Vol XXII - Issue 1 - Broadsheet

The University Observer

RUGBY A preview into the upcoming rugby world cup

THE STATE OF NEW MEDIA A WHAT DOES THE FUTURE OF MEDIA LOOK LIKE?

SINN FEIN THE POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS OF MURDER

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LAURA BROHAN P4

SORCHA DOYLE P8

photo jAMES HEALY

Residence Advertises Accommodation Despite Crisis UCD recently promoted around 50 extra spaces on residence, a week after the start of term. In an email sent out to students last Friday, UCD Residences outlined that beds were available on the Blackrock campus and in some of the more expensive rooms in Belfield.

This move comes amid shortages for student accommodation in Dublin.

A recent Higher Education Authority (HEA) report indicates that the trend of demand outstripping supply is likely to continue until 2024. A decision was made last May to give first year and international students priority for on-campus accommodation, resulting in continuing students seeking off-campus accommodation.

Last year, during the housing crisis, rents rose by 13 per cent for students while living in accommodation, with further rises possible next year.

UCD Students’ Union (UCDSU) President Marcus O’Halloran has

been working with Daft.ie as well as the University to try and alleviate the shortage. “I sent an all staff email to UCD staff three weeks ago asking if they had room in their house would they lease it to students, we got about 10 to 15 off of that,” he says. He has also been working to promote the national “rent a room scheme” through Daft.ie, which he says has been very successful.

The price for on-campus accommodation has risen significantly over the last number of years.

O’Halloran asked Alan Kelly, Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to challenge this.

He says. “We’ve asked the minister to challenge this as well, but from what we’ve been getting, there’s not a hope of bringing it down, because the President (UCD President Andrew Deeks) has overruled everybody on this one.” O’Halloran cites the need for refurbishment in some on-campus

accommodation as one of the reasons for the price increase. He explained that “UCD are paying for the loan for Belgrove and Roebuck and all existing accommodation. They’re also paying for the renovation because what they bought back was left in such a state, so they’re paying for all of that and they’re also trying to fund the development of new campus. So that’s why price increases have to go up so far.”

Though O’Halloran admitted that the situation was “not ideal”, he said: “We’d like to see it reduced and we’d like to see over time that it would be reduced once refurbishments have been made.”

He claimed that he did not see any way in which prices could decrease in the near future. He claimed that UCDSU are willing to accept a steady increase of two per cent to come in line with rising heating and electricity costs.

However, O’Halloran further noted the potential of a tax incentive

Victims of Berkeley Balcony Collapse Remembered SORCHA RAOOF A BENCH in the Remembrance towards the families in the past three Rose Garden was unveiled last months since the tragedy occurred.

Wednesday to remember those who Almost 20,000 people signed the died in the Berkeley tragedy. online book of condolences created The Berkeley tragedy occurred by UCD. Three copies were printed in June when a balcony collapsed and bound, and were presented in Berkeley, California, causing the to the families of the three UCD deaths of six Irish students and the students who died in the tragedy. critical injuries of seven others.

The Ambassador of The United The same day as the unveiling States, Kevin O’Malley was also of the bench, a memorial service in attendance and spoke of the was held for the victims of the excitement he sees in the Irish Berkeley tragedy. The service students every year as they embark took place in O’Reilly Hall, on their summer abroad in America. which was filled to capacity.

He stated that UCD students who had Deputy Registrar, Professor departed on a J1 visa earlier in the Barbara Redmond began by summer were part of that adventure. reminding students of the O’Malley claimed that he saw no services and supports available reason for this to decrease despite the to anyone affected in UCD. tragedy.

Professor Andrew Deeks, Fr. John McNerney, UCD Chaplain President of UCD also spoke at was among the last speakers to the event. He began by stating that the lives of Niccolai Schuster, Olivia Burke, Eoghan Culligan, Lorcán Miller, Eimear Walsh and Ashley O’Donoghue will never be forgotten here in UCD. Within Professor Deeks’ speech was an open invitation to everyone throughout the University to visit the UCD Memorial Rose Garden, “to sit for a while as you contemplate and remember these six students and any friends and family who you may have lost.”

He also praised the UCD community for the respect shown

uo

September 15th 2015 Volume XXIi issue 1 universityobserver.ie

THE MAIN CONCOURSE

Roisin GuyettNicholson

News Editor Poetry and Fiction

for developers to build on campus, something that he hopes Minister Alan Kelly will present to the government.

The SU President stated that if the tax incentive goes through, a further rise of 13 per cent is “off the table”.

UCD Residences plans to expand and create more accommodation, but their current model has been criticised as unsustainable. “The fact that they don’t automatically realise this means that they are out of touch with the students,” said David Burns, Communications and Research Assistant of UCDSU. As it stands prices for accommodation in UCD are rising.

This growth follows a new policy, instigated this semester, by UCD Residences to prioritise campus beds for international students and incoming first years. The policy has seen lower numbers of international students taking up spaces than expected.

Commenting on this lack of demand,

O’Halloran expects a change in policy next year. “From what I know…the allocation policy is going to change again next year because of the amount of accommodation that wasn’t accepted by international students.” Due to this change, he estimates that there could be up to 500 extra beds. This should come from a change in allocation policy and the extension of Belgrove.

Submissions of poetry and fiction from UCD students

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Roisin Guyett-Nicholson and Sean TATE

UCD Residence Price increase bypassed student representatives

tHOMAS BRODIESANGSTER an interview with the MAZE RUNNER star

EVA GRIFFIN Otwo P16

GRÁINNE LOUGHAN address those in attendance.

He spoke of the “raw determination” he saw in young people wanting to live for one another. “It was only meant to be a party, not a goodbye,” Fr. McNerney quoted from Joseph O’Connor’s ‘Lament for Berkeley’. He went on to say that “the love lived between us as human persons is not ended in the moment of death, but can be lived in a new way.”

Marcus O’Halloran, President of UCD Students’ Union (UCDSU) reiterated the point that students stand in solidarity supporting each other. He encouraged students to seek help or support if they require it.

Photo: JAMES HEALY

The decision to increase prices for residential accommodation on campus was presented to the Bursar’s Office

by UCD’s Finance Remuneration and Asset Management Committee (FRAMC) during the brief period while the committee had no student representation in early 2014, the University Observer can reveal.

UCD Students’ Union President Marcus O’Halloran released a statement to the Observer saying, “The decision to increase prices was floated as part of a number of different initiatives to reduce the University debt and to get it back on a stronger financial footing.

They were presented to FRAMC by the Bursar’s office as a range of different options. No record or minutes of any decision were kept of this meeting and this was the last meeting of that FRAMC, and the following month, President Deeks officially took office.”

The board of FRAMC currently consists of President Andrew Deeks, UCD Registrar Mark Rogers, Bursar Gerry O’Brien, not more than nine members of the Governing Authority and not more than three non-employees of the University or Governing Authority.

The increases in prices for campus accommodation were announced in April 2014, while Mícheál Gallagher was UCD SU President. According to Gallagher, the Union had been aware that price increases for campus accommodation were on the table, but the SU seats on FRAMC was revoked

before any further action on it was taken. “Between September 2013 and December 2013 the Students’ Union was aware that the option of increasing UCD Residences prices was being considered,” said Gallagher in a statement. “The Students’ Union adopted a firm stance on conditions in UCD Residences in November 2013 with a “Res Rights Now” campaign to highlight unfair practices.

However, in January 2014 the SU lost its full seat on FRAMC and the increases were fully announced to the public in April 2014. The SU regained a non-voting seat on FRAMC in January 2015.”

A number of sources have revealed to the University Observer that the review of the UCD Residences allocation policy undertaken by the UCD Student Experience Group and its sub-committee, the Residences Review Group in 2014-2015, also did not include any mention of the increase in fees. The UCD Residences Website says “A review of the UCD Residences allocation policy was undertaken in 2014-15 by the UCD Student Experience Group.

As the demand for beds far outweighs available accommodation, a decision was made to prioritise allocations for new entrants to UCD.” No explanation is made on the website however for the increase in accommodation fees.

The Student Experience Group was made up of a number of faculty representatives, including the Dean of Graduate Studies Dr Barbara Dooley, the Director of UCD International Office

dublin Fashion

THE LAtest in fashion LUCY COFFEY Otwo P24

Alex Metcalfe, and the Director of Student Services Dominic O’Keefe, as well as the Students’ Union Graduate Education Officer and the Postgraduate Education Officer at the time, Amy Fox and Anabel Castenada.

Chair of the Societies’ Council, Eoghan Murphy, who was a member of the Student Experience Group while the review of the allocation policy was ongoing, said: “The information that we had available to us at the time from the Residences Review Group fully supported a change in the room allocation policy to better protect vulnerable groups, including incoming first years and an international cohort.

There was never a mention of an increase in fees, nor was the fee structure ever included as part of the topics for discussion at that level.” september 15th 2015

News national news in brief CAOIMHE HIGGINS

Ulster University Targeted by Cutbacks FOLLOWING an 8.6 million cut back in education subsidies by the Northern Ireland Executive, 1,250 student places and 200 staff posts will be lost across four university campuses. Ulster University’s vice chancellor Paddy Nixon said: “In making these decisions, a number of factors have been taken into consideration, including student demand, attrition rates, student satisfaction, employment statistics and research performance.”

The decision has been made to close interior design courses, to no longer offer single honours maths degrees and to streamline courses in business management.

However, Nixon assured students and staff that they will “focus on the sustainable delivery of high quality teaching and world-leading research that produces graduates with industry ready, relevant skills that benefit business and society.”

Opposition to these cut backs has caused growing tension throughout Northern Ireland as the president of Ulster University Students’ Union (UUSU), Colum Mackey accused the Executive of “failing a generation of young people”. In encouraging stronger political opposition to these cut backs, Sinn Fein MLA, Maeve McLaughlin also criticised the cuts.

“The education of our young people is vital to the future prosperity of our society and it needs to be properly resourced.” Other areas impacted by the cuts are modern language courses and marine science.

UL Graduates Most Popular for Employment IN A RECENT conferring assembly at the University of Limerick, it was announced that graduates from the university are the most sought after in the Irish jobs market. Professor Don Barry stated that “the employment rate of UL graduates one year after graduation is more than 20 per cent higher than the average for the other six Irish universities. We call that the UL edge and it is something of which this university is very proud.”

In recent years, employment patterns throughout the country have changed and diversified. The Mid-West of Ireland now accounts for 36 per cent of national employment while the capital city accounts for 27 per cent.

The work in placing graduates into the workforce after they finish their degrees has been consolidated by UL in conducting a survey. The UL Careers Service launched a review into the “first destinations” of its graduates. Professor Barry said that “the survey of UL’s 2014 graduates showed 92 per cent are either employed or pursuing further study.”

Students Escape Current CAO Points System IT WAS RECENTLY announced by the CAO that students entering into fifth year this September will use a different points system. The move has been welcomed by many, referencing the stress that the points system places on students.

Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan revealed that the points system will now have less Leaving Certificate grades along with broader entry-level courses by 2017. To encourage more students to take the higher level papers, those who do will receive 37 points for the newly named H7 grade (30 per cent to 40 per cent).

The main aim of the changes to the CAO points system is to eradicate the problem of large numbers of students receiving the same number of points.

This can lead to the determination of their college place being reduced to random number selection.

UCD is among the universities leading the way for this change with large numbers of places available on broad-entry courses, allowing students to decide which field to focus on after their first year of college.

Professor Philip Nolan, president of Maynooth University, said that the new system aims to be fair to students while recognising achievement.

The improvements to be introduced in 2017 will also impact Applied Leaving Certificate students.

2 september 15th 2015

NovaUCD Spin-Out Company receives €2.7 million Leah Flanagan A START-UP company based and derived from NovaUCD or The Innovation Academy has been awarded a grant of €2.7 million for a cancer research project known as OncoMasTR. The company OncoMark attained the top prize in their category of an EU initiative in alliance with Horizon 2020. The money will contribute towards a project which aims to track biomarkers in cancer cells, leading to more personalised treatment of an individual’s tumour. This intends to improve the patient’s quality of life while also being able to determine whether the risk of recurrence for early breast cancers is high or low.

Chief executive officer of OncoMark Ltd., Des O’Leary said: “We are delighted to announce this award, which will enable us to accelerate the OncoMasTR test from the laboratory to the clinic, as well as creating employment opportunities and promoting the worldwide recognition of Ireland’s capabilities in the clinical diagnostics field.” OncoMark currently employ ten people in Belfield and hope to double these numbers over the next two years.

Mr. O’Leary also stated, “currently, the majority of earlystage breast cancer patients are treated with chemotherapy, despite many not benefiting from such treatment, thereby exposing individuals to severe side effects.”

He further explained the use of the research, claiming that “Approximately 30 per cent of patients develop a recurrence of the disease within 10 years after initial surgery and, therefore, require aggressive chemotherapy, but it has been difficult to identify these individuals.”

The European Commission started the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Instrument in hope of supporting the Horizon 2020 Campaign. The campaign set out to enhance Europe’s base of scientists, maximise the growth potential of competitive industries and encourage and support innovation. Horizon 2020 is the biggest EU Research and Innovation programme ever, with nearly €80 billion worth of funding available between 2014 and 2020.

The SME Instrument is searching for companies striving to bring new technology to market. It

THE UCD NOVA INSTITUTE Photo: COURTESY OF UCD

provides support throughout the conception stages of the project until its execution. As of 2015, Ireland is the overall leader in innovation according to the Innovation Union Scoreboard.

NovaUCD has been developed

as the Centre for New Ventures and Entrepreneurs. Supported in a public-private partnership by companies such as AIB Bank, Arthur Cox, Deloitte, Enterprise Ireland, Ericsson, Goodbody Stockbrokers, UCD and Xilinx,

NovaUCD provides state-of-the-art facilities to nurture and support the development of students’ ideas.

and have all the documentation in by the first deadline then it tends to be sorted in good time.”

Within UCD, dealing with SUSI has become easier. Last year the Welfare and Education officers of UCDSU had significant issues in contacting SUSI on behalf of students. This year, Dannii Curtis, UCD Students’ Union (UCDSU) Education Officer, confirmed that “we [UCDSU] have a direct line set up with SUSI,” a benefit which should make the process within UCD easier for students seeking help.

Despite the improvements made, Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Chair and Fianna Fáil TD John McGuinness observed in June that “if SUSI was a private business... it wouldn’t be in business”.

His comments were made at a meeting of the PAC in June during

which SUSI and its 4.8 million euro losses were discussed.

The system was set up in 2012 to speed up the administration of student grants. During its first year SUSI were criticised for long waiting times for students seeking grants.

Progress has been made since SUSI’s establishment in 2012.

The advice from SUSI is to be on time when it comes to applications in order to ensure payment. It is hoped that the system will continue to improve in order to ease the strain on students during the busy academic year.

Improvements in SUSI Sinead Conroy RECENTLY the Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) organisation has been praised for becoming more effective.

SUSI has currently processed 50,000 of 103,000 applications for the academic year 2015/2016, compared to only a third of applications this time last year.

This increase in the number of applications processed comes despite SUSI operating with less staff, according to their spokesperson. A number of changes made to the internal operations, as well as opening the application date two weeks earlier than previous years, have aided this process.

According to City of Dublin Education Training Board chief executive Jacinta Stewart the number of appeals has fallen from twelve per cent to five per cent.

The number of those appeals that have been successful has fallen from 74 per cent to 15 per cent.

According to a SUSI spokesperson the top three improvements in the system have been “earlier opening dates, a redesigned and more user friendly website and enhanced data sharing with government departments and agencies to speed up the process.”

The real impact of SUSI’s success and failure is felt by recipients. According to James Connolly, a Commerce student, the system has become easier to deal with. “It does seem to be moving at a much faster pace than previous years. We are due the first payment at the end of September which will be a huge improvement.” SUSI have said that for those applications which were submitted on time they

UCD Classics Museum Enters Digital Animation into its Collection

expect to make four payments between now and December.

Despite the improvements, there is still progress to be made if the process is to be as efficient as possible. “A walk in centre where you can go to hand in all the documentation and fix any errors immediately would be ideal.

It would cut down on the lengthy correspondence,” says Connolly.

In response to this suggestion SUSI highlighted that students can have face-to-face interaction.

“SUSI attends colleges nationwide regularly for open days, etc. where we provide talks and have staff available to deal with individual queries which prove very beneficial.”

Physiotherapy student Sean Fahey also thinks much progress has been made since he first applied. “I have found that if you are organised

UCDSU Launch Second Roisin Sexual Assault GuyettNicholson Survey News Editor Roisin GUYETT-Nicholson

Michael Ryan Mernin THE UCD CLASSICAL MUSEUM is hosting a free exhibition on Thursday the 24th September. It will feature a new animation based on an ancient vase which is held by the museum.

The animation was created from the winning storyboard

by Eamonn O’Broin and Frank O’Grady, competitors in the Irish Schools’ Storyboarding Competition.

Following the exhibition the video will be entered into the museum’s permanent collection and displayed beside the original vase.

The competition was sponsored

by The Classical Association of Ireland-Teachers, an organisation run by volunteers that encourages the teaching of Classics at all levels. The brief asked teenagers to put together a storyboard based on a Greek vase in the UCD museum. The winners are both students at Gonzaga College in Dublin. Their storyboard was turned into a short animation by Dr. Sonya Nevin and her husband Steve Simons, founders of the Panoply Vase Animation Project.

Nevin and Simons have been animating Greek vases for several years, working with students as part of a larger effort to expand interest in the Classics. They also aim to explore the interactive potential of the myths depicted on the vases. Nevin, who holds her doctorate from UCD, said in an interview with Dr. Anastasia Bakogiani that the animations are meant to work in conjunction with the original vase. The hope is to inspire viewers to look more closely at the events of the scene.

“We thought, ‘This should be going on in museums,’” she said.

“People should see the vase and see the animation together.”

Following the event on the 24th, visitors to the museum will see just that. The animation will take a place in one of Ireland’s most expansive collections of ancient Greek and Roman artefacts. It is a valuable trove of ancient weapons, idols, and vases located in the Classics department in the Newman Building.

The move by the University to feature the new digital medium alongside ancient relics reflects a growing desire among museums to use creative technology to attract more visitors. Many museums give out audio guides complete with various sound effects. The Museum of Fine Arts in Montreal assigns a piece of music to a painting, which is played into the viewers’ headsets as they pass. The new museum at the site of The Battle of Waterloo in Belgium uses animated versions of famous paintings in a similar effort to bring still images to life.

Nevin acknowledges the delicacy in using technology to assist the study of ancient vases, and insists that the animations are seamless and affective tools for teaching and learning.

“Well I think what’s nice about it is the technology is not getting in the way of the artefacts. The artefacts remain the focus. If anything I think [the animations] encourage people to go see the artefacts.”

Following a sexual assault survey released at the end of last semester, Hazel Beattie, Graduate Officer and Clare O’Connor, Welfare Officer plan to instigate another survey in the second semester of this year.

Before releasing the survey, O’Connor and Beattie plan to examine surveys conducted in other universities. Beattie says the main aim behind this is to discover “what’s going to make UCD management actually pay attention to this and make changes.”

To achieve this, she consulted with Dr. Pádraig MacNeela of the Psychology department at NUI Galway, who has been involved with forming similar studies.

Beattie and O’Connor developed a “steering committee” to advise on how to develop the survey. This consists of representatives from the Rape Crisis Centre and Rape Crisis Network Ireland (RCNI), among other experts. Beattie explains that she doesn’t want to just put out a survey with little research, and that she “wants it to be as informed as possible.”

Another expert advising UCD Students’ Union (UCDSU) on the issue includes Dr. Marie Keenan from the School of Applied Social Science. Keenan has worked extensively in the area of sexual assault and justice. Also providing input is Orla O’Connor of the National Women’s Council Ireland.

Both sabbatical officers questioned the effectiveness of previous surveys in UCD with

O’Connor stating that the last survey was a “bit up in the air,” and that she was not completely sure that it had gone ahead. She further claimed that “UCD haven’t really begun to tackle [the issue] head on.”

Beattie questioned the distribution of past surveys that “were handed out to students,” something that she didn’t think was appropriate.

She explained that this survey will be available online.

This survey is part of UCDSU’s plan to combat sexual assault on campus. A priority cited by both Beattie and O’Connor is to change UCD’s policy on the issue. Currently, it is dealt with in the ‘Dignity and Respect’ clause, under the subheading of “Sexual Harassment.” Beattie said that the policy doesn’t cover enough, which she claims is “horrendous.”

Beattie and O’Connor aim to have at least 1000 responses from students. With this level of involvement, it is believed that UCD students will have a direct link in forming new UCD policy. The steering committee will also have a direct impact in developing the new clause.

A change to policy could see greater supports on campus for students suffering from sexual assault. At present there are few provisions explicitly for these victims on campus. This is described as a “ridiculous” situation by Beattie. She noted that no member of the UCD counselling service has specific training in dealing with sexual

assault cases, though admits that all counsellors have basic training.

However, Beattie noted that there were few leaflets in the counselling service dealing specifically with the issue.

She claims that one possible way of addressing this situation would be to provide funding to the Rape Crisis Centre. She claimed that this could lead to having a designated person within the centre for UCD students to deal with.

This survey follows a recent trend in Irish Universities to combat sexual assault on campus and issues surrounding consent. Last year, Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) also launched a survey on the topic. Drawing on the responses of 1,038 students, it found that 25 per cent of women had a non-consensual sexual experience. The survey also revealed that 5 per cent of male Trinity students had a similar experience.

Alongside the release of the survey and potential new policy, UCDSU also plans to combat sexual assault and consent in Sexual Health and Guidance (SHAG) week. Following on from the Sex Out Loud campaign last year, O’Connor hopes “to get a sexual assault campaign launching alongside SHAG week.” This year SHAG week begins on 5th October with Beattie noting the potential for a second SHAG week focusing on consent next semester.

News News Analysis: The future of student Accommodation With the release of a Higher Education Authority Report, Christopher Woods looks at the prospective future of student accommodation

OVER THE PAST decade Ireland has seen a significant change in the importance placed on education.

As a result of this, young adults are spending longer periods of time studying at third level pursuing both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. This change in culture has placed an undue level of stress upon our rental market, particularly in the areas of inner city and south Dublin.

A recent report by The Higher Education Authority (HEA) estimates that the demand for student bed spaces in 2013 was 57,104. However, this is expected to rise to approximately 68,670 by 2024. Current development strategies are unable to cope with this dramatic increase. It is estimated that there is an unmet demand of approximately 25,000 student bed spaces across Ireland. The economic result means that landlords are able to charge extortionate prices for accommodation within close proximity to higher education institutions. Many students are being priced out of the market and must commute for several hours each day.

The obvious answer to the problem should be to construct more student accommodation within these areas, which would likely reduce rent prices.

However, the HEA report estimates that it costs approximately 85,000 euro to construct space for one bed. Therefore, in order to meet current level of demand it would cost just over 2.1 billion euro to construct the 25,000 spaces needed.

In order to address the issue for UCD students, the university plans to double the number of on-campus places available to approximately 5000 beds by 2020. Funding for this project is to come from a large scale fundraising initiative due to be announced this year in addition to a controversial 40 per cent price increase for campus accommodation over the next few years.

