; then, as the studies went on, they increased the freedom of conversation or its length, and finally moved on from student to real-world settings such as

in a study environment or in real-world settings. A study of actual college roommates showed that the liking gap lasted over several months, only evening out as the college year wrapped up.

The results stand in contrast with the established finding that people view themselves more positively than they do others. While we are quick to judge others, we are more hesitant when it comes to people’s perception of us. “Conversation appears to be a domain in which people display uncharacteristic pessimism about their performance,” according to one of the professors.

This phenomenon is known as the “liking gap”, and can become an obstacle to us thriving in social settings.

Its existence resonates with another social phenomenon: our assumption that conversing with strangers will be necessarily unpleasant. In a different study conducted in 2014 on rail and bus commuters travelling to Chicago, it

was established that it is more rewarding to strike up a conversation with a complete stranger on public transport than to sit in solitude.

A further interesting detail from the studies is that the pleasure of talking to strangers was observed for introverts and extraverts alike. “Removing the barrier to starting a conversation, rather than trying to increase a person’s own trait extroversion, may therefore be the most effective way to encourage interactions with distant strangers,” the researchers said.

So why do we always assume talking to strangers will be so unpleasant, or that the first impression we give will be worse than the one we receive from a new conversation partner? The most likely reason found by these studies was each of us mistakenly assumes that other people don’t want to talk, thus creating a situation of “pluralistic ignorance”.

This theory pairs well with the liking gap theory: we are

very self-critical when it comes to the impression we leave on others, making it sometimes difficult to take the first step and engage in conversation without the fear of judgement.

This attitude of self-critique might even prevent new relationships from forming, and allow personal and professional opportunities to pass us by. “As we ease into new neighbourhoods, build new friendships, or try to impress new colleagues, we need to know what other people think of us,” Boothby said. “Any systematic errors we make might have a big impact on our personal and professional lives.”

And while the study does not offer a miracle remedy for social anxiety and not falling into the “liking gap”, being aware of its existence can be the first step in the direction of better self-esteem and overcoming those negative thoughts.

“Conversation appears to be a domain in which people display uncharacteristic pessimism about their performance,” according to one of the professors. workshops on “how to talk to strangers” conducted for the British public, or even college dormitories. At the end of every conversation,the participants were asked to answer questions about how much they liked their conversation partner and how much they thought their partner liked them.

What came out of these experiments is clear: on average, we think we like our partner more than they like us. In the first study, the participants didn’t seem to account for clear signs of enjoyment from their partner. In a different study, participants deemed that they had given their partners more reasons to form negative thoughts about them than their partners had given them.

They seem to be too wrapped up in their own worries about what they should say or did say to see signals of others’ liking for them,” one of the researchers, Clark, noted.

Even more striking was the fact that this liking gap appeared to be consistent whether people had a lengthy conversation or not, or whether the conversation took place

Octopuses on MDMA Lillian Loescher dives into the weird and wonderful world of the octopus, and finds a strange similarity between this special species and ourselves.

Can you make an Octopus dance? A recent study published by Biology Current has concluded that you can.

The study suggests that the impacts of MDMA on the social behavior of the California Two-Spot Octopus and humans are strikingly similar. MDMA, otherwise known as ecstasy or ‘Molly’, has, as of late, become a substance of increasing interest to geneticists.

So, what is all the hype about? Why give an octopus MDMA? Octopuses have a strong reputation for being extremely antisocial and are known for their aggressive behavior. So much so that if they are forced into close proximity, one octopus is likely to eat the other.

In rare instances they have been known to cooperate or let their guard down enough to engage in sexual behavior.

But, even at this time if a male octopus stays around at all after the deed is done there is a good chance that the female will attack him.

Aside from their exceptionally antisocial behavior, Octopuses have a keen sense of environmental awareness and are very intelligent creatures. They have been known

“Octopuses have been known to observe and make predictions about their surroundings to such a high degree that some have learned to squirt water outside their tanks at the lightbulbs to turn off the lights…”

to successfully complete complex water mazes, and are much more aware of their surroundings than your average goldfish. In the words of Stefan Linquist of the University

of Guelph in Ontario, “when you work with fish, they have no idea they are in a tank, somewhere unnatural. With octopuses it is totally different. They know that they are inside this special place, and you are outside it. All their behaviors are affected by their awareness of captivity.”

Peering outside their tanks, Octopuses have been known to observe and make predictions about their surroundings to such a high degree that some have learned to squirt water outside their tanks at the lightbulbs to turn off the lights, which can become quite expensive for their caretakers!

Octopuses do have highly developed brains. Located in their throat and throughout their arms, the octopus’ nervous system is distributed throughout its body. Even more interesting is that the neurons stretching down their arms seem to have a mind of their own! They are able to respond to outside stimuli without direction from their “main brain”.

So, again, why give an intelligent, aggressive and antisocial creature MDMA? The answer lies deep in the folds of evolution. Looking through the passage of time you will find that there have been hundreds of millions of years of evolution between the octopus and the human, with our closest common ancestor being close to the aquatic worm.

But, strangely enough, certain genetic characteristics have been preserved through that time.

In humans, the neurotransmitter responsible for feelings of happiness, serotonin, is released in extremely large quantities after ingesting MDMA. This fact explains part of the drug’s appeal among ravers. A lack of serotonin plays a large role in anxiety disorders and depression in humans. The gene that helps produce this neurotransmitter (SLC6A4) surprisingly, also appears in the Octopus’ genetic makeup. It is because of this fact that Gül Dölen, a neuroscientist at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and colleagues were interested in the behavioral impacts MDMA would have on the octopus.

As part of this study, the researchers placed the octopuses in a bath containing MDMA for 10 minutes and then soaked them in a saline solution for 20 minutes. This is because it takes about 30-60 minutes for the full effects

of MDMA to present themselves. After this waiting period, the octopuses were allowed them to freely roam within a three-chambered tank. The far-left chamber contained a novel item (a colored pot with an action figure inside it), the middle chamber was empty and the far-right chamber contained another octopus who was also given MDMA. The octopuses were observed for about an hour. What Gül Dölen and colleagues found was that the octopuses spent significantly more time in the social chamber while on MDMA as compared to their baseline findings.

The octopus’s social behavior while on MDMA mirrored that of a human. They became exceptionally friendly

“Why give an intelligent, aggressive and antisocial creature MDMA?”

“What Gül Dölen and colleagues found was that the octopuses spent significantly more time in the social chamber while on MDMA as compared to their baseline findings.” toward one another and according to Dölen, “some were being very playful, doing water acrobatics or spent time fondling the airstone [aquarium bubbler]…[others were] basically hugging the [cage] and exposing parts of their body that they don’t normally expose to another octopus”.

This experiment is interesting as it shows that even after 500 million years of genetic separation, we still share an important part of our neurochemistry with octopuses.

Gül Dölen and colleagues have shown important proofof-concept data that much of what we consider human biology extends far beyond our own species. Future research is likely to explore this link further, deepening our understanding of the serotonergic system in humans and other species alike.

Illustration: Michael Donnelly

9TH OCTOBER

13

STUDENT VOICES

Loud Sex is the Best Sex It has happened to the best of us; getting mindblowingly drunk, maybe even blacking out for a little while. While I’m not ashamed to say that my college years have involved a lot of alcohol, I am ashamed that I ever let it get as far as it has. I’m a fourth year UCD student, so I’ve had my fair share of hangovers and walks of shame, lipstick stained mouth and hazy memories. I like to think that I’m not the type of person to go home with someone I’ve never met or barely know after one night on the town, so that when I do, I have to seriously think the next day as to whether it was something I actually wanted.

While telling boys and young men that if a girl is drunk you should never try to get with her because she might “cry rape” might be slightly flawed and should aim for a better direction, another pressing issue that I have personally experienced is when someone is so drunk that their own inhibitions, judgements and sense of self are completely thrown out the window.

When I was in my first year of college, I had had barely any experience with anything relating to sex. For the most part, I tried to keep it relatively PG13. But one situation that has occurred to me: I wake up the next morning, not remembering anything from the night before; either not in my own bed, completely naked, or, on one occasion that I shudder when I think about, waking up mid-penetration.

