University Observer Volume XVII Issue 9

VOLUME XVII ISSUE 9

NE QUID FALSE DICERE AUDEAT NE QUID VERI NON AUDEAT

15th February 2011

IRELAND’S AWARD-WINNING STUDENT NEWSPAPER

8 VOLUME XVII ISSUE

1st February 2011

NON AUDEAT NE QUID VERI DICERE AUDEAT NE QUID FALSE

IRELAND’S AWARD-WINNIN

WE EXAMINE THE WORK PERFORMED

BY SUICIDE HELPLINES. Page 9

Williamson issues apology to Ó Súilleabháin KILLIAN WOODS O-two Editor

U

EducaCD Students’ Union James tion Vice-President, a full Williamson, has issued Ó Súilapology to Donnacha of his predecessor’s leabháin for his criticism Officer last year, performance as Education the Students’ of during the last meeting

G STUDENT NEWSPAPER

COMMENT

FEATURES

ARE CAREERFOCUSED DEGREE COURSES THE WAY

SCIENCE

THE HISTORY OF AT MEDICINE IS LOOKED AGES FROM THE MIDDLE TO THE PRESENT. Page 19

t Strong suppor g on for Labour ams student voter FORWARD? Page 13

Union Council. criticized the former Williamson heavily last year in the Education Vice-President elections and queslead up to the sabbatical ability to fulfill the tioned Ó Súilleabháin’s of specific parameters role. He highlighted failÓ Súilleabháin was the job that he felt and tackled him ing to perform adequately to take on any failure about his perceived had proposed on issues that Ó Súilleabháin his manifesto. also covered Ó Williamson’s criticism of Science Day Súilleabháin organization that went missing funds the issue of charity during his tenure. criticism campus.

While initially Williamson’s last Tuesday on on said that they during Ag Week negatively impacted 80 per cent of students of Ó Súilleabháin UCD enjoy the festivities has sought The students of the upcoming election Williamson deserve it considering would be voting in their relationship, is failing us, but we and made a full they feel that the said: “We have themselves as not bewhile 72 per cent saying to atone for his criticisms Union Council. how we voted.” Another cent of students class the for a positive effect on at all while only 12 that after fighting election will have apology at the last Students’ Observer, Wilshown the world ing engaged in politics we as 81 per cent said that AMY BRACKEN hundreds of years, regarded themselves Speaking to The University future of the country. independence for per cent of students in situation will make it for one hundred engaged. that his apology was the state's financial News Editor liamson explained cannot even hold onto of being heavily politically

by The Uniof him [Ó Súilleabvote, yet a number that 85 per cent of survey conducted them more likely to light of his “criticism The survey showed years. We’re not capable.” quesattitudes toas Education Officer response to the queswould like to see not to answer that versity Observer on There was a diverse respondents chose háin] and his ability those who responded that to election has keen to emphasize give their ideas on how younger politicians wards the general tion. last year” but was tion where asked to the introduction of cent of stuto Students' Union policies they would economic situation of their opinion of shown that 24 per When asked what the apology was made to change the current the Dáil. When asked following the upstudent said: “Hard intended to it to solely in Irish politics, one Labour. like to see introduced council in that he in the country. One the role of students dents would vote for such as reduced to his role as Educathe most popular they should play as in education, reducing coming election, answers cover criticisms relating work, investment This makes the party student said: “Ideally to reform were respondent grouping in of their nearand not with regards fees and electoral welfare,” while another UCD students ahead of a role as every other student tion Vice-President social much among vipoliticians to a reduction in Soother issues: politics, idealism, and Independent/Othcommon, in addition Science Day or any said: “End to party Irish society but unfortunatelyof students.” est rivals Fine Gael heavily on other stuff 20 per cent. Sinn (charisma), inspiration opinions “I do criticise him cial Welfare. sion, leadership tend to dismiss the er candidates who polled rest from across all subyear and he still knows with Europe and they regarded them11 per cent while Fi210 UCD students that happened last (media), closer ties Another student said Féin came third with solutions and Day, but that has group, and said: Party scored the in the survey between as part of a lobby Fáil and the Green ject areas took part that. Including Science of world. End to short-termIdeas regarding selves anna council or of last week. the interview per cent respectively. students.”

Tuesday and Friday nothing to do with small minded thinking.”

“No-one listens to lowest with 5 and 4 Dáil attendance thing altogether,” exasked to comment towards politicians, because it’s a separate Students were also taxation and compulsory Regarding attitudes in they both felt let down today’s political state plained Williamson. were also prevalent. on their opinion of 88 per cent said that judge“Politics of his predecessor student responded: and didn’t trust their One As part of his criticism politicians Ireland. by what he perceived revealed that 11 per Williamson highlighted ment. The survey also Propoor dealings with as Ó Súilleabháin’s the previous academic “I would like to gramme Officers in not come into fruition: realise that takdealings with Donnaas I SVP Society to produce year. “I had very little apologise to all of you the proposal by the hard because the Education aware of any legal iscalendar is a really has reason to believe cha and that is weird ing part in a naked this Calendar, I’m not sity Observer that he we the the Programme the SVP, thought that with the Auditor of reasons involved in Officer should be overseeing contact with thing to do. We, in sues being discussed there may be legal DAVID FARRELL very poor We thought that the asked about the refusal Officers. There was

by UCD had all areas covered.

SVP society.” When prohibiting of the publication. and the other Pronude calender made being published or to be published, Niall SVP auditor Conor myself and Donnacha Paul Society decision of the calendar Officer and not In an email sent to to allow the calendar I issue year… nobody really Saint Vincent de it was strange but “there is a separate gramme Officers last from not lay with the Societies Fahy said: “I thought Tonry, Butler said: (SVP) has been prevented on whether or the hierarchy of UCD that the University knew what he was doing.”

Officer, the those who are in probably couldn’t comment and set of circumstances University Observer publication by Societies and set of circummoment, entirely sepaWilliamson told The leand the 'separate issue not it was justified.” is dealing with at the a result of perceived of the calissue the apology based that I would never but which could be Richard Butler, as that he decided to Tonry said of the cancellation it. It was stances' was something rate from the calendar, its publication. The the role of Education of work into such a venture.” gal issues surrounding on his experience of have foreseen. endar: “I put a lot originated with affected negatively by I must and that he informed want to make excuses the last few days, I accept that they nude calendar proposal Vice-President to date "However I do not Tonry said: “Over disappointing but were taken before he was going to make that I am the audireason. Different and the most inthe SVP and the photos Ó Súilleabháin that for myself. Considering have had a good enough contacted a lot of people at the moment of society members to the Council our fault. prior it’s comprising have found this him to suppose should that I I is, Christmas a an apology tor of UCDSVP colleges do calendars. formation that I got university. However, leSo if you feel angry issues. They were unfrom all across the number of different meeting. stuff out, but I didn’t.

We didn’t realise these UCD are fighting a then efforts to push calendar was not given this whole situation while these disputes draft copy of the He cited Ó Súilleabháín’s or disappointed by foreseen.” gal battles and felt that to Butler, who told and tutor teaching be a good idea to to the calendar parapproval when sent through demonstrator Tonry sent an email you can blame me.” are going on, it wouldn’t “I decided that it would as one of the aspects Observer calendar the University requirements why The be standard ticipants to explain bring out a naked calendar.” was based on for the calendar to tenure he would praise decision was not appropriate of Ó Súilleabháin’s Mr Butler said “the as the difficulty produced.” and cited what he perceives through forty SVP told The Univerhas to go The auditor of the of his role when “it

A

“Legal issues” stop

publication of SVP

nude calendar

YOUR STUDENT MEDIA UNDER THREAT Motion to remove Article 16 from SU constitution

A

committees”.

Promotional texts spark student outrage SARAH DORAN

S

Chief News Reporter tudents have been angered by promotional texts sent to them from both UCD Ents and third parties despite never giving out their contact details.

The third parties, including Dublin nightclubs Krystle and Citi Bar, have been sending out texts to students in recent months. Suspicions have arisen as regards the legality of the manner in which these organisations obtained the phone numbers.

One student told The University Observer: “Just today I received another text from Citi Bar, even though I have never set foot in that place. I have certainly never given out my number I any other club so they could not have gotten it that way. A friend of mine read somewhere that her Dad is her emergency contact on the SIS system and that on occasion he has also received similar texts, so it seems possible that that’s where they got them.”

The texts normally fail to include an ‘opt-out’ clause and are sent from a nonumber facility, a fact which appears to place the organisations behind the promotional messages in direct violation of the rules and regulations set out by the Data Protection Commissioner of Ireland.

The University Observer understands that The Commissioner’s Guidelines on Unsolicited Direct Marketing state that if “a valid address to which you can send an opt-out request has not been provided” the sender of the message is in violation of Data Protection guidelines.

If individuals did not initially refuse the collection and use of those details, then the marketer is entitled by Data Protection Code to continue to send these texts. However this only applies on the provision that the receiver is given an option to opt out at the time of each subsequent communication. Prior consent is also a legal requirement for the purpose of direct marketing through any form of electronic mail.

Actor Michael Sheen receives the James Joyce Award from Literary and Historical Society Auditor Niall Fahy.

IUA expenditure rises amid universities’ financial crisis AMY BRACKEN News Editor

T

he Irish Universities Association (IUA), of which UCD is affiliated, had close to a €2 million increase in both income received and expenditure against a backdrop of education cutbacks between 2008 and 2009, The University Observer can reveal. Based on its size, UCD is understood to be the largest university contributor to the IUA, a limited company with seven university presidents as its Board of Directors, in terms of financial contributions.

A representative from the UCD Academic Staff Association said: “I had no idea that the IUA had the type of budget that it has. Everyone I showed those figures to had assumed that the IUA was a relatively small organisation providing some form of secretarial support to the seven presidents.”

The representative added: “What exactly does the IUA do? That’s another question, which is why I was absolutely gob-smacked when I pulled down the numbers…they’re a fig leaf for anything the universities want to do.”

Official documents obtained by The University Observer show that funding received by the IUA rose from just under €3 million to €4,841,846, while expenditure rose from €2,912,894 to €4,517,503 from 2008 to 2009.

The IUA obtained in the region of €1.5 million in funding from the universities over the years 2008-10. A spokesperson for UCD said: “The UCD portion of this funding was €329,223 for 2008, 2009 and 2010.”

The official documents state: “The company is primarily dependent upon the universities for funding.”

A breakdown of figures provided to The University Observer by the IUA Chief Executive show that in 2009 the seven universities con-

tributed €1,555,510 of the €4,841,586 income receivable stated in the documents.

This rise took place during the same period in which universities’ deficits became public and programmes of cutbacks were introduced.

Chief Executive Ned Costello said the work of the IUA includes “specifically sectoral projects involving all of the seven universities”.

He stated that other income derives from the HEAR (Higher Education Access Route) and DARE (Disability Access Route to Education) projects and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation. The company states on its website: “As an organisation in the public domain the action of the company and/or its members are open to public scrutiny… the organisation must be seen to operate on the most appropriate standards of governance, accountability and value for money.”

However, The University Observer understands that because of their status as a limited

company, the company is protected from any requests made under the Freedom of Information Act. General Secretary of the Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT), Mike Jennings, said: “As I understand it, the IUA is an association of the presidents of the seven universities in the Republic of Ireland… they don’t have a statutory role. They don’t have a governing board which represents anybody other then the university presidents, as I understand it.”

The official documents also show that the IUA hired two extra administration staff in 2009. During that same period, the Higher Education Authority (HEA) imposed restrictions on hiring staff across the third-level sector, and also instructed universities to make several waves of cutbacks in all academic and non-academic areas. Costello confirmed that their office premises located in Merrion Square is rented but refused to comment on how much it cost per annum.

An open letter to the students of UCD With a motion which threatens the very existence of student media set to be proposed at next week’s Students’ Union Council, cofounder of The University Observer Dara Ó Briain writes an open letter to UCD students highlighting the importance of student media.

Hello you. I’m that bloke off the telly. No, not that one, the other one, the one who went to England. That’s the one.

More pertinently, I’m also a UCD gradu-

ate and in 1994, along with afriend of mine, Pat Leahy, I founded The University Observer, the paper you have in your hands at the moment. We felt that the college needed a professionally run, regular newspaper that would use the best student journalism to do all the things a great newspaper can do; to campaign and entertain and investigate.

Right from the start we said that while this paper would be funded by the Students’ Union, it would be editorially independent from it, even if that independence often led to clashes with the Union. Editors have been fired and editions have been threat-

ened with being pulped; this is all part of the fun of working in a student newspaper.

Even though we had our clashes however, the paper has kept going for 17 years now, making it something of a college institution.

Now though, some within the Union want to take this part of college life and shut it down. They are proposing a referendum to be voted on by yourselves, to remove their obligation to fund a newspaper for you. They want you to help them to kill off this paper.

Now, I have no idea what the specific beef is with the paper. These fights come and go, almost as fast as Union officers, and newspaper editors, come and go. Importantly though,

these squabbles and spats have never threatened the long-term existence of the paper.

No short-term gripe has been deemed sufficient to close down the college paper. That is, until now.I am so very, very old now, and probably unlikely to see another summer, but please take this long-term advice from me; a strong college paper is a Good Thing, and it makes UCD a better place. Our university has always been vibrant and discursive and filled with competing ideas.

And it is no coincidence that the national debate in Ireland is dominated by UCD. Economists, historians, journalists and, yes, television hosts and comedians, all graduates

of this, the most important University in the country. The University Observer has had its part to play in these debates, and could continue for many generations of students. I am deeply proud of the talent and energy and almost 20 years of student effort that have gone into building this paper. You should be proud of it too. In fact, all within the Students’ Union should be proud of it.

If it comes to a vote, I hope you can remind them of that.

Thanks for reading this, D. See full story: page 5. Editorial: page 2.

Timeline: Page 21.

2

THE UNIVERSITY OBSERVER 15 February 2011

EDITORIAL

news@universityobserver.ie

Attempts to stifle student media freedom of expression The proposal to significantly lessen the influence of student media on campus will ultimately be detrimental to the students’ best interests and will hamper the prospects of countless aspiring journalists The initiation of an imminent motion to abolish The University Observer and Belfield FM is a serious error of judgement on the part of those who put forward the proposal. It is an attack on independent student media, an attack on free speech and ultimately an attack on UCD itself. Those who advocate this newspaper’s potential abolition, while quite possibly well meaning, fail to fully grasp the implications of such a move. Indeed, the timing of this proposal is questionable if not somewhat disconcerting - the presence of vibrant and independent student media channels has over the decdes been essential in countering the continuous attacks on students’ rights.

A fully functioning independent media outlet is integral to any community, not least one the size of UCD. Some people have suggested that The College Tribune amply serves this purpose, however the existence of two rival publications is essential to facilitate a democratic balance within this university. Just as in society at large, more than one newspaper is needed to ensure that the utmost level of transparency prevails, so in UCD two newspapers are justified, in addition to other supporting forms of media such as Belfield FM or Campus Television Network.

If either The University Observer or The College Tribune were to be removed from campus, it would leave the sole existing paper prone to potential complacency. Moreover, the two papers are more reliant on one another than many people would suspect. For example, if UCD decided to

censor or abolish The College Tribune in order to prevent them from running a story that portrayed the university in a negative light, then ironically The University Observer would be the paper’s best means of addressing the situation.

There are several other factors that highlight the fallacy of the upcoming motion. While at a glance, the €50,000 annual budget allocated to the paper may seem excessive, when the figures are examined more closely and put into context, it is a more than justifiable price to pay for the provision of a valued student service – with costs accounting for the design, printing and distribution of twelve issues of what is acknowledged to be a quality newspaper with high production values.

Though it is impossible to say precisely how much the paper costs students given that the figure is dependent on the amount the editors recoup from advertising income on a yearly basis, in the past few years, it has cost each student 16.5c on average for each issue.

The University Observer has consistently been recognised as one of Ireland’s leading student publications, as acknowledged at the Student Media Awards. It has won more of these awards than any other student publication in the history of this event, including its acquisition of six awards at the most recent ceremony – more than any other college publication aside from DCU’s The College View.

In addition, unlike DCU, UCD does not offer a course in Journalism and

therefore punches above its weight in that regard too. Student publications are not only more cost effective, but they are also regarded amongst most journalists as more beneficial than an undergraduate degree in the subject.

And while some people may argue that journalism is a dying profession, there clearly still exists a consumer appetite for it. This newspaper has up to 100 contributors per year, not to mention 364 people and counting who have expressed an interest in writing via our online signup sheet this year.

Therefore, abolishing the paper would not only have a negative impact on this vital forum for student debate, it would also severely hinder students’ attempts to undertake a career in an industry which, its rapid transition to online forums notwithstanding, remains vital to any society.

The final issue to be addressed (for any arguments relating to the paper’s core principles of independence, please refer to the editorial in the previous issue) is the proposed establishment of a Student Media Committee to which the paper could ostensibly apply for funding. This concept is simply too vaguely worded to be trusted. There is no definitive statement that ensures the paper’s survival and so the move would almost certainly reduce the paper’s efficiency exponentially.

Ultimately, to consistently continue to deliver the high quality of student media under The University Observer banner, adequate funding is required at the outset. Any lack of clarity on funding will undermine its credibility and potentially its core principles of independence.

The IUA and the reputation of Irish Universities

Worrying developments such as the Croke Park Agreement and the increase in the IUA’s spending risk significantly tarnishing the credibility of universities The credibility of the higher authorities that oversee proceedings for Irish universities has been under serious threat of late. Firstly, there was the announcement of the Croke Park Agreement, which was rightly viewed by sceptics as a threat to university professors’ academic freedom. The prospective deal would see an end to the concept of permanent tenure for Irish academics, thus making their job status significantly less stable, whilst leaving them subject to performance targets set by the university authorities.

The practical benefits of implementing the Croke Park Agreement are clear – it would save the universities a considerable sum of money if they had the power to dismiss members of staff so freely. Yet, on a larger scale, the move would be detrimental to the Irish university system. Academics based in this country would be unduly influenced as a result of the status quo and would feel obliged to conduct research based largely on the university’s interests.

The scheme would potentially cause professors to neglect their duties to perform a public service first and foremost, given the control which the Croke Park Agreement would hold over their ability work in as productive and creative a manner as possible, free from the influences of outside interests.

There have been some complaints about the supposedly all-too-comfortable lifestyles of university professors and specifically, the small number of

hours they devote to lecturing. While the majority undoubtedly spend a significant portion of their remaining working hours engaged in important research, there are – as in any job – bound to be certain individuals who take advantage of this system and the freedom which it permits to spend most of their working hours in whatever way they deem necessary.

Therefore, there is a case for somewhat stricter guidelines to be implemented so that the amount of hours they devote to tasks such as lecturing and research is more definitive. Nonetheless, any attempts to impinge on their academic freedom should be discouraged.

And while the developments encompassing the thinly veiled threats to academic freedom are deeply disconcerting, the figures reported within the pages of this newspaper relating to the Irish Universities Association (IUA) are arguably even more worrying. It beggars belief that the IUA would even consider devoting an increase of nearly €2 million towards expenditures (leaving their total spending at almost €5 million) during recessionary times.

Moreover, given that the documents relating to the IUA’s finances are freely available and in the company’s own words, “open for public scrutiny”, it is an alarming indictment on our collective curiosity that the figures have gone completely uninvestigated and relatively unnoticed since they were officially published in April 2009.

The staff and students of UCD, along with anyone who values the concept

What the motion proposes The proposal threatening the existence of Belfield FM and The University Observer explained The motion to be put forward at next week’s Council notes, “the large amount of funding that the S.U. allocates to the University Observer & Belfield FM”.

It also notes “many students believe that editorial independence and financial independence are not compatible”.

Therefore, the motion proposes to “hold a constitutional referendum, along with the sabbatical elections, which would remove Article 16 of the Constitution”.

Moreover, it concludes by stating that council mandates: “The President to investigate the plausibility of setting up a 'Student Media Committee' outside of the S.U., but administered by the Student Consultative forum, which all forms of students media could apply to, in a similar way to the Newman Fund.”

of the university as a haven for vigorous intellectual debate and an outlet to facilitate free exchange of ideas must hold the seven Irish colleges to the highest standards possible in terms of accountability. If people with the university’s best interests at heart fail to scrupulously inspect the actions of the IUA, then universities will not be able to make a genuine claim towards fostering an atmosphere incorporating stringent regulations put in place to ensure transparency and probity.

Surely the injudicious spending of universities risks undermining the Irish institutions that spawned some of the greatest and most inspirational thinkers of our time, such as James Joyce and Oscar Wilde. What are the chances of similar figures emerging in the upcoming years, in light of the plan to remove lecturers’ automatic rights to receive tenure? And why would such illustrious figures even bother enrolling in a university whereby commercial interests solely drive the majority of its employees?

Therefore, if the vast majority of the inhabitants of UCD continue to remain docile, then those with power to wield within these institutions may damage their reputation permanently, simultaneously striking another savage blow to this country’s already crumbling credibility.

While there may have been scope for organisations such as the IUA to exist in the Celtic Tiger years, surely the universities need to be more prudent with their expenditure in these financially gloomy times.

Quotes of the Fortnight: What exactly does the IUA do?

A spokesperson for the UCD Academic Staff Association questions the function of the Irish Universities Association.

We’re not sexists down here you know.

UCD Ents Officer Johnny Cosgrove explains his reasoning for helping to set up the Mr UCD competition.

You know, Cadbury's cream eggs...and condoms.

Given out together that could be fun.

UCD Welfare Officer Scott Ahearn describes some of the perks of SHAG week.

15 February 2011 THE UNIVERSITY OBSERVER

NEWS

news@universityobserver.ie

IUA funding:

reaction and analysis Following the revelations that the IUA increased their spending by almost €2million in 2009, Quinton O’Reilly examines the reaction to this news from University representatives UCD Academic Staff Association When presented with the information regarding spending of the IUA, a representative from UCD academic staff told The University Observer that he was “gobsmacked” about the figures. He expressed concern that there was no notice within the university’s books that alluded towards their contribution to the IUA. “I assume that everybody that’s employed there is getting paid wages coined from the universities but they’re not in the books of the universities so I’m not sure how, it’s almost like a union for presidents.”

While the IUA speak about openness and transparency in their website, the representative mentioned that they are protected from Freedom Of Information (FOI) requests due to their status as a limited company and are not answerable to them.

The representative mentioned that the board of directors were the presidents of each university and were therefore “not answerable to anybody by what I can see”.