Part of the issue relates to the large number of places allocated to international students. With almost half of campus places reserved for international students, Stuart Roche of the HEA noted: “There is a difficulty between the strategy to promote an increase in international

News in Brief Pallivi

Academic Freedom Under Threat in Hong Kong

Photo: JAMES HEALY

student numbers and the availability An issue raised by the report was of recommendations for the future. of student accommodation.” It is the provision of accommodation One of these is the rent a room evidently vital that UCD retain a large for students with disabilities. It initiative, often associated with “digs” number of international students recommends allocating 10 per cent accommodation. UCD along with in order to fund its many projects, of accommodation places to this other institutions are encouraging but the importance of this must be group. However, there doesn’t seem to homeowners to rent spare rooms to balanced against available places. currently be an issue with the number students to make extra income. This A number of private developments of accessible rooms available in UCD. campaign is also heavily supported by will likely also contribute UCD Students’ Union (UCDSU). “the report still spaces for students. The former The report also recommends Montrose hotel, now owned flexibility by local authorities on leaves a lot of

by Ziggurat located beside applications for student housing. uncertainty about This includes taking student UCD, is providing student accommodation for a second year the future of accommodation into consideration now. This is a perfect example of in future development plans and the profitability of the market. A Irish students”. to introduce vacant land levies large scale student development to increase the supply of land would create jobs and increase available for development. expenditure in the local area through This year UCD residences allocated Most importantly the report makes shops, restaurants and launderettes, 108 places to the UCD access centre. a number of recommendations on the as outlined by the report. Another Not all of these places were filled and financing and cost of development. possible contributor of private student a large number were made available It recommends the introduction of a accommodation could be the large 18.4 to other students in continuing years capital grant for Higher Education acre Mount Merrion site for sale close on Thursday the 3rd of September.

Institutions’ (HEIs) development of to the UCD campus. This site has 13.3 There will still likely be a shortage student accommodation and proposes acres residentially zoned which could of affordable student accommodation. that future projects be funded through accommodate at least 170 homes.

The HEA report makes a number a private public partnership (PPP).

Another suggestion by the report was to introduce tax breaks to develop on campus accommodation. This idea was also put forward by University College Cork president Dr Michael Murphy, who called for a zero per cent VAT rate on the construction of student accommodation to be considered.

While the report certainly sets a benchmark for where we have to go over the next ten years, it still leaves a lot of uncertainty about the future of Irish students. While it sets out clearly some probable solutions, it does not clearly state how improvements can be funded.

Despite this the report highlights the growing lack of accommodation for students that is becoming more of a problem with each passing year.

News Analysis: Hong Kong Sees Greater Communist Influence As protest leaders are arrested in Hong Kong, Roisin Nicholson looks at the impact of the 2014 protests SINCE the termination of the 99 year lease of Hong Kong to Britain in 1997, the city has seen an increasing level of interference from the Communist government on mainland China. Hong Kong is technically an autonomous region under the overarching administration of the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

Despite their independent status, Hong Kong has been under increased pressure from the PRC in the last decade, leading to the student-led protests last year. Known as the “umbrella” protests, this was an offshoot of the widespread Occupy movement. Students were unhappy with proposed reforms to the electoral process.

They called for continuation of Hong Kong’s political system without implementing a Beijingbacked program that would have seen candidates being vetted by a committee loyal to the PRC government.

Beginning in September 2014, the protestors eventually conceded.

Authorities then cleared the areas of demonstration. Leaders were not initially arrested but have since faced court for their actions.

Charges include civil disobedience such as obstructing police officers.

Some students could face jail time of up to five years. Located in a number of public places around the city, all demonstrations were eventually cleared by December.

The protests saw a number of violent altercations between police and the Occupy movement.

The after effects of the protests have been felt throughout the city in the last year. City of Hong Kong University (HKU) has faced criticism for its delay in appointing a new vice-chancellor.

There have been claims that

international

from recent events. Following the end of the sit-ins, the Special Administrative Region (SAR) government promised to present an Occupy reform package. However, this last year has seen stronger pressure on previous participants.

A further issue is the legacy of Tianmen Square. Though it occurred over 25 years ago, there have been continued comparisons drawn between the 2014 protests and the Bejing protests. Though the Hong Kong protests did not end as violently, the potential for such a repeat occurrence

was drawn by media coverage during last year’s protests.

The political situation in Hong Kong is contentious. Though technically connected to the PRC, it would seem that there is a feeling in the city of distrust of their government. Though the protests ended last year, charging the leaders now indicates that they have had a significant impact. This is clearly felt by authorities and Hong Kong may once again see similar protests.

Photo: THE SKYLINE OF HONG KONG

this is part of government interference in education.

Some members of staff in HKU have been accused of being too close to the Occupy movement.

Other accusations against staff, of plagiarism have dominated headlines in Hong Kong. The move seems designed to discredit the integrity of the University.

However, some in China question the validity of a University set up during the colonial era.

Established in 1911 with the aim of spreading British values in the Far East, there have been claims that the University has always been in a grey area politically and that it is too west-leaning.

At the core of the issue is the ambiguous nature of Hong Kong and Chinese politics. Though officially the PRC is the ultimate authority in Hong Kong, the city has often objected to greater integration with China. According to a 2011 population survey only 17 per cent of Hong Kong residents consider themselves Chinese citizens, while nearly double that figure consider themselves Hong Kong citizens only.

The disparity in identity is

exacerbated by the separation of Hong Kong from China for nearly 100 years. Being divided for so long allowed different traditions and variations in language to develop. Hong Kong was also under British rule for one of the most important Asian developments of the 20th century, the takeover of General Mao and development of a communist state. Being a British colony next to a communist state for much of the Cold War has resulted in a legacy of enmity. Therefore, an attempt to unite two different regions that developed quite independently of each other is highly likely to lead to continued discord.

Though last year’s protests are technically over and the leaders are facing jail, this does not mean that the sentiment behind them has disappeared. With nearly 100,000 people involved at the peak of its influence, the causes behind the protests have not been completely resolved.

This could potentially lead to future demonstrations with a similar idea. The lasting sentiment from the demonstrations is clear

HONG KONG University Council has postponed the appointment of the new HKU pro-vice chancellor, stating the need to first appoint a new deputy vice-chancellor.

Professor Johannes Chan, former Dean of the Law Faculty in HKU, was originally the frontrunner in the race. However, his proximity to his colleague Professor Benny Tai YiuTing, a co-founder of Occupy Central, is thought to be the reason behind the delay. This delay has been seen in some quarters as a political move, and indicative of the government’s interference with academic affairs.

Occupy Central was a civil disobedience campaign last year that intended to pressurise the government to grant universal suffrage. Pro-Beijing media has reported that Professor Benny Tai Yiu-Ting may have received donations from unknown sources. The Chinese government claim that if he cannot satisfy a lawful authority, he may come under criminal investigation and his associates could also be implicated. Other faculty members are coming under scrutiny too, being accused of brainwashing students by assigning them ‘pro-occupycentral’ reading assignments.

This is not the first time that government has interfered with academic decisions. In 2000, Dr. Robert Chung was pressured to discontinue a study that tracked former chief executive Tung’s declining popularity.

Danish University Cuts IN A DECISION that has surprised many, the Danish government has announced budget cuts for education. Danish universities will see a 2 per cent cut in their budget over the next four years.

Financial support from the government per student has reduced by 10 per cent in the past five years. The reason cited by the government is that Denmark spends more on education than any other country in the OECD. “If Denmark used the same percentage of GNP (gross national product) on education as Sweden, we could save DKK32 billion (US$4.8 billion),’ said Martin Agerup of the Danish think tank CEPOS. He further states: “if we used the same proportion as the average of the OECD countries, we could save DKK38 billion (US$5.7 billion).”

Minister for Education and Science Esben Lunde Larsen announced that the education sector would not be ring-fenced by the government anymore. He said that higher education institutions should contribute to government budget reductions “on a par with other governmental institutions.”

Rector of Copenhagen University, Professor Ralf Hemmingsen said “The situation [at Danish universities] is now comparable to the guest in the restaurant who is not willing to pay for the meal he has had. Politicians have asked for an increase in the number of students and for more control of higher education with a continuous lowering of the price,”

Hong Kong Student Charged Over Protests JOSHUA WONG, 18, student leader who became the face of the democracy movement has been charged for his participation in protests that led to last year’s mass rallies.

Wong was charged with “unlawful assembly, and inciting others to take part in an unlawful assembly”. The charge could result in a jail sentence of up to five years. Two other students, Alex Chow and Nathan Law, were charged with taking part in unlawful assembly.

The authorities have targeted prominent figures who spearheaded the rallies.

Nathan Law, the Secretary General of the Federation of students, said that officers showed them a video of the protests on that day, and did not elaborate further. Wong said that the arrests were evidence of ‘political prosecution’. Hong Kong and Beijing have consistently maintained that the protests were illegal.

Wong’s lawyer said: “I think the whole rationale for proceeding at this stage, a year after the event, is totally flawed. In my view it’s a clear abuse of process.”

Wong was formally charged by police on 19th August 2015 for inciting people to join an unlawful assembly, alongside Alex Chow.

Photo: COURTESY OF RICKMANN-UK.COM

september 15th 2015

comment

The State of New Media

As modern Internet media moves beyond its adolescence, Laura Brohan dives into an examination of how far it has come and the issues it looks to overcome in the future.

PHOTO: JAMES HEALY

This can have devastating effects IT WAS AN IMAGE that haunted Over the past two decades many surprise that digital journalists on the mental health of the content us all - a young Syrian boy, limp as people have had their lives torn apart crave some semblance of security? creators and raise real-world a ragdoll, face down on a Turkish as a result of digital journalism.

Media organisations like Gawker safety concerns. The difficulty in beach, as waves gently lapped TMZ and Perez Hilton reigned and Buzzfeed are not the only moderating comments has led to them against his small, lifeless body. As supreme during the 2000s as they powerhouses of new media. Blogging, simply vanishing in some cases. High we scrolled through our newsfeeds, exposed private details of celebrity once dismissed as a pleasant pastime, profile sites including The Verge and there was no way of avoiding the lives. Nothing was off limits. is now a lucrative career for the The Daily Dot have removed their heartbreaking image. It provoked a The constant barrage of ‘scandals’ most successful bloggers. Brands comments section entirely, attributing response in us, we shared it, debated leaves us desensitised to the pay big money to be associated their decisions to the difficulty of it, demanded something be done. It treatment of public figures. The with bloggers. Some of the most controlling trolls (people who write sparked desperately needed action in level of cruelty that is exhibited influential people in this area of new offensive, inflammatory comments). response to the Syrian refugee crisis. in some online publications is media are those who have grown up Websites are attempting to reduce The speed at which this haunting shocking. On a daily basis public surrounded by it. Tavi Gevinson shot the problem by encouraging users image reverberated around the figures are scrutinised and harshly to prominence with her fashion blog to report offensive comments, world and its impact demonstrates put down for trivial, banal things Style Rookie before she even reached moderating comments and removing the power and influence of new like wearing odd socks or daring high school. She then capitalised on the option to comment anonymously. media. When the majority of UCD’s to leave their houses with flaws on her success by creating Rookie, an These steps are helpful but it is undergraduate population was in its show. This is damaging both for online lifestyle magazine for teenage still difficult infancy, so the public figures being discussed girls. Rookie had something that the to create a too was new and for readers’ own self-esteem. traditional media aimed at teenage “Just as UCD’s completely media. And as Thankfully, the tide is beginning girls lacked: a teenage girl at the students safe space for they’ve aged to turn. New media outlets that helm, making it uniquely relatable. discussion and matured, have exited indulge in callous, distasteful Bloggers exhibit a masterful online. so too has reporting now face backlash from use of new media. The success of their awkward Nasty new media. the public and their industry peers. photojournalist Brandon Stanton comments New media adolescences, Gawker was widely criticised of the Humans of New York blog are not the is now an following their recent story outing can be largely attributed to his new media is also only thing intricate a gay New York media executive in clever use of social media. His blog growing up.” tarnishing web of text, a story about his attempt to book a demonstrates how the simplicity new media; visuals, male escort. This public outcry will of telling real human stories can digital content audio and hopefully act as a warning to media capture worldwide attention. He has creators and media organisations other digital content. It is as organisations about the consequences used his blog as a catalyst for social also have a lot to answer for. The quintessentially millennial as we of slipping journalistic standards. change on numerous occasions. For constant stream of information we are; fast, innovative and restless.

Since the beginning of new media’s instance, he has raised millions of receive means journalists have Digital media presents new ways to stranglehold on the media world, dollars for underprivileged students a much harder time holding our communicate and share stories. At questions have been raised over in New York and challenged people’s attention. We are faced with a deluge its best, it allows media organisations what constitutes fair remuneration perceptions of Iran through a of media sources. The increased to share powerful stories by inciting for journalists. In 2001, The New heartwarming photo series capturing competition to command our attention a response in its audience through York Times lost a Supreme Court the lives of ordinary citizens there. can cause some media outlets to carefully crafted digital blends. At battle against freelance journalist Even Harvard acknowledged how resort to publishing shocking content, its worst, it can be cruel, degrading, Jonathon Tasini. It was held that influential blogging has become in whatever the consequences. misleading and damaging. when articles are commissioned the new media landscape when the Click bait is to journalism what The impact of social media on for traditional print form and are Harvard Business Review examined junk food is to food: tempting, how we interact with the media later republished online, journalists The Blonde Salad blog in its first enticing and ultimately is undeniable. We live in an age disappointing. News of participatory media where the “Click bait is to journalism what junk headlines are often audience is just as important as the food is to food: tempting, enticing hyperbolic and content creators. Media organisations melodramatic to lure can attribute much of their success and ultimately disappointing.” readers to articles to the views, shares, likes and lacking substance. When advertising comments of internet users. should be fairly compensated for ever case study on blogging this is the chief revenue stream for most In the past, the people we the reproduction of their work. This year. While a lot of new media sites discussed an article with were limited new media outlets, sensationalism particular issue has subsided of late rely on banner ads for revenue, can become irresistible to journalists. to people we knew in real-life. In the as most contracts for articles now bloggers can provide their readers Some new media outlets are digital realm, the interactions we include a clause regarding online with sleeker interfaces. They less interested in the quality of can have are limitless. Comments reproduction and indeed some monetise their blogs in other ways: their work than in the amount of sections on media sites can foster articles are now commissioned for the being paid to feature products, views, shares and likes it gets. a connection and intimacy among sole purpose of online publication. promote brands and even through In some instances, however, the the audience that traditional media Sadly though, the overall treatment developing products of their own. hunger for views can manifest itself cannot offer. This can be a really of journalists in the digital age Blogging and social media in more sinister, harmful ways than positive thing. Instead of boring has progressed very little in the presence is also vital to celebrities. annoying click bait. Online shaming our friends by raving about an intervening years since the Tasini New media allows public figures and humiliation was catapulted into obscure band or fitness trend, we can judgment. Fair remuneration of to carefully curate their public public consciousness last June with celebrate it online with others who journalists is an issue that plagues image to a much greater degree Monica Lewisky’s thought-provoking share our enthusiasm. We can give media organisations in this digital than traditional media allows. The piece in Vanity Fair. It chronicled our opinion on an article we read or era. Traditional, secure media jobs most popular “snapchatter” is Kylie the impact new media had on her life video we watch and provide real-time are becoming scarcer by the day. The Jenner, who recently celebrated her in the aftermath of the Lewinsky/ feedback to digital content creators. recent vote at Gawker on whether eighteenth birthday. She has grown Clinton scandal in the mid-90s.

However, the anonymity that the workers should unionise provoked up in the limelight and allows fans She is widely regarded as one of internet provides means that what widespread discussion in the industry. constant, 24/7 access into her life. the first victims of online shaming. can and should be a beneficial Some believe that unionisation would Her influence is undeniable - Cocoa The way her story was reported platform for debate and discussion kill the creativity and innovation Brown, an Irish brand of tan, sold brought her to the verge of suicide. can quickly descend into an abyss that defines new media. But in an out overnight when it was featured Sadly, she was the first of many of demeaning comments and in age where digital media is constantly on Kylie Jenner’s Instagram account. victims of ruthless online reporting. some cases abusive threats. evolving at a rapid pace, is it any Other celebrities like Beyoncé adopt 4 september 15th 2015

reason, it is clear that we demand a more curated approach to social media-presenting carefully selected both quality and value. New media images and stories that reveal little will learn from the current changes in the food industry and bring about the person in question. quality to the fore going forward.

It is not just celebrities or the In the future, basing performance fashion industry that attempt to use new media to their advantage. New solely on views will stop. It’s likely that we will see a shift towards media can also serve as a vehicle subscription-based news services for political agendas. The Chinese with carefully curated, tailored Communist party now packages content. Bloggers and journalists their message in social media will have to try harder to cultivate a ready snippets aimed at appealing distinct personal brand to stand out in to China’s young, tech-savvy a saturated industry. Change is afoot. population. China’s state-owned Just as UCD’s students have exited newspapers were losing readers their awkward adolescences, new rapidly as young Chinese people migrated to online sources for their media is also growing up. Hopefully news. In response, the newspapers it will leave its youthful mistakes have developed online platforms for behind, because if it can, the future of online media looks bright. sharing their content in a way that is accessible for younger users.

The influence of new media in American politics is undeniable.

The most recent reshuffle of the White House pressroom back in March highlighted Washington’s growing respect for new media as Buzzfeed gained a seat for the first “In an age time ever. The 2016 presidential candidates are already trying where to harness new media to their digital advantage. The buzz surrounding Hillary Clinton mounted steadily on media is social media well before her official constantly announcement. On the other hand, Donald Trump’s brash showmanship evolving at and shocking statements ensure a rapid pace, that he is widely discussed on social is it any media, bolstering his popularity.

The influence of new media on surprise politics was demonstrated at home that in Ireland during the marriage equality campaign. The mobilisation digital of young voters was crucial to the journalists success of the referendum.

The use of new media in crave some igniting this mobilisation semblance is undeniable. From online campaigns to register to vote of to members of the LGBTQ+ security?’’ community sharing their personal stories on social media, the battle was, in part, fought and won online.

Undoubtedly, digital content has revolutionised how the media communicates with its audience. It is entirely possible that the future of new media will see a move towards a quality driven approach.

Our generation has turned its back on sub-standard products in other areas of our lives. McDonald’s recent attempts to market McMór burgers as ‘artisan’ products (they were forced to drop the ‘artisan’ label after failing to live up to Food Safety Authority guidelines) shows us that the fast food industry is scrambling to rebrand itself as it realises that quality is important to its target demographic. Perhaps it is the combination of having lived through both boom times and a recession that has primed our generation to become discerning consumers. Whatever the

Comment Fear of a Hacked Planet

With the recent controversy surrounding the Ashley Madison leaks, Anne-Marie Stacey examines the attitudes surrounding the leaked information.

IN RECENT WEEKS the media has been flooded with the material surrounding the Ashley Madison scandal. This has caused the issue of hacking to be once again brought to the forefront of the newsroom following an extensive Sony leak last year. Once more, sensitive information has been compromised.

The Impact Team hacker group has claimed to have complete access to the Avid Life Media’s database, which includes the records for every member of the site as well as the financial records of Avid Life Media, along with other proprietary information.

The company has confirmed that the hacked material is genuine. This leak is just the beginning, according to the hackers, who threatened to release further information if the site is not permanently shut down.

Ashley Madison is a dating site with the twist that it caters not for singles, but for married people looking for an affair. The site has 37 million members. This latest hacking scandal follows a similar event last March, when 3.5 million people’s sexual preferences, fetishes, and fantasies were exposed along with email addresses, passwords and birthday information. At least two people may have committed suicide as a direct result of the hacking of the Madison website. People must be cautious of a potential ripple effect. It must be asked whether it is ethical and right to revel in this recent scandal. The information that has been released into the public domain is highly classified. Does the public not have a duty to behave responsibly? Can the sensational hype surrounding the leaks be seen to support and encourage hackers to pursue further leaks?

Western society thrives on scandal, but in light of these suicides we must reign in this melodramatic nature. It is the victims’ families that are primarily affected, and yet it seems the impact on their lives has been overlooked in the wake of this sensationalised journalism.

From early divorce proceedings to unconfirmed suicides, from celebrity shaming to extortion attempts, the repercussions of the leak are already

being felt. We won’t have any real idea, however, of the true human cost of the hack for years. The media boasts a claim to having a responsibility to share this leaked information. However, they also have an often neglected duty to take part in responsible journalism. The people who have been exposed by this hack have children, wives, husbands, and family that are now also indirectly in the limelight as a result of a combination of the efforts of the hackers and the media. “It’s going to have impacts on their lives. We’re now going to have hate crimes that are a result of this,” reads a statement from acting Police Staff Superintendent of Toronto, Bryce Evans. “There are so many things that are happening.

The reality is ... this is not the fun and games that has been portrayed.”

According to Sky News, more than 1,000 Saudi Arabian email addresses were released in the leak.

There is an account of one gay Saudi Arabian Reddit user who claims to have used the service because he was promised discretion. Due to the release of the Ashley Madison information he has since had to flee in fear of his life, as homosexuality is illegal in Saudi Arabia. The media must take responsibility for the information it has shared, and those who are thriving on this scandal should consider the wider implications. This is not just a scandal for media corporations to feed off, but a leak of highly personal information on a website that had previously boasted about its security framework. However, there is a surprising lack of focus on the hackers and any potential legal actions that will be taken in light of what is a highly criminal act.

This permanent and very public shaming of these “adulterers” is a modern day branding of a “Scarlet A”.

It is a denial of a basic human right to privacy. We have a fast, competitive media environment that usually rewards a “publish first and apologise later” approach. When interviewed on whether the media should publish Sony hacked information Joe Peyronnin, former Vice President at CBS News and former Fox News

photo: screenshot of the ashley madison website

“Are we not supporting these hackers and encouraging further leaks by creating this sensational hype?” president, stated: “even though it can get very uncomfortable, even embarrassing at times, journalists must not be restricted from exercising their constitutional right of freedom of the press.” However he went on to say, “on the other hand, it is incumbent on the press to carry out its role responsibly and legally.”

It is because of the human cost of these hacking scandals that the responsibility of the media and ethics in journalism are coming into play. One of the earliest headlines following the dump of user data was the discovery that roughly 15,000 US military and government email addresses had been included. The

US military has already confirmed it is investigating, and it may be disciplining personnel who are discovered to be members.

Politicians, YouTube stars, and activists have all already been shamed for having email accounts on the site. It is not just those already in the public eye that are being targeted but ordinary civil servants. Numerous tools quickly sprang up which let users know whether an email address was included in the dump. For some journalists, the argument is simple: the data is out there, and as long as they apply the journalistic standards of newsworthiness, and as long as the public is interested, there is no reason to treat it as anything other than free information.

There is also the counter argument, as Monica Guzman, vice-chair of ethics at the Society of Professional Journalists puts it, that “Public is not the same as published… if you’re a journalist, you are assuming responsibility for what you publish.” The media should be focusing on the results of the hack and on the perpetrators. So far, there have been few repercussions for both the companies and hackers.

Perhaps it is this aspect of the Ashley Madison case that the media should be more focussed on reporting.

“The media should feel morally responsible for the information it has shared…”

RETURN OF THE DÁIL With the Dáil returning next week, Rachel Lafferty considers what is left for the Fine Gael/Labour coalition before the impending General Election

THE DÁIL is set to return on 23 when speaking with regard to the saw tens of thousands of people September following their annual Fennelly Report in the last few weeks, gather in Dublin city centre to protest nine week summer recess, but stressing that it was not the place against the tax. It was the first what issues can the Fine Gael/ of the Taoiseach to make personal mass rally in the last six months to Labour coalition expect to face as contact with Garda Commissioner condemn the water charges imposed they return for what may well be Martin Callinan. Minister for Justice by the government. Organised by the their final term at Kildare Street?