For anyone that has not experienced this before, I cannot even begin to tell you the horrors that you feel when you are placed in this situation. And sure, some may argue that it was my own actions, my own flirting, my own fault that I landed myself into something so horrible, so upsetting, so mind-altering perverse. While that may be the case, and why I’ve never done anything about it, it has changed me as a person. I was 19, still so new to the world, and my whole personality instantly changed.

I can’t say if it was my idea or his or how we even got back to the room. I was so drunk I don’t remember.

Alongside expressed consent and providing a condom for you, what we need to be teaching boys is that if you are too drunk to talk properly, let alone walk around, then the

proposition of sex should never be introduced in the first place, even if it is the girl’s idea. Loud Sex, speaking up and asking if everything is ok, is your legal and moral duty.

She may seem “up for it” at the time, but come morning, she could, like me, have had a life altering experience and trust me when I say this is not something you want to inflict on another human being.

I never really told anyone about this, or when I did I played it off as something that was no big deal. I laughed about it to hide how hurt and disgusting I felt. I would downplay the whole situation, trying desperately to remember at least one detail of how I ended up in the situation so that I could explain how it happened. I never could.

This is an example of a grey area that we, as a society, are trying to discuss and educate people on. Consent at UCD is a young society, building on last year’s successes and presence. This year we hope to spread more information and educate more people about what consent means and host events such as Take Back the Night (April) and Walk a Mile (October).

This article comes from a student and Consent at UCD activist, articulating the ‘grey areas’ and consent problems we can encounter in compromised situations. While consent is something you hear about on a pretty regular basis, most people don’t fully understand the scope, or the depth, at which it can impact your life. Consent at UCD are here to make sure that people can understand what is consensual and what is not; and even when you think you may have consent, how you may be mistaken.

The 24-hour national rape-crisis support line is at 1800 77 8888, or email counselling@rcc.ie. Call Samaritans without charge on 116 123, or text on 087 260 9090; both are also open 24 hours a day. Contact UCD Student Health and Counselling Services on 01 716 3133/3134.

Don’t face a problem alone.

Image: Dimitris Avramopoulos (Flickr)

The breaking of bad news Veronica Rozynek The delicate art of divulging bad news is never easy.

There is never a time nor place that is convenient to shift from blissful ignorance to a terrorizing reality.

This ritual is particularly sensitive within the practice of medicine, where the dynamic of the doctor-patient relationship becomes sensitive to abuses of power. The physician notoriously plays the role of the caregiver, and the patient, that of the vulnerable party.

The general public places implicit trust in our healthcare system, assuming that medics put a patient’s best interests at heart. Scholarship, competency, professionalism and effective communication are demanded from physicians and enforced by the General Medical Council.

The hard reality is that hospital staff are overworked, stretched to the limit of their emotional and psychological capacities. Mistakes are made, patients overlooked, and deadlines are delayed, or met with resistance. In this way, there exists a divergence between an objective standard of care and the conflicting desires of a patient.

To observe this process, as a medical student, has led me to believe that patients should be asked how much they want to know about their illness. The exact timeline of a prognosis may be difficult to digest, as a human life becomes submissive to the course of a disease. In these circumstances, the luxury of ignorance may be desired, as a way to cope with everyday life. In practice, I have seen patients confess they do not wish to know the precise burden of their disease, and the magnitude of pain they may endure. While it may seem unethical not to disclose a patient’s complete medical record, it should be the patient’s decision.

Palliative care is a prime example of the dissection of fine lines in medical care. The decision to prescribe palliative care is to transition from active treatment of a medical condition to provide end of life support. In an increasingly globalized and connected generation, we are often told that information is power. However,

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to a sick patient, the communication about a terminal diagnosis may be debilitating. It is powerful in its magnitude, but devitalizing in its unforgiving truths.

While physical needs are addressed, the priority rests in fulfilling a patient’s spiritual and emotional wishes.

The Hippocratic Oath states that above all, a doctor should do no harm. While, this law has classically been interpreted as preserving a patient’s physical health, the same should be translated to psychological health.

Wellness is a multifaceted domain that comprises more than just the state of one’s body. A disease is more than a pathological process: it robs a patient of autonomy and willpower.

Medicine is essentially a glorified form of customer service. If patients disagree with a method of treatment, they will seek various other medical opinions. While the calibre of healthcare tends to be standardized, a variety of incentives can compromise care. Financial incentives may drive surgeons to perform operations that may be of no benefit. Pharmaceutical companies may push doctors to prescribe medications that have deleterious side effects. Research trials undergo widespread pressure to enroll patients to obtain data, even if the ethics remain dubious.

While there will always exist discrepancy in the treatment of a medical condition, the approach to a patient should remain uniform. Difficult conversations should be given in a private setting. Questions should always be answered, but a patient should direct the methods of communications.

Statistics are objective figures. They may only serve to predict an outcome, but can’t guarantee it. If you hear that there is an 80 % mortality rate in a year, this may seem tragic. On the contrary, if you are in the 20 %, the 80 % does not interest you. Doctors are not gods, and their knowledge is finite. The human spirit, however is expansive, and this is what makes all the difference.

Why we’re still waiting for racial integration Matthew Tannam-Elgie The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa is a 17th-century Baroque sculpture by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, housed in the Church of Santa Maria della Vittoria in the heart of Rome. It depicts an angel appearing before the eponymous saint and striking her with a divine sensation, an experience previously alien to her that leaves her swooning with reverence. As well as the obvious godly intervention, it’s the rarity of such an encounter that leaves the subject in such a state of awe.

In Irish society, and in other societies, some of us experience a similar awe when faced with the phenomenon of other cultures. That’s not to say that our society is insular, or lacking multiculturalism, but simply that this fascination with diverse cultures is almost a contemporary version of Teresa’s religious ecstasy. It’s not there at birth, but comes in gradually and attaches itself to the culture your social circle doesn’t belong to.

Here we see the root cause of this fascination; a lack of integration.

Of course, some people would cringe at the idea of cultural or racial integration, but xenophobia is another topic for another day. The fundamental building blocks of this interest derive from a separatism of cultures that can be found all over Ireland and Western Europe. This is not an imposed separatism, but a quiet separation of social circles probably stemming from early childhood and they influence our primary teachers have on us.

Although 12% of Ireland’s population is of migrant origin, Frances Fitzgerald voiced concern over the looming ghettoisation and unemployment of migrants that prompted the introduction of the Migrant Integration Scheme last year. This scheme aims to combat the usual things we would expect from a lack of racial (and not just migrant) integration; discrimination in educational facilities, isolation in local communities and barriers to jobs in areas such as politics.

It’s probably too soon to tell if there’s been any progress, but keep in mind that there have been delays with similar initiatives. Calls are still being made to review the Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred Act (1989), as academics consider it unsuitable for addressing hate crime. Twelve years ago, the European Commission Against Racism and Intolerance was told that a review of the Act was “nearly complete”.

In addition, the National Action Plan Against Racism expired ten years ago and no replacement has been introduced. As many of this Plan’s aims were almost identical to the Migrant Integration Scheme’s, one cannot be blamed for fearing that the recent Scheme might too be forgotten after its expiration with yet more work needed.

Observing these past delays, it becomes clear that the issue of racial integration may be overshadowed by other concerns. The question is whether this is because of apathy or the sheer number of deeds to be done in tackling discrimination and dwindling employment opportunities.

By returning to my pseudo-comparison with Saint Teresa, we find a possible answer; policymakers are less appreciative of diverse cultures than the youth of today.

The cultural apathy that some may associate with the previous generation has been replaced with a fetishistic enchantment, with due thanks to celebrity culture and the music industry. In an interesting parallel to Bernini’s Saint, our generation has been struck by international entertainment in a manner so overwhelming as to be almost sacred. The followers of this doctrine are nearly old enough to implement strategies for racial integration, but not quite. The sad fact is that they still have to wait, despite their fervent devotion. For now, the only thing they can do is repeat their daily rituals until the time comes to finally bring a bit of change.

