Volume XXI - Broadsheet - Issue 4

uo The University Observer incendiary weapons we look at the covert deployment of white phosphorus in war zones

campus sports latest match reports from ucd rfc and ucd marian

jonny sexton exclusive interview with the irish rugby hero

november 18th 2014 Volume XXI issue 4 universityobserver.ie

above A windless day outside the ucd engineering building

ciarán sweeney P18 sports P20

photo kate cleary

james brady p4

Registry Withdrawal Date extended following SUSI delay chaos cian carton UCD Registry has extended the deadline date for the withdrawal from academic programmes for the third time this year, with the date now set at November 27th. This move was made in an attempt to alleviate the pressure on students who are still waiting to hear whether or not they are eligible to receive a student grant from Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI).

If a student does not withdraw before this deadline, they become liable for paying half of the student contribution charge, which stands at €2,750 for the current academic year. If a student then chooses to return to third level education, they will no longer be eligible for free fees.

UCD Registry initially extended relief to students for three weeks following the October 1st deadline for paying fees, up until October 26th, as long as students included their SUSI number on their registration. The further extension was made after discussions between the Registry and UCD Students’ Union (UCDSU) as by this date SUSI had previously said the vast majority of applications would

be processed. However currently thousands of students nationwide have still not had their applications processed by SUSI and are left in limbo regarding funding for college.

The latest attention and criticism for SUSI has arisen since “Gary”, a UCD student, anonymously shared his story to the public via UCDSU in order to highlight the difficulties being imposed on students in securing grants. At the centre of the story is the fact that one cannot be under the age of 23 and “independent” from their parents when seeking support from SUSI. The student, who also spoke to the University Observer, submitted his application on July 31st, but still does not know if he is eligible to receive the grant. He has said that he was requested by a SUSI representative to have an affidavit drawn up to declare he was independent, but was later told in a phone call that it was irrelevant, after having the document drawn up and completed by a solicitor.

Maeve DeSay, UCDSU Welfare and Equality Officer, said that the Free Legal Advice Centre (FLAC) have confirmed they were

su/lgbtq+ push Voter Registration Campaign Sylvester Phelan UCD Students’ Union (UCDSU) and UCD LGBTQ+ Society have joined together to promote the “Vote Yes to Marriage Equality” campaign in recent weeks, through a voter registration drive on campus.

In order to vote in the Civil Marriage Equality Referendum in 2015, a person must have registered to vote by 25 November 2014, with the official Electoral Register for 2015 set to be published on 1 February.

The Draft Electoral Register was published online on 1 November and UCD LGBTQ+ and UCDSU are actively encouraging students to check if they are on the register.

Louise Keogh, auditor of UCD LGBTQ+, said that the society joined the Yes Equality Campaign after being contacted by Tiernan Brady from the Gay & Lesbian Equality Network (GLEN). She praised GLEN for furnishing the society with information on how to “register people and [for providing] the merchandise to make our campaign look professional.” According to Keogh, UCDSU had been planning another voter registration drive, which made it logical for the two organisations to combine for the campaign.

UCD LGBTQ+ began its two week voter registration drive alongside UCDSU on 10 November and Keogh thinks that it has been well received

receiving calls from students confused as to whether or not they needed to send in affidavits with their grant applications.

The student in question became independent from his parents at the age of 18, saying that he couldn’t stay in the home he was in and that it “wasn’t a good environment to be in”. He also described working close to 30 hours each weekend, and more during the week, to support himself through his first two years of university following a rejection of his SUSI application.

The eligibility criteria for a student grant is set out in the Student Support Act 2011, Student Support Regulations 2014, and Student Grant Scheme 2014.

Section 13 of the 2011 Act defines the classes of applicant for a grant.

Section 13 (7) defines a “dependent student” as “every student other than an independent student.”

However, for the purposes of the act, an “independent person” under section 13 (3) means a “mature student,” who must be at least 23 years old. Therefore, every applicant under the age of 23 is classified as a “dependent person.”

Amy Fox, UCDSU Undergraduate Education Officer, said that she would like to see continuous communication with a specific individual or two from SUSI, rather than having to go through the long-winded process of verification through SUSI’s Support Desk every time UCDSU rings them.

She rejected claims that UCD’s early deadline for paying fees was the problem, and said that those suggestions “which may been a valid reason perhaps in some eyes,” was no longer tenable after the original deadline had twice been extended by UCD Registry.

Fox attributed the delays to inadequate staffing levels at SUSI and said that it was a “pity” that individuals like Gary had to make his case public in an attempt to get the support he needs. She further revealed that UCDSU had been contacted by 34 new students during the first week of November, who were worried as they had not heard anything from SUSI. Graham Doyle, Head of Communications and Customer Services at SUSI, said there had been 103,000 grant applications

made for this academic year.

He noted that 10,000 of those applications were cases where SUSI was still waiting to receive documentation from students, and confirmed that priority had been given to the applications which were sent in before the deadlines, with 15,000 late applications being made. He reminded students that SUSI was there to help them, and strongly emphasised how SUSI must work within the parameters of legislation, especially in relation to class of applicants, stating that “we can’t make exceptions, there’s legislation there we must be following.”

Doyle confirmed that officials from SUSI were going to meet with members of UCDSU in an effort to agree on a solution to problems raised by the ongoing situation. Fox attributes the publicity of the “Gary” story in securing the sit down, after previous attempts to secure one were rebutted by SUSI. A date for the meeting had not yet been confirmed as of going to print.

artists in residence a look at ucd’s growing art in science initiative

james brady and patrick kelleher otwo p14

hamilton leithauser The former lead singer of the walkmen in interview

cormac duffy Otwo P19

UCD Strategic Plan 2015-2020 Unveiled

david corscadden on campus, so far. She said that over 1,000 students registered to vote during the first week of the campaign, and attributed its success to the 30 volunteers that have been “running the stand [in the student centre] and doing lecture addresses.”

Keogh claimed that students have been emailing UCD LGBTQ+ regarding the event, and have even “pulled committee members and SU members over in the corridors asking about how to register.”

Keogh asserted that the motives behind the campaign were to “make sure that the majority of UCD students can vote for their future and realise that they must vote to make a change,” and believes that a “yes” vote in next year’s referendum would “make an impact on the country’s constitution for the better.” She expressed fear that the referendum may not pass “due to the common mindset that it’s obviously going to pass.”

A motion was passed during a Council meeting of UCDSU on 21 October, whereby the Council mandated that “UCDSU campaigns strongly in favour of equal civil marriage.” No society or organisation within UCD has yet formally advocated for a “No” vote in the upcoming marriage equality referendum.

The UCD Strategic Plan 20152020 was launched last week by UCD President, Professor Andrew Deeks. The strategy sets out ten key objectives which are believed will help the university to achieve its vision of an academic institution that supports and develops its “world-leading disciplinary and interdisciplinary research”. It is believed this will help “tackle significant global issues and challenges” as well as improving the university’s ability to turn out graduates who are “equipped with the knowledge, skills, experience and attitudes they need to flourish in present and future Irish and global societies”.

At the announcement, Deeks was joined by the Minister for Education and Skills, Jan O’Sullivan, who praised the plan for its ability to offer students the chance to gain “valuable international cultural and educational opportunities.”

The strategy sets a clear goal to place the university within the world’s top 100 universities by 2020. It is hoped that as well as a dedicated investment in UCD infrastructure and services, that a review of the university’s curriculum will help achieve this goal. Commenting on this measure, Deeks said “We will identify our core disciplines

neven maguire

ireland’s nicest chef on his love of local produce david corscadden Otwo P6

maintenance in the recently refurbished belgrove

through internal discussion and external comparison in order to consolidate and strengthen them.”

Within plans for the improvement of UCD’s infrastructure, in which ‘a lack of uniformity’ was noted, plans are clearly set out to increase student accommodation on campus from its current level of 2,300, up to a population of 5,000. A move which is hoped to offset the current student housing crisis felt in Dublin. To meet this goal, a large-scale fundraising initiative will be announced early next year.

The plan has been widely accepted by most in the university with UCD Students’ Union (UCDSU) President Feargal Hynes saying that the UCDSU “welcome the overall strategy.” Hynes points to significant

input to the strategy by UCDSU, with all four sabbatical officers sitting on the Governing Authority and feeding in changes based around student needs during the drafting process.

Some within UCD have raised concerns about a perceived lack of detail in the plan. The document, at 28 highly visual pages, is a shadow of the much larger documents published

by UCD in previous years and by many other universities today.

The announcement of the Strategic Plan was the first major announcement made by Deeks since becoming President. For many this offered the first opportunity to hear Deeks’ plans for the university and how he aimed to follow on from the legacy of his predecessor, Professor Hugh Brady.

post-cold war cinema

the politics of the screen in a changing world Síofra Ní Shluaghadháin otwo p11 november 18th 2014

News

national news in brief

Science Hack Day Held in UCD Aaron murphy

patrick kelleher

Irish Universities Launch Shared Service Jobs Portal Ireland’s seven universities, working under the Irish Universities Association (IUA), have developed a shared website advertising all vacancies in Irish universities. The website, which formally launched at the annual IUA HR conference, is called universityvacancies. com, and has full social media integration with job openings automatically posted to sites such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Ned Costello, the association’s Chief Executive, commented that the “gateway provides a cost-effective and user-friendly solution to publicising job opportunities in our universities,” which has seen “1,400 vacancies advertised on it in the short time since the site went live.”

The website has encountered success as a result of a digital marketing campaign launched during the summer, which targeted search engine traffic.

This has resulted in over one million page impressions per month, and has since been extended to social media, which will garner further traffic.

Users of the website can subscribe to receive emails for jobs in their category. The website also has an advanced search option, which allows users to search for jobs that are within their area. It has already been noted that a large number of visitors to the website continue to return to it, in order to check for new vacancies.

UCCSU Scraps Five Years of Policies in Contentious Vote Five years of motions passed

by University College Cork Students’ Union (UCCSU) were invalidated by the passing of a controversial motion at a recent meeting of the SU’s Council. The move came after union officers claimed that inadequate records had been kept by past council meetings, which prevented the current council from drafting a new UCCSU policy document.

The motion was passed by a majority of 65 to 23, however both UCC LGBT+ and UCC Labour have condemned the move. LGBT+ Society Auditor James Upton said the “ardent work of reps over the last five years has been abolished in one swift brush by UCC Class Council” and that UCC LGBT+ Society is calling for an immediate reversal of an act of “democratic usurpation.”

Allegations were made on the night of the Council that the SU had access to a Google Drive of previous motions.

Joe Kennedy, UCCSU Education Officer, who proposed the motion, responded that “there should be 30 councils for the last five years and there’s minutes for 11 of them.”

Some of the motions discarded in the move include the calls for the SU to campaign for the provision of abortion services in Ireland, LGBT+ rights, and anti-fee campaigns.

Arts and Science Students Feel “Less Prepared” for the Workplace Arts and humanities students feel less prepared for the jobs market than their peers, according to The Irish Survey of Student Engagement, which received responses from 19,800 students across 30 higher education institutions.

The major survey also noted that more than a quarter of students said they never learned how to apply their knowledge to the workplace.

23% of respondents in arts and humanities said they believed college had contributed “very little” to preparing them for the workplace.

In contrast, 15% of science, maths and computing respondents said likewise. The study also found that the vast majority of third-level students find college to be valuable, and believe that it has given them marketable skills and knowledge.

Ireland’s results were “broadly comparable” to those in Australia and “reflect relatively well on the Irish higher education system.” However, Ireland performed poorly against New Zealand in the area of “studentstaff interactions”. Sean O’Reilly, Project Manager, noted that in this category, the results “tend to be low in other jurisdictions but they are particularly low in Ireland, especially for first-year undergraduates.”

2 november 18th 2014

Over 150 people from different constructive and scientific backgrounds gathered in UCD for the now annual Science Hack Day. Hack Day is an initiative that runs worldwide and aims to bring together the most curious minds to solve social and scientific problems. The idea of a “hack,” according to Dr David McKeown, a researcher in the UCD School of Mechanical and Material Engineering, who is also the co-ordinator of the event, is a “quick, clever, but not necessarily elegant”, solution to a problem that faces society.

The 36-hour event gathered academics, engineers, artists, developers and members of the general public into one room within the O’Brien Centre of Science, to construct creative solutions to issues. The idea is that people will submit what they see as problems that need to be solved, or ideas that need to be brought to fruition, or just fun ideas for a group project before the event. Once the event starts those involved gather into groups to work on whatever projects interest them.

Science Hack Day relies on sponsorship from interested parties to keep going and is run completely by volunteers. Speaking about this years event and the “around

177 people signed up to take part”, McKeown said that the goal of the event was to give people a chance at turning their ideas into reality, along with learning about science.

The submissions this year from participants included a set of pants that work as an electric drum kit, an attachment that allows you to use trees to charge your phone, a toaster that uses your online profile to make perfect toast, predator vision, a self sterilising water butt, wearable safety aids for farms and hands free go-kart driving.

The attendees split into several teams and set to work on Saturday morning, and continued right through the night until Sunday afternoon, when the groups had all concluded their projects. Each team then made a demonstration of their project.

A judging panel, featuring UCD President, Andrew Deeks, examined each invention, and presented medals to some of the best groups.

It was all about the participation, as declared on the event’s website, which stated that “large cash prizes are overrated, what you need is pride in your work, the feeling of accomplishment and shiny medals that say “Science” on them.”

Anyone can submit an idea for a “hack” at any time via the website, sciencehackdaydublin.com.

the competition challenged entrants’ digital and crafting skills

UCD hosts Thinking Big 2014 Forum Eithne Dodd

Thinking Big, a two-day student organised forum that encourages people to engage with global, long-term issues that face the world, took place in the Garret FitzGerald Chamber during the 14th and 15th of November.

The event, which launched last year, challenged students to consider pressing matters for the future through various talks, workshops and panel discussions over the two days. Topics covered at this year’s event included Third World Development, Freedom of Information, Green

Technology, Smart Cities, and Genetically Modified Foods.

Detailed debates arose from workshops on Ireland’s drug policy and Third World Healthcare.

Eighteen speakers from backgrounds in academia, industry and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) addressed dozens of delegates. Conor Sheehan, Co-ordinator of Thinking Big 2014, acknowledged the difficulty the organising committee had in “finding distinguished speakers who all had the same weekend free.”

He revealed that a speaker had

Homeless Week Raises Over €3,700 Lucy Ryan

UCD Saint Vincent De Paul (UCDSVP) held its flagship event of the year, Homeless Week 2014, outside the James Joyce Library from the 3rd to the 7th of November. This year, the society raised €3,707 in its week of fundraising, a dramatic increase from the €2,700 that was collected during the previous year’s event.

Throughout the week, students participated in a nightly ‘Sleepout’ at a makeshift camp on the concourse outside the James Joyce Library. Involvement this year was at an all time high for the society, with dozens of students roughing it, including UCD Students’ Union (UCDSU) President, Feargal Hynes, who joined the group for one night.

During the daytime, the society organised several events around the camp, which included busking, candlelight readings and film screenings. The volunteers also sold tea and coffee there throughout the week to raise funds.

Kate McDonnell, Vice President of UCDSVP, was delighted at the amount of money raised, and said that the “much needed funds will go towards running our voluntary activities for the year such as Soup Runs, Homework Club, Youth Club, and working in a homeless shelter.”

According to the most recent statistics from Census Ireland, there are an estimated 3,808 homeless people in Ireland, including 457 under the age of 14. In Dublin alone, more than five people on average are becoming homeless on a weekly basis due to the economic climate.

This statistic solidifies homelessness as an escalating concern in Ireland.

pulled out at the last minute, but praised the efforts of Speakers Officer, Charlotte McLoughlin, in securing a replacement.

The list of speakers included Gavin Sheridan, Frank Connolly, Dr Maria Murphy, Lucinda Creighton TD, Professor Ron Davies, Dr Iseult Lynch, and Vinnie Cunningham. They offered their insights and experiences from a variety of disciplines including politics, economics, journalism, human rights, law, nanotechnology, engineering, computer science, and statistics. Delegates were given the opportunity to

interact with them in a series of question and answer sessions.

While there was a wide range of topics discussed, the organisers recognised that Thinking Big would only cater to a certain section of the student body.

Sheehan said that “Thinking Big, while attempting to alter the perception of young people being apathetic, does recognise that we are essentially playing to a niche market.” He feels that there is a “large percentage of students that are interested in the topics of global economic disparity and environmentalism but there is

also a large body of people in UCD who don’t care.” For him, Thinking Big is a way of engaging both of these groups, which will help with “raising awareness of these issues and getting people to think about our future.”

Sheehan was optimistic that the event encouraged students to ponder the world’s future, stating that all they want to do is “engage UCD students and make them wonder what sort of world they wish to live in.”

UCD Excels at NUI Awards Ceremony Roisin Nicholson

The Census represented the first time that comprehensive information was collected on the number of homeless people in the State.

However, UCDSVP have tackled this through their Homeless Week campaigns, taking place annually since 2008. Since its initiation it has raised several thousand euro for the destitute of Ireland. The event has thrived due to the support of UCD students in collecting vital funds for the campaign, raising awareness of homelessness in Ireland and funds for homeless services, such as UCDSVP’s Soup Runs.

As one of the largest and most active student charity societies on campus, UCDSVP is attempting to tackle the problem of homelessness against a backdrop of an economic recession and an ever-increasing number of people forced out onto the streets each week. It provides voluntary aid to both students on campus and community projects in Dublin such as the Backlane Homeless Hostel.

The group equally promotes social justice issues, and recently awarded leading social activists Fr. Peter McVerry, founder of the Peter McVerry Trust, and Joan Freeman, of Pieta House, with the society’s Social Justice Award.

McDonnell highlighted the many benefits of getting involved, and encourages any students who wished to participate in the organisation to have a look at the group’s Facebook page, and to e-mail UCDSVP at svp.society@ucd.ie.

UCD students and graduates were to undergraduate students, such as among the best performers at the the Dr H. H. Stewart Scholarships National Universities of Ireland and Prizes. These awards are (NUI) Awards Ceremony 2014. Held designed to recognise achievements last week at the Royal Hospital in the fields of languages and Kilmainham, the chancellor of NUI, health sciences. UCD students were Dr Maurice Manning, conferred accorded with 20 of these prizes. scholarships, fellowships and UCD student, Aline Denise other awards to students of NUI Courtois PhD, was bestowed the institutions. In total, funds of prestigious Dr Garret Fitzgerald over €1.2 million were given to Post-Doctoral Fellowship in the recipients to support third-level Social Sciences. This fellowship research. Among those honoured is one of only five offered by were post-doctoral, post-graduate NUI, each of which is worth up and under-graduate students. to €80,000, and usually lasts for 130 students received awards two years. Other post-doctoral from NUI institutions including awards were given out in the UCD, University College Cork Sciences and Humanities areas.

(UCC), Maynooth University (NUIM), The continued importance of NUI Galway, the Royal College university research was recognised of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), St at the awards ceremony. As stated by Angela’s College, and the National Dr Manning, the aim of these awards College of Art and Design (NCAD). is to ‘make a positive contribution The diversity of NUI was also to the advancement of our society showcased with some recipients - through scholarly research and coming from Bahrain and Penang. innovation and through new forms of Of those who received awards, 38 engagement and cultural expression.’ came from UCD. The disciplines He reiterated the NUI’s commitment that were recognised included to support continued research specialities in Humanities and initiatives at their institutions.

Social Sciences, Education, Speaking about the awards, Dr Health Sciences and the Sciences.

Manning praised the “intelligence Many UCD recipients excelled and creativity” of NUI members. in the category of the Travelling Scholars who focused on Irish Studentship in the Sciences/ culture came in for particular praise.

Humanities and Social Sciences.

In this area, Trevor Horgan, a UCD In this group, UCD saw seven graduate, won the NUI Mansion students awarded prizes, claiming House Fund Scholarship, which is more than half of the travelling awarded for a focus on Irish history. studentships on offer. This award The event is central to the NUI, gives students the opportunity to with a history going back as far earn a post-graduate degree abroad as the organisation itself, which or in another NUI institution. was founded in 1908. Since then, Other awards also offer students the awards have been an annual a reward for hard work and a occurrence, with a presentation chance to further their academic ceremony held every Autumn. knowledge. Some of these are given

News

News Analysis: Strategic Plan 2015-2020

international

Cian Carton looks at how the UCD Strategic Plan 2015-2020 may propagate a division between EU and non-EU students

News in Brief eithne dodd

On November 11th the President of UCD, Professor Andrew Deeks, launched the UCD Strategic Plan 2015-2020. The document sets out the vision and aspirations of the university for the forthcoming years.

Deeks was joined in the launch

by Minister for Education and Skills, Jan O’Sullivan, who said that “UCD’s strategy will not only provide opportunities for students to gain valuable international cultural and educational experience but for a strong launching pad for many Irish who wish to reach out to the wider world.”

The plan sets out ten key objectives for the future, which will be implemented through six major strategic initiatives. One major point to be noted for students is the university’s plan to increase on-campus student accommodation up to 5,000 residents, from the current figure of 2,700. This is set to be financed by a major

fund-raising campaign which will be launched next year.

The document comes as UCD grapples with its international image, which is somewhat unclear given its contradictory international rankings.

Last month, it fell out of the top 200 universities in the Times World Rankings. However, it maintained its position in the QS World University Rankings, coming in at 139th place.

The new plan boldly claims that UCD is seeking to become one of the top 10 universities in the world for “global engagement.” Four UCD Global Centres will open next year, and there are plans for several more. Acting as local hubs, they are designed to help build connections with the local industries and governments. One of the centres will be located in Beijing. This looks set to further strengthen the ties between UCD and the Confucius Institute (CI), a controversial agreement which has been examined

in detail by Gráinne Loughran, writing for the University Observer.

Objective ten of the plan, to “overcome financial, human resource management, and other external constraints” is worth examining.

The plan notes how the economic downturn in Ireland has resulted in a “tendency for government to employ a restrictive approach to budgetary and human resource policy in the universities.” UCD has already been challenged over unauthorised salary top-ups it had been making to its staff members over the past few years.

This side-swipe at governmental control is not unique, and its origins are clear. In an interview with the University Observer in February 2014, after his appointment as President of UCD, Deeks spoke passionately about funding for universities. He said that managing the university’s finances is “really being able to work with the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and the

Department of Education to ensure that the vision of the government doesn’t impede and restrict actually our delivery of that vision.”

“They have a great vision, but when they’re too managerial, then it affects our ability to deliver it.

There are a couple of specific things that I referred to; the problem of the funding to universities per student is something that has to be resolved.”