Frances Fitzgerald was also quick Right2Water campaign group, it was No doubt one of the most pressing to show her support for Kenny, the fifth major demonstration since questions Enda Kenny will be saying it is a finding of fact that Mr the controversial charge was levied. faced with upon his return to Kenny did not intend to put pressure After the demonstrators gathered near Leinster House will be regarding on the Commissioner to retire. the Spire, several politicians who his intentions on when to call a Meanwhile, Labour have remained oppose the charges, including People general election. Both Sinn Féin reasonably quiet during the whole Before Profit TD Joan Collins and and Fianna Fáil have tabled motions debate, perhaps fearing that they Mandate trade union secretary John of no confidence in the Taoiseach could emroil themselves within it.

Douglas, addressed the public. They following the insisted Fennelly report, that free “why it is that the Dáil has with Fianna access to such long seasons of closure Fáil describing drinking throughout the calendar year?” water and the report as a “damning sanitation Tánaiste Joan Burton has instead indictment of the actions is a fundamental human right decided to remain focussed on more of Enda Kenny.” recognised by the United Nations pressing matters, such as the current Kenny has been denounced by and call on the government refugee crisis. Burton has confirmed backbenchers for his support of the to legislate accordingly. that there shouldn’t be an “upper Attorney General, with Sinn Féin Despite public indignation, the limit” on the refugees Ireland takes deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald coalition seem determined not to in, saying that the 1,800 number that confirming that in addition cave under pressure and will likely has been suggested was merely “an to calling for the Taoiseach’s initial figure.” All eyes will be on the resignation, her party was also be coalition to see how they approach tabling a no confidence motion in this catastrophe on the return of the Attorney General Máire Whelan. government next week, but this is too With the budget to be set out little too late for some Irish charities, in October, should Kenny call who are demanding the Dáil be the general election before public recalled to deal with the crisis. dissatisfaction reaches new levels?

Edel McGinley of the Migrants In an interview with Ray D’Arcy, Rights Centre Ireland has criticised Independent TD for Wexford Mick the lack of leadership Fine Gael and Wallace said that the Taoiseach Labour have shown on the issue. should hold a general election as She said: “What we are asking the early as November, despite their government to do is to step up and term not being up until March of show leadership in relation to the 2016. Speaking last Thursday, issue that they haven’t shown a great Wallace said if he were Kenny leadership so far. We are asking for he would not delay and while an immediate recall of the Dáil.” opinion polls remain in favour Those committed to the abolition of his party it would be wise of Irish Water have also not slowed to call the election in 2015. down their campaign despite the Elsewhere, Health Minister Leo government’s recess. August 29th Varadkar defended his party leader

continue with the rest of their term.

At this point, it is likely that the coalition will not be focusing on water charges, but rather will be looking ahead to the general election.

Getting re-elected will be central for both parties in the coming months.

Getting re-elected may be nearly impossible, however, for the Labour Party with the latest Behaviour and Attitudes poll for The Sunday Times finding support for all main parties except Labour is up. Some 27 per cent of those surveyed expressed support for Fine Gael, these findings up three points on last month’s poll. Their government partners rating has fallen two points to a mere six per cent.

Both Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin saw a two point rise in support, securing them 20 per cent and 19 per cent respectively. Such results make for a riveting election campaign upon the recommencement of the Dáil. The summer break has brought with it several challenges for both Fine Gael and the opposition, from controversial

“A “[Fine Gael and Labour] instead will look ahead at gaining points in the opinion polls before the looming general election season.” revelations surrounding the Taoiseach to yet another IRA atrocity bringing up the ghost of Sinn Féin’s past.

With such serious matters for contention, it must be asked why the Dáil has such long seasons of closure throughout the calendar year. Apparently constituency work requires nine weeks every summer.

However with both domestic and international affairs demanding political attention and leadership, it is unclear why the government has not reconvened earlier.

PHOTO: Joanna O’MALLEY

september 15th 2015

comment Labour’s Battle at the Top Ray McGrath discusses the lead up to the Labour leadership race WHEN Ed Miliband stood down as leader of the British Labour Party, nobody could have predicted that the battle to succeed him would become one of the most interesting leadership races in living memory.

According to conventional wisdom, his successor would be an agreeable centrist with youthful vigour, a friendly smile, plenty of ministerial experience and a tendency never to rock the boat. Perhaps, for the first time in the party’s history, it would be a woman. But that’s about as interesting as it’s supposed to get.

Step forward, Jeremy Corbyn.

An MP for thirty-two years, the unassuming 66-year-old was, until very recently, largely unknown outside his own party. He received the requisite number of nominations from his fellow MPs because they felt he seemed harmless, and that the presence of a Socialist would broaden the debate. He was supposed to finish in last place, proving once again that anyone with ‘ideological baggage’ is completely unelectable in the modern era, and that politics should really be left to the grown-ups.

However, within a matter of weeks, the token lefty had progressed from rank outsider to front-runner. What he might lack in charisma and oratorical prowess, he more than makes up for in sincerity and an innate sense of common decency. His ability to thoughtfully articulate his positions and give straight answers to difficult questions only serves to underline the sheer vacuousness of the other candidates. Speaking on Channel 4 News, Yvette Cooper was asked if her failure to set the contest alight might be the result of the public perceiving her as ‘bland’.

She sincerely answered: “Well, I think, look, the challenge for us is

how we reach out across the country.

I think we can be very optimistic and excited about the future.”

Those were her exact words.

The interviewer responded with a glance that can only be described as ‘withering’. While it’s very easy to point and laugh at Cooper in this instance, it’s safe to assume that fellow candidates Liz Kendall and Andy Burnham would have given similarly bland answers. For the

“Tony Blair has been vociferous in his claims that Labour under a Corbyn leadership would face annihilation…” modern politician, it’s all about the challenges, the reaching-out, the optimism and the future. They’ve been trained to speak entirely in the language of buzzwords and inoffensive soundbites, none of which are allowed to leave their mouths until they’ve been tested on a focus group and signed off by a team of advisors. An unfortunate by-product of this desire never to offend or take risks is that they never run the risk of inspiring people either.

One of the biggest difficulties facing Cooper, Burnham and Kendall is that they can’t even directly attack Corbyn without running the risk of alienating his vast army of supporters, whose votes they desperately want.

For the most part, they’ve resorted

instead to the highly unedifying spectacle of attacking each other’s ideologically identical campaigns, while former Prime Ministers and the entire mainstream media take on the job of opposing Corbyn. Tony Blair has been vociferous in his claims that Labour under a Corbyn leadership would face annihilation, despite Blair being the Prime Minister who decided to launch an illegal war in Iraq resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of civilians. His insistence on ‘saving’ Labour from Socialism may stem from the fact Corbyn is open to the crazy idea of having war criminals tried for war crimes.

The problem with trying to portray Corbyn as some kind of bogeyman is that people aren’t stupid. Anyone who actually listens to him debating or delivering a speech knows that he’s no demagogue. Far from being some kind of die-hard firebrand, he’s very much a purveyor of consensus politics and isn’t afraid to listen to other people’s ideas, whether he agrees with them or not. But this doesn’t stop the right-wing press from accusing him of being a terrorist sympathiser for being open to speaking to political representatives of organisations like the IRA and Hamas.

The Daily Mail, a newspaper which is opposed to everything that Corbyn stands for, is still trying to smear Corbyn by association with Sinn Féin. Given the fact that Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness have recently had tea with members of Britain’s Royal Family, the Mail’s attacks now seem somewhat archaic.

During the 1980s, Corbyn, along with Tony Benn and Ken Livingstone, invited senior members of Sinn Féin to Westminster. Hardly an outrageous or revolutionary act when you consider the fact that Gerry

Adams was already a Member of Parliament at the time. Perhaps if the establishment had shared Corbyn’s willingness to publicly engage with unpalatable individuals, the Troubles

‘‘The problem with trying to portray Corbyn as some kind of bogeyman is that people aren’t stupid.”

with people who are too afraid to bring any radical ideas to the public.

At least the British Labour Party is capable of having an ideological debate and getting the public engaged with politics.

might have ended a few years earlier.

With the Irish Labour Party facing a wipeout in the upcoming general election, the decision to elect Joan Burton as leader looks more and more like an example of a party completely failing to listen to the electorate.

Labour was rejected in the 2014 local and European elections not necessarily because Eamon Gilmore was a terrible leader, but because of a perception that the party had reneged on many of its 2011 promises and shifted very much towards the right.

They really needed a change of ideas, not merely a change of faces. The difference is stark from the radical ideas presented by Corbyn in the ranks of the British Labour party.

The strict use of the whip system in the Dáil ensures that a radical change of ideas within a party is unlikely. No Corbyn-like figure could ever survive long enough within the Irish party system to pose any kind of challenge.

Any Labour TD who votes against Fine Gael’s policies immediately leaves the parliamentary party. This leaves us with a Labour party filled

“No Corbyn-like figure could ever survive long enough within the Irish party system.”

IN PHOTO: JEREMY CORBYN

Sexual Violence and the Media The Pretenders’ lead singer Chrissie Hynde has hit headlines for her controversial opinion on rape. Patrick Kelleher looks at the implications of her heavily publicised comments

The lead singer of the Pretenders, rock star Chrissie Hynde has recently hit global headlines after her controversial comments on rape. The singer, who herself was sexually assaulted at 21 years of age by a motorcycle gang, told The Sunday Times magazine that women who dressed provocatively could “entice a rapist” and that it is the “fault” of the woman in that case.

She elaborated by saying that “if I’m walking around and I’m very modestly dressed and I’m keeping to myself and someone attacks me, then I’d say that’s his fault.”

“But if I’m being very lairy and putting it about and being provocative, then you are enticing someone who’s already unhinged – don’t do that.” Perhaps most controversially, she added: “You know, if you don’t want to entice a rapist, don’t wear high heels so you can’t run from him. If you’re wearing something that says ‘Come and f**k me’, you’d better be good on your feet.”

Hynde’s comments are troubling for a number of reasons. They are indicative of an issue that is at this point an endemic: the blaming of victims for sexual assault. She is not the first, nor will she be the last, to exonerate men who rape women. She is part of a culture that tells women that when a woman is raped, there are a set of questions that should be asked: what was she wearing? Was she out by herself? Had she been drinking?

People across the world have been responding to Hynde’s controversial comments since her interview.

Former bassist for The Runaways, Jackie Fuchs has come out in sharp criticism, saying: “I don’t want to cast a stone at Chrissie Hynde – just at that one particular statement.

Because it’s a really dangerous message.” Fuchs spoke out earlier this year, alleging that the band’s manager had raped her in 1975.

Some of the most pertinent criticism has come from the charity Victim Support. Its director Lucy Hastings said: “Victims of sexual IN PHOTO: CHRISSIE HYNDE

6 september 15th 2015

violence should never feel or be made Network Ireland (RCNI)’s 2014 report to feel that they were responsible for shows that 93 per cent of perpetrators the appalling crime they suffered were known to survivors. Rape most – regardless of circumstances commonly happens in the home or in or factors which may have made the family, or within social circles. them particularly vulnerable.”

Also damning in this report is that Hynde’s comments have also only 33 per cent of the survivors the inspired many other women to share RCNI dealt with in 2014 reported their experiences of rape and sexual the sexual assault to the police. assault. Daisy Buchanan’s article Furthermore, only 67 per cent of in The Telegraph details how she those who reported the incidences was raped by her boyfriend at 17 in to the Gardaí felt that they were his grandparents’ spare bedroom. treated in a sensitive manner.

Buchanan admits in her article that What is even more troubling is “13 years after my own rape, I do the low conviction rate for cases of sometimes catch myself wondering rape that go through the courts. The whether I was Annual Report of to blame.” Her the Courts Service “It is perhaps article points to showed that in 2013, the exact problem the Central Criminal even more with this victim dealt with disappointing Court blaming culture 567 rape cases. Of that Hynde has these, 73 pleaded – and become instrumental 205 of these indicative of guilty. in perpetuating. were sent to trial. Of One clear message the culture these, only 35 were emerges from her convicted, and 155 that we live interview with were acquitted. Rape in – that The Sunday Times is a difficult crime to magazine: women convict, as evidence Hynde has can prevent their can be hard to gather. been made to Comments like those own rapes.

This dangerous feel that she made by Hynde idea has been serve to complicate promoted in various is responsible an already broken quarters now for system. Rape has an for her generations. This alarmingly low rate own sexual rhetoric is always of reporting to the disappointing, but police force. It also assault.” perhaps it is worse has an alarmingly when it comes from low conviction somebody like rate. Yet the Hynde, a highly successful woman damaging and misogynistic who herself has experienced sexual rhetoric espoused by people like assault. It is perhaps even more Hynde makes life even harder for disappointing – and indicative of survivors of rape who may want to the culture that we live in – that come forward and seek justice.

Hynde has been made to feel that Hynde’s comments perpetuate the she is responsible for her own sexual idea that only “modestly” dressed assault, and that other women women can be raped without holding should also take responsibility culpability for the crime, but it for their attackers’ actions. also stresses another idea: that the Coupled with her disappointing crime is not always a crime. There stance on responsibility is that are clauses to be considered before Hynde’s comments ignore the fact culpability can be assigned. that in most cases, the attacker is It is no wonder that our society known to the victim. The Rape Crisis heaps these expectations upon

women. We live in an intensely patriarchal society that values male power and is insistent upon subjugating women to peripheral roles. Society in the western world is now mostly clear that rape is wrong. It is also clear on the fact that unmitigated violence is wrong.

When talking about rape, however, the landscape changes. Somehow, sexual violence is seen as being more complex. While it is seen as wrong on the part of the attacker, it is also accompanied by damaging rhetoric that attempts to clarify to what extent the victim was to blame. This is tied up in misguided, patriarchal and misogynistic ideas about female purity, and male inability to prevent themselves from committing sexual assaults. These ideas are damaging to both men and women.

This is why these questions are asked of women who experience sexual violence. It is part of a reluctance on the part of all of our men and women to admit that rape is always the fault of the perpetrator.

Hynde has attempted to complicate the parameters of culpability in this crime, but her attempts are misguided and incredibly dangerous. Responsibility for the crime should only rest with the perpetrator, and nobody else – and most certainly not with the victim.

Gaeilge

Cén dearcadh atá againn ar teifigh?

Lé Fiona McGowan CHONIACEAMAR uilig an pictúir uafásach an t-seactain seo de chorp buachail beag Síreach a bádh amach ó chosta an Tuirc.

Aylan Kurdi arbh ainm dó. Thug a theaghlach aghaidh ar an nGréig chun ealú ón bhforéigean i Siria; turas farraige dainséarach.

Ach faraor, chríochnaigh an turas sin le bás an pháiste, a dheartháir agus a mháithair.

Siombail nua is ea é an buachail neamhchiontach sin, iomhá scannalach a tharraing aird ar ghéarchéim na dteifeach sa Meánoirthear. Dúirt an rialtas Gearmánach go nglacfaidh siad le 800,000 teifigh agus dualgais ar

thíortha eile iarracht a dhéanamh.

Dúirt Enda Kenny an tseactain seo caite go mbeidh Eirinn ábálta níos mó teifigh a ghlacadh - thart ar 1,800.

Ach tá an líon atá ag teastáil i bhfad níos mó fós. Dár leis an Aire Gnóthaí Baile Ostarach, Johanna Mikl-Leitner, caithfidh an tAontas Eorpach ar fad plean fúinteach a chur i bhfeidhm láithreach bonn.

Tá na tíortha sa Meánoirthear thart ar Siria, mar shampla, faoi ualach uafásach ag líon mór teifeach, agus níl na hacmhainní acu le déileáil leis. Mar thoradh, tá Éireannaigh ag tairiscint seomraí ina dtithe, usáid tithe saoire, eadaí, bia agus airgead.

Is mar gheall ar mí-eagar

pholáitiúil agus eacnamaíochta atá ar na teaghlaigh seo éalú. Tá na céadta i mbaol gach lá, ag súil le saol níos fearr a bhaint amach san Aontas Eorpach. Tá a bhformhór acu ag ealú ón ngrúpa ISIS, dream atá freagrach as dúnmharuithe agus ionsaithe lá i ndiadh lae. Tá an géarchéim dhaonna agus an t-imirce chomh dona anois agus a bhí ag deireadh an Dara Cogadh Domhanda.

Cén fáth, mar sin, a bhfuil a léithidí UKIP i gcoinne an imirce seo? Dúirt Nigel Farage, ceannaire UKIP, nach bhfuil ins 95% de na daoine seo ach “imircigh eacnamaíoch” – is daoine “santach” iad – agus tá siad sa tóir ar shaol

an mhada bháin san Eoraip!

Is ráiméas é seo; de réir le ‘Amnesty International’ tá leath de dhaonra na Siria díláithrithe – sin cheithre mhilliún duine, paistí agus sean-daoine gan dídéan. Níl aon rogha eile ach imirce ag na daoine seo. Anuas ar sin, phóstáil iar-bhall d’UKIP ar Twitter go bhfuair Aylan Kurdi bás mar gheall ar saint a thuismitheoirí!

Tá daoine ar buile faoin ionsaí gránna seo, go hairithe tar éis an scannal i gCalais na Fraince.

Caithfidh daoine na hÉireann gniomhú ar son muintir Siria. Ar theorainn na hEorapa faoi láthair, tá na híomhanna ar nós an Gorta

Mór. Ba ré dorcha inár stair é an imirce éigeantach, ach is feidir linn cuidiú le cursaí mar atá sa Meánoirthear faoi lathair.

Dúirt an t-Uachtarán Micheal D. Higgins go gcreideann sé go bhfuil Éireannaigh ag iarraidh a gcion féin a dhéanamh le dul i dtreo réiteach a fháil. Ba cheart d’Eirinn a bheith ina thearmann; oileán suaimhneach do dhaoine nach bhfuil aon áit eile acu le cur futhu.

Síreach = Syrian Cinniúnach: fateful Neamhchiontach: innocent ghéarchéim na dteifeach: refugee crisis teifigh: refugees

Radharc ón dTúr Uisce

Úps! – Ceacht Beag

Lé Síofra Ní Shluaghadháin

Lé Déonna McLaughlin

TÁ FIOS again go léir faoin cás gruama atá roimh éinne atá ag lorg lóistín i mBáile Átha Cliath. Tá cuma ar an scéal gur chuma cén áit ina bhfuil tú, is deacair áit conaíthe a aimsiú i lathair na huaire.

Nó an bhfuil?

Tá ráiteas tar éis teacht chugainn go luath ón lucht atá i mbun arás conaíthe a cur ar fáil anseo ar champas. Déa scéal atá ann, dár linne, agus tá seans go n-athróidh sé an staid ina mhaireann mic léinn ar fud Báile Átha Cliath.

Dár leis an ráiteas seo, tá níos mó leapa a cur ar fáil i mBelfield, ag tosú an tseachtain

seo chugainn, suas le 500, má théann an plean seo ar aghaidh.

Ach cá háit a cuirfidh siad lóistín ar fáil don oiread sin daoine? Níl arás conaíthe nua a thógáil ar campas faoi láthair…

Is é atá ag croí lár an plean radaiceach seo nó an spas atá ar fáil inár ollscoil a cur in úsáid. Faoin scéim nua, beidh lóistín difríula ar fáil, ag toiseacht leis an rogha is saora – Mala Codlata i Léachtlann L (tusa agus 300 daoine eile!)! Leis an seoladh poist inmháite seo, beidh fáil éasca ag mic léinn na hÉalíona ar léachtanna – anois ní bhéidh leiscéal agat bheith mall do ranganna

ar maidín! (Bhuel, seachas mas innéaltóir thú, nó tréidlia, nó ailtire… tá turas fada agaibh cibé a tharlíonn!)

Munar mhaith leat a bheith muscailte gach maidín don chéad léacht ag a naoi, tá liosta rogha agat. Do phraghas níos aired, is féidir leat pobal a fháil ar cíos agus é a cur in áirde cibé áit is féidir leat (Beidh cíos €20 breise ar spásanna thart ar na locha).

Ach, is é buaicphóinte an liosta seo nó na leapaí singil… iad siúd atá ar fáil sna tolláin faoi Áras Newman!

Ní glacann an University Observer aon freagracht as ucht cruinneas ná fírinne an talt seo.

BHUEL, déanaimid uilig botún inár saol. Ach ar a laghad, is féidir a rá nach ndearna éinne againn botún comh amaideach is a rinne an comhlacht IRA. Is comhlacht IRA é, comhlacht le droch acrainm, a sheasann do Impact Reduction Apparel. Is féidir admháil nach ndearna an comhlacht seo taighde róchúramach agus iad ag roghnú acrainm.

Dá chuardaigh siad IRA ar an idirlíne roimh ré, bhéadh a fhios acu úsaid a bhaint as. I ndairíre roimh úsáideann tú acrainm ná ainm ar bith ba choir duit seiceáil ar dtús, tá seans ann go bhfuil an acrainm úsáidte ag comhlacht eile. Sa chúis seo ní raibh an acrainm úsáidte ag comhlacht eile, bhí sé i

bhfad níos measa, bhí sé úsáidte ag grúpa sceimhlitheora.

Nuair a chuir na Rubberbandits ceist ar an comhlacht seo trí twitter, thug daoine ón Eoraip faoi deara cén ainm a bhí ar an comhlacht seo. Rinne na Rubberbandits magadh faoi t-ainm an comhlacht, ag chuir cheisteanna mar ‘an bhfuil rud ar bith agat i bPaisley’?

Bhí ar an comhlacht ráiteas a chur ar twitter ag rá nach raibh siad cleamhnaithe leis an grúpa sceimhlitheora, gur chomhlacht iad deanann tairgí le cineál clárscátáiltí sábhailte.

Má glacann tú rud ar bith ón t-alt

seo nó ba choir duit seiceáil má tá stair ar bith l’ainm nó acrainm roimh baineann tú úsáid as. Nó beidh seans ann go dtarlaíodh rud éigin mar seo duit!

Saol na nGael Lé Déonna McLaughlin

Tá an-chuid rudaí ar siúil ag tús an semesteir seo i dtaobh Saol na nGael. Tá imeachtaí ar siúl ag Tradsoc, Bord na Gaeilge agus gan dabht ar bith beidh imeachaí ar siúl ag an Cumann Gaelach.

Tá ranganna Gaeilge ar siúl ag bord na Gaeilge do gach leibheal tuisceanna. Tá costas orthu go leir ach amhain na ranganna atá ar súil do mhic léinn idir naisiúnta. Comh maith le sin tá ranganna ioga trí Ghaeilge ar bhun acu ar feadh ocht seachtainne. Má tá suim agat i rang ar bith is feidir clarú ar suíomh Bord na Gaeilge (www.ucd.ie/bnag) Mar is gnáth, beidh céilithe, craic agus ceol ar siúl ag Tradsoc.