GAEILGE

Rás na hUachtaránachta agus an tábhacht don teanga An gá do Gaeilge a bheith ag an Uachtarán? Síleann Hugh Mac Giolla Chearra gur cheart Mothaíonn sé go bhfuil an toghchán nua don bhliain seo ag teacht chomh gasta. Ní bhíonn an rás ar siúil ach fa choinne cúpla seachtain, in áit na blianta do díospóireachtaí a mbíonn i tíortha eile cosúil le na Stáit Aontaithe. Faoi láthair, is é Mícheal D. Ó hUiginn uachtarán na tíre, agus tá sé ag súil le tearma eile a bhaint amach. Tá cúigear eile ag lorg an post céanna áfach, ó polaiteoirí go dtí daoine gnó. Ach ní labhraínn ach beirt de na iarrthóirí ár dteanga dúchais – Mícheal D Ó hUiginn agus Liadh Ní Ríada. Is áit é go bhfuil seans nach mbéidh an duine mar ionadaí don tír thart ar an domhan líofa i dteanga an tír. Ach an gá go mbeidh Gaeilge ag an duine seo?

Níl pointe ar bith dul ró-fhada ar ais in am, agus de bharr sin beidh muid ag amharc ar na uachtarána is déanaí a bhí againne mar daoine. Tá cliú agus cáil ag Mary Robinson agus Mary McAleese ar an jab sár-mhaith a bhí déanta acu mar uachtarána ar an tír. Taispeánn siad meas, bhí siad cairdiúil agus fíor mhaith ag labhairt ar son na tíre.

Ach ní cainteoirí Gaeilge iad. Is fíor a rá gur úsáid Mary McAleese cúpla focail anois agus arís ina chuid óráidí ach ní go minic. I alt don “Irish Times”, dúirt McAleese cé nár úsáid sí an teanga ró-mhinic agus í mar uachtarán, chuidigh an cúpla focail léi le tuiscint níos fearr a fáil ar

San am seo, fuair sé réitigh leis an 31ú alt a d’úsáid an Rialtas le chuir cosc ar rudaí áirithe a bheidh taispeánta ar an teilifís in Éirinn. Bunaigh sé TG4, an príomh cainéal Gaelach ar an teilifís go fóill. Ní amháin gurb é seo an cainéal le formhór de na cláracha is fearr as Éirinn, ach is é TG4 an cheád cainéal a thaispeáin “Breaking Bad” ar teilifíse Éireannach riamh. Mar Uachtarán, bhí sé mar ionadaí don teanga go fóill. Achan bhliain mar Uachtarán, chuir sé cárta Nollaig amach le dán as Gaeilge istigh ann mar teachtaireacht don tír. D’úsáid sé Gaeilge mar píosa de formhór de óráidí s’aige. Labhair sé ag Beo, comóradh de 125 bliain de Chonradh na Ghaeilge agus thaispeáin sé go soiléir an meas a bhí aige don teanga. Nuair a thaispeántar

an meas seo, cuireann sé an íomha chun tosaigh go bhfuil an uachtarán mar ionadaí do achan nduine sa tír.

Tá stair ag cuid de na iarrthoirí leis an teanga nach bhfuil chomh maith le stair na muintir eile. Is é Seán Gallagher, fear gnó agus réalt ó an chlár “Dragon’s Den” ceann de na iarrthóirí is rathúil faoi láthair. I 2011, chuir Aisling Ryan, scríbhneoir, cheist ar Seán Gallagher i rith preasocáid faoi an ról den Uachtarán as Gaeilge. Dúirt Seán ar ais léi gur acadóir ardnósach agus forchiníoch teangeolaíocht í mar gheall ar an úsáid don teanga. I mbliana, dúirt Seán go raibh suim aige an Gaeilge a foghlaim agus a úsáid da mbeadh sé mar Uachtarán, ach is deacair sin a creidiúint nuair atá sé soiléir nach raibh aon suim aige sa teanga níos

luath.

Le bheidh go h-iomlán ionraice, tá seans fíor mhaith go mbeidh an bua ag Mícheal arís an mbliain seo agus beidh sé mar uachtarán ar feadh seacht bliain eile. Ach cad muna bhfuil an bua aige? Ar a laghad má toghtar Líadh Ní Ríada beidh Gaeilge líofa ag ár uachtarán arís ach má tá an bua ag na muintir eile, cén seans go taispeánfaidh siad an meas céanna do an teanga? Ní chreidim gur cheart go mbeidh Gaeilge líofa ag an céad uachtarán eile, ach muna bhfuil sí acu, ní bheidh sé ro maith muna bhfuil meas acu do teanga dúcháis den tír.

“Tá sé fíor tábhachtaí go taispeántar meas don teanga agus tú mar uachtarán” cultúr na tíortha. Ach ag an am céanna, níor úsáid sí é rómhinic agus í mar uachtarán. Níor úsáid Mary Robinson í in aon chor agus í mar uachtaran. Má bhí na daoine seo chomh rathúil sa phost, an gá gur mbeidh Gaeilge ag an uachtarán? Bhí meas ag achan nduine sa tír ar na mná seo, agus ní raibh duine ar bith ag tabhairt amach faoi iad agus iad gan a bheidh ag úsáid an teanga, caithfidh sé nach bhfuil an teanga ró-thábhachta don post, an bhfuil an ceart ag daoine leis an meoin sin?

I mo thuairimse, tá sé fíor tábhachtaí go taispeántar meas don teanga agus tú mar uachtarán. Cé nach raibh Mary McAleese in ann an teanga a labhairt, rinne sí achan uile iarracht chun an teanga a chuir chun chinn agus í ag labhairt os ard. Tá stair ollmhór ag Míchbeal D Ó hUiginn leis an Gaeilge sa tír seo. Is file ilghníomhacha é, leis an iomarca dánta scríofta aige i Béarla agus i nGaeilge. I 1993, roghnaítear é mar an tAire Gaeltacht agus Cultúrtha.

An Chlub Chonradh – An tábhacht do spás Gaelach i gcroí-lár an cathair Tá seans go druideadh an Chlub Chonradh i mBÁC. Pléann Hugh Mac Giolla Chearra an tábhacht don áit Is é an Chlub Chonradh ceann de na aiteannaí is tábhachtaí i mBaile Átha Cliath do Gaeil óige agus sean. Faoi láthair, tá seans ann go mbeidh an club druidte mar gheall nach bhfuil coiste ann ag an am de foilsiú le amharc ina dhiadh an áit. Má druidtear an Chlub, beidh páirt ollmhór de chultúr na Gaeil ar shiúil as an cathair agus as an tír. Ní féidir gur ligtear seo a tarlú.

Muna bhfuil eolas agat ar an chlub, tá tú ag cailliúint amach ar an oíche amach is fearr sa chathair. Suite ar Sráid Fhearchair, tá ort dul síos staighre atá faoi siopa leabhar ag bun na sráide. Tá stair iontach suimiúil ag baint leis an foirgneamh seo, áfach. Is é seo foirgneamh Chonradh na Ghaeilge, eagraíocht atá ar oscail le 125 bliain an mbliain seo. Tógtha ag Douglas de hÍde, is é príomh aidhm an Chonradh nó cosaint cearta teanga don Gaeilge agus leis

an teanga a spreagadh ar fad na tíre. Déantar seo le obair tríd Raidió na Gaeltachta, TG4, agus RTÉ. Tá stáisiún acu féin darbh ainm Raidió Rí Rá, agus tríd an stáisiún seo cuirtear amach an dlúthdhiosca Ceol achan bhliain. Ach faoi an foirgneamh stairiúil seo, tá an Chlub suite.

An céad rud a tógfaidh tú faoi deara agus tú ag dul isteach sa Chlub nó cé chomh beag is atá an áit. Achan Máirt, bíonn an áit plódaithe le daltaí ó achan ollscoil sa chathair ag labhairt agus ag damhsa, agus le bheidh ionraice, níl mórán spás daofa. Tá sé soiléir nach raibh an áit seo tógtha leis an smaoineamh go mbeidh na céadta dalta istigh ann i rith na bhliain, ach is é sin an cás anois faoi láthair. Ba chuma le achan nduine ansin faoi an spás fosta. Nuair a ritear amach as spás le damhsa ar an urlar, dreapann daoine suas ar na cathaoireacha agus na táblaí sa

foirgneamh agus damhsaítear ar nós nach mbeidh domhan ar bith an maidín dar gcionn. Níl ghnáth DJ sa Chonradh a h-oiread, is é an DJ nó an céad duine a faigheann greim ar an corda AUX agus a nascann fón s’acu leis na callairí.