“And another thing is the connection of the academic pay scale to the public service pay scales. While those two are linked in that way so that our academic scales are not comparable with our international competitors, then it restricts the ways we can build the universities in the way actually the government would like to see them built.”

At the time Deeks also outline how parties must work to resolve tension of the government’s ambition and the manner in which

the Department of Education and Skills and the HEA are trying to realise that ambition.

Deeks’ comments underscore UCD’s motives as it tries to better impose control over its own finances by increasing its non-exchequer income. One of the ways it intends to do this is by increasing the number of non-EU and graduate students enrolled in programmes. This may appear to be well intentioned, but it highlights a clear distinction between groups of students.

The fees imposed on non-EU students are considerably higher than on EU students. You are not just a student, you are either an EU or a non-EU student, where the place of your birth now matters far more than it should.

UCD Musical Society production of ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ this week Shane Hannon

The UCD Musical Society’s much-anticipated production of Bonnie and Clyde will take place in Astra Hall this week.

A relatively young society on campus, having been set up in 2009, the society traditionally organises two full-scale musicals each year in November and April.

The play’s producer, Christina Olwill, details the long process that goes into choosing the musicals to perform each year. “When the production team was picked we sat down and went through different musicals and we all had very different ideas. Bonnie and Clyde wasn’t even one discussed by the Musical Society committee.” Eventually however a decision was reached.

“No one was agreeing on anything so we had to go home and come up with a whole new list of ideas that we hadn’t discussed, and we finally settled on Bonnie and Clyde.”

The society’s musicals are hugely popular year on year, with productions of the likes of Sweeney Todd, Grease, Little Shop of Horrors and Cabaret performed to large audiences in the past. Bonnie and Clyde itself is a factual tale of ill-fated lovers whose story has gone down in infamy since they achieved almost folk-hero status during the Great Depression, and Aidan Byrne, who will play the role of The Preacher in this UCD production, is confident it will be a resounding success. “It’s not your typical musical theatre. It’s more blues and gospel, and quite deep and different.”

A university professor in Dartmouth College, England, has implicated 43 students in an academic dishonesty case over allegations of cheating in his “Sport, Ethics and Religion” class.

In Professor Randall Balmer’s class, each student is given one clicker and from this attendance is recorded.

They also answer questions in the class using the clicker. Students are suspected of giving their clickers to other students who did attend the class, so that they could still get the points for attendance, which counts for 15% of their overall grade.

On October 30th, the class was given a question which they were to answer on their clickers, then a paper version of the same question was passed around

by Balmer. There were 43 students who had answered the question on their clickers but not on paper. After discovering this discrepancy, the judicial affairs director of the college was contacted. It is not clear whether or not the 43 students will be removed from the class. Balmer revealed that several students had already informed him that there had been instances of cheating in the previous midterm exam.

The UCD Musical Society production of ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ runs from Tuesday November 18th through to Saturday November 22nd, with nightly performances at 7.30pm in Astra Hall. Tickets can be reserved by emailing bonnieandclydeucd@ gmail.com and payment can be made on the night.

UCD played host to International Week from the 10-14 November with a series of events that were organised and hosted by UCD Students’ Union (UCDSU) and the International Students’ societies.

The aim of the week was to promote a more diverse and multi-cultural atmosphere among students all over campus. This was achieved with a large number of cross campus events and activities being organised throughout the week.

Matthew Carroll, UCDSU’s International students co-ordinator, played a pivotal role in organising the week’s festivities in association with the International Student’s societies.

He praised the work of the societies involved in organising the event, and felt that it had “something for everyone.” For Carroll, UCD is “a campus with multiple nationalities and this week is a showcase for them.”

Protests Over Missing Students in Mexico Turn Violent

James Bergin, (clyde), during rehearsals last week

Ian Moore

ucdsu launch Revision Roadshow Cian Carton

International Week began on Monday with a collection for UCD Volunteers Overseas (UCDVO) and came to a close with an international dinner, hosted in the Red Room of the Student Centre. Other highlights of the week included an International Table quiz in the Clubhouse Bar that was hosted by comedian Marcus O’Laoire, who recently performed at the UCD Comedy Festival.

UCD Start-ups Contest for €25,000 Prize Seven of the best new high-tech and knowledge-intensive start-ups from UCD and the National College of Art and Design (NCAD) competed for a prize of €25,000 at the 2014 UCD VentureLaunch Accelerator Showcase and Awards Evening in the O’Brien Centre for Science on Monday 17th November.

The aim of the VentureLaunch Accelerator Programme project is to

Approximately 650,000 South Korean students sat the country’s annual university entrance exams on November 6th. In a society where education is deeply ingrained, these exams play a major role in the lives of South Koreans, and can impact on everything from their future career to their marriages. It is not usual for fellow citizens to be encouraged to take any steps possible to support students.

Heavy restrictions were imposed to ensure that there were no noise disturbances. Vehicles were not permitted to drive within 200 yards of any of the 1,257 test centres across the country. For the duration of the English language listening test, the transport ministry banned flights from landing or taking-off from any of the nation’s airports. Most companies told their staff to come to work an hour later than usual to keep the roads clear for students. Teams of police cars and motorcycles were on stand-by to escort students who feared they were running late to their exam centres.

However, the pressure imposed on students by the exams evidently took its toll, amid reports a 17 year old boy jumped to his death the night before the exams after becoming extremely stressed during the run-up.

43 Students at Dartmouth College Suspected of Cheating in an Ethics Class

A large amount of work goes into the Musical production process, and joining Olwill are Shauna Carrick (Director), Amy Gilligan (Assistant Director) and Sarah Egan (Vocal Director). Olwill reveals that even the set design can take incredible time and effort. “We built our own stage using a lot of pallets. A lot of wood and a lot of work went into it. So hopefully it will look well.”

One aspect of this year’s production that is different to previous years was the ticketing process. “This year we did something different and used an email to set up reservations so it’s selling really well.” The impressive ticket-selling figures are also undoubtedly assisted by a well-orchestrated publicity campaign.

“Our Public Relations Officer has put a lot of stuff on Facebook promoting the show, so every day we’re putting up different pictures, different videos and rehearsal shots.”

The society’s production looks set to do extraordinarily well, and the producer thinks it’s definitely one not to be missed. “Everyone has heard of Bonnie and Clyde but the musical is so unknown, even to people interested in musicals.”

campus news in brief International Week Held on Campus

Planes Grounded as South Korean Students Take University Entrance Exams

assist in the launch of sustainable and profitable start-up companies from both UCD and NCAD. It also aims to equip the researchers with the knowledge, skills and understanding that is required to work as part of a team successfully leading a new commercial venture.

As part of the programme, participants avail of ten 3-hour workshops and a series of one-toone sessions with external experts in areas such as finance, marketing and customer validation to help in the development of their enterprise.

The seven ventures nominated are Atturos, BlackLabBio, Cara Mobility, Insight Renewables, Magnostics, and NovoGrid. The winner had not been announced at the time of going to print.

With the end of semester exams quickly approaching, UCD Students’ Union (UCDSU) last week ran a Revision Roadshow to ensure that students are prepared for exam season.

UCDSU’s Education Officers hosted clinics around campus, where students were able to raise any small questions they had concerning the exams. UCDSU Graduate Education Officer, Anabel Castenada said that the roadshow was a way for the UCDSU team to let students know they are “there for them” and that they have a “number or resources such as grinds file that can help them at this most stressful of seasons.” A study guide designed

by UCDSU proved to be extremely popular, with over 2,000 copies of it being handed out to students

on the first day of the event.

UCDSU Undergraduate Officer, Amy Fox, said that the SU wanted to help students get organised for the exams by starting early in week 10 of the semester, in order to avoid students panicking just before the exams. Fox advised students to make a commitment to start studying by writing down what they need to cover, which will ‘allow them to better manage their time’. She also encouraged students to eat healthy, take regular breaks, and focus on the positives over the coming weeks.

UCDSU additionally announced that it would be running a shuttle bus service from the bus depot beside Centra, to the RDS, during the exam period with the timetable for the service to be released shortly.

Violent demonstrations have broken out in Mexico over the apparent murder of 43 students by corrupt police officers and members of a drugs gang. In September, 43 trainee teachers disappeared after attending a protest march, provoking international media attention over the incident.

There was a resurgence in violence over the issue after the Mexican Attorney General claimed that the students were abducted by corrupt police, murdered by gangsters, set alight in a bonfire and then had their ashes thrown into a river. This led to the once peaceful protests over the missing students turning violent.

The demonstrators set fire to the local legislature buildings in the South Western state of Guerrero.

Others blocked an airport while a different group of protesters set the education department’s administrative offices alight. The governing Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) have seen three of their offices set on fire by angry protesters.

Their main office in the capital city of Moreilla was damaged amid scenes of a violent demonstration.

In Chipancingo, members of the teachers’ union have been participating in the violence.

They set fire to the session hall in the state assembly building and torched several of the cars outside it. The local PRI office was set alight, despite the presence of riot police at the scene. november 18th 2014

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Is Christmas Here Already?

With Christmas presents, lights, candles and calendars already filling Irish shops, Rachel Gaffney asks whether it’s too soon to don that tacky Christmas jumper Holidays are coming, holidays are coming, but are they coming much too soon? With Halloween drunken nightmares still all too fresh in our memories it’s far too soon to be discussing the most wonderful time of the year. Lords should not yet be a-leaping. It’s too early for chestnuts to be roasting on an open fire and the boys of the NYPD choir shouldn’t be singing Galway Bay. It seems even Nidge-weasel is hanging up his twinkle lights of late (alongside his bullet-proof vest that is). With six weeks to go until the main event, can it really be said that Christmas is around the corner? More importantly though, can we really be expected to now start the twelve pubs expedition and don our tackiest Santa jumpers?

If it’s deemed socially unacceptable to wear a onesie to lectures then it should be equally unacceptable to even whisper the “C” word until long after Halloween. Bonfires are barely extinguished and cat ears not yet locked away (for another unoriginal year). And Harry Potter box-sets still litter living room floors, as shops usher in the red and green decorations as quickly as possible.

Having once witnessed Advent calendars shelved adjacent to the Back to School stationary, it’s only too clear that Christmas comes too early.

Admittedly, Jack Frost may already be nipping at your nose and the Insomnia Christmas range causes an extreme internal battle with your selfcontrol. With E4 showing The Grinch on October 26th, “Do they know it’s not Christmas?” might be more appropriate. However, when is the right time to crack out the carols and pop out the crackers? Some Dubliners say that the season of goodwill begins when the vendors on Henry Street are flogging wrapping paper instead of ‘three Toblerones for a fiver’.

Others claim the time of mistletoe and wine is upon us once Clery’s have their incredible decorations displayed proudly in their windows.

The tear-inducing John Lewis advert may also be a good indication that now is the time to compile completely unrealistic present wish-lists and to start training your stomach, Tribbiani style, for more courses than it could ever need in one day.

Arguably RTÉ makes the decision for us with their traditional Late Late Toy Show antics in mid-November. It is extremely challenging not to catch the Christmas-bug whilst watching Ryan Tuberty interview the latest heroes of our generation inevitably fail miserably to make some piece of technology work. The parade of children scooting across the set in cars as fast as their terrified little legs will allow them are also hilarious.

You’d have to be pretty hard-hearted not to melt your objections towards the season to be jolly following this stunning feat of television.

If one fights the festivities too long, can the proverbial sleigh be missed? It’s a delicate balance to achieve. It’s akin to going on a night out but missing the pre-drinks, still a good night but everybody knows you were late to the party. You could possibly be on the receiving end of scathing looks for only throwing on your Rudolph pyjamas midDecember. Said looks are also likely to be shot at you if you are caught blaring Christmas carols through your headphones on a bus. If the hype is missed, Christmas ultimately transforms into a day of forced Mass attendance and an unreal roast dinner. Added to this is the exchange of presents soon to be flung into the dark, forgotten corners of wardrobes.

It’s more and more difficult every year to keep the excitement levels up approaching the holidays. We’ve grown too cynical to appreciate the joy. We focus instead on the corporate-driven greed surrounding Christmas. There is a general rule of thumb that the longer and better the build-up to Christmas, the more depressing and dreary January is. It is universally acknowledged that Christmas is simply not the same once the Santa myth is shattered. Is it sheer bitterness for the removal of magic in the holiday that results in us all resembling Mr. Scrooge on sight or sound of anything festive before December?

Is it truly terrible to get into the festive cheer ridiculously early? Let’s face it- November is a bleak time for us all. The men of Ireland are slightly more hairy than usual and the released in time for Christmas

celebrity biographies are less scandalous than the water charges.

November is a month of Mondays.

Perhaps the condemning of the people already in the Christmas spirit is simple jealousy as we know they’ve beaten the frantic flurry of present shopping on the 24th. Their relatives won’t all be receiving identical bath sets from the clearance section of Boots. They probably even have a New Year’s date lined up too. I retract my earlier statement, we are allowed to hate these people.

With thoughts of exams looming over our stressed heads, adopting some festive cheer may be a simple and effective way to keep our spirits up. Who can remain a Grinch listening to Cindy Lou-Who attempt to burst our eardrums or munching a mince pie or sipping on a hot Cinnamon Caramel Chai Comet from Starbucks? (an invented beverage in case that wasn’t clear).

So do we extend the festivities as long as possible in the hope of clearing our winter woes or do we blatantly ignore all festivities until we physically can’t deny the holiday season is upon us? Personally, the reindeer antlers will be safely tucked away for a minimum of two more weeks before fully embracing that the best way to spread Christmas cheer: singing loud for all to hear.

illustration: Roisin mcNally

It is extremely challenging not to catch the Christmas-bug whilst watching Tubs interview the latest heroes of our generation inevitably fail miserably to make some piece of technology work

Brand Addiction From Apple to Audi, Abercrombie to American Apparel Rebekah Rennick takes a look at how our favourite brands are transforming the reticent consumer into a thoughtless logo consummative addict

Amongst the traditional junkies of consumerism in self-help groups (the coin-slotting casino enthusiast, the tobacco munching chain smoker and the class A narcotic devotee) there now sits a new uncomfortable member. As a direct product of our logo emblazoned environment, the evolution of the brand addict has been a rapid and vicious transformation. It began as a tool for consumers to associate different companies with different services. Now branding has mutated each and every one of us from individualistic movers and shakers into complacent livestock, stomping in the production line, mouths agape awaiting the searing iron of uniformity to emblazon our skin.

Simply put, branding is a set of associations that a person makes with a company, product, service or organisation. It is the platform and foundation upon which many of the empiric companies of today are poised. Brands have ultimately come to shape and feed our unquenchable thirst for more, more, more.

Yet, what is the trigger for this brand addiction and where did it begin? In technical terms we can thank the American Marketing Association in the 1960s for formally coining the definition of this lethal obsession. We are a material obsessed society who associate what we wear and what we consume with who we are. Combining this inclination with the manipulative, systematic methodology behind branding is a lethal cocktail that consumers have been guzzling down their greedy throats for centuries.

Undoubtedly “branding” of fashion has always existed; high couture from Paris or Milan was once a novelty and signaled

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style and class upon the wearer.

However, in our day and age, branding has become the blanket for hiding insecurities and very often alludes to the fact the consumer actually lacks any ounce of style.

Even if we attempt to deny it, we wear branded clothes, consume branded food and sit reticently as the higher lords of marketing subconsciously turn the screws in our brain to accept such goods and justify them as a necessity.

For years, brands have been used to define ourselves and ultimately judge others. It is no longer a question of style and fashion, but of fitting in and feeding a salient necessity to not only please ourselves but those around us. Brands have become guilty pleasures that have ebbed into our identities from an early age. Clothing lines such as Abercrombie, Superdry, Ugg and Adidas shape the prepubescent years of thousands across the world and trigger the addiction with branded clothing that very often continues throughout all of our lives. While it begins as a juvenile necessity, it very often matures into a camouflage for adult superficiality.

A world completely devoid of branding is a surreal one to imagine.

For a moment consider scanning the blank shelves of a supermarket aisle, purchasing a piece of technology completely oblivious to its manufacturer; unease and indecisive thoughts begin to surface.

An even stranger question is whether or not we could survive in such an environment. Subconsciously we choose Coca-Cola, Colgate, Topshop and Starbucks over a generic or less established counterpart. Could we survive without our monster-like, money-fueled shopping centres that

image: A still from john carpenter’s 1988 cult classic ‘they live’

make up our discretionary spending?

Neil Boorman, writer, music promoter and self-proclaimed brand junkie did the extreme and torched his most prized possessions to relinquish himself from the confines of capitalism. Through his blog an audience watched with bated breath as he documented the stages of realization and grief that the value system by which he was judging himself and others was “hollow”, ultimately leading him to accept a complete brand-free lifestyle.

Removing the branding from our image-obsessed culture is like skinning the hide of an animal, without it we are bare. Turning to markets for home grown delicacies, opting for Oxfam fashion and formulating your own man-made cosmetics is an idealistic way of life for anti-consumerists.

Nevertheless, it is a nightmarish

While it begins as a juvenile necessity, it very often matures into a camouflage for adult superficiality.

thought for the celebrity culture that defines much of our daily interests and inclinations. Even vintage outlets are becoming branded and placed within a ridiculous marketing hierarchy.

Without branding, celebrity and media would crumble and this is the vicious cycle we all find ourselves in, a sticky web that has us tightly ensnared.

A consumer survey in the US claims that trust and credibility in brands such as Coca-Cola, Microsoft and Ford Motors are rated higher than Amnesty International and Oxfam; a shocking yet truthful reality. It’s difficult to wonder will the pleasure of attaining that over-priced, logo emblazoned new shirt or celebrity endorsed pair of sunglasses ever subside and will we opt for a more nomadic way of living. This false consumption is unhealthy and it’s been argued that continual exposure to brand messages has a very real psychological impact; evident in Boorman’s extreme

conclusion to torch all of his goods to escape the false façade of style, wealth and ultimately happiness.

“For great brands to survive they must create loyalty without reason” says Kevin Roberts, CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi, and the loyalty and addiction which we have all developed for brands is a credit to the power of media enforced predictability.

Brands have become a lethal necessity that have consumed the way we live our lives. Some may deny their obsession for these compulsive entities yet it’s common knowledge that acceptance is the first step to recovery in any addiction. Humans are creatures of habit and without the forceful nudge of ultimately effective marketing campaigns there may be less members signing up to the AA equivalent for brand addicts and simply more individuals.

Comment One Woman vs. The State After a transgender woman wins her 21 year battle with the state, Danielle Clarke, looks at the many issues still facing transgender people living in Ireland

Transgender is a term used to describe people whose gender identity (whether one feels male, female or another gender) is at odds with the sex that they were assigned at birth. Transgender people can seek medical interventions, such as hormones and surgery, to make their bodies match as close as possible the gender they want to identify as.

Ireland has received much criticism from international human rights bodies over its failure to afford legal recognition to those who identify as transgender. The leading case in this area is that of Dr Lydia Foy. Foy, who has lived as a woman since 1991, has been fighting a battle against the state since March 1993 when she applied to the office of the Registrar General for a new birth certificate to reflect her gender. After multiple legal proceedings, in July 2002 Mr Justice Liam McKechnie rejected Foy’s claim due to the lack of Irish or British legislation to facilitate it. However, within this case Mr. Justice McKechnie did highlight the urgency associated with the treatment of transgender people in Ireland.

In the same month, the European Court of Human Rights ruled in favour of the English case of Christine Goodwin, a similar case to that of Foy, to have her birth certificate changed to match her gender identity.

The European Convention on Human Rights Act 2003 was soon created which enshrined European Convention into Irish law. In 2005, Foy made a new application to the Registrar General and subsequently to the High Court to have her birth cert altered under this new act. In April 2007, the case was heard once again by Justice McKechnie who expressed great frustration as his urgent plea for change, made in 2002, had not been acted upon. Justice McKechnie found the State to be in breach of the ECHR Act 2003.

In 2013, Dr Foy announced her return to the courts to fight for Gender Recognition as the government had failed to create any legislation on the matter. At the end of October 2014, after a twenty-one year battle, Foy successfully settled

her action against the State. The settlement was reached on the basis that the Government declared it had a “firm intention” to enact the Gender Recognition Bill “as soon as possible”. This bill would allow Foy to correct her birth certificate.

Joan Burton, in conversation with UCD’s LGBTQ+ Society during Freshers’ Week this year, expressed great interest in the bill but insisted that these things take time.

In light of this case, it is important that we now examine and consider Ireland’s attitude and position on transgender issues. Transgender people face various forms of social, cultural, economic and legal injustices within Ireland.

They are also subject to shaming, harassment, discrimination and violence while also being denied equal rights and legal protections.

There have been a small number of case files of transgender discrimination in Ireland brought to the attention of the Equality Authority, such as difficulties with access to gyms and health services, as well as issues related to employment and education. This transphobia negatively affects one’s ability to fully access and enjoy their rights as citizens. A survey commissioned by Transgender Equality Network Ireland, carried out in 2012, found that 78% of transgender respondents had considered suicide.

There is a perception in this country that there are very few or no transgender people living in Ireland, and therefore transphobia does not exist here. This arises from a lack of understanding and education about transgender issues.

Transgender people exist, they are a minority but they are a very real part of our community and they can’t and shouldn’t be ignored.

Over the course of this case, it has been made clear that institutionalised transphobia is real and present in modern Ireland. Institutionalised transphobia is where government, legal, or social practices, encourage, tolerate or enable the action of discrimination against transgender

Dr. Lydia Foy and Senator david norris at the launch of the 2010 dublin pride march. photo: neil ward

people by overtly denying, or ensuring the non-realisation of their civil, political, and social rights. Also, in Ireland there is a lack of legislation that comprehensively defines and addresses hate crimes against those who are transgender. This is due to the failed actions of the Gardaí to collect or publish information on such incidents. What’s more, currently Ireland is the only country in the European Union that does not recognise transgender people as the gender that they identify with.

We must realise transphobia is an issue that is live and present within Ireland. It is hoped now that due to the nature of Foy’s case and the media attention it received, that other people who are in the same position may be entitled to alter their birth certificate to show their correct gender. However, the media coverage has actually been relatively light for a case of this magnitude.

There is a perception in this country that there are very few or no transgender people living in Ireland, and therefore transphobia does not exist here

For example the Irish Times and the Independent published very short articles on the case. The Independent articles were all extremely similar and the Irish Times listed Dr.Foy’s win against the state on a barometer of positive and negative things that had happened in the last while. This barometer more recently featured cases such as an Irish animation called Coda being shortlisted for an Oscar and a tweet by Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria with the hashtag “#TaytoCrisps”.