He expressed concern at how although the IUA has little day-to-day involvement in the running of any universities, the Department of Education wanted them to be the employers instead of the Higher Education Authority (HEA), despite the Croke Park agreement being in place.

“I was a bit concerned to put it mildly,” he said. “That they were coming up with all my working conditions, my contract has to be torn up and here they’re saying they came from the IUA when they’re one and the same. [In a statement, they] said basically staff at UCD were not unsackable which of course no one ever said we were. My contract says that I can be sacked for all these reasons, but what those fellows want to do is sack you for no reason.”

The representative questioned the validly of the group saying: “They’re a fig leaf for anything the universities want to do but simply say, ‘well the Irish universities association has suggested this,’ despite the fact that it’s sitting around the table with only a few other people who do the suggesting. It’s bit of a surplus isn’t it?”

Ultimately, he believed that sooner or later, questions would be asked about the IUA and their role in Irish universities. “Now what exactly does the IUA do? That’s another question. So that’s why I was absolutely gobsmacked when I pulled down the numbers of the company registration office.”

When asked about what he thought about the university’s refusal to comment, he said, “silence speaks volumes”.

Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT) The Secretary General of the IFUT, Mike Jennings, expressed his surprise when told that both income and expenditure increased to under €5 million in 2009. He admitted that he could not explain where any of the funding the IUA received is allocated saying that “in so far as it’s an income and expenditure under the rubric of the IUA, I’m not sure. Obviously it must be more than the university presidents’s rebate but I’m not sure what part of the individual universities rebate [is going] to the IUA that is going to make that overall sum. It could do with a bit more transparency perhaps.”

Jennings stated that the organisation would be helpful if the IUA was called the Irish University Presidents’s Association instead as it would bet-

3

ter inform people as to what the organisation is.

He explained that his understanding of the IUA was that they were an association function whose role is “primarily as a spokesperson for the presidents as opposed to being linked in to governing structures of the universities”.

“They are probably linked to similar organisations on a European and international scale,” said Jennings. “I don’t know if you’ve heard of the European Universities Association but it’s essentially just the presidents of the universities.

Really, it’s a collective for the presidents.”

He said that alongside that role: “They don’t have any statutory function; they don’t have a body or governing board, which represents anybody else other than the university presidents as I understand it.”

While understanding why the presidents of each university would want to have a collective voice, Jennings felt that such an organisation undermined the concept of what a university should be.

“A university, by definition, is a collegiate entity; a university is the students, is the staff, is the institution. It’s sounds old-fashioned, but it absolutely should be still part of the ethos. A university, if it’s to be anything, it should be a community,” explained Jennings.

“The fact that it only reflects the views of the presidents of each institution seems to me to go against the principle of the collegiate notion and ethos of a university.”

he referred to the Higher Education Access Route (HEAR) and Disability Access Route to Education (DARE) schemes as well as Full Economic Costing, where they calculate the real running costs of a university, as examples.

When asked about the hiring of two extra administrative staff in 2009, Costello stated that the IUA would, if necessary, have to hire extra staff to properly run these projects.

“We have two support staff here out of the total 14 or 15 people that we have here, so I’m quite happy to say we’re extremely lean when it comes to admin staff; as in support staff,” stated Costello. “As regards to whether hiring staff was appropriate or inappropriate, we’re contracted to run projects, so if we enter into a contract with the HEA to run projects on sectoral areas of major significance like full economic costing, then obviously we have to hire the staff to run the projects.”

He confirmed that their office premises located in Merrion Square is rented but declined to comment on how much it cost per annum.

UO In Numbers 1,500,000+ The number of printed copies of The University Observer produced since 1994

2009

Funding receivable: 4,841,846 Administrive expenses: 4,517,503 Number of administative staff: 15 Wages and salaries: 1,444,567 Social welfare costs: 107,341 Other pension costs: 113,131 Bank interest receivable: 116,798 Other: 150,000

2009

2008

Funding receivable: 2,893,100 Administration expenses: 2,912,894 Number of administrative staff: 13 Wages and salaries: 1,261,655 Social welfare costs: 81,183 Other pension costs: 87,870 Bank interest receivable: 104,656 Other: 150,000

2008

Do n wo ’t ta ask rD fo ke ou gr our r it. r aD . uat L aw . es!

Irish Universities Association When asked about the cost of UCD’s subscription for the IUA, Chief Executive of the IUA, Ned Costello said: “The university subscriptions are essentially pro-rated to university size, so obviously UCD would contribute more than smaller universities.”

Costello told The University Observer that a collective body such as the IUA was more efficient at dealing with national issues that couldn’t be done by the universities themselves. “There’s kind of a tendency for the state and for government to kind of increasingly want to run the universities,” he explained.

“And actually, you need people who kind of argue the toss of where the balance of control lies, which is something that we do.

“There’s an awful lot of the interface between the universities and the state, if I can put it like that, that simply has to be done collectively,” said Costello. “And the administrative overhead to the universities, if they were to respond individually and seriously to all these issues, would actually be far higher than having a body such as the IUA implement them.”

Costello stated that creating the IUA back in 1997 was a necessary for the universities to work together and tackle common issues, saying: “The relationship between the universities and the state was different than to what it is now.”

He referred to the Employment Control Framework from two years ago as an example of the roles the IUA played by “working collectively renegotiated that into something that was a lot more flexible and that’s something that, for example, UCD could not have gone in and done by itself.”

Costello justified the jump in expenditure during a recessionary period by claiming the cost of their projects had risen during that period. When asked what those projects were,

Why Us?

Delivery Mode

Why you?

LLM in International Law

In Class

Want to develop a specialism?

Kings Inns Preparatory Course In Class or Online

Want to be a barrister?

FE1 Preparatory Course

In Class or Online

Want to be a solicitor?

Legal Executive Course

In Class or Online

Want to gain practical legal skills?

California & New York Bar

Online

Thinking of practicing in the US?

4

THE UNIVERSITY OBSERVER 15 February 2011

NEWS NEWS IN BRIEF • MBA climbs in Financial Times Rankings UCD’s Smurfit Graduate Business School has climbed 20 places from 98th to 78th place on this year’s Financial Times MBA rankings.

Dean of the UCD Business School, Professor Tom Begley, was thrilled with the school’s step up in this year’s rankings: “We are delighted to once again stand as Ireland’s only entry among the top business schools in the world.”

Improvements in ten of the 20 Financial Times ranking categories, including graduate salary growth, value for money and the aims achieved by students in their time in the school, have led to the schools’s twelfth consecutive year in the top 100.

It is among less than 50 schools across the world to achieve this.

• UCDSU Register To Vote campaign UCD Students’ Union are urging all students to use their vote in the upcoming general election and to ensure that student issues are present on the political agenda.

Stands allowing people to obtain forms to enable them to register to vote were set up on campus in recent weeks, with Gardaí present to sign off on completed forms, in order to ensure as many students had the opportunity to register as possible.

UCDSU President Paul Lynam said: “The SU ran a successful campaign on voter registration during orientation week and once the election was called, we ran a short, intense voter awareness campaign.”

He continued: “Only when students get out and vote in large numbers will our views and voice be heard by political parties.”

A request has been sent to the Registrar, Dr Philip Nolan, to ask that all assignments due on February 25th be deferred, and that no one should be academically penalised for not being in attendance at labs or tutorials on polling day in order to allow people to return to their home constituencies to vote.

• Belfield welcomes ‘B part of it’ campaign UCDSU are running the Ballygowan Bottle Cap Challenge as a part of National Breast Cancer Awareness month.

The campaign is being coordinated through the UCDSU Facebook page where students can enter the competition until February 18th.

“This campaign is basically a collaboration between ourselves, the Marie Keating Foundation and Ballygowan Pink,” explained UCDSU Campaigns and Communications Vice President Pat de Brún.

“Since the exclusivity deal with Britvic was made, part of that deal was that we would work together and that we would run campaigns together for students. This is the first significant one after the pink flamingos [which] were put in the lake.”

Those who take part can win prizes such as iPods and weekend camping tickets to Oxegen will be awarded to the winning team. The competition is being run in conjunction with Ballygowan Pink and the Marie Keating Foundation.

- Aoife Valentine and Sarah Doran

news@universityobserver.ie

Cosgrove launches complaint Large against clamping employee condom focus in U place for SHAG Week KATIE HUGHES

Deputy News Editor

KATIE HUGHES

Deputy News Editor

A

focus on promoting safe sex practices and encouraging the use of condoms is the main focus of this year’s Sexual Health Awareness and Guidance (SHAG) week, an event run by the UCDSU. To promote the idea, SU Ents Vice-President Jonny Cosgrove said that students who carry condoms would get a discounted entrance fee into events arranged this week. The reasoning behind this, in Cosgrove’s words, was that “if you’re going to do it you might as well have a condom”.

It is estimated that between 5,000 and 6,000 condoms will be given out over the course of the week. As well as this, Marie Stopes clinics will be giving out key rings, T-shirts and hoodies in conjunction with the female-orientated workshop they are scheduled to run, which aims to inform women of the different options they have to protect their sexual health.

The SHAG Ball will take place on Wednesday in the Student Bar with Fight Like Apes headlining. Cosgrove says that “traditionally, the Valentines Ball was on, but because it’s the same week as SHAG week, we wanted to work with the national agenda as well as on our own we decided to put on the SHAG ball.”

UCD Students’ Union Welfare Officer Scott Ahearn insists that “sexual health is an easy thing to promote – it’s funny but I think it’s incredibly important to promote; over 75 per cent of cases in the clinic have been Chlamydia for which there are no symptoms in women; promoting safe sex is an essential thing that we need to get into peoples mindsets.”

Ahearn continues to say that “SHAG week is one of the biggest weeks in other colleges but not in UCD”, which is why he wants to make it big this year in terms of events. Cosgrove also fully supports the idea saying that “we’re trying to bridge the gap, we’re not going to jam it down your throat, but if you’re going do it [have sex], have a bit of cop-on”.

The national SHAG week is currently underway and began with the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) making their launch in the Quinn building with the director of the Irish Family Planning Association scheduled to attend.

Numerous events are set to take place during the week including a Rodeo Penis, sexual health table quiz and Durex Sexual Magician as well as various club nights arranged during the week.

CD Students’ Union Ents VicePresident Officer Jonny Cosgrove has launched a complaint against an employee of Nationwide Controlled Parking Systems (NCPS) following reportedly being threatened by him outside the Student Bar on Wednesday February 9th.

NCPS is an operator providing “parking management solutions” to various Irish institutions including UCD and IADT Dun Laoghaire. Cosgrove and several work colleagues claim that they were verbally abused and short of “being squared up to” by an NCPS driver following parking behind the Student Bar while carrying out a delivery for Ents. The driver in question began to demand they should move in a threatening manner.

“We had moved there approximately five minutes previously from the Student Centre. Upon returning to our cars we found the driver attempting to clamp the car which he stopped once we arrived at the car,” explained Cosgrove. “We were then told in a very nonprofessional manner to move our cars, just shy of squaring up to myself when we were trying to find a reasonable solution to the situation.

He then proceeded to block my car in until he realised I was on the phone to a representative, upon which time he drove off shouting at us.”

He went on to say that the NCPS staff member told him his car would be targeted in future: “I was told: ‘wherever you go, I’m going to clamp you.’”

Cosgrove added that “as a representative of

Cosgrove has launched an official complaint against an NCPS member of staff

the students of UCD I do not feel it appropriate that any of NCPS staff may act in such a way with any students and would thus look for the removal of said person from campus, both for the protection of our students. Also, on a personal level, I was told that my car would be targeted in the future, which I feel is very inappropriate.”

He believes that UCD should have its own clamping service on campus instead of employing an outside agency. He suggests estab-

lishing a designated loading area outside both the Student Centre and the Student Bar to facilitate deliveries to and from both buildings, preventing a similar incident from occurring in the future. Cosgrove insists that he understands that the NCPS driver “has a job to do, but in my opinion presentation is everything, and the manner in which he acted today deemed him unsuitable to continue dealing with us.”

The NCPS were unavailable for comment when contacted by The University Observer.

SHAG WEEK MondAy 14tH

tuESdAy 15tH

WEdnESdAy 16tH

tHurSdAy 17tH

12 pm USI/UCDSU National Launch of Shag Week Quinn Building

10am - 12pm Attack of the Sperm across campus

12pm Urban Decay Make Up Session meeting Room 1&2 Student Centre

10am - 12pm Morning After breakfast hosted by Elements Science Block

3pm Tea party/ FGM Talk Room 1&2

2pm Attack of the Sperm in Science. Cadbury’s Rodeo Outside the Science block

1 pm Sexual Magician SU Bar 12 – 3pm Willy Rodeo SU Bar 6-8pm Sexual Health Table Quiz SU Bar

7pm Sperm take on Res 9pM David O’Doherty (¤8) Student Bar Tickets available in the SU Shops. In conjunction with Ents

ALL MONDAy AND TUEDAy Safe Text & Marie Stopes Stands across campus

A3 Poster.Dull.indd 1

3pm The Vagina Monlogues (¤3) DramSoc Theater 6pm Sexual Health Treasure Hunt SU Bar 7pm Film Screening persepolis meeting Room 1

WEd n

iGHt

SHAG B A Fight Lik LL with e Apes Buy tick your loc ets in Shop - al SU ¤8

10/02/2011 13:48:43

15 February 2011 THE UNIVERSITY OBSERVER

NEWS

news@universityobserver.ie

Musical actress replaced following illness

Proposed referendum threatens existence of student media QUINTON O’REILLY AND PAUL FENNESSY

C

Students rehearsing for last year’s production of Footloose for the UCD community musical.

AMY BRACKEN AND QUINTON O’REILLY

T

he lead actress for the UCD Community Musical pro-

duction Beauty and the Beast was replaced after being hospitalised for a week due to illness.

SARAH DORAN Cheif News Editor

T

he Mr and Ms UCD competitions are expected to take place later this semester following the passing of a motion at Students’ Union Council.

The motion, which authorises UCDSU Entertainment Vice President Jonny Cosgrove to run the event, was the subject of much debate at the SU Council, which convened on February 8th. The University Observer understands that the motion, which was proposed by Arts Programme Officer Edel Ní Churraion and seconded by Cosgrove, was met with opposition from UCDSU Welfare Vice-President Scott Ahearn.

Cosgrove was keen to stress that despite Ahearn’s opposition “There’s no dispute with us. I’m happier to work with the lads on whatever. We discussed it a bit beforehand and that’s why we put it to council.”

When questioned about his opposition to the motion, Ahearn stated: “I felt that the criteria within the competition is based on physical looks and I think it’s wrong for a students’ union of 22,000 members to be associated with a competition that defines what beauty is, regardless of the entry requirements.”

He went on to add that “being a Welfare Officer, I think that I was obliged and I feel strongly [that] the issues relating to low self esteem, eating disorders, self confidence, mental health for students, can be related from these portrayals, these types of competitions can put forward, of what perfection is.”

When asked if he felt that the UCD Fashion Show promoted similar images, Ahearn responded: “To my knowledge the fashion show is basically models, people who try on clothes and show them off. This [Mr and Ms UCD] is a competition that picks a winner on a number of categories, and one of those categories is based on physical beauty, which I don’t think we should do. It’s objectifying a human being.”

With regard to his feelings on the endorsement of the competition by Council, Ahearn said: “That’s each Class Rep’s prerogative, the majority decided to support it, that’s the Council way.”

Cosgrove informed The University Observer: “I’m up for any event that UCD students want me to do. I’m going to sit down with Scott and some of the Welfare Crew and some of the Ents Crew and set out the guidelines. At the moment there are none, so we’re just going to make sure that it’s not just a beauty pageant, it’s an all-round show

UO In Numbers 135,000 The estimated number of students to have passed through UCD’s doors since the paper began – almost all of whom will have picked up a copy and it’s good craic.” In 2007 the Miss UCD Competition was at the centre of controversy, as the winner had to satisfy particular entry requirements in order to qualify for the Miss Ireland competition.

“One of my stipulations actually was that there had to be a Mr [UCD] partly because there’s no point just running a female thing,” said Cosgrove. “We’re not sexists down here you know.”

EW

CR

W E

oncerns about the abolishment of the university’s student media outlets have been raised by prominent figures in national journalism.

The motion, which was put forward at Students’ Union (SU) council on February 8th, proposes to remove Article 16 of the UCDSU Constitution, which guarantees the running and production of The University Observer and Belfield FM within the university. If the referendum is passed, it would mean that these media outlets on campus would cease to exist.

Irish Secretary of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), Seamus Dooley, expressed his disappointment at the news and felt that it would have serious repercussions if it went ahead.

“I would think that this could be a blow to media diversity and I think that a lot more thought would have to go into the proposal,” said Dooley. “I think that a referendum in the absence of wider consultation [is wrong] and also I would want to see the wording and very strong assurances. That you cannot have is a situation where the existence of diverse student media is dependent [on a single motion]."

Education editor for The Irish Times, Sean Flynn, also expressed his concern at the potential referendum and referred to The University Observer’s success as a reason for rejecting it.

“It sets the standard for student journalism,” explained Flynn. “You just have to look at the progress made in terms of journalists that will tell you the story of the quality of The University Observer and how highly it’s regarded, not just across colleges, but in the media in general.”

Despite expressing his opposition towards the proposed motion, Flynn could see a potential benefit behind its existance. “The problem is that student media is sometimes taken for granted and they (students) accept that it’s there”, said Flynn. “The hope will be that something like this will galvanise people and make them realise what a useful resource student newspapers are.”

The motion also proposes that the SU president would look into the possibility of setting up a ‘Student Media Committee’ that would work outside of SU influence. The committee would be governed by the Student Consultative Forum, to which all forms of student media could apply for funding.

This would mean any society within UCD that wishes to produce any type of media outlet would be eligible for the fund. However, the motion does not have a guarantee in place to ensure that this fund would be created if students vote in favour of the referendum.

SU votes in favour of Mr and Mrs UCD competition

R LFA WE

Maeve Carron, who was cast to play the role of ‘Belle’, reportedly was absent from rehearsals for one week for a minor hospital procedure.

The University Observer understands that having rehearsed for the musical for six months, the actress was originally informed that her replacement would only play the title role in two of the five nights of the show, which begins its run tonight (February 15th) in the O’Reilly Hall. However, it has now come to light that the original cast member will not be participating in the musical at all.

Producer Aileen Ryan told The University Observer: “In theatre, we are often required to face unforeseen problems that arise and need to be dealt with, with the greater good of the show in mind. This is the same in any field. The loss of our original Belle was an unfortunate event, on a par with the loss of footballer due to injury before the big game. However, the show must go on.”

Vice-President for Students Dr Martin Butler said: “I think what happened here was extremely unfortunate in that we have a very talented young lady who has given six months of her life in a dedicated professional fashion to her particular role. What happened was that a medical condition arose that prevented her from just being ‘Belle’ in the show.

“The Producer and Director and steering group looked at the situation and it was decided at that point in time that it was in the best interests of all.”

Ryan added: “Our Production team gave the decision considerable thought and consulted a number of independent and external individuals before reaching our final decision. Obviously, it goes without saying, that this was a hard decision to make.”

The replacement actress is understood not to have been an official understudy, yet Ryan said that she has taken to the role “like a duck to water, and the show has not suffered due to the change”.

Beauty and the Beast has been in production since April 2010 and will run for five consecutive nights this week.

The UCD Community Musical is an annual event that first ran in 2008, and involves a collaboration of both students and staff. Previous productions include West Side Story, Footloose and Guys and Dolls.

Carron declined to comment when contacted by The University Observer.

5

1) STUDENT DISCOUNT DEALS Emergency Dentists Discount is now available.

Great Student Discount on Fillings, extractions, wisdom teeth assessments. Phone 01-2692932 and you have to present a UCD Student card.

Want to learn how to drive while in college. Ring Ollie from OB drive and take advantaged of the great Student Discounts. €22.50 per lesson. Email info@obdrive.com or ring 087-665126

2) Need Legal advice

Information clinics are held in the Student Center Room 3 every Wednesday 2pm every week from week 3 where we can deal with individual queries in person. This is a private and confidential service.

For more information email studentlegalservice@ucd.ie

3) Want a Fresh Start

UCD Students Union is running the Fresh Start campaign next week where students can take up new habits or hoodies and have a Fresh Start to Semester Two. If your interested in quit smoking and want to get help email kickthehabit@ucdsu.ie, want to correctly budget for the year ahead or you want to get active within Sports watch out for the Fresh start Posters across campus.

Pop into Scott, our Welfare Officer in the Student Centre or contact him at welfare@ucdsu.ie & phone 017163112

6

THE UNIVERSITY OBSERVER 15 February 2011

NEWS INTERNATIONAL NEWS IN BRIEF • University of Manchester, England Students in England marched in protest against planned university cuts in Platt Park in the centre of Manchester on January 29th.

The protest passed without major incident and police said that it was predominantly peaceful despite 16 arrests and 2 police injuries.

The march was in protest of the recent decision to raise annual tuition fees to £9,000 (10,583) a year, as well as cuts to teachers’ salaries and funding which are planned for the coming months.

In a statement, MP for Universities and Science David Willets said “no student will be asked to pay upfront costs, there will be more financial support for poorer students”.

The National Union of Students in England, encouraged protest against the fees and cuts, but stressed the importance of organisation and peaceful methods.

• University of British Columbia, Canada An animal rights group has staged a protest against the University of British Columbia using primates in experiments.

The proposed experiment, which involves injecting the monkeys with a hormone causing them to develop Parkinson’s disease, has been heavily criticised by the group Stop UBC Animal Research.

Protestors dressed in monkey suits and held a peaceful protest outside the Vancouver Art Gallery. The protestors say they are prepared to buy the animals but are lobbying the university to donate them instead: “We have public support in raising funds to purchase them. We feel that they really belong to the taxpayers, who fund much of the research at UBC [and] would prefer that UBC donate them.”

A spokesperson for UBC said that the sale or donation of the moneys was impossible and that the monkeys are well cared for. “The monkey colony is maintained and we want to make sure they are kept in good shape.”

• Oxford University, England The University of Oxford’s Students’ Council has heard proposals to promote the use of ethical clothing for its sports teams and societies’ uniforms.

The proposer of the motion to the Ethics and Environment’s Officers, Sean Robinson, encouraged other colleges to follow suit: “This is to show the support of students, and to appeal to colleges that ethical sourcing is possible.”

So far, twelve clubs have pledged not to use clothes manufactured in sweatshops. The head of the Oxford Drama society, Jacob Diggle, defended the cost, saying: “The Fairtrade stash was about ten per cent more expensive, but is actually better quality than the non-Fairtrade stuff.”