Tá seans maith go éistfidh tú le achan saghas ceol san áit sin, ó B*Witched go dtí Kendrick Lamar go dtí Oró Sé Do Bheatha Bhaile. Más túsa an DJ, tá an post is tábhachtach agus is dainséarach ar an domhan. Caitheann tú an oíche ar fad ag labhairt le daoine ag cuir isteach iarratais do amhránaí difriúil agus muna chuirtear ar siúl amhrán atá dúil ag an slua, seans go caillfidh tú do post mar DJ na óiche.

An dara rud a tógfaidh tú faoi deara agus tú sa Chlub nó go bhfuil an áit ina praiseach. De ghnáth, tá cathaoir amháin briste sa príomh beár, tá poll i balla leithreas na leaids

agus tá an urlar bealaithe i gconaí. Ná téigh ansin muna bhfuil bróga cheart ort, ní amháin mar gheall go mbéidh tú ag damhsa, ach mar gheall go beidh gloine briste ar an urlár do formhór den oíche. Má tá tú ag cuartú áit ar nós Copan nó Diceys, tá tú san áit mícheart. Ní mothaíonn an Chlub cosúil le ghnáth chlub oíche. Ach is é sin ceann de na fáthanna go bhfuil sé chomh maith is atá sé. Mothaíonn an chlub cosúil le club rúnda, cé go déanann na daoine i gceannas air iarracht leis an meoin sin a réiteach sa dóigh go dtiocfaidh níos mó daoine go dtí an ait. Tá draíocht le seo áfach, agus spreagann sé daoine le bheidh ar ais arís

“Ná téigh ansin muna bhfuil bróga cheart ort, ní amháin mar gheall go mbéidh tú ag damhsa, ach mar gheall go beidh gloine briste ar an urlár do formhór den oíche”. agus arís. Da mbeidh sé cosúil le tithe tabhairne eile i mBaile Átha Chliath, cén fáth an rachadh daoine ann?

Nuair a téimse isteach ann, mothaím go bhfuil mé ar ais sa Ghaeltacht, i sean teach tabhairne atá ar oscailt i rith na hoíche, gan duine ar bith ó an taobh amuigh le cuir isteach orainne.

Is é an príomh fáth le teacht chuig an Chonradh nó an Gaeilge. Ó mo chuid táithí féin, níor chuala mise ach mo canúint féin agus mé ag fás suas sa Ghaeltacht sa bhaile.

Nuair a tháinig mé go dtí an cathair, bhí mé ag éisteacht leis na canúintí difriúla sa tír don chéad uair. Níor thuig mé duine ar bith ag dtús an bhliain, ach nuair a chuaigh mé go dtí an Chlub, bhí seans agam le labhairt le daoine le leibhéal difriúla ó achan choirnéal den tír. Feabhsaigh mo chuid Ghaeilge agus mé ag freastal ar an Chonradh achan seachtain. Rinne mé cairde nua agus d’eirigh mé níos cóngaracha le mo chuid chairde eile. Sílim féin go bhfuil an Chonradh go lárnach i éispéiris na h-ollscoil do Gaeil óga agus béidh sé trua ollmhór má druidtear é.

Tá cruinniú le bheidh reachtaithe gan mhoill chun coiste nua a bunú. Bhí ar an cruinniú seo le bheith reachtaithe cúpla seachtaine ó shin, ach bhí air a bheith churtha i gceal in ómós do Seosamh Ó Conchúir, ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam. Molfainn do duine ar bith ina bhfuil suim acu sa Ghaeilge le dul chuig an cruinniú seo agus déanaigí iarracht an Chlub a sábhail. Is páirt lárnach é do saol na Ghaeil agus béidh na céadta croí bhriste muna bhfuil sé go fóill anseo an bhliain seo chugainne. Níl dáta ann faoi láthair, ach déan cinnte le seiceáil leathanach an Chonradh ar líne agus beidh níos mó eolas acu ansin.

9TH OCTOBER

15

LIFE & SOCIETY

Reaching for the stars, Comcast falls for the Sky As Comcast sees own shares drop after historic buy of Sky shares, Claudia Dalby discusses the result of the Sky auction and the high price of our attention.

Just under 20% of Americans own a Netflix subscription in 2018, and for telecommunications giant Comcast, this is terrible news. Such bad news, that it took a £30 billion investment to gain a stronghold on the rapidly changing market and customer interests.

Comcast is little known in Ireland and Europe, but dominates the US cable TV, phone and internet market as the most significant American and second largest global telecommunications company. Americans know it as the country’s “most-hated company” - but CEO Brian Roberts casts his net wide, owning the NBC TV Network and Universal Studios. If you’ve watched Jurassic World or Downton Abbey, you’ve met Comcast.

On September 21st, Comcast bought Sky PLC in a bid against 21st Century Fox, each motivated by the threat of internet streaming to grasp hold of the safety net of satellite television, 24-hour news channel Premiere League Sport, streaming channel Now TV and a customer base of 23 million in the U.K., Ireland and Europe. Owning Sky, for Comcast, would mean little to no resistance to the vast, open market seas, with room to aim further.

Getting there was no smooth sailing. Fox currently owns 39% of Sky, and in 2016 put in a bid for the rest, at £10.75 per share. There were conditional delays in proceeding directly, leaving a substantial delay, and it was at this point that Comcast stepped in, announcing an offer for Sky at £12.50 per share in 2018. In the meantime, Disney arranged to purchase Fox, a bid which Brian Roberts lost. These media conglomerates are used to being in the ring together: Comcast is now up against Mickey Mouse, disguised as a Fox. They bid against one another for a number of months before the UK Takeover Panel, which regulates mergers and acquisitions, unexpectedly called for a closed auction in order to “provide an orderly framework for the resolution of this competitive situation”, likely wanting to keep the battle from falling further into what was already a cashhurling frenzy.

The regulated three-stage auction saw Disney-Fox make a bid, later jumped by Comcast’s figure before leading to a final stand-off: a concluding bid on September 21st, made simultaneously by both firms.

Although each team bid over a private closed wire with the Atlantic between them, the tension must have been palpably too close for comfort. Comcast blindly placed their bid at £17.28 per share, beating Disney-Fox’s £15.67.

In one tense moment, Comcast raised Fox’s initial 2016 offer by 60% and paid beyond £3 billion more than it needed to.

Following this, Comcast’s stock price experienced a 6% drop, its steepest of the year, while Disney’s grew 2%. Concerns have been expressed by investors about a bid that went overboard, leaving debt that was not worth the investment in Sky. Independent market analysts MoffettNathanson said this faith that satellite television will prevail over streaming might be misguided, a distribution method that is “increasingly becoming obsolete.”

The question too, of whether Mickey Mouse will want a slice of the Sky pie is yet to be decided. Roberts is likely hopeful that they will sell their 39%. However, the silver lining is on Disney’s cloud when their largest competitor splurges in a somewhat risky buy. Comcast will need to invest in Sky to make this work, but what will it take to

make it cost-effective?

Comcast will need to drive this sale to success confidently. However, its reputation does not garner faith.

Comcast was twice labelled the “worst company in America” over shoddy customer service, regulatory transgressions and staff involved in sex scandals. Customers will have to wait to know if Sky is in devoted hands.

Ultimately though, the options were few, with control of the multi-billion dollar media industry held by a relatively small number of international media conglomerates.

Comcast spend big to lead this troupe that is invested solely in garnering the attention of consumers.

The value of our attention is evident when an abundance of the world’s economy is dedicated to harnessing it.

Whoever has the most accurate and nuanced study into how particular people spend their attention, as well as

“Americans know it as the country’s “most-hated company” - but CEO Brian Roberts casts his net wide, owning the NBC TV Network and Universal Studios. If you’ve watched Jurassic World or Downton Abbey, you’ve met Comcast.” the means to obtain that multinationally, will presumably give its commissioners a higher profit. Profit comes from appealing to deeper instincts to the point where people aren’t even aware they are being advertised to in the first place.

Comcast obtained at least six streams through which it reaches an incredibly wide range of Americans and Europeans, along with its original media. Only those who don’t use a phone or television, refuse to follow sports, deny watching the news, enjoy films or boycott Comcast will be out of the way of its reach. With diversifying activities comes a generalisation of intent. Those creating the content will have a specific interest or passion in news, sport, drama, but they are all under the one big roof, which will never stop wanting to grow.

Comcast see themselves in a higher playing field with the reach that the Sky platform will give them, while their history with customer service and an actual quality product is questionable, that may not matter in a globalised landscape that only needs to understand how consumers work, not make them happy. The Sky was the limit, but would Comcast go further?

