Vol. XXIII - Issue 3 - Berliner

uo The University Observer

above usi march against third level fees, october 19th 2016 photo martin healy

the gentle revolution ucd’s tense transition from earlsfort terrace to belfield amy garganp10

November 8th 2016 Volume XXIII issue 3 universityobserver.ie

contraception the controversial side effects for both men & women aoife hardesty p13

Funding of Ad Astra Scholarships almost halved Roisin Guyett-Nicholson editor THE Ad Astra scholarship programme has seen cuts of up to €3,500 per student since 2015. At the same time the number of students enrolled in the programme has dropped by almost a third.

Previous to 2015, students accepted into the scholarship were given a possible €6,500 in assistance. This amount has now more than halved with new students into the programme receiving €3,000.

Students who entered the programme before 2015 will continue on the funding scheme that they began their course on. This includes between €1,500 to €4,000 of the student fees covered and an additional bursary of €1,000. Accommodation was also covered with students offered either 50% off on-campus residences Belgrove or Roebuck Castle.

Students who entered the scholarship programme from 2015 onwards now receive a lump sum of €3,000 for the year, spread between semesters one and two.

This also includes a reserved space in on-campus accommodation.

The total number of students on the programme have fallen dramatically with the cuts. In 2014, there were 93 new students registered while in 2015 the number fell to 66 and this year the number has fallen again to just 49.

As a result, students in the same programme at the same time receive different levels of funding.

UCDSU education officer Lexi Kilmartin commented that: “it’s pretty terrible considering it’s UCD’s only real scholarship… if you look at the scholar awards and all that kind of stuff, there’s nothing to the same extent.”

By comparison, Trinity College Dublin offers a variation of sports scholarships ranging from those worth €1000 to €9500.

The programme was launched in 2011 and is described by the university as “an initiative designed to recognise and nurture exceptional students.” The Ad Astra programme has three different branches; academic, elite athlete and performing arts. Irish Olympians such as Ciara Mageean and Paul O’Donovan have previously come through the athlete part of the programme.

Speaking to a student on the performing arts stream, they were quick to praise the benefits of the programme. “It’s like something I’d do for free for fun for the rest of my life so like getting to do it [here]…yeah, it’s great.” The student was also keen to highlight the support and guidance offered.

A similar sentiment was expressed by graduate stu-

dent and UCD AFC goalkeeper Niall Corbet, who had been on a sport scholarship. He described it as “a very good experience” particularly praising the supports offered by the university.

“If it was a case that there was someone else on the Ad Astra programme that was a year ahead of you, or a year below you, you could get advice and help off them so, there was a [connection] to really help you. So, it was difficult at times, but at the same time there was an opportunity for you to keep going.”

Noting the amount of funding that students on Ad Astra scholarships received, Corbet said: “I think they were very fair, to be honest, I don’t know the situation now but when I first arrived four years ago, it was very fair and there was no cutting or anything - it stayed the same.”

However, Kilmartin suggests that the cuts are just part of a wider university policy to deal with lack of funding. “If the opportunity cost of keeping the scholarships sorry at their previous level, was larger class sizes, less books in the library and things that have an impact for the entire student population then its easier to justify the cost. If the opportunity cost is building some new building then it’s less easy to justify.”

Plans emerge to reduce amount of assessment contributing to GPA Alanna O’Shea news editor Plans have recently been announced that significantly reduce the amount of graded assessment that count towards a student’s degree. The strategy could see the amount of assessment cut by up to 50% with changes introduced as early as 2018. The move is part of a curriculum review and enhancement process, which is taking place as part of the University’s five-year strategic plan.

However, statistics prepared by UCD Institutional Research say that many students do not feel that the number of assessments is too high. The majority of students surveyed said that the number of assessments they receive per semester were just right.

Only 26% of undergraduates feel they receive too much assessment, with a slightly smaller number -20% -- feeling they receive too little assessment.

Instead, over a third of undergraduate students feel that the weighting of their continuous assessment is too low. Over half of students felt that end of semester assessments count for too much of final grades.

Discussions on how to implement this programme were held at an assessment workshop on October

17th. According to Lexi Kilmartin, UCDSU’s Education Officer, who was part of the meeting, a plan to cut summative assessment by “up to 50%” was discussed. She says that the meeting explored ways of doing this without losing educational value.

Much of the meeting focused on the over-assessment of students and how to reduce this stress.

Present at the meeting were representative of the UCD Students’ Union (UCDSU), members of the student body, heads of schools, and members of the UCD Registry.

They discussed options for optimising student assessment, including reducing summative assessment, which is continuous assessment that would count towards students’ final module grade. Instead of the old system, students would receive more assessment that is formative, which would not count towards their final grade.

This would allow the student to receive feedback on things like contribution in tutorials, without this feedback counting towards their grade point average.

Kilmartin said that this plan was a way of “reduc-

ing the burden on students, so that way you don’t have ten essays due in week six”. Kilmartin, who is part of the Curriculum Review Steering Committee, says that this is a positive step which “is one of the most positive things the university is doing at the moment.”

At the meeting, participants also discussed how to change a culture where assessment drives learning, rather than a student’s own interest in their subject driving learning.

Kilmartin says the curriculum review group are aware of this problem. “You want to cut the burden for students but you also don’t want to move away from continuous assessment too much because that reduces the burden” she says.

Future meetings on changes to assessment are planned by the UCD Registry. Regardless of the outcome of these meetings, Kilmartin says that changes will not be put in place immediately, saying that the registrar has stated that these changes to the curriculum might be initiated in 2018, with pilot programmes perhaps taking place in September 2017.

new shores an interview with journalist & author sinéad gleeson seán hayes otwo p16

fangclub interview with the band melissa ridge otwo p21

rebirth of the cool the lp in 2016 adam lawler otwo p20 the audience strikes back Have TV audience petitions gone too far? owen steinberger otwo p13

November 8th 2016 1

News News in Brief Sinead Mulcahy

Student Unions say higher education budget increase not enough Keri Heath

UCC retains title of best Irish university In the recently published the Sunday Times Good University Guide, UCC became the first ever university to be named as University of the Year in two successive years. UCC has won the award a total of 5 times over its 15-year history.

UCC’s success is attributed to their commitment to providing quality teaching. It is noted that 70% of staff have teaching or learning qualifications, while faculty members must undergo training before being considered for permanency. This high quality of teaching provided is proving effective as over 70% of UCC graduates receive first class honours or a 2:1 in their degree.

Trinity College came in second in the guide.

Trinity also held onto the top spot in the University League table, which evaluates all 21 multi-faculty third-level institutions in Ireland based on seven headings including entry requirements, staff-student ratios and facilities and services spending.

Despite spending more per capita on students than UCC, UCD ranked third in the table. UCD has also failed to be named as University of the Year since 2006. DIT fared excellently in this year’s Guide, ranking in 7th place above NUIM and winning Institute of Technology of the year.

UCD Academic named new president of UL Professor Des Fitzgerald, current vicepresident for research in UCD, has been appointed as the new president of UL. Prof.