Atosaíonn na seisiúin ceol ar an Mháirt, an 8ú Mean Fomháir i bhforhalla Larionad na Mac léinn ó 7i.n go dtí 10i.n. agus gach uile Dé Mairt i dhiadh. Comh maith le na seisiúin ceol i COBÁC tá Tradsoc

ag éagrú seisiun ceol lasmuigh den champus i dteach tabhairne mór le rá fá choinne an cheoil tradisiúnta, Davitts. Beidh an chéad séisiun ceol i Davitts ar siul ar an Déardaoin de seachtain na bhfreisúir. Tósóidh an cheol ag 9.30i.n agus leanfaidh sé ar aghaidh go dtí go bhfuil an ceol go léir spionta. Comh maith le sin tá Tradsoc i rith éagrú ceadáil éagsúile agus ceolchoirme ag tús an seimesteir. Má bhfuil suim agat in aon rud beidh cinnte le seiceail suímh greasan (http://www.tradsocucd.ie/) De gnath bíonn an-chuid imeachtaí ar siúl ag an Cumann Gaelach. Ní bhfuaireas ráiteas uathu faoi am phriosa, ach ba choir dul chuig síomh idirlíne s’acu chun níos mó eolas a fháil. (http:// www.cumanngaelach.com/) Gluais: Tuisceana – Comprehension/ understanding

Lasmuigh - Outside Spionta - Spent Ceadal/Ceadail - Recital Bailchríoch – Culmination, perfect finish

Photo: Joanna O’Malley

september 15th 2015

features

Ireland’s Environment and the Fight for our planet Billy Vaughan looks at the upcoming Environment Ireland Conference

Photo: desdemona despair

THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY and The Department of Environment, Community & Local Government will jointly host the 11th Environment Ireland Conference on Wednesday the 16th of September. It is an opportunity for policy experts from Ireland and beyond to discuss new ideas and find new ways of creating a clearer, more modern, environmental policy. The programme is varied and includes speeches from environmental ministers to environmentallyorientated exhibitions. Subjects range from “community engagement for a low carbon Ireland” to the topical “sustainable water management”.

The Environment Ireland Conference aims to be a gathering of innovators and academics from across the discipline. They are committed to the noble task of helping our planet and by extension, its people.

While sustaining the environment sounds like a noble pursuit and one most Irish people support, it is far from the top of the agenda of any major political party. In spite of this however, there is overwhelming evidence that the

Irish public is fully aware of the problems we face environmentally.

Dr. Constantine Boussalis, Assistant Professor of Political Science at Trinity College, confirms that the Irish people are some of the most environmentally aware in Europe.

He points to a 2008 Gallup poll which states that 64% of Irish people believe global warming is man-made.

“While this may seem low, I would say that Ireland is among the leaders in public acceptance of climate science if one takes into account the public opinion of other major European countries.” In France the figure is 63%, while in the UK only 48% believe climate change is man-made.

He also points out how, unlike other countries, there is cross party consensus on environmental issues here. “There is reason to believe that Ireland is unique in how united the political landscape is with respect to environmental issues”.

He points to a recent paper which finds that parties and voters across the political spectrum are in favour of environmental protection. It’s easy to see how the Irish political landscape could be fertile ground for environmental progress. In contrast

Photo: WIKIPEDIA

to places such as the United States, Ireland has largely accepted climate change as fact, and the debate has moved on to the issue of stopping it.

Unlike many countries, it is largely agreed in Ireland that something should be done about the environment. However the question lies in what specifically should be done, and how much weight it carries against other political issues, is where opinions begin to diverge. This is where the optimism falls a little flat, claims Dr. Brendan Flynn, Political Science Lecturer at NUIG: “In general environmental issues have a relatively low salience”. He explains that due to our uniquely local electoral system, environmental concerns take a back seat to issues like jobs and water charges. An initial search of the policy pages of every major Irish political party did not reveal any

links to an environmental section.

While everyone agrees something should be done, it would appear the question of what to do prompts a shrug of the shoulders. As Dr. Flynn points out, the Irish public want schools and hospitals from their TDs, and “all of this is very far away from climate change”.

Another obstacle faced by the environmental lobby is that of economic interests, and more importantly, the agriculture industry. Agriculture is the largest sectoral source of CO2 emissions in Ireland, so needless to say some have made a case for restrictions on its polluting activities. But the government is more cautious. The Irish government will support the industry that is proven to provide jobs and is essential to the economy, but ultimately will prefer it over the relatively unproven path

of environmental rectitude. Dr. for new wind farms and electric cars Boussalis finds that “the major have met with resistance and failure. issue for policymakers is how to Environmental issues have always balance commitments to carbon struggled against apathy and cuts with support for agriculture”. economic supremacy. The question The agriculture industry is “a is are environmental conferences, large and growing sector in Ireland such as the upcoming one on the . . . it is no surprise that there will 16th, merely a talk-shop or a genuine be hesitation to tackle emissions tool for change? Dr Flynn falls into beyond what is set at the EU level”. the latter camp. “I think conferences It is telling that the government’s like this are a good thing, I would not new Climate Action and Low be critical at all of it”. He mentions Carbon Development Bill, set to that we need “more debate” on our come out around the same time policies, with the aim of improving as the conference, contains no set the significance of environmental targets. According to Dr. Flynn, it issues. Perhaps, in a world where is “still dodging a lot of thorny the hole in the road trumps the hole problems which we have not managed in the ozone layer, places like the really well”. He gives Denmark Environment Ireland Conference as an example of a country where provide a refuge for people who politicians decided to “push further” want a different kind of change. and “set goals of getting close to 100% renewables”. He compares this to Ireland, where ambitious projects

“While sustaining the environment sounds like a noble pursuit and one most Irish people support, it is far from the top of the agenda of any major political party.”

Sinn Féin and the IRA: the political implications of murder With murders in Northern Ireland being linked to the Provisional IRA and Sinn Féin, Sorcha Doyle examines the political implications of recent events IN RECENT WEEKS Northern Ireland has been shook with the murders of Gerard ‘Jock’ Davison and Kevin McGuigan. Davison, former Commander of the Provisional Irish Republican Army, was shot dead on May 5th 2015.

The criminal investigation into the murder of Robert McCartney had taken Davison in for questioning, but he was later released with no formal charges made. The murder of Robert McCartney ten years ago never produced full justice for the McCartney family or the community of Belfast. In light of Davison’s murder, the McCartney family have stated on RTÉ Radio One that they feel a “weight has been lifted” from their shoulders.

Kevin McGuigan, formerly a member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) himself,

statement. Both Junior and Senior PSNI officers have made conflicting statements about the involvement of the IRA and have questioned thirteen people in relation to the McGuigan murder. On September 9th, Bobby Storey, prominent leader in Sinn Féin was arrested in relation to the murder along with two other men, Eddie Copeland and Brian Gillen. All three were released the following day.

Gerry Adams, president of Sinn Féin, has said “The killing of Kevin McGuigan was wrong and those who were involved in it are criminals who do not represent republicanism.”

Adams urged any witnesses to come forward and asked for anyone involved in using violent means as an act of Republicanism to cease their efforts and join Sinn Féin to take part in a more progressive, peaceful means of achieving republican ideals.

Martin McGuinness, deputy leader of Sinn Féin, has described those involved in these murders as “enemies of the peace process” and added that “I was surprised to learn about the arrest… our sixcounty party chair Bobby Storey, he is a valued member of Sinn Féin’s core leadership. He has played a leading role in the development of Sinn Féin’s peace strategy and is a long standing and loyal supporter, defender and advocate of the peace and political processes.”

Historically speaking, Sinn Féin has always been consciously known as the political left arm of the IRA due to the overlapping of some of their prominent figures. Gerry Adams has repeatedly denied his

“the power sharing institutions are on the edge of a precipice” was understood by the PIRA to be the man behind Davison’s murder.

Republicans from the area have come forward to say that in the early 2000s McGuigan was shot in the kneecaps following numerous murders he had conducted for PIRA. McGuigan, having since left the PIRA, personally believed this violent act against him to be a result of the PIRA scapegoating him since the fallout, and was believed to have held a long grudge against them.

The PSNI have been conducting an investigation into McGuigan’s murder but have yet to release any 8 september 15th 2015

involvement with PIRA, but many authors and historians still mark him as one of the key players in IRA leadership since the 1970s. Former IRA members have testified that not only did they witness Adams in IRA meetings but that he was a core player. Martin McGuiness, deputy leader of Sinn Féin has spoken openly about his work in PIRA, claiming he left the organisation in 1974.

There is clear overlap between the members of IRA and Sinn Féin. However, John Brady, Sinn Féin’s Councillor for Bray is adamant, like most Sinn Féin politicians, that the association between the IRA and Sinn Féin in the present day is nothing more than a smear campaign. John Brady has openly spoken about how the latest accusations are affecting Sinn Féin south of the border.

According to Brady, “Sinn Féin are purely committed to peaceful means but having said that, there may be individuals who are former members of the IRA acting independently… the same as there could be former members of any politically motivated organisation, such as Fianna Fail or An Garda Síochana that could be involved in criminal activity.”

Sinn Féin are adamant that the IRA no longer exists as an organisation and that the actions of one individual should not be considered relevant to the Sinn Féin of today, the only Republican organisation in the country.

The arrest of Belfast politician Bobby Storey has been described by Sinn Féin politicians as being part of a bigger political agenda, one which is trying to paint Sinn Féin with a brush of criminality. Adams criticised those who have used the murder as “a deliberate effort to undermine

Sinn Féin’s mandate.” Republicans have claimed that unionists are using the controversy to get ahead on the polls for elections next year.

In the coming months Sinn Féin will be setting out their election manifesto and a range of detailed, costed policies known as ‘the fair recovery programme’. The document sets out the priorities of the party and is designed specifically to encourage debate about the future, the country and the society we live in.

The recent murders in Northern Ireland and their link to the IRA has not only damaged Sinn Féin’s reputation, but could potentially, undermine the peace process. The decision of the First Minister of Northern Ireland and Leader of the pro-British DUP party Peter Robinson to resign on Friday could also potentially lead to a collapse in power sharing.

Irish Foreign Minister Charlie Flanagan has said “the powersharing institutions are on the edge of the precipice… I urge Northern Ireland’s political leaders to take a step back and consider the gains achieved over recent years, the benefits to the people of Northern Ireland and what is now at stake.”

“Sinn Féin are adamant that the IRA no longer exists as an organisation and that the actions of one individual should not be considered relevant to the Sinn Féin of today”

THE ROUTE TO RECOGNITION

features

Gaining recognition as a society in UCD can be a difficult and long process. Eithne Dodd breaks down the procedure

THERE ARE CURRENTLY over 70 societies active on campus and there will be three newly recognised societies at the freshers’ tent this week: Harry Potter Society took a number of years to be recognised, and the Horticultural Society and the Sinn Fein Society have been re-recognised.

For those students that have been, or are currently involved in the process of gaining society recognition, the process is considered long and requires a serious commitment on the part of the students.

In order to gain society recognition the students interested in setting up a society must talk to Liz Cronin from the Student Forum Office, Eoghan Murphy, Chair of the Societies Council or Richard Butler, the Societies Officer. They will discuss the student’s idea for a society and ensure it meets certain criteria and standards. “When you want to create a society you essentially need to ask permission off the university to use the university’s name in an official or semi-official capacity”, says Eoghan Murphy, Chair of the Societies’ Council. “Student societies are student run groups, they’re student focused groups everything about them is students . . . so the students need to champion it through the process.”

According to Murphy, hundreds of students a year would ask him if they have a viable idea for a society. “That could be as simple as a Facebook message, it could be a very quick email that says this is an idea that we have. Sometimes it’s people coming in the door, sometimes it’s people that you meet as you walk around the campus . . . eventually they’ll all land here at some point and the question will be ‘we’d like to set up a society’. .. not all hundreds would get to application stage.”

In the past, if the society’s application has been accepted, the society was invited to attend a meeting, in which the society makes its case for recognition. For the Sinn Féin society, the meeting lasted between 30 and 40 minutes and was made up of a range of academics and student representatives. Sinn Féin Society auditor, Eoghan Ó

Donnchú, said: “It was like two of us and 15 – 20 of them around a board.” Prospective societies are informed very quickly after the meeting whether or not they’ve been successful. Currently however the process of gaining society status is changing due to changes in the University Management Team (UMT).

“Following an academic council shakeup across the board and across the university last year, this (student societies) was deemed to be a non-academic activity,” says Chair of the Societies Council, Eoghan Murphy. “Academic council moved the recognition of student societies . . . under UMT. UMT have moved all of those activities into the UMT student experience group. Student experience group have moved everything back under the student consultative forum. So now, the student consultative forum have given us the OK to go ahead and essentially come up with a new policy and a new procedure around the recognition of student societies.”

“We would hope to have it finalised and the first meeting of the committee held pre-Christmas” says Eoghan. “Which would hopefully put us on a meeting for approval for a new society group immediately after the Christmas break.”

Although the recognition process is currently under review, there are still five parts to the written application.

Each prospective society needs to submit a constitution, a mission statement, a list of objectives, a list of ideas for events for a semester and a list of student numbers and signatures who would be supportive of the idea of creating such a society.

Where societies differ greatly is on how they found the application procedure. Acting Auditor of Food Society, Tarik Shamoun, who submitted his application in April of this year said “it wasn’t all that complicated.” On the other hand, Sinn Féin submitted their application a year ago and their auditor, Eoghan said, that the process was somewhat laborious, and often difficult to understand. He notes that “by the end of the process we understood the importance of it”.

THE L&H PARTICIPATING IN THE IRISH TIMES DEBATING COMPETITION photo: JOANNA O’MALLEY

Although most of the students found the process of setting up a society long and difficult, they all were very positive about the help they received from the societies’ officer and Societies’ Council. Eva Ziggiotto, auditor of the Horticultural Society said: “Liz in the Student Forum was definitely a key person in our application. She has supported us from the very beginning when we were still putting our Society Plan and forms together.” Sinn Féin Society also noted that Eoghan has been extremely helpful.

Societies currently seeking recognition such as Food Society and Disney Society were also very positive about the help they have received from UCD staff. Disney Society said: “the Societies’ Council has been quite helpful in telling us what was required.” Food Society noted that Richard Butler, the

a little bit more streamlined and will head of the Societies’ Council was also very helpful. “He was . . . very automatically tie into the functions of student society land [sic]. “ blunt at the first draft of our year plan but in doing that he pointed out a lot of holes that we had…

It was constructive criticism.”

When asked overall how they had found the process of establishing a society, Food Society commented that the process was challenging.

“Initially it was a nightmare…If you’re not 100 per cent dedicated to get it done, it’s very easy to just peter out,” they said. Murphy admitted that “it was quite work heavy to get a society recognised up until now.”

Following the changes to the society recognition process, which should be finalised before semester two, it is hoped that the process will become more transparent. Murphy said: “We are hoping that now that we’ve taken it into the Societies Council hopefully all of that process will be

The Accommodation Crunch: A human perspective Owen Steinberger talks to Erasmus student Felix Eckstein about his battle to find accommodation Demand has outpaced supply in Dublin’s housing market and the search for student accommodation has turned from difficult to nearly impossible. As long ago as this time last year, students have been struggling to find places to stay: ‘Independent.ie’ raised an alarm in late August of 2014, citing circumstances in which many students had to commit to excessive commutes from as far away as Clare, Cork, and Galway. In the most dire of cases, some students were forced to defer their college place altogether, due to a lack of accommodation options. Since then, the unmet demand for student-ready beds has grown to 25,000, according to the recent HEA Report on Student Accommodation. The severity of the issue has reached new heights.

When Felix Eckstein, a 28 year old student at UCD on Erasmus, started hunting online for housing in Dublin, he learned that he couldn’t apply for any on-campus accommodation options. This is due to the fact that he is a single-semester student from within the European Union. He regularly checked Facebook groups for any housing opportunities, including ‘The Ideal Flatmate’ and ‘Rent In Dublin’. These sites repeatedly showed Felix the frustrated comments of students unable to find any place to live. He recalls

for accommodations allows owners to be particular, so many require that they see the occupant for an interview before letting, or, as Felix recalls from his search, qualify what gender or nationality their tenants can be. This can drastically reduce the number of options available to any given student, and can make travel from another country a risky decision.

Luckily for Felix, he left for Ireland after working in a professional environment for several years, which made his inquiries more appealing than those of the average student.

He sent out as many emails as he could and loaded them with creative, charming anecdotes tailored to the individual owner, and scheduled five interviews where he would be assessed and compared to other potential renters. He should be moving out of the hostel in just under a week, into an apartment that costs €2,000 for the three month stay. But the typical student, who lacks that experience or ingenuity, might not find somewhere as quickly, or at all.

David Burns, the Student Union’s Communications and Research Assistant, describes the current housing situation succinctly: “Today pretty much sucks.” Helping to open up more options for students is David’s priority, and he aims to deal with the pressing issues of today, not to look for long-term

ROEBUCK RESIDENCES photo: JAMES HEALY

no competing in the general housing market. As a potential solution, David and the Student Union are working with companies like Daft.ie, as well as with the Irish government, to carve out a spot for UCD in the digs market. “Young professionals won’t live with a family,” David says, “but

Alan Kelly, and that they have received a budget for advertising student housing opportunities to local families. These remain small steps, but they are meaningful ones.

David encourages students to actively check all UCD-specific Facebook pages, and to seriously consider digs, as “there are not that many other options.”

The University Management Team at UCD is focusing on securing long-term solutions. The school is making motions to build more student accommodations, anticipating the projected 11,500 increase in students over the next 10 years detailed in the recent HEA report. In order to pay for the expansion, UCD is raising the price of existing on-campus housing, with Glenomena in particular rising to €7,347 for a year (without

“Left with few options, Felix came to Ireland and stayed in a Dublin hostel, and continued his search from there” speaking to other students online, who frequently described the student housing situation as “desperate.”

Left with few options, Felix came to Ireland and stayed in a Dublin hostel, and continued his search from there.

“Most places will not consider you unless you will meet them in person,” says Felix, explaining why he arrived without a location already chosen.

The heightened amount of demand

solutions. “It’s about taking care of the very real emergency situation,” he says, “as opposed to talking about a better tomorrow.” David says that there’s little that can be done about the underlying housing shortage, as “most of the demand comes from young families and young professionals,” leaving students “at the very bottom of the list.”

On a student’s budget, there’s simply

students will, so that’s the one area of the market [in which] students face no competition.”

Daft.ie has already created a separate student housing section, in which UCD is prominently featured, and the Student Union is making sure that they tighten up their search parameters to clear out incorrect or misleading offers. David says they have been in contact with Minister

utilities), an increase of over €1,000.

David sees this decision as problematic, saying that “students who go through residences for the next few years won’t see the benefits of their money.” The Student Union have been pressing UCD for their financial model for development, looking to determine if funding for construction can be acquired without raising rates. They have been met with refusal thus far.

“They can’t even meet us there,” says David, clearly frustrated.

UCD has remained silent on the issue of housing, even while its students give up on going to college because of skyrocketing rates or impossible commutes. Silence begets silence. UCD needs to work with its students, not against them, to ensure that this crisis is handled properly. This is not to say that future concerns are not worth addressing, but a focus on the long-term is

nothing without care for today.

“UCD needs to work with its students, not against them, to ensure that this crisis is handled properly.”

september 15th 2015

features

The Refugee Crisis: the facts and the fiction The European migration crisis is the worst to hit Europe since World War Two. Róisín O’Mara separates the facts from the fiction YOU’RE RUNNING for your life.

The United Nations Commission for You’ve left behind everything, your Refugees will define a refugee as: “A home, your family, and all worldly person who, owing to a well-founded possessions bar what you’ve managed to fear of being persecuted for reasons pack in the bag you’ve brought. Maybe of race, religion, nationality, memberyou’ve brought children with you in the ship of a particular social group hope of giving them the chance of a or political opinion, is outside the better life than they had at home. After country of his nationality, and is traversing deserts and plains for days, unable to, or owing to such fear, is you reach the Mediterranean, where unwilling to avail himself of the you pay huge amounts to smugglers to protection of that country.” The get you to Europe. The boat isn’t quite same organisation describes an as expected. There’s no shelter, no economic migrant as “a person who sanitation, you’re packed in the boat travels from one country to another like sardines. It’s leaky and could sink to improve their standard of living.” at any moment. Maybe you’ll become While the mass movement is being one of the countless people who lose described as a ‘Migrant Crisis’, the their lives attempting to cross the sea. rationale offered for traversing the sea Maybe you’ll make it to Europe and by people who survive the crossing try forge your way to a country where are rarely purely for monetary gain, you can work and support your family. but rather they’re running from This year thousands of refugees persecution, or from unimaginably have fled their homes, bringing with dangerous conditions. By august 2015 them only their families and whatever seventy percent of people arriving in they can carry on their backs. They Europe via the Mediterranean hail flee because their home country is no from Syria, Eritrea and Afghanistan, longer safe for them or their loved ones. countries torn apart by brutal wars, These refugees, from countries such as is the case is Syria, or life under as Syria, Afghanistan and Somalia, oppressive regimes, as experiences by have walked for hundreds or even those living in Eritrea. They almost thousands of miles in order to reach the always have a legal right to seek Mediterranean Sea. Once here they pay refugee status in another country. exorbitant amounts of money to illegal They don’t want to leave their home smugglers to ferry them across the sea and country, they didn’t have a choice. to Europe. As more and more people The International Organisation reach European shores, the EU wrestles for Migration estimates that over over what to do about the refugee crisis. 3,279 people lost their lives while While the mass movement is being attempting a Mediterranean Sea described as a “migrant crisis”, the crossing in 2014. This number is rationale offered for traversing the sea set to rise in 2015. As of September by people who survive the crossing are 3rd, 2701 people have died this rarely purely for monetary gain. Rather year while attempting a crossing. they’re running from persecution, or The mass movement of people has from unimaginably dangerous condibecome quite a lucrative business tions. By August 2015, 70% of people for smugglers, who will charge arriving in Europe via the Mediterextortionate amounts of money to offer ranean were from Syria, Eritrea and Af- a sea crossing into Europe. Often ghanistan. All three of these countries the smugglers only have interests are currently either being torn apart in maximising their profits, not in by brutal wars or oppressive regimes. ensuring safe passage to Europe.

They almost always have a legal right to As a result, overcrowding and poor seek refugee status in another country. sanitation is all too common. The Those attempting to enter Europe medical organisation, Medicines sans have been described as both migrants Frontier (MSF), have long been a and refugees, as the terms are often driving force in attempting to improve used interchangeably and incorrectly. conditions for refugees and migrants.

A Syrian refugee holds a baby in an Bulgarian refugee cam photo: Nikolay Doychinova

They are are giving aid to refugees as they attempt to reach Europe and upon their primary reception in places like Greece and Italy. There are very few safe, legal channels people can take to reach protection and safety and MSF is critical of this. The organisation suggests that ”People need safe and legal ways to seek asylum and migrate… Search and rescue is not in itself a solution – people will continue to risk their lives in the hands of smugglers as long as there are no safe alternatives.”

Europe has long been viewed as a beacon of prosperity and tolerance, but the continent’s response to the issue of migration can easily be seen as lacking. MSF stated that “European countries are only accepting a small share of the total number of displaced.

Most of the world’s displaced people live elsewhere in their home countries or in those that surround it, relatively few are granted asylum elsewhere.”

The public outcry that resulted

following the publication of images of Aylan Kurdi, a two year old Syrian toddler who drowned and was washed onto a Turkish beach, has spurred action from European Governments. The German government has stated that there is no upper limit to how many refugees they will take. Here in Ireland, we have increased the number of refugees we’ve pledged to taking from 600 to 4000, over six times the original amount. But this increase is not without its opponents. Some people make the argument that charity should begin at home, and that the government should tackle issues of homelessness and poverty here before concentrating our efforts elsewhere.

Brian Collins of the Irish Refugee Council acknowledges that they are both contentious issues, but that they are both separate. “The issue of homelessness should be dealt with by the government, but it should not detract from the

refuge crises faced at present.”

Although unclear at present, it has been suggested that refugees from Syria would enter into a ‘fast-track’ asylum process, minimising the time spent in Direct Provision and allowing the refugees to integrate into our communities and society.

Collins suggests that “One of the biggest things you can do is let them know that they’re welcome, and that they’re safe here.” He also suggests using social media to keep up to date with events and supplies drives happening around the country, and to regularly check the Irish Refugee Council website for updates.