Breaking News: You don’t need a business degree to do a business internship Rosetrell Felipe inspects the internships available to students, both at undergraduate and graduate level and what benefit they serve.

Yes, you read that title correctly. Whether you’re a science major, a law major, an English major or any major for that matter, you can apply for, and excel in, a business internship. Freebies, anyone?

Recruitment fairs are places where you can get information on companies, the jobs they offer and tips for what you should include on your CV to make you more appealing. These are invaluable opportunities which take only your time, not your money.

Attending companies also distribute plenty of free merchandise to promote their brand and keep them on top of your mind: a free power-bank to charge up your phone on the go; notebooks (to take notes, obviously), and lots of free pens, pencils and highlighters to fill your empty pages with refreshing information! Water bottles are also a standard, helping you towards your goal of staying hydrated after a night out - and so much more! There is no loss in this

scenario.

I, as many reading this article have possible also done, visited a Business Graduate Recruitment Fair held in the O’Reilly Hall on the 26th September. While I am not graduating anytime soon, the thought occurred to me - what do I have to lose? In fact, I gained so much more knowledge than I thought possible. I received valuable information on individual companies, their recruitment processes and career development skills in general.

Speaking one-to-one with human resource managers and current employees helps you understand what companies look for - it isn’t just an article imploring you to read about the “20 Best Things Hiring Managers Look for in…”. You get to physically speak with a professional from the other end and hear about what they look for in candidates specifically. An added benefit, of course, is the show of face. One can expect that making a positive first

impression may work in your favour, should you ever to be interviewed by the same person. Also, it must be reinforced that I got lots of free notebooks, pens, USB sticks and… socks? Which, let’s face it, is essential for returning to another long and expensive academic year.

The careers fair gave me the chance to speak with a wide array of different companies from various sectors of industry. One company that stood out prominently was RSM. I was engulfed in a conversation with a second year graduate in marketing. In our conversation, she stated that “…you don’t have to have a business degree to do an internship in certain strands of business…”. She further clarified her point when she revealed to me that she had achieved a degree in History. This statement stood out as it shows that anyone can apply for a graduate or internship program for streams in business with a degree in other disciplines.

Last week, I attended a Placement Insight Day hosted

by KPMG. Their spiel focused on internships and what they offer to students as a company. Most intriguing was the different strands of work: taxation, audit and advisory.

KPMG train you to the highest degree to achieve success in your assigned role. They have a designated “Business School”, hosted by themselves, where one can take

“One can expect that making a positive first impression may work in your favour, should you ever to be interviewed by the same person.” classes to further their understanding in a chosen field.

An appealing fact about applying for an internship with KPMG is that they do not require candidates to have relevant experience. Additionally, KPMG was awarded the Best Internship Program 2018 by gradireland.

So, the question remains, why should you apply for a business internship?

They can open so many doors for you. They enhance your skills and help you to build your C.V. You can apply your experience gained from a business internship to any sector, and perhaps even open up avenues to start up your own company one day.

Here is a quick list of some companies and public bodies which hire summer or full year interns summer: • “The Big Four”: KPMG, PwC, Deloitte, EY • Central Bank of Ireland • Grant Thornton • SMBC Aviation Capital • RSM • Microsoft • Hedgeserv • RBK Finally, there is a business internship fair being held in February of 2019. Dates have not been confirmed but keep an eye out for advertisements around campus and on Careers Connect UCD.

16 VOLUME XXV, ISSUE 2

PUZZLES

The Literary Alpaca

The Literary Alpaca 1

2

3

5

4

6 7 8 9 10

11

12

13

Across

Down

5. Dublin's most famous Malone

1. The role that won Claire Foy an Emmy

6. Coppers for Gaeilgeoirs

2. The winners of the bidding war for Sky Broadcasting

8. Rooney Prize for Irish Literature winner Caitriona Lally's day job

3. Overwhelming happiness or excitement

10. Metallica will be visiting in June

7. Proposed waiting period to access abortion services, in hours

12. British comedian who was investigated by the Gardai for blasphemy in 2017

9. Presenter of Strictly Come Dancing who shares a surname with an Olympic diver

13. Is this sabbatical officer better than Lyons?

11. The storm that shut down the Freshers Ten for a day

4. Abbreviation for methylenedioxymethamphetamine

12. The console for the latest Animal Crossing game 13. One of Michael D's dogs

9TH OCTOBER

17

EDITORIAL Editorial Already, we have reached Week 5 of this semester, and as the countdown to the closure of the UCD Common Room sits at 10 weeks, it seems that time is running short for more than those cramming for midterms.

While the pleas of over 400 staff members who signed the petition, in-person and online, to boycott the University Club have seemingly fallen on unsympathetic ears, those at the helm of the plan will soon realise, if they have not done so already, that their ability to carry out such drastic changes on campus will be hindered in future.

Any presumption that plans for the strategic development of UCD are inherently beneficial for students and staff, has been shattered by the conduct of University Management, and in particular, by the reaction of UCD President Andrew Deeks to the Committee’s campaign.

So too is the illusion that student and staff experience is valued in strategic decision-making.

THE UNIVERSITY OBSERVER TEAM UCD has accelerated its near-constant programme of on-campus construction, fumbling to refurbish almost 140,000sq.m, add 3,000 additional beds in on-campus accommodation and provide 335,000sq.m for its entrance precinct. These projects will rely on the cooperation of students and staff, who must first have faith that University Management have listened. This will be a hard pill to swallow, considering the quality of engagement and understanding that Management have extended to staff and members of the Common Room over the last year.

Staff and students alike are awake to the strong trend of commercialisation in higher education and will need to be convinced of Management’s intent. Campaigns such as Take Back Trinity and the Raise the Roof march for housing, only confirm that students are reaching the end of their tether. On-campus accommodation is a necessity - but of little reassurance to students if the cost continues

to rise. Additional teaching and research facilities are to be welcomed, but it has already come to pass that staff will oppose developments when they come at the expense of collegiate amenities. Such a large programme of development and construction remains to unfold over the next decade in UCD, that it would clearly pay dividends to avoid imbuing the student and staff population with cynicism - other staff-led campaigns are likely to gain traction throughout the year, such as that in favour of a more attractive offer for University staff using the sports centre.

News that UCD has failed to move up in world university rankings this year only reaffirms arguments for increased capital and services investment. Management would do well to avoid shooting itself, and UCD’s reputation, in the foot, and to work alongside the UCD community - not against it.

DEPUTY EDITOR Dylan O’Neill ART AND DESIGN EDITOR Fiachra Johnston NEWS EDITOR Gavin Tracey INTERNATIONAL NEWS EDITOR Úna Sinnott SU AFFAIRS EDITOR Katia Gillen SOCIETIES EDITOR Chloe Maguire Sedgwick

Talleyrand Peasants of UCD, please attend carefully!

Rejoice, for your true lord on high has returned for another issue of this drivel, known as “student journalism”.

Well, well, with all the comings and goings that has been happening, Talley has been binging the last few weeks from his timeless resting place.

First off, Talley finds himself addicted to the new series of Real Housewives of UCD, for my regular fix of over the top drama. On the last episode, we were awaiting President Andrew Jamelia Deeks, head of the soccer mom socialites, to respond to the scathing letter from the union of Western and Eastern socialism that is Chairman Wolfgang Mau (I mean Marx). Sources close to the production have leaked to Talley that this will come to a head in the Winter finale, where Deeks is said to make a decision that will “have serious ramifications for the soccer moms in Newman.” I for one, am eagerly awaiting this next installment.

But one can have too much drama in their lives - Talley wants to switch off from all the serious talk of “sheer disregard for academics.” Talley recommends that you tune into the sitcom It’s Hardly Ever Sunny in the SU, for all the hilarity of this slapstick comedy, that would make the Three Stooges blush. When last we caught up with the gang, they were divided between having their heads in the SilverClouds and taking their show on tour to Leinster House. Although even your least favourite, light hearted comedy isn’t immune to its fair share of drama behind the scenes. Rumours have circulated to all the gossip rags, that the show has been losing money due to lack of interest.

C&C Officer and deputy producer Thomas Monaghan is said to be on thin ice with the rest of the production team for only rallying about 30 groupies for the show’s tour, with the show’s main competitor, USI, having flown out it’s team of around 6,000, to a rally in Dublin. Business class, no less.