Fitzgerald obtained his medical degree from UCD and subsequently trained in cardiology and clinical pharmacology in Vanderbilt University in the US. Fitzgerald is an experienced and widely respected scholar, having worked in several universities including RCSI, University of Pennsylvania and UCD. He was president of the Health Research Board of Ireland 2004-2007 and has held committee positions on the Irish Medicine Board. Fitzgerald is also an elected member of many international professional bodies including the American Heart Association, the European Society for Cardiology and the Association of American Physicians.

In his 2014 report, Prof Andrew J. Deeks, UCD President, noted that during Prof Fitzgerald’s tenure, UCD’s research income more than doubled and citation impact went from a level below world average to 56% above world average.

This appointment indicates UL’s intent to improve their research capacity and general performance. In the Times Higher Education Rankings 2017, UL ranked between 501-550, with a poor mark (19) in research. By contrast, UCD scored almost double in the research category (37.8), with an overall rank of 201-250.

TCD announce plans to sell naming rights for €1m Trinity College Dublin has revealed plans to sell the naming rights of part of the campus. The university is set to appoint consultants to identify a private individual or suitable corporation that will donate €200,000 annually over the next five years to have their name plate on part of the infamous campus. A spokesperson for TCD assured the Irish Times the most iconic parts of the university will not be involved.

Traditionally, universities have honoured their most successful and influential alumni by naming buildings after them, such as the Newman Building in UCD. In recent times, universities have been forced to rely less on government spending and instead look for donations from private individuals.

For example, the O’ Reilly Hall in Trinity was part-funded by businessman Tony O’Reilly. Peter Sutherland donated €4 million to his alma mater, UCD, towards the construction of the modern Sutherland School of Law. While corporations owning naming rights to parts of campus is uncommon in Ireland, such practice has emerged internationally, such as Capitol Federal Hall in University of Kansas.

Some of the world’s most prestigious colleges have benefited from corporate sponsorship, including the University of Oxford, which opened its Investcorp building in 2015.

2 November 8th 2016

IRISH higher education will be receiving a funding increase next year. In his statement to the Dáil on Oct. 11, Minister for Education Richard Bruton announced that €36.5 million will be invested into the education sector with the new budget. Yet a number of students’ union Presidents have spoken out about the amount, claiming that it’s not enough.

The funding increase will see over €160 million invested over the next three years, money that Bruton said will increase demand, research and access programs. The investment will aid over 3,000 students, who come from lower income backgrounds, attend university. Bruton said that the Government will also seek additional contributions from employers However, some advocates state that while this investment increase is a step in the right direction, it doesn’t come near enough to the €100 million that had been proposed to boost higher education in Ireland. Kieran McNulty, president of Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union said that there needs to be more dedication put towards creating a long-standing investment in education.

“It’s the first significant investment in a long time. It isn’t enough,” McNulty said. “There needs to be a much more coordinated push towards tackling all the reasons why maybe there are 99% percent of people from Dublin 6 going to university compared to something like 15% from Dublin 17.”

Ireland’s student population is also growing. The Department of Education and Skills predicts that by 2025, the country’s student population will have risen to about 190,000, almost 20,000 higher than current levels.

UCDSU President Conor Viscardi agrees that this is one of the bigger issues to address.

“Student numbers have rocketed and have grown exponentially and that has further compounded the problem in terms of resources,” Viscardi said. “Student-staff ratios is an issue that is very prevalent here at UCD.” Viscardi also said that living expenses are often not taken into account when considering the costs students invest in university. This is a factor of concern to students attending UCD – it’s location in the south of Dublin where living expenses can often be higher.

James Donoghue, vice president for academic affairs at Dublin City University Student’s Union, agrees that the funding increases don’t go far enough. He said that he’d like to see a fee decrease.

“An awful lot of students face dropping out of college very early on because they picked the wrong course,” Donoghue said. “I think the Government needs to restore funding for career guidance counsellors in Ireland, so maybe students are on an equal footing before they go to higher education.”

Union of Students in Ireland President Annie Hoey also noted that Ireland must invest in an educated work force if it is to continue having a strong economy.

“The higher education needs a significant injection of funding,” Hoey said. “We can’t afford to have an education sector that collapses in on itself.”

The budget did not address any increases in spending towards primary and secondary education.

While there will be no increase in grants, it is expected that over 2,400 teachers will be hired to cope with the increasing student population.

UCDSU to debate stance on fees Roisin Guyett-Nicholson editor UCD Students’ Union is to consider their stance on fees following a discussion at the first Union Council of the year on 10th October. A motion is due to be debated at council in the next month.

The discussion comes after the release of the Cassells report in July: the expert group report into higher education funding which examined the future of third-level funding.

The debate also comes as UCDSU earlier confirmed that UCD President Andrew Deeks favours an income-contingent loan system. This was revealed through the minutes of meetings of the Students’ Union executive, held on 15th September.

President Conor Viscardi noted, that following a meeting with Deeks, a loan system was his favoured option.

However, at union council the idea of a loan system was not well received. A “free fees’’ option was also stated as the union’s preference by Viscardi during an executive meeting. This option has not been officially ratified by council.

At the end of October, UCDSU took part in a march against student fees organised by the Union of Students in Ireland (USI). While other unions campaigned against a potential loan system, UCDSU highlighted the impact funding cuts have had on higher-level institutions.

In March, previous to the announcement of the Cassells report, Deeks had urged action on its findings.

It was also revealed through the minutes of the meeting that Minister of Education Richard Bruton favours investment in STEM subjects. This was noted to be something that UCD President disagreed with, at the same executive meeting.

Class representatives and other members of union council are to research the student position and then make a decision through council.

“No” side wins in UCDSU Martin healy Deputy editor LAST Friday’s referendum on UCD Students’ Union’s abortion stance was won by the No side, with 64% of the total vote. The referendum, held on the 2nd and 3rd of November, saw 4,781 students or 20% of the total student population voting on the question of whether UCDSU should continue its current stance to repeal the 8th amendment.

Every UCD School voted in favour of No, and so the mandate, originally enacted in 2014, is set to continue. UCDSU plans to refresh this mandate, at a future SU council sitting. The current mandate finishes in October 2017.

In a statement released in the hours after their victory, the Vote No campaign stated they were “delighted” with the results of the campaign. In the statement, Vote No campaign member Ryan Oakes said: “we in the UCD pro-choice community are overwhelmed by this result. Throughout the campaign we have affirmed that not only should a Students’ Union never be silenced on any issue that affects students, but also that the student body want their SU to fight for a repeal of the 8th amendment on the national level.”

Regarding plans for the future, as part of the statement, UCD for Choice member Hazel Nolan made it clear that the group “can now, with the support of the SU, continue to hold different events on campus with the common goal of repealing the 8th.”

The Yes side received 1,726 – or 36% – of the overall vote. The campaign initially stemmed from a petition led by the UCD Students for Fair Representation (UCDSFFR) group, which received over 1,000 signatures in early October.

In a joint statement released by UCDSFFR and the Yes4Neutral campaign, the groups were quick to praise their progress over the last number of weeks.

The groups maintain that the campaign was successful in regards to “breaking the taboo

about abortion and encouraging dialogue and discourse, particularly on issues related to fair representation, free speech, and […] the abortion issue.”