The proposal follows a national “Buy Right” campaign in England, which aims to promote ethical products in universities.

UCD stocks various Fairtrade food products in the shops across campus, but there are no plans to introduce ethical and sustainable clothing at present.

- Aoife Brophy

news@universityobserver.ie

Redmond to run for second term as USI president ETHAN KIERNAN

U

nion of Students of Ireland (USI) president, Gary Redmond, has announced his intention to campaign for re-election for next term. Redmond claims that he has unfinished business as USI President, and told The University Observer: “The Citizens Support Act is something I have lobbied for, for an awful long time, it has just been passed and obviously I’d like to be involved with the implementation of that.” He also played a part in backing the Student Support Bill, which was signed into law last month.

Redmond also believes that USI would benefit from having the same president for two years, arguing that “when you run again you have the whole summer to get a lot of work done that you wouldn’t normally be able to do because obviously you’re coming in, getting trained and finding the ropes.”

When asked if he saw a future career for himself in politics, Redmond stated that if he is re-elected, this will be his last year in student politics and that he intends to return to UCD, finish his degree and “get a job in the real world”.

Having being heavily involved with the student protest march that took place in November, Redmond has fought against the re-

introduction of third-level fees using the slogan ‘Education Not Emigration’ for the campaign.

Redmond said that when he completes his degree, “unfortunately like everyone else that may mean that I’ll have to emigrate because of the economic climate at the moment”.

Redmond said that he couldn’t completely isolate one single achievement of his tenure as USI President thus far as having been his best achievement. He referred to the student protest in October, which attracted over 40,000 students, as one of USI’s bigger accomplishments.

Yet he mentioned that the success of that was down to their improved profile within colleges and universities.

“Obviously we completely changed the profile of USI this year. It’s much better known on campus,” said Redmond. “We have a media profile this year worth millions of euro and certainly USI is more active this year and much more out there. I don’t think there’s any single greatest accomplishment, I thinks it’s such a varied role that you're doing different things from day to day trying to push items on the agenda as well.”

During his time in UCD, Redmond has been station manager of Belfield FM; events manager for SU, SU Entertainment’s Vice-President and last year was SU President. If elected this will be Redmond’s fifth year on sabbatical, from his Computer Science degree.

Redmond intends to complete his Computer Science degree once his tenure as USI President finishes.

€1.2 million of illegal pay to be reinvested towards student services KATIE HUGHES

O

ver €1.2 million of funds which was paid as unauthorised bonuses to staff will be reinvested towards various student services.

The University Observer understands that these repayments would go towards services such as the health centre and will occur over a five-year period. All services affected will receive €240,000 per annum if the proposed scheme goes ahead.

A source within the university said that for the duration of a five-year period, certain student services would be ring-fenced and protected from any further cuts that may occur during this

period.

There would also be a joint committee considering of UCD and UCD Students Union (SU) members that will report to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) on a regular basis.

It is understood that the move was made in conjunction with the SU who led the negotiations.

An audit is currently underway to accurately gauge how much money is owed to HEA, which is estimated to be in the region of €1.4 million. The allowances in question were paid out over a ten-year period without the approval of the HEA despite legislation that stipulates approval must be sought.

According to the HEA, the two parties

are eager to resolve the dispute before a board meeting set to take place at the end of February.

This will be carried out without UCD accepting the blame for any wrongdoing in paying out €1.2 million in unlawful allowances to members of staff without the explicit consent of the HEA. Furthermore, €266,000 was paid out in bonuses between twelve people between 2005 and 2008.

The academics that received the payments will not be asked to refund the payments. Instead, it will be the university that will be forced to make the repayments. The HEA said that they had written to universities in 2001 after it had indicated that such allowances were not

to be paid without proper authorisation.

The university has defended the repayments saying that they were used to incentivise staff that was considered to be performing well and that they were in line with international norms.

After being accused last year by Labour Party TD Róisín Shortall of taking a “softly-softly approach”, the HEA had to impose a sanction on UCD. However, UCD President Dr Hugh Brady stated that trying to impose a financial sanction would be “illegal, inappropriate and discriminatory”.

At time of going to print, the SU was unable to comment about the proposals but refused to rule out the possibility of them occurring.

Newman Fund

The Newman Fund is a sum of money arising from that part of the Student Registration Charge which the university allocates to support organised student activities. It is designed to fund activities which are organised by individuals or groups, other than the recognised clubs and societies in the University, whose aim is to improve student life on campus. Any individual or group of students may apply for financial support for their project. The Newman Fund is administered by a committee of the Student Consultative Forum Successful applications so far this year will provide support for:

Seachtain na Gaeilge The UCD Musical SigFest – a celebration of the Sigerson Cup centenary Rás UCD The Health Science Sports Blitz As there is still a substantial sum available to distribute, further applications are now invited for grants from the Fund for the current session. There is no standard format for applications but they should include full details of the applicants, the use to which any funds granted will be put and detailed costings. Applications for support in this session must be submitted by February 25th at 5.30pm.

15 February 2011 THE UNIVERSITY OBSERVER

NEWS

news@universityobserver.ie

All fun and games?

With sex becoming less taboo within society, Katie Hughes questions if events like SHAG week properly reflect this

I

t is astounding to look at how much things have changed in the past 30 years with regard to UCD’s view on students’ sexual health. Today, we can sing and dance about sex with no hindrance, whereas in 1979 a condom machine lasted less than a week in UCD before being removed by university authorities.

UCD Students’ Union runs many themed weeks throughout the college year.

These include Irish Week that raises awareness of the Irish language, Environmental Week that encourage us to live sustainably and Sexual Health Awareness and Guidance (SHAG) week which promotes the idea of safe sex.

While the SHAG week campaign is an international one run by the Union of Students in Ireland (USI), it has never been big in UCD according to Students’ Union Welfare Officer Scott Ahearn. Perhaps rightly so, given that the majority, if not all, of college students have at some stage had a sex education class in secondary school or a conversation that ran along the same lines with their parents.

A decrease in the stigma associated with pre-marital sex has lead to teenagers being provided with a much more comprehensive sexual education. This all-encompassing teaching results in students entering college with the idea of using protection, from a condom to the pill, deeply ingrained in their heads if they choose to have sex.

Sexually transmitted diseases are no longer a mystery to the student population.

Gonorrhea, Chlamydia and syphilis are not

7

Pop star Lady Gaga is a vehement safe sex campaigner and has helped facilitate events such as SHAG week by raising awareness of the issue.

just words but infections to be avoided, and avoided by using a condom.

While Environmental Week encourages sustainable living, it brings to our attention what we are not doing: do we recycle, do we waste energy needlessly? Similarly, by putting such a massive emphasis on sex, is the campaign not in fact putting pressure on students and encouraging them to engage in sexual intercourse? By dedicating a week to sex and safe sexual practices, are we not insinuating that sex is a casual everyday occurrence?

We must ask ourselves whether by putting so much emphasis on the act, we are in fact diminishing its magnitude in the eyes of students.

While some can describe SHAG week as a great week, it makes others feel uncomfortable. Not all students believe in the pre-marital sex that they are so widely assumed to be partaking in. Be it a deeply rooted religious belief or the direction of one’s own moral compass, we must remember that there are students out there who don’t like or appreciate having sex thrown in their faces.

When SHAG week was first run a couple of years ago, it was a step in the direction of fully educating young people about the benefits of sex as well as how to avoid the unwanted downsides. However, a week dedicated to sex is no longer considered a novelty in a world where we are bombarded by sex and sexual innuendoes from every angle. Perhaps the Welfare Officer’s attempts to make it a bigger week in UCD this year than it has been in years past is a step in the right direction; it may also be the case that SHAG week is an outdated idea that needs

UO In Numbers 1,387,000 The total number of sheets of newsprint used in printing the paper in the 2009-2010 academic year to be replaced.

Some would argue that a week dedicated to sex, while too crude for some people’s taste, is a blessing in disguise. Though it can hardly expect groundbreaking results, that extra reminder of the consequences of unsafe sex and that condom squeezed into your hand by the chirpy member of the Welfare Crew may in fact serve a purpose – namely, as a reminder to all sexually educated students out there that condoms need to be used or the end result may not be as pleasant as the act itself.

The media is today flooded with postwatershed advertisements for using contraception. Advertisements for crisis pregnancy helplines such as Positive Options have a student focus and are not only advertised through the media, but also on campus itself. It could be argued that the addition of SHAG week is a type of overkill in terms of getting the message across.

When it comes down to it though, condoms can be given out, students can attend workshops on contraception and have a laugh watching people dressed as giant sperm walk around campus. But in the end, such choices are down to a person’s own common sense.

More money, more problems

The significant expenditure by the IUA in recent years raises serious questions about the validity of the organisation, writes Amy Bracken

T

hree years ago the word ‘recession’ was something we associated with the 1980s. Undoubtedly in 1997, when the Irish Universities Association (IUA) was set up, it was never expected that there would be such a drastic economic downturn in Ireland.

Yet the effects of it had already been felt in 2009 when IUA income received rose from just under €3 million to almost €5 million, a large proportion of which was donated by the seven universities. What exactly does the IUA do?

A representative from the UCD Academic Staff Association described the IUA as a type of subscription club for university presidents; in some respects it is like a trade union. The universities among other sources fund it, and UCD is the largest financial contributor among the universities based on its size.

Company Secretary of the IUA, Ned Costello, provided figures to The University Observer stating the total accumulated by the IUA in each of 2008, 2009 and 2010 from the universities was €1,555,510, which means that UCD contributed in excess of €300,000 to the IUA in each of those years.

There are seven members on the Board of Directors: the seven university presidents, and as already noted, the IUA has been described as a type of trade union for university presidents. They are, after all, the only owners of the company, but the money they contribute is hardly coming out of their own pockets. €329,223 over three years amounts to almost €1 million which has been spent by UCD on the IUA – and that is not taking into account what was paid to

it from its establishment in 1997.

General Secretary of the Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT), Mike Jennings noted when speaking to The University Observer that university activities are supposed to incorporate all aspects of the university – so why are the university presidents the only actual members of the IUA? The company claims to be open to public scrutiny, which is fitting in terms of its apparent role in collectivising policies for the benefit of every member of the universities.

Yet what doesn’t fit in with this is the fact that it is a private company. How can a private company be deemed representative of every staff member and student of the university?

There are only seven people who have a say in the running of the company, and they are the seven university presidents. In this context, the argument of the UCD Academic Staff Association that the IUA is a type of private members club or even could be described as a trade union for presidents rings true. Turning to the question in all of this, exactly what kind of activities does the IUA engage in, and why did it need to spend almost €5 million to do that in 2009?

I am by no means undermining the stellar work of the IUA thus far. Just recently it was involved in the renegotiation of the Employment Control Framework to allow for greater flexibility in the case of universities, in case, for example, all the senior lecturers of a Department decide to retire at the one time. It was also involved in the establishment of a national policy for the disadvantaged wishing to go to higher education.

Yet the activities of the organisation are

Company Secretary of the IUA, Ned Costello (bottom left) has defended the organisation’s expenditure levels.

not common knowledge. In fact, I think it’s safe to say that this will be the first time many readers will have heard of the IUA. Our university presidents are paying hundreds of thousands of euro each year to be on the Board of Directors of an association that supposedly represents all aspects of the university. Yet in reality, only a small percentage of students and staff will feel the benefits of these collective policies.

Ned Costello vehemently denied the suggestion that the individual universities

could perhaps more cost-effectively formulate policies to cover the work of the IUA, arguing that it is more cost-effective to formulate collective policies. This is a fair argument. However, it still does not cover the question of why the presidents effectively own the IUA, where their subscription money comes from, and why the IUA rents at premises on Merrion Square in Dublin for its administrative staff, whose numbers stood at just fifteen in 2009. The IUA is not a commonly known body and it’s contra-

dictory that the very people that it’s supposed to represent are apparently paying the subscription fees for their respective university presidents.

However effective the policies it has generated since 1997 are perceived to be, given the current economic situation, it seems unnecessary for the €2 million rise in income and expenditure at the onset of the recession. And for such a small and supposedly private company, figures running into millions appear extremely inappropriate.

8

THE UNIVERSITY OBSERVER 15 February 2011

FEATURES

features@universityobserver.ie

Life’s a Mystery Tour A well-known event here around the UCD campus, Natasha Murtagh chronicles her experience of the infamous Mystery Tour

I

n recent years, rumours have abounded regarding the extent of the shenanigans involved in the UCD’s annual Mystery Tour bus trip. But what does this event actually entail? Is it just a glorified booze up, or is there more to it than that? The University Observer was on hand to separate the facts from the myth of this not-quite-so-illustrious event.

The day began at 12pm in the Student Bar. Here everyone handed in their tickets in exchange for a wristband with the bus number you were assigned for the evening, which would take you to the three venues of the night. Following the Student Bar, there was a delayed departure at 3pm for our first destination. Some students had started drinking early, but of course they were the first to call it a night, or not even remember the night full stop.

We were told nothing. When you asked a steward a question in relation to the whereabouts of the bus or our next venue, they would reveal nothing, explaining that they were as clueless as we were.

As we all pilled on the buses, sheets of paper were being handed out with the ‘Mystery Tour Score Board’. This was a list of dares that one would go through in order to receive points. Certain dares would reward you a higher amount of points. The highest dare would give you 200 points, and all it required was to not score Paul Sweeney. Other dares at 20 points each were; score a steward, score a DJ, down a pint and motorboat a first year.

Meanwhile, vomiting and passing out in the club lost you points.

Flash backs of lycra ra-ra skirts, popped Abercrombie collars and sweet kitten heels came rushing in with the sightings of the first venue. That’s right, it was good old Wezz. Absolutely nothing had changed; it was still the grungy old lovable dump it always has been, and was still covered in tacky tinfoil Christmas decorations and even the sweaty walls started working their magic 15 minutes into arrival. It was all rather exciting to be back at Wezz to begin with, but then after about half an hour, the thrill died with a thump, and we were all ready to leave.

The general feeling from a few of the students was that Wezz wasn’t really the place to be. For example, Clare Scott, a 2nd year English and Philosophy student, said that: “Wezz wasn’t the best place to go for the start of the night. It was too early to get up and dance and we were stuck in there for three hours.” When asked what would have been a more suitable beginning, Leanne Brennan, a 1st year Arts student said: “Maybe the tour could have been later, so then we could have gone straight to a proper nightclub.”

Finally, at 5:30pm we left Wezz and were onto our second venue of the night and the hissing of cans being opened echoed down the bus. Nothing could be seen out the windows. It was pitch black, we were off the motorway and there were no street lamps.

Obviously, we were on some random country road.

At 8pm the buses began to pull into a car park and with that came the screams of: “Oh my god lads, we’re at Bucks!” Buck Mulligan’s is a club in Athboy, Co. Meath, and we clear-

ly had a few locals on bus 2. It turned out to be a brilliant venue. There was a big enough dance floor and a DJ playing good music. We stayed here for what seemed like 20 minutes, but it was already 10.45pm when we reached our final destination: Mantra, Maynooth.

This was the first proper club of the night with people other than UCD students in it.

Everything was a bit more relaxed here as the stewards were able to drink, and nobody was worried about time and missing a bus. The only problem was that some people were knackered by this stage and simply wanted to go home. So for those few students that did want to go home, the remainder of the evening was quite an ordeal.

We were in Maynooth, it was after 11.00pm, all public transport had stopped, and it was far too expensive to get back to UCD via taxi. One of the stewards was telling people that the UCD buses that brought us here were staying around for an hour or two for those who wanted to head back to UCD early. But then another steward said the buses had gone back, it was getting impossible to get a straight answer.

One of the bus coordinator’s for the night, John Ryan, said: “The SU ran things exceptionally well; UCD is actually one of the easiest colleges to work with.” After walking back up to the drop off point, we were finally directed by one of the coordinators to a bus that would bring us back when 25 people were on board. At around 1.30am the bus closed its doors and headed home, making a stop at O’Connell Bridge for those who wanted to get off. Mystery solved.

Mantra nightclub was one of the destinations for this year’s Mystery Tour.

Postcards from Abroad: Beijing Having now settled comfortably back into the new semester, UO columnist Daryl Bolger talks through his holiday adventures, with a difference

A

s most people w h o have had the opportunity to go on Erasmus will tell you, one of the biggest benefits is the possibility and ease of travel. My last few weeks have been spent as much in China as out of it. In fact I’m currently writing this article on the ferry to Koh Phi Phi from Phuket, on my iPod; probably the first and last time an article for this paper was written in this fashion.

My travel started far less exotically, the standard Erasmus trip home for Christmas; except our journey home was far from unexceptional. In a week when stories of travel chaos were common and Christmas’s ruined became conversational bread and butter, our story spread faster than most. I’ve even had the story told back to me by people unaware I was involved.

It started in Pudong airport when five of us boarded VS251, Virgins Shanghai to London flight, exactly a week before Father Christmas would be visiting both cities on his sleigh. We had a connecting flight to Dublin, but with only an hour layover and horrific weather across Europe, we were fearful of not making it.

Eleven hours in and just two hours out from London and we’d been right to be fearful – the whole of southern England was now inaccessible by air.

Instead, our pilot told us, we were to

be diverted to Glasgow, a city I’d always wanted to visit, but not in these circumstances.

Weeks of planning now seemed wasted, I’d planned just a ten-day trip home, barely enough to see everyone I wanted to. What’s more, only a handful of people knew I was returning, therefore many planned surprises were in tatters.

An hour later, consigned to a few days in Scotland’s biggest city, I noticed the inflight map now pointed to ‘DUB’ instead of the ‘GLA’ it had moments earlier.

Two minutes later, the pilot came on to say he had an update and everyone’s fingers were immediately crossed in anticipation. “I’m afraid Glasgow airport has shut, we’ve been asked to proceed to Dublin,” announced Captain Fantastic (possibly not his real name).

“I’ve been told there’s several lucky passengers on board whose final destination is Dublin, look for the few people with huge smiles,” he finished. I wouldn't have been surprised if our smiles were visible to ground control in Dublin. We’d joked in Shanghai about being diverted home but no one honestly believed we would be, it was the most extraordinary stroke of luck.

After an hour on the tarmac and then going through customs, I was on my way home, two hours early, on the same day thousands faced travel misery.

I later learnt that a friend on the same route, an hour later spent three nights in Frankfurt, we were astoundingly lucky. I later matched four numbers on the lotto, sensing my luck was up.

A few weeks later and I was on my

travels again. Bangkok was our next port of call, where my ridiculous luck with sport in Asia continued. This time it was at a Muay Thai fighting event.

We’d asked our hotel reception to bring us, and they obliged, providing tickets.

What we didn’t know was that the fight was to be held in a television studio and broadcast on live TV across Asia.

After watching the first two fights from the back we were promoted to sit ringside, literally ringside, beads of sweat landed on us several times. The cameraman was then instructed to film us seemingly at the end of every round. Not an ad break went by without us being featured in a close up at the start or end; it was truly bizarre.

Our next stop was the Thai-Laos border. An hour-long border crossing and four hours on a bus later and we were in Vang Vieng, known universally for tubing. To those not in the know, tubing involves renting a tube and floating down a river, being pulled into bars along the way. The drink of choice is a whisky bucket and swimming is replaced by swings and ziplibes into the river. As a group we forewent the tubes and walked between bars. A wise decision as we never made it more than 150m along the 4km route.

A €50 flight later and I’ve found myself on this boat to Phi Phi. I’ll spare everyone the details because we’ve all heard them dozens of times before.

From here Laverty engaged in many extra-curricular activities in UCD, including fundraising it’s to the infamous Full Moon party next with MedSoc. week to bathe myself in body paint.

Daryl Bolger is a UCD student currently Muay Thai fighting is almost guaranteed to be an intense viewing experience. studying abroad for a year in Beijing.

15 February 2011 THE UNIVERSITY OBSERVER 18 January 2011 THE UNIVERSITY OBSERVER

features@universityobserver.ie

FEATURES

7

FEATURES

features@universityobserver.ie

Mental Depression awareness: Mental awareness:

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder In the first of a series in on mental health issues in Ireland, Leanne Waters discusses mental wellbeing and depression

T

he term mental health is a concept that we are beginning to see again and again in contemporary Irish Features Editor society. From online support organisations to the HSE telling us on our television screens to “look after your mental health,” it appears that there’s no getting away from the challenge of having to take on and really consider this seemingly enigmatic notion.

With so much importance being weighted on the term itself, one does beg to wonder, what exactly is mental health? According to Sandra Hogan of Aware Ireland – a national support organisation for depression – mental health can be seen in various lights but in a broader sense refers to the emotional and psychological wellbeing of any given individual.

Hogan states: “There are many different definitions for mental health, but in general it refers to our mind, emotions and thought processes; how we think and feel about ourselves and others and how we cope with life and its challenges. Mental health issues are common and can affect any of us at any time. Many factors can influence a person’s mental wellbeing: difficulties in life (for example) relationship problems, financial concerns, bullying and loss are quite significant.”

It has become clear in recent years that mental health has not been valued on the level to which it thoroughly deserves in our society. On this point, Hogan contends: “We still have a long way to go in terms of how we deal with mental health but I think that as a society we are getting better.

“Young people can really help with that too, so it’s important that they do what they can to help to make it a more open society where people with depression (and mental ill-health) can get the help and support they need.”

This being said, awareness, empathy and understanding remain factors of absolute necessity in creating a more open and harmonious country for mental health to flourish. One of the main consequences of poor mental health we can see in daily life is depression. Aware.ie classes depression as “a very common condition which affects more than one in ten people at any one time. Any of us, irrespective of age, gender or background can be affected at any point in our life. Most people come through depression with help, and early recognition and ongoing support are essential for a positive outcome.”

On this matter, there are several different variations and forms in which depression can manifest itself. Among these are mild

Abraham Lincoln was one of the many historical figures to have been regularly struck with depression.

and moderate depression, severe depression, as well as bipolar disorder. The latter of these conditions, in its most primitive of explanations, involves periods of extreme depressions and of extreme highs, along with the usual symptoms of a depressive state.

These symptoms, which are seen in all of the above conditions include: feelings of boredom, sadness, lethargy and anxiety; disruptions in normal sleeping habits; poor concentration; low self-esteem and feelings of worthlessness; a loss of interest in socialising and pastimes; and, of course, suicidal thoughts.

According to the experts of Aware, the foundations of this of mental ill-health condition can be rooted from many contributors. They state: “Depression has a number of possible causes. For some people, it comes about as a result of a traumatic life event such as bereavement, relationship breakdown, financial difficulties or bullying.