In a not so subtle case of foreshadowing for how the

EDITOR Brían Donnelly

HIGHER EDUCATION EDITOR Brian Treacy series will end, President and CEO, Barry Murphy, stated in an interview with TotallyLegit magazine, that “viewers should be able to share rooms if they want and not pay for houses that have luxurious swimming pools and bowling alleys.” He’s not fouling this eagle-eyed viewer who seems to have his head stuck further up in the SilverCloud than most.

So what will the rest of the cast do, if this ensemble does go the way of Community? Well, Graduate Officer Niall Torris, has been spotted by the paps, dipping his toe into different media. Perhaps he’s looking into his own spinoff show, with a niche viewership. Torris, is attempting to do this, and revealing his age, by appealing to graduate students favourite form of intaking information: a radio show.

Welfare Officer, Melissa Plunkett, is set to cut her losses with the show and has already begun to outsource her responsibility of student welfare. Having brought in a new service to teach students how to take care of their own wellbeing online, Plunkett has drastically cut her workload, and is set to be written out of the show. Managing to negotiate an attractive severance package for herself, Plunkett secured this income from creative mathematics in the “referral to outside counselling services” account.

Talley can confirm that tickets were purchased from the welfare fund for a one way trip to the Caribbean. I wish her all the best and am delighted to see this sort of female empowerment and representation that is sorely lacking in today’s media.

Stephen Crosby’s agent was not available to comment on his whereabouts during the rally, so Talley can only presume he’ll be in next week’s episode of Where Are They Now? On a sadder note, Talley regrets to announce the cancellation of his personal favourite guilty pleasure, G-YMnastic! Talley was quite fond of this no nonsense, winner

takes all show, but unfortunately, the show’s cult following was not enough for executives from cutting it from the weekly schedule it enjoyed last year. Showrunners are allegedly in court proceedings over releasing the rights, and the equipment, to other potential buyers. Rife with issues that never made it to air, this cancellation caused quite a stir when it occurred with everyone pointing blame at somebody else. Even certain publications were upset over the news, but whether that was because they didn’t break it first is still up for debate.

Talley prays that someone will swoop in and save the show in some form, as having to stop living vicariously through fictional characters in unrealistic scenarios hardly bears thinking about. Talley just isn’t ready to change his diet of popcorn and wine just yet.

Talley-out!

FEATURES EDITOR VACANT COMMENT EDITOR Nathan Young AGRICULTURE AND RURAL AFFAIRS EDITOR Matthew Kehoe PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGION EDITOR William Higgins LAW AND POLITICS EDITOR VACANT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY EDITOR Emmet Feerick DEPUTY SCIENCE EDITOR Sean Mooney EARARTHOIR GAEILGE Hugh Mac Giolla Chearra SPORTS EDITOR Rory Clarke DEPUTY SPORTS EDITOR Colmán Stanley CHIEF OF PHOTOGRAPHY Alex Fagan CHIEF OF ILLUSTRATIONS Freya Williams CHIEF OF VIDEOGRAPHY Orla Keaveney

Letters to the Editor

COLUMNISTS Molly Greenough Matthew Tannam-Elgie Veronica Rozynek STAFF WRITERS Sofia Dragacevac Jack McNicholl Daire Brady CONTRIBUTORS Killian Conyngham Conor McCloskey Jade Wilson Andrea Andres Brianna Walsh Rosemarie Gibbons Michael Tuohy Robert Burke Eva O’Hara Adesewa Awobadejo Doireann DeCourcy MacDonnell Caoilfhinn Hegarty James Donaghey Evelyn Elias Mark Jackson Camille Lombard Lillian Loescher Rosetrell Fillipe Claudia Dalby Ciaran Crowther Fearghal Johnston Odhrán McDonnell Andrew Dempsey

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Letters, corrections, and clarifications pertaining to articles published in this newspaper and online are welcomed and encuraged.

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

18 VOLUME XXV, ISSUE 2

SPECIAL THANKS Rachel O’Neill Hannah Boylan Cormac Warrillow Our supporters, advertisers, interviewees and readers

SPORT

The state of the GAA nation 2018 After a summer where the competitiveness of the respective GAA championships championships seem to have gone in opposite directions, Ciarán Crowther examines where the GAA goes from here.

On 19th August, Limerick ended 45 years of hurt as their inspirational centre-back Declan Hannon lifted the Liam MacCarthy Cup for the Treatymen for the first time since 1973 amid euphoric, emotional scenes following their victory over defending champions Galway. As the people of Limerick celebrated their win with The Cranberries blaring out of the PA system in Croke Park, it was everything you’ve come to expect from one of the highlights of the Irish sporting calendar.

What is supposed to be another equally important highlight turned out to be anything but on the 2nd September. The almost-mocking rendition of ‘Molly Malone’ that rang out in Croke Park, in the aftermath of Dublin’s six-point hammering of Tyrone, to complete an awesome four-in-a-row of All-Ireland titles, almost certainly grated on the nerves of some people. The familiar tune has been a ubiquitous sound following Dublin final wins for many years now in Croke Park. However, after four years of Dublin dominance, the style in which the Dubs coasted to a sixth All-Ireland SFC title in eight years has left many people feeling aggrieved at the state of the game.

The inter-county hurling championship may be in fine fettle, but the same cannot be said when it comes to Gaelic football.

The thrilling nature of this year’s hurling championship can be attributed to a number of reasons, the foremost of which is perhaps the new championship format which was adopted for the 2018 season. It is clear that the new round robin format in the Munster and Leinster provincial championships gave the competition that extra edge, producing some titanic contests throughout what was a breathless, epic hurling championship. From the get-go, top performances were demanded from counties wanting to stay in contention and have a chance of qualifying for the All-Ireland Series. It proved to be cutthroat stuff, with last year’s runners-up, Waterford and Tipperary, who were All Ireland champions only two years ago, failing to make it out of Munster. Meanwhile a very competitive Dublin side that had pushed Kilkenny, Wexford and Galway all the way, failed to get out of Leinster. Overall, the new format and structure benefitted the hurling championship as a whole, combining excitement and surprise in an irresistible cocktail of Irish sport.

Indeed, it seems the GAA has figured out a championship structure which gets the best out of all counties in hurling while still providing scope for improvement and progression. Aside from the top tier where the MacCarthy Cup is the ultimate prize, there are four tiers in the senior inter-county hurling championship below this. In order, they are the Joe McDonagh Cup, the Christy Ring Cup, the Nicky Rackard Cup and the Lory Meagher Cup. It is disappointing in a sense that there are only ten counties in Ireland that are capable of playing hurling at the highest level but on the other hand the GAA deserve credit for recognising this and have now created a hurling championship which allows all 32 counties on the island of Ireland (as well as teams representing London, Warwickshire and Lancashire) to compete in the senior inter-county hurling championship, something which cannot be said of its Gaelic football counterpart.

The structure of the inter-county Gaelic football championship leaves a lot to be desired in terms of competitiveness. Looking at the provincial championship format, it is starting to look more and more outdated as each year goes by. In Leinster, Dublin won their eighth Delaney Cup in a row, culminating in a facile 18-point win

“The mood of the GAA public was evident in the aftermath of the hurling and football finals.” over Laois. In Munster, Kerry were also head and shoulders above the rest as they defeated their neighbours Cork by 17 points, inspired by the phenomenal David Clifford.

Connacht and Ulster were competitive this year but this is only papering over the cracks in terms of the health of the provincial championships.

Ultimately, there are only a handful of teams that are capable of competing for the Sam Maguire Cup. While it may hurt the pride of some smaller football counties, Gaelic football is crying out for a restructuring in the senior intercounty championship. Not every county realistically hopes to have a chance of making it to Croke Park for the Super 8s and emulating the likes of Monaghan and Roscommon.

Some creative thinking from GAA HQ is needed to establish some kind of tiered structure to eliminate these patent flaws.

Understandably, a lot of talk throughout the winter will centre around GAA funding and the financial luxuries which some teams enjoy. Dublin have received millions in games development funding over the course of the last decade. Although funding does need to be rebalanced in order to try and level the playing field somewhat, much of the funding allocated to Dublin is justified. A large proportion of the population live in our capital and thus Dublin GAA requires greater funding to ensure adequate infrastructure can be provided to meet the needs of such numbers.