The statement also questions the SU’s stance during the referendum, as well as “their truthfulness in providing information on their current stance.”

“There is an ongoing query with the Independent Appeals and Disciplinary Board (IADB) regarding these questions, and a verdict will be delivered in due course.”

While UCDSU were obliged to stay neutral during the course of the campaign, a post on their official Facebook page after the result thanked students for the high turnout, which was “double”

the average for referenda in recent years.

UCDSU also announced as part of this post that they are sending a submission to the Citizens’ Assembly, reccommending that they favour repealing the 8th amendment.

The submission, which was put forward on Monday, reccommends a repeal of the 8th ammendment. It states that “the 8th amendment is at odds with public opinion on abortion”, using the recent MRBI Ispos published by the Irish Times as an example.

The submission also cites the UN’s declaration of the 8th ammendment as a liability to Irish women’s human rights, as well as sources stating that the 8th is a hazard to women’s physical and mental health.

Photo credit: Martin healy

No to Neutrality: counting underway for the UCDSU referednum on abortion

news & AnAlysis

8x8 FestivAl comes to ucd ucd med rOisin GUyeTT-nichOlsOn ediTOr THE 8x8 Festival wrapped up its stay in UCD last week with a panel discussion on what UCD can do to help refugees. The discussion followed the screening of a short documentary called Refuge by Caoimhe Butterly.

The panel talk focused on the issue of young people in direct provision in Ireland. Speakers included Stephen Collins, a lawyer with the Irish Refugee Council and Ellie Kisyombe, a prominent campaigner for rights of asylum seekers in Ireland.

The festival is a photo and film festival held once a year to highlight awareness of a specific issue. 8x8 has been running for four years with a focus this year on the refugee crisis. Organised

by SUAS, an educational development charity, the festival is largely driven by students in and takes place in seven universities across the country.

Campuses include NUIG, NUIM, UCC, UCD, DCU, DIT and TCD. The festival wraps up in DCU next week.

UCD student, Anna O’Duffy, who is involved in organising the festival here explained “the theme of this year’s festival is ‘No Two People have the Same Story’ with the focus on the global migration crisis and the myths surrounding it.”

In UCD, there was a photo exhibition outside the James Joyce Library and in the Student Centre until Saturday November 5th. Much of the exhibition highlighted refugees in countries other than Syria stating that: “While the refugee crisis in Europe has kept Syria in the headlines here, protracted wars around the globe continue to uproot the lives of millions but get little attention from Western Media.”

O’Duffy also noted that the festival is “designed by students and will visit seven third-level campuses during autumn. This year the focus is on the global refugee crisis and migration. We’ll put a face on the crisis and challenging global perspectives through photo exhibits, inspirational documentary films and in-depth discussion panels from some incredible people who are taking action.”

Events include photo exhibitions, documentary screenings and panel discussions.

O’Duffy explained that students can get involved “by clicking on the 8x8 Festival Facebook page, Googling STAND.ie to find out more or emailing emma@suas.ie for more information.”

All events are free to attend.

cAmpus news in brieF eiThne dOdd Online news & feATUres ediTOr Irish Village Markets Come to UCD

UCD open Day Last saturday

Irish Village Markets will be coming to UCD every Thursday from the 3rd of November for the next five weeks, until the end of semester one. There will be 13 street food stalls for students to choose from, located outside the Sutherland School of Law. The market will be open from around 11.30 am to 2.30 pm each Thursday.

The stalls available are: Zero Zero Wood Fired Pizza; Falafel Bite; Grub Hub; Burger Republic; Sol Burrito; Jaru Food Company; Reggae Kitchen; Tadka House; Seoul Kitchen; Kanum Thai; Gourmet Kitchen and Kerala Kitchen. Tokyo Sushi & Bento will be available from Thursday, November 10th.

The stalls represent a wide variety of food choice from cultures around the globe.

The meals will cost around €7 on average. Falafel Bite offers Halal options and the Korean stalls Seoul Kitchen and Kanum Thai offer vegetarian options. The market promotes healthy food options.

The meat provided is Irish and the majority of the food is GMO free.

Last Saturday, UCD invited prospective students, their families, and guidance councillors to its Open Day. From 10 am to 4 pm there was a central exhibition in O’Reilly Hall, giving prospective students opportunities to ask questions about courses from lecturers and faculty staff.

Over 120 programmes and subject-specific talks took place in Newman, Sutherland, O’Brien, Global Lounge, Quinn and the Health Centre. The talks varied from general talks about applying to UCD and its various scholarship programmes to subjectspecific talks given by lecturers.

Campus tours were led by UCD Student Ambassadors who took students on 45 minute tours of UCD facilities. Other things to see and do during the day were to attend an Open Rehearsal of the UCD Symphony Orchestra, or go to a science demonstration in the Kitty Suite Outreach Lab and Classroom in the O’Brien Centre for Science.

Also in the O’Brien centre was the UCD Innovation Academy. At 1.30 prospective students packed into An Cuas, in the Newman Building, to listen to UCD philosophers discuss topics ranging from political power to free will.

Preparation for semester one exams The UCD Exam Timetable for Semester One is available now on the UCD assessment website.

The exam timetables for UCD Smurfit Graduate School are also available. The majority of exams will take place in RDS Shelbourne hall, Anglesea Road. Others will take place in the Blackrock Exam Centre on the Smurfit Campus.

The UCD Assessment Website also contains information on past papers, exam tips, exam regulations and how to apply for temporary exam support.

UCD Library will extend its opening hours from Monday November 14th until the end of exams on Thursday the 22nd of December. The James Joyce Library will open from 7 am until midnight Monday to Friday, and from 9am to 9pm on Saturdays.

All other libraries will also have extended opening hours from 14th of November but James Joyce will remain open the longest. James Joyce is also the only library open on Sundays.

photo credit: mArtin heAly

Irish Village Markets will be in UCD every Thursday until the end of semester 1

students participate in med day 2016 OrlA KeAveney

DURING week 6, over 420 students took part in Medical Society’s annual fundraising event, Med Day. A total of €28,373.11 was raised for five different causes, topping last year’s record by over €1000.

This year, Med Day was extended to a whole week of activities from the 15th to the 21st of October, to accommodate the demanding schedules of medical students on hospital placements. The fundraising began with Saturday bag packing in the Balinteer SuperValu, and continued throughout the week with buckets placed throughout campus for donations.

Med Soc also organised an open mic night in the Clubhouse Bar, a pub quiz in The Goat, a bake sale at the Health Sciences and Conway buildings, and a raffle with prizes such as Med Ball tickets, two bottles of Lambrini, and €50 in Camile Thai vouchers.

An online donation page was also set up for Med Day, giving those who missed the events another chance to contribute. Although this option was less popular than cash donations, the committee are hopeful that more students and staff will use this service for future fundraising events.

For Med Day itself, Friday the 21st, medical students took to the streets of Dublin from 7am to 11am and 1pm to 4pm.

Although the large scale of these events made organisation a challenge, Med Soc Auditor Aiswarya Ajith believes that extending the Med Day to a whole week was “a massive success regarding raising awareness for the charities”, as well as raising greatly-needed funds for the Med Soc’s five chosen causes.