“In other situations, the person may have an inherent tendency towards depression, and such genetic factors can be key in the case of bipolar disorder. This mood disorder involves not just periods of depression, but also periods of elation, where the person’s mood is significantly higher than normal. During these periods, he/she may have excessive energy with little need for sleep, may have grandiose ideas and may engage in risk-taking behaviour.”

Now that we can argue with extraordinary confidence that depression and mental ill health are not only dangerous to any individual but that they are also extremely common, here we must consider the threat of these things to students.

In a time when we are contending with so many demanding factors, we as students must come to terms with the fact that we are potentially damaging our own mental health. It seems a natural occurrence to be-

400,000 different people suffer from depression in Ireland at any one time, but many hide their condition and never get help

ing through any issues with someone close.”

Universally, January is seen to be one of the most depressing times on the calendar, with January 22nd reported to be the saddest day of the year. It remains that time of year when the celebrations have wrapped up, when reality and responsibility have fallen firmly back on the ground, when the weather promotes something along the lines of pathetic fallacy and when funds are probably at their lowest. And with the ongoing economic turmoil that is hitting the majority of the nation, it seems all too natural to allow for submission into what is truly a depressive state.

Moreover, in a matter of such magnitude and of such personal properties, it is nothing less than necessary to approach with an air of delicacy and understanding. It is an important facet of the issue to not give in to the will of an apparent cloud of negativity. In the knowledge that at some point or another we will all suffer from some mental health issue or indeed depression itself, it becomes easier to lighten one’s troublesome load through many ways and outlets. Firstly, we have Aware itself. Hogan talks a little bit about the work they do.

“Aware provides information and emotional support services for both individuals who experience depression and also family members/friends concerned for a loved one.

Services include loCall Helpline (1890 303 302) open 365 days a year; support groups nationwide and online; email support service (wecanhelp@aware.ie); free information and online discussion forums. Aware also offers a Beat the Blues secondary schools awareness programme to increase knowledge of depression among young people and enable them to identify sources of help in their lives.”

The foundation’s mission is to “create a society where people with depression and

their families are understood and supported, are free from stigma and have access to a broad range of appropriate therapies to enable them to reach their full potential”. It is a voluntary establishment formed in 1985 by a group of interested patients and mental health professionals, whose aim was to assist that section of the population whose lives are directly affected by depression.

The website goes on to explain: “400,000 different people suffer from depression in Ireland at any one time, but many hide their condition and never get help. Sadly, over 500 people take their own life each year.

Since its foundation in 1985, Aware has been working energetically to bring support to depression sufferers and their families, and to dispel the myths and misunderstandings of this devastating illness.”

In a context of such a deeply sensitive subject, perhaps the right words can come from few sources. One source may be found in one Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln was among the most famous of historical characters who was known to have suffered mental ill health and had a “tendency to be melancholy” and once commented that such an affliction is to be observed as it is “a misfortune, not a fault”.

On the matter, Lincoln said: “In this sad world of ours, sorrow comes to all; and, to the young, it comes with bitterest agony, because it takes them unawares. The older have learned to ever expect it.

“Perfect relief is not possible, except with time. You cannot now realise that you will ever feel better. Is not this so? And yet it is a mistake. You are sure to be happy again.

To know this, which is certainly true, will make you some less miserable now. I have had experience enough to know what I say; and you need only to believe it, to feel better at once.”

For more information, visit www.aware.ie.

In the third instalment in our mental health series, Sarah Doran describes how the impact of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is often underestimated

T

lieve in our own invincibility while we are so young.

However, the reality remains that despite our somewhat audacious views on what we can and can’t handle, we as students are extremely vulnerable to the threat of mental ill health. Social life and academic studies aside, without prioritising our psychological and emotional wellbeing, we run the risk of causing more damage to ourselves than a €230 failed module causes to our bank accounts.

On the topic of student vulnerability, Hogan decisively expresses her position: “Yes students and young people are at risk of mental health issues. There are a lot of changes that happen during adolescence and when combined with the transition from school to college, it can cause problems.

“Mental health issues can impact on a person’s confidence, it can cause relationship difficulties, and it can hamper studies as well. So it is very important to get help.

Eating a balanced nutritious diet is important. [As well as] limiting alcohol intake if you are prone to low mood, getting regular exercise, having close friendships [and] talk-

he news that an elderly couple were arrested for the suspected manslaughter of their housebound daughter sent shockwaves through the United Kingdom in early February. Samantha Hancox had battled an extreme form of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) for 20 years: her phobia of germs left her housebound as she showered for up to 20 hours per day and was unable to cook her own meals. Her elderly parents Ken and Marion were arrested on suspicion of neglect that was alleged to have lead to Samantha’s death.

For many the image of OCD fails to extend to such an eventuality: in fact it does not extend beyond the scenario of an excessive need to wash your hands. So, what exactly does this disorder involve?

The Director of UK based organisation OCD Action, Joel Rose, explains that there are two elements within the disorder: obsessions and compulsions.

“The obsessions are thoughts that you don’t like and you don’t want and you can’t get rid of,” she explains. “Those thoughts are really sort of anxiety thoughts, concerns about harm coming to a person or them causing harm to someone else. Those are thoughts that people can’t control or get rid of and they can’t ignore”, says Rose. “People will try different routines or rituals to try and quieten those thoughts”, he adds, illustrating the compulsive element of the disorder. “The compulsion in a way is kind of reducing the anxiety from the obsession.”

However Rose also highlights that “some people just have the thoughts without the ritual”. This condition is known as Purely Obsessional OCD. Commonly referred to as ‘Pure O’, this form of the illness is distinct from traditional OCD in that it features no outward manifestations; instead, both the anxiety-inducing obsessions and the relief-seeking compulsions of OCD take place only in the mind.

In the early 20th century, the disorder was considered rare: today it is recognised that OCD is a much more common condition than was previously suspected. Indeed, the World Health Organisation has recognised OCD as one of the top ten most debilitating illnesses. Estimates suggest that OCD affects around 2 to 3 per cent of the population. In the UK, this amounts to around one million people, whilst in Ireland the disorder affects in the region of 1 in 33 to 1 in 50 people.

The disorder does not discriminate, affecting individuals of all ages and sexes: OCD affects males as frequently as it does females. Many people suffer from the disorder, unaware that they have OCD symptoms. In fact, it is suggested that many adults with OCD would have had unrecognised symptoms of the disorder during childhood that subsequently

went undiagnosed.

Some of the most famous figures in history have reportedly suffered from the disorder: the list of suspected OCD sufferers includes Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, Ludwig van Beethoven and Michelangelo, while one of the most famous English footballers in recent years, David Beckham, suffers from OCD. “I have got this obsessive compulsive disorder where I have to have everything in a straight line or everything has to be in pairs,” Beckham said in a television interview filmed in 2006. “I’ll go into a hotel room. Before I can relax I have to move all the leaflets and all the books and put them in a drawer. Everything has to be perfect. I’ve tried and I can’t stop,” he adds. Despite medical advances, amongst the experts, there is still a great degree of uncertainty as to what causes Obsessive Compulsive Disorder to develop.

“There’s no sort of definitive evidence either way,” says Rose.

“Most people feel that there are a number of things that can make it more or less likely that someone will develop OCD ranging from genetic factors, brain chemistry, environmental factors, things that happen in your life. These can all conspire to make someone more likely to develop it. Ultimately though, what we say at OCD Action is that whilst there’s a lot of debate about what causes it, there isn’t

9

much debate about how to treat it. Therefore that’s the part that we focus on.”

Diagnosing OCD would seem to be a far more straightforward process than attempting to explain the origins of the disorder. Counselling Psychologist Leslie Shoemaker, an advisor to OCD Ireland, explains that the diagnosis of OCD is often a “clear cut” process as the “diagnostic criteria are actually internationally recognised”. However, as Rose highlights: “The problem is trying to get people to the doctor in the first place.”

Shoemaker agrees that encouraging patients to see their doctor can be an incredibly difficult process and “often, there is a lot of shame attached to OCD. The strange thing about OCD is they’ve realised that a lot of OCD thoughts are the same thoughts that people without OCD have,” Shoemaker reveals. “What happens is how people with OCD interpret these thoughts. There tends to be a lot of shame and a lot of stigma and a lot of secrecy, especially when you have a lot of thoughts around a fear of being a paedophile, or a fear of being gay.

“These are things that society is currently grappling with and therefore are quite a hot topic and they prevent somebody from going forward. Other common fears are ‘I’m going crazy’ or ‘I have schizophrenia’. They think that there’s something really significantly wrong with them when the reality is they have a disorder that can be treated quite successfully.”

OCD can take on many forms such as a sufferer’s compulsion to clean or stay clean.

UO In Numbers 32 The number Compulsions can of people who be as varied as have been the obsessions employed, themselves. By full-time, to carrying out the compulsions, produce the individuals aim paper since its to reduce the inception anxiety induced by the obsessions

She points to the lack of discourse in society as regards mental health as one of the reasons people fear approaching their doctor: “I find it interesting that when we have a cough, when we have a cold, when we have an ache or pain, people are very quick to go to their GP and say: ‘Hey, what’s wrong with me?’

“But when there is something else wrong with us in terms of mental health, the stigma is ‘oh, they’re crazy’, all of these terrible things that we say. Therefore this prevents people from going and getting help even for depression, anxiety, as well as OCD and other problems.”

When diagnosed “by and large, the treatments are pretty successful for most people” says Rose. He explains that OCD is treated using a combination of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and medication. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy involves learning “a different way to respond to the thoughts.

It’s not about necessarily trying to find out where they come from or even necessarily stopping them, it’s just about responding differently to them.”

Medication for OCD patients can involve “SSRI, which stands for Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors. They’re also used in depression so they’re quite commonly called anti-depressants although because people are on them, it doesn’t mean that they’re depressed.

They effect what’s called the serotonin, which is basically, a brain chemical,” explains Rose. “By and large, the treatments are pretty successful for most people, with [a combination of ] medication and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.”

For young people with OCD, the experience of living away from home when starting university can trigger symptoms, with stress causing these symptoms to become worse. It has been suggested that

OCD can become most severe during the years spent at university as students with the disorder attempt to cope with the academic and emotional demands of a student lifestyle. But Shoemaker believes that “it depends upon how severe the OCD is, it depends upon how comfortable you are with your OCD. “I’ve met people who told me ‘for ten years I just ignored the OCD, I pretended it wasn’t there and it made me more stressed.’ I work in DIT so I work with college students and I have college-age students in my private practice.

“I find that when somebody is ok with the diagnosis, they don’t have to go tell everybody, but when they’re comfortable with the diagnosis, they know it’s just one small aspect of them and that they are far more than their OCD, then things are a bit easier. The key thing is to let people know that treatment is available and it is so treatable, they can live very normal lives.”

For Samantha Wilcox OCD proved fatal: her case was an extreme example. Though there is no cure as of yet, through support networks, individuals suffering from the disorder can take positive and progressive steps and learn to cope more effectively. Support groups remind sufferers that they are not alone in the battle with this often-overlooked disorder.

Contact the St. Patrick’s Support Helpline on 01 249 3333. It provides 9am to 5pm answering and callback service outside of these hours and is staffed by experienced Mental Health Nurses.

OCD Ireland hosts three monthly support groups at St. Patrick’s University Hospital, Dublin. The organisation will also host a talk given by Dr Jim Lucy, one of the leading Irish experts in the disorder in the coming months, details of which can be found online on the OCD Ireland website.

For information on OCD Action and OCD Ireland visit www.ocdaction.org.uk and www.ocdireland.org

10

THE UNIVERSITY OBSERVER 15 February 2011

FEATURES

features@universityobserver.ie

An cuireadh chun cairdis Agus muid ídithe i ndomhan mór na líonraí sóisialta níos mó ná riamh, ceistíonn Meabh Ní Choileáin na hathruithe atá tagtha ar thuiscint na glúine seo ar bhrí cairdis

I

s rud é a tharlaíonn dúinn go rialta; más ag déanamh ár mbealach trí chlub oíche atá muid nó trí champas na hollscoile fiú, is docha go gcasfaimid ar cara linn in éineacht le cara leo. Dúinne, is strainséir é an duine sa bhreis seo ach, ag cloí le béasaíocht sóisialta bunúsaigh, níl le déanamh againn ach beannacht dóibh agus leanfaidh an saol ar aghaidh. Tasc éasca go leor don chuid is mó againn, gan dabht, ach sa lá atá ann inniu, is léir nach é seo sínteacht na cása.

Ní sásúil go leor an freagairt seo ar bhualadh le duine nua níos mó agus cé nár chas tú ar an duine seo ach uair amháin, dár leis an ath-sainmhíniú atá tugtha againn don téarma ‘cairdeas’, tá an beirt agaibh incháilithe anois chun bhur gcaidreamh (nó neamhcaidreamh) a thógáil níos faide agus a bheith mar cibear-cairde.

Lastigh d’aon lá amháin (dhá lá ar an uasmhéid) déanfar mear-fhorbairt ar an gcaidreamh eadraibh agus anois, ní hamháin go mbeidh sloinne an duine seo ar eolas agat, beidh lán cead isteach agat ar a shaol phearsanta chomh maith; grianghraifeanna, eolas, cairde, suimeanna agus gach rud eile atá sé sásta roinnt go poiblí.

D’fhásamar aníos leis an smaoineamh nach chóir dúinn breithiúnas a thabhairt ar leabhar de réir a gclúdach agus más fíor sin, cinnte ba chóir go mbaineadh an riail céanna sin le leathanach próifíle duine. Cé go bhfuil ár mbealaí féin againn chun ai-

nailís a dhéanamh ar dhaoine, an féidir linn a bheith muiníneach as an méid eolais a sholathraíonn suíomhanna ar nós Facebook dúinn, agus muid ag iarraidh léargas a fháil ar phearsantacht duine?

Tar éis cúpla uair chloig a chaitheamh ar leathanach do chibear-chara nua, tá an príomheolais a theastaíonn uait faighte agat; tá a chuid buanna agus lochtanna aibhsithe agat agus ní gá duit breis taighde a dhéanamh air.

An bhfuil tuiscint den ghreann chomh lag sin aige go dtaitníonn na ngrúpaí conspóideacha faoin Aifreann leis? An bhfuil an méid atá “ar a intinn” níos oiriúnach d’oifig na teiripeora ná mar atá sé don fotha nuachta? An mbíonn an ciorcal glas in aice lena ainm ar lasadh i gcónaí, pé am den maidin atá ann?

Tá an iomarca eolais á thabhairt amach againn do dhaoine nach bhfuil aithne go leor againn orthu. Leis sin, tá dearchtaí á chruthú againn ar a chéile agus is minic nach cruinn iad na dearchtaí seo ar chor ar bith. Cé go mothaíonn tú go bhfuil freagraí na mórceisteanna faighte agat ó Facebook, an bhfuil triail cothrom faighte ag do chibear-chara?

An bhfuil a sheans caillte aige bheith mar fíor chara leat?

Tá díghrádú tagtha ar an téarma ‘cairdeas’ de bharr teacht na láithreáin líonraithe sóisialta agus ní chiallaíonn breis is 500 cara ar líne go mbeidh breis is 500 duine ann duit

GLUAIS

An gciallaíonn breis is 500 cara ar líne go mbeidh breis is 500 duine ann duit in am an ghátair?

in am an ghátair. Tá difríocht mór idir na daoine ar an taobh eile den scáileáin agus na daoine atá os do chomhair ach is difríocht é seo nach féidir le go leor daoine a aithint níos mó.

Ní chóir go mbeadh gach eolais fúinn ag duine nua lastigh de chliceáil amháin; tá ceart chun príobháideachta againn agus ba chóir dúinn é sin a chleactadh. Tá an rúndiamhair agus an flosctha a thagann le daoine nua á scriosadh againn agus ní mór dúinn iad a

éileamh arís.

Mar sin, nuair a chasaimid ar duine iomlán nua nó fiú ar chara-le-cara ó ba chóir dúinn iarracht a dhéanamh staonadh ó chuireadh chun cairdis a sheoladh chucu láithreach, mar iarracht an norm sóisialta is déanaí a dímholadh. Ní gá bheidh i do bhall de ghrúpa ar líne chun a thuiscint nach mar seo a bhí cúrsaí “nuair a bhíomar níos óige” agus go bhfuil rudaí éirithe i bhfad ró ‘úspánta’ ag an bpointe seo.

Ídithe – consumed Líonra sóisialta – social network Béasaíocht sóisialta – social etiquette Incháilithe – eligible Cibear-cairde – cyber friends Díghrádú – degradation Ceart chun príobháideachta – right to privacy Dímholadh – discourage Úspánta – awkward

My bloody Valentine In the immediate aftermath of another Valentine’s Day, Faye Docherty examines the customs and traditions of this contentious holiday

S

o there we have it; Valentine’s Day has come and gone for another year. Undoubtedly the celebrations will have left many hopelessly romantic, ready to recall the day’s events at the drop of a hat. Yet it will have also left a rather large amount of the population perplexed, still questioning what all the fuss was about. Every year, February 14th rears its head and calls for a day of professing ones love, getting overly sentimental and spending time with that ‘special’ person in your life.

There’s no denying many of us yesterday felt the pressure to leave an unforgettable impression in the minds of our loved ones. Many would argue that we are untimely victims of a fabricated holiday, one that solely takes advantage of both our romantic side and unfortunately our wallets.

Let’s face it; Valentine’s Day is extremely marketable. Chocolate shops, florists and card companies boom at this time of year. Thus, no matter how much you tried to hide from Valentine’s Day yesterday, the truth is you probably didn’t hide well enough.

One website entirely dedicated to Valentine’s Day, describes it as ‘a special day to celebrate the most beautiful emotion on this universe called Love’. There are many myths surrounding Valentine’s Day and Saint Valentine himself. The Catholic Church recognises at least three different saints named Valentine.

One myth claims that Valentine was a priest during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius realized that men were better fighters if they didn’t marry or have families, he banned marriage for all young men. Valentine disagreed and so continued to perform marriage ceremonies between young lov-

ers. Claudius soon discovered this and ordered Valentine to be killed.

Another story claims while Valentine was in prison, he would write letters to a young lady that he loved and at the end he would leave ‘Love from your Valentine.’ If this is true, Valentine himself coined the term that is imprinted on millions of cards every year. As a result, the masses began a tradition of exchanging small gifts, food and hand written letters in celebration of this event.

In more recent times, such as the end of the 18th century, Valentine’s cards started being mass-produced and became increasingly popular to buy. Since then, sending Valentine’s Cards has gained greater and greater popularity. The ‘Greeting Cards Association’ estimates that 160 million Valentine cards will be purchased this year, making it the second most popular holiday to Christmas.

This tradition of sending cards and exchanging presents has easily created expectations and pressure surrounding the holiday, although these expectations do not fall evenly between both sexes. Valentine’s Day can be seen in more ways than one as a holiday for girls to get showered with gifts and exchange little in return.

Grace Breannan, a fourth-year Science student believes this to be true. While she says, “there’s not really much you can get for guys. They don’t really want flowers and chocolates,” she acknowledges that “the girls should give a bit back”.

Meave Finnerty, a third-year Science student also recognises the pressure men must feel before the dreaded day. She adds: “I think there is more pressure for guys when it comes to Valentine’s Day. I suppose it isn’t really marked for giving things to guys and doing things for guys. It is more marked for flowers and girlie things.”

However unsurprisingly, neither of these girls minded the clear gender inequality that Valentine’s Day poses. Breannan even added that she didn’t feel it was cheesy and says “if you are one of those people with your boyfriend going over the top, it’s quite nice”.

Another concern that Valentine’s Day brings is the cost of gifts and treating your loved one. While Thomas Daly, a first-year Arts student agrees that the expectations have to be met, the day can be celebrated even on a small budget: “If you do a small gesture, it won’t cost much. I suppose it’s really about what you do rather than what you buy.”

From viewing the history of Valentine’s Day, it’s clear that it has come a long way and has changed dramatically during its journey. No doubt it will continue to evolve, possibly getting bigger and more eccentric in the future. The day can divide opinions and even make some uncomfortable, but one thing’s for certain: whether you wish it could be wiped off the calendar or excitedly wait for February 14th to roll around, what it represents is different and unique to every- While an opportunity for some to show their love, Valentine’s Day can be a dreaded day for others one.

15 February 2011 THE UNIVERSITY OBSERVER

11

FEATURES

features@universityobserver.ie

The second sexism In the aftermath of the Richard Keys and Andy Gray scandal, Leanne Waters questions whether our society is promoting a new breed of sexism

UO In Numbers 16.7c The net cost to each student of each issue of The University Observer

Football pundit Andy Gray was recently sacked by Sky television following sexist remarks he made regarding a female lineswoman.

I

t is no secret that sexism remains a rampant phenomenom in society today. Andy Gray’s recent sexist comments about the professional ability of assistant referee Sian Massey sent the media into a feverous tizzy and marked one of the first scandals of 2011. At the height of public interest, it was reported that the incident was followed by the swift removal of Gray.

The ensuing statement read as follows: “Gray had his contract terminated following the release of the new footage, 24 hours after he and fellow presenter Richard Keys were disciplined for their remarks about Massey. Sky Sports reporter Andy Burton was also disciplined this afternoon (January 25th 2011) after footage emerged of him and Gray commenting on Massey’s appearance. He loses a job that reportedly earned him almost €2 million per year.”

Needless to say, Andy Gray is at least one person who has been thinking over the issue of sexism of late. And yet, for all our individual convictions on the matter of the Gray scandal, it remains to be seen exactly how sexism has evolved in our ever-changing society. Today, following decades of feminist movements and revolutions, one does pause to wonder whether the roles have in many ways been reversed; has sexism turned against men?

Rachael Shortt, a History MA student, believes sexism remains prevalent in our society. “I think it does exist but is generally ignored, which is very unfair; especially on the part of house-husbands. I also think our family law in Ireland is ridiculously harsh on good dads. This I would argue is a form of institutional sexism.

“Anti-male sexism does exist [and] is largely ignored. But it’s not entirely comparable with female sexism, because female sexism appears acceptable in humour, which I don’t agree with. Of course it all depends on how far you take either side

that is the real problem.”

From the very serious to the light-hearted, issues surrounding male stereotypes – like that of women and the offside rule – are difficult to ignore. It is a rare occasion, for example, to hear any woman praise men in their treatment of women.

Indeed, with the explosion of our Sex and the City generation, men seem more often than not, to be tarred together under the one brush of being terrible in relationships.