But at the end of the day, to say Dublin’s All-Ireland success is largely down to financial investment would be an erroneous claim to say the least. Gaelic football may not be at the start of a perceived golden age as hurling might be, but ultimately, would all of the money in the GAA world really help the already well-funded and financed contenders to Dublin’s crown in 2019? It’s doubtful anybody involved with the inter-county setups in Tyrone, Monaghan, Galway, Kerry, Mayo or Donegal would think so. Dublin are clearly in the middle of a golden generation of footballers that Jim Gavin and his backroom team are getting the best out of, something many are reluctant to give them credit for. The Gaelic football championship may not come close to eclipsing the hurling championship in terms of entertainment for some time to come, but there is not much that can be done when we are living in the era of one of the greatest Gaelic football teams of all time.

Club Focus: Athletics, running the good race Ciarán Crowther talks to the UCD Athletics Club in the second installment of Club Focus.

UCD Athletics Club is one of the most successful sports clubs in the history of the UCD. Aside from the numerous individual and team intervarsity medals the club has won since 1911, UCD AC has produced more Olympians and World Championship competitors than any other sports club in the University’s history. Just some of the notable alumni of the club are Derval O’Rourke, James Nolan, Mark English, David Matthews, Ciara Mageean. David Matthews, Joanne Cuddihy and Ciara Everard.

The first tartan athletics track in the Republic of Ireland was the old Belfield track which now lies in rack and ruin after being controversially replaced by a car park in 2014. However, the future looks bright on this front after UCD Sport announced in the last academic year, that an anonymous angel investor is going to provide most of the funding for a new running track and athletics facility, with the hopes of completion by 2022.

The club is thriving nonetheless, according to men’s distance running team captain Eamonn Murphy. On the middle and long distance running side, a typical week in the club consists of two group workouts on Tuesdays and Fridays with additional group runs throughout the rest of the week as well as a team gym session which takes place on Wednesdays. Most workouts are completed on a loop on the sports pitches while runs tend to take place on a scenic loop of the entire Belfield campus.

The distance runners are coached by one of the top distance runners in Ireland, Emmett Dunleavy. The vastly experienced 37-year-old has amassed his coaching wisdom over the years under the tutelage of people like Irish distance running legend Olympian Jerry Kiernan, who can be seen coaching marathon runners on Tuesday nights in UCD, as well as spending time with former Olympic bronze medallist and World Champion race walker Rob Heffernan.

Murphy emphasises that the athletics club is one which is very inclusive and open in nature. All runners of a range of abilities train together, especially on Tuesday nights. It is clear from talking to Murphy that UCD AC is a very welcoming club, which explains its consistent popularity among students. The cream of the distance running crop in the club are a very committed bunch, says Murphy, often involving training 6 days a week.

Equal levels of dedication and commitment is shown on the sprinting and field events side of the athletics club.

It is these athletes, however, that have perhaps suffered the most since the old Belfield track was ripped up. They make the journey to Irishtown Stadium in the Ringsend area of Dublin 4 twice a week to train, as well as doing multiple sessions in the gym and on the grass in UCD throughout

the week. Stephen Gaffney, himself a former club captain, is the club’s current coach.

“UCD Sport announced in the last academic year, that an anonymous angel investor is going to provide most of the funding for a new running track and athletics facility”

The club is involved in many events throughout the year.

According to Murphy, the club will be going on a team trip to Curracloe in Co.Wexford soon and they also travel to Monte Gordo in Portugal during the March break every year for a warm weather training holiday. This particular trip has become the stuff of legend within the club, providing an opportunity for members to socialise and let their hair down.

In terms of intervarsity competition, the athletics club enters numerous teams in the Intervarsity Road Relays which take place every November. Early in the second semester, the club competes in the Intervarsity Indoor Track and Field Championships in Athlone IT, before the marquee events of the year the Intervarsity Cross Country Championships and the Intervarsity Outdoor Track and Field Championships. They are hosted by different universities from year to year on a rotating basis. UCD AC also compete against DUHAC, (aka Trinity College Dublin) in three so-called ‘Colours’ events throughout the year which act as warm-up events for the road relay, cross country and track and field championships.

After talking to Murphy, it is evident that UCD Athletics Club is a sports club where every individual can reach their potential, whatever their goals may be. Whoever you are and whatever level you’re at, if you are interested in getting involved, UCD AC can be contacted through all forms of social media as well as by emailing athletics@ ucd.ie. Alternatively, the University Observer understands that various members of the club regularly frequent the Poolside Café for their famous coffee sessions. They may be nicknamed the UCD Bears, but they don’t bite!

Sports shorts Fearghal Johnston

Magheracloone get that sinking feeling Magheracloone Mitchells, the Monaghan club most well known for producing all star corner forward Tommy Freeman and the talismanic Niamh Kindlon, found themselves in the media for an altogether different reason this week. Several fissures and sinkholes opened up across their grounds in Kevin O’Reilly Park near Carrickmacross. The reason? The ground itself was built upon the remains of an old gypsum mine. The club has since launched a GoFundMe campaign which, at the time of writing, has raised €6,400, while club chairman Francie Jones has confirmed that the club are set to be without the use of the grounds for a number of years.

Several houses and a local national school were also evacuated due to the collapse.

Davis calls it a day

Browns break the streak

FAI look to go global

Staying stateside, in another remarkable incident in the NFL, Buffalo Bills cornerback Vontae Davis retired at half time in their recent clash with the LA Chargers, a game in which he was playing. In a move that anyone who’s sat through a 9am double lecture will understand, Davis removed himself from the game at the interval, simply saying “I shouldn’t be out there anymore”. The former Miami Dolphins player is far from the first person to want desperately to leave their job, but with a contract worth $5 million annually and ten years of NFL experience under his belt, Davis is unlikely to be spotted at a jobcentre any time soon. All the same, the 30 year old’s announcement is likely to have made that particular half time break one of sport’s more memorable.

In a hard luck streak that would make even Mayo GAA fans balk, the FirstEnergy Stadium last week saw the NFL’s Cleveland Browns pick up their first win in 19 attempts against the New York Jets, in an event that saw Bud Light open fridges of free beer across the city for fans to enjoy.

Since their last win on Christmas Eve of 2016, Dublin have won two more All-Irelands, Tiger Woods has climbed more than 1,000 places in the golf world rankings, and Sam Allardyce has managed another two clubs to Premier League safety. However, perhaps the most pertinent question is how long have those beers been waiting to be opened?

With much of the recent discussion surrounding the Republic of Ireland national team focusing on who Roy Keane has fallen out with now, the FAI looked to raise spirits in a way that only they can; by plotting a bid for the 2030 World Cup. Last week, news broke that the association had taken part in a feasibility study, along with the British football governing bodies, with a view to bidding for the game’s showpiece event. The stadia involved are likely to be the Aviva and Croke Park, which disappointingly rules out the possibility of Kylian Mbappe lighting up Fitzgerald Stadium in Killarney and the world’s media converging upon McHale Park. It must be said however that unlike Lusail, the Qatari city that will host the 2022 final, Castlebar holds a significant trump card due to the fact that it has already been built.

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SPORT Duty-Free Son? Although, Heung Min Son may be an outstanding footballer, Odhrán McDonnell wonders do his sporting achievements justify his exemption from military service?

Tottenham Hotspur winger Heung Min Son has been creating headlines recently, albeit away from his natural habitat of White Hart Lane, London. In the last month, the South Korean international captained his side to glory in the 2018 Asian Games, assisting both goals in a 2-1 victory over Japan in the final. This achievement is especially significant for him as it earned him, and his teammates, an exemption from the mandatory military service in the Korean army. While the Korean army require all ablebodied men to complete 21 months of military service before the age of 28, they begrudgingly offer exemptions to those who excel at international sporting events. Aged 26, Son had been running out of opportunities to earn his exemption, but he can now continue with his career without the spectre of enforced military service hanging over him.

It was evident in the aftermath of the final that Son was relieved to be free from his military duties. He ran around the stadium grasping two Korean flags, looking

“He ran around the stadium grasping two Korean flags, looking like a changed man compared to the man who broke down in tears at the World Cup following South Korea’s elimination at the group stage.” like a changed man compared to the man who broke down in tears at the World Cup following South Korea’s elimination at the group stage. On that sorry day in Russia, he must have been struggling with the realisation that his opportunities of avoiding military service were fading into oblivion. However, the Asian Games provided him with another possible road to exemption, and he grabbed it with both hands.