It is also wished that this case will help Ireland to address the issue of transphobia and change the attitudes of Irish citizens. It must be highlighted that the birth certificate is a very important identity document and any errors in it cause difficulties for opening bank accounts or when one wishes to enter into a civil partnership or get married. More importantly it

is an affirmation of an individual’s gender. As American author Ellen Wittlinger put it “People changed lots of other personal things all the time. They took steroids to build muscles and got breast implants and nose jobs so they’d resemble their favorite movie stars. They changed … jobs and husbands and wives. Why was gender the one sacred thing we weren’t supposed to change? Who made that rule?”

november 18th 2014

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Head to Head: Has Political Correctness Gone Too Far? con The principles of political correction are simple and Cormac pro English argues that it is a fundamental need of society With the PC police knocking on every door, Megan Fanning argues that political correctness is actually making the fight for equality more difficult “I am totally for political incorrectness, because that’s another way of saying the truth”, this was a quote by American comedian Bill Maher, and despite its bluntness, the statement holds true. When political correctness was first introduced in society it held the best of intentions; the concept derives from a want to create a more diverse, open-minded, tolerant and multi-cultural world to live in but it has since turned into a term that symbolises oppression against free speech and only achieves the advocacy of intimidation.

People are offended nowadays when you say “business man” rather than “business person” or if you say “oh my God”. It has gotten to the stage where political correctness is no longer about tolerance or diversity but an appeasement to the hyper-sensitive.

In a commencement ceremony for a graduating class of the University of Michigan, former U.S. President, George H.W. Bush addressed the class saying that “although the movement arises from the laudable desire to sweep away the debris of racism and sexism and hatred, it replaces old prejudice with new ones. It declares certain topics off-limits, certain expressions off-limits, even certain gestures off-limits” and that what began as a “crusade for civility has soured into a cause of conflict and even censorship.”

The former President was undoubtedly correct in his speech, political correctness is no longer used for its purpose but has grown into an Orwellian movement of censorship and control with little room for error. Bush said that “the freedom to speak one’s mind – that may be the most fundamental and deeply revered of all our liberties.”

In George Orwell’s 1984, a novel encapsulating the very essence of a censored society, there is what is known as ‘Newspeak’ which is a concentrated language created by this authoritarian regime as a way to bound free thought, free speech and ideas which are seen as a possible threat to the state.

It’s a world where any form of thought not complying with what is deemed acceptable is instantly wrong. You need not give an explanation, you are not allowed to justify your commentary or beliefs, you are wrong.

You are thinking differently. This is what’s incorrect with the extent political correctness is currently at, it is oppressive to what has been fought for by so many for so long. The acceptance and open-mindedness of other factions in society has been over-shadowed by society’s need to feel as if we are all the same and that we cannot dare distinguish or identify each other. Society, with increased political correctness, is attempting to paint a black and white picture of our world, which is pretty ironic. Paul Krugman, a Nobel prize winner, said that “the big threat to our discourse is right-wing political correctness, which – unlike the liberal version – has lots of power and money behind it. And the goal is very much the kind of thing Orwell tried to convey with his notion of Newspeak: to make it impossible to talk, and possibly even think, about ideas that challenge the established order.”

There’s a simple concept in economics called the Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility and this basically means that as we increase our consumption of a good, the satisfaction (marginal utility) gained begins to see a decrease. If we continue to increase our consumption of the good, marginal utility will fall to zero, and will eventually become negative, indicating dissatisfaction in the consumption. I believe that this is what has happened with the concept of political correctness. In recent years, especially since the 1990s, we have seen this exponential increase in the amount of political correctness being dished out in society and as its output has been increased, its effect has begun to wane, implementing the effects of this common economic theory. Polly Toynbee, a British journalist, wrote that “the phrase [political correctness] is an empty, right-wing

smear, designed only to elevate its user.” We have seen recently a decrease in the influence that political correctness holds, in part due to the increase of its use.

Throughout history, attempts to micromanage casual conversation have only incited distrust. They have invited people to look for an insult in every word, gesture, action.

And in their own Orwellian way, crusades that demand correct behaviour crush diversity”. This is another quote from President Bush in the same address. This commencement address was delivered in 1991, after decades of coldness, tension and censorship. President Bush noted that micromanagement was not the way forward and that government control over speech and thought was not feasible.

However, governments all over the world are still trying to instil political correctness in subtle but direct ways. One example of this would be gender quotas. Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the EU Commission wanted a minimum of ten female commissioners so that it appeared more balanced, but shouldn’t our representatives be chosen or elected based on their merit and not because of a clearlyfor-show political correctness attitude?

There is the fear when discussing political correctness that those who believe it has gone too far are deemed fascist but this is not the case – the question is on whether it has gone too far and is it too censory on people’s opinions? People should be allowed openly discuss minority situations – not in an intolerant or judgemental tone – but for the sake of minorities. We cannot allow for political correctness to go any further or we are simply conditioning a state of ignorance.

We cannot pretend that each and every one of us is the same, we are not, and we need to be able to discuss these reasons and work towards equality, openly and freely and we certainly cannot do this with political correctness in its current form.

political correctness is no longer used for its purpose but has grown into an Orwellian movement of censorship and control with little room for error

that its inhabitants observe it

Political correctness is a fairly simple idea. It is the concept that we, as a society, should do our utmost to ensure that our terms and customs do not unfairly offend or exclude particular groups in society.

One would imagine then that an idea as innocuous as this would never cause any controversy.

Nevertheless, certain groups have distorted this notion, presenting it as an attack on tradition and culture. They see it as an overly sentimental viewpoint which has no basis in correct thinking. This notion has no basis.

It ignores the necessity of political correctness in a modern society.

The fact that it is even necessary to have a discussion regarding political correctness in the modern age highlights its importance. It is simply common decency. It is something we shouldn’t have to debate. For instance, if someone had been bullied about a particular aspect of themselves, any compassionate person would do their best to avoid being unpleasant about it. You wouldn’t make a stand on principle, declaring your right to free speech. This is the “political correctness” that we practice on a daily basis. Yet the moment it becomes any more abstract than this, the discussion collapses into madness.

This analogy also demonstrates another often misrepresented aspect of political correctness. It’s not a law or a regulation.

You are allowed to be politically incorrect if you want to be. In fact, many people are on a daily basis. However, much like the displeasure that would be shown if you joked about something you knew to be a painful topic, there are social repercussions for being “politically incorrect”. So it can’t ever go “too far”. If most people think a particular measure is excessive, then there will be no social “enforcement”. There isn’t any doctrine behind it that can be enforced without mutual acceptance. The only way you can be politically incorrect is if you choose to do something that the vast majority of the population views as morally wrong.

Political correctness has had great benefits in regards to allowing a multicultural, diverse society to form. Political correctness is integral to establishing the society we have today. If we aren’t willing to take other groups into consideration, then cohabitation is impossible. From civil rights to universal suffrage, the results of political correctness are universal. Much like those movements, political correctness is also seen as an unnecessary or ridiculous notion.

However, with time, it has become clear that such “politically correct” measures are beneficial, despite the inconvenient changes that have had to occur.

The phrase itself was invented by people who wished to criticise it. It is not a doctrine or a conspiracy to restrict freedom of speech.

When you reduce it to its fundamental level, it is only empathy and consideration. As a result, it seems ridiculous to say that it has overstepped its limits. “Human compassion has gone too far” would make for a fairly ludicrous headline, so a loaded phrase is substituted for it in discussion. Yes it’s complex, and can sometimes be quite abstract. This is due to the fact that it is

It is simply common decency.

It is something we shouldn’t have to debate

generally because most people aren’t affected by, or directly involved in, the discussion.

They are outsiders looking in, and sometimes casting judgement. Many people, when discussing it, are incredibly narrow-minded.

In the US there have been discussions regarding whether to remove Christmas trees from public places. This is often seen as political correctness gone too far. Political correctness, in this scenario, appears to be targeting a specific religion for the benefit of those who are not of that faith. However, this ignores the fact that Christmas is, in effect, a state celebration in the US. Christmas here is not entirely religious, for it also has an enormous secular presence, especially in a modern consumer society. Political correctness isn’t attempting to interfere with the religious elements of the event.

This is a key truth about political correctness. It is not designed to benefit a particular group, but it helps those who don’t get the same advantages based on tradition or establishment. Political correctness is generally quite a reasonable ideal that aims to make society more open, and appealing to all, rather than allowing certain groups to dominate. As can be seen here, what has been described as excessive political correctness was in fact quite a reasonable measure.

Political correctness challenges the status quo. It rejects the notion that certain groups should tolerate the practices of society as a whole, just because it would be inconvenient for society to change its ways.

We, as a society, are the product of political correctness. Our society is globalising rapidly, and cultures are colliding all around the world. Today, more than ever, a clear, tolerant, outlook is required.

The alternative to political correctness is highly partisan, divided societies where groups interact in an extremely limited fashion. It is clear that such a situation would be worse than anything political correctness could ever do.

rebuttal

rebuttal

Cormac English looks at Megan Fanning’s main points

Megan Fanning responds to Cormac English’s arguments

I find it unusual that, in a world supposedly dominated by a monolithic Orwellian doctrine to find a complete criticism of that doctrine. This demonstrates the simple fact that there is no such domination. If there were, we wouldn’t be allowed to oppose it. There are no “political correctness police”, who can force you to say

The article above states that “political correctness is a fairly simple idea”. I agree with the concept but rather the extent to which people bring it is the issue. I agree that political correctness is ”common decency” but it is also common decency to respect the views and traditions to which people have been conditioned.

This debate is not for or against political correctness but rather about it going too

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one thing or another. In the essay above there is a mention of both a “liberal” and a “right wing” political correctness. So even within this narrow interpretation, the discussion is hardly homogenous. The use of the quote here “the phrase [political correctness] is an empty, right-wing smear,” is apt. It is public sentiment, not enforceable dogma.

far, which I believe it does. A playschool in Birmingham changing the lyrics of ‘Ba Ba Black Sheep’ to ‘Ba Ba Rainbow Sheep’. One cannot suggest that calling a spade a spade or a sheep a sheep is intolerant or incompassionate but it’s crazy to think we live in a society where we can’t call a spade a spade.

Gaeilge

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Ról an Litríocht i Stadas na Gaeilge Valerie Ní Thiarniaigh

Is léir go bhfuil mórán fadhbanna le stádas na Gaeilge.

Tá an leibhéal daoine le Gaeilge ag titim, tá an mhéid daoine a dhéanann Gaeilge ag an ngnáthleibhéal do na teastais sóisearach agus sinsearach ag méadú. Níl súim ag daoine an Ghaeilge a fhoghlaim, agus tosaíonn an meon aigne sin ag aois fhíor óg. As ucht sin, caithfimid an fhadhb a réitigh ag na cosmhuintir.

Taitníonn scéalta le páistí óga- tá sin ar fhios ag gach duine!agus as ucht sin creidim go bhfuil slí chun an Ghaeilge a shábháil trí mheán na litríochta. Agus paistí ag léamh, bíonn na paistí ag baint taitneamh amach as an scéal agus iad ar seachrán, seasann scéalta mar sheans do phaistí an Ghaeilge a foghlaim- gan é a bheith ar eolas acu! Is féidir le daoine, sean agus óg, mórán a thógaint as na scéalta seo, go háirithe trína stór focail a mhéadú. Chun focail nua a foghlaim, caithfidh daoine bheith nochta le focail nua, agus is é a slí is éifeachtaí é seo a dhéanamh, ná leabhair a léamh. Tá sé i bhfad níos éifeachtaí ná an teilifís ná an raidió, cé go bhfuil tú ag féachaint ar na focail, beidh tú ábalta iad a aithint nuair a fheiceann tú nó a chloiseann tú iad. Chomh maith le sin, tá tú in ann gramadach a foghlaim- beidís nach mbeidh fios agat go bhfuil an tuiseal ginideach á úsáid ansin, nó go bhfuil an fhocail sin firinscneach agus don chéad díochlaonadh, ach beidh an suíomh, nó a frása, ina bhfuil an píosa gramadach sin á úsáid ar fhios agat, agus tar éis é a feiscint roinnt uaire, beidh sé tógtha isteach agat.

In éineacht le sin, tá daoine in ann foghlaim faoi stair agus cultúr na hÉireann trí mheán an litríocht, agus is minic a úsáideann miotaseolaíocht na hÉireann le haghaidh seo.

Tá na céadta scéalta ar fáil,

agus iad lán le híomhánna álainn agus draíocht. Tá na scéalta seo fíor suimiúil, agus oiriúnach de phaistí de gach aois, cé go bhfuil roinnt mhór aistriúchán foilsithe.

Bíonn cuid mhór de na heagráin miotaseolaíocht léirithe le healaín sa stíl ceilteach, rud atá úsáideach agus tú ag iarraidh oideachas a chuir ar phaistí faoi chultúr na hÉireann.

Uaireanta bíonn móiréis ag baint le scéalta atá tar éis bheith aistrithe ón mBéarla chuig an Ghaeilge. Deireann daoine nach bhfuil an chaighdeáin

céanna Gaeilge sa scéal seo, agus níl an tuiscint chéanna de chultúr na hÉireann inti. Ach, I mo thuairim, is féidir leis na scéalta seo bheith fíor éifeachtach. Tá na scéalta seo éifeachtach, mar go bhfuil na carachtair agus imlíne an scéal ar eolas ag an léitheoir. Cé nach bhfuil orthu díriú ar an bplota don réim chéanna, is féidir leo díriú níos mó ar na focail, agus an teanga atá á úsáid sa scéal. Sampla maith de seo ná “Harry Potter agus an Órchloch”, foilsithe i 2004. Tá an scéal de Harry Potter ar eolas ag beagnach gach duine, cé gur saincheadúnas ollmilliúin é, le bréagán, scannáin

agus cluiche ríomhaire. Tá an caighdeán Gaeilge na leabhair fíor ard agus tá stór focail fíor saibhir le fáil ó na leabhair, agus mar a dúirt mé cheana, is féidir díriú ar an stór focal cé go bhfuil an plota ar eolas. Chomh maith le sin, tá siad tar éis Asterix agus Tintin a aistriú ón mBéarla chuid a Ghaeilge. Úrscéal grafach cáiliúil iad na sraith seo, agus tá grá ag na mílte daoine timpeall an domhain le haghaidh na sraith seo. Tá Antain Mac Lochlainn agus Gabriel Rosenstock tar éis an aistriú a dhéanamh, agus cinnte go mbeidh Gaeilge den scoth sna leabhair. Beidh na úrscéal grafach

seo fíor úsáideach agus Gaeilge a mhúineadh le paistí, cé go ndéanann na bpictiúr an scéal níos éasca a thuiscint le haghaidh páistí agus daoine le Gaeilge bhunúsach.

Chun Gaeilge a spreagadh, go háirithe le daoine óga, is léir go gcaithfimid rud éigin a dhéanamh.

De bharr an bhreis eolais atá le fáil I leabhair, agus cé go bhfuil a lán leabhair shuimiúil agus spreagúil ar fáil, ba cheart dúinn litríocht na Gaeilge a spreagadh chun cáil an Ghaeilge, agus caighdeán an Ghaeilge, a mhéadú.

nach ndéanaimis dearmad Labhraíonn Niamh O’Regan faoi an gaol idir daoine Éireannach agus an poipín

Le linn agus i ndiaidh an Céad Cogadh Domhanda, d’fhás poipíní ar an bhfronta tosaigh. As seo tháinig an dán cáiliúil de chuid John McCrae “I bPáirceanna Flóndras”.

De bharr sin, d’éirigh an poipín mar shiombail chuimhneacháin orthu siúd a fuair bás le linn an Chogadh. Is í an Bhreatain an tír is cáiliúil as iad a chaitheamh, ach níor thosaigh an nós ann. Chuir bean Mheiriceánach, Moina Michae, tús leis i ndiaidh dán McCrae a léamh.

Gheal sí go gcaitheadh sí poipín mar chuimhneacháin i gcónaí. I 1921, thóg an American Legion an poipín mar a siombail. Ba bhean Fhrancach, Anna Guérin, a thug chuig na hEorpa é.

Anois is an Bhreatain don chuid is mó a chaitheann an poipín.

Bíonn siad ar fáil le linn Mí na Samhna, de thoradh ar Domhnach an Chuimhneacháin. Tá ceisteanna ann maidir leis an cheart do mhuintir na hÉireann an poipín a chaitheamh, in éineacht lenár gcomharsana, as go raibh mórán Éireannach arm na Breataine. Ag an am céanna tá argóintí an nár cheart d’Éireannaigh iad a chaitheamh.

Is cuimhneacháin é ar saighdiúirí is oibrithe cogaidh a fuair bás le linn a gcuid oibre. Sa Bhreatain is cuimhneacháin é do na fír a fuair bás agus iad ag troid ar son na Breataine.

Le linn an Chogadh Mhór, liostáil 200,000 saighdiúirí Éireannach, in arm na Breataine. Cuimhníonn an poipín ar na fir is na mná seo chomh maith. Bhí saighdiúirí ón domhan uile páirteach in arm na Breataine, agus ní ceart dearmad a dhéanamh orthu. Ach, in Éirinn tá an cás níos conspóidí. Do chuid mhór den phobail, seasann an poipín mar shiombail den chos ar bolg a rinne airm na Breataine ar mhuintir Tuaisceart na hÉireann.

Fadhb amháin a bhíonn ag roinnt daoine le caitheamh an poipín ná an t-airgead. Téann an t-airgead a bhailítear ó na poipíní chuig an Royal British Legion agus úsáidtear é chun aire a thabhairt do bhaintreach na marbh agus na saighdiúirí atá

gortaithe don saol. I dtús báire Níl aon fhadhb leis an is dóibh siúd a bhí bainteach le bpoipín a chaitheamh bás agus troid sa Chogadh Mhór, cogadh ina raibh 200,000 saighdiúir más maith leat, ach Éireannach. Mar sin bhí an t-airgead ní ceart go mbeadh a chaitheadh ar na bpoipíní in Éirinn, dualgas ar aon duine ar son saighdiúirí Éireannach. Tá na mbaintrí is na saighdiúirí gortaithe ón gCéad Cogadh Domhanda ar fad marbh anois. Níl ach scata saighdiúirí fágtha ón Dara Cogadh Domhanda.

Anois don Bhreatain cuimhníonn an bláth ar na cogaí atá ag dul faoin am seo, agus níl an líon céanna Éireannaigh sna cogaí seo. De bharr sin, ní fheictear mórán maitheas sa tír seo as ucht an “Poppy Appeal”.

Gearrán amháin faoi na poipíní atá tar éis teacht le blianta beaga anuas ná “Faisisteachas an Poipín”. Is é atá i gceist leis ná nach bhfuil a rogha ag daoine a thuilleadh an bláth a chaitheamh. Ní fheictear duine mór le rá gan poipín I mí na Samhna, duine ar bith a bhíonn ar an teilifís nó ag ócáidí móra is cuma an t-amhránaí iad ar xFactor, nó Príomh-Aire na Breataine ag labhairt ag an UN, nó imreoir spórt, bíonn poipín á chaitheamh acu. Níl aon fhadhb leis an bpoipín a chaitheamh más maith leat, ach ní ceart go mbeadh dualgas ar aon duine. Is siombail chuimhneacháin é, ní uirlis pholaitíochta atá i gceist, nó a cheart a bheith I gceist. Mura gcaitheann daoine an poipín uaireanta feictear orthu mar san Astráil caitear craobhóg dhaoine nach bhfuil meas acu ar na mharóis. Cuimhnítear ar dhaoine marbh, cé nach bhfuil sé seo fíor. fós, ach scartha ón mBreatain.

Tá slite eile, áfach chun Marcálann an bhliain seo 100 cuimhneamh orthu a fuair bás le bliain ó thús an Céad Cogadh linn cogaidh, tá na gcolún móra le Domhanda agus 36 milliún taismigh. hainmneacha lucht cogaidh orthu sa Is slí amháin é an poipín chun Fhrainc is sa Bheilg ar an gcéad dul cuimhneamh orthu ach ní hé an t-aon síos. Moltar in Éirinn, cuimhneamh slí. Ag deireadh an lae braitheann ar na marbh le biorán ar nós an caitheamh an poipín ar an duine phoipín, ach le fiúise ina n-áit. Tá go hindibhidiúil. Má tá fonn ar Óglaigh Náisiúnta na hÉireann dhuine é a chaitheamh, ba cheart go (comhionann leis an Royal British mbeadh an rogha sin acu pé áit ar Legion) tar éis an fiúise a thógaint domhan gan drochíde. Ar an taobh mar shiombail cuimhneachán ar eile, mura bhfuil fonn ar dhuine é bhaill de na fórsaí armáilte atá tar a chaitheamh, ní cheart go mbeadh éis bás a fháil. Sa Fhrainc caitear drochíde ann dóibh siúd ach oiread. an “Bleut de France” (lus gormáin),

íomhá: louise flanagan

november 18th 2014

features

Reducing the Impact of War on Civilians Despite global efforts to limit the use of incendiary weapons like white phosphorus, evidence shows they are still used, often covertly, by global militaries. James Brady looks at the human consequences of the demands of war

The human capacity to inflict suffering on one another occupies a primary role in the history of mankind, with the use of force being the chosen method for dictators and international aggression. With the establishment of a number of international organisations over the past half-century such as the European Union and the United Nations, a growing effort is being made to limit the horrors of war. The consciences of political leaders are more frequently being called into question on the damage wreaked on ordinary people by the demands of war.

A philosophy underlying international conflict is that nations are allowed to defend themselves from threats in a way that protects the citizens and borders and to use force when necessary. The rules of war stemmed from efforts made in the late 19th century by Swiss campaigner Henry Dunant on behalf of soldiers injured and left neglected between the French and Austrian monarchs.

Deeming that these young men deserved greater respect, he sought stronger regulations regarding their treatment. This campaigning went on to form the basis of the rules of war known as the ‘Geneva Conventions’ which regulated conflict between two nations. They set out requirements for states relating to their behaviour towards ordinary civilians, soldiers, and prisoners of war.

While the legal definition of protection that should be afforded to people is clear, how these rules are enforced by countries involved in conflict may be not so apparent.

The implementation of good practice falls into this contradiction where armies are allowed to kill people during a war, but they must do so in a humane manner. The apparent logic of this situation is that if conflict between humans is inevitable, then it would be better to regulate for it and to reduce the amount of suffering to the lowest number of people possible: the soldiers who consented to participating in the conflict. A major issue over the past century is the weapons used to wage war, in particular weapons that inflict massive suffering and trauma to the victim and have crippling effects long after conflict is over. Cluster bombs, chemical weapons and incendiary weapons have this effect because of their indiscriminate nature. While conventional weapons like bombs and bullets can be aimed with more discretion, the small explosive charges in cluster bombs, toxic gasses and fire can’t be controlled as easily and inflict wounds that are exceptionally difficult to treat and have life-long effects.