Frequent comments that I’m sure we’ve all heard at some point or another include: “He just doesn’t care”, “Men are only after one thing” and of course, “I hate men!”

These remarks lie in the vast bubble of generalisation and are probably a result of a failed relationship. Nevertheless, while women convince themselves that men have it so easy, it may be of value to individuals – regardless of gender – to reconsider the former and reconceptualise what exactly sexism is and what it can mean.

Pressure that men face as a result of sexism often involves matters such as body image and the ambiguous idea of masculinity.

With a growing understanding of sexuality and its many properties, the modern public have become more acceptable and comfortable with terms such as heterosexual, homosexual, metro-sexual and transvestite, to name a few. With so many varying facets in the complicated matter of sexuality, one would think that men – be they straight or gay – could be comfortable in their own skin.

And yet, body image is a way in which many men are being discriminated against.

This form of sexism demands that men conform to an allusive ideal of masculinity; in how they speak, dress, behave, think and even feel. First-year Agricultural Science student Eoghan Wogan talks through what he sees as a gross form of sexism against men: “Men are always expected to be all masculine (…) and are under pres-

sure to not be feminine and therefore just presumed as gay. Also, I think that people always seem to be in favour of women in any sort of criminal or domestic issues, as people presume the lads are the bad [guys].”

One form of this ‘second sexism’ – as it has often come to be known – can be found in the matter of car insurance. At a time when most are struggling for money and constantly looking for a good deal, it seems men can’t get a break. It seems unfair that when looking for something as simple as car insurance, there is a monumental distinction between young men and women; so much so, that each gender often have their own categories when looking for a quote.

On the matter of this institutional form of reverse-sexism, Maeve Loftus, a second year Economics student, comments: “I suppose it is kind of bad that lads are forced to pay higher car insurance. I mean, I know loads of lads who are brilliant drivers but are labelled straight away as ‘boyracers’ just because of their age and because they’re guys. But in fairness, men have been sexist against women for years. It’s more that things are starting to balance out and there’s a massive backlash now against men.”

It seems incorrect, however, to simply meet years of sexism with a new brand that is anti-male. After all, the concept of men against men is not unheard of. Men, for example, are often the targets of aggression more so than women. This is something to which we can all testify on any given night out. We’ve all seen it; men brawling outside nightclubs, being attacked and having to defend themselves. Further persecution, therefore, seems entirely unruly on the part of women. And I’m sure I can guess what a few readers may be thinking: men fight other men. But what of those who don’t?

For quite a majority of men, violence is

something that is, by rule, unacceptable and that must be averted to the best of our ability. And yet for many men, violence in particular circumstances is often unavoidable by virtue of the fact that they are indeed male.

To walk away, firstly, is often seen as cowardice. And worse still, when trapped in a moment whereby they must defend themselves, it is appears un-empathetic to be of the opinion that all men can defend their own bodies with physical efficiency.

Moreover, several experimental studies – all of which are open to be viewed online by the public – have shown that men and women alike express a great deal more aggression towards men than they do to women. And so if this is the case, second sexism has taken a violent turn. On this notion of the ‘second sexism’, an article released by the Social and Theory Practise publication in 2003 wrote that: “In societies in which sex discrimination has been recognised to be wrong, the assault on this

With so many varying facets in the complicated matter of sexuality, one would think that men – be they straight or gay – could be comfortable in their own skin

form of discrimination has targeted those attitudes and practices that (directly) disadvantage women and girls. At the most, there has been only scant attention to those manifestations of sex discrimination of which the primary victims are men and boys. What little recognition there has been of discrimination against males has very rarely resulted in amelioration.

“For these reasons, we might refer to discrimination against males as the ‘second sexism,’ to adapt Simone de Beauvoir’s famous phrase. The second sexism is the neglected sexism, the sexism that is not taken seriously even by most of those who oppose sex discrimination. This is regrettable not only because of its implications for ongoing unfair male disadvantage, but also (...) because discrimination against women cannot fully be addressed without attending to all forms of sexism.”

In modern society’s interpretation of what makes a man, we must evaluate the sex as a whole and in comparison also to their female counterparts. To do this effectively, there can be no discrimination against either sex. Sexism – or second sexism as the case may be – remains a gross generalisation in our contemporary western world and a means of undermining an individual based on a genetic predisposition in which they played no part.

The properties and many manifestations of sexism, be they light-hearted jokes or otherwise, can hinder the development of either gender. And as we step away from sexism against women and gradually develop to a point of new reconciliation on the matter, so we must do the same for men. And so, on the matter of sexism, it seems that only properly executed power over the individual and the self will eventually blot out a problem hitting men and women alike.

And as Buddha once said: “A man may conquer a million men in battle but one who conquers himself is, indeed, the greatest of conquerors.”

12

THE UNIVERSITY OBSERVER 15 February 2011

FEATURES

features@universityobserver.ie

Political beginnings In the face of political turmoil, Natalie Voorheis meets Dylan Haskins, a fresh face on the Irish political scene who has embarked on a new type of campaign

A

t just 23 years old, D y l a n Haskins, independent candidate for Dublin South East, is one of the Chief Features Writer youngest candidates in this year’s general election. Currently studying Arts in Trinity College Dublin, Haskins faces strong competition from other candidates in the Dublin South East constituency. These include Labour’s Ruairi Quinn who has been a representative for the area since 1973 and other notable figures such as Green Party leader John Gormley, Fianna Fáil’s Chris Andrews and Fine Gael’s Lucinda Creighton.

Despite the strong opposition he faces, Haskins is ambitious about the challenge of running in a constituency with so many established names, saying: “It makes a much bigger statement. If you are going to change things you have to go for gold. There is no point settling and trying to get in an easy way.”

Haskins suggests, with a glint in his eye, that party candidates such as Gormley and Andrews may have had their chance and have shown what they are capable of.

Haskins defends his credibility as an independent candidate, stating: “I’m talking about political reform and a lot parties are too but the difference is that I will be an independent voice in there and I will be able to hold them to account and say: ‘Well during the election you promised all of these political reforms when you got elected’ and push for those things to happen. You need independent voices to hold these people to account.”

Haskins’s campaign, like the man himself, is charged with youthful enthusiasm and fresh ideas. The campaign has been noted for its online nature and, as such, has placed Haskins as the face of a new generation of politicians.

The video, which he used to launch his campaign, has thrown him into public consciousness, with radio stations and newspapers scrambling for interviews with the new poster boy of Irish politics.

At time of going to print, Haskins’s campaign video had received over 27,000 views on YouTube, consequently allowing him to communicate with a greater electorate which knocking on doors simply couldn’t achieve.

The campaign has first and foremost been an online one, with Haskins using a regularly updated website, including video diaries and Twitter to connect with potential voters. Haskins was proud that he was able to harness young Irish talent to create his website, while contemporary politicians increasingly employ from outside the country for similar projects, thus ignoring potentially highly skilled Irish workers who are in need of employment.

Haskins is, however, acutely aware that the internet support he has received, constituted by likes on Facebook, tweets and emails may not translate to real votes but hopes they will.

Aware that everyone doesn’t use the internet, Haskins has actively been knocking on doors since his campaign

launch and describes his outreach process as being about “relating to people and to do that you need to meet them on their terms”.

One of Haskins’s key ideas is that of transparency. He is a firm believer in the importance of transparency in public office. He aims to lead by example with regard to this issue throughout his campaign and publishes his accounts online at the end of each week, encouraging dialogue about this and other issues online.

Haskins’s campaign slogan – “It starts here” – hopes to introduce a new political period, one Haskins’s envisages as being of transparency and common sense.

He explains: “If you’re trying to say that we need a new type of politics in Ireland then you need to be a new type of politician and you need to do that by setting a standard. Publishing my accounts is an example of this.”

The University Observer questions Haskins about why he decided to run in the election. Despite coming from a family with no political background and with no experience in politics on either a student or national level, Haskins explains: “People have always said to me that I should be a politician,” before adding: “I was not attracted to politics initially because I thought it wasn’t a very effective way to get things done.”

Haskins has worked on grassroots level in his community for some time.

He has been involved with several youth projects connected with the arts, is the founder of Exchange Dublin, a collective arts centre, and recently became the youngest ever board member

of Project Arts Centre Temple Bar. Haskins comments: “I thought it was more effective to get things done on the ground to start projects and I liked to do things by practice. So rather than speaking in rhetoric, I preferred to go out and say look this is what it is and people say ‘ok cool that makes sense’.”

His outlook has subsequently changed, and he has found himself applying the DIY attitude he channelled while working in his community to Ireland’s political situation. Feeling unhappy with the way the country was being run, he decided to make a stand and become involved himself.

Haskins says that the response to his campaign has been overwhelmingly positive, but felt that “there have been cynical people too and I understand why that is the case. They have been let down and they are so reluctant to put their faith in anything and are reluctant to think that there is an alternative, that there is a different way.”

When asked what his message was to the students of UCD, Haskins responds by making a case as to why students should vote for him. He argues with fervency that it is crucial to have our generation represented in the Dáil.

Haskins expresses his outrage that 70 per cent of TDs in the Dáil are over the age of 50 and yet it purports to be a representative body for Ireland. “It should look like Ireland and I mean that in terms of age and gender. There should be more young people and there should be more women in there. It should be more balanced.”

Dylan Haskins has made extensive use of technology and social media to aid his campaign for election.

Download the Rape Crisis Apps

www.rcni.ie/apps

know how to help a friend RCNI

@RCNIRELAND

15 February 2011 THE UNIVERSITY OBSERVER

COMMENT

comment@universityobserver.ie

To the polling station?

As the 2011 general election looms, Marianne Madden and Kate Rothwell ask whether it will bring about a change in political activism among students

E

veryone accepts that a momentous task lies before the next government. They must choose which benefits are to be cut and which policies implemented, and more importantly decide upon whom the resulting financial burden will fall. The outcome of the general election is set to have a huge impact on students because it will determine their future. Graduate unemployment, grant cutbacks and the reintroduction of college fees are all points of contention; they are of interest to the student population and this will mobilise them to action.

The University Observer recently carried out a survey that questioned UCD students about their views on and level of participation in Irish politics. The results testified to a strong student engagement in politics in general, and in particular with regard to the upcoming general election, with 80 per cent of students stating that they will be voting in the upcoming election and 81 per cent maintaining that the state’s recent financial troubles will make them more likely to vote.

If these suggested participation levels materialise, they will bring student turnout to a level well above that of the 2007 general election, which according to The Irish Times was 67.3 per cent.

The survey results also indicate that only 12 per cent of students consider themselves “heavily politically engaged”. Would it not be interesting to compare this to the percentage of the general public who consider themselves highly involved in politics? One student greatly involved in politics is Cónán Ó Broin, who recently resigned from his position as deputy president of the Union of Students of Ireland (USI) in order to campaign full-time for a Labour Party councillor.

Political societies are well established in UCD. Labour Youth is the favourite among UCD students, with 24 per cent of those surveyed stating that they will be voting for Labour. Labour Youth boasts on their website that “the number of Labour Youth societies in colleges has tripled” in recent years.

Moreover, Colm Taylor, policy officer for Young Fine Gael, has said that the

T

he 2011 general election will, without a shadow of a doubt, be a turning point in Irish politics. Disillusioned voters, many of them students, will travel to polling booths countrywide in order to ensure that the failed political make-up of our current government does not have the opportunity to do further damage to our economy and global reputation.

That the majority of students will use their chance to keep the present coalition parties out of power is obvious. Rising registration fees, cuts to an already minimal grant system and dwindling employment prospects have hit the student body hard, and both Fianna Fáil and the Green Party will quite rightly suffer for these failings come February 25th.

Yet just because most students have ceased to hold any faith in the present government does not mean that they are now rallying behind other alternatives. Many votes will be cast in the sheer hope that whoever is elected can’t possibly be as corrupt and incompetent as those who have been leading the country for the past four years.

The most likely result of this election appears to be a coalition between Fine

13

UO In Numbers €2.67 The amount each student contributes to UCD Ents each year

Students have always been politically involved, the first to remonstrate and the most demanding of the political process

Students are normally regarded as apatethic towards politics but this could change in the forthcoming general election.

organisation has about 4,000 members across the country. Ógra Fianna Fáil, Ógra Sinn Féin and the UCD Greens are also present on campus. Can it therefore really be argued that students are uninvolved in the political process?

Debate, often politically-oriented, forms part of the fabric of college life.

University is usually about finding yourself and where your strengths lie.

Third-level education not only permits but also obliges a high level of interaction between students through which they develop opinions, identify their values and discover others who think as

they do. Indeed, for many students this general election is the first time they can exercise the right to vote – a vehicle of expression they are unlikely not to seize.

Students have always been politically involved, the first to remonstrate and the most demanding of the political process. This was illustrated in recent times by the emotive student protests late last year. The reason for this high level of involvement is that idealism is at its most emphatic in the student populace.

The make-up of the new government will not lessen the hardship of the bleak

Gael and Labour. Labour have found a certain amount of favour among the student population, as a recent poll carried out by The University Observer revealed that 24 per cent of UCD students surveyed planned on voting for the party. Yet Labour doesn’t offer remarkably groundbreaking policies or boast an outstandingly charismatic leader; much of their recent popularity stems from the simple fact that they have not yet been given the chance to let us down.

Their probable coalition partner’s popularity has to have been hampered by the recent blunders of its leader Enda Kenny, who refused to take part in the campaign’s first televised party leader debate because it would be hosted by presenter Vincent Browne. Kenny’s claim that he would not participate because of Browne previously commenting that he should “go into a dark room with a gun and bottle of whiskey” seems a rather poor cop-out on the potential Taoiseach’s part.

Browne’s remark was perhaps unduly harsh, but surely the best way to combat such commentary is to face your critics and prove them wrong, not hide from further confrontation. It is incidents such as this that lessen the faith and lose

the votes of the many undecided first and second-time student voters.

Kenny’s recent admission that Fine Gael’s proposed cutting of public service numbers could cost one billion euro will also not have helped his party’s case. Grand proposals aiming to increase tourism, curb emigration, cut and increase various taxes and abolish the Seanad are being flaunted by all involved in this election, but voters have not forgotten that no wave of any political wand will solve the disastrous problem that is our economy.

Numerous long-standing Ministers have bailed out shamelessly while their seven-figure pensions were still theirs to claim. They have stepped down wellpaid but with a tarnished reputation, and it therefore comes as no surprise that 85 per cent of students who took part in the above-mentioned survey are keen to see more youthful politicians in the Dáil.

However, it is difficult to imagine that many young political enthusiasts will be tempted to step up to the challenge. The plush perks of a job in politics will no doubt have to suffer recessionary cutbacks, and such a position will from now on involve the bearing of

times that lie ahead. However, politicians can do something that will have just a huge impact on students – give them hope. This potential for hope was also reflected in the survey results whereby 72 per cent of students said that they feel that the election will have a positive effect on Ireland’s future.

This election affects and interests the Irish people who are disappointed and disillusioned by the political process, and students are no exception.

But doom and gloom are tiresome and students have had enough of political crises following each other in rapid

No dream coalition can improve the economy soon enough much bad news, plenty of difficult decision making and an increased wealth of continual criticism.

A new wave of candidates have been inspired to run as independents, but this only goes to show the distrust of the existing political parties even among budding politicians. Their dedication is of course admirable and their reluctance to associate themselves with any particular party is more than understandable.

Yet as popular as the independent vote will no doubt be in the coming election,

succession. If nothing else, fresh faces, newly drafted policies and alternative voices will at least be a diversion from the rising costs of third-level education and graduate unemployment.

To argue that students are indifferent to the upcoming election would be contradictory. If that were true, would we be having this argument, would you be reading this article, would I be writing it? Is this in essence a political debate?

What remains certain is that transport routes promise to be busy the weekend of the general election. A word of advice to all UCD students – arrange your transport home in plenty of time.

The general election may be as much a cosmetic procedure to boost the confidence of this nation as a change in policy direction. The election offers hope to help students ride out the grim years that await us. It gives students the chance to distance themselves from the past mistakes of voters, to say never again and to embrace the future. It was through politics that the crisis was created; let us hope that it is through politics that it will be resolved.

- Marianne Madden such stand-alone candidates have relatively little clout in comparison to fully formed parties.

It’s hard for any students to have faith in the faces on garish posters or bland manifestos when it’s obvious that no dream coalition can improve the economy soon enough. No matter what promises are made and broken, those currently attending or entering third level education will not be able to feel confident of securing a good job when they graduate, and many will be concerned as to whether they can even finance the three or four years that may only bring them to an employment dead end.

Who knows, perhaps the incoming Government will prove be inspirational, efficient and capable of cleaning up the mess that its disgraced predecessors have left behind. But regardless of how Irish politics develops over the next couple of years, there won’t be too many students hanging around to see how long it takes for things to improve. Come the next general election, many of those who are now disheartened by the hopelessness of Irish politics will have already left for pastures new.

- Kate Rothwell

14

THE UNIVERSITY OBSERVER 15 February 2011

COMMENT

comment@universityobserver.ie

Playground psychology The introduction of talk therapy into schools in the UK has been lauded by some, but Philippa White notes its downfalls

T

he UK government recently introduced a new initiative in the area of the young people’s mental health. Its implementation means that in the future, adolescents and children who are displaying signs of depression or anxiety will be offered talk therapy to deal with the issue. The whole point of the exercise is to prevent these youngsters from developing mental illnesses as they progress into adulthood.

However, it must be questioned whether or not early intervention can succeed in preventing mental illness from persisting as the child graduates into adulthood. Furthermore, it is imperative that the dangers of offering psychotherapy to primary school children are explored.

Only a small minority of adolescents can say they have never been depressed.

However, as over half of mental illnesses are said to manifest themselves by the age of 14, it is during these formative years that it becomes clear who has more than a bad dose of the blues and who actually has an intelligible case of mental illness. Nonetheless, is early intervention a worthwhile pursuit?

Offering teenagers therapy if they are depressed appears to be a smart as well as compassionate move for any policy maker. The National Institute of Mental Health in America estimates that problems associated with poor mental health cost the US economy up to $148 billion every year – more than cancer and heart disease combined – due to the cost of treatment, support and lost earnings.

Those proposing the British initiative cite similar findings. Therefore, giving teenagers talk therapy could save the British economy millions.

For more altruistic reasons, the initiative again seems like an effective measure. In many studies, it has been found that the effects of psychotherapy on clinically depressed teenagers have the same effect as it has on adults with the same condition – anxiety levels abate and the patient gains insight into how to control the symptoms. A decline in incidence of adolescent depression could lead to a drop in the number of ancillary problems associated with depression, such as youth suicides and alcohol abuse. Thus the benefits of the measure, in this respect, are difficult to refute.

On the other hand, offering the same type of therapy to children is a matter that deserves a more thorough assessment. Firstly, there is something odd and unnatural about offering talk therapy to children. For anyone who is unaware, talk therapy does not entail role-play, art, puzzles and games like ‘play therapy’ and other more conventional forms of child therapy.

Think more along the lines of Freudian psychoanalysis, chaises longues and a stoic-faced therapist asking nine-yearold Jimmy if he gets on with his father.

It is inappropriate to say the very least. A child would not have the necessary level of maturity to benefit from this kind of intimate tête-à-tête with a stranger.

Talk therapy is only effective if the patient can gain insight into their illness and wish to resolve the problem. Most children in primary school, let alone the children experiencing bouts of anxiety, would not have this kind self-awareness that would allow them to benefit from talk therapy. This is probably why Freud himself never intended psychoanalysis to be for children.

Another possible danger that could result from talk therapy, due to the lack of subtlety in the method, is that a child might start to identify himself as ‘differ-

ent’ from his peers. This could shatter his self-esteem, thus confounding his feelings of anxiety.

It seems conveniently self-serving for psychologists and other mental health professionals to advocate for more therapy, even among young children, but the alternatives must be explored. If a child is showing signs of depression or anxiety and the cause is not apparent to a teacher or healthcare professional, it is likely that the explanation can be found at home.

Therefore, counselling which includes one or both parents would seem more beneficial. Another approach that is strikingly less contrived than talk therapy would be integrating group therapy into the classroom during school time. Not only is this approach more cost-effective, as the teachers are already paid to do their job, but one does not run the risk of singling an individual child out as being troubled and abnormal.

Psychotherapy and indeed pharmacotherapy are not recent creations. Nevertheless there is something repugnantly modernised about offering talk therapy to children, even if they show signs of depression. It may sound old-fashioned, but the best cure for most childhood stints of depression is distraction. For a child, no therapy method is any match for chasing, snakes and ladders or a good old game of Monopoly. Therefore, the British government should consider the wise words of Homer Simpson and simply allow children to “run wild and free”.

A child would not have the necessary level of maturity to benefit from this kind of intimate têteà-tête with a stranger

Many regard the implementation of children’s therapy to be a pointless exercise.

Donate your

ballygowan Pink bottle caps to help uCD students support breast cancer awareness & win prizes see collection points on campus For more details log onto www.facebook.com/ucdsu

oVer

E200,000 alreaDy raiseD by ballyGowan Pink

Pure still water in a Pink bottle

15 February 2011 THE UNIVERSITY OBSERVER

COMMENT

comment@universityobserver.ie

An attack on curiosity The consequences for the Irish university system of implementing the planned Croke Park Agreement would be dire, writes Eoin Brady

H

ave you ever looked something up on Wikipedia, just because you were interested? Have you ever asked a question in class, not because it might be on the final exam, but because you wanted to understand? If you have, you should be opposed to the Croke Park Agreement. Contained within its proposed legislation, there is an attack on the right of Irish society to express a fundamental human trait – curiosity.

The Croke Park Agreement is a deal between public sector unions and the state. The purpose of the deal is to make the public sector more effective and less costly to run. These two goals are clearly unobjectionable. However, one element of the deal has the potential to gravely damage Irish intellectual progress: the curtailment of tenure in Irish universities. Tenure gives senior academics a contract, lasting to retirement, which allows them to decide how best to perform research, unencumbered by managerial direction.

The aspect of the Croke Park Agreement that tries to restrain academic freedom is a misguided attempt by people with a weak understanding of the idea of a university to save money. This lack of understanding is not unusual – former Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe suggested that the short lecturing hours are an indication that professors are not

working very hard. This is to miss the point of university professors completely. The main role of professors is not to teach – teaching is a relatively easy part of their job. Their real responsibility is to extend the boundaries of human knowledge.