We market ourselves so aggressively as “the land of a thousand welcomes”, practically shouting “céad mille fáilte” from our shores. Many Irish citizens have stated that they would offer a room and board for refugees in their own homes. Irish tradespeople have offered to train refugees so that they have a craft and

will be able to find work. But where is the Ireland of a thousand welcomes for the men, women and children who have not been relocated and need it?

Although Ireland has accepted 4,000 people, it is a drop in the ocean when held against the huge scale of the issue. Compassion for refugees and migrants isn’t enough; what is needed is real and definite action to add to the alleviation of human suffering.

The current refugee crisis in Europe is the biggest migration of people since World War Two. People are risking their lives trying to reach a safer and better life in Europe. One need only think about how atrocious conditions in the refugee’s country of origin must be if they feel that their best chance of life is to attempt a sea crossing fraught with danger. No human should have to suffer when the resources exist to prevent it. While the refugees may not be Irish or European, they are humans. And that should certainly count for something.

Do you care enough to read this article?

Conall Cahill examines whether the preconception of student apathy is true in UCD There is a preconception that students care very little about what happens outside of their immediate circle. Disasters can be easily scrolled away from on Facebook or forgotten after the news has ended. As UCD buzzes with the start of a new college year and its students glow from a summer spent away from exams and essay deadlines, it is difficult to tell whether or not the local, national and global problems of today even cross their minds. While some believe apathy among students is a growing problems, others argue that it isn’t even an issue.

Cian Byrne, Student Union Campaigns and Communications Officer for the coming year, strongly refutes any notion that students are unaware of wider world issues. He reveals that he has witnessed “a huge volume of people looking to do something about the refugee crisis” in recent days. He also points to the “thousands” who came out in support of the Marriage Equality referendum, some of whom “spent a lot of money returning from overseas just to participate in that political chapter.”

Byrne sees this as evidence that students are both conscious of, and actively trying to affect, social and global problems.

Byrne also uses the poignant example of the aftermath of the Berkeley tragedy to underline the empathic capacity of UCD students who organised fundraisers and attended vigils and memorial services in the wake of the accident.

A society highly involved in student concerns about the plight of others is UCD’s Saint Vincent de Paul Society.

The society’s secretary, Ause AbdelhaqBraike, is frustrated at what he calls students’ “apathetic” attitudes, even around issues that affect them. He was bemused at their reaction (or lack thereof) to the current housing difficulties that students, especially those at UCD, face today: “How many students do you think have written to the Dublin City Council? They’re charging us upwards of €600/€700 a month to live. But what are we doing? We just sit around

and say, ‘Oh, what can you do?’”

Abdelhaq-Braike is of the view that while students “are educated” and “know what’s going on”, they “don’t see that they can make a difference… that if all students came together for one cause… there’s nothing in this country that we couldn’t change.” He thinks that perhaps students need to see issues up close in order to motivate themselves to act on them, describing how he was motivated to study Social Justice after a trip to India “slapped (him) in the face.”

Conor Rock, auditor of the L&H, feels that it is giving “too much credit” to students to suggest that they distract themselves from global and societal issues. Rock is a believer in student apathy but doesn’t think “there’s any real difference” between this and the apathy of society in general. Rock blames the absence of “a channel” for students to get involved in issues as a reason for their lack of engagement. Rock describes the ‘Yes to Marriage Equality’ campaign in UCD as “wellorganised, well structured… anyone could show up and get involved,” as a reason why there was such high levels of student engagement surrounding the campaign.

Rock also observes that the ease with which students can access information through social media and the Internet has changed the way students interact with news: “As soon as something happens on the other side of the globe, people are tweeting about it”. Rock suggests that the flaw may lie in “the way we interact and use that information,” with people possibly thinking that they have done their ‘bit’ when they share a post or retweet an article about an issue.

This suggests a “disconnect” between people’s desire to spread awareness and the effectiveness of their actions.

However, Rock doesn’t share Abdelhaq-Braike’s view that students

“While some believe apathy among students is a growing problems, others argue that it isn’t even an issue.”

SU SABBATICAL OFFICER CIAN BYRNE photo: JAMES BRADY

“Abdelhaq-Braike is of the view that while students “are educated” and “know what’s going on”, they “don’t see that they can make a difference” 10 september 15th 2015

don’t realise their potential impact on issues: “I think they do... maybe it goes back to an Irish thing, where you’ll complain...and then you’ll just get on with it.” He suggests that “a singular issue” is needed for students to focus on, as occurred during the ‘Marriage Equality’ referendum.

UCD LGBTQ+’s Nathan Young acknowledges that the campaign in UCD around the referendum “shows that people can be politically active and engaged.” However Young also argues that it “doesn’t necessarily prove that people are able to think about issues” that lie outside of their immediate surroundings. The referendum was very much “a campus issue, in the way that international warfare wouldn’t be,” says Young.

Young clarifies the difficulty of getting students to engage in issues that don’t have such an obvious “end law change”. Social issues such as high numbers of young homeless queer people are going to require change that is “going to take longer… there’s probably not going to be a stage where we can say ‘job done’”. “And as a result,” Young says, “people are less interested.”

Father Leon Ó Giolláin, a member of UCD’s chaplaincy team, stresses the huge range of awareness levels that exist among the student body. He makes the point that “you’re going to get a huge spectrum [across UCD]… you will get those who are very aware and those who are hardly aware at all.”

Fr Ó Giolláin is very conscious of something that could reduce students’ ability to think about wider issues.

What he terms “a danger that third level (education) becomes utilitarian… that it’s to give people skills for jobs, for the economy… which betrays the true purpose of university… to give students the freedom, and the space, to think and to develop their own convictions” and therefore to

features

Beginning to Talk: Niall Breslin on mental health

As a discussion on mental health becomes increasingly prevalent in Ireland, Niall Breslin talks to Gráinne Loughran about his new book Me and My Mate Jeffrey, and why he wanted it to put a face on depression Demand has outpaced supply in Dublin’s housing market and the search for student accommodation has turned from difficult to nearly impossible. As long ago as this time last year, students have been struggling to find places to stay: ‘Independent.ie’ raised an alarm in late August of 2014, citing circumstances in which many students had to commit to excessive commutes from as far away as Clare, Cork, and Galway. In the most dire of cases, some students were forced to defer their college place altogether, due to a lack of accommodation options. Since then, the unmet demand for student-ready beds has grown to 25,000, according to the recent HEA Report on Student Accommodation. The severity of the issue has reached new heights.

When Felix Eckstein, a 28 year old student at UCD on Erasmus, started hunting online for housing in Dublin, he learned that he couldn’t apply for any on-campus accommodation options. This is due to the fact that he is a single-semester student from within the European Union. He regularly checked Facebook groups for any housing opportunities, including ‘The Ideal Flatmate’ and ‘Rent In Dublin’. These sites repeatedly showed Felix the frustrated comments of students unable to find any place to live. He recalls speaking to other students online, who frequently described the student housing situation as “desperate.”

Left with few options, Felix came to Ireland and stayed in a Dublin hostel, and continued his search from there.

“Most places will not consider you unless you will meet them in person,” says Felix, explaining why he arrived without a location already chosen.

The heightened amount of demand for accommodations allows owners to be particular, so many require that they see the occupant for an interview before letting, or, as Felix recalls from his search, qualify what gender or nationality their tenants can

a strikingly honest one. “You can’t put bells and whistles on this,” says Breslin. “It’s not Oprah Winfrey, not everything’s going to be okay. It’s as real as I could be. You can’t half write this stuff. If there’s a mother at home who can’t figure out why her daughter’s panic attacks are so bad, she needs to know, she needs to understand how terrifying they can be… We live in a country that is absolutely fucking terrible at showing any form of emotion, they’re allergic to it. And because of that repressed pain for so long, so many people are sick around the country because of it. I got pissed off at it, why are we like that? Why are we robots?”

Breslin struggled with depression and anxiety throughout his teenage and college years. His entry to UCD on a rugby scholarship to those who knew him was a celebration, but he admits that for many years he didn’t feel any sense of pride in his achievements. “People go round and say “you must be so happy”, and I’d be like, I don’t even know what that feels like. People think that that’s a strange thing to say. I do now, but for years I just didn’t.”

It is important for students from UCD and from further afield to be able to recognise when they have a problem. But Breslin also notes how important it is for young people to be able to talk about their issues with their peers not only for their own sake, but for their peers’ as well.

“One of the most emotional things I heard was from a friend of mine when I “came out” [as having suffered with

“Me and My Mate Jeffrey has put not only a recognisable face on the suffering associated with mental illness, but a strikingly honest one.”

mental illness] who I lived with for a while, said, “I was in the other bedroom while you were in your bedroom in agony, in agony as well.” And neither of us ever spoke to each other about it. That type of stuff is really powerful.

You mightn’t be dealing with it, but you don’t know if your flatmate or your sister is in hell. By understanding it and educating yourself you’re going to become a much better support for them.”

There are undoubtedly a great number of students and young people across Ireland suffering with mental health difficulties that have not yet gotten help. As Ireland’s largest university, there must also be a great number of these attending UCD. Breslin’s advice to his eighteen-year-old self about to enter UCD rings true for everyone who has suffered with mental health difficulties in college. “The first thing I’d say is you can’t do it on your own. You can’t, no matter how strong you think you are. You cannot deal with mental illness on your own, you need support.

And support doesn’t make it go away, of course it doesn’t, but it does make it easier. And I think what I would have said to myself in college is, don’t go through it alone. Don’t see it as a weakness in any capacity.

Develop a network of people

that care for you. And just be wary of things in college as well. Adults in general see students and teenagers as their problems not being as big as our problems. And that’s bullshit.”

With all the headway Ireland has made in improving awareness of mental health and illness, there is still a great way to go. The publication of Me and My Mate Jeffrey represents an important step not only in Breslin’s journey, but in our discussion of mental health as a whole in this country. Breslin has built a website which is due for launch in October called www.alustforlife.com, which will be a resource for peoples’ wellness. His ambitions for mental health campaigning don’t stop there, however. “We’ve got to get into our education system,” says Breslin.

“And not just get it into our education system, but prioritise it; it should become number one in the education system. Will that ever happen? – I sincerely don’t think so, but I can only dream that it will at some stage.”

“If there’s a mother at home who can’t figure out why her daughter’s panic attacks are so bad, she needs to know, she needs to understand how terrifying they can be”

Niall Breslin’s book, Me and My Mate Jeffrey is available now. He will also be speaking at Wellfest in Herbert Park, Donnybrook, on Saturday 19th September.

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september 15th 2015

science Aoife Hardesty Science Editor

Talking About Neuronal Communication

air it contains to the outside world.

THE NERVOUS SYSTEM of the Within neurons - and within cells human body is vast and labyrinthine. in general - cell structures are not Nerve cells (called neurons), and just free-floating throughout the the various other types of cells that entirety of the cell. The location and support them, extend throughout movement of cellular structures is the body. Signals from these cells carefully and precisely maintained by can sometimes traverse our bodies internal machinery at speeds of up to other components of cell machinery.

120 metres per second, just to perform A series of events must therefore acts as simple as tapping a foot. Our occur to move a neurotransmitterfilled vesicle to the plasma membrane modern understanding of biology of the synapse, and to then allow the places this complex network at the vesicle to become tethered to the centre of what we think of as our membrane, fuse with it and release its “self”. That is to say, this enormous interconnecting mesh of microscopic contents. The events that ultimately lead to the membrane fusion are cells comprises everything we triggered by the influx of calcium are as people. The entire nervous ions into the synapse. Professor system; the brain, the spinal cord, the nerves in our fingertips that give Südhof discovered how calcium ions cause this effect when he found the us our sense of touch and all the protein known as Synaptotagmin. cells that connect them, are types It was this discovery that led to of neurons. Our understanding of this vast network was, until recently his inclusion in the Nobel Prize.

The action of Synaptotagmin is however, woefully inadequate.

Trying to map out the paths taken similar to other processes found within the human body. The protein by neurons, the main messenger is found at the synapse, attached to carriers in our bodies, is not an inner wall of the plasma membrane. easy task. If it were, we would have completely modelled a brain by now. It is sensitive to levels of calcium ions and interacts with SNARE proteins There is still much that we don’t know. Instead, we have to be content (Soluble NSF Attachment Protein Receptor). SNARE proteins are with little victories which, in recent found on the vesicles that contain years, have contributed greatly to our overall understanding of how this neurotransmitters and on the target membrane and so are complex bodily function operates.

One such victory was the discovery called v-SNAREs (for the vesicles) or t-SNARES (for the targets) of how the neurons in our body accordingly. When calcium ions actually transmit their messages between one another. The steps that enter the synapse, synaptotagmin causes the v-SNAREs and govern this fundamental part of our t-SNAREs to bind together and form bodies function have taken years a SNARE complex. The formation to uncover. It’s hard to believe that of this complex is what causes it’s only in recent years that this the membrane fusion necessary mechanism was finally unearthed. for neurotransmitter release. In It turns out that the process of Professor Südhof’s own words: neuronal cell signalling (called “It’s actually very difficult to synaptic transmission) is caused explain what one discovered because by bio-electrical signal at the understanding a process such as bottom of the neuron. This causes Calcium ions to flood the base of the neurotransmission requires literally thousands of individual discoveries. neuron and this, in turn, initiates So I wouldn’t credit myself with the release of neurotransmitters discovering any particular one thing. which cause the same process to be But my work led to the identification repeated in the following neuron.So and subsequent classification of important was this discovery that the number of molecules that are the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physiology essential to synaptic transmission or Medicine was awarded to the including synaptotagmins.” three scientists credited with Since there are no major discovering it. The recipients were diseases associated with defects James E. Rothman, Randy W. in this particular biological Schekman and Thomas C. Südhof. pathway, one might question the One of the trio, Professor Thomas importance of his research, as Südhof , was in DCU to give a it doesn’t immediately have an public lecture address at NSI’s obvious benefit to human health. recent conference. The University However, this process is key in Observer was lucky enough to get allowing synaptic transmission to an opportunity to speak with the occur and, according to Professor man about his life and work.

Südhof, “synaptic transmission is For those unfamiliar with the fundamental process by which the finer points of his research, neurons in the brain communicate Professor Südhof’s work focuses with each other and everything the on the events within the brain does, absolutely everything, presynaptic neuron that lead to depends on that communication.” the release of neurotransmitters.

It’s easy to see his point.

“My contribution to this problem was to contribute to the understanding Understanding how our body of membrane fusion to, I think, solve communicates with itself on the most fundamental of levels can the question of how membrane only be considered a good thing. fusion is controlled by calcium As for how he ended up where he entering the synapse and to generate a framework of understanding how the presynaptic release machinery is assembled via scaffolding proteins that also recruit calcium channels and, in a nutshell, that is what the Nobel Prize was for,” Professor Südhof says. is today, Professor Südhof studied To put that in layman’s terms, medicine at university, and went on electrical signals travel through to earn a PhD and do some postneurons and when they reach the doctoral research. He decided to synapse (the gap between one pursue a career in research rather neuron and the next) these signals than in clinical medicine, describing trigger calcium channels to open, the choice as having been made: allowing calcium ions to enter the “...relatively late, after I had neuron and kickstart the release of finished my post-doc and the neurotransmitters. At the synapse, choice was to either head my own neurotransmitters are found in lab or go back to clinical medicine enclosed sacs called vesicles. The and at that point I decided to synapse itself is separated from the neuron by the cells plasma membrane, start my own lab instead.”

The choice he made would so in order for neurotransmitters to be released into the synapse, they must ultimately result with him being escape from their vesicles and cross awarded the Nobel Prize, so few that barrier. This is no simple task. To can say he made the wrong one. His do this, the membranes of the vesicles decision shows that one does not must fuse with the plasma membrane. have to have everything figured out The vesicle membrane then becomes early on in one’s life to be successful, a fact that will surely please many a part of the plasma membrane, a disillusioned student at a loss as releasing the neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft. Think of it almost to what to do with their degree.

Professor Südhof places emphasis like a bubble of air rising to the on the “flexibility” of medical surface of a pool and releasing the

training when he studied in college, as then “it was possible to have a reasonable education in science” from the medicine programme, whereas, in his opinion, “medical training today has become much more practical and less scientific.”

He also highlights the importance of this flexibility in allowing him to pursue a research career. When asked his favourite part of being a scientist, Professor Südhof is quick to answer: “My favourite thing about being a scientist is to understand something to work on something and to come up with an idea that explains how it works.”

The professor plays a role in education and has a responsibility to do so, particularly given his receipt of the Nobel Prize. One would imagine that someone in his position, particularly given his passion for science, would place great emphasis on the learning of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects from an early age, but Professor Südhof has huge regard the arts and firmly believes children should be learning arts subjects at young ages and not focus on learning STEM subjects until they are older.

“I think that, in general, as children grow up it may not be very important to train them in math and science but it is very important when they are young to train them in things like language and art, including music. It is important to educate children in STEM subjects, Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, when they get older however when children get older in their late teens they’re no longer children obviously… their ability to learn STEM subjects is very good but their ability to learn arts subjects like language goes downhill.”

This opinion comes from his own experiences, as Professor Südhof learned bassoon as a young child, saying “My own personal development was tremendously shaped by learning music at a relatively early age.” Likewise, he uses his German background as evidence for the importance of learning languages at a young age.

“The fact that I have an accent in English even though I first came to the States when I was sixteen shows you that how difficult it is to learn a new language after a certain age.”

Despite having strong opinions regarding the ideal education system, Professor Südhof no longer does “much classroom teaching”. The majority of his work as an educator is spent with graduate students and post-doctoral researchers in his lab at Stanford University. The work for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize involved vesicular trafficking, the movement of vesicles within a cell, a topic which would be typically classified as a “cell biology question” but he is quick to maintain that his profession is that of a cell biologist.

“I do not consider myself a cell biologist, I consider myself a neuroscientist because I’m really interested in trying to understand how neurons in the brain communicate with each other at synapses.”

Professor Südhof acknowledges that being awarded the Nobel Prize has changed his career. He is certainly a lot busier now but overall sees his position as a Nobel Laureate as “a positive experience as it’s very nice to be recognised, and very flattering.” As a Nobel Laureate he has been the given the opportunity but also a responsibility to talk about “things that I feel are important and neglected... the place of science in society and the purpose of science.” He speaks of the public discussion of science and how science is portrayed within society, declaring that “the value of (science) has to be seen exclusively based on whether or not the content is true, not based on whether or not somebody likes it or whether it’s applicable… I think that science in an incredibly important and incredible way is an asset to society.”

When asked for advice for young scientists, Professor Südhof’s

“the value of (science) has to be seen exclusively based on whether or not the content is true, not based on whether or not somebody likes it or whether it’s applicable”

12 september 15th 2015

photo: Professor Thomas SUdhof

Nobel Laureate Professor Thomas Südhof gave a public address during Neuroscience Ireland’s Conference in DCU. Aoife Hardesty met with him and spoke to him about his life as an esteemed scientist

response seemed applicable to all students, all young people, and indeed all people in general, and echoes the choices he has made in his career. “Follow your interests. It’s very simple. Don’t do things that you’re not really interested in and that you don’t really like, because life is short.”

science

Giant Panda Conservation is Pandamonium

Following the birth of twin pandas, and the unfortunate death of the weaker twin, Marie Stacey investigates the difficulties facing panda conservation efforts

There are a number of problems associated with saving the giant panda species. Many of these have been brought to the public’s attention following the birth of twin pandas, and subsequent death of the weaker twin, at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C in the USA in late August. The giant panda is listed as endangered in the World Conservation Union’s (IUCN’s) Red List of Threatened Species, with approximately 1,600 individuals left in the wild. More than 300 pandas live in zoos and breeding centres around the world, mostly in China.

One of the main reasons that pandas have become endangered is habitat destruction. As China’s population continues to grow, pandas’ habitats get taken over by development, pushing them into smaller and less liveable areas.

In an effort to combat this, zoos from around the world coordinate on breeding programmes in an attempt to secure a rise in their falling numbers. However, in captivity a successful pregnancy is extremely difficult to achieve.

There are a number of reasons that contribute to the difficulties zoos face with their captive breeding programmes. Experts often find that among the problems they face are a lack of interest from the pandas in mating, which may be due to a lack of competition for the female.

It is also possible that some pandas lack the knowledge of how to mate.

It is speculated that the awkward fumbling that occurs between captive pandas may be because they are taken from their mothers too early.

This was seen with two pandas, Ling Ling and Hsing-Hsing, who were given to the National Zoo to commemorate President Nixon’s visit to China. These pandas tried to mate, unsuccessfully, for a decade, however once they figured out what

A BABY PANDA photo: WIKIMEDIA

they were doing they had five cubs, although none reached adulthood.

Another issue is that a female panda is in heat only once a year, in the spring, for 12 to 25 days. While this seems like an adequate time period, the difficulty is that she is only receptive to mating for two to seven of those days, and is only actually fertile for 24 to 36 hours.

If that short window of opportunity is missed then they have to wait until the following spring to try again. As a result most zoos resort to artificial insemination. Even following successful insemination though, giant pandas experience numerous difficulties and dangers throughout a pregnancy such as embryonic diapause.

This is a reproductive strategy where the embryo does not immediately implant in the uterus following successful fertilization. As

a result, some panda pregnancies can stretch out to more than 160 days. Pandas may also suffer from pseudopregnancy, where they are not actually pregnant but show the same symptoms of a pregnancy including similar changes in hormones.

Giant panda breeding facilities play an important diplomatic and cultural role as well as one of conservation.

Panda diplomacy began in the Tang dynasty as far back as 624, when China gave two pandas to the Japanese, but the tradition has been renewed in more modern times. Since the 1950s, China offered a system of originally short-term panda loans, whereby countries paid monthly to lease the bears. Objections from conservationists led to a long-term loan program focused on breeding that began in 1991. The money generated from those loans was to be used for species and habitat

conservation in China. The US State Department have even called them “a tangible, and furry, manifestation of cooperation between the United States and China”. Almost all giant pandas in these programs belong to China and at the end of the loan period most of the pandas return to China.

“They have to go back to maintain the genetic diversity and robustness of the very small population of animals in human care,” said National Zoo Director Dennis Kelly, speaking about Bao Bao, the National Zoo’s resident giant panda. “We work with China to scientifically optimize the genetic diversity of the population in human care and Bao Bao will play a role in that future diversity of the population, which one day will lead to reintroduction”.

Due to the difficulties caused by the pandas’ low sex drives and the problems faced by breeding

programmes, the birth of every new giant panda is hugely significant.

This makes the loss of one of the twin panda cubs so much greater.

The twins were born just about five hours apart from one another on August 22 at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C. Researchers had used artificial insemination in this pregnancy, and a panda who was deemed to be a good genetic match was chosen to be the father in order to increase chances of a successful pregnancy.

Interestingly, in this case a paternity test was needed because researchers used semen samples from two male pandas. Researchers at the zoo compared the panda cubs’ genetic profiles to those of all three pandas to find out the paternity. Roughly one half of all panda births are to twins, and when born they are very vulnerable as the cubs are blind and

Mummies Demystified

Valerie Tierney

Valerie Tierney digs into the myths and legends of mummies to uncover the science behind mummification and embalming THE LEGEND of the mummy is one that has inspired and terrified people for many generations. From the curses that apparently plagued the team led

by Howard Carter after the opening of Tutankhamun’s tomb, to Hollywood movies (and their inevitable sequels), it is clear that the process of mummification and embalming is one that has enduringly captured the imagination of the general public.