Campaigns to end the use of weapons like these have been organised by groups such as Human Rights Watch (HRW). With a panel of detectives and academics that specialise in the rules of war, along with weapons technology experts, they carry out investigations in war zones to interview victims and eye-witnesses, as well as assessing any photography or video evidence available. The head of HRW’s arms division is Harvard law lecturer Bonnie Docherty who started working with the group in 2001. “My start date was supposed to be September 12th, 2001 so the day after 9/11.

That sort of shook things up and threw whatever they had planned out the window. Six months later I was in Afghanistan researching cluster munitions which was the first major weapon I’ve worked on and as time went by I’ve expanded to working on other weapons such as incendiary weapons.”

There are immediate, short term risks that civilians face as well as long term issues that can have a permanent effect on the minds and bodies of people as well as the environment around them. While incendiary weapons are intended to set fire to their target and can be used against military equipment, their use against humans has terrifying consequences. One such example is white phosphorus (WP); a waxy, sticky compound that burns generating thick, white clouds of smoke that can have legitimate screening purposes, like being used to reduce visibility to hide troop movements. A number of countries have WP in their arsenals, with Israel using it in Palestine and United States using it in Iraq and Afghanistan.

After seeing horrendous images 8 november 18th 2014

smoke from white phosphorus blows along a hillside in the korengal valley photo: Adam ferguson

emerge documenting the use of incendiary weapons during World War II and in Vietnam, pressure increased on the international community to regulate war to reduce effects on civilians. The international Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons law which was introduced to reduce their impact has been implemented, but it is not without flaws. “We argue that because white phosphorus has horrific effects where it burns to the bone and it reignites days later when it’s exposed to oxygen, the definition should be based on the effects of the weapon rather than what its design is. That’s our first concern about the international law that we’re trying to change.” While international legal measures protecting civilians have developed over time, the reality of the situation is that some countries such as Syria continue to manufacture its own weapons or rely on old Soviet-era stockpiles to target their own people as well as anti-government rebels. “In terms of the injuries and the long-term effects, the pain must be excruciating so I think there’s a strong argument that it’s as problematic for soldiers as it is for civilians.”

In a report published on the 11th of November, HRW presented new evidence outlining the indiscriminate attacking of civilians, which provides no military advantage. The testimony of Dr. Sahleyha Ahsan, a doctor who was working in a hospital north of Aleppo is included in the report.

Bombs dropped by the Syrian air force had landed in the courtyard of a school, killing thirty seven people and injuring over forty others. “Three bodies were in a pickup truck outside in the hospital courtyard. These bodies, of three female students, were unrecognizable due to the severity of the burns. It was also impossible to tell that they were in fact female but I was informed by hospital staff that they were. They had been in the direct hit area of the bomb”. Docherty, author of the report commented “It’s disturbing that there’s new use. As well as that there’s ongoing use in the Ukraine and shows that urgent action is needed to address these issues. It’s not just a legacy of the Vietnam War. It’s something that’s been used today”.

Photographic and video evidence has emerged of US forces in Afghanistan using WP in both the north and south of the country.

Press photographers who were embedded with troops saw WP being used repeatedly. Adam Ferguson, an Australian photographer who worked in the Korengal valley on the northern border with Pakistan talked about the attitudes of US soldiers who were fighting in the region. “I never saw any maliciousness. There’d

because white phosphorus has horrific effects where it burns to the bone and it reignites days later when it’s exposed to oxygen, the definition should be based on the effects of the weapon rather than what its design is white phosphorus in use in helmand province, southern afghanistan photo: Balazs gardi

never be anything like “oh, we’re them. Visible in the foreground is a own troops. It has to be asked are going to burn people” or anything small homestead, within a couple of such exceptionally cruel weapons but “we’re just going to use it hundred metres of the WP impact appropriate against combatants?” for creating a smoke screen.”” zone. Machine-gun fire from the This approach of using footage is In the Helmand province helicopter is directed at the top of a sometimes unavoidable to corroborate in southern Afghanistan, US ridgeline, kicking up clouds of dust evidence of how wars are fought. photographer Balazs Gardi embedded before two large explosions of fire and Where possible, HRW send teams with US troops. “I did talk to soldiers smoke burst from the top of the hill. of researchers into the areas where back in 2006 about those ‘Willie Long streaking pillars of bright fighting is taking place to investigate.

In a recent case in the Ukraine, “Our methodology would be to go to the site, to the town and do a combination of talking to witnesses, victims and finding out their perspective and what we found in the Ukraine were pieces of incendiary weapons were left and you can corroborate the witness evidence with the physical evidence”. Where fighting is particularly fierce, the use of multiple digital sources from a range of social media sources can be used to identify exact locations and protagonists as it happens. Satellite imagery in conjunction with photographs and video can provide evidence where situations that are too dangerous for investigators to be physically present.

This new technique with modern video footage showing wp being used near houses technology empowers civilians in the korengal valley in northern afghanistan and increases transparency. “Our Pete’ mortar rounds. They used them white smoke emerge from the clouds, preferred approach is to get our own in combination with high explosive falling through the air; the distinctive researchers on the ground, but I think rounds; a method they called ‘shake feature of white phosphorus use. with this technology, with proper and bake’”. The ‘shake and bake’ A specialist for HRW confirmed corroboration, we can document technique is the combination of high- that the footage of the attack did effects in real time. We want to do explosive that causes an over-pressure show evidence of white phosphorus. comprehensive reports after the war effect, bursting lungs and tearing Docherty pointed to the risks that but we also want to stop things while human tissue as well as setting militaries take in using these they’re happening. The fact that we fire to cover and hiding positions. weapons. “In terms of the injuries can get more access to what’s going The level of fighting seen in the and the long-term effects, the on in the middle of hostilities where Korengal valley attracted a number pain must be excruciating so I we can’t get our own researchers in is of photographers and filmmakers to think there’s a strong argument very helpful.” The rapid technological the area. Footage from a fire-fight in it’s as problematic for soldiers as change that has occurred with 2009 on the Donga Spar filmed from it is for civilians. Our particular the spread of publicly available the perspective of soldiers shows an mandate, because of our work for technology like smart phones and attack-helicopter patrolling above a Human Rights Watch we have a internet access has challenged group of coalition troops. The soldiers humanitarian approach I think hegemonic power in the international crouch in a small mountainside home, it’s important for countries to sphere and is increasingly applying firing at an unseen enemy above remember what’s used against other pressure to change military practice. troops can be used against their “There’s growing recognition

internationally that these weapons are unacceptable. As our report outlines, there’s been a growing number of statements at places like the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) where they condemned use and we’re hoping that they’ll condemn use by Ukraine at this time. It’s also come across in Israel’s apparent decision to not to use incendiary weapons in their 2014 operations in Gaza. And obviously it used them widely in 2009, but those kinds of changes are showing that the international stigma is taking effect.”

Despite the difficult nature of the work carried out by HRW and the visible trauma inflicted on victims, Docherty stays positive about the changes that are coming about. “I’ve seen it with cluster munitions, I’ve seen it first in 2002 in Afghanistan and no one thought, well, not no-one, but prospects seemed grim that they would ever absolutely ban them, and gradually, with documentation and growing stigma and legislation we finally got an absolute ban on cluster munitions.” The international legal progress is important, the emphasis remains on those directly affected. “When you talk to these people you realise how much it matters to them, to the victims and the witnesses and it’s just a reminder that you have to be patient because it really matters to these people.”

The struggle for peace is making progress, through documentation and campaigning of powerful actors by groups such as HRW in combination with the work of deeply committed journalists such as Adam Ferguson and Balazs Gardi. The banning of particularly harmful weapons will have long-term benefits for ordinary people, soldiers and international relations and is a positive reflection on humanity in an era tarnished with violence.

features

Blood Donation Discrimination With bans on gay and bi-sexual men donating blood in Ireland, Ruth Murphy examines if it is simply in place for protection or if it is down to discrimination

It may be 2014, but a male who has had sex with another male can’t give blood in Ireland. The Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) will not accept their blood. Though it is seen by many as discriminatory and in spite of controversy, the IBTS stand by this. Whether grounded or not in reality, the MSM (from the medical term ‘men who have sex with men’) Blood Ban, as it is known, exists.

In 2011 the IBTS issued a press release on the matter. They claimed that “The reason for this exclusion rests on specific sexual behaviour (such as anal and oral sex).” However, it is not only men who have sex with men who have anal or oral sex. This can be found in heterosexual relationships as well as lesbian relationships. Conor Rock, UCD Arts and Celtic Studies Convenor mentioned in a proposal to student council that “a UCD report [which was published in 2006 on sexual health and relationships] found that over 70% of men and over 60% of women between the ages of 18 – 24 engage in oral sex” and that this “would indicate that the IBTS is unfairly targeting … gay men.” The IBTS also said “There is no exclusion of gay men who have never had sex with a man nor of women who have sex with women”.

Despite this statement a case occurred in 2013 where an Irish gay man was invited to talk to the IBTS to discuss his recent donation. It seemed that the IBTS were wary of using his blood because he identified as gay. This was despite the fact that he had told them that he had never had sex. Indeed it seems a lot of this is based around the trust, or lack of it, that the IBTS has for gay men.

Do the IBTS trust this man when he says he has never had sex? The IBTS stated that “individuals can only attest to their own behaviour when donating and not speak for their partner”. The IBTS won’t always trust a potential blood donor’s words and at the same time is placing the blame onto the partner who would not be present as the IBTS said that they don’t believe in performing more detailed interviews for blood donors as it would be inefficient.

The IBTS do test blood for HIV before accepting it for donation.

However they are aware that some infected donations may be missed due to the “‘window period’ between getting the infection and the test showing a positive result”.

This is one of the main reasons the IBTS insists on the ban. The IBTS therefore feel that they must exclude those who are at a high risk of getting HIV from donating.

According to a report conducted by the HSE in 2013, 46% of cases of HIV found that year were among men who have sex with men (dropped from 49% in 2012). The second most common mode of transmission was heterosexual contact which accounted for 38% of cases. This gap of just 8% shows that that men who have sex with men do not “present a particularly high risk of blood-borne viruses” as the IBTS put it but are simply slightly more likely to get HIV. This same report found that men, that year, were 3 times more likely to get HIV than women. Nevertheless we all understand that to exclude such a large portion of the population from giving blood would be discriminatory and would only vastly decrease the blood supply. We must also consider that though the IBTS may not allow MSM men to give blood it does allow anyone who has had sex with someone who has HIV to give blood 12 months later. It’s difficult to deny that having sex with someone who has HIV would be much more likely to give somebody who has had a blood transfusion HIV than being a man who has sex with men.

This begs the question- is the blood ban sensible or just plain discriminatory? In Ireland a man still can’t marry another man. Gay couples do not have the same adoption rights as heterosexual couples. Could this ban simply be an extension of traditional Ireland’s homophobia?

Aodhán O’Ríordáin has said that he believes “that an indefinite ban on gay & bi-sexual men donating blood is outdated and based on preconceptions that are not supported by medical science.” This seems to be the opinion of lots of LGBTQ+ organisations as well as most people who are against the ban. Tiernan Brady, Policy Director for the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (GLEN),

a lab technician in ucd works on samples in the national virus research laboratory photo: james brady

The evidence is stating very clearly across countries that have changed [their MSM blood donation regulations] that this does not impact on any risk in any way to the blood supply image: Answering yes to this question on the Ibts website brings users to a page outlining their stance on not accepting blood from this group

in conversation with the University Observer, described the ban as “quite simply, bad science” and compared the blanket ban to “using a nuclear weapon to crack a nut”. He believed this issue was part of a larger issue of health services in Ireland and commented that “It sends a very negative message to gay and bisexual men about how they’re perceived by the health services.” The effects of this can be found in a report published for BelongTo and GLEN in 2008 entitled “Supporting LGBT Lives”. The report found that 76.9% of those surveyed strongly agreed that “healthcare professionals need to have more knowledge and sensitivity to issues related to being LGBT”.

The UCD Arts and Celtic Studies Convenor Conor Rock has proposed that the Student Council take a stance against the MSM Blood Ban. His proposal states that “the giving of blood is vital for saving people’s lives, however this fact should not be used as an excuse for allowing an institution to have regulations that wrongly target a certain section of society.” The proposal was put to council on Monday 10th November and at time of going to print the results of this council meeting were unknown. Rock has said that “the fact that some students are being subjected to discriminatory policy not only in society but also in the University itself when the blood donations are on campus, is a just enough reason to take a stance and fight for our friends, family and fellow students rights.”

Sam Blanckensee, the UCD SU LGBT Co-ordinator is also against the ban, saying that it “is discrimination due to fear mongering and stereotyping. I believe that a ban on people who have practiced more at risk sexual acts with a new

partner since their last STI test would be founded and a very clever practice to adopt. This is nothing like that. This is a blanket ban on someone not based on their STI status but their sexual partner which is downright discriminatory and prevents people who know their STI status from donating.” A man who has been tested for STIs and has proof that he doesn’t have any still can’t give blood if he has had sex with another man at any point in his life.

With many other options being offered such as more rigorous interviews or testing of donors, asking people to get checked for STIs or having specific questions based on sexual tendencies, it seems apparent that the IBTS do have other options to this blood ban. However, if they did ask people about specific sexual tendencies and banned anyone who frequently had oral or anal sex, acts which they have described as “high-risk”, they would have to exclude a large portion of the population as these acts are much more common than the MSM Blood Ban would indicate.

Australia, New Zealand and the UK (excluding Northern Ireland) have all altered their policies surrounding MSM blood donations. A report published on the altering of the MSM blood ban to a 12 month deferral in Australia “found no evidence that the implementation of the 12-month deferral for male-to-male sex resulted in an increased recipient risk for HIV in Australia”. The report was conducted by the Australian Red Cross along with several universities and other institutions of research.

It also found that more problems were created by donors lying than having had sex with men. Brady argues that “The evidence is stating very clearly across countries that

have changed [their MSM blood donation regulations] that this does not impact on any risk in any way to the blood supply”. Some may argue, however, that it could increase the risk in some cases by 1 or 2%.

In 2013, Aodhán O’Ríordáin, now a Minister of State for New Communities, Culture and Equality posed a question to Dr James Reilly, then Minister for Health about the ban. In his reply the minister stated that “The permanent deferral of men who have sex with men [MSM] … by the IBTS, is an important safety measure for blood transfusion” and that the “the decision is not based on sexuality or orientation”. His words echo the IBTS but still come out hollow and lacking in sources to back them up. The IBTS is run by the state and the state is defending this ban. The IBTS will not alter this ban without state approval. It is for this reason that Dr Reilly’s words are highly significant.

This issue, however, is not the only controversial banning of a segment of the population from giving blood in Ireland. You must not give blood if you weigh under 50kg. This does not take into account your height or BMI. The most surprising of all may be that you can’t give blood if you “spent 1 year or more in the UK between the years 1980 – 1996, including living, working, or on holidays”. This is due to cases of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) that occurred in the UK in the 1980s and because the plans to prevent further infection were only fully implemented by 1996. This disease originated in cattle and then people contracted the disease by eating infected beef. The IBTS say on their website that “the risk of contracting vCJD through travelling and living in the UK in this period is considered to be low.

Aodhán O’Ríordáin has said that he believes “that an indefinite ban on Gay & Bi-Sexual Men donating Blood is outdated and based on preconceptions that are not supported by medical science

It should be noted that in the UK where tens of millions of people were potentially exposed to vCJD through eating infected food, there have only been 176 cases of the disease to date.” Though this risk only applies to those who eat beef the ban still applies to vegetarians. It is this same disease that prevents people who have received a blood transfusion in Ireland since 1980 from giving blood. The IBTS say on their website that “On the available evidence, the risk to patients from blood and blood products in the Republic of Ireland is extremely small and may be zero.”

However they have also said that this is a very serious disease and that there is no known test for it.

It is clear that there are multiple issues with the donor application process and that they won’t go away in the near future. The state is currently focusing on the marriage equality referendum and one might hope that this would be the next issue in line. Nevertheless, it’s certainly possible that this will

be pushed to the back burner as the LGBTQ+ community try to fight a war against conservative Ireland one step at a time.

The Minister for Health James Reilly has said that “the number of donations likely to be obtained from MSM is unlikely to resolve any supply issues.” It is impossible to guess the number of donations that would be obtained by MSM men if the ban was lifted. It’s likely that were the ban lifted there could potentially be a sudden surge in blood donations. This would be both from homosexual men who couldn’t donate before and also from those who were previously against the IBTS because of the ban and would be more comfortable donating with the ban lifted. The IBTS 2013 annual report revealed that during that year men gave 47,272 blood donations while women only gave 35,425. With men already giving more blood than women the lifting of the ban should increase these numbers greatly. If there is a crisis in blood supply in Ireland’s future could the IBTS be forced to accept the blood of those whose behaviours are at “high risk”?

There are two sides to the blood ban debate, both staunch in their position. It would take a lot of campaigning and State backing for this ban to ever be overturned.

With so many difficulties existing in blood donation the IBTS may have to review their whole donation process if they want to even consider this issue. The Equal Marriage referendum could help or hinder this debate on both sides. LGBTQ+ rights could begin to increase steadily or all the campaigns could provoke conservatives into strong protests against LGBTQ+ issues such as this.

november 18th 2014

features Examining employability: are graduates fit for purpose?

A recent Irish survey revealed that students in some disciplines feel unprepared for the job market. Alanna O’Shea examines if this is a failure of the third level education system How employable are you feeling right now? If you are an arts or humanities student you might not be feeling very employable at all, according to the Irish Survey of Student Engagement (ISSE). If you are a science, maths or computing student you might not be feeling very prepared for the workplace either.

Certain undergraduate courses set a clear path for your career.

Those studying Medicine know they are going to be a doctor or Nursing know they are going to be a nurse and anyone doing Actuarial and Financial Studies knows they are going to be filthy rich. Arts and science subjects make it less clear what your profession is going to be however. This makes it all the more important to ask what universities are doing to prepare students to make that decision, and are they giving students the necessary skills to make it.

The ISSE is a nationwide survey of third level students. In this year’s survey, 23% of arts and humanities students said that college had prepared them very little for the workplace. The same is true for 15% of students in maths, science and computing. If we compare that with 94% of students studying education, who felt that college has prepared them for the workplace in some way, there are clearly differences in priorities when it comes to the awarding of college degrees.

One of the great benefits of an education or healthcare degree is that these students actually get a chance to experience their future careers, for example in teacher training or work placement, before they graduate. They get their “workplace preparation” by looking after kids or sewing people up. Why is this not an option for those in the arts and humanities, or even in most science degrees?

According to UCD’s Dean of Science, Dr Joe Carthy, it isn’t that universities have not thought of making work placements mandatory for a lot of students it is that academics feel the costs outweigh

the benefits. “A science degree is only four years long and a year of placement would make it a three year degree... some of the academics feel that what you’re learning in industry cannot compensate for the learning missed in a year of lectures.”

Work placement might not be feasible then in a three year arts degree or a four year science degree.

Still, a student who gets a four year degree in science in UCD will have done 48 five credit modules, almost all of which deal with purely scientific academic ideas. Would it not be a good idea to at least dedicate a few of these modules to more practical concepts that can be used in the workplace?

“Some students choose to use their electives to take an ‘innovation skills’ module, and they would be very much industry-relevant modules... Some of the schools have modules like that but it is not universal practice, but it is a really good idea,” says Dr Carthy.

Dr Emily Mark-Fitzgerald, Associate Professor in UCD’s School of Art History and Cultural Policy, takes a different view of modules dedicated to the workplace and in fact disagrees with the idea that the main point of a university education is to prepare you for the workplace. “It goes back to what an education is for; governments in the more recent past have looked to tie the value of education to vocational outcomes...the value of a liberal arts education is about the general, well-rounded education of the human being and how human beings should live within society.”

So maybe we are asking the wrong questions: should we want our degrees to make us better people or more employable people? It may be difficult for arts students to be grateful for a degree that makes them a more well-rounded person when their friends in Commerce talk about interviews with KPMG. But what do arts students have to offer to society?

“The things you do pick up as an art student are applicable no matter what you do, employers always look for if you can construct a document...

students on their graduation day in the O’brien centre Photo: james brady

It may be difficult however for arts students to be grateful for a degree that makes them a more well-rounded person when their friends in commerce talk about interviews with KPMG

to be able to make an argument convincingly and being articulate and speak to what your ideas are,” says Dr Mark-Fitzgerald. She also points out that these skills of debate and argumentation are especially important for those going into business or politics.

For those science students who are wondering how to apply their skills, Dr Carthy also has some reassurance.

“What we hear back from employers all the time is that scientists are good with data and are able to see a trend in a set of numbers. We often take for granted that there’s a whole host of other people that when they see a set of numbers they freeze, or see it as abstract art.” This makes science graduates valuable to any organisation which deals with numbers or data,

diary of a Taoishmuck 12/11 Oh Gerry. All the teddy bears and rubber ducks in the world won’t save him now. The RA is all he’s got left to turn to, even though he was obviously never involved with them in any way. For all of the talk they had about a united Ireland, they seemed to find the border very handy for keeping all their mistakes out of the way. It’s always double standards with Sinn Féin. If we could only send Gerry back up the North and hide him away up there we’d be sorted, but apparently that’s frowned upon.

And we wouldn’t have to struggle against the Shinners in the polls either. And of course, he’s one to give out about holding newspaper editors at gunpoint considering the things he’s been accused of. He’s like Oscar the Grouch in that song he sings in the Sesame Street film, ‘Follow that Bird’- “Let this be the Grouch’s cause! Point out everybody’s flaws!

Something is wrong with everything, except the way I sing!” Speaking of my favourite show, Sesame Street, this week is its 45th anniversary! I am celebrating with a Sesame Street marathon- thankfully it’s supposed to rain again- with Count Von Count and cookies and milk, as all good Sesame Street marathons should be.

14/11 I am having a ball over here in the Big Apple. I got a Lifetime Achievement Award and everything last night, so we went for a few jars. And I did a lovely speech that Fionnuala gave me a hand with.

She’s great for putting in the whole thing about family stuff. But the most exciting bit was this morning when they let me ring the bell opening the New York Stock Exchange. My God, the thrill! I felt like I was in primary school ringing the bell for the lunchtime. The head was a bit sore from the night before though, so I had to take a very swift step backwards after I rang it the first 10 november 18th 2014

time to see what damage it caused.