Our innate curiosity is part of what makes us human, and the specialised, advanced kind of research that university professors do is an expression of the same impulse. The reason that we, as a society, pay these people to do research is because they have demonstrated an exceptional ability and intense desire to comprehend and to learn.

They have shown that they are the best people to send to the coalface of knowledge. They have shown this ability by producing significant research. They have shown their desire by forgoing the often more lucrative opportunities in industry for the tortuous path through doctoral study and junior academic posts. Our professors are acting out, at a tremendously advanced level, a fundamental aspect of human character.

The Irish Universities Association (IUA) – the association of university heads – is in favour of the Croke Park Agreement’s proposed changes. In a statement released on February 4th, they support redefining tenure as a temporary protection that only lasts for the term of an employment contract. The status quo is that academic tenure lasts until retirement. As a justification for this change, they cite the damage to public confidence in universities that is done by the public perception that tenure is an “absolute prohibition on dismissal or sanction”.

As the IUA acknowledges, tenure does not confer immunity from sanction to academics. If the problem were simply one of public perception, then explain-

15

Batt O’Keeffe’s comments on lecturers’ working hours has been subject to much criticism.

ing the nature of academic tenure to the public could solve it. The IUA’s members are bright people, and are surely aware of this illogicality. This would suggest that an ulterior motive exists – that they have an interest in curtailing the freedom of their academics. The effect of this change could be profoundly harmful: in a university culture where professors are forced to follow narrow, managerially directed research paths, an entirely different kind of research will be produced. The distinguishing characteristic of universities will be lost, as researchers

only pursue commercially and politically desirable subjects. The intellectual shorttermism that universities are explicitly designed to overcome will predominate.

If there were no one questioning the dominant paradigms of society, the cure for mental health problems would still be trepanning and the earth would still be the centre of the universe.

This is not, of course, to suggest that the diminution of academic tenure would cause society to revert to that level of ignorance. However, society would be made tangibly worse off by the absence

UO In Numbers €154 The amount charged to each student in respect of the Student Centre Levy in 2010 – the equivalent of The University Observer’s total production costs for 77 years of tenured academic staff. This is because researchers need funding. Studies have shown that the source of funding determines the outcomes of research in a number of ways: how subjects are chosen for analysis, and which outcomes that are reported. There is considerably more money to be made from treating rich people’s maladies, like obesity, than poor people’s ones, like AIDS. In a profitdriven research environment, there will be less support available for work on socially beneficial projects.

In a world where researchers study what their managers tell them to study, there is less room for projects that are interesting or worthwhile. Curtailing academic tenure would make Ireland a darker, more ignorant place.

Decadence and democracy Silvio Berlusconi’s image has been further tainted but not destroyed by the recent scandals, writes Dearbhail O’Crowley

S

ilvio Berlusconi has dominated the Italian international image since his rise to prime minister in 1994, coincidentally just as his media empire has shaped the county’s image internally for more than a generation.

The confirmed facts about Berlusconi, ignoring the obvious unanswered questions, should immediately discount him from discussions for public office, and yet his countrymen laud him as their saving grace. In no other self-respecting democracy would it be even considerable that a politician who has been under numerous investigations for connections with the Mafia, prostitution, under-age sex, money laundering and complicity in murder, to name but a few, would still have managed to maintain his grip on the highest seat in the land. So how has Berlusconi managed it?

There are a few notable, and indeed key, differences between the shape of the political realm in Italy and the rest of the globe, and these discrepancies aid in the understanding of Berlusconi’s continued survival.

The fascinating thing about Berlusconi is his relationship with the Italian people. It may have been alleged that he had underage escorts visiting his parties. There may be evidence to prove it and yet it doesn’t surprise the Italians. Berlusconi isn’t half as likely to fall out of government because of these misdemeanours as much as foreign media, The Economist in particular, likes to suggest. Why? But this isn’t any other self-respecting democracy. This is not Tony Blair, Brian

Cowen or Angela Merkel. Europe may have a single currency but its mindsets are varied and not growing any closer. The Italian people (and media) enjoy having both pages of juicy details fulfilling their craving for information about the private lives of the elite, as well as editorials deeming such coverage tacky and irrelevant.

Unlike the rest of the world, Italians have never appreciated that the private conduct of a politician has political implications.

Italian politicians rumoured to have bevies of mistresses generally saw their public prestige rise rather than drop. Italy is, in many ways, a deeply sexist society. With the pas-

Unlike the rest of the world, Italians have never appreciated that the private conduct of a politician has political implications

sage of time, this profoundly anomalous situation has come to seem normal to Italians, just as one’s eyesight adjusts to the darkness.

The Catholic Church – so dominant and aggressive with its stances on contraception, euthanasia, abortion and gay rights – is key in determining the way the Italian people vote and yet avoids commenting on Berlusconi’s actions. Why? Because in many other ways he is ideal and loyal to their cause. He is pro-life and pro-family. The opposition are not. He is fiercely traditional, while the progressive opposition are not. And a family is apparently still a family even when the husband is cavorting with teenagers and escort girls, or at least in the eyes of the church.

Moreover, Berlusconi faces no credible opposition. The opposition is fragmented and weak, split and fractured by rivalries amongst too many candidates, including the current allegiance between the major liberal progressive party and the extreme left. They are incapable of challenging Berlusconi on vital issues such as immigration, the economy and gay rights.

Following the collapse of Prodi’s fragmented coalition the left has become, realistically, non-existent. Berlusconi is seen as the inevitable “Signore”. He is not only popular, in the way a lovable rogue uncle is, but he is also seen as unavoidable. He has no heirs within his family or his party. After all, following the dissolution of the Christian Democrats in the 1990s, Berlusconi was the one that shaped the party, which took over the representation, and the votes, of the moderates that make up most of the Italian

Silvio Berlusconi has perpetually attracted controversy during his reign as prime minister.

political spectrum.

His party owes its existence to him. Democracy may not have been officially suspended, but Berlusconi will win every election, and not just due to his massive media influence. But the current lack of real alternatives for government leadership prevents public unease from becoming a political tsunami. Besides, Berlusconi should never be underestimated. He is playing for high stakes, and has won time and time again at them before. The very future of his business empire is intimately bound up with his political survival. During his premiership he has constantly upped the ante, attacking

not only the left-wing opposition and now Umberto Bossi, but also the magistrates, accusing them of seeking to undermine the government. Other Berlusconi targets have included the Bank of Italy and the state television network, RAI. He displays nascent authoritarian tendencies.

The election, which is likely to follow this series of scandals, though not for a few months yet, is likely to be a torrid affair. Italian politics has rapidly polarised during Berlusconi’s premiership but with the media magnate now fighting for his political life, these divisions are likely to grow more acute.

16

THE UNIVERSITY OBSERVER 15 February 2011

COMMENT

A cure for pain

Thousands of people suffer from mental health problems every year in Ireland.

Talleyrand Dia daoibh dumbasses, Apparently some of that dying language has gotten stuck in Talleyrand’s craw, a tiny measure of the success of Shocktan nah Gailgeh a fortnight ago. Talleyrand is fully convinced that these Gailgorey constitute a new cult on campus. Their subtle rise through the hierarchy of hackdom can be described as nothing other than a virus slowly taking over an organism.

The most visual example of this being the display of those putrid green hoodies all across Hellfield. But even worse than 1,000 walking snot-balls was the fact that Pugnacious Pat finally had something to do since Class Rep Training, and wasn’t going to let an opportunity to spread himself across campus pass him by.

A cynical person would think that Senõr C ’n C used the opportunity to publicise himself ahead of his presidential election next month, getting his face out there, schmoozing with the Gailgorey in the hopes they’d canvass for him, meeting the ordinary person, hearing their woes, translating those woes into manifesto material, etc., etc. And Talleyrand would have to agree with that cynical person.

Purple Pat’s year-long campaign is finally coming to a head, and has achieved some measure of success, it must be said. He started off the year with two presidential competitors down the corridor from him, but has managed to sidetrack them both, leaving the throne of El Presidente open and ready for him to clamber onto. Or

fall into. Whatever.

It’s elections-aplenty on the corridor at the moment, with Scott “I got bored waiting for you so I lit a load of candles” Ahearn set to assume the position of National Welfaror Penguin come July 1st. In true Ahearn tradition, everything was left until the last minute, with his malodorous manifesto barely making it to Centra Crumlin in time.

The man himself seems to be falling apart in all areas of his life, since his beau emigrated. He didn’t even notice his laptop had been stolen for a whole six hours, and then spent another six hours moping about before realising that checking the security cameras might be a good idea.

You’d better hope he snaps out of his malaise pretty quickly. The entire candle-making industry is hoping for a bailout when he gets to Centra Crumlin. Chandlers are anticipating a tenfold increase in business, particularly concentrated in their scented candle line.

He can certainly look to his soonto-be colleague Gregarious Ger Gallagher for some assistance in snapping back into action and tackling all those vague ‘promises’ made in his manifesto. That is, if Ger doesn’t get done for a DUI in the interim.

Scoot will definitely need his help and more when he starts working under his old pal Gary “Mubarak” Redmond again. The two never really saw eye-to-eye in the first place, so Officer Board can expect fireworks at dawn.

Speaking of fireworks, Martin “Be human!” Butler has been trying to put out the flames of scandal over at the Vom-munity Musical. Personally, Talleyrand thinks the ructions among the cast might actually boost ticket sales, something which they are in dire need of. Even if when this year’s musical fails miserably, Talleyrand doesn’t think it will be the end

of Marty’s little pet projects, especially seeing as he’ll be knocking around Tierney Towers for three more years.

Expect more quaint competitions in your fortnightly email, more games of tennis, and yes, a hell of a lot more community.

Talleyrand also noted this past week that the Lacklustre & Haughty Society held their first event of the year, with an actual real-life celebrity visiting the campus. Whatever has gotten into the suckscieties this semester? It appears that they’re actually doing stuff. Talleyrand is stumped. Maybe Stephen “I put the beauty in Beauty and the Beast” Whelan has been whipping them into action. Or maybe they realise it’s not too long until the society awards will be doled out, and they just can’t stand the fact that Dramsoc might actually scoop up the majority of them.

Also being whipped into action these days is Juxtaposing Jonny, whose calendar for the next few weeks is more full with events than his car is with posters. That most D4 of events, the UCD Fashion (Horror) Show, seems to be back on the scene, after disappearing into oblivion a few years back. Also resurrected from the ashes of Goonions gone by is the Miss UCD competition, but it’s been made, like, really fair and balanced, because, like, there’s gonna be a Mr UCD as well, where men can be judged too.

Totes equality lol.

Talleyrand has a feeling the return of these events were masterminded

by Lonesome Lynam, looking to get back on the wagon and turn on the charm to unsuspecting female denizens. This commentator wouldn’t be surprised if he was on the judging panel for either competition. With the romantic day that’s just passed us, this predator is at his most dangerous.

Pepper spray at the ready, ladies.

Talleyho!

Talleyrand

The issue of mental health has been stigmatised for too long in Irish society, writes Caroline McGuigan

Y

ou probably won’t have heard of me before, but since the beginning of January and for the next few weeks you may well find yourself face-to-face with me. I am appearing on billboards and bus shelters across the country.

This is because I am appearing in a new campaign from Amnesty International Ireland, which puts the spotlight on mental health prejudice and discrimination, and asks everyone to take steps to end it.

The words by my name are huge and scary – but we have to see them and understand them if we are truly to challenge the way our society views mental health.

I am doing this because it is time to bring mental health out of the dark ages to where it belongs, into our communities and into our lives. It is time for everyone to understand and realise vulnerability, fear and struggle are all a part of life. They are not things to be labelled, nor ashamed of.

However mental health problems remain hidden, as they are seen as shameful and weak. But struggle is a part of life.

It’s what makes us who we are, yet our culture encourages us to hide the parts of ourselves that aren’t all perfect and nice.

This has to stop. We need to give ourselves a bit of slack.

I was a psychiatric service user, I have attempted suicide, but I have built my life up again. People have believed in me, have seen my potential, and have gone the extra mile for me. I am a Chief Executive Officer, a psychotherapist, a wife, a mam, a sister, a friend, and a daughter.

I love 60s music, I am extremely spiritual and benefit from meditation. Above all, I am a person with a full, lived life experience.

When I was first experiencing problems, I told those close to me that I had to go to hospital for a while, but I didn’t go into the details. I just said things were not great and I needed help. But the majority of people I didn’t tell. I was running my own business and the last thing I wanted was clients thinking I was ‘mad’. I told my business partner I was going into hospital, but did not say why. I kept it all very general and didn’t give content. It was very much a hush and taboo subject.

And do you know what was hard when people did start finding out? People making assumptions, telling themselves stories as to why I was mentally unwell and yet not knowing or having the full facts.

Comments like, ‘Jesus what could be wrong with her, she had everything going for her?’ ‘A good kick up the arse is what she needs’, ‘Are you going to leave your child with her after she had those ‘things’?’ and ‘Does she not realise there are so many people out there really suffering?’

All of these remarks were like a knife in my heart.

It’s time to throw out the idea that mental health means you’re mad. Take the time to read up on the labels our systems have given people. Take the time to remember that we are all made up of many parts and we can struggle and be strong at the same time. See the fullness of people and challenge the media in how they portray illness in relation to mental health.

Discrimination is destroying people, destroying families, destroying communities. Enough is enough. It has to stop.

I believe in this campaign. I believe in the power of people to create change. I really do.

You see we as a nation are full of heart and once we ‘get it’, we have tremendous compassion and strength. I have no doubt that we can and will turn our attitudes in relation to mental health upside down and inside out, and we will be the change.

Amnesty International Ireland’s campaign is asking everyone to play a part in challenging mental health prejudice and discrimination. I am playing mine – why don’t you play yours? If we all work together we can be part of a better society, one that does not allow mental health prejudice and discrimination to exist.”

Caroline McGuigan is the CEO of Suicide or Survive, an organisation working towards suicide prevention, www.suicideorsurvive.ie.

Find out more about our campaign, which is asking everyone to take action to end mental health prejudice and discrimination, and the Irish Government to fully respect people’s human rights and address inequality, at www.amnesty.ie/mentalhealthdiscrimination.

15 February 2011 THE UNIVERSITY OBSERVER

COMMENT

comment@universityobserver.ie

Letters to the Editor Student Littering Sir, This year is my first year in UCD after studying for a few years in another university. Though I would never suggest that this type of problem relates only to UCD, far from it. With fresh eyes, I think that I have noticed something that perhaps many UCD students no longer do because it has become such a common sight.

In the Students’ Union area beside the Nine One One, the tables are constantly and shamefully littered with people’s lunch rubbish, be it from the Nine One One or elsewhere. Please be clear that I am not writing this letter to suggest that the Students’ Union should be in any way responsible for this nor would I ever blame the staff of the Nine One One who in my opinion do a great job and to my understanding, are not responsible for the litter left by students.

Rather, I think each and every student who eats in that area should consider the rudeness, laziness and immaturity they show of themselves by leaving the place in such a mess, when there are bins less than a metre away from them in the same room. Why a student would leave their empty coffee

cup, for example, on a table that other students will come to sit at after them, when they pass a bin on their way out anyway baffles me.

The majority of students of this college are what I would imagine to be mature adults and so should clearly think more than to leave their rubbish for someone else to clean up in a student designated area. I find it hard to grasp how they wouldn’t?

Des Bishop highlighted how incredible this aspect of Irish culture was to him on his TV series The Des Bishop Work Experience a few years ago. He was shocked at how people left fast food restaurants with their food and packaging remains on the tables and said how this was not a common occurrence in the USA, a country with the second largest ecological footprint in the world.

It is a problem many of us don’t even consider and has become a habit, but really unless you have sat down at a table in a restaurant, had a meal and maybe left a tip, does it really seem right that you should expect someone else to clean up your take-away food rubbish after you? However, places outside of college are not the issue I wish to address here.

The room beside Nine One One is

a Students’ Union area, something which many colleges cannot afford or do not bother to provide, so personally I think we should be grateful as a student body to have it at all and in that, treat it with a lot more respect than we actually do.

I would never preach to be any sort of environmental saint, nor have I ever written a letter of complaint in my life, I just find it shameful as an Irish student that outsiders would come in and see the state that the area is left in every single day and would hate for them to judge us based on a few students’ disrespect for other people and for themselves.

Even taking outsiders out of the equation I think that it is an embarrassment to ourselves that we can leave our own area in such a state.

My only request is that people would think more after reading this letter and remember that their rubbish is their own responsibility, no one else’s, and to please think to clean up after themselves in their student areas as we are lucky to have them.

Sincerely, Lisa Nic an Bhreithimh, MA Scríobh agus Cumarsáid na Gaeilge.

The fate of student media Sir, I was disappointed to hear of the recent plans threatening the existence of UCD’s student media.

In the summer of 1994, Dara O Briain and I founded The University Observer with support and encouragement from the Students’ Union.

The newspaper was built on the ashes of the old Students’ Union News, a publication which had appeared with varying degrees of regularity and quality over the previous few years. Despite some quality journalism, the Union News was never a sustained success – precisely because it was identified (correctly) by students as a mouthpiece for the union, and for its officers. Then, the union officers frequently mistook their own personal and political interests for those of the student body as whole.

(Perhaps it is different nowadays) The union’s paper reflected this view of the world, and so was not taken seriously by the students.

The central founding idea of The

University Observer was that it should serve the students, and not the officers of the student union. To do this, it had to have, we argued at the time, editorial independence from the union and its power structures. In fact, part of the newspaper’s job was to report on and hold accountable those very structures. That, we argued, was its duty to the student body as a whole.

To their great credit, the union’s officers broadly accepted that definition of the newspaper’s role. Relations between our newspaper and the union were often strained. Often we were, perhaps, gratuitously critical or even offensive. Occasionally, I have no doubt, we were both unfair and wrong. The union officers, for their part, often tried to influence our coverage. We ignored purported instructions; they often withdrew co-operation from the news-gathering process.

I threatened to resign on more than one occasion. I was also threatened with the sack a few times.

But mostly we got along, uneasily

17

accepting that we were both serving the student body, even if our conceptions of our respective roles different. Mostly, the officers accepted that it was in the interests of both the Students’ Union, but more importantly of the student body as a whole, that a strong, independent and sometimes critical voice existed to report upon and analyse events in the university.

We never tired of reminding the union that we worked, in the first instance, for the students. It was they, not the union officers, who paid our wages.

The relationship between the paper and the union has always been spiky. That was exactly the way we intended it to be. It is sign the Observer is doing its job.

Yours etc, Pat Leahy The University Observer co-editor 1994-95 Political Editor, The Sunday Business Post

Letters should be sent by email to letters@universityobserver.ie or by mail to: The Editor, The University Observer, UCD Student Centre, Belfield, Dublin 4 All letters are subject to editorial approval. The Editor reserves the right to edit any letters.

Clarification and Corrections It is the policy of The University Observer to rectify any errors as soon as they arise. Queries and clarifications can be addressed to info@universityobserver.ie.

Contributors: Volume XVII, Issue 9 Acting Editor Paul Fennessy Copy Editor Quinton O’Reilly Art and Design Director Jenn Compeau Senior Designer Shane McIntyre O-two Editors Emer Sugrue Killian Woods News Editor Amy Bracken

UO In Numbers 292 The number of students who had work published in The University Observer in the calendar years 2009 and 2010

Chief News Reporter Sarah Doran

Fadora McSexypants, Carol Murphy, Natasha Murtagh, Meabh Ní Cholieáin, Dearbhail O’Crowley, Dermot O’Rourke, Talleyrand, Gillian Temple, Aoife Valentine, Philippa White.

Features Editor Leanne Waters

Illustrator: Olwen Hogan

Chief Features Writer Natalie Voorheis

Photographers: Quinton O’Reilly, Gordon O’Callaghan.

Deputy News Editor Katie Hughes

Comment Editor Kate Rothwell Science, Health and Technology Editor Alan Coughlan Sports Editor Ryan Mackenzie Music Editor George Morahan Film Editor Jon Hozier-Byrne Fashion Editor Donna Doyle Online Editor Killian Woods Contributors: Stephen Allen, Sean Almann, The Badger, Stephen Balbirnie, Daryl Bolger, Eoin Brady, Aoife Brophy, Anna Burzlaff, Gordon O’Callaghan, Claire Cassidy, Bríd Doherty, Faye Docherty, Richard Drumm, Cormac Duffy, Fight Like Apes, Sam Geoghegan, Micheál Halton, Matthew Jones, Adam Kearney, Daniel Keenan, Ethan Kiernan, Elaine Lavery, Alison Lee, Sophie Lioe, Colm MacEochagain, Marianne Madden, Jamie Martin, Mystic Mittens,

Special Thanks: Peter, Ian, Tim, Malcolm, Ade, Jonathan, Dave, Emma, Jed, Bob, Steve (and the robots) at Trafford Park Printing; Paul at Higgs; Eilis O’Brien and Dominic Martella; Colm, Sabrina and Rory at MCD Promotions; Bernie Divilly at PIAS; Mary Kate Murphy at EA; Giselle Jiang; Dave Carmody; Dominic, Grace, Charlie, Jason, Gary, Stephen, Mark, Sandra, Paul and all the Student Centre Staff; Blue and green Pringles; Niko Kranjcar; Chronic sleep deprivation.

Very Special Thanks: The former editors of The University Observer.

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

Pat de Brún

Scott Ahearn

Paul Lynam

Jonny Cosgrove

James Williamson

Campaigns & Communications

Welfare

President

Ents

Education

E: president@ucdsu.ie P: 01 7163110

www.ucdents.com E: jonny@ucdents.com P: (01)-716 3113

E: campaigns@ucdsu.ie P: 01 7163122

E: welfare@ucdsu.ie P: 01 7163112

E: education@ucdsu.ie P: (01)-716 3111

UCD SU LOYALTY CARD Small card - big rewards

Sign up today

The special SU card is free to use and entitles you to earn points on purchases in SU outlets. From ENTS events to your Crunchie, the SU card is the key to big rewards

www.ucdsu.ie/loyaltycard YOUR STUDENT CARD IS TRANSFORMING, IT’S NOW YOUR SU LOYALTY CARD TOO

Student Support Fund Finding it hard to pay for college books, are you on placement and you cant afford the travel costs.

Applications are been accepted for the Student Support Fund, to collect one you can pop into Scott Ahearn the Welfare Officer in the Student Center Office G18 or email him on welfare@ucdsu.ie.

Applications can't go over €100 and you must be research the price of the books you want.

Deadline is February 7th 5pm.

LIBRARY UPDATE Following the Students’ Union proposal on a seven day library, I am pleased to announce that the James Joyce Library is now open on Sundays starting from the week of the 17th.Deadline is February 7th 5pm.