This year, the proceeds went to three Irish charities: The Jack and Jill Foundation, which supports the families of children under the age of 4 with brain damage; Alone, which focuses on helping the elderly and vulnerable in Irish society; and The Sapling Schools for pupils with autism and special needs. Funds were also raised to support St. Vincent’s University Hospital and the Mater Misericordiae, both teaching hospitals where UCD medical students train as part of their courses.

All the money raised will be used to directly help these causes, rather than covering administrative costs. These funds have a direct impact on the lives of those who rely on these charities – Johnathan Irwin, founder of the Jack and Jill Foundation, told Med Soc volunteers that every €16 raised pays for one hour of home nursing for a sick baby. The bright pink t-shirts worn by Med Day volunteers were also designed by students from Sapling Schools.

Although Med Day is over, online donations can still be accepted through the link on the Medical Society’s Facebook page. Cheques will be presented to each of the charities by Med Soc early next semester.

internAtionAl

news in brieF JUliA cAnney eU ApplicATiOns TO UK UniversiTies fAll WHILe economists and political scientists worry about the impact Brexit will have on the UK’s economy, the university system in the UK is already showing some of the first effects of the decision to leave the european Union. According to UCAs, a body which administers university entry, data relating to applications for all courses at oxford and Cambridge, as well as various courses at other universities, shows that the number of eU students applying has dropped by 9%.

While the overall number of applicants for university places has increased by 1%, this decline in applications ends a recent trend that saw an increase in the number of e.U. applications to UK universities. University officials have linked this decline in applications with the British government’s delay in releasing a guarantee on fees and financial support, which they announced only a few days before the october 15th application deadline. The guarantee, which ensures that eU students will pay the same rate of fees and student loan books as nationals, came after three months of intensive lobbying from the higher education sector.

While university officials are aware that the uncertainty of Brexit is having a negative effect on their application process, they are hopeful that this guarantee will encourage more eU students to apply for British courses.

new TAiwAnese pOlicy seeKs TO GAin 30,000 inTernATiOnAl sTUdenTs by 2019 As part of their ‘new southbound policy’, Taiwan’s Ministry of education has announced that they will invest nT$1bn (Us$31.77m) in areas such as human resources, investment, education, culture, and tourism in order to increase the number of overseas students from 28,000 to 58,000 by 2019.

In a move designed to strengthen Taiwan’s relations with AseAn (Association of southeast Asian nations) member states, they will also subsidise 10 universities in the Philippines, singapore, and Myanmar, marketing Taipei as an ‘attractive city’ for both students and tourists. In addition to the funds allocated to initial investments in education and human resources, the ministry will also be investing nT$160m (Us$5m) in a scheme of academic exchanges, and nT$61m (Us$1.9m) for exchanges of culture and sports.

At a time when Chinese - Taiwan relations are extremely strained as a result of the election of a pro-independence party member to the Taiwanese presidency, Chinese officials see these investments as a move to reduce Taiwan’s economic reliance on China.

The announcement by the Taiwan Ministry of education comes after Beijing cut Taiwan off from official talks and significantly reduced Chinese tourism to the country, negatively affecting an already sinking Taiwanese economy. The new president Tsai Ing-wen has supported the ministry’s efforts, and says that the country will welcome all foreign students.

heAvy cOsT by sOUTh AfricAn sTUdenT prOTesTs As the #feesMustfall protests in south Africa passed their year anniversary last month, the Universities south Africa (UsAf) estimates that the damage caused to university property will cost at least 700-800 million rand (€46.9 - 53.6 million) to repair.

The protests, which began last october as a reaction to an increase in fees for south African universities, have increased in both size and strength after the Minister for Higher education announced that there would be fee increases of up to 8% for the 2017 academic year. The movement has spread to universities across the country, with largely peaceful groups of students protesting the fees increase announcement by the government.

While the majority of these protests have been peaceful, some have turned violent. The UsAf has been analysing damage caused by students in the protests, mostly from arson attacks. In May 2016, students burnt down an auditorium, laboratory, a guard house and external properties at the University of Johannesburg, which the UsAf calculates will cost €8.07 million to repair.

Almost no university has been immune from the arson attacks, and the UsAf states that the sum of repairs needed for all properties will continue to increase as a result of the escalation of the protests that have been occurring in recent weeks.

November 8th 2016 3

international News

Chinese company Dipont ‘buying’ places for students in top US colleges

Julia Canney A MAJOR Chinese educational company, Dipont, has paid thousands of dollars in perks and cash to admissions officers at top US universities to help its student clients apply to American schools.

The revelation comes following an investigation

by Thomson Reuters into the company’s practices.

Six former employees of the Shanghai-based company told Reuters that Dipont employees wrote application essays for students and altered recommendation letters that had been written by the students’ teachers.

One student is said to have been given access to his high school grades, erasing the bad results. The company boasts of its “special relationship” with some 20 US colleges, including the University of Virginia, Vanderbilt University, and University of California - Berkeley.

The admissions officers of many US universities have visited China since 2014, paid for by Dipont and an affiliated charity, to personally advise Dipont student clients at an annual summer program on how to apply to US colleges.

Pressure on US students to be accepted to prestigious universities is enormous. This is doubly true for international students, who will automatically be at a disadvantage due to differences in grading and transcript systems, language barriers, and the fact that they are generally not able to visit universities for preapplication interviews.

Difficulties in being accepted to top colleges has led to a burgeoning new market of education companies across the globe, particularly in China, who advertise their abilities to connect prospective students with elite universities across the United States. While similar to tutoring ventures in the US,

these Chinese companies are increasingly under investigation for application and test-taking fraud.

In June of 2015, the Epoch Times ran an exposé on the ‘hired guns’ of the Chinese educational world. They found that university students who had previously achieved high scores on Chinese exams are paid large sums of money to sit exams for Chinese students who wish to attend high-ranking US universities.

The ‘gunmen’ were selected based on their previous test scores and willingness to provide fake identity credentials in exchange for payments of up to $4,000. These selected students then sit the applicable exams, generally the SAT, the TOEFL English proficiency exam, or the GER, a graduate entrance exam, and submit their scores under the false name of the applicant. In the high-pressure environment of US college applications, the concept of hired test takers is not a new one, with test-taking rings in US high schools having been uncovered in the past.

Large companies founded solely for the purpose of getting Chinese students accepted into US universities make hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. They base much of their credibility on highly publicized close relationships with admissions offices from around the US Looking at emails and interviews with several ex-Dipont employees, Reuters paints a picture of a company that frequently skirted around financial and university legalities in order to gain access to top admissions officials. In addition to rewriting application essays for students and reprinting transcripts that showed poor high school grades, the ex-employees claim that Dipont shelled out up to $4,500 in ‘honorarium’ payments to admissions

officials willing to fly to Shanghai for the company’s eight day admissions workshops.

Several of the universities confirmed the exchange of money, but claimed that it occurred under completely legal means. Colleges including the University of Vermont and Hamilton College confirmed that their admissions officers accepted the honoraria payment of $4,000. Spokespersons from Vanderbilt University, University of Virginia, and Wellesley College said that their officers had accepted the perk of a business-class plane ticket.