The question of mandatory military service for elite Korean footballers has always been a topic of controversy in South Korea and further afield, but Son was on course to be the first high-profile Korean footballer in the English

game to complete the full service. Ji Sung Park (formerly of Manchester United) avoided service due to his role in South Korea’s run to the semi final of the 2002 World Cup, while Sung Yeung Ki (Swansea City and Newcastle United) was exempted because of his bronze medal at the 2012 Olympics.

To anyone who is not a South Korean native, the situation seems clear: these men are representing their country with great aplomb on the international stage, and to force them into military service would ruin their careers, while simultaneously costing the country international sporting success. In the case of Son, it is undeniable that his career would have been hugely compromised had he spent two years in the military. He may have returned with outstanding levels of fitness due to the rigorous training regime of the military, but he would have inevitably lost his footballing touch from a lack of playing time while on duty.

The case of professional golfer Sang Moon Bae provides evidence for this argument. In 2015, Bae was at the peak of his golfing career, achieving a second career PGA Tour victory. Unfortunately for him, his success was not enough for an exemption, and he was forced to serve in the military until 2017. He has since returned to professional golf and is currently ranked 327th in the world, some fall from his pre-service high of 26th.

However, South Korean nationals would be justified for feeling far less sympathetic towards footballers like Son. From their point of view, footballers like Son and Ki are every bit as South Korean as they are, and therefore, equally responsible for the welfare of South Korean citizens. While they may be brilliant at representing South Korea on the world soccer stage, the threat that North Korea poses to their home country must surely take priority. There is a powerful argument to be made for all South Koreans, regardless of career, to have to carry out the two years of service. An insistence that absolutely everybody must serve for the military would ensure maximum discipline and camaraderie amongst the South Korean public. After all, two years is not a long period of time in one’s life, and if everybody must do the same service, then few complaints can be had by anyone. Surely football should fade into insignificance when your country needs you? Historically, this kind of nationalist sentiment has been widespread amongst South Koreans, which, in truth, is completely understandable.

The South Korean government could take some inspiration from the way in which Egypt handled the

case of Mohamed Salah, the famous Liverpool footballer.

Egypt, similarly to South Korea, requires males to carry

“To force them into military service would ruin their careers” out mandatory military service. While he was playing for Chelsea, Salah’s place in an Egyptian education programme was rescinded, which in a normal case, would have required him to return to Egypt to serve in the military. However, the Egyptian Prime Minister stepped in to ensure that Salah would be spared of any duty. The flexible stance which Egypt took in the situation allowed Salah to continue his career, and to develop into one of

the world’s best footballers. He even managed to inspire an average Egypt national team to their first World Cup since 1990, a feat which would have achieved far more for the Egyptian public than any military service ever could have done.

While it is natural for South Koreans to want everybody to carry out their military service regardless of profession or talent, it is difficult to justify a situation whereby Heung Min Son would lose two peak years of his career to army commitments. The Korean army is not weakened by losing one man, and by being free to continue his career, he can continue to expose South Korea to the world in a positive light through his skill and success. While Son has escaped military service through the loophole that is the Asian Games, the current government policy dictates that the next generation of South Korean sporting stars may not be so lucky.

The students are on the march! Again…

Andrew Dempsey dissects UCD AFC’s sensational title win which will see a whole host of UCD students back in the big time of Irish football.

The 14th of September 2018 will go down in the annals of UCD AFC’s proud League of Ireland history. Led by the tactically astute Collie O’Neill, the team’s result against Finn Harps means a team comprised of UCD Students will once more represent their university in the top-tier of domestic football in Ireland.

Relegated to the much-maligned First Division in 2014 after playoff heartbreak against Galway United, ‘the Students’, as they are constantly referred to as in the Irish media, had to rebuild in one of the most unforgiving leagues European football has to offer.

Little to no media coverage, paltry crowds and some farfrom ideal playing surfaces contribute to an atmosphere of isolation and unknowns. As it is, there is very little coverage from the mainstream media outlets in terms of the Premier Division so perhaps “College” knew exactly what they were in for on their return to the so-called “Graveyard Division” in 2015.

However, in keeping with their strong and passionate footballing philosophies, which has seen the Belfield boys earn plenty of plaudits under many managers, Collie O’Neill refused to deviate from these proud footballing principles.

On first glance, the 2015 season was potentially UCD’s best chance to get out of the First Division during their four-year spell. Coupled with a fairy-tale European odyssey which saw them stun now Europa League group stage participants Dudelange, it really looked like it could have been a year to remember for O’Neill in his first year of senior management.

The end of the Europa League adventure saw their league form improve as they went on an imperious fivegame winning run. But it wasn’t to be as the now defunct Wexford Youths landed an incredible league title. All hope was not lost however with the playoffs, but the season came to a crashing halt when a determined Finn Harps came to town under the guise of the much-loved Ollie Horgan to close the curtain on a memorable, yet heartbreaking season for the boys in sky blue.

2016 came and went with ‘the Students’ once again faltering with heavy inconsistencies as the unlikely lads from Cobh Ramblers pipped the Belfield side to a Playoff berth come the seasons end. Limerick ran away with the First Division crown two months before the season officially finished in October. The completion of the 2016 season presented UCD AFC with a major dilemma. Priding itself on providing a fantastic atmosphere with studies and football, it appeared as if the dressing room was fractured on campus.

There were two major groups in the UCD dressing room at the time, the more experienced players not in college such as Jason Byrne and Kieran Marty Waters, and those firmly in the university environment such as Gary O’Neill and Jason McClelland. While youth and experience are a match *almost* made in heaven, Collie O’Neill and his supervisor-in-chief, Diarmuid McNally pressed ahead with an all-scholarship model to nurture talent in a learning environment.

Many departed to near neighbours Cabinteely while the core of a potentially title-winning squad stayed on campus.

This idea proved to be a masterstroke from those in power at UCD AFC. The atmosphere around the squad improved almost dramatically. With all the players in a very similar age

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dramatically. With all the players in a very similar age cohort and living on the Belfield campus, the bond and unity among the group improved almost tenfold. There was no egos, or “wolves” as manager Collie O’Neill described them, just a seriously honest and dedicated group of athletes who were more than determined to prove their doubters wrong.

2017 was the start of something special in the dressing room of UCD AFC. While they eventually fell away to the unrelenting Waterford FC, there was plenty of positives to take from their first year back in the exclusively scholarship model.

Greg Sloggett, Gary O’Neill and Timmy Molloy, all scholarship students, dictated the middle of the park, gaining the tag of the ‘Holy Trinity’ while the likes of Josh Collins and Georgie Kelly (now of Dundalk FC) stood up and were counted in an extremely positive year for ‘the

Students’.

Coupled with a strong showing in the Collingwood Cup in February of that year, it was looking like, from the outside at least, that the perfect storm was brewing under wraps and almost divine secrecy at the Bowl.

The 2017/18 academic year was really over when everything bubbled towards the surface at the UCD Bowl.

A Colleges and Universities Football League (CUFL) title was secured alongside retaining the Collingwood Cup (their 47th overall). With an-all conquering third level side, the real acid test was yet to come in the form of the 2018 First Division. Billed as the most competitive second-tier in decades, UCD AFC began the season like a house on fire.

Dispatching of Shelbourne and Finn Harps early on in the season set the tone for a massive year with the ‘Boys in Sky Blue’.

The mid-season break came and left with Collie

O’Neill’s side sitting pretty at the top of the plie seven points clear but a rocky few weeks was to come. After the sobering 5-1 home defeat to Longford Town, talismanic Georgie Kelly left for pastures new at Dundalk.

O’Neill now had a dilemma on his hands. However, sticking to his principles, the Drogheda native trusted his young side to get the job done, which they so emphatically did on that fateful night at home to Finn Harps. In a game that will go down in the annals of UCD AFC’s proud history, the ‘nearly’ boys became men who finally arrived, after years of heartbreak and near-misses.

It will be fascinating to see how UCD AFC adapt to the obvious step up in standard in the top tier of Irish football, with player burnout a potential issue. Rest assured however, after a spell in the wilderness, UCD AFC are on the rise once more.