Much like my economic policies, in fact. And I’m trying to work on my Oirish accent so that Obama will like me again after stealing all the American businesses with the low corporation tax and everything. I reckon that maybe if I can get away with being an Irish leprechaun he’ll just have a chuckle and put the whole thing down to having drank too much Guinness, or having gone a bit overboard at the céilí or something.

These Yanks, they’re easily fooled.

Throw on the Oirish accent, put a bit of extra ginger dye in the hair (just a slightly different mix than usual) and they’ll just laugh the whole thing off.

Much as I hate to say it, I was somewhat grateful to Mary Lou today for causing that ruckus in the chamber and refusing to leave. It hid the fact that Joan had forgotten all of the colour-coordinated notes I made out for her on Irish Water (she left them at Noonan and Varadkar’s joint gaff party the other night) and was actually

Joan had forgotten all of the colourcoordinated notes I made out for her on Irish Water (she left them at Noonan and Varadkar’s joint gaff party the other night) and was actually just mumbling the Hail Mary in Irish

just mumbling the Hail Mary in Irish and gesturing as widely as she could.

God bless the backbenchers though, they didn’t have a clue what was going on but they played along anyway fair play to them, loads of nodding. What more could a Taoishmuck ask of his devotees? Anyway, we’ve started calling that other Sinn Féin one Mary Loo McDonald since her mad dash to the toilet after her “sit-in”. And also because she’s full of shite. Seriously, I’m sure one of the lads would’ve lent her an umbrella if she really didn’t want to go outside in the rain. She was voted out fair and square. Poor Seán Barrett, he got so upset by her staying in there that he just left. It’s like talking to a brick wall when you’re trying to chat with Mary Loo. I had a bit of a cackle about the whole thing with Noonan this evening over a glass of whiskey on the Skype. Sometimes I feel like we’re Bert and Ernie. It’s getting more and more difficult to have a straight conversation with that man. Every time you ask him a question he’s not sure of the answer to he just starts quoting Yeats at random. It has made for some very interesting conversations.

“Who do you think is worseBertie Ahern or Gerry Adams?”

“And both that morning equally lay, in leaves no step had trodden black...”

“Are you having more whiskey or more chips?”

“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood...”

Whatevs. Noonan’s getting on a bit.

It’s only natural. I should hike his pay.

15/11 These water meters are some craic altogether. Poor Joanie Burton, she’s had a rough week.

She’s getting some shtick over this.

Being barricaded in a community centre for hours- she hasn’t gone roughing it like that since she was a lowly TD canvassing for old women’s votes over a cup of tea and a Digestive. It’s worse than planting a commemorative tree in the rain.

Lucky for me, I’m bulletproof. No lowly Digestives for this Taoishmuck.

I’m a HobNob kind of a man. The Mrs, Fionnuala, said to me the other day that this was because I’m a HobKnob, but she was just annoyed because I told her I’d bring her back airplane biscuits from the trip to the States. It was a stupid joke anyway.

Obviously if I were to be a biscuit I would be a Rich Tea(shmuck).

Bulletproof. I’m telling you.

such as banks or financial services.

If you are worried about your future, what can you do about it?

According to Dr Carthy, a student in any discipline should make a point to visit the careers office on campus in first year. They can discuss how to make the out of the college experience through work placement and internships. It’s also a great resource for those in final year preparing a CV and for interviews.

Dr Mark-Fitzgerald advices students to go easy on themselves.

“There’s this intense pressure now that young folks feel that they have to come out of their university degree and know what they want to do for the rest of their lives,” she says. You have the rest of your life to be employable, after all.

science

The 2014 Web Summit With the Web Summit having recently taken place, Eimear Reilly discusses the importance of the event and the many start-ups that were vying for investors’ attention It would have been difficult not to notice the Web Summit’s presence in Dublin, given that it dominated much of the national news coverage at the beginning of November. Now a sprawling event stretching between Simmonscourt Road and the main RDS arena, the event has quickly become the largest tech conference in Europe. Celebrity speakers like Eva Longoria and Rio Ferdinand may have grabbed the headlines, but there were packed audiences eager to listen to a range of industry experts speaking on a variety of topics from cloud computing to 3D printing.

The atmosphere in the RDS was optimistic and at times overwhelming with large crowds, drones flying overhead and eager start-ups willing to pitch anyone that walked by.

Politicians and business people are often accused of speaking in jargon but the language of the Web Summit was full of terms such as ‘scalable’, ‘the ecosystem’, ‘mobile payments’, ‘wearables’ and ‘disruptive’.

Disruptive was what every start-up exhibiting was aiming for with their product, but the main disruption during the event was the lack of Wi-Fi. Although it is a problem that affects many tech conferences with thousands of devices accessing the internet at the same time, organiser Paddy Cosgrave repeatedly apologised to attendees and asked RDS Chief Executive, Michael Duffy, to allow the Web Summit team to manage the Wi-Fi infrastructure themselves next year. “I would implore RDS to, for the first time, allow us control our own Wi-Fi at the event with a partner like Vodafone or Cisco who have both offered to provide for the event for a number of years.’ There was even a threat that the organisers would move the event out of Ireland.

According to figures from Fáilte Ireland, the Web Summit is estimated to be worth over €100 million to the Irish economy. Not only has the event attracted many wealthy individuals to the country, but Dropbox CEO and founder, Drew Houston, admitted that

the Web Summit is estimated to be worth over €100 million to the Irish economy

attendees at the web summit. Photo: kris krug

the company set up offices in Dublin after visiting during a previous Web Summit. Taoiseach Enda Kenny was also vocal about promoting Ireland as a tech hub for foreign investment while ringing the Nasdaq bell on centre stage for the second year running.

The sheer volume of start-ups at the Web Summit now means that companies only had one day to showcase their wares. As a result, there was stiff competition in attracting possible investors. Rising above the din was the Dublin based firm Love & Robots, who managed to win the ESB Spark of Genius award and €25,000 in prize money. The company won with their 3D printing customised gift idea. Previous winners include SmartThings, who won the competition in 2012 and were acquired this past summer by Samsung for $200million.

The Web Summit not only provided

The atmosphere in the RDS was optimistic and at times overwhelming with large crowds, drones flying overhead and eager startups willing to pitch anyone that walked by

a showcase for start-ups but many large tech companies such as Google, Instagram and Microsoft, all had large stands showcasing their brands. As the shortage of software engineers increases, the large tech firms were also actively recruiting and promoting their companies.

The much-publicised problem with the lack of women working in the tech industry was clearly evident during the Web Summit. When asked at a recent Facebook Q&A about the problem, Mark Zuckerberg admitted that it was a vicious circle. “You need to start earlier in the funnel so that girls don’t self-select out of doing computer science education, but at the same time one of the big reasons why today we have this issue is that there aren’t a lot of women in the field today. I heard one person put it: ‘The reason why

girls don’t go into computer science is because there are no girls in computer science.’ You need to break the cycle.” This was evident at the Summit where it was difficult to find an all female panel and just 15% of the speakers were female.

The normal attendee tickets, priced at €1525, were outside of most students’ budgets but there still was the opportunity to attend the Web Summit as a volunteer. Over 2,000 volunteers worked throughout the three days and after two shifts were rewarded with the same admission to the conference as general attendees.

There were other opportunities to experience the conference such as two sold out evening Summits which where offered to second and third level students. An interesting line up included well known economist, David McWilliams, who managed

to enrapture an audience of more than 2,000 students while talking about his own career path and the importance of doing something you love. Dropbox Founder and CEO, Drew Houston, also talked about his career and the company’s relatively new office in Dublin, which he said reminded him of the company’s San Francisco office in the early days. It was an inspiring evening where Irish students left the RDS encouraged to dream big and shape their own future.

The final day of the Web Summit ended with an in-depth interview with PayPal founder and investor, Peter Thiel, who was promoting his new book, Zero to One. The oftencontroversial libertarian billionaire was met with much laughter when asked what was the hardest thing about being a billionaire. “It changes relationships with people in strange ways”. The final panel of the Summit consisted of House of Cards producer Dana Brunetti, Soundcloud Founder Eric Wahlfross, Bill McGlashan, New York Times journalist David Carr and Bono. A packed audience listened to them discuss the future of music streaming and U2’s recent album launch.

With the Web Summit becoming larger every year, some attendees felt it was difficult to attend talks spread out over the two RDS venues.

It is hoped that the event will not become a victim of its own success by becoming too large and lose its appeal to both investors and start-ups.

Speak before you Think While still far from possessing Professor X’s mind reading abilities, researchers in California are now able to analyse the electrical patterns in your brain and know what you are thinking. Aoife Hardesty investigates Mind-reading has been made possible within a laboratory setting, and not by a student who was trying to discover what would be on their final exam. At the University of California, Berkeley, researchers have designed a neural based decoding model.

Basically, this “decoder” figures out what words a patient is thinking and presents them on a computer screen.

Electrodes were implanted on the patients’ brains in certain areas to maximise the readings taken. When the patients spoke words aloud, the readings were processed through these electrodes into a pattern which was stored in a database. Within the database are the patterns for all the words the patients have spoken out loud. These patterns act as a code for the decoder to figure out what the patient is thinking. Then, when the patients spoke those same words in their heads, the decoder was able to use the information already gathered from the words being spoken aloud to figure out which words the patients were thinking. Essentially, the decoding model is listening to that little voice inside the patients’ heads.

But speaking words out loud, and saying the words inside your head isn’t really the same thing, is it? Our brains have this trick they do when you think about doing actions. If you imagine yourself waving your arms about, you activate the motor cortex of the brain (that is the area responsible for movement). Comparing readings for when people think about waving their arms about, and when they actually do wave their arms about, shows that the activity within the motor cortex is almost identical. (In the experiments, test subjects don’t actually wave their arms about, they just move them up and down, but that seemed kind of boring when compared with arm flailing.)

The researchers who designed the neural based decoding model thought that there would be an overlap between the neural activity for speaking words out loud and speaking words silently. The theory is that speaking

Essentially, the decoding model is listening to that little voice inside the patients’ heads

the words silently is the equivalent of imagining speaking the words out loud, thus being the same as the scenario where you’re flailing your arms about wildly. The researchers hypothesised that if this overlap was significant enough they could write a program which would identify the words spoken aloud and then use this as basis for interpreting words said solely in a person’s mind.

For this procedure, electrodes were placed on the brains of seven patients undergoing surgery for epilepsy. The brain is covered by three layers, and the electrodes were placed underneath the top layer (the dura mater), so they sat on the surface of the brain.

Each patient had the electrodes implanted at different locations and by comparing the effectiveness of the experiment for each patient, the researchers could determine which regions are the best to take readings from in the future.

Aside from giving us all an edge over our classmates in reading our lecturers’ minds about what

will be on the final exam, this type of research has immense and real benefits. It aids scientists in learning about the neural pathways surrounding speech; this includes speaking out loud and in our heads.

Understanding these pathways further can help with diagnosing brain disorders which affect speech scan showing the locations throughout the brain of sensors image: adeen flinker pathways, as well as aiding the development of treatments for speech impairments. More groundexposed the test subjects to pictures same pattern of activity when spoken breakingly, research into “mindof a database which would store a of these same faces, the computers by different individuals, and this may reading” aims to develop methods larger vocabulary since the decoder were able to figure out what face or may not be true, or may not be the of allowing patients suffering from needs the patterns of words before the test subjects were seeing, but case for every word. In terms of truly paralysis, motor neuron disorders and interpreting the brains signals. only because it already had the face telling what someone is thinking, a locked-in syndrome to communicate This is not the first experiment stored in its database. When the balance between recreating images with their loved ones once more. to be performed in relation experiment was performed with faces and words is needed for a truly This neural decoding model will to reading people’s thoughts. the computer was unfamiliar with, proficient model to be developed. be unable to help patients who Earlier this year, a very similar the computer was not as successful The neural based decoding model cannot speak at the moment, but experiment was published in which at recreating the face on its screen. is an exciting development in reading with more research, it may be found researchers tested a computer’s Where the neural decoding model people’s thoughts, but it looks like it that certain words produce the ability to recreate faces that a may have an advantage is that it is is going to be a long time before any same pattern in all patients, and so person was imagining. Prior to the based strictly on words and, although similar sort of technology becomes further work in this area hopes to test, the researchers inputted the difficult, it is not impossible to create available for clinical applications, achieve more promising results for mathematical data for each face into a database of many thousands of or more importantly, for setting up improving people’s day-to-day lives. the computer which then presented words. However, this is based on the a mind-reading booth at a fun fair.

Further developments of this the face to the researchers on its assumption that all words create the decoder could include the creation screen. When the researchers november 18th 2014

science

“is there a researcher in the house!?”

Conor de Paor talks to PhD student Beatriz Fernandez about her research into cattle reproduction and what inspired her to pursue this topic What is your research about?

I am working on bull sperm physiology, specifically the role that a defensin protein, which is exclusively secreted in the epididymis of the bull and fallopian tube of the cow, plays in fertility. Research has shown that different defensin proteins seem to regulate fertility in other species, including man, however nothing is known about these proteins in cattle.

Why are you doing a PhD? That’s a question that I often get from my family and friends. I guess to them it must sound crazy that I’ve left everything behind to move to a different country where it rains all the time just so I can study sperm for three years.

After graduation I applied for a Masters under Dr. Rizos’ supervision in the field of assisted reproduction and preimplantation embryology How did you become interested in cattle. Once I finished it I had a in your area of research? strong desire to further evolve as a It happened during my last year of scientist and doing a PhD seemed college. I studied Veterinary Medicine like the only logical step to take next. in Spain and I always thought I would I guess it might be a bit crazy as my work in a small animal practice, friends say but I love it and I can´t however during my last year I took a see myself doing something different. course on reproductive biotechnology.

I can´t remember what moved me to What’s the hardest thing enrol in that particular course, but about undertaking a PhD? it opened my eyes to a new field I Apart from the long hours and, had not considered before and that in my particular case, being absolutely captivated me. One of away from my boyfriend, family my teachers, Dr. Belén Martínez, and friends? I think for me it is pointed me to Dr. Dimitrios Rizos’ learning to cope with the frustration IVF laboratory, where I had the resulting from an experiment not chance to work as an undergraduate working as you expected it to and intern and where I decided to pursue over-analysing every small detail a career in this field of science. that can be causing it to fail.

How do you undertake your research?

I like to think about my research as detective work. The experiment´s hypothesis is a mystery that can be solved by studying the clues from the literature and your results and of course a bit of Sherlock Holmes logical thinking.

What do you use for your research in terms of materials and equipment?

Since I’m studying the functional role of a protein on the sperm’s surface I get to work with a lot of different equipment. My myopia is probably getting worse from long hours in the fluorescent microscope, and I also use flow cytometry, western blotting, and IVF techniques regularly.

What applications do you see for your research?

Infertility is one of the biggest problems of the Irish cattle industry and is a major problem in the bull.

With my research I hope to identify which defensins are relevant to the fertility problem in cattle and how variation in these genes affect reproductive function.

Do you enjoy teaching undergraduates?

I would have never thought that my answer to this question would actually be “yes, a lot”. I don´t consider myself a particularly patient person and that’s why I thought teaching would never be something I enjoyed, but I really do. I love to see how a student’s face changes when the information suddenly “clicks” inside their head after you explain it to them, it’s very rewarding.

What are your plans for when you are finished?

I’d love to go back to Spain to continue my scientific career. There are still so many unanswered questions!

Would you undertake any more academic research after your PhD? Given the opportunity, definitely.

When can we expect Doctor Who-like nanobots in our bodies?

I´ll take a big juicy steak before a glass of milk any day. Does that make me a limousine cow woman?

A charolais cross at the lyons research farm. photo: david corscadden

the shape of the future With the advent of advanced printing technologies already upon us, Morgan Morris investigates the next generation of thinking in programmable materials and how objects which can adapt themselves may revolutionise industry The average science enthusiast is no doubt aware of the boom of 3D printing, the popularised and highly publicised use of printing devices to copy and design the components of complex 3D model structures. Anything from pots and pans to prosthetics and plane parts can be created by multi-layered use of the technology- the printer itself contains blue prints for the structure and then self assembles it. But what if such a printer could create a device that could, in theory, alter itself after being assembled? And in which case, is it possible to create a form of this “4D” printing that can be used on a supersized level?

The advantages of 4D printing are easy to see. The costs of replacing materials would decrease significantly if objects like piping and housing parts could adapt and change their structures in response to changes in heat, pressure and other environmental conditions.

And the heavy handed and often tedious work of constructing a chair or shelf by hand could be avoided altogether if a material existed that responded to random motion such as vibrations by folding into a plush fully functional recliner.

The idea of these shape changing objects- materials that fold themselves in a specific way in response to environmental pressuressounds like futuristic nonsense but is in fact already in use. Biological and physical materials which can be programmed to change shape already exist at a nanoscale level.

Enzymes- essential biomolecules within the human body needed for correct metabolism and for chemical reactions to occur in a timely manner- change shape in order to act on compounds. Scaling up in size, however, from cell sized reactivity to skyscrapers and cityscapes is a more challenging task.

Yet Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) lecturer Skylar Tibbit is already working on materials that have just that size and scale. As Lab Director of the MIT Self Assembly Lab, a branch of MIT established in 2011 devoted to the production of these adaptable structures, he works on objects which uniquely have “programme embedded into the materials themselves”. By avoiding the use of nuts, bolts and any form of software that could program the materials manually,

he has envisioned a form of selfassembly which may revolutionise a worn out and weary construction industry in years to come.

Addressing the topic of his research in MIT at a Ted Talk during February of last year, Tibbit expanded upon the dramatic improvements in labour efficiency from availing of these adaptable and self-assembling materials, citing energy wastage and excessive labour techniques as major drawbacks in modern construction. The lack of a need for replacement and repair, too, is a major factor that those backing programmable materials will seek to benefit from in the development of the technology. Pipes could, for example, be constructed which expand with an increase in water volume and contract with a decrease, respectively- invaluable in building sustainable and long lasting irrigation or sewerage systems.

The material making up the pipe could even be made to “ripple” and force water through on its own.

These programmable materials would be especially useful, according to Tibbit, in extreme environments.

Under these conditions, structures are difficult to build or currently

used construction techniques simply don’t work. A material able to fold itself into a specific shape or form despite, or even due to, a hostile environment with high temperatures or pressures could respond to a changing setting and adjust itself depending on circumstance.

Among the possibilities are shape changing bricks which adjust in size in response to stress on a wall.

Depending on any weaknesses placed on the wall itself, the bricks readjust to compensate for any excess strain or stress. Potentially, such an innovative construction material could be used to build the foundations of buildings on poor land, or even more ingeniously, used in earthquake proofing of infrastructure.

The concept of programmable materials has already generated interest among firms based on the potential savings and access to new terrain afforded by these adaptable assemblies. Tibbit’s lab works in conjunction with 3D printing firm Stratasys, for example, which supplies printing material with the capacity to expand up to 150 times in size within water.

Other materials utilised within the lab include wood, carbon fibres,

textiles and hybrid plastics.

The material needed to form the innovative structures which the Self Assembly Lab investigates and assembles, though, requires a number of properties. Not only does it have to expand in size, but also fold and curl to form edges and corners in specific locations inside of the shape itself. The challenge for Tibbit, then, remains firmly rooted in designing these objects without resorting to microchips or nanotechnologies that undermine the idea of “self-programming” of the material by itself.

In order to achieve this, cloud computing programs such as that supplied by the lab’s partner Autodesk are used. These programming tools (dubbed Project Cyborg) allow for simulating the assembly behaviour of the objects and can even give a best time for when certain folds/curls should occur in changing the shape of the object. It is hoped that the software can aid in transferring materials from the nanoscale to one that is human sized in the near future.

The project work led by Tibbit has even managed to successfully generate its own vision of 4D printed

objects, albeit not entirely on a skyscraper-esque level. Among other demonstrations, beakers containing polio virus replicas were subjected to shaking by hand. When unshaken, the viral replicas retained their shape but in contrast rapidly decomposed after violent shaking and then reformed following a light swirl. The demonstration indicates clearly the pinpoint precision of the response of the programmed material to outside sources, able to distinguish between varying forms of random motion.

With project titles as seemingly vast and varying as self-folding proteins to aerial assemblies to self-assembly lines, it seems as if the Self Assembly Lab will be in operation for some time yet. And given the benefits to be gained from using these programmed materials along with their business potential, it seems as if the future of their use is as adaptable as they themselves are.

To Churyumov and beyond For the first time in history a space probe has landed on a comet travelling at over 60,000 km/h. Aisling Brennan talks about the mission in detail and the challenges faced by the Rosetta craft

Built and launched by the European Space Agency in March 2004, this past August the Rosetta space probe entered orbit around the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, becoming the first spacecraft to ever orbit a comet. The Rosetta consists of an orbiter and a lander module, called Philae, and at 4:00pm Irish time on the 12th of November, after more than 10 years and having traveled 6.4 billion km since leaving Earth, the Philae was confirmed as the first spacecraft to complete a controlled landing on a comet nucleus.

Named after the stone that unlocked Egyptian hieroglyphics, the Rosetta is solar-powered, the first craft of its kind to enter Jupiter’s orbit, with electrical power generated by two solar arrays. Philae’s legs are designed to absorb the landing impact and prevent bouncing. The lander also has ice-screws and harpoons to anchor itself to the comet’s surface. The lander is mainly made of carbon fibre, which acts as a sturdy platform for its variety of scientific instruments. The craft is also covered with solar cells for power. Currently the comet and the spacecraft are approximately 515 million kilometres from Earth but this is changing constantly as the comet continues on its trajectory and the Earth’s orbit moves us further 12 november 18th 2014

away. To reduce power consumption, only the orbiting Rosetta module communicates directly with Earth, with Philae using it as a relay station.

Any signal from the spacecraft takes nearly half an hour to complete the trip to Earth and vice versa.

Even with the years of building, planning and intricate calculations, Rosetta did not have an uneventful journey as it made its way towards the comet. In order to achieve the velocity needed to reach 67P/C-G, the craft conducted ‘gravity assist manoeuvres’ using the gravities of Mars, Earth, and asteroids to slingshot itself towards the comet.

The low-altitude bypass of Mars in February 2007 was particularly hair-raising, as the craft’s solar panels were blocked by shadow. The Rosetta was put into stand-by mode, 250km above the planet’s surface, with no communications and running on batteries never designed for this stage of the mission. Nicknamed ‘The Billion Euro Gamble’ the manoeuvre was successful, and the craft went on to complete its second and third bypass of Earth as well as close flybys of two asteroids.