Dipont’s CEO and founder, Benson Zhang, has vehemently denied the allegations of application fraud, but continues to tout his company’s supposed influence within the U.S. higher education system.

Zhang’s connection with higher education reaches back to 2009, when two ex-Dipont consultants founded a non-profit organization in New York called the Council for American Culture and Education Inc (CACE). Zhang denies any connection between Dipont and CACE, yet recently used the non-profit as a gateway for a $750,000

donation he made to the University of Southern California research centre that is working to fight application fraud from Chinese applicants.

The ex-consultants also confirm that CACE is the method through which admissions officials who visit Shanghai for workshops are paid, generally in cash or through direct wire transfer.

Despite the allegations against the company, Dipont continues to thrive. Chinese applicants are willing to pay up to $32,500 alone for a general college counseling session with a consultant.

Admissions officials continue to travel to Shanghai for Dipont admissions workshops, with many citing that the cost-covered trip offers a wealth of opportunity for universities with smaller endowments to attract international students.

Tax specialists have recommended that the New York Attorney General review the extralegal actions of the non-profit CACE, however it is unlikely that neither Dipont nor its customers will suffer any severe consequences.

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Kremlin-Financed Group Reports on Universities ‘Protest Potential’

Rory Geoghegan International news editor

Rory Geoghegan International news editor

the assistance of their class peers working beside them in open plan, computer filled rooms, the students complete the assignments.

For grading, a student is randomly selected to correct the work of their class cohort. Following the completion of projects, students go up a level and, on graduating, will have worked their way through 21 levels, taking anywhere between three to five years to do so.

The system of learning is said to fill in the gaps that are left by traditional teaching methods.

Students adapt to figure out problems, as well as being able to teach themselves new skills.

The California branch of 42 was established by a graduate of the Paris campus, Brittney Bir. Speaking to the BBC on the subject of the 42’s teaching methods and its benefits for students, Bir says that “the feedback we have had from employers is that our graduates are more apt to go off and find out information for themselves, rather than asking their supervisor what to do next.”

Adding to this, Bir states that: “peer-to-peer learning develops students with the confidence to search for solutions by themselves, often in quite creative and ingenious ways.” Indeed, recent research suggests that peer-to-peer learning can help students gain a deeper understanding of a subject.

A GROUP that received funding from the Kremlin have been criticised over a 24th of October report in the newspaper Kommersant. It alleges that it has been secretly assessing the potential for dissent against the government of over 40 universities across Russia.

A senior staff member of the Moscow-based Institute for Strategic Studies and Projections, Nikita Danyuk, has come under fire for newly published research which examines the “protest potential” of 40 Russian universities.

Danyuk, the deputy head of the institute, told a major congress of university rectors on the weekend of October 21st, that he had toured universities to conduct research as part of “Scenarios of Russia’s Future”, a series of lectures about “opposing destructive political forces.”

The research comes at a time when the Kremlin is nervous about growing signs of dissent before the 2018 presidential election, one in which Putin hopes to maintain his tight grip on the country.

According to the Kommersant, Danyuk told the congress that he had visited over 40 universities in Moscow and elsewhere across Russia, organizing discussions and openly inviting students to express their political views, but that his actual aim was to assess their “protest potential.”

Photo credit: George Postoronca

IN October a new university called 42 opened in California with a unique selling point. The university, whose name is taken from the answer to the meaning of life in the science fiction series the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, is like no other in that it has no teachers.

The college will train around a thousand students a year in software development and coding. Despite its unconventional ways -- in not having not a single contact hour with teachers -42 has seen a large number of applications for its courses and demand has far outpaced supply.

The university is the first US branch of a French institution of the same name. Founded in Paris in 2013 by the French technology billionaire, Xavier Niel, applications to 42 have been extremely oversubscribed.

While its teaching methods are unique, the system has spawned graduates now working for IBM, Amazon, Tesla, as well as starting their own technology firms. Backed by its billionaire founder, 42 has no tuition fees and accommodation is also provided to its students for free.

The university combines “peer-to-peer” learning with project-based learning. Students are given tasks that they could be set in a tech firm, i.e. designing a computer game or website. Using resources freely available on the internet, and with

The Kremlin Photo credit: Larry Koester

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Additionally, Danyuk also said that this was necessary as Russia was engaged in an “undeclared war” against foreign interference, “a hybrid one, on many fronts.” Authorities often portray antiKremlin dissent as being orchestrated by outside forces, particularly the United States. Russia’s poor economic performance has sparked regional protests by doctors, teachers, as well as farmers, and this is undoubtedly adding to unease in the Kremlin.

The Times reports that Mr. Danyuk, as part of a meeting of education specialists at the weekend, stated that: “using the results of the project, lists were drawn up for official use, including for representatives of state authorities.” He also noted that: “unfortunately, on the level of professors and teaching staff, not openly but nonetheless without shame, there is a destructive propaganda of anti-state ideas.”

Mr. Danyuk denies any involvement in spying on students. As does Dimtry Peskov, Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, refuting that the government had any knowledge about the project.

Whether or not the Kremlin are to be believed, the report signals growing unease within Russia. This comes as the state remains entangled in conflicts in both eastern Ukraine and Syria, potentially to drum up support for the current president.

Comment

Life Hacks

When companies are vulnerable to cyberattacks, our personal information pays the price. Brendan Garrett asks what should be done to change this.

DESPITE what the latest season of Black Mirror tells you, hackers aren’t all that interested in ordinary people. Contemporary hacker activity is not focused on those with shady pastimes or unsavoury history tabs. No, the typical targets of cybercrime are those based in the sectors of commerce, finance, politics and entertainment, but it is the ordinary person whose information is put at risk.

Examples of cyberattacks have been plentiful in recent years. Be it the Clinton email saga that has been on-going for the last year and is showing no sign of fading from discourse; the Snapchat hack

“The new age of corporate espionage has led to the rise of eBay-esque sites which advertise and request the hacking of specific companies.” of 2014 which saw the publicising of 4.6 million user’s private photos and videos; or the 2011 hack of Sesame Street’s YouTube channel, an attack that led to the child-friendly channel streaming 22 minutes of pornography.

These were all highly publicised, but apart from this, the hacks have little in common. The range of victims to cybercrime is evidently wide, with institutions and individuals both big and small being targeted.

In Britain there has been a spike in small businesses being attacked by hackers, with 74% of small organisations reporting a security breach in 2015. Many of these cases feature ransomware, software which encrypts all of the files found within a system and requires a key to reverse. The hackers will then sell the key to business owners for amounts typically ranging between £500 and £3000.

Meanwhile, on the opposite end of the commercial spectrum, the new age of corporate espionage has led to the rise of eBay-esque sites which advertise and request the hacking of specific companies.

Residing in the seedier parts of the internet, sites

such as the recently shut down Enigma, act as a forum for both disgruntled employees and business rivals to exchange access to data stores for money.

Examples of such activity include hackers in Eastern Europe breaching Chinese data systems.

Geographical borders mean nothing to these online communities and in many cases attacks are made without leaving any tracks. The Ashley Madison hack of 2015, saw 25 gigabytes of company information being stolen, and the only trace of it online is one Enigma user, named Diablo, requesting access ASAP, advertising it as a “big job big opportunity”.