A mummy is simply a human being or animal whose soft tissue has been preserved after death. This can happen through several different means, be they deliberate or accidental. These methods all have one thing in common: the mummification process that occurs prevents normal decomposition of the body.

Under normal circumstances, the body first undergoes a process called autolysis. This is where, due to the lapse of normal bodily function, the body’s digestive juices begin to digest the organs in which they are contained. Putrefaction then occurs, where the body is further broken down by an overgrowth of bacteria, which can originate from the environment, or from within the body itself. In combination, these two processes cause the decomposition of soft tissue, leading to skeletal remains.

This decomposition process can be halted through many different means. For example, some of the first known Egyptian mummies were created by burying bodies in desert sand. The desert heat would rapidly dehydrate the body, rendering the decomposition process impossible.

The Egyptians had several methods of mummification, which varied in time required and expense. The most perfect method was the most expensive, and so, was only available to upper class members of society.

This is the mummification process that we are most familiar with today, where the brain and internal organs were removed, and preserved in jars. The body cavities were then cleaned using palm wine and were filled with an assortment of herbs and spices. The body would then be placed in natron, a salt, for seventy days to dehydrate the body, before it was wrapped in cloth bandages, and placed in an ornate sarcophagus.

The methods available to less wealthy families were significantly

toothless at first. Tragically with twin panda cubs however, the mother often cannot care for both babies. The surviving cub is the third surviving panda to be born at the National Zoo as a part of the international loan program with China.

Thanks to the breeding centres in China and the cooperation of world zoos, it is possible for scientists to study and learn about how the giant pandas mate and raise their young, and this will mean that through their efforts more pandas will have cubs that manage to live to adulthood.

Despite the tragic death of the baby panda, there is still hope; these breeding programmes have had a rocky start but in the last few years there has been a definite turnaround in results, and the generation of a few more success stories.

Staff Writer

A MUMMY photo: WIKIMEDIA

less complex. Middle class families most commonly used cedar oil to liquefy the organs by injecting the oil into the abdomen of the deceased before placing the body in natron for seventy days. After seventy days, the body would be removed from the salt, and the oil and organs would be drained. The body would then be returned to the family. In contrast to methods which would remove organs, the least expensive method was more simple and cost effective. This method involved the performance of an enema to clean the intestinal tract, before dehydrating the body in natron.

Though deliberate mummification is most commonly associated with ancient Egyptians, it has been practiced by many other cultures throughout time. Two thousand years before the existence of the Egyptians, the Chinchorro people, a group of hunter-gatherers who lived in what is now known as Peru and Chile, preserved their dead using methods similar to the Egyptians.

Mummification is still practiced

“some of the first known Egyptian mummies were created by burying bodies in desert sand.

The desert heat would rapidly dehydrate the body, rendering the decomposition process impossible”

in this day and age – though now it is more commonly referred to as embalming, or hygienic treatment.

Today’s embalmers are highly trained, and study anatomy, physiology and microbiology, amongst other topics.

Embalming is no longer performed in order to preserve a body for thousands of years; instead it focuses on temporary preservation, presenting the body appropriately and sanitising the remains. Two procedures are utilised to achieve this, known respectively as Arterial Treatment and Cavity Treatment.

Arterial treatment involves removing blood from the body by making a small incision, and replacing the blood with a preserving chemical, such as formaldehyde. Cavity treatment is then performed, and a trocar, a medical grade drainage tube, is inserted so that cavity fluids and gasses can be removed, and replaced with preserving fluid. In order to complete the process, make-up is applied and the deceased’s hair

is styled in order to ensure that the presentation is appropriate.

As with most things, there are decided advantages and disadvantages associated with the process of modern embalming. A common benefit of the process includes allowing time to arrange the funeral, while less common benefits include removing the threat of spreading infection, if the deceased died due to infectious causes, and the restoration of the deceased’s appearance. This restoration can be very valuable, especially in cases of car crashes, and can help the family through the grieving process by providing them with a positive final experience.

Those that are opposed to the process of embalming however generally come from two schools of thought: those that do not agree with embalming for religious reasons, such as Orthodox Jews and Muslims, and those that are concerned about the impact of the chemicals used in the process. Formaldehyde, which is

used as the main preservative, is a probable carcinogen. As the bodies, which are filled with formaldehyde, are placed in the ground, some people are concerned about the impact of the formaldehyde on both the soil, and the possibility of it being washed into water sources.

Embalming allows mummification to exist in the modern world, continuing a tradition that has existed for many thousands of years. Mummification continues to intrigue and fascinate people to this day. Although religion and the concept of the afterlife may play a less significant role in the lives of many people, it appears that the embalming process is here to stay – though thankfully with less brain removal and with significant modern and scientific advances.

september 15th 2015

Business & careers China’s Changing Economy

As China’s economy continues to experience fluctuations, Megan Fanning looks at why their currency has been devalued, and what’s next for the country’s economic outlook

IN RECENT YEARS the Chinese economy has changed from being one of the world’s fastest-growing economies to an economy that has become incredibly volatile and appears unsure of itself. What has gone wrong with one of the world’s most powerful players? And what do we expect to happen in the future?

First of all, the structure of the Chinese economy has changed.

Previously, multinational companies would have been welcomed to join the Chinese economy in order to foster growth. Recently, the Chinese government has increased controls on which firms operate within the country, and it’s treading more carefully on information and data.

New security laws have enabled Beijing to regulate and block foreign access to economic sectors that are considered vital to China’s economic stability. Another new law, to be passed next year, will force foreign firms to keep their data on their Chinese clients within China and will face pressure to give up the source code. The Chinese government has reversed its previous policy and is now pushing foreign firms away.

This increased censorship has had negative effects on the economy.

China is now growing at its slowest pace in thirty years. The Chinese economy is an important player, accounting for 15 per cent of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) but its market is very volatile. In July of this year, there was an 8 per cent fall in Chinese exports.

A slowdown in their economy was to be expected; China is trying to re-structure itself from investment to a more consumer based economy.

Unexpectedly, on August 11th this year, the People’s Bank of China devalued the yuan, the Chinese currency and within this one day,

investors saw a 1.9 per cent fall in value.

This was the biggest single-day fall for the yuan in recent history. Copper hit a six year low and oil dropped to below $50 a barrel. This shook the global markets, and many feared that China was about to start a currency war. China had to reassure the markets that it was not going to adjust its currency to strengthen its exports and that the devaluation only made up for ten days worth of appreciation.

On August 12th, the yuan fell again and fears were prompted over the sustainability of the currency. The Central Bank intervened and ordered state-owned banks to sell its dollars and buy more yuan in order to strengthen the currency. Within these two days China was accused of both devaluing their currency and of falsely strengthening it. The few days surrounding the devaluation were dramatic, but the depreciation the yuan faced was an overdue move if China didn’t want to start a price war with its neighbours.

So what’s next for one of the world’s largest economies? China’s economy is forecasted to grow by 7 per cent this year. The yuan’s devaluation may start a small domino effect and we might see competitive devaluations with other large trading countries weakening their exchange rates to ensure their keep of market share. However, many forget that the stock market is only one variable of China’s financial system and the consequences of a fall are restricted.

China is moving forward and is focusing on stabilisation and medium-to-fast growth. They’re not being idealistic or impulsive in hoping for the growth rates that they have witnessed previously, but are instead looking towards sustainable growth. The outlook for the Chinese economy is not as dismal as most suggest.

It is seeing strong growth in other sectors but it just needs to find stabilisation and sustainability while it restructures exactly what it wants its economy to focus on.

“China is now growing at its slowest pace in thirty years.”

“Some Men Just Want To Watch the World Burn” – The Economics of Batman

While people may not always realise it, economics seeps into popular culture at all angles. Megan Fanning looks at the Dark Knight Trilogy, and the economics of Christopher Nolan’s award-winning films

“You and your friends better batten down the hatches because when it hits, you’re all going to wonder how you ever thought you could live so large and leave so little for the rest of us” Selina Kyle a.k.a. Catwoman, The Dark Knight Rises THIS WAS the famous quote from The Dark Knight Rises that zones on in the economic implications of the Dark Knight trilogy. Many watch Batman for the heroism, the colourful characters and the intriguing world of Gotham, but if you were to re-watch the trilogy you would see more to it than that. The Dark Knight trilogy are movies centred around economics and political economy, culminating in the Dark Knight Rises and the classic question of anarchy versus capitalism: is there ever a right answer?

The theme is expanded throughout the trilogy. The first of the three, Batman Begins builds the story of how Bruce Wayne became the Batman, and in this movie he becomes the symbol of traditional, wholesome, idealistic capitalism. His moral duties combine with his wealth and he uses Wayne Enterprises to fund social innovations. Batman represents what capitalism should be, and what it was meant to be.

Capitalism at its root has little to no state intervention, and is a free market. Christopher Nolan, the director of the trilogy, shows that society needs capitalism as there is little faith in the ability of the government. Gotham needs Batman because the government struggle to protect its citizens, even at the most basic level.

The police struggle to enforce the law, unable to arrest the Batman himself. Through Batman, capitalism is shown as a much more noble and humble protector of Gotham; he acts because of his love for the city and not for his want to destroy it, such as Bane’s motives in The Dark Knight 14 september 15th 2015

Rises or Falcone’s organised crime.

However Nolan does show that capitalism can fall easily and the trilogy asks the questions of the line between capitalism and fascism. The Dark Knight sees Batman transform from Gotham’s hero to a ‘Big Brother’ figure. He hacks the phones of every citizen in the city, and even though it’s for their own safety, it shows the dangers that capitalism can descend to. Without state intervention, should individuals take it upon themselves to serve justice?

The movies also ask the question over whether capitalism can stay in its purest form or does it have to spiral into corruption? Batman, the pure capitalist, holds a fundraiser for Harvey Dent in The Dark Knight for his campaign. The sole purpose is to ensure that Dent never needs another penny. Batman is using his wealth to place an incredible amount of power into one man’s hands; is this capitalism at its worst? This action only fuels the system that Batman is so desperately aiming to reform.

The entirety of the second film of the trilogy, The Dark Knight, is game theory in essence. Game theory is an economic model that is essentially the study of strategic decision making.

In the very first scene we are given a pirate’s game, introducing us to the core economic concept of incentives. The first scene is a bank robbery that the Joker has coordinated with a team of bank robbers. Each robber has an incentive to kill another to increase their share of the loot. However, each robber fails to realise that others have the same strategy and falls victim to the Joker’s game. In the end, the Joker is able to keep all the stolen money due to the greed that reduced his team’s logic.

Throughout the film, the joker uses game theory to test the strength of the citizens of Gotham and their loyalty to one

another. Towards the end of the film, he fills two ferries with people. The first is full of innocent citizens and the second is filled with criminals from the prison. Each ferry is wired with explosives that the other ferry controls. The joker wants to see what morality the individuals show and what strategy they will use. If neither ferry blows up the other the Joker will detonate both so for the ferries it’s all or nothing. In the end, moral duty wins over and neither ferry detonates the other and Batman stops the Joker before he has the chance to detonate both of them. This demonstrates that even at the lowest points in society, moral obligation can win over; that despite great breaches of inequality, people don’t have to be self-interested, they can care for each other too.

The Joker, like Bane in The Dark Knight Rises, is also an anarchist. He breaks order to create chaos – that is his objective. He has no aim of killing the Batman – “Kill you? I don’t want to kill you. What would I do without you? No, you complete me.” The Joker purely wants to test the limits of order in Gotham. He wants to break down the bureaucracy. Most people believe that The Joker is insane and a terrorist, but in fact he’s not. “See I’m not a monster.

I’m just ahead of the curve”. He’s taking the first step to break Gotham away from the status quo of corruption and offer it an alternative: anarchy. He is building a revolution of chaos against order.

It’s no surprise that the citizens of Gotham began to get a little tired of the endless corruption in their city; their government is weak, their police

“He’s taking the first step to break Gotham away from the status quo of corruption and offer it an alternative: anarchy”

force unable to protect, their city run by corrupt mobs, and those they viewed as good are now gone. The citizens of Gotham believe that Batman killed Harvey Dent, Gotham’s knight in shining armour, resulting in Batman being branded a thug and Dent is dead.

In the final movie of the trilogy, there are many comparisons to be made to the Occupy Wall Street movement. The Dark Knight Rises looks at inequality in its most modern form; it’s the modern day version of Robin Hood, with Bane, our ‘villain’ being Hood. Bane speaks for the oppressed against the upper classes. He is the revolution for Gotham.

His objective is to kill corruption and greed and to remove inequality between citizens, but his actions say something else. He has already decided the fate of Gotham’s upper class: death.

Is this much better than the previous system in place? This film highlights the government’s inability to govern and kill corruption. It looks at the theme of the one per cent versus the 99 per cent.

The Occupy Wall Street similarities are seen when Bane literally occupies Gotham’s stock exchange. The police force, like in many of their actions, are unsure as to what to do. On one side, there is the class argument: that it’s not their money but the money of the wealthy Gotham traders. However, a trader explains that in fact it is also the police’s money; that every citizen’s money is part of the financial system.

Authorities are confused as to which side to choose: anarchy or the free market?

Gotham city is representative of our society today. It demonstrates the chaos and disorder that is rebelling against the status quo every day and it shows the unjust inequality, and the high levels of wealth held by so few individuals.

The trilogy offers us alternatives to the capitalist world we live in but shows that these other options have their flaws too.

In The Dark Knight Rises, a reference is made to Harvey Dent’s Two Face: the city faces two extremes, the left or the right.

There’s two sides to every coin but neither side will ever win, and not everyone can be happy. In The Dark Knight, the co-

IMAGE: COURTESY OF GERRY CANAVAN

existence of Batman and the Joker shows the unity society can and will endure: the unity between opposition, and the two extremes of the left and the right.

Student Voices

Life after Marriage Equality

The Vote for Marriage Equality may be over, but there’s still much progress to be made for LGBTQ+ rights. Adam Barry looks into what comes next ON MAY 22nd 2015 Ireland became the first country to vote on whether our LGBTQ+ citizens should have an equal right to marriage. Following a historic referendum, we decided as a nation that all individuals should be entitled to marriage regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. This monumental movement was quickly followed by another historic advancement in the rights of our transgender citizens, as the Gender Recognition Bill was passed by the Oireachtas on July 15th 2015. While these fantastic advancements have played a crucial role in bettering the lives of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, and Other Gender or Sexual Diversities (LGBTQ+) individuals in Ireland, and have served as a beacon of hope for LGBTQ+ individuals abroad, there is still progress to be made.

The achievement of acquiring sixty-two percent in favour of Marriage Equality has sent an overwhelmingly positive message to LGBTQ+ individuals throughout the country. The inter-generational push for Marriage Equality and the level of engagement that under thirty-fives had with the referendum was inspiring. This powerful message was further enhanced by the many individuals who returned home from abroad, and even still, months after this historic event, this is something which can be reflected upon in moments of self-doubt. Whether you are a student in UCD, an LGBTQ+ individual in secondary school, a sixtyyear old LGBTQ+ individual from the countryside, or an expat who returned home to vote because it was the right thing to do, national initiatives such

as UCD’s #VoteForME campaign, or the Yes Equality campaign still serve as a reminder that we, LGBTQ+ individuals, are accepted for who we are, and are considered equal citizens in the eyes of the law.

Individuals who have attended LGBTQ+ Society events have reported a new-found sense of comfort in walking through the door, and in commenting on their sexuality and gender identity, as a result of the sizeable support which was displayed during the Marriage Equality referendum. For the many that have ‘come out’ since the campaign for the referendum commenced, they now find themselves ‘coming out’ in a unique time, a time when Ireland is a global leader in the rights of its LGBTQ+ citizens.

The Marriage Equality referendum opened up a discussion between those who previously had very little conscious interaction or experience with LGBTQ+ individuals, and those people who went door-to-door to dispel some of the many myths and hurtful comments which were made in the run-up to the referendum.

In spite of these many positives changes, the sting of the hurtful comments made prior to the referendum, and the strain that the referendum placed on the mental health of those who found themselves at the centre of a vote which was being observed globally, is something which still burdens many in the LGBTQ+ community. The ramifications of these comments and anxieties cannot be dealt with overnight. While sixty-two percent is a substantial number in favour of Marriage Equality, it cannot be ignored that this still means approximately four in ten people voted against providing LGBTQ+ individuals with the right to marry the person they love. The Marriage Equality referendum may have opened up a forum of discussion, but with this statistic, it is still important that we continue to push for the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals. It is still necessary to provide further education on the lives of LGBTQ+ individuals, challenges which may be faced, and dispel any false assumptions which still linger from a time when LGBTQ+ individuals did not hold

quite as many rights as they do now.

The continued work of groups such as ShoutOut, Amnesty International, BeLonGTo, TENI, Man2Man, UCD’s very own LGBTQ+ Society, and the innumerable other organisations and groups which support the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals is still of a fundamental importance in providing LGBTQ+ individuals with a place where they know they can be comfortable with who they are, and to help lead to an even greater level of public consciousness of LGBTQ+ issues. We have not yet reached a stage where hurtful slurs towards LGBTQ+ individuals are a thing of the past. We have not yet reached a stage where people don’t give a second glance at two individuals of the same gender identity walking down a street hand-in-hand. We have not yet reached a stage where there is a widespread acceptance of LGBTQ+ individuals in Ireland, let alone globally. It is important that the work of these many organisations continue; that concerns regarding the rights and issues of LGBTQ+ individuals are not considered by the public-at-

large to be a thing of the past. The Marriage Equality Referendum was a major step in the right direction, but it must not be seen as a solution.

LGBTQ+ individuals still face varying degrees of discrimination, still struggle with others accepting their sexual orientation and/or gender identity, and still find themselves facing worries over whether they will be accepted for who they are.

The Marriage Equality referendum was a phenomenal achievement for Ireland as a whole, something we can all be proud of. It served as an undeniably important step in the advancement of the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals, yet it is necessary that we do not consider the issue ‘concluded’ and become complacent.

It is important that we still reach those who may hold negative views of LGBTQ+ individuals, engage with their concerns, and that we continue to press for the equal acceptance of all people, not just in Ireland but globally, so that we can all be accepted for who we are, and who we love.

“National initiatives such as UCD’s #VoteForME’’ campaign, or the Yes Equality campaign still serve as a reminder that we, LGBTQ+ individuals, are accepted for who we are, and are considered equal citizens in the eyes of the law.”

Postcards From Abroad: BANGKOK Sean Hayes shares his experiences in the Asian city

THERE IS only one thing you need to know before arriving in Bangkok; take everything you recognise and appreciate about western culture and just leave it behind you. I wasn’t armed with this one valuable piece of advice as I found myself facing down Khao San Road, the tourist hub of Thailand’s capital city, for the first time. All of your senses are tested - assaulted - in an instant; the sight of countless, dazzling neon lights, the pulsating sound of dance music, the sharp taste of gaeng daeng, the rancid smell of sewage, the gentle caress of a passing ladyboy…

Yet immediately, I was completely hooked. Bangkok, the manifestation of a rapidly developing country, while simultaneously being steeped in tradition, is both terrifying and enthralling.

The stifling heat does little to slow the breakneck speed of the city.

Mopeds and vespas weave between a continuous backlog of taxis, buses and tuk tuks. Street vendors line the pavements, their children taking refuge behind their stalls, while curiously steeling glances at the novelty of seeing a sunburned, Irish tourist.

Bangkok is home to an innumerous amount of Buddhist temples, and I found myself spending many hours ambling around the expansive concourses of Wat Pho, Wat Phra Kaew and the Grand Palace. Each temple is more brilliantly decorated than the last; their facades adorned with mosaic pieces of solid gold, ruby, glass and porcelain.

Inside, an imposing statue of Buddha smiles peacefully down on the worship-

pers. The temples offer a complete escape from the chaos of the city outside. Inside, a collective calm is created from the sounds of gentle chanting, combined with the buzzing of electric fans. It was a relief to find out that, like myself, the majority of worshippers had come in simply for the chance to cool down and rest.

This atmosphere changes, however, once the monks enter and a reverential silence falls on the crowd. Clad in their orange robes, there is nothing more humbling or captivating to watch than the monks as they perform their mantras, kneeling and prostrating themselves in front of Buddha.

Outside, the mayhem continues, as the streets of the city are crammed with shops and stalls, selling everything from tourist souvenirs to knock off handbags and luggage. I have never felt more popular than I did walking through these streets, as each vendor vies for your attention, offering their “special price” just to you, their “special friend”. Simply glancing at one’s merchandise and walking away will have them chasing after you, immediately offering at least 50% off what they originally stated. I nabbed myself a pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses for the slashed down price of 250 baht, or €6. The legitimacy of them actually being Ray-Ban is still under debate.

Street food stalls are also commonplace and offer the best opportunities to sample real, authentic Thai cuisine.

The mouth-watering smell of spices,

curries and exotic fruits coming from almost every direction is, at times, slightly overwhelming. It is these stalls, however, that serve the freshest and most delicious Thai food in the city. The vendors, too, find great amusement in watching you attempt to eat, distressed and red faced, their traditional dishes without choking completely on the spices.

As night falls, Bangkok transforms before your eyes. Nightclubs and bars seem to appear out of nowhere, all of them competing with each other to play the loudest and cheesiest music out onto the streets. Alcohol is sold from carts, by the bucket-full. An

inequality in wealth distribution more noticeable than when you move from the everyday streets of Bangkok to the wealthy district of the Siam area. The Siam Paragon shopping centre is the one-stop shopping haven for Bangkok’s wealthy and elite. Before entering, one must pass through security and metal detectors. Once inside, every high fashion luxury brand, from Chanel and Dior to Hermès and Tiffany & Co. is on offer. The shopping centre also includes showrooms for car brands such as Maserati, Ferrari and Lamborghini. The customers, armed with Louis Vuitton and Versace shopping bags, seem oblivious to the poverty surrounding them outside this confined, isolated complex. While the centre is interesting and fun to walk through for a time, and the photo: courtesy of UCD SOCIETIES air may finally be clean and free of actual bucket of vodka and mixer will a club, apparently called Super Pussy, fumes, I don’t believe it offers a true representation of the real Bangkok. set you back just 100 baht (€2.50). where, apparently, Thai women will Bangkok is a truly unique city.

After a couple of these, the tattoo perform tricks on stage, with an From awe-inspiring temples, incredshops open on almost every street array of household objects such as ible cuisine, fascinating culture and now seem like the next best place to ping-pong balls, darts, cigarettes crazy nightlife, it offers something visit, while the deep fried tarantulas and Sharpie pens, apparently. for everyone.

Often named “The and scorpions now for sale seem While all of these experiences Land of Smiles”, I found the Thai almost appealing and are a must-have, seem ridiculous and mind-bending people to be some of the friendliest if only for the Instagram photo. for the first time, they also highlight and most respectful people I have Amidst all this mayhem, one can the abject poverty that Thai people also expect to hear a popping noise live in and face every day. The streets ever met. Despite being a somewhat obvious choice on one’s travel bucket coming from the mouths of taxi and are little more than shantytowns and list, I know that I would return to tuk-tuk drivers. Upon closer inspechomelessness is rife throughout the this crazy metropolis in a heartbeat. tion, this sound is code for an invite city. Beggars, many with disfiguring to Bangkok’s notorious ping-pong skin diseases or amputated limbs, shows. Apparently, for 400 baht (€9), line the streets simply trying to a man named Benz will bring you to survive. Nowhere is this extreme

SOCIETY NEWS

By Gráinne Loughran

UCD Media Night The University Observer will host a Welcome to College Media Night on Thursday 17th September in collaboration with The College Tribune, UCD TV and Belfield FM. Learn exactly what college media is all about in the Red Room at 6.30pm.