Working Student Nurses/Midwives

NO

TO SLAVE LABOUR

Register to Vote Today vote2011.ie

Wednesday, 2nd February 2011

Date: Time: 7.30pm - 9.00pm Venue: Trinity Suite, Gresham Hotel, Dublin

LOCAL DETAILS:

register to vote next week in the arts bloc

JOIN INMO CAMPAIGN

www.inmo.ie Tel: 01 664 0600 Fax: 01 661 0466 Email: inmo@inmo.ie

Issued by: Gary Redmond, Union of Students in Ireland (USI), 1st Floor, 3/4 St. Agnes Road, Crumlin, Dublin 12.

Untitled-6 1

26/01/2011 16:09

15 February 2011 THE UNIVERSITY OBSERVER

SCIENCE & HEALTH

science@universityobserver.ie

Old Wives Tales Debunked: To spit or to swallow?

The wells run cheap

There is currently over a trillion barrels of oil that has yet to be extracted underground.

Does the oil industry really deserve the bad image it has been receiving of late?

Alan Coughlan investigates the dirty world of energy production

T Swallowing chewing gum is considered by some people to be good for you.

Chewing gum has been a popular vice for some time now. But what are the effects of swallowing it, asks Alison Lee

E

ver swallowed your gum in front of your parents and been told that it’ll give you stomach ulcers? Or, even more disturbingly, sit in your stomach for seven years before being digested? Even Roald Dahl seemed to have some sort of personal vendetta against innocent old Wrigley’s and co.

He condemned chewing gum in his novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and sentenced the character Violet Beauregard to life as a giant blueberry for her love of a good old chew. Another celebrity with a self-confessed phobia of chewing gum is Oprah Winfrey. She has banned it from the building where she records her chat show.

But is chewing gum really that bad for you? Never fear, because The University Observer is here to answer the age-old question: spit or swallow? According to Wrigley’s, chewing gum is comprised of five basic ingredients: sweeteners, corn syrup, softeners, flavourings and gum base (the part that makes gum chewy).

The first four ingredients are soluble, meaning they dissolve in the digestive system. Gum base is insoluble but it moves through the digestive system like anything else and comes out the other end after a day or two. In fact some studies say that chewing gum is good for you. Chewing gum after a heavy meal reduces the level of acid reflux, according to a study

carried out by researchers at King’s College London.

The main hazard associated with chewing gum is choking, and even then don’t worry too much. Small children tend to be the only ones stupid enough to fall victim to this. Other fairly rare adverse effects are diarrhoea, stomach aches and flatulence.

Mouth ulcers can result from cinnamon flavouring, and high blood pressure and low blood potassium from liquorice flavouring.

Other unpleasant side effects can include mechanical injury to the teeth; overuse injury (temporomandibular joint syndrome) and extrusion of dental repairs. But the place where chewing gum is most detrimental to your health is no doubt the country of Singapore. Since 1992, chewing gum is illegal, although since 2004 it has been available under medical prescription thanks to the United States-Singapore Free Trade Agreement.

If you try to smuggle it into the country and this includes bringing in small amounts for personal use, you’ll be faced with a jail sentence and a $5,500 fine. These extreme laws were brought into effect due to the city-dwellers nasty habit of disposing used chewing gum anywhere from pavements and walls of public buildings to through letter boxes and on buttons in elevators.

So the moral of the story is: Chewing gum is a safe way to freshen your breath, and feel free to chew and swallow as much as you want. Just don’t do it in Singapore.

19

wo weeks ago the offshore industry body Oil and Gas UK said that Scotland’s offshore sector needs to rebuild its reputation to halt the drift of graduates towards renewables. In the wake of such a catastrophic tragedy as the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, it is incomprehensible to many that a call to order is being heralded.

How can an industry as dirty as oil say that such a trend is short sighted? It is as clear as day to any rational and disinterested person that the oil industry is dying. While there may be up to a trillion barrels worth of oil still to be drilled, the repercussions of its uses over the past century and a half are undoubtedly being felt. It is time to put a cap on the poison.

Oil has benefitted mankind in countless ways. Retrospectively as a source of energy and aid to scientific endeavour it looks more like an elixir than a ‘dirty’ fuel. The benefits up until relatively recently have always outweighed the failings.

Malcolm Webb, chief executive of Oil and Gas UK has said that the lifespan of the industry should see out the careers of any engineers graduating today. The response to this should be indignant. What we need to do now while we still depend on oil is use it to fuel research into finding a permanent replacement. In this way perhaps the legacy of oil could be one of the great saviour.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the industrial might of Great Britain was fuelled by coal. It was feared that coal would run out before 1800 yet European production, which peaked in 1913, is almost negligible today. It is a fact that there are still billions of tonnes of coal underground in Europe but at a depth to be completely uneconomical to extract.

Environmentally this is a great thing but it highlights an important factor about the debate on whether the threshold of peak oil has been reached.

What governs the decision about whether to drill for oil is the cost of extraction versus the selling price. As time goes on and pressure in the well drops, it becomes more expensive to extract the oil. A point is eventually reached where the profit margin is no longer large enough and the well is abandoned with no declaration of just how much oil is still present. This law governs resource economics.

We have been told for many years now

that the world’s supply of oil is running low and governments in the Western world fear being at the mercy of the Middle Eastern oil producers. Alliances are forged with the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in the hopes of securing future supply.

The fact that only ten per cent will be mined and 900,000,000,000 barrels will remain in the ground is a significant example of how resource economics works.

The truth is that OPEC is a price-fixing cartel with no interest in keeping the world’s oil users comfortably supplied. They regulate their level of oil production to maintain a high profit. In terms of human nature, it is hard to blame them as most of the member states have little or no other resources to call on for prosperity.

60 years ago offshore drilling was almost unheard of. Today, almost 50 per cent of US oil comes from this. This happened as the price of oil rose to a level where it became profitable to implement newly emerging drill-

UO In Numbers 48 The number of National Student Media Awards won by the paper and its contributors in the tenyear history of the awards ing technologies to drill the oil and still make high profits.

At time of writing, oil prices stand at $87 a barrel. These high prices have allowed countries like Canada to begin exploiting their oil sand reserves. It is estimated that ten per cent of the estimated 1.7 trillion barrels of bitumen that lie in these sands can be profitably extracted if oil prices remain at or above their 2006 levels.

An amount of oil measured in a number as large as a trillion does not mean much to the average human mind, it is too vast an amount to effectively comprehend. The fact that only ten per cent will be mined and 900,000,000,000 barrels will remain in the ground is a significant example of how resource economics works. It also flies in the face of the idea that the world faces an imminent oil shortage or drought. The Earth is simply coming close in many regions to being less profitable for the oil companies.

The reason oil prices are so high today is because as Adelman puts it, “speculation affects cartel prices more than competitive prices”.

Price fixing is not tolerated in the private sector and companies who indulge in it can routinely be sent to prison. As sovereign nations, OPEC members can’t be prosecuted for their activities. If the playing field were level, prices for oil would be much lower than that of the present day. However with output regulated, prices are kept artificially high.

A solution to these problems is not easy to find as it not simply about dwindling stocks.

Ultimately the future of our societies will depend on other energy sources. Nuclear power does seem to be a complete wonder due to the amount of energy it can produce versus that of the fuel it uses. However, the world fears another Chernobyl type disaster along with the enigma of what to do with all of the spent material.

It may surprise many that the coal firing power stations around the world produce more than 100 times as much radioactive waste as do all nuclear power plants. Burning coal creates fly ash that contains both radium and thorium. The amount is usually in parts per million but a typical coal fired power station burns a few million tonnes per year. This means every station produces up to ten tonnes of radium and thorium per year.

The second and now third generation plants are today designed so that reactions can’t be sustained if anything goes wrong.

As Brian Dunning, a scientific myth buster points out, 56 people died directly from Chernobyl. In comparison, 60,000 people die in the US each year from lung cancer caused by air pollution.

With the fourth generation of nuclear power plants now in planning stages that produce recyclable produce and almost no high level waste, is it not time to abandon both coal and oil forever?

Science has provided us with a viable alternative that can be used safely. While science should exist to benefit mankind, it is often usurped in order to benefit the high-ranking member of both the business and capitalist world.

Freedom from this system and the use of clean energy is within grasp but we remain dependent on fossil fuels. The reason we do is because policy is often decided by not by rational scientific minds but by the corporate investor. As Bill Hicks succinctly put it: “It’s all about money, not freedom.”

20

THE UNIVERSITY OBSERVER 15 February 2011

SCIENCE & HEALTH

An ill-fated system With our health system becoming increasing inefficient, Colm MacEochagain looks at whether the general election will heal the wounds of the HSE

I

n the run up to the forthcoming general election, media consensus appears to be building behind the need for a dramatic restructuring of healthcare in Ireland. The Health Service Executive (HSE), established only six years ago, has become the target of intense criticism from the public services despite substantial investment.

Despite a quadrupling of our health budget since 1997, Ireland is currently ranked 15th amongst European nations for the quality of its healthcare, and 24th in value terms. It is becoming increasingly obvious that money alone is not enough to put the health service back on its feet.

The HSE itself is the outcome of Fianna Fáil/Progressive Democrat policy negotiations in 2001-2002, the central tenet of which was an acknowledgement and an understanding that broken systems produce poor results, regardless of expenditure.

Those FF/PD negotiations culminated in the 2004 publication of the Health Act, which saw the abolition of ten regional health boards and a number of corollary agencies involved in health provision and 4659 UCD AD 3:Layout 1 04/02/2011 care management.

The Health Act was

greeted with enthusiasm by healthcare professionals as well as patient representative groups, who regarded it as a potential step towards a more efficient and egalitarian model, whose predominant focus would be frontline issues: waiting lists, A&E trolleys, and the provision of equal access to care.

And yet, six years on, those issues, and many others besides, remain unresolved.

Despite some significant successes, and high approval ratings from patients within the HSE system, external criticism of the Executive abounds. The media regularly caricatures the HSE as the epitome of civil service excess that has failed not only in many of its own core strategic objectives but also in some of the more immediately visible problems.

Recent cases such as the Tallaght Hospital x-ray scandal, have added to public frustration and impatience with the HSE. Christmas 2010 saw the highest ever numbers of patients waiting on trolleys in emergency departments around the country, peaking at 569 patients: a 68 per cent increase on already-high 2007 numbers. And although the redundancy package recently offered 17:21 Page HSE 1 to long-term staff has been met with

tepid approval, it serves as yet another reminder of the extent of over-staffing and bureaucratic waste that’s endemic.

With a change of government almost certainly on the cards, it seems as though the HSE is likely to undergo significant reform, if not complete dissolution over the term of the next government. With that in mind, here’s a quick rundown of what the major parties are proposing.

Fine Gael

Fine Gael’s Health policy, ‘FairCare’, is modelled on the Dutch system of Universal Health Insurance, under which all citizens are required to purchase private health insurance, with varying levels of subsidy available to those less able to contribute. The policy, which would effectively abolish the current two-tier system, would be introduced on a phased basis, and would see the abolition of the HSE in its current form by 2014. Full implementation could take as long as ten years.

Labour

Labour’s proposals, like Fine Gael’s, centre on the introduction of a subsidised Universal Health Insurance mandate that would see

the abolition of the current two-tier system by 2016. Labour have committed to the rollout of community-based medical ‘Primary Care’ teams, which would be free of charge and fully operational by 2014.

Fianna Fáil

Fianna Fáil’s healthcare plan would not substantially alter the structure of Irish healthcare, but would focus instead on implementing reforms within the existing system, and on supporting its ongoing development and improvement, while making it more directly answerable to the houses of the Oireachtas.

Fianna Fáil will instead continue to support the policies of the outgoing government.

Given the recognised likelihood of a Fine Gael/Labour coalition emerging in the wake of the general election, it appears as though the introduction of Universal Health Insurance in some form will occur with the next government. Such a system, the proposing parties argue, has been proven to lower costs and produce significant improvements to patient outcomes in Northern Ireland; capable of producing similar outcomes if implemented here.

But can we believe them? Decades of election manifestos are littered with promises to overhaul the health service, and yet, despite significant progress in some areas, much remains to be done. Can another significant structural overhaul deliver as much as it promises? And are untested, untargeted policy manifestoes a sound basis on which to instigate reforms of such critical national importance?

Besides simple funding issues, there are also concerns that the implementation of free primary care could not be sustained by the current infrastructure. Estimates show that free primary care would increase GP visits by over two million per year, at a time when GP services in Ireland are already under considerable strain. In the short term, rollout of the Primary Care initiative depends principally on the recruitment of foreign GPs, which has thus far proven very difficult.

Significant though those battles may be, it appears that inaction is no longer an option if Ireland is to bring its health service into the 21st century. This election has the potential to change the way we manage our healthcare for generations. Get out and cast your vote.

Some day, your life could depend on it.

NUI Awards 2011 NUI Travelling Studentships

Closing date: 25 March 2011

Publication Prize for Irish History Closing date: 4 April 2011

The Studentships are designed to fund postgraduate studies at doctoral level. Each Studentship is valued at €42,000 over three years.

This Prize of €3,000, is offered for the best work of Irish historical research published since 1 April 2008 as a first sole author book. It is open to NUI graduates with doctoral degree awarded no earlier than 1 January 2005.

At least FOUR Travelling Studentships in the Humanities and Social Sciences and TWO Travelling Studentships in the Sciences will be awarded.

NUI Dr Mary L Thornton Scholarship in Education Irish Historical Research Prize

Closing date: 4 April 2011

This Prize of €5,000 is offered for the best work of Irish historical research, published by an NUI graduate in the period since 1 April 2008. This prestigious award will be of interest to senior history scholars.

Full details and application procedures are available at www.nui.ie/awards

Closing date: 15 April 2011 This Prize of €5,000 is intended to encourage postgraduate research in the field of education.

Other awards open to NUI undergraduates and graduates include the Dr H H Stewart Literary and Medical Scholarships, the Mansion House Scholarships in Irish and Irish History and the Pierce Malone Scholarships in Engineering and Philosophy.

Students and graduates are automatically entered for these competitions.

49 Cearnóg Mhuirfean, Baile Átha Cliath 2 / 49 Merrion Square, Dublin 2 Teileafón/Telephone: +353 1 439 2424 Facs/Fax: +353 1 439 2466 Ríomhphost/Email: awards@nui.ie Gréasan/Website: www.nui.ie

15 February 2011 THE UNIVERSITY OBSERVER

21

SPECIAL

UO In Numbers

The University Observer: Timeline With the future of student media under threat, we trawl through our archives to bring you a history of this publication

2007-2008 Rob Lowney (MA student in Irish writing and communication - Journalism) & David Neary (former subeditor for the Star and Star on Sunday) The University Observer exclusively reveals the extent of UCD’s deficit (€15 million) after seeing confidential documents from the university's top-level finance committee UCD’s Accommodation Office revealed to be searching internet sites including YouTube to catch students breaching res rules Students’ Union launch controversial ‘Miss UCD’ beauty pageant, sparking protests on campus - O-two interviews Will Ferrell

Former editors of the University Observer gathered for the 15th year anniversary in 2009

1994-1995 Dara O Briain (Comedian) & Pat Leahy (Political Editor, Sunday Business Post) Education minister diverts technical funds to Women's Studies College forces through semesterisation Scientology church targets UCD students Lecturer distributes Anti-Condom Aids stickers 1995-1996 Roddy O'Sullivan (Deputy News Editor of The Irish Times) and Declan Walsh (Islamabad correspondent for the Guardian) No room for Disadvantaged and Travellers say UCD authorities: The university told students from disadvantaged socio-economic background that it could be years before places could be found for them in UCD Erasmus fury at residence rip off: International students had lodged complaints about treatment by UCD accommodation services.

Excessive deductions from deposits, unrealistic ESB bills and veiled intimidation for non-payment of rent were among the complaints made by students.

1996-1997 Shane Hegarty, (Arts Editor & Columnist, The Irish Times) A features-oriented newspaper, this year saw the UO printed with a full colour image on the front page for the first time.

Survey reveals large majority of UCD students have taken drugs: A survey conducted by The University Observer found that 71 per cent of students had taken illegal drugs at some point while in college.

1997-1998 Sinéad Ingoldsby (TV Producer, BBC) & Alan Torney (Radio Producer RTÉ) Revealed: USI President’s Confidential Expenses The Missing Money: Dramsoc Auditor Flees Country Gardaí Investigate ‘Massive’ Campus Arson Attack

- Nuclear Reactor Planned for Belfield 1998-1999 Edward Melvin & Katherine O'Callaghan (School of English, Drama and Film, UCD) - The paper moved to broadsheet format; becoming the first student broadsheet in Ireland. Launched O2 (later Otwo) supplement & first edition of the ‘University Observer online.’ Interviews with Ruairi Quinn, John McGahern and Joe O’Connor.

1999-2000 Lucy Michael & Sarah Egan Blood bank deny high HIV risk in UCD - The blood transfusion service board have been forced to abandon the public clinic held annually in UCD due to substandard conditions in the university.

Smoking Ban proposed for Arts block - A proposal to make the Tierney building a entirely non-smoking building was put forward to the building committee for consideration.

Letting agency rips off students - Gardai issued a warning to students who have had dealings with the “home hunters” accommodation agency, following complaints made by several students who had been defrauded by the agency.

2000 – 2001 Daniel McConnell (Chief Reporter, Sunday Independent) & Juno McEnroe (Irish Examiner) Sheep slaughtered on campus – test laboratory on campus uncovered Student chaplain in hot water over Fashion Show comments Protected building demolished without approval

2001-2002 Daniel McConnell (Chief Reporter, Sunday Independent) UCD paid £43,000 golden handshake to harassed staff member: College held secret meetings in Dun Laoghaire hotel to resolve dispute, harassed member received €43,000 golden handshake.

Senior business school lecturer forged credentials, University Observer revealed.

No Luas Link for UCD – planned route to college dropped, despite denials from

1 The number of Irish student newspapers to have won a Guardian Student Media Award – The University Observer

Department of Transport Blow job incident on Student Bar was “faked” Missing £30,000 from Dramsoc funds – actor O’Dowd under fire

2002-2003 Enda Curran (Reporter, Dow Jones & Steve Cummins (Freelance, Irish Daily Star, NME) Student Held At Gunpoint - A secondyear student was held up at gunpoint and her car stolen during a robbery on a Securicor van outside the Library Building.

60 per cent failure rate in first year Medicine - The credibility of the new Medicine curriculum was dealt a big blow after 62 per cent of students failed the winter exams Extreme Revisionist Organisation Sets Its Sights On UCD - The controversial Revisionist Education — which claims the Holocaust did not take — canvasses students in a bid to recruit new members.

2003-2004 Samantha Libreri (Reporter, RTE News) & Emmet Ryan (NetVisionary Journalist of the Year 2009) Opus Dei lecturer-The University Observer that a lecturer told her students they must attend Opus Dei events to pass her class. (The story made the front page of the Irish Time and other national press) Anti LGB lecturers-Accusations of homophobia in UCD after the paper obtains copies of emails send by lecturers to the LGTB Rainbow Week.

Coca Cola referendum-The paper first revealed that a referendum on banning Coca-Cola was to take place and gives extensive coverage to the referendum including interviews with Coca Cola bottlers in Colombia and the Head of Coca Cola in the region 2004-2005 Eoghan Casey (Trainee Barrister) & Eoghan de Bhulbh (Bank of Scotland Ireland) Belgrove Fire - The paper reveals missing fire extinguishers, alarms that didn’t

go off and fire safety instructions that are actually for Merville residence and direct students to a non-existent stairwell and the wrong assembly point.

Exxon Mobil Seminar - engineering students are told they must attend an event sponsored by the oil company Riot at the L&H - masked individuals storm the podium to prevent Justin Barrett of Youth Defence speaking at an L&H debate.

2005-2006 Sorcha Nic Mhathúna (former national newspaper sub-editor and now a post-graduate student) & Nathalie Márquez Courtney (Editor, Kiss Magazine) Escort agency recruitment cards circulating on campus – Students targeted for roles offering “very high earnings and excellent conditions” Arrests made after students trash hotel at annual B&L Ball – Two UCD students arrested following later-night vandalism and debauchery Thieves hit bulls-eye in Archery Club robbery – Around €4,000 of equipment including several bows Two Ferns priests assessed at UCD Priests accused of sexual misconduct in the diocese of Ferns in the early 1980s were sent to UCD for assessment 2006-2007 Stephen Carroll (Producer, Sky News) & Michelle McCormick Registration crisis: Students left queuing for hours for days on end as UCD’s online registration goes into meltdown.

We brought the students’s frustrations to Hugh Brady, and also revealed the results of the internal investigation into it. Not a ‘national’ news story but it was the story of the year in terms of traction with students. It's certainly a good example of our public service remit - as we put pressure on the authorities to explain and investigate.

School of History breaches data protection: The paper reveals a direct contravention of UCD's Data Protection policy - and the law - when the School of History posts exam results publicly on a noticeboard.

O2: Bill Bryson interview

2008-2009 Danielle Moran (Researcher at the London School of Economics and Political Science) & Zelda Cunningham (Trainee Solicitor) -Student protests against fees - Batt O'Keeffe Op-ed, features on history of student movement, news coverage of 5,000 person protest at Dáil Eireann UCD runs by deficit of 20 Million euro Otwo interviews Rodger Daltry, Alan Rickman and Salman Rushdie.

2009-2010 Catriona Laverty (Trainee Doctor) & Gavan Reilly (Writer for thejournal. ie) UCD overcharges student levy by tens of thousands- Following prompting by the University Observer, UCD acknowledges that it overcharged the student body in the Student Centre Levy, asking them for €7.50 each more than had been agreed in a previous referendum.

The cash was later refunded to the SU, the societies and sports clubs.

Major security flaws in UCD Registry exposed- An investigation by the University Observer revealed major flaws in the security procedures in UCD Registry, which allowed any person - armed with basic facts such as a student's date of birth - was able to access that student's academic records without their consent.

Exclusive first Irish interview with Jedward 2010 – 2011 Bridget Fitzsimons, Paul Fennessy & Quinton O’Reilly IUA expenditure rises amid universities’ financial crisis: The Irish Universities Association, of which UCD is affiliated, had close to a €2 million increase in both income receive and expenditure against a backdrop of education cutbacks between 2008 and 2009.