The Philae’s landing, though ultimately successful, was not without problems. Landing a 100kg robotic probe on a moving comet and not having it bounce off into space

requires a lot of cooperating systems, any of which could go wrong at any moment. In the end, several of them did. The lander’s cold-gas thruster, which is designed to push the lander into the comet so it wouldn’t bounce off, wasn’t working and could not be repaired remotely, so the landing went ahead without it. To keep it attached to 67P/C-G after landing, the Philae was equipped with three drills, which all worked perfectly, and two harpoons, both of which failed. Using some of the first data transmitted by the probe, it has been determined that the Philae has successfully become the first craft to land on a comet, but only after bouncing off the surface twice.

Comets are often regarded as possible sources for prebiotic molecules, molecules that are precursors of life. Many scientists believe that water and prebiotic molecules were brought to Earth by comets, and part of Rosetta’s mission is to see if this is possible. At the time of going to print, scientists were still not sure exactly where it landed after it bounced. The Philae has an array of equipment designed to examine the composition of the comet’s surface as well as the larger-scale structure and magnetic environment of the nucleus. However, the drills, which would reveal the

most sought after composition data, cannot be used until we know how precariously Philae is perched on the comet’s surface. The mission should provide our first look at comet composition, giving an insight into the earliest years of Earth’s formation.

On November 14th however the Philae lander fell into an “idle mode” with its batteries depleted and not enough sunlight reaching its solar panels to recharge. Contact with the lander was finally lost at 0036 GMT on November 15th and no further contact with Philae will occur unless more sunlight falls on its solar panels to generate enough power to recharge its batteries. Before falling silent, Philae relayed all of its science data to Rosetta for transmission back to Earth. The information may include the analysis of the first samples collected by the lander’s drill, which was activated on November 14th, two days after its landing.

Rosetta will continue to study the icy-rocky comet from orbit until the end of 2015 as it continues its journey towards the Sun, and will also listen for a signal from Philae, although the chances of re-establishing contact are slim. Philae may have fallen silent before its time, but its ten-year journey through the galactic void is a historic exploratory event that will be talked about for many years to come.

Photo: The view of space from the surface of the Churyumov comet

Student Voices

ONE OF US: THE STORY OF IBRAHIM HALAWA

Following the launch of a campaign by Amnesty International to free Ibrahim Halawa from prison in Egypt, Lilia Kaehm examines his case and talks to his family about the conditions he finds himself in Ibrahim Halawa, an 18 year old Irish/Egyptian student from Clonskeagh, Dublin, has been innocently detained in an Egyptian Prison for 1 year and 3 months as of now for peacefully protesting and exercising the right of assembly.

Amnesty International has defined him as a Prisoner of Conscience.

In a letter to his family Ibrahim asks, “Where are Human Rights?

Where is the world to see what we are going through?”, a valid question concerning the thousands of innocent people detained in Egypt’s prisons alongside Ibrahim.

How is it possible that I haven’t heard about this before? How is it possible that the walls in Ireland are not plastered with posters demanding Ibrahim’s immediate release and safe return home? How is it possible that an Irish citizen, a minor at the time of his arrest, has been unlawfully detained and ill-treated in an Egyptian prison for more than a year? When I first heard about Ibrahim’s case at the Amnesty International Youth Conference this year, I could not believe it myself.

At the conference we agreed that there was no way that Amnesty’s Youth in Ireland would remain silent in a matter concerning one of us, Dublin resident Ibrahim. We decided to raise our voices and inform and mobilize as many students as possible, demanding justice and Human Rights for Ibrahim. But who is this boy, who seems so far away, who has been experiencing the unimaginable throughout his last year of adolescence?

I sat down with two of Ibrahim’s sisters, Somaia and Fatima, who were detained along with him after taking part in a peaceful protest in support for people who were violently killed during the Muslim Brotherhood-led protest against the July 3rd ouster of President Mohamed Morsi. According to Human Rights Watch around 817 people were killed, even though the vast majority of Pro-Muslim Brotherhood protesters were unarmed.

Ibrahim and his sisters were charged with a number of serious crimes, but his sisters have been lucky enough to be given the opportunity to leave the country while being released on bail. Reasons why they have had this chance but Ibrahim and 483 others, from the same protest, have not are just as unclear as their detainment has been arbitrary and unjust in the first place.

Somaia and Fatima are two eloquent young women; happy to talk to someone about the injustice their brother has to endure. They light up when I ask them about Ibrahim’s personality and share funny little anecdotes and show pride in the strength their brother has shown despite everything. Somaia is currently pursuing a postgraduate degree in Education, while Fatima is undertaking a postgraduate degree in Media & International Conflict, both in UCD. Ibrahim was looking forward to an undergraduate degree in Engineering in UCD. He had just finished his Leaving Cert when detained during the Halawa’s annual family trip to visit their grandmother in Cairo. He would have been, if here with us, in the class of 2017.

He is currently awaiting a mass trial with charges from vandalism and burning down a police station, belonging to a terrorist organisation, and murder. “They charged us with killing protesters” Fatima says, “I thought we were the protesters! ’The killing of the protesters, the Massacre of Rabaa, took place when we were not even there’ I told them. ‘And you are charging us with something when we weren’t even present?’ They just answered, ‘yes’.”

At the time of their arrest they had been taking refuge from the unprecedented escalation of protest, one that led to another incident of open fire in the streets, in the al-Fatah mosque in Ramses Square in central Cairo. “There was just no way of getting home again,” Somaia says.

They hid in the mosque for three days to protect themselves from the mayhem outside. Ibrahim being shot in his hand and without the needed medical attention now suffers from a lifelong hand deformation. “It makes us sad” says Somaia, “There are people who watch YouTube videos of the shootings and accuse us of being part of it, of being guilty and deserving of this. But we were hiding, we were in the mosque, they caught us eventually, but we were only protecting ourselves peacefully”. Like

A piece of nanofibre graft. photo: Ian woods

ibrahim halawa is currently detained in an egyptian prison photo: courtesy of the halawa family

The Overarching mind-set in Egypt is like this: I hate the side you are on, no matter if you are innocent or not, you deserve it. And then there is my brother, who has nothing to do with any of that

any of us students would have, if our lives had have been threatened.

The Irish Government has been raising Ibrahim’s case with the Egyptian Government since his arrest. The Halawas say there has been support from several politicians like TD Lynn Boylan and Cllr. Sarah Holland. Seven MEPs have signed a letter to the EU’s previous foreign affairs representative, Catherine Ashton and just recently, on the 10 November, MEP Lynn Boylan tweeted “ It is shocking to think Ibrahim is still not free, we have wrote to the new High Representative so I will be in touch soon”. Let’s hope the response is an optimistic one.

Fatima tells the story of two Canadians who had been innocently detained with the Halawa siblings but have been released shortly after, leaving urging questions why Somaia, Fatima and Omaima have been imprisoned for three months, and why Ibrahim is still waking up to this nightmare. “If nothing happens, that is the worst. Every change is hope, the last judge just stepped down and the trial got postponed.

We hope that once the trial will be held, he might be released on bail, that is what happened to us.”

Somaia explains, “The last time he got very upset, he hasn’t been able to leave his cell in four months and he just wanted to get out, every change was good.” The trials paint a macabre picture of chaos in the legal system of Egypt. The sisters tell of how they were even looking forward to the trials because that was the only way to leave their cell for a bit, a chance to see Ibrahim. “Because it wasn’t a real trial our lawyers never got to speak on our behalf; we never talked to our lawyers.

They waved from afar; it was almost comical. It seemed like a drama, a movie we are in. The lawyers were

photo: courtesy of the halawa family

image: a letter sent to the family from egyptian prison

just talking to each other, they didn’t discuss evidence, and they didn’t even notice that we were present or exist for all we know.”

It is very hard to understand the specifics of the Trial. I keep asking the sisters about the legal system, whether the laws are corrupt or whether laws are just in theory but never implemented “In Egypt, you are guilty before proven innocent” Fatima says and Somaia adds “The Overarching mind-set in Egypt is like this: I hate the side you are on, no matter if you are innocent or not, you deserve it. And then there is my brother, who has nothing to do with any of that.” She pauses and summarizes the whole legal system for me “It is not about religion, it is about justice. There is no Justice.”

This also makes the response of the majority of people hard to deal with. The most prominent sentiment is that the Halawa’s are just victims of a corrupt system in Egypt, they are not here, there is nothing that can be done, there is nothing that I can do. It is hard to fight against such a mind-set, Somaia pleads: “But you are talking about 20,000 lives now.

You are talking about 12+ year olds imprisoned and you don’t care?” It seems like the majority of people believe the support for Human Rights is not a universal issue. If they did, Ibrahim would only be suffering the consequences of a caffeine fuelled exam period; not locked up in primitive conditions, suffering daily abuse within bars, separated from his family and friends. “When did peacefully protesting become a crime? Even thinking out loud is a crime now.

The other day a student was thrown out of the third floor of his school because he dared to speak up. A child even got arrested, in school,

to be informed about everything, and wants them to pursue their dreams despite everything “Me hearing your everyday news, it brings me back to life. It is my only connection to the outside world,” he tells them in a letter, “It brings me back to a reality where I was still free”. Somaia goes on and describes how much hope it gives him to see that people still care, that people who he has never met care about his wellbeing and care about how he deserves Justice. “Those little things make a big difference for him. He got one letter from his primary school teacher that made him really happy. He is not allowed any letters now that he is detained with Al Jazeera journalists, but we are always happy when we can pass on letters somehow. We will have to tell him about the event on his 19th birthday, it will help him so much.”

Amnesty International has had the chance to examine the case files and defined him as an International Prisoner of Conscience. We are working with the UK based ‘Reprieve’ organisation as well. Amnesty International Youth Ireland took the campaign Free Ibrahim as a priority to their hearts, as Ibrahim is supposed to be here with us, is one of us on so many levels and we feel the strong responsibility to urge for his safe return home.

Ibrahim is an innocent person, imprisoned and tortured against his right to peacefully protest.

“People need to know that it is a human rights Issue, not a merely political one” explains Somaia when asked what she sees as the most important issue about Ibrahim’s case. Whether he is innocent or not is not dependent on his nationality she says, Human Rights don’t stop at European borders and “he is a human being and we don’t need to know where he is from to feel for him. He

for possessing a ruler with the symbol of the Rabaa Massacre on it.”

Ibrahim’s absence is felt deeply within his family. His mother has stayed in Egypt since the detainment of her four children and is only allowed to visit Ibrahim for 10 minutes once a week. His sisters Somaia, Fatima and Omaima who were imprisoned with him had the chance to leave the country but do not have the opportunity to return to Egypt. His other two siblings try to visit him in turns. Somaia explains “My sister had to leave behind her six month old son to visit him, that was really hard”. There was an air of reminiscence when she said “He was like the light of the family, the youngest and always light-hearted, but ever since he has been detained, this spark has gone.”

The missing brother weighs hard on the Halawa family in different ways. Somaia and Fatima speak to about the guilt they feel, the guilt of the ones that got released. “We are out in our freedom and it is true, freedom is something that you take for granted and you can only understand what it means until it is completely taken away from you. But still, we are here and our youngest brother is on his own, lonely, and there is nothing we can do for him.”

Somaia adds “That is the worst, the fact that we feel so powerless.

What can I do that actually gets him released? These are the bad days.”

They explain how they are sometimes reluctant to tell him about their everyday life’s, the guilt they feel that they are free and they are afraid that he might think he would be forgotten. But even while detained, Ibrahim shows the ability to take care of his family members, the “youngest brother that has always been her bigger brother” as Somaia calls him. They tell me how he wants

deserves justice, he deserves to be treated well and most importantly he deserves his freedom”.

Let’s count ourselves lucky and never undermine the basic right to Freedom of Expression. Our voices are weapons against this denial of human rights, and it is time for the majority of us students to stand up for those who are being denied theirs, locally and internationally with equal imperative.

Support the Free Ibrahim Campaign Contact Amnesty International UCD by email amnestyi@ucd. ie or visit www.facebook.com/ amnestyinternational.ucd or amnesty.ie for more information You can also find more information on www.facebook. com/FreeTheHalawas.

Come down to our Society meeting concerning the Free Ibrahim campaign on Tuesday, 18 November at 6pm in room C214 in the Newman Building.

You can support Ibrahim by peacefully protesting and demanding his immediate return home at an event to be held in front of the Egyptian Embassy in Dublin on his 19th birthday on 13 December. The event is Organised by Amnesty International Ireland and supported

by Amnesty International Youth Ireland, including all Amnesty International Societies in Third Level Education in Ireland.

november 18th 2014

student voices Postcards From Abroad: Berlin 25 years since the Berlin Wall come down, Hugh McGowan reports on what life for a UCD student is like in Berlin

Early one cold September morning I left home, with my life packed into two suitcases, to start a new life in Berlin. Berlin, a city I had never visited, in a country I barely knew, whose language I could only do a garbled imitation of. My father drove me the few miles to our local airport; I spent the trip wrapped in my own apprehensions, barely speaking.

Sensing my discomfort, he strove to reassure me, waxing lyrical about how great an opportunity I had and how jealous he was. As we drove my eyes reached beyond the window into the dark gloom surrounding us, searching for some final glimpses of familiarity.

If I wasn’t unsure to begin with, the events of that first day did little to underpin confidence in my choice.

Between diverted flights, an abrasive new landlady and a wild goose chase across Berlin for shopping coupled with getting caught up in an apparently rare German rail strike; I was left shaken and not exactly stirred about what I had gotten myself into.

The first month drifted on, with a language course prior to beginning my actual classes constantly reminding me of the dire state of my German.

The clueless antics of myself and the two other lads from UCD provided endless entertainment to onlooking Germans, like the time two of us went to the bank and were asked if we wanted a joint account.

As October began, the university registration process started with vengeance. It is impossible not to be flustered and frustrated by German bureaucracy; no fewer than seven documents were required for my registration and even today I still unhappily ping-pong between various far-flung offices. As one of the lads explained “The system is efficient for the system, not for the people who it’s designed to cater for”.

Sitting at my desk, looking at the dark November sky, I feel as if I’m starting to get this place. If anything my experience of Berlin is a story of contrasts, let me explain: I am a middle class, conservative, straight, Catholic, teetotaller. I grew up

in a normal house in a quiet area with my much loved middle class parents, my two siblings and our adorable dog. We were brought up properly, to take responsibilities seriously, to always vote, to pay taxes and bills, to support the police etc. etc. My ambitions include finishing university, getting a good degree, settling down where I grew up, marrying another eligible professional, and buying a semi-detached house before producing well-behaved, intelligent children to form the next generation of responsible citizens. Let’s not forget the pet Labrador and the Volvos. You’ll be able to get us at the following address “Respectable family, Normalville, Nice part of Town, Inoffensive Place in the Mid-West, Ireland ” verstehen Sie? Except I now live in Berlin, a place which is Europe’s Party and LGBT capital, boasting the highest percentage of atheists in Europe and more bearded lefty anarchist types per square mile (sorry kilometer) than any city in the world (with the notable exception of Galway). My new home-town is so far out it’s on the way back, ask for directions on the street and you’ll likely be met with a look that says “F#@k you tourist, can’t you see I’m trying to be alternative here!” Not a day goes by where my moderate establishment sensibilities aren’t offended in some way. Though at some level I’m beginning to like that, I enjoy getting up in the morning to be shouted at by the crazy French communist on Friedrichstrase, I get a kick out of going to college to be told that everything in the newspapers is a lie and the entertainment on my commute of “Is that a man or woman?” kicks Morning Ireland’s refined arse.

But it wasn’t always like this; the Berlin I know exists because of the pent-up desires of generations of Berliners, suppressed by regime after regime. Whole generations were born, lived and died under one despot or another. Allied victory in 1945 did not mean liberation for the people of Berlin, for half of them it meant living in constant fear of the Red menace, for the other half it meant goose-stepping

It is impossible not to be flustered and frustrated

by German bureaucracy; no fewer than seven documents were required for my registration and even today I still unhappily pingpong between various farflung offices

to the opposite end of the ideological spectrum to satisfy their new, jumped-up, medal laden masters.

The streets I walk today still echo with the sound of marching soldiers, and the smell of burning books lingers. For far too long the desire for freedom and individual expression lay crushed under the weight of the jackboot and contained by barriers both legal and physical.

But 25 years ago that all changed forever, the Berliners rose up in a peaceful wave and the Gate was thrown open, the Wall was torn down and what opened up was a whole new world of possibilities. Diversity of opinion, freedom of choice and a constant challenging of assumptions became the new order here.

Berlin today is brash and loud and flashy, like some sort of hipster New York. This city doesn’t just tolerate difference, it breeds it. This place knows more about dictatorship and

the value of dissent than anywhere else. In this, the former power base of the Prussian Kings, the Capital of the Kaisers, the heart of Hitler’s Reich, the symbol of a continent divided by ideology, freedom has a special meaning, one which goes beyond the everyday platitudes we pay it in the Anglo-sphere. In today’s Berlin freedom is no longer a distant dream or a cliché taken for granted and paid appropriate lip service, freedom is this city’s lifeblood, coursing through its previously barricaded streets, soothing the scars of its past and giving power to the millions of voices, views and lifestyles which now shape Berlin’s, and by extension Europe’s, future. So 25 years after the fall of the wall I’m proud to be able to say Ich bin ein Berliner (na, fast) – I am a Berliner (well, almost)

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Student Voices The not-so-ultimate guide to gender identities and sexual orientations With much more ignorance on this issue than some of us would like to admit, Nathan Young, explores the definitions of many gender identities and sexual orientations as well as how to treat them There are many gender identities and sexual orientations, and few people can be expected to know everything there is to know about sex, gender, and orientation. That being said, it would be nicer for everyone if there was a little less ignorance in the world and people had a genuine wish to understand other people’s identities. I realise that being understanding about this is a challenge for many people.

Being in a university in a capital city of a western European country, is different from many people’s previous cultural experiences. I am the first openly gay person some of my fellow first years have gotten to know. Gay males are probably the best represented and understood of all gender and sexual minorities.

There is far more to know about this than a single article can tell you, but I hope I can start to interest you in different LGBTQ+ identities.

Firstly, let’s make sure we all know what sex, gender, and orientation are. Sex here means what they were assigned at birth based on their body. It may be male, female, or intersex. Two common misconceptions are that this is the same as gender and that everyone has a male or female body. Gender is a range of characteristics and identities. While many people identify as either male or female, many other people’s identities fall outside this dichotomy. Finally there is sexual orientation, which is about who one is sexually and/or romantically attracted to, in other words, whether someone likes males, females, both, neither or otherwise.

Most people know what it means to be born with either a male or a female body, but too many people are pretty ignorant beyond that.

First of all, it’s possible to be born with a body that isn’t strictly male or female. The word for this is intersex. Many parents of intersex babies have the body “corrected” to be either male or female. There is no need for such surgery and there exists a growing medical consensus advising against it. Many

trans* people choose to change their body to align with their gender identity. This is done through sex realignment surgery and hormone replacement therapy. Really the most important thing about other people’s physical sex is that it probably isn’t your business. It’s private unless they want to tell you.

Much confusion exists around the difference between sex and gender because we live in a culture which often treats them as the same thing. Even our laws often treat them as the same. The best way to describe it is that where sex is for someone’s body, their gender is for their mind. It is how they identify.

Two more words to understand are trans* and cisgender. Trans* means having a gender identity different from the gender assigned to them at birth. MTF and FTM stand for Male to Female and Female to Male respectively, and are rather selfexplanatory. They describe trans* people who were assigned the male gender at birth but identify as female, or vice versa. Trans* people often don’t identify in the Male-Female dichotomy. Gender Queer or Gender non-binary are two terms which describe the vast array of genders nature allows for huge variations, with strawberries reproducing asexually Photo: outside the male-female dichotomy.

Many people don’t identify with any set gender. There are literally use gender neutral language for seem to be about bisexuals and hundreds of genders that have anyone, but if you make assumptions asexuals. Bisexuality is romantic and/ existed throughout history and in you can hurt people. There are or sexual attraction to both males different cultures, and no one really many gender neutral pronouns and females, and in many cases to needs a label to tell them who they and “they/them” are probably the other genders also. It does not mean While many are. People also don’t need to be most popular.

If you were told about that bisexuals find males and females people identify labelled by someone else. In one someone’s friend or lecturer or waiter equally attractive. Some bisexuals as either male of my first lectures I heard two without hearing their sex you’d call have a preference, others don’t. It or female, many people discussing a lecturer. They them “they” anyway, this is no certainly doesn’t mean that they can’t other people’s weren’t sure what the lecturer’s different. If you don’t know someone’s make up their mind or that they are gender was. Worryingly they could sex, you don’t have to guess it. looking for attention. There are many identities fall only imagine them as either male Many people assume that they more stupid myths about bisexuals, so outside this or female. Even worse, the fact that know what is being talked about I’m going to point you to the column dichotomy they couldn’t guess this person’s when it comes to orientation, but on the University Observer’s website gender made them laugh. It would be again there is still a lot of ignorance.

by Eoin Ó Laighléis on this topic. very nice of you to go and research We are constantly finding new words Asexuality is the lack of sexual different gender identities. Either to discuss both gender identities and attraction, or a very low interest in way, starting from now you can sexual orientation. The most recent sexual activity. This is not celibacy. at least remember that someone’s word I learnt was skoliosexual, which Many people are celibate for religious gender is theirs to express, and means the potential to be attracted to or moral reasons, but still feel sexual that if you aren’t sure of someone’s non-binary people. In my experience desire. It also does not mean that gender it doesn’t matter. You can the most common misconceptions there is no romantic attraction, or

johnny walker via flickr

that asexuals can’t fall in love. Just as many people have sex in the absence of a long term romance, it is perfectly possible to have romance without any intercourse.

Finally I’ll leave you with a little advice. Try your best to understand these topics, and if you are ever talking to someone about their gender and sexual identity, be as respectful as you can. They may not want to tell you everything and you should try to make sure you don’t insult them or make them feel uncomfortable.

Basically, don’t be a dick.

A Mature Student’s Story The difficulties faced by many mature students are too often overlooked. Ray McGrath opens up the challenging circumstances he faced before and during his time in UCD When I did my Leaving Cert, back in 2000, Arts in UCD sat proudly at the top of my CAO form. It seemed like the sensible choice. I felt that English and History would fit in particularly well with the image I had of myself at the time. Despite lacking any real focus, or the ability to actually study, I loved the very idea of being a university student, surrounding myself with books and thinking of myself as an intellectual.