Filmsoc Filmsoc has released its lineup for the first six weeks of term, which includes a Nicholas Cage Week, Superhero Week, and Disney Week. They’ll also be running a FilmSoc Fun Day on 30th September, with a bouncing castle, a Film Review Club and a karaoke event, with all profits going to charity.

Lawsoc

Sinn Féin

Lawsoc will welcome the inimitable Mario Rosenstock to the Astra Hall for a performance on 16th September.

Rosenstock is best known for his best-selling albums of ‘Gift Grub’ and his work on radio and RTE with ‘The Mario Rosenstock show’.

Lawsoc will also host The Abortion Debate today (15th September) with guest speakers including TDs Ruth Coppinger and Clare Daly.

Sinn Féin UCD will officially launch the society on Wednesday 16th September in the Red Room. Guest speakers are set to include MaryLou McDonald and Cllr Micheál McDonncha.

Dramsoc Dramsoc will award Amy Huberman with an Honorary Fellowship on Thursday 17th September at 5pm.

As a former Dramsoc member, Huberman has gone on to work in film and television, most notably in The Clinic and Threesome.

holding auditions on Thursday 17th September for Rhythm-inBlue Acapella from 5pm-8pm.

Musical Society UCD Musical Society have announced that this year’s November musical will be Jekyll and Hyde. The production will run from 10th to the 14th of November in the Astra Hall, and auditions will take place from 10am6pm on Monday the 21st, Tuesday the 22nd and Wednesday the 23rd of September in the Student Centre.

UCD Rhythm-in-Blue UCD Rhythm-in-Blue will be photo: courtesy of UCD SOCIETIES

september 15th 2015

OPINION

Moving forward in University

Navigating Ireland: An Australian Abroad Starting at a new college can be difficult, but even more so when the college is over 15,000 km away. Maeve Clarke shares the differences she’s noticed since her arrival in Dublin

Leonard Rochford writes about avoiding the clique culture in UCD BEGINNING your new life as a college student is a process that can be daunting and at times overwhelming.

The constant, chaotic swarming of 25,000 other students who all seem to know each other serves to be quite a contrast to the past experience of a new student in UCD. It is not uncommon to believe that you are UCD’s only student to go it alone. But rest assured, this is not the case.

As the summer counts down to the beginning of your college experience, many clichéd expressions are shared with you, addressing how different things are in college. However, this is not entirely true. It is naïve to think of age and maturity as anything other than an illusion. As students start to settle into their new college lives, the similarities between college and secondary school start to become more apparent. The scenes outside the Newman Building as well as other buildings begin to resemble the scenes of your first teenage disco.

The football-obsessed gentlemen, known as “Jerseys” will congregate frequently to discuss the debaucherous behaviour of the past weekend, all decked out in Abercrombie. The Ag students can of course be found outside the Ag building, their apparel representing their home county, debating whether it would be more beneficial to go to their lecture or to the bar. The bespectacled hipsters can always be found by the secret lake, indulging themselves in conversations lamenting the hardships of others, followed by exchanging the information of where to buy the latest patterned hoodie. To some, this is a simple summary of generalisations.

To others, it’s another day in UCD. While elements of each clique can seem appealing to many, it is important not to fall into any particular one of

them without taking serious precaution.

As a new student, a common objective is to integrate into a new group of friends so as not to seem lonely, isolated and unapproachable. Many students have walked into UCD on their first day sporting a Monaghan jersey, only to return the following week wearing psychedelic jumpers and trousers.

Your years spent at university are your most formative years, during which you will ultimately develop a true understanding of who you are. The primary objective of a new student should be to prevent any external influences on your journey to this development.

If the Jersey life is for you and always has been, embrace it; immerse yourself in the sub-culture. However, you must never do so as an alternative to being yourself or as an alternative to waiting for your life-long friends to come along, because I assure you they will.

University is the establishment that offers you the opportunity to make major strides towards what it is you will become.

The people you surround yourself with must be those who possess a similar intention to move forwards. University is a rare context in life in which a step in any direction other than forward is a step backwards. The long-term goal of every student is to graduate, and the role played by those who you surround yourself with is often under-appreciated.

You must strive to make your college experience a comfortable and happy one.

And a happy student is a successful one.

Whatever it is that overwhelms you about beginning your time in UCD whether it’s your seemingly excessive workload, the size of the campus, the initial struggle to find friends, or the inexplicable difficulty of registration you must know that these aspects will be overthrown in order to make room for the best years of your life. And you can take that to the proverbial bank.

photo: RUTHANN VIA FLICKR

GOING ON EXCHANGE is a very big undertaking, especially if you’re from Australia. As if the months of planning and suffocating under mountains of paperwork aren’t enough, there’s the 20 hour flight to contend with. It’s even longer counting layovers and travel to and from the airport. Yet for all this distance, Australia and Ireland have their similarities from the perspective of this Australian National University (ANU) student.

For an exchange student, language is probably the most important of these similarities. English is spoken in both countries, although Australia has no equivalent to the Irish language. There were once about 250 Aboriginal languages, but now few are spoken by more than a small group and none are on the national school curriculum. So for an Australian it’s surprising and interesting to see the extent to which Irish Gaelic signage is a part of everyday life, and the language is promoted as a potential

course for exchange students.

Both countries also drive on the left, which in theory should make navigating the roads easier and more familiar.

However if you’ve just come from the continent as I did, you’re more likely to end up very confused about which side of the road to catch a bus from, and where to look when you cross.

Dublin, I’ve noticed, has a lot of one way roads, which can make finding a bus travelling in the right direction interesting for anyone who doesn’t know the city. Once you do find the stop, however, you’re unlikely to be waiting long. Australian public transport is notorious for being late (when it turns up at all), so this is refreshing. On the flipside, it can come as a shock to realise that the correct money is needed for Dublin buses. Australian bus drivers always give change and will even accept notes, although this is only something to try if you’re prepared to make a lifelong enemy.

If you’re searching for the dramatic

differences you might expect, look no further than the weather. In Australia, we have a thing called summer. It involves weather which allows people who aren’t mad to wear shorts. Hot summers can be a lot of fun, but they also mean sunburn, lots of flies and burning your hands on car steering wheels, so there’s something to be said for a milder climate.

It’s interesting to note how different climates are catered for when universities give out free stuff. In Australia, my university residence in Canberra gave out polo shirts in a very informal (in fact non-existent) ceremony during the orientation week. They were great in summer, but not much use in the Canberra winters, particularly when we get a cold winter with snow, like 2015.

UCD, on the other hand, gave out scarves.

They were pretty nice scarves, and the ceremony of putting them on was fun, but a lot of people wore them away from the ceremony, which was on the second day of autumn. I think we can all take that as an omen for the year to come.

My Accommodation Experience: the hell of househunting I knew college summers would be different. I'd have to be a little more careful with my money, a little more independent with my washing and finding a job was priority. I didn't expect it to be as horrifying as it was. What did I do on my summer holidays? I went house hunting.

I lived a stress-free life on campus last year, with no electricity bills to fight over or cold showers to complain about. For us students who hailed from down the country, it made everything a little easier. At the end of first year, I knew I wasn’t prepared to find somewhere of my own. The responsibility of paying rent and bills while also balancing college work and a social life wasn’t appealing. I planned to live on campus again. The places were limited but I wasn’t put off. Then the worst happened. The rumours that had started in March were true. No continuing students on campus. It was as if there was a death in the residents’ family. We, apparently, weren’t vulnerable enough.

Told by people we had never met we would be able for the challenge, we were set free into the Dublin housing jungle.

I started my search after I moved home at the end of May. To say I was naïve would be an understatement. My knowledge of Dublin was basic; I only knew where the highstreet stores were.

How was I, a country teenager, supposed to find a house to live in within budget and close to campus when I barely knew past Grafton Street?

Surprisingly enough there were houses. Unsurprisingly, they weren’t suitable. Everything was a three-month lease. If not, the advert usually started with “No Students”. Even with a UCD reference that in essence said we were the best around, still nothing.

The search started with three, but my friend was offered a campus scholarship, so we powered on as a duo. That didn’t work so we had to change tactics. “Maybe four would be luckier.” I asked my friend and my friend asked her’s, and a Facebook 16 september 15th 2015

photo: JAMES HEALY

Amy Gargan writes of a long summer spent viewing dingy flats and dealing with unfair landlords

group chat was created. Over 1000 emails digs and the other decided to commute. were sent and 12 houses viewed. Rent.ie Once more, it was the duo against Daft. and Daft.ie took over from Facebook and ie. They say you must become used to my world revolved around email alerts. rejection before you can overcome it.

House number one sat modestly beside Rejection must have been my best friend. the 3 Arena. It was miles away for winter July became August and the panic morning walks and the bedroom/garage increased. We had a viewing for another conversion was a deal breaker. We were house. Like each before, we thought only in June though. Something was it was “the one”. It was 40 minutes bound to come up by the end of the away but there was no point in being month that would tick all the boxes. picky. I thought even if it was the size Four houses later, one in Ranelagh, of a cupboard, I’d take it. It was lacking that hadn’t been cleaned before the something though: windows. There was viewing, appeared. No matter how much no ventilation into either bedroom and we tried to imagine a sparkling home, it the door hit the bed of the smallest one wasn’t the one either. The boarded up when opened. Even though I knew I’d be windows in one of the bedrooms and the living a little rough, living in a wardrobe hobbit-style dingy bathroom under the 40 minutes from college was not an option. stairs made for an easy decision. It was We were beginning to get desperate disgusting for even a student’s standards. and the CAO offers were drawing closer.

July brought with it hopes of an end to We knew there would be an influx of our struggle, but it didn’t bring a home. first years begging for houses and after a A house in Stillorgan was offered, then summer of doing the same, we were runtaken back. Then one in Mount Merrion, ning on empty. All our friends had found Dundrum, Blackrock and another in Stil- somewhere. I was so fed up my emails lorgan. They all said the elusive “students were suffering. I gave my student number welcome”, all gone within minutes of as my phone number on many occasions posting. Yet again, our house-hunting and once signed off as Amy Winehouse. group was split into two. One girl got By mid-August, I had decided on the

one thing that I never wanted to consider.

I was going to commute the sickening three hours to UCD. Then a friend got in touch to say she’d been looking at places and found this apartment outside the gates, and it was perfect.

We emailed right away. The landlady was taking students. We got a viewing and prepared to sell ourselves. After having my hopes crushed at every turn, this apartment was too good to be true.

We were ready to beg, bribe and cry our way into convincing her we were the best around. That evening we got an email saying she wanted to know more about us to make her decision between us and another group easier. After crying fits and therapy phone calls, we patched something together. Then we played the waiting game.

Each passing day, I was glued to my phone. I was the one she had organised the viewing with so I’d be the first to know.

Two painful days later, I was woken by an email notification. She was offering us the apartment. I rang everyone I could think of who cared and screamed down the phone to my friend who I had stuck together with this whole time. It was like something out of a movie. After dealing

with rude landlords, unanswered emails, astronomical rent prices and three and a half months of rejection, we had a home.

This summer was taxing. If landlords would realise we all aren't "wild things", students wouldn’t be living in overcrowded hostels or commuting their lives away.

Even now at the beginning of September, they’re holding their ground. We certainly aren’t as welcome to the rental market as the families or professionals landlords are so eager to find. I couldn’t have prepared for the stress house hunting had on my wellbeing, and my search had become a sort of family project, with cousins I’d never met having their say. At the end of it though, our persistence paid off.

But will I laugh about this summer in ten years? Definitely not.

editorial

editorial

The campus from the air photo: james HEALY

On behalf of the University Observer, I’d like to welcome all new and continuing students to another year in UCD. The beginning of a fresh college year brings with it a mountain of opportunities in the form of new friends, society events, nights out and evenings in – not to mention new things to learn and classes to take.

The first year of university, particularly if that university is as large as UCD, can be intensely alienating. Many first year students will be coming from secondary schools in which they were the biggest fish in a small, often rural pond. Becoming just one student in a sea of 25,000 others can be a challenging experience for those who enjoy a personal approach when it comes to learning. It’s important to realise that everyone is in the same boat as you, and when the

older students began they too were in your situation. Settling into college can be enormously difficult, but it’s not impossible; when the Observer editorial team entered the hallowed halls of UCD a few years ago, not one of us thought we’d be sitting at these desks today.

There are more challenges facing those beginning their years in UCD than perhaps ever before.

We all know that access to campus accommodation has become highly restricted, with spaces having initially been allocated almost entirely to first years and non-EU international students at astronomical costs. Currently 1,357 of the 2,814 campus spaces available in UCD are allocated to non-EU International students, not all of which were filled by last week, when UCD Residences sent an email to students announcing

the extra beds available. The only explanation for the spaces not having been filled earlier is the enormously high cost of taking a room.

EU Erasmus students are no longer eligible for campus accommodation, which draws into question the vulnerability aspect of the allocation process. Erasmus students are hugely valuable members of the UCD population and cutting their access to campus accommodation is hugely problematic. They are obviously among the most vulnerable to the accommodation crisis, given that many of them may only be in UCD for one semester and others will only be looking for a nine-month lease for accommodation. The argument is there to be made that UCD is attempting to capitalise on the additional fees that international fee-paying students bring to the

university’s pocket by offering them additional campus space, while restricting that of the EU students.

The cost of coming to college has risen every year for several years now through the increases in the costs of accommodation, university registration fees, parking licence fees and student centre levies. It is difficult to remember the times when so many services in UCD were free, or at least much cheaper.

Visiting a doctor in the Student Health Service used to be a free service. Renting graduation robes didn’t always cost €45. The cost of the Student Centre Levy, which was introduced in 2006, has been creeping upwards since then. Most of the students who contributed to the wonderful facilities we now have in the Student Centre had long since left college by the time it was finally

ready for use. The corporatisation of universities and education is making its mark on the hoards of students that enter this university each year, and it’s not going away.

UCD isn’t perfect, but what makes it great is its student body. The work that UCD’s societies put in to making college life fulfilling on a social aspect is astronomical. The guests that visit the college and the events that are run don’t happen by accident; they’re the result of long days spent in the Societies Corridor of the Student Centre, and those that organise these events are rarely recognised outside of their society circle. It’s up to the student body and the incoming first years to continue to make life in college great. It is because of the student body’s dedication that our college life is spent doing things other than paying UCD’s countless

the university observer

Talleyrand

Editor Gráinne Loughran Deputy Editor Patrick Kelleher

GOOD DAY, CHILDREN OF THE FRESHMAN CLASS,

to think they will achieve. Talley would be delighted to be able to say that our almighty leader ANOTHER academic year has Marcus O’Hurling has beaten off arrived, and I have risen from my the claws of the accommodation slumber of the summer months to crisis single-handedly. Talley the dulcet tones of thousands of would only love to read that Clare shrieking, over-enthusiastic Freshers. O’Cantcope has risen from the The summer haze has died a death ashes to eradicate STIs on campus and we are firmly in the vestiges through her continuous shoving of of Autumn wartime, and another condoms in peoples’ faces. It would year prowling the campus for all give Talley endless joy to learn that of the news you’ll be glad to know Danniiiiii (don’t forget the extra i’s) somebody’s keeping an eye on. I, has managed to “dumb down” the Charles Maurice Talleyrand-Périgord, UCD system to the extent where she renowned diplomat and keeper of the and all other hapless incompetents peace, am here to consolidate your will be able to understand it. faith in this University and our Union.

One must give credit where it It has indeed been a long is due, and Hazel Sweetie’s work summer for our browbeaten Union, on sexual assault and harassment occasionally working until past five (isn’t that Welfare’s job?) will be o’clock for the good of the ‘students’. useful for her to have in the job Which students, you may ask? Why, market, if not for the University just they represent a grand total of five, the second she leaves. And Cian working hard for their advancement Burnout will have succeeded if he and wellbeing to ensure that they only manages to be able to talk in secure jobs by the time they leave complete sentences for the year, (godwilling) at the end of the year. which so far, Talley can confirm, he The Sabbat Staff were apparently has mostly been able to do (if not less than impressed with the anything else productive). I have said coverage of their goals for the year before, “Speech was given to man to in this year’s Freshers’ Magazine. disguise his thoughts.” Burnout has Talley must assure them: it could done exceedingly well in disguising have been much, much worse. any thoughts he may have so far.

One can only hope that the Even more questionable than headlines in this fair publication the SU staff however are UCD’s throughout the year are as positive own staff members. President as the goals our Sabbat staff seem In-too-Deeks has raised the cost of

campus accommodation again, too busy looking at his balance sheets to remember that there are actual students that attend this university with empty pockets. It can be difficult to remember that though, when you get paid enough to run a small country. Watch this space…

Talley’s looking forward to another year of bringing the campus news to the population of UCD, or at least to the enlightened ones that read this column on a periodical basis. Dear Freshers, there are many things in this university that will surprise and shock you this coming year, and none more so than the realisation that student politics in the past has been largely ineffectual in making any serious changes whatsoever to the university system. Talley however, has no need to make changes – merely to exploit the fact that they are not being made, for his own twisted enjoyment.

TALLEY OUT

letters to the editor Letters, corrections and clarifications pertaining to articles published in this newspaper and online are welcome and encouraged.

Letters should be addressed to The Editor, University Observer, UCD Student Centre, Belfield, Dublin 4.

charges for their various services.

It only costs €2 to join a society; think about how much it costs to park your car in UCD each year, and suddenly the value students get out of each €2 becomes much clearer.

This year we’re entering Volume XXII of our university newspaper.

The vast majority of our editorial team this year weren’t born when the first edition of the University Observer was released in October 1994. This is a testament to the hard work and dedication of 21 editorial teams previous to this one. The gradual decline in the popularity of print media means that every year our newspaper continues to flourish is a huge achievement, and we hope that the year ahead will be just as successful as the previous 21 years of student journalism.

VISUAL CONTENt & Design Editor James Healy Chief of pHOTOGRAPHY Joanna O’Malley News Editor Roisin Guyett-Nicholson Comment Editor Martin Healy Features Editor Eithne Dodd Science, Health & Technology Editor Aoife Hardesty BUSINESS & CAREERS Editor Megan Fanning

Words Sinead Conroy Sorcha Raoof Leah Flanagan Caoimhe higgins Micheal Ryan Merrin Christopher Woods Laura Brohan Anne-Marie Stacey Rachel Lafferty Ray McGrath Billy Vaughan Owen Steinberger Roisin O’Mara Conall Cahill Fiona McGowan Déonna McLaughlin Valerie Tierney Leonard Rochford Maeve Clark Amy Gargan Craig Irwin Luka Vukos Sara Pastor Ortiz Leon O’Neill Ciara Jane Duffy Amelia Conophy Niamh Linehan

Eagarthóir Gaeilge Síofra Ní Shluaghadháin Sports Editor David Kent Otwo Editors Eva Griffin & Karl Quigley Food Editor Niamh O’Regan Games Editor Adam Donnelly Film & TV Editor David Monaghan Music Editor Aisling Kraus Fashion Editor Lucy Coffey Creative writing Editor Roisin Murray Arts & Literature Editor Maebh Butler Photography & Illustration Louise Flanagan Garteh Phelan

Correspondence may also be sent to editor@universityobserver.ie. september 15th 2015

sport David Kent Sports Editor

Every one of us is lucky. We’re living through the greatest era of sport there has ever been, and likely to ever be again. Never before has seemingly every sport had one team or individual dominate it as much as in the last decade and a half.

The reason for this dominance comes down to a lot of change both culturally and scientifically in the sporting world. Athletes are now a lot more aware of how their bodies work.

Twenty years ago, the idea of a GPS tracking device being strapped on to a burly rugby prop would’ve been laughable; there wasn’t even such thing as a strength and conditioning coach. In some cases, the dominance has caused the competition to rise; in others it has killed it off. Dieticians now dictate the eating habits of sports stars all across the globe, although the first example doesn’t really follow that particular trend.

The idea of a sprinter eating 1000 Chicken McNuggets over the course of 10 days seems quite ridiculous in theory, but it was exactly what Usain Bolt did at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. The extreme regime worked, as Bolt took home three gold medals for Jamaica. Four years later, he repeated the feat at London 2012. By that time his diet had changed a little, but his calorie intake remained the same.

Bolt sticks to a low fat, low carb but high protein diet, as recommended by his personal coach Glen Mills.

Bolt’s diet mirrors that of another Olympic record holder, the most decorated Olympian of all time, Michael Phelps. From Athens 2004 to London 2012, Phelps swam his way to 22 medals, 18 of which were gold. To put a bit of perspective on that, the closest challenger to him only won 9 golds. Despite retiring, he still holds seven world records.

He also went by a 12,000 calorie a day diet with breakfast consisting of fried-egg sandwiches with four omelettes, French toast and chocolatechip pancakes amongst others. There is, however, a lot more training involved in swimming than athletics.

Closer to home, Kilkenny have just wrapped up their 11th All Ireland Hurling title in 15 years. Of the four seasons where they haven’t taken Liam McCarthy, they’ve reached two finals and a semi-final, with a quarter final exit in the other. Year after year the usual challengers try to rise to the level of the Cats, but fall away as the season rolls into September.

The crop which contained the likes of Henry Shefflin, Jackie Tyrell, JJ Delaney, Richie Hogan, DJ Carey and Tommy Walsh will never be replicated. The skill, stamina and sheer class of the sides produced over the years is astronomical. The fear of course is that in Kilkenny there is just a conveyor belt of talented hurlers ready to carry the team forward further still, inspired by the heroes that’ve gone before. Manager Brian Cody recently retired from his teaching job, so now has more time to put into the unstoppable

The Golden Age of Sport The world is currently seeing a golden age of sport unrivalled by past sporting stars. David Kent looks at some of the sporting stars that are at the top of their games right now.

machine that is Kilkenny hurling.

Across the sporting dynamic, it’s the same. This is also true of soccer. We are currently watching the two most talented soccer players of all time doing what they do best. Lionel Messi is widely heralded as the best there has ever been, which is a little unfortunate for Cristiano Ronaldo, who if he had debuted maybe 10 years later, would be holding that crown. The two face off regularly in La Liga. The topic itself causes great debate between soccer fans. Messi’s Barcelona since 2005 have won four Champions Leagues, six domestic league titles, and two Club World Cups.

Spanish football internationally reflects the skill of its own league, Spain taking a clean sweep of major trophies from 2008-12, winning a World Cup and two European Championships. As a result of this, the popularity of these sides has soared around the world, bringing in huge money for football as a whole. Real Madrid remain the world’s richest club, with Barcelona not far behind in second. The entire game has been forced to shift as well, with new tactics being invented to try and counteract and find new ways to stop the dominance. This was most recently employed by Germany in Rio in the 2014 World Cup. Sport, at least at grassroots level, is being cleaned up,as technology evolves, and access to a variety of competitions becomes easier (through the likes of Sky Sports, or betting websites), as does access to those competitions.

Social media is taking over all aspects of the world, but it plays a key part in the development of athletes in the sporting sector.

People can now ‘talk’ directly to their favourite sports star through Twitter or Facebook or YouTube.

There are two sides to this. On one hand: it is now a lot easier to praise a competitor or give positive opinions to governing bodies such as FIFA in football, or the RFU in rugby. On the flip side, it can get very nasty online when fans criticise a performance, and it can spiral quite quickly to vitriolic abuse. A lot of major athletes avoid these networks for precisely this reason. But for the majority, it is an avenue to spread positive messages, meaning that a lot more young people are able to look up to sporting stars as role models.

One such example who uses it positively is Roger Federer, who has set up his own foundation to help educate young children in Africa off the back of his success.