O-two interviewed Tinie Tempah

22

THE UNIVERSITY OBSERVER 15 February 2011

SPORT

sport@universityobserver.ie

UCD hurlers progress to quarter-finals despite loss UCD progressed to the quarter-finals but need to improve if they are to continue further, writes Micheál Halton Limerick I.T. 1-15 - UCD 0-15

O

n a windy day in Belfield, UCD scraped into the quarter-finals of the Fitzgibbon Cup despite suffering a defeat against a talented Limerick IT side, who also advanced. UCD were level on points and score difference with Waterford IT but UCD moved on as they had scored two more points during their first two round robin matches.

Both sides started brightly; with Laois man Willie Hyland driving over the first score for Limerick. UCD responded well and Limerick keeper, Matthew Ryan, was required to divert the ball wide as it dropped into the square from a free. Noel McGrath, the 2009 Young Hurler of the year and 2010 All Ireland winner, was on hand to dispatch the resulting 65’ over the bar.

Limerick drove forward again and after a late foul on Donie Reale, the Limerick side were awarded a free. Full forward Bernard Gaffney stepped up to take the free but UCD goalkeeper Jamie Ryan saved. The ball wasn’t cleared, however, and inrushing Limerick midfielder Paudie O’Brien drove the loose ball into the net to give his side the lead.

UCD were unbowed by this setback and fired over three points in quick succession through McGrath, Walter Walsh and Keith Hogan. A Gaffney shot drew another fine save from Ryan with Gaffney converting the resulting 65’ himself.

John O’Loughlin and Sean Tobin traded points before the visitors began to assert some dominance around midfield. Stephen Lambert, Paudie O’Brien and Tobin extended Limerick’s lead to four points, with Ryan again coming to UCD’s rescue.

McGrath steadied the ship for UCD with a point from play, before Lambert added a brace to his tally. The hosts came away with nothing after a goalmouth scramble as they struggled to convert possession into scores.

A pointed free from McGrath left UCD trailing on a score line of 1-8 to 0-7.

Points from Reale, Gaffney and Sean Collins extended Limerick’s lead, despite a wonderful sideline cut from McGrath. UCD looked like they would be heading for the exit door, but they stormed back into the game with McGrath, Walsh and Dublin star Liam Rushe coming to the fore. McGrath grabbed four points and Walsh tapped over once more, as the gap was reduced. A goal was disallowed for UCD as their opponent’s defence came under massive pressure.

However Limerick were quick to recover their composure and Sean Tobin earned a penalty, which Gaffney failed to convert as Ryan saved again. Gaffney recovered from this setback and scored his first point from play as his side extended their lead.

McGrath got another before Rushe scored his first of the match after a fine catch as UCD drew level. Unfortunately they were unable to continue their momentum as the visitors closed out the game with points from Gaffney, Tobin and Paul Browne to earn a meeting with NUIG in the next round.

UCD will advance to face a University of Limerick side which is sprinkled with some of the best known names in inter-county hurling including Cork’s Pa Cronin, Offaly’s Johnny Dooley and Waterford’s Michael ‘Brick’ Walsh.

The Students will enter the game as underdogs and will need to be more clinical with their scoring opportunities if they are to claim their first title in the competition since they defeated UCC in 2001.

McGrath was undoubtedly UCD’s star man and his performance will again be pivotal against UL, with his side also looking to the likes of Liam Rushe and Walter Walsh to notch up good tallies. UCD’s defence dealt well with Limerick IT’s attack at times but they will need to be on top of their game to cope with the duo of Dooley and Cronin.

The hunger that UCD showed in fighting

UCD’s Eoin O’Shea evades his marker in their recent Fitzgibbon Cup match.

back from six points down bodes well for the team and all of their resilience will be needed against a free scoring UL side.

The Fitzgibbon Cup has been running since 1912 and the Students, with 30 wins, lie second on the roll of honour behind UCC. UCD were the inaugural winners of the cup in 1912 after defeating UCG and UCC. Since that time, the competition has expanded considerably to include a host of colleges from around the country. This year’s competition had a total of 12 teams participating, with the teams divided into

four groups of three with the top two teams from each group advancing to the quarterfinals. Waterford IT will host both the semifinals and final.

The Students will be hoping they can emulate the college’s basketball team by winning a national cup this year. Time will tell whether UCD are a championship-winning side, but if they are to continue their progress in the competition, they will need to put this loss behind them and put in a solid performance against a tough UL side in a crucial quarter-final encounter.

LIT — M Ryan; E Glynn, C Cowan, C Cooney; P Donnellan, J McInerney, J O’Keeffe; P Browne(0-1), P O’Brien (11); S Collins(0-1), W Hyland (0-1), D Reale (0-1); S Lambert (0-3), B Gaffney (0-4,3f ), S Tobin (0-3).

UCD— J Ryan; J Doyle, S Cummins, O Gough; N Prendergast, E O’Shea, S Norton; C MacGiolla Bhride, D Fox; J O’Loughlin (0-1), L Rushe (0-1), D O’Connor; N McGrath (0-10,6f,1 s-l,1 65’), K Hogan (0-1), W Walsh (0-2).

Subs: C Allis for D O’Connor (41).

The Badger: Return of the Jedi Grasping at straws to get the headline to fit the article, The Badger somehow sees the Return of the Jedi in football, in addition to other popular sports

Return of International football

International football has long been regarded as the place in football where the Jedi of the sport usually reside. Since how long? Since the Badger said so.

It had a mini revival this week as something seemed to be in the air when players ventured to all corners of the world to kick around a ball for their country, but there is still one lingering question on the Badger’s mind that he

can’t work out.

Since when did International football become cool again? Not even cool, but fun? Did the English press and fans alike not promise everyone post-World Cup that they would never get excited about international football again? Now one win over Denmark and here they are, proclaimed favourites for Euro 2012.

But just as the rest of the world seemed to be enjoying high quality football with matches like Germany v Italy, France v Brazil and Argentina v Portugal, Ireland had to drag down the mood by host-

ing the most pathetic and hilariously disjointed football tournament.

The Nations Cup had its moments last week, but most of those moments came from Scotland, so what does that say about Ireland? Not much, but maybe Ireland can gather themselves, regroup and come back stronger in 100 days time when this tournament unfortunately resumes.

Adding up the attendances, it was another embarrassing show for the Aviva Stadium, with not even the combined attendances from both nights hitting full capacity for the stadium. Maybe the Badger is overreacting, because Ireland are hardly any worse off than Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. Sure, we actually won 3-0.

The Badger’s only plea is to not be simply satisfied that we have the best-decorated house on the street at Christmas.

Return of the Six Nations

Annually the Badger has a swipe at rugby and its Neanderthal ways, and

here is the 2011 edition. Considered the lesser, more retarded, brother of football that likes banging its head against the wall, rugby is a sport whose fans can barely pool together 46 chromosomes between them. There are two words which adequately describe this pointless game: ‘egg chasing’. Unfortunately, the Badger can’t even drum up any excitement for this year’s tournament. Though the Badger does like that the sport, it's difficult to accept some of the pretty boys into the ranks of the top teams. It’s nice to see that the likes of Ben Foden, Morgan Parra, Toby Flood and Martin Castrogiovanni are now preferred to stone-cold pieces of meat that lack motor functions from the shoulders up.

The Badger’s main gripe, however, is not with the rugby players, but mainly with the glory-hunting fans. Every year people get excited about the Six Nations because it is a tournament that Ireland has a genuine chance of winning.

Being Irish is about being a graceful loser and not a glory hunter. We are

a country that should be accustomed to losing and be satisfied with just being involved. So all those pretend rugby fans that pop their heads up for this minute segment of the sporting calendar, switch to soccer and get in line with the rest of the true Irish sport fans.

Return of Kenny

Liverpool are a club covered in tradition and trace their roots back to the holy trinity of Jedi-like managers that gave scousers something to be proud of. So it is rather pathetic that Liverpool are forced to call on Kenny Dalglish to save their nosediving season.

This time, however, the buck will have to stop with him, unless they are intent on digging up the decomposed corpses of Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley.

Though it looks like King Kenny has this all under control. Albeit their draw against Wigan may not have been on the plan, but stability has been restored and Liverpool have reverted back to being a “building for next season” team.

15 February 2011 THE UNIVERSITY OBSERVER

SPORT

sport@universityobserver.ie

A winning combination

Following the university’s basketball triumph, Sam Geoghegan and Daniel Keenan spoke to UCD Marian coach Fran Ryan and pointguard Conor Meany about their success

UCD Marian surprised many with their victory over Killester in the National Cup final.

F

ollowing UCD Marian’s triumph over Killester in the National Cup two weeks ago, Coach Fran Ryan is feeling fantastic right now. Ryan explains that the team “had set out a target at the beginning of the previous season to win a national title within three years”. These are exciting times for UCD Marian and Ryan is hopeful for the future.

Ryan is a man who is on top of the world.

Not surprisingly, he is ecstatic about the team’s progress in recent seasons and their success in the previous weeks, and supremely confident about the students’ continued success: “At the moment, part of that evolution is to continue improving the guys both individually and collectively.”

The coach’s words to the players with five minutes left in the final had a huge impact and Ryan explains how “we always felt that if we are about five points down with five minutes to go, the entire psychological pendulum would completely swing against them and completely for us, which is exactly what happened”.

One of the stars of UCD Marian’s Superleague National Cup run was Conor Meany.

To win in their first final is a massive achievement in itself, but is made all the more remarkable when looking at the odds they faced.

At 9.5/1, press and bookies alike gave them little chance of even challenging Killester, never mind beating them. However, strong mental resolve and self-belief is obviously a trait that Meany and his teammates possess in spades, as they always believed that they could upset the odds.

“I don’t think we believed that we were as big an underdog as everyone made us out to be,” says Meany. “We’re one of the top four teams in the country so far this year, and we’ve beaten Killester pretty much once a year for the last few years.

“It wasn’t as if this was some sort of freak result. We knew we could play against the big

23

teams, but we just had to get to the big stage to have the opportunity to play.”

The camaraderie in the squad is evident.

Ryan explains that the team is very close both on and off the court. “There’s a tremendous friendship within the group. They socialise together,” Ryan notes.

While producing some big performances throughout the season, Meany admitted to feeling the nerves in the games leading up to the final, but felt calm going into the game.

Former Armagh footballer Enda McNulty helped them thrive under the added pressure of TV cameras and media attention, and taught them to ‘love the battle;’ to enjoy the game by channelling the pressure into a performance. Meany took the advice to heart, and certainly looked like he enjoyed his game.

Meany is very modest when asked about his own performance: 12 points in the final, and an average of 15.6 points for the month, led to him being named January Basketball Player of the Month, alongside other individual awards. But the point-guard prefers to focus on a fantastic team performance.

“I came up with some big shots, but everybody really stepped it up, and we just played really well. It’s nice to get individual recognition, but all of us put in so much work. For James (Crowder) to get MVP in the final was great, and Fran [Ryan] getting Coach of the Month was brilliant.”

The future looks bright for UCD Marian basketball club. Ryan expects the core of the team to remain intact for the next seven years. “The average age of this team is 22; the average age of the opposition was 28-29.”

Killester, the supposed powerhouse of Irish basketball, appear to be on the wane and perhaps the students can take this opportunity to become accustomed to silverware.

The club has been building towards this success for years, and Meany believes their success is in no small part due to the amalgamation of the old Marian club and UCD. Players like Conor, and his brother Niall,

among others, played underage ball for Marian, while coach Fran Ryan is one of the original Marian coaches.

“Our original club, Marian, was a bit smaller, but with UCD we have people coming up from all over the country, and there are scholarships now,” says Meany. “We also wouldn’t have access to high performance equipment without UCD.” The scholarship programme that is currently in place which was implemented by John Landy and has been, according to Ryan, “a cornerstone of what’s happened.” However, Ryan is well aware that UCD Marian’s success is related to their recruitment policy, especially of Americans. James Crowder is one such American who was arguably the most valuable member of the team throughout this season. The camaraderie in the squad is evident.

Ryan explains that the team is very close both on and off the court. “There’s a tremendous friendship within the group. They socialise together,” Ryan notes.

He felt that the experience of the final is “hugely beneficial” to the players and he begins to sing his praises of the team, “They demonstrated in the most pressurized and unexpected way that was imagined, because the pressure these guys were under going into that cup final was extreme. It was painted as David vs. Goliath.” The final did more than just lift spirits; it brought a massive psychological boost now that, in Ryan’s words, the “monkey is off our back as an organisation”.

The effects, he believes will be long-lasting as “now they know that if they put enough into something they can get the return and when they’re going into another final, it’ll be easier for them to believe that they can win it.”

The decision to amalgamate UCD and Marian nine years ago is one that has obviously developed the team immensely, an element that Ryan acknowledges as crucial. “In Marian [there’s] a tremendous skill set and history in basketball and youth programme aligned to the facilities and the support of the entire

college sports system through Brian Mullins and his team.”

“Our original club, Marian, was a bit smaller,” explains Meany. “But with UCD we have people coming up from all over the country, and there are scholarships now. We also wouldn’t have access to high performance equipment without UCD.” After such a dramatic win in the cup, many teams might take their foot off the accelerator, but Meany isn’t letting the success go to his head, and says he wants to push on with the league. They still have a good chance of making the play-offs – they currently sit in 3rd place – but need to avoid the inconsistency that has plagued them over the last few seasons.

Much like his coach, Conor Meany is reluctant to look beyond this season, such is his focus on the league, but is optimistic about the future of this young team. He was sure that they would eventually win something – the cup win was a year earlier than he had expected – and with such a sublime pool of talent and resources at their disposal, few would question his optimism.

Can they win the Superleague this year?

Ryan is not as certain as before. His answer represents a quiet confidence but also a diplomatic response. He’s adamant that a playoff berth must be secured before the team can even think about winning another trophy. If the team make their way into the post-season, he feels any team can win it all, as “the doubt of who’ll win it is a great reflection of the infrastructure that’s there with a playoff structure.”

So what lies ahead for the future of Irish basketball? Ryan believes that UCD Marian winning was a “healthy thing for the sport” and “an association with the NBA would be a very healthy way of stimulating interest in basketball”. With Ryan’s experience combined with a talented group of young players coming through the ranks, the future of UCD basketball is very bright.

UO In Numbers 860 The average number of hours of labour put into each issue of the paper by its contributors and editors SPORTS DIGEST Pool The University’s pool team recently competed in the Irish intervarsities in the Fairways Hotel in Dundalk.

The club’s A team saw off sides from Dundalk IT, NCI and NUIG en route to the final, where they were met by a tough Queens team from Belfast. Unfortunately, UCD were beaten and had to be content with second place in the premier teams competition.

However, despite the disappointment of their loss in the team competition, club captain Steven O’Reilly and teammate Micheal Curley stood out and impressed Ireland’s international selectors to earn a place on the national side. They will be on the panel for the upcoming Student Eight-Ball Pool Home Internationals. The pair were magnificent in both the team and individual competitions and will be an integral part of the Irish team when they make the trip to Belfast in mid-April to take on the best from Britain.

Ladies Sailing The UCD Boat Club will be competing in the country’s sailing intervarsities this month. The competition will see 24 teams, comprised of 150 participants, compete in races consisting of six teams going head to head. The competition format is rather complicated, however. The goal is to earn a winning combination at the end of the race, which requires the final positions of three boats to add up to or less than ten – i.e. 1,4,5.

The reigning champions are the University of Limerick, who had retained their title from the previous year.

However, UCD are the inform team. The Students finished as the top university at the last two meets at Clifden and Carlingford, and will hope to maintain their fine form in order to dethrone UL. - Ryan Mackenzie

15 February 2011 THE UNIVERSITY OBSERVER

24

sport@universityobserver.ie

SPORT

VOLUME XVII ISSUE 9

15th February 2011

PAGE 22

PAGE 22

PAGE 23

THE BADGER GIVES HIS ACERBIC TAKE ON RECENT SPORTING EVENTS

WE REPORT ON THE UCD HURLING TEAM'S LATEST FITZGIBBON CUP CLASH

UCD MARIAN'S COACH AND STAR PLAYER ARE INTERVIEWED FOLLOWING THEIR CUP SUCCESS

Students pass difficult Ballynahinch test UCD faced their toughest challenge in the league so far this season at the Belfield Bowl last Saturday. Gordon O’Callaghan reports UCD 38 – Ballynahinch 31

A

high scoring encounter saw the Students beat top of the table Ballynahinch, maintaining their record as the only team in the division to remain unbeaten this season and pull level at head of the table.

UCD settled first when their number eight, Kevin Croke, was able to benefit from some good work by hooker Risteard Byrne who broke the line. Quick recycling

by UCD meant that the back-rower was left with an easy finish on the right to give UCD first blood. Out-half James Thornton added the extra points.

One of the major faults with this UCD team is their lack of concentration after scores and again they were punished when Ballynahinch scrumhalf David Drake launched a massive up and under. UCD failed to deal with it and were put under pressure. Ballynahinch moved through the phases with out-half Ryan Bambry quick to spot fullback Adam Craig in acres of space on the right.

A perfectly floated cross-field kick found the fullback who put in to his supporting winger, Johnny Cullen, with a clever offload. Bambry landed a difficult conversion to level the scores.

The visitors were in the ascendency at this point, enjoying the majority of possession

and territory. A couple of times they broke the UCD line only for individual errors to cost them.

In spite of Ballynahinch’s supremacy, a stroke of ridiculous luck allowed UCD to score their second try of the day.

Ballynahinch knocked on from the base of the ruck and expected the referee to pull play back. However, he allowed play to continue and flanker Shane Grannell strolled over from 22 yards completely uncontested and made it 14-7 to the Students.

Taking advantage of their good fortune, UCD began to grow in stature as Ballynahinch faded away. The Students’s pack demolished their counterparts when Ballynahinch where awarded a scrum in their 22, forcing them to concede a lineout two yards from the line.

UCD secured the set piece and intelligent recycling allowed Kevin Croke to break the line and off load to the supporting John Conroy who crossed under the post. Thornton made it 21-7 with his third conversion of the day.

The league leaders, however, were not finished yet. Gathering possession, they held on to the ball phase after phase and finally found the space out wide for Johnny Cullen to cross for his second of the game.

Ryan Bambry missed the conversion and Ballynahinch went into half time 21-12

down.

The frantic pace of the first half continued into the second period. The UCD pack again smashed the Ballynahinch scrum, wining the ball against the head and setting Shane Grannell and Kevin Croke storming into the opposition half.

The pair showed great hands and exchanged a couple of passes to leave the scrambling defence flat footed. Eventually, Croke crossed the line for his second.

Thornton, again flawless from the tee, made it 28-12. Thornton then added a penalty to make it 31-12 a few minutes later.

Despite the UCD dominance, Ballynahinch were far from beaten and rallied once again. Their pack managed to gain parity in the scrum and used that to their benefit, as they were able to rumble over for a score. With a successful conversion, the scoreboard read 31-19.

UCD's ability to attack from deep has been one of their strengths and has caused panic among defences this year, along with some sublime tries. Another one came from fullback Michael Twomey, as the collected from the base of a scrum and spotted a hole in the Ballynahinch defence and broke for the line from 50 metres.

With Thornton continuing his 100 per cent record, the Students went 38-19 up and appeared to have finally buried Ballynahinch. The incredible heart demonstrat-

ed by the visitors meant that, once again, they refused to throw in the towel.

Two tries in the dying moments, the first from a catch and drive off the lineout and a second from a rumbling ruck, pulled them within seven points of UCD and secured them two bonus points.

Fortunately for the hosts, it was all too late, as missed kicks and individual errors

cost Ballynahinch in the end. UCD let their class do the talking and ran out deserved winners.

The next call of duty for the Students sees them travel to Clonakilty this Saturday. It should be an easier task than that of Ballynahinch, as Clonakilty currently find themselves in second last place with 31 points less than UCD.

UCD’s win took them to joint first position in Division 2 of the Ulster Bank League.

Packing more than a punch?

The Green Bay Packers won their fourth-ever Super Bowl last week. However, Ryan Mackenzie argues that this does not necessarily make them the best team in the league

S

eeded as the worst NFC team in the Playoffs and away from home for a month, the Green Bay were never meant to win Super Bowl XLV. However, the Packers’s victory stands as another reminder that the NFL is arguably the most unpredictable league in professional sport and also stands to question the way in which teams and success are measured in the league.

With a modest 10-6 record, Green Bay would appear to have been lucky to make the playoffs, with New York’s Giants and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers also finishing with ten wins and not making it to the post-season.

However, this record is an inaccurate reflection of the Packers’s season – an obvious omis-

sion being their 45-17 thrashing of the Giants in Week 16.

In fact, the Packers were often no more than a field goal away from a perfect season.

Of their six loses, four were by a mere three points and two were by only four points.

What’s even more incredible is that the Packers never trailed by more than four points in any game of the season, including their magnificent Playoff run. So it would seem unfair and grossly inaccurate to have seeded them last in their conference, but that is the unfortunate format of the NFL. Similarly, the Seattle Seahawks brought the concept of a regular season record into disrepute this year. With a pitiful 7-9 record, the

Seahawks topped their NFC West Division to become the first team with a losing record to feature in the post-season. They were therefore labelled as the ‘worst team to ever make the playoffs’ and were rather fittingly pitted against the reigning Super Bowl champion Saints from New Orleans – who entered the playoffs on the back of an 11-5 regular season, a better record than Green Bay. However, the Seahawks beat the Saints in one of the biggest upsets in playoff history.

Therefore, the post-season makes the 17 weeks of regular season football seem pointless. A team’s hard work and even dominance in the regular season often count for nothing once the playoffs start, while a team such as

Green Bay can have an average season and come good in the knock-out stages to become Super Bowl champions.

Take the New England Patriots for example. Tom Brady’s team were the shining stars of the regular season, finishing with a 14-2 record. The Patriots even entered the playoffs on the back of an eight-game winning streak, during which they beat Green Bay. However, the heavy favorites, whom many felt were unstoppable, fell at the first hurdle to the New York Jets, thus ending their season before it even began.

A more pertinent example, and an unhappy memory for Patriots fans, occurred during the 2007 season. New England entered the Super

Bowl at a remarkable 18-0, ready to claim the title of the greatest team ever. Instead they lost by three points to the New York Giants – a team they had beaten only a few weeks before – in a shocking upset that rendered their impeccable season futile. As a result, the Patriots went from being considered the best team ever to only the second best team of that season, in one game.

While the NFL never fails to provide drama and excitement, it does fail to accurately reward the best teams. It is clear that entertainment is the basis of the league and Americans love the spectacle of the Playoffs, but it’s a shame to see a game become more of a show than a sport.