I was too lazy and unfocused to make any real attempt at cultivating such an image, so it existed only in my head. I cursed my perfect eyesight, as a pair of glasses would have finished the aesthetic off quite nicely. In short, I was Adrian Mole, but without the glasses. Or the social skills.

With the benefit of hindsight, my inevitably mediocre Leaving Cert results were probably a blessing in disguise. As a hopelessly childlike eighteen-year-old, I would have floundered in college. I was (and to a large extent, still am) painfully shy and socially anxious, and would have found the sheer enormity of UCD completely overwhelming. In September 2000, when most of my former classmates were starting college, I was secretly relieved to be avoiding that scary new world.

I spent the next few years flitting between dead-end jobs and the dole queue, before eventually doing a two-year journalism course. While I found that course both enjoyable and rewarding, I never really did anything with the qualification afterwards. I gradually slipped back into my old habits, half-heartedly applying for the occasional job, but knowing deep down that journalism just wasn’t for me.

As a lazy, unemployed dolescrounging bum, you could be forgiven for assuming I was living the life of Riley. In fairness, you’d be absolutely correct. Although unfortunately, it was closer to the life of the former Health Minister,

a man walks through ucd campus photo: james Brady

James Reilly: For several years, I was basically getting paid to sit around on my fat arse, achieving nothing and feeling like a massive failure. Getting money for nothing is a miserable, confidence-sapping existence, and don’t let anybody tell you different.

When you’re on the dole, the hours might be great, but the pay is crap and the prospects are even worse.

Truth be told, I had been a bit depressed. It wasn’t the sort of mild ‘rut’ that I could just ‘snap out of’.

As much as I would have loved to just ‘pull myself together,’ that didn’t feel like much of an option either. If, over a period of several years, you find yourself waking at the crack of noon, and only propelling yourself out of bed because the urge to pee has approached either bladder-bursting or duvet-drenching proportions, then

After receiving far too many letters from the Department of Social Protection, politely suggesting that they had been protecting me for rather longer than is socially acceptable, I finally began to think seriously about my longterm future

something has gone seriously awry.

Avoidance, driven largely by social anxiety and self-doubt, has been my constant companion for as long as I can remember. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t anxious, socially awkward and miserable, so I’m kind of used to it. It’s not intolerable - things could be a whole lot worse. When you’re as skilled at avoidance as I am, you can easily fool yourself and others into believing that everything is fine, and avoid dealing with the problem, or even acknowledging that it exists. When I’m alone, cocooned in my comfort-zone, I feel completely fine. I’ve belatedly come to the conclusion that that’s no way to live.

After receiving far too many letters from the Department of Social Protection, politely suggesting

that they had been protecting me for rather longer than is socially acceptable, I finally began to think seriously about my long-term future.

Did I want to remain on the dole indefinitely, constantly looking over my shoulder, panicking whenever a brown envelope with a harp drops through the letterbox? Or could I do the unthinkable, and gain some semblance of control over my own life? Preferably before being forced to sweep the streets for my dole, whilst wearing a high-visibility jacket, emblazoned with the words “Lazy Bastard”. Thank you, Joan Burton.

Shame can be a great motivator, but I suspect an anti-depressant prescription, several sessions with a psychiatrist and a course of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy might have helped too. Having wasted most of

my twenties, I knew it was finally time to confront my problems and attempt to sort them out. As part of this process I had to set attainable goals. One of those goals involved attempting to somehow persuade a university to accept me as a mature student. And for reasons best known to themselves, the very kind people of the UCD admissions department saw fit to award me a place.

As I sat in Theatre L on Orientation Day, surrounded mostly by teenagers talking about their hangovers and comparing their fake ID cards, my mind started racing. “This shit,” as my dear old grandmother would say, “just got real.” It reminded me of my first day at school, except I was neither crying nor desperately clinging onto my mum’s leg. While there was a palpable sense of anxiety throughout the theatre, my overwhelming feeling was one of immense satisfaction. Finally, at the age of thirty-two, fourteen years later than I had originally intended, I was a university student.

With the first semester drawing to a close, and exams rapidly approaching, I’d be lying if I said I found the transition to full-time education easy. I still occasionally take a wrong turn and get hopelessly and embarrassingly lost around the campus, and my ability to produce a decent essay, without resorting to a coffee-fuelled all-nighter on the eve of the deadline is only slowly improving.

But I still enjoy those idle moments, where I find myself comparing my current circumstances with those miserable years of unemployment, and realise just how much my life has changed. And then I come crashing back down to earth again when I remember that I haven’t even started the Moral Philosophy essay that’s due on Monday.

november 18th 2014

FREE EXAM BUS UCDSU are providing a free bus service direct to the RDS exam centre.

BUS DEPARTURE TIMES FROM

UCD TO RDS

9AM EXAM 07:40 08:20

12PM EXAM 10:40 11:20

3PM EXAM 13:40 14:20

6PM EXAM

Buses depart from the bus stop opposite centra (17 39a 66 etc)

Mon 8th

Monday 8th buses will commence at 13.40

Fri 19th

Friday 19th the last bus to depart UCD will be at 11.20.

16:40 17:20

Each journey takes 20 minutes.

Return bus operates to UCD directly after drop-off at RDS.

Good luck in your exams.

editorial

editorial

soccer players on the ucd pitch in heavy fog photo: james Brady

From a political point of view, a tragedy, scandal or crisis has wider repercussions than those it directly impacts. It tests the mettle of our governing class, thrusting them into the limelight and leaving their responses and decisions under the scrutiny of the media and electorate, even more so than it usually is. It does the same of its citizens. How they support or challenge those in power is a testament (or possibly a condemnation) of the civic culture of their nation. In those terms, these last few weeks have been disheartening for anyone following the political climate of our republic.

The Mairia Cahill case has made for trying times for our republic and have revealed a hugely dysfunctional approach to political discourse at all levels of our society, though particularly among certain members of the Oireachtas.

Cahill’s decision to come forward with claims of sexual violence she experienced as a teenager, perpetrated by a senior member of the IRA, is a courageous and admirable act for any victim, but particularly given those involved.

Her claims put much blame squarely on Gerry Adams, who reportedly had been made aware of the crimes

several years ago and had not taken any action to address the situation.

All that seems to have occurred was a review of the case by an ad-hoc republican legal tribunal organised by the IRA and the movement of several accused sex offenders over the border to the Republic.

Cahill found many deserved allies, though some not deserving of her.

The support she has been given by Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Labour is positive, though those parties currently in Government were the same who have been in power through huge funding problems for Rape Crisis Centres across the

country. These issues even led to the temporary closure of Rape Crisis Midwest early this year.

That said, the support that is given to Cahill is genuine. The attempt

by Sinn Féin to present it as part of an exploitative smear campaign against them should not be taken seriously. The issue runs far deeper than whatever threatening jump in the polls Sinn Féin are currently experiencing. It’s a question of how we relate not just to republicanism itself, but to the political residue of the Troubles. Following his arrest last April for questioning relating to the brutal murder of Jean

McConville, it is troubling to see a national party leader linked once again to harrowing, unpalatable crimes. Separating the merits of a the republican movement from those who have represented it is a mature and important step that the Irish political system seems unwilling to take.

Adams himself has many troubling parts to his public conduct. His Twitter account is not like those of many elected politicians, for whom it just an outlet for PR links and catchy political slogans. There’s a surreal banality to it, as he talks of his love of a good sleep and seems unable to separate his public and

the university observer

talleyrand

Editor Cormac Duffy

Eithne Dodd Tadgh Dolan Adam Donnelly Cormac Gavin Duffy Cormac English Saul Fidgeon Kieran Fitzgerald Aaron Flood Rachel Gaffney Roisin Guyett-Nicholson Aoife Hardesty Lilia Kaehm Kimberly Lim Emily Longworth Hugh McGowan Ray McGrath Ian Moore Lauren Moore Morgan Morris Roisin Murray Siofra Ni Shluaghadhain Niamh O’Regan Alanna O’Shea Sylvester Phelan Eimear Reilly Lucy Ryan Cassandra Tooley Nathan Young

Deputy Editor David Corscadden Tally ho!

train their incredibly well developed cerebral cortexes. And the results are Ah, exam season, that faithful hard to argue with; former sabbatical mistress of misery and misused time! office Sam Geogeghan, when not How I savour the atmosphere of doom pulling bad pints of Beamish in the with which it graces this institute of Clubhouse or mysteriously walking attempted learning! I hear that they around with two dogs in high-vis have already taken to scribbling jackets (Talley is always watching, Dante’s dictum, “Abandon Hope All Sam), is head of neurosurgery at John Ye Who Enter Here!”, in Comic Sans Hopkins. Another reformed hack, with the blood of a fresher above Brendan Lacey, is now one of the the entrance to the RDS Industries most respected translators of protoHall. No phrase could be more Indo-European literature. (Brendan, pleasant to the ears, and I hear that if you’re reading this, listen to me. If the Student’s Union (Not an error of the word that Talley has received is punctuation – do you really think they true, and you are considering running represent more than one poor soul?) for President this year, DON’T DO are considering adopting it as their IT! I BEG OF YOU, THINK OF THE slogan. How painfully apt it would be. CHILDREN! You’ll do nothing but Have no fear of academic make my job easier than it already is. assessment though! UCDSU are Besides, who knows what Feargal has here to help with their ‘Revision done to that office. This is a Wexford Roadshow’, which is like Antiques man we’re talking about. They haven’t Roadshow if you replaced the been civilised appropriately like you exploitation of the senile with people and I). Rumour has it that president who don’t how to find a textbook in Gary Redmond even managed to the library. It is only right and fair finish his degree after three years off that UCDSU host their events, as their funded by UCDSU and USI money. staff’s academic prowess is legendary.

What a month it has been for UCD Why do you think they choose to Societies. Talley’s triweekly prize for talk a year, sometimes more, off from most well-intentioned farce goes to their degrees? To set up political UCD Philosophy Society, formerly careers, get a fat paycheck and ignore known as the UCD Society for the their studies? Of course not! Their Emotional Support of the Future sabbatical years are downtime to Employed, for their Israel-Palestine

private persona. He has regularly been criticised for a lack of tact in his choice of words on the medium, but made a particularly strange blunder last week. On Wednesday, November 12th, the same day that Mairia Cahill’s case was due for discussion in the Dáil, he began the morning by tweeting “If this was a duvet day I Wudnt have 2 get up. But it isn’t & I am. An Orange weather alert. That shud please Jim Allastir.” Whether this is obliviously inappropriate, knowingly irreverant or something far stranger is up to the reader to decide.

“debate”. With debating usually the exclusive prestige of the L&H (Luxury & Hereditary privilege) Society or their embarrassing younger sibling LawSoc, Philosophy Society’s claim on the medium was something of an unlawful occupation. Reports that the missing parts of their Auditor’s hair are building settlements in the L&H’s office have yet to be confirmed. (A special note of commiseration to UCD LawSoc, who spent an evening crying alone, eating ice cream, and watching Game of Thrones in the FitzGerald chamber after being stood up by all their guests last week) In the spirit of debate, no questions were allowed from the floor, and the speeches were structured such that at no point did the two ambassadors engage directly, merely throwing soliloquys at each other like rotten fruit, though not quite as wholesome and nutritious. Ignoring the refusal to take questions from the floor, the security presence alone just screamed “free and open discussion”. And those mysterious suited strongmen who accompanied the Israeli Ambassador and nodded fervently in agreement with his most aggressive statements, they were definitely not Mossad agents anyway.

The large numbers of stolen Irish

passports reported to Campus Services the following day must have been a coincidence.

Oh, and that’s only the beginning of the fun happening on the societies corridor!

Economics Society hosted their second Thinking Big conference last weekend, this year even letting go of their “No Girls Allowed!” committee rule. L&H’s Strauss Ball was a resounding success, at least in the eyes of those who get off on eating mysterious grey meat with paper plates and plastic cutlery in tombs. It redeemed itself at the afters, where Talley had the personal honour of seeing a current sabbatical, who shall remain nameless, drop a smuggled naggin on the dancefloor of the Workman’s Club. The other big event this week is of course Musical Society’s rendition of Bonnie & Clyde, the story of a man and a woman notorious for stealing money from the vulnerable.

The lead actors have apparently been following Feargal Hynes and Amy Fox around for the last week for inspiration.

TALLY OUT

Art & Design Editor James Brady News Editors Megan Fanning & Cian Carton Comment Editor Ruth Murphy Features Editor Gráinne Loughran Science, Health & Technology Editor Conor de Paor Eagathóir Gaeilge Valerie Ní Thiarnaigh Sports Editor Ciarán Sweeney Otwo Editors Rebekah Rennick & Shane Hannon

Photography & Illustration Games Editor Karl Quigley Film & TV Editor Aaron Murphy Music Editor Sean Hayes Fashion Editor Sarah O’Shea Arts & Literature Editor Patrick Kelleher Columns Buzz Aldrin The Badger Talleyrand Taoishmuck Conor O’Toole Mystic Mittens

Kate Cleary Adam Ferguson Louise Flanagan Balazs Gardi Laura Iorgulescu Robin Leavy Emily Longworth Roisin McNally Harsha Vardhan in memory of: Mickie Berry, Westport, who passed away peacefully aged 88.

“But on he moves to meet his latter end, Angels around befriending virtue’s friend; Bends to the grave with unperceived decay, While resignation gently slopes the way; And, all his prospects brightening to the last, His Heaven commences ere the world be past!”

Words Steven Balbirnie Vanessa Brady Aisling Brennan Danielle Clarke Mark Conroy Aengus Cunningham

november 18th 2014

sport

ALL SMILES ON THE SOUTH COAST With high-flying Southampton sitting comfortably in second place in the Premier League, Ciarán Sweeney analyses why there should be no complaints for the Saints At the start of this season, the omens weren’t good for Southampton, who were tipped to spend their season potentially fighting for their survival. After last year’s manager Mauricio Pochettino left for Spurs, a hard task then became harder when their starting XI was ransacked by many other premier league clubs and they lost star performers such as Luke Shaw to Manchester United, Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert and Dejan Lovren to Liverpool, and Calum Chambers to Arsenal.

With all of these big-name departures, and the introduction of Ronald Koeman, a manager with no previous Premier League experience, this 2014-15 season was tipped to be one to forget for Southampton. This inevitable misery was compounded on the opening day of the season, when they were beaten 2-1 away at Liverpool.

Ten games later however, and the story couldn’t be any different.

Southampton are second in the League, first in the form guide, and have only conceded three goals since that defeat on the opening day at Anfield. They are sitting comfortably four points ahead of a Manchester City team whose starting 11 is valued at around £170 million, nine points clear of a Manchester United team who spent £150 million on players this summer alone, and 11 points clear of Everton, Liverpool and Spurs, who were all tipped to fight it out for at least a top 4 spot this season.

So why does the math not add up?

They say that all good teams are built from the back and Koeman has adopted this philosophy and has made his defence rock solid despite the summer loss of Dejan Lovren.

Lovren’s move to Liverpool left a gaping hole in the Saints defence and only a wise head with a wealth of experience would be able to plug the deficit left by him, and a shrewd loan-signing in the form of Tony Alderweireld, a player who last year reached the Champions League final with Atlético Madrid, has been brilliant in holding together

Southampton’s ruthless backline.

Alderweireld, who has played over 40 times in a very competitive Belgian side, slots in beside English full-backs Ryan Bertrand, currently on-loan from Chelsea, and Nathaniel Clyne, bought two years ago from Crystal Palace.

Chelsea and Swansea boast the joint-second best defence in the League but their 11 goals conceded each is more than double the five goals that Southampton have conceded. The Saints have let in less than a goal every two games. New goalkeeper Fraser Forster, who was bought for £10 million by Koeman in August, has had very little to do this season in terms of saves made and the majority of this defensive credit goes not only to the back four, but also to Southampton’s two holding midfielders. Every defence’s job is made so much easier by a really strong holding midfielder, someone that not only provides cutting edge passes to start up attacks, but also acts as the first line of defence and is a one-man terrier in the middle of the pitch. As one of the most important positions on the team, it is a position that every manager will want to get right, and this is evidenced in the holding midfielders that have shaped the stubborn defences of the world’s best teams, for example, Nemanja Matic for Chelsea, Xabi Alonso for Bayern Munich and Xavi and Iniesta for Barcelona. Luckily for Southampton, they have two of these players that have both been exceptional in providing a blanket protection in front of their back four.

Northern Irishman Steven Davis and French international Morgan Schneiderlin have been the main catalysts behind the successful start to the season for the Saints. Covering every gap between the back four and the two other midfielders-Dusan Tadic and Victor Wanyama, Davis and Schneiderlin have epitomised what good midfield partnerships should be.

With Schneiderlin good in the air and Davis a good passer of the ball, the two of them have been exceptional in

both aerial and ground distribution to Tadic and Wanyama as well as up to Shane Long and Graziano Pellè in attack. Underlining the true traits of “box-to-box” players, the pair have solidified Southampton’s backline, as well as providing extra reinforcements for attacks when on the front foot.

However, having a really solid defence is one thing. But being a team that is hard to beat is only half the battle, and in balancing the attack and defence, Koeman’s shrewd attacking signings have been miraculous at St. Mary’s so far this season. Pellè, a name which can be hard to live up to in football, came in from Dutch side Feyenoord during the summer and his six goals in the opening 11 games, combined with Shane Long’s three goals have totalled nearly half of Southampton’s goals this season. As well as his

Northern Irishman Steven Davis and French international Morgan Schneiderlin have been the main catalysts behind the successful start to the season for the Saints.

name, Pellè had a £9 million price tag over his head to live up to, and so far, he has paid that off in style.

Aside from his clinical finishing, his work rate both up front and dropping back into midfield has allowed more room for Tadic and Wanyama to work with, and both have been fantastic in exploiting this space for the numerous creation of chances that Southampton have enjoyed this season.

With injuries inevitable as the season wears on and as games pile up on top of one another, it is expected that a Southampton team currently punching above their weight will filter down the table. Predictions are becoming increasingly harder in this League with each passing year and unless the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool or Everton can begin to break free of their shaky

starts and gather some winning momentum, as long as Southampton can stay as injury free as possible, and continue to make St. Mary’s a fortress, there is no reason, at least in the immediate future, why they can’t keep up such an impressive start.

Just like the miracle that happened when the Angel Gabriel came to Saint Mary, Ronald Koeman has come to the St. Mary’s Stadium and has produced a miracle beyond the expectations of even the most optimistic Saints fans and although we are heading into the darker winter months with fixtures that are sure to test the character of this Southampton team, if Koeman can keeping working his magic, the future looks bright on the South coast.

Sexton honoured with UCD Foundation Day Medal On the day he became the youngest ever winner of the UCD Alumni Foundation Day Medal, Ciarán Sweeney met with Jonny Sexton to talk about his achievements on and off the pitch They say that you never get a full sense of something by watching it on TV, and that you have to be there to experience the true feeling.

I was never really sure what to make of this until last weekend, when Jonny Sexton came to UCD to collect the Foundation Day Medal.

On the TV, the world watches a leader, screaming instructions at the backline around him and then to the forwards in front of him.

The world sees someone who puts his body on the line in the rain or shine for his country, always fighting to the end of every game and every season. The world sees someone whose true talking is done through the magic of his precision kicking, both on the ground and with ball-in-hand, subconsciously inspiring all those around him, both teammates and supporters.

Last Friday evening I took these characteristics into consideration before meeting Sexton. However, at the UCD Foundation Day Award Ceremony, Sexton portrayed a very different personality to the one we see on the field. A very assured, but quiet and reserved figure arrived in UCD, to humbly collect the Foundation Day Medal, in the same week that he was shortlisted as one of five players for Rugby World Player of the Year.

The Foundation Day Medal is an award presented to a distinguished UCD graduate who has made an outstanding contribution to his or her field of expertise. Having graduated with a Commerce degree from UCD, very few could argue that in that intervening period, Sexton hasn’t made an outstanding contribution to Irish sport and Irish rugby. When asked about the achievement, he said it came as a great surprise to him “I’m a bit lost for words. I didn’t realise until now that I was the youngest ever winner, but I suppose to be put in the same bracket as previous winners is a huge honour for me

18 november 18th 2014

and for my family as well, and I’m very humbled by it all”. The list of Foundation Day Medal winners is no stranger to Irish Rugby Internationals with Brian O’Driscoll having won the Medal in 2009. Sexton explains the honor of joining such names saying “to be joining [O’Driscoll’s] company for anything is a great honour and Micháel O’Muircheartaigh is on that list as well for his contribution to sport and to the sporting world.

To be considered amongst them so young is just a huge honour and like I said I’m not sure I deserve it, but I’m still very grateful for it.”

The Foundation Day Medal wasn’t the only honour for Sexton last week, as well as picking up his award in UCD for his contribution to rugby at a national level, his contribution to rugby on a global level was also acknowledged when he was shortlisted for the World Rugby Player of the year alongside All Blacks pair Julian Savea and Brodie Retallick and the South African duo of Willie Le Roux and Duane Vermeulen. “It was a shock I suppose because Mike Brown won Player of the Six Nations and then Andrew Trimble rightly picked up the Irish Player of the Year, Player’s Player and the Media Player of the Year, so it came obviously as a surprise that I got in as the Northern hemisphere representative.” However, as humble as ever, Sexton was adamant that the real reason for the nomination was the strength of the team around him, “to get a nomination is obviously very flattering but from an out-half’s point of view you’re only as good as the team around you. From that point of view I’m sure everyone on the team can take some credit for it because without them I can’t perform.”

Sexton, as he so often has been for Ireland, was the catalyst behind their impressive win against the Springboks the Saturday before last

with a man of the match performance, but what impressed him more than anything was the win considering Ireland’s lengthy injury list. “If you had a full strength Irish team against a full strength South African team you would expect to give as good as you can and it would be a close game. I think we were just written off, everyone thought we were going to get hammered. I think that’s why it’s one of our greatest ever victories.” Praise was also given to Coach Joe Schmidt and the rest of the backroom staff who were the masterminds behind the tactics that led to the victory. “A lot of it is down to the coaches, they came up with a great plan. They

made us believe that no matter who we were missing , our guys could come in and do the job. And those young guys that came in, the likes of Jack McGrath and Rhys Ruddock were just outstanding on the day and made for a very special day.”

With Sexton now having made 46 caps for his country, he is one of the veteran players in terms of experience. However despite the void left by O’Driscoll at centre for Ireland, Sexton is optimistic of the new wave of players coming through the ranks. “I think what these young guys are, they’re just physical specimens. The game is changing and it’s great that these

young guys are coming through.