Federer, alongside Rafael Nadal, and more recently Novak Djokovic, has owned the tennis courts over the past 10 years. These three men balance the two factors (Strength and conditioning, and social media) perfectly, and between the three

in photo: THE ALL BLACKS, MID-HAKA

in photo: a kilkenny hurler

“ t he fe a r of c ou r se is t h at i n K ilk enn y t her e is j us t a c on v e yor be lt of ta l e n t ed hu r l er s r e a dy t o c a r ry t he t e a m f orwa r d f u rt her still , i nspir ed by t he heroe s t h at ’ v e g on e bef or e .“

have won 40 major championships between them since 2005. Tennis is arguably the most physically demanding sport there is, with players sprinting on average two miles per match. They are of course helped by the breaks between sets, where many of them eat bananas or nuts to give them a quick burst of energy. It’s not just the male side of the sport that’s caused the surge. The Williams’ sisters and Maria Sharapova have brought it to a high quality as well.

Djokovic in particular uses Twitter to send enthusiastic messages to fans.

Boxing is going through a bit of a high period, at least competitive wise. Focusing back on the strength and conditioning changes, it is different to most sports in the sense that competitors have to drop weight instead of gaining it. More money is coming into the sport as a result of sponsorships, so we’re getting more and more big fights. The heavyweight division has been owned by two brothers, the Klitschkos – Wladimir and Vitali. Between them, they have a professional record of 109 wins (94 by knockout) and only five defeats in nearly two decades. At one time, they held every heavyweight title available. The style of boxing they use (particularly the younger Wladimir) has caused a lot of other fighters to adapt to try and tame the unstoppable Ukrainian’s. Then there’s Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather, the world’s most marketable sportsman, who despite moving through five different weight classes, maintains his 48-0 record.

The 2015 Rugby World Cup will take place this year from 18th September to 31st October. If you ask any rugby fan, they’ll tell you who the favourites are. The New Zealand All Blacks have always been strong, but the record breaking side they have at the moment speaks for itself. Since 2009, they have only lost six test matches out of 82. They went unbeaten for a world record 22 matches, spanning almost two years, up until they were beaten by South Africa in 2014. They haven’t lost at home in Eden Park since 1994, with only 4 countries to have played there in history coming away with victories. Similar to Kilkenny, it’s just wave after wave of talented players coming up through the various territories. At club level, Toulon have taken three consecutive Heineken/European Cups. They are the form team in the Northern Hemisphere. Arguably the most open World Cup in history, everyone still expects the All Blacks to take it. That in itself tells you about how things have changed, but yet stayed the same in rugby over the years.

The commercialisation of sport has

seen a rise in the power of branding, again causing huge influxes of money to games. A prime example of this is in golf, where all through the 2000s, a Tiger began to roar. Tiger Woods has held the title of number one golfer in the world for 683 weeks in total. That is thirteen years at the elite level. He is second in the all-time major winning lists (14, four behind Jack Nicklaus). He was most famously sponsored by Nike, and also had his own computer game up until 2014. Troubles in his personal life saw him dropped by some big advertising names, but a resurgence in form and recovery thanks to a year away from the course has meant that he is slowly working his way back up the rankings. It is testament to Woods that the ‘’new breed’’ of golfers were growing up as he was hitting his peak. Both Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler cite Woods as their inspiration to get into golf.

Finishing with an indoor ‘sport’, No darts player is more decorated than that of Phil ‘’The Power’’ Taylor. 16 time champion of the world, over 100 major titles worldwide, he held #1 ranking in the world for nearly seven years. He was unbeaten at the second of the PDC’s four major – the World Matchplay, from 2008 up until two months ago. His stranglehold over the darting world is starting to loosen a little bit as the new breed of dart players start to rise up the ranking.

Youth Champion Keegan Brown, Michael Smith, Devon Pieterson (who ironically uses an exact replica of Taylor’s darts, a set given to him by the Stoke native over 20 years ago) and Michael Van Gerwen are threatening to topple Taylor even further. There’s no real strength and conditioning, or social media involved with darts, but there is an incredible amount of practice. Taylor’s often described as arrogant by pundits, and perhaps that’s the reason that so many people are trying to knock him off his perch. Currently sitting at number three in the world (behind Michael van Gerwen and World Champ Gary Anderson), Taylor has a lot of work to do to regain the top spot.

This article has looked at only a handful of sporting starts. It is true that with the further developments in technology and sports science, we will see huge innovations and changes in some of the sports mentioned. It is unlikely we will ever see a golden era of great sports stars like the one we have at the moment again. Some records may be broken or surpassed, but to have all these stars at the elite of their sport, in the same short period of time seems like a stroke of luck above all else.

“Bolt took home three gold medals for Jamaica. Four years later, he repeated the feat at London 2012.”

18 september 15th 2015

sport

Mark English: Blazing a Trail

As UCD athlete Mark English goes from strength to strength, Conall Cahill sits down to talk to him about the challenges and successes of running Hope plays with your heart. It lets softening the reality. He is one of a you fall in love with a sport and, when few individuals currently preventing you are most intoxicated by that love, Irish athletics from descending into it betrays you. Athletics fans know anonymity in the mind of a public the danger of hope and the insanity it who only become mildly concerned can cause better than most. For some, about the sport every four years. the sport is now repulsive; constantly One wonders if this pressure ever reminding them of their broken heart, weighs heavily on the fourth year broken when the reality of a sport Medicine student’s shoulders? they believed in came crashing down “There is a lot of pressure. I find upon them. in our sport, “There is a lot of you can be Gatlin.

Ramzi. judged a failure Before that pressure. I find if you don’t Johnson. even medal, Flo Jo. But in our sport, you despite what a new wave your standards of athletes are. When I was can be judged tempts reading reports athletics of Olympics a failure if you followers to growing up, you tentatively don’t even medal, would always hope once read headlines more. despite what your of ‘such and Mo, Bolt, such fails to Rudisha. qualify’, ‘such standards are.”

And an and such fails to athlete medal’ – it was in our midst, an Irish talent only ever when they medalled that you threatening to burst onto our country’s would ever see (positive coverage)”. consciousness as Sonia and Coghlan Talking to English about athletics once did. Mark English ‘runs’ with is like opening up an Encyclopaedia a grace and poise that transforms of knowledge on the sport, with what he practises into an art form. references to Dave Wottle’s tactics in When Mark English entered the the 1972 Olympic final and, slightly gates of UCD for the first time, the wistfully, to the old UCD running University received into its midst track that in 1985 saw “Coghlan, a figure that can inspire hope in O’Sullivan, Frank O’ Mara and the athletics, that frustrating corner guys” (Ray Flynn was the other of our sporting landscape. member of the team) set a new world Three years on, a lot has changed record for the four by one mile relay in athletics, and for English. He in front of thousands of fans. English’s has become a European silver passion for the history of his sport is medallist indoors, won bronze in matched by a passion for self-analysis the outdoor championships, and and a detailed awareness of his established himself as one of a cluster own performance. He has a “very of athletes trying to hang onto the high intrapersonal understanding” flying coat-tails of David Rudisha. that “all the top athletes” have Rudisha is one of the greats, and – but one that is perhaps often some athletics fans feel may be overlooked by the public when able to breach the mystical 1.40 watching athletes perform. minutes mark for the distance.

“People can think, ‘he’s Calling English the “future” of talented, he’s a freak and he Irish athletics is merely a method of doesn’t even know what he’s doing’

IN PHOTO: Mark English, courtesy of rté

– but I think (the athlete has) a conscious level of understanding of what the body needs.”

English shares a lecture theatre with Dublin footballer Jack McCaffrey, whose sport is lightyears ahead of English’s when it comes to popularity. When asked about this contrast English admits that he doesn’t think his sport is “ever going to overtake something like GAA”, which he describes as “religion in this country” – but he does think athletics can be marketed more effectively and has several suggestions on how to do so. From displaying athletes’ data, such as their heart rates, on the big screen at events, to holding a race like this weekend’s ‘Great

North City Games’ in Newcastle, with beer perhaps being sold, and gambling facilities made available.

In the coming years, if the upward trajectory of English’s career continues, a certain notoriety may attach itself to his performances and image. While it is hard to imagine him rubbing his hands in glee at the thought of being recognised in Coppers, he says he is “not begging for” fame. “It’s not why I’m in the sport,” he says.

He also admits that “you wouldn’t turn it away...athletics is a business and promotion is part of that”.

Athletics certainly is a business, with in recent years a number of athletes, such as disgraced former 800 metre World Champion Rashid

Ramzi, changing nationality for financial gain. Yet before athletics fans have nightmares about Mark English engaging in shady backroom deals, receiving a case full of money and English running vests, rest assured that the Irish singlet is a strong motivator for the former Letterkenny AC runner: “With smaller competitions, it’s so hard to get up for them sometimes, and when you put on an Irish vest you get that rush of adrenalin and that is very powerful.”

English’s world, and that of his classmates, was rocked earlier this summer when news came through of the tragic deaths of two UCD Medicine students, Lorcán Miller and Eimear Walsh, in the balcony

collapse in Berkeley. English acknowledges that the tragedy puts losing a race or getting injured into perspective – but that it also emphasises “the uncertainty of the time we have on this earth, and how we should make the most of it. Nobody knows when our time is going to come. It reminds me that I can’t rest on my laurels.”

“Steve Prefontaine said that ‘to give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift’, and that’s kind of how I feel about it. There’s two of my classmates who aren’t going to be able to fulfil any of their dreams, and I’m sure they had huge dreams.

You almost feel a responsibility that you need to commit to yours, and to work every day at it.”

The badger As we begin the new academic year, the infamous Badger awakes from hibernation. He looks at the pain of deadline day in his first entry of the year

The Badger has awoken from his summer hibernation to a bright yellow hell. No, not the sun, the Sky Sports ‘Deadline Day’ feature. For those unaware of the whole history of this, deadline day is the last day of the transfer window. It used to be just your average day, with a couple of deals being done; usually you would find out through the next day’s newspapers. Now, it’s 24 hours of just ridiculous over the top hyperbolic waffle. Jim White, who used to be a well-respected bog standard news reader, now acts like a four year old child whose birthday is Christmas day. He leaps in and out of his chair with supposed ‘’contacts’’ coming into his ear about transfers, which more than half the time don’t come to fruition. His yellow tie has entered the Football Museum in Manchester.

Why? What gives a newsreader’s tie the right to be put alongside the likes of the boots of George Best, or the Jules Rimet World

Cup trophy from 1966?

White’s jack-in-the-box persona is counter acted by two retired footballers who you would surely think have something better to do.

The faces of these pros would suggest this. Most recently, Thierry Henry and Jamie Redknapp spent their day at Sky Studios being constantly asked every five minutes about something that a reporter has just told them. It’s painful stuff. At least in the summer window just gone, the deadline was moved from 11pm to 6pm, thankfully saving us on a further six hour of White and some poor female co-presenter whose expression doesn’t change throughout the day – one of morose boredom.

The Badger has a solution: Similar to the capping of live football games in the UK, deadline day should take place between clubs and clubs alone, with maybe some agents being given leeway. No social signs, no TV stations or cameras,

no journalists. And then leave the stories to come out the following morning. It would be a lot better than having hundreds, possibly thousands of “in the know’’ twitter accounts making up rumours about players.

It’s the same with the whole ‘92 Live’ phenomenon, which has since spread to the NFL. A whole day going to every club – what could be more thrilling... The BBC aren’t as bad as Sky for it, probably due to having a slightly smaller budget for it, but it’s still overboard. They also drag two ex-footballers in, albeit of a slightly smaller stature, and a live ticker keeps track. It’s unnecessary. Calm the whole thing down. Thankfully, the Badger has lost his signal for Sky Sports down in the set, so he won’t have to deal with this farcical pantomime again once January rolls around.

Sports Digest David kent gCYCLE4BERKELEY

UCD students, including members of the Trampoline Club and the Students’ Union took part in a charity fundraiser from 3rd to 6th September. They cycled over 23,000 kilometres outside Dundrum Town Centre to help raise over €7,500 for the victims of the Berkeley Tragedy.

Ladies GAA off to China

UCD’s International Ladies GAA team are heading to Shanghai for the 20th Edition of the FEXCO Asian Gaelic Games. The team will consist of 12 international students, from countries such as Poland, Nigeria and the United States of America, and will be UCD’s second appearance at the tournament. They made their debut last year in Incheon. Queen’s

University of Belfast (QUB) are also sending a team, and there will be a testimonial match between the two sides on the 26th September.

After being set up in 2014, over 100 international students have signed up to play.

Athletics

UCD Student Ciara Mageean finished second in the 1500m Olympic qualifying standard on Tuesday 9th September, but remains on course for Olympic qualification.

Breaking her personal record, the Physiotherapy student ran a time of 4:06.54, finishing just a second behind Canada’s Fiona Benson.

With the Rio qualifying mark being 4:06:00, Mageean now has a couple of more months to trim back the crucial seconds. Having missed out on the London 2012 games, and the most recent World Championship,

determination should be enough to drive the Portaferry native through.

GOLF

Backing up his second place finish at St Andrews in the Boyd Quaich tournament in July, Jonathan Yates won the Midlands Scratch Cup last weekend, equalling a course record final round in Carlow. Heading into the final round, the Naas native held a two shot lead, and he extended it to four after scoring off with a 66, to hold off the challenge of Seamus Cullen of Slieve Russell, who had won his last two competitions.

ROWING

Two Irish boats secured their place in the Rio Olympics last week, with a UCD representative a part of each team. In the lightweight men’s double sculls, after qualifying for

the semi-finals by finishing third ahead of pre-race favourites New Zealand, Paul and Gary O’Donovan managed to finish strong to sneak past the Greek sculls into fifth place. This was enough to earn a spot in Rio by just 0.2 of a second. 21 year old Paul from Cork is currently studying in UCD. Meanwhile in the women’s equivalent, UCD alumnus Claire Lambe was part of a race with partner Sinead Jennings, leading from the start of the race and powering all the way through to the last 300m, where they were pegged back to third place by a determined Chinese duo and Polish pair.

However, third was more than enough for qualification however, with two seconds to spare ahead of fifth place.

the National Track Championships.

Speaking to stickybottle.com after the win Morton’s delight was obvious: “I’d actually say the scratch win is one of my biggest ever results; you could go into the office on a Monday after getting 8th on a stage of the Rás and no one will raise an eyebrow. But you go in and say you’re a national champion – not that I would, and it’s huge’’. He followed it up with two bronze medals in the kilo TT and 4k pursuit. Morton only took up the sport competitively at the start of 2015, and has come a long way in the last few months.

CYCLING

A hugely successful weekend for Morton on the track, taking home three medals, including a gold in the scratch race in september 15th 2015

sport David Kent Sports Editor

Rugby World Cup Preview As the world gears up for the Rugby World Cup 2015, David Kent looks at the teams competing, and tries to establish

Rugby World Cup Preview

semi-final spot in 1991 their best, but if they are to repeat that feat, they’ll The Rugby World Cup is due to likely have to beat the Australians, kick off on 18th September, with ten a feat which is unlikely to happen. of the best rugby sides on the planet Samoa – World Ranking: 12 joined by a smattering of others.

Similar to the Fijians in more ways The 2011 campaign was marked than one, Samoa will fancy their by a number of close, hard fought chances to grab second in Pool B. battles, particularly as it reached A key final round fixture against the knockout stages, and 2015 is the Scots will decide second place, shaping up to be very similar. New and a strong Pacific Nations Cup Zealand are looking for their third campaign has given the Manu’s cause title, as are Australia and the South for hope. The addition of all three African Springboks, with the home Pisi brothers to the final 31 man nation England aiming for number squad gives them flair and some deft two. There are challengers like handling skills, particularly from Ireland and Wales, the sleeping Ken. 11 English based players means giants of Italy and Argentina, and they won’t have any fear of being some tricky teams such as Fiji and caught cold without home comfort.

Samoa. But who will contest for the Japan – World Ranking: 13.

Webb Ellis trophy on 31st October?

Having been there since the start, and with an improving Sevens side, Pool A a home World Cup in 2019 should be the aim for the Japanese. The Australia – World Ranking: 2. likes of Takashi Kikutani being The two time winners are coming omitted from the final 31 man into the tournament in decent selection, while unsurprising (he’s form, having lost just once in 2015 in his mid-thirties), could be costly. so far to the All Blacks. A Rugby He is Japan’s third top try scorer Championship victory has boosted the of all time (32 in 68 appearances confidence down under, and under for the Cherry Blossoms). the leadership of ex-Leinster coach U.S.A – World Ranking: 15 Michael Cheika, are the eight to Like the Japanese, the USA one third favourites to lift the Webb are slowly but surely improving Ellis. A disappointing loss to Ireland as a rugby side. Having garnered in the 2011 tournament didn’t stop only one victory in three of their them from a semi-final place, where six appearances at rugby’s major they were beaten by the All Blacks. tournament so far, they will look England – World Ranking: 4. to try and take two this year.

English Rugby has gone through Interestingly, one of those three transition since its 2003 World Cup wins came against the Japanese, win. A poor performance in 2011 in the 2003 competition Down had them eliminated by the French, Under. Some European experience despite topping their pool. There is a will make their games against lot of pressure on Stuart Lancaster’s Scotland and Japan interesting but inexperienced side to deliver on home a 5th place finish in the Pacific turf, after losing the Six Nations Nations Cup earlier this season to Ireland in spring. The second should be mirrored in this pool. fixture against Wales will decide second spot in the pool, the winners Pool C likely to run into South Africa.

Wales – World Ranking: 5 New Zealand - World Wales have never done better than Ranking: 1 third in a World Cup, but are boosted The best side in the game since by an impressive 2011 campaign, the last World Cup, and they are where they knocked out Ireland now aiming to become the first team before losing narrowly to France in to retain it, and cement their place the semis. They were dealt a blow in the Hall of Fame of Rugby. With with the loss of Leigh Halfpenny to explosive running in the back line, injury in the final World Cup warm up and a pack that’ll rough up any other against Italy. Defeat to England saw in the scrum, it’ll take a special side them miss out on the Six Nations on to stop the All Blacks from making points difference. Avenging that loss history. Two years unbeaten before in Twickenham in eight days will be being stopped by South Africa, key to them reaching the quarters.

Bledisloe Cup champions 2015 after Fiji – World Ranking: 9 avenging a loss to the Wallabies, and The Flying Fijians are heading the influential Dan Carter still in for their sixth World Cup, and for the squad makes the pre-tournament a nation of their size, their record favourites the team to beat. They’ll isn’t too shabby. Two quarter finals blast their way to the final, where (most recently 2007) weren’t backed there could be a small hiccup, but up in 2011 however, where they expect them to stamp authority. were convincingly eliminated in the Argentina – World Ranking: 8 pool stages, suffering three heavy Los Pumas have benefitted since defeats along the way. A similar being added to the old Tri Nations situation should occur this year, to form the Rugby Championship in but if the big sides have an off-day, 2012. With an impressive victory in Fiji could spring a surprise.

Durban against South Africa this year Uruguay –World Ranking: 19 with a young side (only six of the 31 The Teros have never reached man squad are over 30) and players the quarter final stages, and unless reaching their peak, Los Pumas can a major illness hits every member be quietly confident that they could of every other squad in this pool, reach a semi-final. Part of that win they won’t do it this time. None over the Springboks was a hat trick of their current squad ply their of tries from Juan Imhoff. A new trade in tier one European clubs. club being set up (UAR) after the Expect a last placed finish.

World Cup means that only 7 players are actually contracted to clubs.

Pool B: Tonga – World Ranking: 11 2011 was a stunning World Cup South Africa – World campaign for the Tongans, with a Ranking: 3 sensational victory over ‘07, finalists Two time champions, the third France being the highlights. Since best team in the world are coming in then, victories over Scotland, on a bit of a low after a poor Rugby Romania, Japan and the USA Championship. The side that ended sees the Islanders come into this the two year unbeaten run of the All year’s tournament in a small vein Blacks in 2014 haven’t been able of form. Strength in the scrum will to follow up on that in 2015, losing be key in their first two fixtures, three times in the Championship, which should see two victories, but including once to Argentina. They facing the champions and then a should reach the semis at least, where resurgent Argentina should snuff they’ll potentially run into Ireland, out any hope of qualification. or failing that, a good French side.

Georgia – World Ranking: 16 Scotland – World Ranking: 10 Ireland fans know all about Scotland’s poor performances in Georgian rugby. It was 2007 2015 will worry them a little, but when Eddie O’Sullivan’s side were they are blessed with a weak looking minutes away from being stunned on paper group, with three of the by a last minute try, only for Ronan other four teams of a similar calibre O’Gara’s boot to save the Irish. to them. But they will need to step One win in the last two campaigns it up a level in order to progress. A and the same must surely be the wooden spoon Six Nations campaign aim. With a largely French based has been somewhat diluted by two side, they’re 2000/1 to come out on wins in the run up to the World Cup, top, according to Paddy Power. both over an improving Italian side, Namibia – World Ranking: 20 one impressive, one close. They’ve One of only two African sides to been at every World Cup so far, a reach this year’s competition, but

20 september 15th 2015

in photo: THE IRISH RUGBY TEAM IN ACTION

their fate will be very different to South Africa’s. It can be almost guaranteed that they will come bottom of the group with no points. It might seem harsh, but looking at the rest of the group, can anyone argue?

Pool D France – World Ranking: 7 The French are always under pressure to perform in major tournaments, and are looking to go one better than 2011, when they were losing finalists (and somewhat unlucky at that ) to New Zealand.

Phillipe Saint-Andres has named a very attacking side, and after a poor Six Nations, will want to bring some fight into their first game at Twickenham on the 19th.

Ireland - World Ranking: 6 Irish media have hyped this Irish side up to be one of the best of all time, but they were brought back down to earth last weekend as Joe Schmidt’s team lost their final warm up game to England. The final group game against France will be key.

Victory should give a quarter final against Argentina, but a loss sets Ireland up for a clash against the All Blacks. This is Paul O’Connell’s last hurrah as an Irish player; he retires at the end of the tournament.

Schmidt will have a big decision to make at full back, and he needs to get the strongest pack in the

Northern Hemisphere together in the scum. This team may be good, but it won’t be good enough. Heartbreak at the last hurdle is likely, which seems to be a common occurrence for Irish rugby over the years.

Italy – World Ranking : 14 The lowest ranked of the Six Nations at this World Cup, the Italians are always that side that might spring an upset, best proved with their stunning win in the 2014 Six Nations in Paris. However, they are hit with a blow as the inspirational Sergio Parisse will miss their opening game against the French. Jacques Brunel has beaten both Ireland and France in his time in charge of the Azzuri.

Canada – World Ranking: 18 A stalwart at every World Cup since 1987, their best performance is the quarter finals in 1991. However, they have no victory over a Tier 1 side in a decade, and with a majority home based squad, the adaption will need to be sharp to escape the group.

Romania – World Ranking: 17 While their squad is littered with experience, the Romanians have never qualified out of the pools at a World Cup, their best effort being one victory in four of the seven they’ve taken part in. Csaba Gal and Florian Vlaicu will have to link together in the centre for any hope of a better performance this year Overview – This is New Zealand’s

trophy to lose. While there will be strong challenges, the All Blacks should have enough in the tank to retain the Webb Ellis Cup. The current Irish side is arguably one of the best we’ve ever had, but they will fall just short of the mark.

While it would be nice to send Paul O’Connell away with a World Cup medal, there is no place for sentiment in rugby. With Warren Gatland and Stuart Lancaster both under pressure to deliver, Pool A should be the best to watch, with some cracking quarter finals to be seen.