But why are these attacks not prevented? With weekly stories of new hackings one would presume companies not yet affected would sign up for comprehensive software protection, however the truth seems to indicate the opposite.

For example, Target, which is the secondlargest discount retailer in the US, fell victim to a cyberattack in 2014 that resulted in 110 million customers’ personal information and credit card details being leaked. This attack was instigated by malware, which was first sent by email to employees of Fazio Mechanical, a firm which installs heating and ventilation for Target.

This virus was then latently transported by email into the larger corporation’s system. Target’s malware protection system failed to detect the attack. In

importantly one whose license prohibits corporate use.

If a company, which saw $3.4 billion as its 2015 revenue, is resorting to use free malware protection software, we can assume that they are not alone.

“Personal information is shared so freely these days yet the protection of that very information is often overlooked” There is a huge chance that other companies which have a stake in the S&P 500 are leaving their online defences wide open.

Personal information is shared so freely these days yet the protection of that very information is often overlooked. This is a presumption which companies have taken advantage of, but will not be able to do so

for much longer.

The EU has brought in the General Data Protection Regulations, which come into effect in 2018. This new statute could result in companies being fined either €20 million or 4% or their annual turnover if they allow data breaches to compromise customer information, thus incentivising businesses to run a tight ship with their security protocol.

In the US, President Obama proposed the Personal Data Notification and Protection Act last year, which would give companies that have been victimised by a data breach 30 days to let their customers know of the attack.

Seeing as the EU regulation will not take effect for another two years, Irish customers will be left vulnerable until 2018. With no law being in place that requires hacked companies to notify their customers of the breach, the likes of Dunnes, Paddy Power and Irish Rail, complete with all of their customers’ credit card information could already have been victimised by cybercriminals. And still, the consumer remains none the wiser.

“One would presume companies not yet affected by hackings would sign up for software protection, however the truth seems to indicate the opposite. fact Fazio Mechanical was the first to point out the breach. The reason for this is that Target, which this year came in at number 38 on the Fortune 500, used a free anti-malware programme to defend against attacks. One that does not provide real-time protection but rather on-demand scans, and more

The Emigration Game

As emigration becomes more popular, Ross Walsh looks at the reasons graduates choose to leave. often lies beyond Ireland’s shores.

The Union of Students in Ireland have said that nearly half (45%) of Irish college graduates found themselves unable to secure employment in 2012.

Specialised degrees, like nursing and medicine, are perhaps the hardest hit, with 90% of Irish medical students considering leaving the country

“The fact that nurses in particular continue to emigrate in droves should come as no surprise.”

IRELAND’S current economic climate is not a friendly environment for the newly graduated jobseeker. In a market filled with often desperate young people looking for work, employers have the luxury of requesting that applicants have three, four, or even five years’ previous experience before they will even consider hiring them. This is a requirement that very few college graduates would be able to fulfil.

For those who find employment, the pay and hours are often substandard, and many graduates find themselves in jobs that they are shockingly overqualified for. Far from an ideal situation for a young person after spending three or four years studying in their chosen field. A solution to the problem, that many graduates are availing of, is to emigrate.

The move harkens back to days gone by. Imagery of the victims of the Great Famine, when the

population of the island was halved by death and emigration, is often invoked while discussing the current drive of young people fleeing our country.

We are experiencing a mass exodus of the kind not seen here for forty years.

Ireland has had an infamous history of being unable to provide our young people with the opportunities they need in order to encourage them

“We are experiencing a mass exodus not seen here in nearly forty years”. to stay and put down permanent roots in their home country. Although many of our diaspora returned during the affluent Celtic Tiger years, the more recent downturn in the economy means that, for new graduates, financial stability and opportunity all too

for work after they qualify. Opportunities in Britain, America, Canada, Australia and other countries prove a strong temptation for many.

On top of this, the working conditions in these countries can be far superior to what is expected in Ireland. Nurses, in particular, see a sharp contrast in how they will be treated by the HSE and how they will be treated by the health services of foreign countries. In Ireland, junior nurses are given long hours every week with few breaks to eat or sleep.

Their pay is far below what many feel they deserve.

Some have even described feeling “like a zombie” at the end of the week. Any free time is then spent recovering from the trying task of taking care of the sick on a near constant basis throughout the week.

In comparison, nurses in Australia work fewer hours compared to their Irish counterparts, and for a higher rate of pay. Despite the greater cost of living in Australia, Irish nurses who have emigrated report having more disposable income at the end of the week than they did when working in Ireland.

Given this reality, the fact that nurses in particular continue to emigrate in droves should come as no surprise.

However, nurses are not the only graduates feeling left behind and forgotten by the current government. Even as Fine Gael announces funding plans for apprenticeship programs across the

country, the cost of third-level education continues to rise.

It seems that skilled workers are being targeted by the government as an easy source of income, with no regard to the effect this will have on the economy. With even UCD President Andrew Deeks recently revealing his support for a loan based system of third-level funding, similar to the English model, those who pursue a higher education often feel as though they are being punished by the state for trying to get a degree.

Teachers are another group of graduates who feel unhappy with the current situation in Ireland, as the strike organised by the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland (ASTI) proves. Newer, younger teachers, who have often just graduated, are paid significantly less than their older colleagues, under laws sanctioned by the current government.

In both health and education, two areas of

“Those who pursue a higher education often feel as though they are being punished by the state for trying to get a degree.” employment considered vital to the state of our nation, the government has shown a complete lack of regard for the graduates looking to enter these professions, and it is this lack of regard that drives the emigration of our bright young minds.

Unless the substandard working conditions and atrocious pay rates facing Irish graduates are rectified by the government in the near future, our country will continue to experience a “brain drain”, especially in areas such as health and education.

If we want to reap the maximum benefits from investment into higher education, the state must ensure that the employment waiting for graduates at the end of their degree is on a par with the opportunities available in the rest of the world.

November 8th 2016 5

Comment Veganism: Debunking the Myths Julia O’Reilly looks behind some of the preconceived notions that surround veganism.

VEGANISM is misunderstood. It’s tied up in harmful myths and stigma. Simply put it’s a philosophy with the aim of excluding all forms of exploitation and cruelty to animals for food, clothing or any other purpose. Responses to practicing veganism tend to play out in similar fashions, with six claims resurfacing time and time again.

A vegan diet is not healthy A vegan diet has been linked to declining rates of heart disease and cancer and lower cholesterol.

Regardless some still use the food pyramid as an illustration of how a vegan diet is lacking. Yet threequarters of the world population’s ability to digest lactose reduces greatly post infancy. 90% of adults in some Asian countries are lactose intolerant.

Considering this, the food pyramid is misleading.

It’s an out of date template that doesn’t correspond with what we currently know about nutrition.

We learned in school that drinking milk is the best source of calcium but we absorb twice the amount through eating dark green veg like kale and spinach. Nutrients found in animal products come largely from plants those animals ingest. It should be a case of cutting out the middle man.

Furthermore, the hackneyed notion of the skeletal vegan mirthlessly chewing raw broccoli is no more.

Olympic athletes, bodybuilders and ultra-marathon runners are doing it. So too do Venus and Serena Williams. Its food for thought for the next time you hear the dreaded words: “yeah but where do you get your protein?”