Guys like Robbie Henshaw really stood up to the plate and he’s got a huge future ahead of him if he keeps his feet on the ground and keeps working hard.” Sexton will finish out the last of the Autumn Internationals against Australia before heading back to complete his final season at French club Racing Metro. After the end of this season, he will return to Leinster and will once again pull on the blue jersey in what will be an eagerly awaited return for everything in the province.

American Nobel Peace Prize Winner Henry Kissinger once said “the task of the leader is to get his

people from where they are to where they have not been.” Alongside Ireland captain Paul O’Connell, Sexton is leading this Ireland team to unexplored dizzy heights, heights which have no limit if Sexton can keep up his form and fitness as we head into another rugby calendar year, and more importantly, a World Cup calendar year.

sport

the world at his feet

He is one of the biggest names in world athletics at the moment and the reigning Olympic 400m champion. Grenadian sprinter Kirani James sat down with Shane Hannon at the recent One Young World summit in Dublin to talk about his influences, advice for aspiring athletes and the importance of sport At just 22 years of age, Kirani James has already achieved in athletics what most track and field prodigies can only dream of. Known as ‘The Jaguar’ for obvious reasons, James broke onto the world stage at senior level by winning gold in the 2011 World Championships in Daegu, South Korea, becoming the youngest winner ever at eighteen. The following year he cemented his reputation as the best 400m athlete of his generation with gold in the London Olympics, while earlier this year he demolished the rest of the field to take home victory in a Games record time in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

James is an extremely humble and soft-spoken individual, and when asked about the importance of sport for young people he is steadfast in his response. “It gives you discipline and structure in life, as well as something to have motivation about. It also helps you to be competitive in a world where, if you’re not competitive, you’re not going to survive.”

August 6th, 2012 is a day that will go down in Grenadian history as its finest sporting hour, something James is all too aware of. “It was our country’s first Olympic medal, period, in any sport. So for everybody back home that was something to be proud about. We’re a small country, so the probability of having things to be proud about is a lot less than the bigger and more developed countries, because they have so many more people.” He’s not kidding – the population of Grenada is a mere 110,000, or roughly one-tenth the population of the urban Dublin area.

He still remembers the race itself very clearly. “It was a great experience. The whole London Olympics for me was a great experience. It was an honor for me just to be there and to compete for my country.” James was delighted to give his fellow Grenadians something to boast about. “I’m just glad that I could put them on the highest pedestal possible at the Olympic Games which is the gold medal podium. For me that was my main pride of the Games, to do

that so they could be proud about it.”

James showed startling promise from a young age, and has the record for the fastest 400m times ever run by a 14-year-old and 15-year-old. In 2009 at the Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA) Games, he broke Usain Bolt’s 6-year-old Championship record, and is also one of only nine athletes in history (along with the likes of Bolt and Russian pole-vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva) to win the World Championships at youth, junior and senior level of an athletic event. In terms of advice he would give to young people starting out in any sport, he urges them to “Always go out there and give it your best effort. As long as you do that, people who care about you are going to be proud of you regardless, so there’s not going to be any pressure whether you win or lose.”

James is adamant that young athletes need to surround themselves with uplifting, positive people, and that is certainly an element that has helped his career flourish at such a young age. “Surround yourself with people that are going places that you want to go, that have been places where you want to go, so that you can learn from them and they can mentor you. That helped me a lot and I’m very thankful for all the help that I’ve received. They put me in this position now where I can actually help other people.”

Trying to stay grounded is undoubtedly a tough task for any young person flung onto the world stage, in any discipline. In winning the Olympic gold medal in 43.94 seconds, James became the first non-American runner to ever break the 44-second mark and the first non-American 400m Olympic gold medalist since the Moscow Games in 1980. The reaction in his homeland was euphoric and he was welcomed back to the tiny Caribbean island’s airport on a government-chartered jet, with a red carpet at the ready.

He was given half a million East Caribbean dollars (nearly 150,000 euros), made a Grenada tourism ambassador and had commemorative

kirani james at the one young world conference. Photo: James Brady

The people I looked up to the most had nothing to do with sport.

People in my family, people in my church, mentors. Even my current coach now, a lot of the stuff we talk about has nothing to do with track, but life in general.

stamps inspired by his Olympic victory released. The refurbished Grenadian football and athletics stadium is also being named in his honor, with a museum and resource and fitness centre being constructed in his hometown of Gouyave.

In terms of his own inspirations, James’ answer is not all that obvious.

“The people I looked up to the most had nothing to do with sport. People in my family, people in my church, mentors. Even my current coach now, a lot of the stuff we talk about has nothing to do with track, but life in general.” The closest thing to a sporting hero for James would have to be fellow Grenadian 400m athlete Alleyne Francique. “He ran at the 2004 Olympics and came

4th in the 400m and was one of the favourites to win. He actually got 4th out of lane eight and ran the fastest time out of lane eight at any Olympic Games. I thought ‘This guy’s from my country and he’s doing that so I can do that too.’”

James was a delegate at the recent One Young World summit in Dublin’s Convention Centre and it was his first visit to the Emerald Isle. “There’s so much going on here.

You have young people taking global initiatives and trying to make the world a better place.” He himself is an undergraduate student at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, studying part-time for a Business degree. At least ten American colleges expressed an interest in

taking James in on an athletic scholarship, but he chose Alabama and has no regrets, winning back-toback NCAA Outdoor Championship titles in his first two years.

In terms of future plans for Rio in 2016 and beyond James is playing it cool, determined to stay competitive and consistent. “Every time I go out there I just try and do my best. As long as I do that I know the people at home and the people that care about me genuinely will be proud of that. For me that’s all that matters.”

The badger With the festive season fast approaching The Badger examines the questionable antics of sporting managers and how the Irish Rugby team is finally free of the weak link that was BOD With only a few more weeks until Christmas, and with this the last issue of this glorious paper before Christmas, the Badger is looking forward to the festive season. The Badger was delighted to see the Christmas tree go up in the Student Centre late last week week and will be looking forward to a break from writing over the New Year.

The big news that emerged from the week was the new managerial appointment in Spanish Football.

David Moyes, after his tragic spell in charge of Man United has been given another chance, this time for Real Sociedad, which could turn to Real Sosobad if Moyes repeats what he did at Old Trafford.

Staying with the Red Devils, “Lousy Van Gaal” described his start to life in Manchester as disappointing, and hopes to improve as the season goes and another manager who hasn’t been happy with his team’s performances has been Arsene Wenger for Arsenal.

While the Badger was watching an interview with Wenger during the week, when asked what he thought of by-line fourth officials after their failure to spot a blatant offside against Arsenal which cost them 3 points, he said “they should be given a comfortable chair and a good book”. Wenger has never been one to shy away from the media.

The Badger was also delighted to see Ireland beat the Springboks last week. The problem has become clear, Brian O’Driscoll has been holding us back this whole time!

The Badger will be interested to see how the two new boys get on filling the void at centre, and is hoping for an equally impressive performance against the Aussies.

The Badger, albeit sad to see his friend Giovanni Trapattoni leave Ireland last year, was happy in the knowledge that it would be the end of dodgy, one-dimensional and uncreative football. After Ireland’s failure to turn up against Scotland

at Celtic Park on Friday night, the Badger is confused. Draw away to Germany but can’t even manage a draw against Scotland? After Roy Keane’s alleged bust-up with a fan in the Ireland hotel in the week of the game, it added a bit of fire to the fixture, but any sparks were soon extinguished with a lethargic and ill-disciplined Irish performance. Whatever fire was missing in the Irish team needs to be sorted out over Christmas if they are to have a chance of qualifying against teams such as Poland and Germany at home.

Meanwhile, the only fire the Badger will be getting, is curled up in a rug in front of the hearth in the living room with a Christmas pudding.

Enjoy your Christmas peeps, Badger out xox

Sports Digest David Corscadden orienteering

The UCD Orienteering Club experienced great success in both the male and female competitions at the Inter Varsities held recently.

UCD competed against teams from Trinity College, UCC and Queen’s Belfast on challenging sand dunes and an army base at Tyrella, Co Down. UCD Captain, Colm Moran, came out victorious in the Men’s A Class finishing with a time of 52.16, securing the individual gold for himself. With Laurence Quinn and Cillín Corbett claiming third and fourth spot finishes respectively, the team gold medal was also secured for UCD. The UCD women’s team experienced equal success with the individual gold being secured by Róisín Long who finished the course in 59.10. Both Niamh Corbett and Mia Falkenthal finished strong in

fourth and fifth place respectively.

This was enough to secure UCD’s second team gold of the competition and round out a successful competition for the team. athletics

UCD recently played host to the annual Colours Road Relay event between UCD and Trinity. The event, which saw large support from both universities, took place over a one mile lap laid out around the sports pitches in UCD. The UCD’s women’s team performed exceptionally well with the A team finishing in first place followed closely by the UCD B Team. Roisin Clearly ran the fasted mile in 5.30 with Muireann O’Shea clocking 11.46 for the 2 miles.

The men’s race proved a highly contested race between the UCD and

Trinity teams. The race remained a close call for the majority until the two mile leg saw Cian O’Reilly pulling in to a clear lead for the UCD A Team.The race ended with the UCD A Team in first position, followed by the Trinity A Team in second and UCD B in claiming third.

At the time of going to print UCD Bears were hoping to continue their successful run with teams taking part in the IUAA Road Relays at NUI Maynooth.

Trampoline

The UCD Trampoline Club has retained its Intervarsity Champions title for the fourth consecutive year.

The competition saw the dedication and skills of the club displayed in full with nine members claiming medals across seven categories. Of the wins UCD claimed four first place wins for Conar Alex Smyth (Novice

Men), Marianne Quirke (Intermediate Women), Jordan Dockery (Advanced Men) and Paddy Benn (Elite Men).

Of the first place finishers, Quirke claimed the title of highest scoring competitor at this year’s competition.

Within the team competitions the UCD A Team displayed great techniques to claim second place overall. The team was made up of Marianne Quirke, Roseanne Boland, Nicole Tianihad and Jordan Dockery. hockey

Nikki Evans with in ten minutes of play starting. While the Glenanne’s Roisín O’Brien put up a strong fight to prevent UCD scoring, the first half ended with two more goals for the UCD scoreline. The second half of the match saw UCD’s spirits soaring and their performance on par with the first half. By the time the final whistle blew UCD had clocked up four more goals thanks to Deirdre Duke, Gillian Pinder, Emily Beatty, Chloe Watkins and Anna O’Flanagan who all found the back of the net.

Following a scoreless draw in the women’s hockey game between Pembroke and Loreto, UCD moved to top of the Women’s Leinster Senior Division One table. UCD beat Glenanne with a 9-0 trashing in the game played in Belfield and now sit one point ahead of Pembroke with two games in hand.

UCD’s scoring started off in flying form with a hat trick scored by

november 18th 2014

sport

Demons destroy UCD Marian’s chances of a win Kieran FitzGerald

UCD Marian 84-104 ucc demons

with Halloween just gone, UCD Marian faced their demons by coming up against UCC in the Men’s Premier League. UCC Demons emerged victorious from a hard fought and ruthless affair in the Sport Centre in UCD, leaving Marian searching for answers.

UCD Marian kept up with the pace of the game for the first two quarters and were rarely behind.

But it was midway through the third quarter when Demons began to pull away, and from there they stayed in front until the final buzzer. The result means that UCC remain in top spot, six points clear of Killester in second place, while UCD have fallen to sixth, following the other weekend fixtures, and are now ten points behind Demons.

The crowd of around one hundred spectators filled the hall to watch this clash between the Leesiders and UCD. UCC opened the scoring with Lehmon Colbert capitalising on a rebound early on, followed by UCD going ahead from a brilliant three pointer. UCC had a clear tactic throughout much of the game to use the centre of the court, Colbert from underneath the basket were he capitalised on multiple rebounds and a supply of passes from his teammates in the early half of the game.

UCC were also often taking their time and stepping back and passing it around the three-point line, setting each other up for opportunities to take three points. Yet, this took up time on the ball, and while some of these attempts rebounded and were swept up by Colbert, often it lead to missed opportunities. Colbert was very beneficial for UCC early on, as a strong player and one of the tallest of the pitch at six foot six, scored crucial points for Demons, often fighting his way through players to get a shot away. But he was taken off for Niall Murphy at the end of the first quarter.

UCD were very quick and efficient on the attack, often turning defence into points before Demons could scramble back and organise themselves. This tactic seemed to be working for most of the first half as UCD were mostly ahead for the first and second quarters,

and Demons’ poor conversion some of the three point attempts left them trailing at the end of the first quarter with the score at 26-23 to UCD. The first quarter ended with a great dunk from former WSSU player, Preston Ross, who had been crucial in the lead up to that point.

Although UCD had led for most of the first and second quarters, two two-pointers in quick succession, the final one coming from gave Kyle Hosford, gave UCC a lead of 42-45 as the players headed for the dressing rooms. The third quarter started with UCC levelling the scores. Marian started to falter slightly, missing a few layups, but remained strong against a UCC attack, who were still scoring consistently without the aid of Colbert, who scored twenty-three points in the match. Yet there was still not a whole lot between the teams, while it could be said that the match was heading for a UCC victory, it was still very much in the balance.

However it was halfway into the third quarter that UCC began to pull away.

Marian struggled to make up ground on what seemed an improbable task, as Demons continued to outscore Marian for the remainder of the match. UCD at one stage had the gap closed to ten points, but there was rarely less than fifteen points between the teams in the late third, and fourth quarters. The UCC tactic of going for three points seemed to be working, as Marian became less effective when scoring, caused by an increase of dropped balls, blocked shots and missed opportunities.

The home side also defended poorly resulting in fewer break away scores and making it easier to score, and score they did. Colin O’Reilly, in particular got a flurry of threes in the third quarter contributing to him becoming the top scorer in the match with 28 points. Neil Baynes was UCD’s top scorer with 20 points.

But there were also numerous fouls, resulting in free-throws, which hurt UCD even more on the scoreboard and could have been demoralising at crucial stages in the match.

On the whole the match seemed very much in the balance up until around the mid-way mark in the third

quarter when it was hard to see any result other than Demons winning.

However Marian did not give up the fight, although they struggled to keep up with the onslaught of three pointers and scores from O’Reilly and Colbert, they continued to battle often showing signs of promise particularly from Dan James and Kevin Foley who got a number of scores between them. The determination of UCC cannot be underestimated, even as they were seemingly out of sight, calls from the bench were of “no fouls” showing the conviction of this team.

UCD also showed great conviction and plenty of noise was created in the hall urging the team on after each score. However, it was too little too late as UCD finished the game twenty points behind Demons giving them a rather deserved win. This means Demons keep their one hundred per cent record in the league heading into their next game against Templeogue.

With most teams now having played 6 matches, and with just three points separating 4th from 10th, every side knows that wins and losses will dramatically change their position in the table so with Marian eager to push on, they will undoubtedly be also looking over their shoulder at the several teams breathing down their necks. UCD Marian’s next game in the league is against Swords Thunder on the 23rd of November at 4pm in the National Basketball Arena.

COLIN O’REILLY’S SURGICAL FINISH KEPT DEMONS OUT IN FRONT. PHOTO: INPHO

UCD MARIAN 4 Connor Ross 6 Michael Chubb 7 Conor Meaney (C) 9 Dan James 10 Barry Drumm

12 Neil Baynes

13 Rentas Nedzveckas 15 Preston Ross (USA) 21 Kevin Foley

22 Franceso Borsetti 23 Rafa Bourges

SG PG SG SG PG C PF C PF C F

UCC DEMONS 4 Adrian O’Sullivan G 5 Kyle Hosford G 5 Kyle Hosford G 6 Lehmon Colbert (USA) C 7 Ciaran O’Sullivan F 8 Shane Coughlan (C) G 9 Daragh O’Hanlon F 11 Shane Duggan F 12 Neil O’Reilly F 13 Carlton Cuff F 14 Niall Murphy F 32 Colin O’Reilly (Player Coach) F

Second half Belvedere performance proves too strong for UCD Old Belvedere RFC 25-13 ucd rfc Ciarán sweeney UCD made the short trip down the road to Anglesea Road to take on an Old Belvedere team fresh from an impressive win away at Clontarf last week. Both teams had very contrasting form going into the game with respect to their last AIL matches. Belvedere were 17-3 down to Clontarf deep into the second half but tries from Charlie Rock and Adam Howard, as well as a drop goal in injury time from Danny Riordan ensured a memorable victory at Castle Avenue-a notoriously difficult place to go. UCD on the other hand, fared the complete opposite, at home to Terenure, they were threatening to break Terenure’s 28-match unbeaten run, but let slip a 17-8 lead to lose the game.

Off the back off these two results, UCD were determined to hit the ground running and to stop Belvedere carrying forward their momentum from last week. Despite a full-terrace turnout for the home side, their supporters were given very little to cheer about early on and it was UCD who turned the screw in the first ten minutes. In the opening minute, UCD passed the ball well through the backs and the ball fell to SamCoghlan Murray in space and after a run of about 10 metres through the Belvedere defence, the following ruck yielded a penalty for Collidge as Belvedere were guilty of coming in from the side. With the game barely two minutes old, out-half Ross Byrne had the chance to put early points on the board for UCD and he slotted the penalty with a lovely, measured kick.

Just minutes later, excellent play from Ringrose, as well the UCD forwards and UCD wing Adam Byrne led to a ruck just outside the Belvedere 22 metre line. The ball 20 november 18th 2014

came to Byrne from the breakdown, and with seemingly nothing on for the away side, Byrne used great vision to spot Harry McNulty in an abundance of space of the far side of the pitch. With a beautiful crossfield kick, perfectly weighted, it sat up perfectly for McNulty, who had the easiest of touchdowns for UCD’s first try of the game. Byrne followed this up with a very difficult, but well-executed conversion and UCD found themselves 0-10 up with only seven minutes of the game gone.

With Belvedere on the back foot, they were desperate to hit back and did so only a minute after the try, as UCD were penalised for coming into the ruck from the side. Belvedere wing Josh Glynn slotted the resulting penalty successfully to make the score 3-10. With points on the board, Belvedere piled on the pressure in the following eight minutes and good work from Rock, who provided quick balls at the breakdown, and good hard running from second-row Conor Owende forced the UCD defence to raise their game to keep their seven point lead intact. Despite phase after phase of possession, Belvedere couldn’t put any more points on the board from their dominant spell of pressure and the score remained 3-10 with 20 minutes of the first-half left.

Another chance arose minutes later for Belvedere, and persistence paid off when they were awarded a penalty after UCD were offside at the breakdown and from this, Josh Glynn superbly converted an awkward kick.

UCD however, hit back straight away with a penalty of their own, this time from one of the Belvedere forwards coming into the ruck but not staying on his feet, and Byrne repeated what

Glynn had done just moments earlier, to bring the score to 6-13 to UCD. With frustration growing among the home side, ill-discipline started to creep in, and repeatedly coming in from the side from Belvedere’s hooker Cathal O’Flynn was punished with a sin-bin. Despite the numerical disadvantage, Belvedere continued to press and good interplay from Rock, Steve Crosbie and Rory O’Loughlin set-up a drop goal attempt for Crosbie. As he drifted into the pocket, he was picked out by Rock and calmly slotted home the drop-goal to make it 9-13 to UCD. UCD themselves then went down to 14 men, when a shoulder charge from Donagh Lawler off-the-ball was spotted by the referee, an action which brought an end to the first half.

Belvedere, like UCD in the first-half, won a penalty in the first minute of the second-half after a knock-on straight from the Belvedere kick-off. Josh Glynn continued his impressive record, making it three from three and bringing Belvedere within a point of UCD at 12-13. The second half was much quieter from UCD, who didn’t register a single point in the second 40 minutes, and Belvedere, already with Glynn’s early second half kick to bring themselves to a point behind then moved ahead with another Glynn penalty with 28 minutes left. Glynn kept up his 100% record with his fourth penalty, when UCD were caught failing to allow the Belvedere forwards to release at the breakdown. With Glynn and Belvedere’s confidence now sky-high having soared into the lead for the first time in this game, they smelled blood and went after UCD again. Again Rock was the

spark behind the quick Belvedere attack, and as the phases piled up, Belvedere were awarded yet another penalty for more UCD ill-discipline, again at the breakdown for coming in from the side. Glynn continued to impress with the boot, and four kicks out of four soon became five from five as Belvedere went into an 18-13 lead in the 66th minute.

The home side knew this game was for the taking as the match headed into the last ten minutes, and the phases again built up for Belvedere.

With UCD’s defence taking a battering, they held for as long as they could before eventually Belvedere sub scrum-half Aaron Sheehan picked the ball from the ruck and bowled over the try-line under the posts. As if it was ever in doubt, the ever-reliant Glynn slotted his sixth kick and first conversion of the match, to end the game 25-13 to Belvedere.

With the season still relatively young, Collidge have plenty of time to build on these losses, but Bobby Byrne will be concerned with letting slip a big lead for the second match in a row. In order for UCD to assert themselves in this league, they will need to play rugby for both halves, not just the first. With no time to sulk in defeat in the AIL league, UCD have a week to prepare for the home game against Cork Constitution, a match which the whole squad will hope to use to bounce back from consecutive losses.

Old Belvedere scorers: Josh Glynn (5 Pens), Steve Crosbie (Drop Goal), Aaron Sheehan (Try) UCD Scorers: Ross Byrne (2 Pens, 1 Conversion), Harry McNulty (Try)

UCD RFC 15: Billy Dardis 14: Sam Coghlan-Murray 13: Garry Ringrose 12: Harry McNulty 11: Adam Byrne 10: Ross Byrne 9: Nick McCarthy 8: Peader Timmins 7: Donagh Lawler 6: Jordan Coughlan 5: Emmet MacMahon (Captain) 4: Gavin Thornbury 3: Liam Hyland 2: Risteard Byrne 1: Gordon Frayne

OLD BELVEDERE RFC 15: Danny Riordan 14: Shane McDonald 13: Rory O’Loughlin 12: Aidan Wynne 11: Josh Glynn 10: Steve Crosbie 9: Charlie Rock 8: Jonathan Slattery (Captain) 7: Kieran O’Gorman 6: Michael Oyuga 5: Conor Owende 4: Jack O’Beirne 3: Declan Lavery 2: Cathal O’Flynn 1: Adam Howard

Subsitutions

Subsitutions:

16: Michael Moynihan 17: Andrew Murphy 18: Ross Maloney 19: Shane O’Meara 20: Liam Bourke

16: Killian O’Neill 17: Gordon Britchfield 18: Alan Trenier 19: Aaron Sheehan 20: John Kennedy