Cows need to be milked and chickens lay eggs. This is not harmful.

This is not exactly the case. Dairy cows are artificially inseminated so that they stay pregnant

and lactating almost all the time. This is not natural. Worse it’s inherently cruel. Cows are not designed to be our milk fountains.

While it’s true that chickens lay eggs, you can’t humanely mass produce eggs for human consumption. Both free range and battery hens

“Dairy cows are artificially inseminated so that they stay pregnant and lactating almost all the time.” suffer similarly brief and traumatic lives. Useless to the industry, millions of day-old male chicks are put into grinders. They serve no purpose. However brutal, is this fate much worse than that of their sisters?

Vegan food is expensive Eating a plant-based diet is by no means more expensive than eating meat. Meat is expensive to produce and that expense is shared with consumers.

Often the cheapest option on a menu is the veggie or vegan one. Grains, vegetables and fruit are not expensive but relying on processed vegan foods is.

Regardless of cost- what price your soul?

Vegans eat soy which is bad for the environment The ethics surrounding raising and culling animals for consumption is seen by some as being the circle of life. Yet the environmental benefits of veganism are impossible to dispute.

No discussion on climate change is complete without discussing the damage caused by the meat

industry. It’s not just one of the greatest sources of greenhouse gases, but grazing land occupies 26% of the earth’s ice-free surface. Feed crop production uses one-third of all arable land.

Yet soy production gets a lot of attention. Indeed its production causes mass deforestation and has detrimental effects on the environment. Millions of hectares are destroyed every year to make room for soy. For sure it’s a vegan staple but it’s also found in deli meats and mayonnaise. More pertinently, 75% of soy produced in 2013/14 was used to feed livestock. Destroying the environment to feed animals we raise to feed ourselves is senseless.

The number of wild animals is predicted to fall by two-thirds by 2020. Habitats are being destroyed by over-farming and logging. Furthermore, unsustainable fishing and hunting have resulted in over 300 mammal species being eaten into extinction.

But there’s hope. Awareness among young people as to how meat consumption effects the environment has risen from 8% in 2007 to 40% in 2013.

damn good, yet still people chose to go without, makes the dietary leap seem a little less big.

Vegan food is bland Despite what some may think, vegan food doesn’t mean rabbit food. When successfully carried out, the focus shifts from what foods are being lost – like meat and dairy – to all those that are gained.

Moving away from the Irish standard of meat and three veg, veganism introduces flavour, variation and excitement to our diets.

At the end of the day, if being vegan makes someone healthier, benefits the environment and is kinder to animals then let’s leave the guff behind.

“Destroying the environment

to feed animals we raise to feed ourselves is senseless.”

Vegans hate meat The ‘but meat is delicious’ argument is a commonly heard rebuttal that’s difficult to counter and something with which most vegans would heartily agree. This is the key to vegan accessibility.

Maybe, and this is a jump, vegans aren’t so different from others.

Maybe they aren’t born with numbed taste buds. It’s the honest admission that while meat tastes

Raw vegan sushi

A Question of Consent Consent is common sense. Aileen McGrath asks why students need to be told that no means no.

THE issue of consent is emerging as one of the most prevalent and interactive discussions amongst society today. It is a topic that does not discriminate, inviting individuals of any age, sex, and background to partake. From the outset, it could be said that the fact that consent even calls for debate is a dark stain on human and moral development. However, it is time to be prudent and face the harsh reality that this is an issue that demands our action and attention before it is lost entirely.

In recent years there has been a dramatic change in the attitudes of young Irish students.

The implementation of the so-called “consent classes” in third-level institutions is a reflection of this. Such a move has heightened the profile of this discussion and awarded it an “unavoidable” status.

One would assume that the idea of consent is one that should be fundamentally ingrained in all of us. It is, after all a basic idea of respect, which should be inherent in human nature. And so prompts the perturbing question, how did we reach a place where the concept of consent even

6 November 8th 2016

has to be taught?

The definition of the word consent, at its most basic level, is permission for something to happen or an agreement to do something. At the very core of this definition is the broadness and vagueness of the word “something”. What does this constitute?

The answer is not clear and so the lines become blurred between what this covers and what it does not.

Rape has been and always will be viewed as

“There seems to be a sense of quiet desperation amongst students who need a level of reassurance and guidance in relation to consent.” black and white. While the word rape is very difficult to hear, write, say or even think of without flinching, consent seems to be seen as more of a grey area. It is one which could be viewed as a

more PC version of this whole idea that seems to have become watered down and forgotten in its misleadingly innocent presentation. This perhaps suggests that we cannot yet face the reality in front of us and are still attempting to cover up a worryingly widespread error in human judgement.

Furthermore, a change in what actions we now view to be eligible for the question of consent to be raised has deepened this sense of uncertainty. In the past sexual assault may not have been viewed as an offence that could exist within a marriage or relationship, the blossoming awareness of this issue has taught us that there are many realms in which this offence can be present.

The growing conversation about female sexuality could also be argued to have awarded offenders with a sort of scapegoat for their guilt. The idea that victims are “asking for it” along with the practice of slut-shaming has created a culture of victim-blaming which goes hand in hand with stories of sexual assault. These kind of attitudes have led to a general dismissal of sexual encounters which are being viewed as normal but to the objective eye clearly constitute assault. For example the

Brock Turner case, which was dismissed by many as “boys being boys” yet left a woman injured behind a dumpster.

The lack of clarity at the same time as the changing understanding of assault and the insensitive attitudes that are associated with it have culminated in the introduction of some consent classes. According to an article published in this newspaper last month, 43% of students said they felt uncomfortable asking for consent. However, a much greater 71% felt it was important to introduce classes.

There is a certain level of concern emanat-

“While the word rape is very difficult to hear, write, say or even think of without flinching, consent seems to be seen as more of a grey area.” ing from the disparity of these statistics. There seems to be a sense of quiet desperation amongst students who perhaps need a level of reassurance and guidance in relation to this issue. The want for consent classes could be seen as a sort of cry for help from a generation who have seen the concept of consent become so lost in translation. Although it may be difficult to understand how this has come to be, the acceptance amongst students that it is an overlooked issue that must be addressed is a step in the right direction.

There is still however, a certain stigma attached to this taboo issue. Despite the general want for clarity, the actual carrying out of these consent classes would suggest a persistent shying away from the topic.

Pilot classes held by the UCDSU earlier this year were reported to have been poorly attended by the very students who supported their existence. This strengthens the belief that there is still a degree of shame attached to this issue. In truth, no one wants to be seen as uneducated or as taking an ambivalent stance in a discussion which divides you as either a victim or a perpetrator.

Comment

In Pursuit of Pefection Young children often feel pressure to be perfect. Helen Carroll examines why this is and how this will hurt future generations.

A THIRD of seven to ten-year-old girls believe they are being judged on their appearance regularly, and one in four feel intense pressure to be “perfect”, according to a study by Girlguiding UK. Consider that these are children in first class in primary school. Pre-communion aged girls trying to be skinnier or have more curves; trying to appear more like the celebrities whose images they see constantly, in magazines and online.

While the focus is often on how young girls perceive themselves, it is not just girls who are affected by this. For boys, trying to match the manliness that is desired of them restricts their ability to speak out on why such an issue as curbing sensitivity is important. Young people today are being boxed into conformity.

This raises the question of what exactly is at the root of it all. For a start, the images we see affect people. We see more adverts each day than we did just ten years ago thanks to a spike in internet usage. We are bombarded daily with messages. From needing to fix our acne, trim our eyebrows and shave absolutely everywhere – the list is endless.

In much of these images there are “ideal” versions of people presented. Men are portrayed as silent, strong, powerful creatures. Women are told

“The statistics show the damage being done. It’s hard to know at this point how irreversible this is and how it may affect their mental and physical health in the long run.” to be skinny, but curvy, but not fat, but not too thin. Men get a very narrow box they must fit into, but women are told to fit into a box that contradicts itself constantly. The human desire to match our expectations hurts us, but it fuels the corporate

machine and is thus incredibly difficult to halt, never mind reverse its effects.

With so many messages being bandied about it is no wonder young children are also feeling the strain. Of course seven year olds are not resistant to the constant barrage of information. No one is. Kids in particular, with little idea of their own identity, are more likely to fall victim to these advertisements.

For children seeming “grown up” is the most desirable thing. Childhood as we know it is being eradicated by the corporate structures deeply entrenched within our society. Its vice grip upon the minds of the younger generation that traps them into a cycle of being told they “aren’t worth it.”

There’s a bombardment of harmful messages such as “boys will never like you without the newest skin-cream/makeup/ hair product.” The question is not how marketing is making seven year old girls feel inadequate but rather how it took so long to make them feel such a way.

There is no such thing as personality or individuality in the marketplace, as they don’t sell.

If everyone looks and thinks the same way, it’s easier to pander to the audience. Children are being brainwashed at an early age into becoming commodity-dependant consumers whose self-worth lies in the hands of material goods.

The statistics show the damage being done. It’s hard to know at this point how irreversible this is and how it may affect their mental and physical health in the long run.

Children are getting phones at an earlier age than ever before. A four-year-old who is well able to navigate an iPad is nothing out of the ordinary.

Kids these days aren’t getting phones like the youth of generation Y. A ‘blokia’ with snake and a great ringtone would not go down a treat in the playgrounds of 2016. No, they have touch screen phones with Wi-Fi access. Technology has moved on, for the better mostly, but one of the problems is the early access children have to them.

The constant advertising as they play free games and talk or browse Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,

or Snapchat with their friends gets to them. Even if they don’t want it to and actively try to resist, it makes an impact.

Children today are unable to unplug themselves

“You have to look perfect, but God forbid anyone knows you put effort into your appearance.” as they have phones, tablets, game consoles.

Never mind the TV, radio, billboards, promotional salespeople, magazines, and more, that they can experience daily.

This is why when we hear of tags like “pro-ana” — a pro-anorexia community on Tumblr — we

must consider the culture of needing to fastforward childhood and move straight onto being a teenager. We must consider the explicit message that being different is the worst thing that could happen to you. Kids these days don’t have it easy.

When people hit puberty, their bodies’ change, they understandably freak out. Loss of control surrounding your body’s appearance is startling.

Never mind the whole host of new issues that arrive such as shaving or menstruation; being stigmatised early, combined with the implicit media-driven message that you need to be flawless effortlessly, really hurts the delicate mental health of young, developing minds.

You have to look perfect, but God forbid anyone knows you put effort into your appearance. This is hiding the fact that people have imperfections and are unique to each other. But sure, “maybe she’s born with it?”

The Quiet Discrimination After a recent seminar regarding Travellers and the education sector, Martin Healy questions why the minority is continually ignored.

DESPITE its prevalent nature in society, people rarely acknowledge the on-going discrimination of Irish Travellers. As crises continue to flare worldwide on issues regarding migrants, little time is given to those residing closer to home.

Education, in particular, provides a sizable schism between the ‘mainstream’ and Traveller societies. Only 13% of travellers complete secondlevel education, compared to 92% in the rest of Irish society. An even more daunting statistic is that less than 1% go on to third-level.

Now that we’re past the crippling economic hardship of the late 2000s, surely attention can turn to those in need? There is some movement in this regard, as last December saw the launch of the National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education 2015-19. The plan pledges to increase the number of Irish Travellers in higher education from 35 to 80 people. Budget 2017 also saw the roll-out of an €8.5 million plan to support disadvantaged students, with Travellers a part of this.

These increases and benefits will no doubt be great news to the Traveller community, and they were warmly received by Pavee Point. Nevertheless, funding for Traveller education support was decimated by the austerity years. The increases are long overdue, and the funding still has a long

“Travellers are not defined as an ethnic minority, which allows the state to dodge accusations of ethnic mistreatment.” way to climb after the torrent of cuts.

While austerity saw a slashing of funding for the Traveller community, in the past this wasn’t the case. While the 1980s were a decade of financial strain in Ireland, it still saw the launch of the Visiting Teacher Scheme. This was, and continues to be, a huge benefit to the Traveller community.

Traveller children get to receive a proper education, and it doesn’t force them to be “mainstreamed” into traditional school systems.

Why did nothing like this appear during the last recession? A 2013 report by Pavee Point found that, since 2008, state funding of Traveller education had fallen 86%. In the same period, government spending dropped 4.3% overall.

This again demonstrates the exclusion of the Traveller community. In a time of cutbacks and austerity, the community was absolutely decimated by massive cutbacks. It’s no surprise then that the number of Travellers currently studying in thirdlevel can be measured by the dozen.

While this is not seen as “direct discrimination”, the government are preferring cuts to one group of people over another based on their background: surely this is the definition of discrimination? Travellers are seen as an easy group

ing to a particular ethnic or racial group.”

The European Commission has also spoken on the treatment of Irish Travellers stating that they “appear to face discrimination in Ireland in a number of fields.” While education is one strand of this, the effects of the discrimination are farreaching. Last year’s Carrickmines tragedy was a harsh reminder of the weak state of facilities for the Traveller community.

While education benefits may slowly be extending to Travellers, this could be impacted by other forces. The recent USI student march showed the outrage students have for the idea of paying loans and fees for education in Ireland. If thirdlevel education does indeed become a much more expensive endeavour, where will there be room for Travellers?

While more money would be coming from

students to be invested in education under this system, it mostly allows the state to drop its own funding of third-level. It is extremely unlikely that Travellers will feel the benefit of any education price hike.

A seminar entitled “Participation in Higher Education by Irish Travellers” was recently held in Cork. Figures from the seminar demanded a “ring fencing” for special scholarships for Traveller children and teenagers. Whether it takes recognition of Traveller ethnicity, EU intervention, or a recovering economy – funds are needed for Traveller education.

Those within the system rarely reveal their own origins as an Irish Traveller, due to the stigma which comes with it. If this discrimination is to cease, the first thing we need is funding as well as a fairer playing field for those in the Traveller community.

“Less than 1% of Travellers go on to third-level.” to disregard, because there’s no mass protesting -- they are a minority, and often garner very little sympathy from the public-at-large. This treatment avoids capital-D discrimination, but it is essentially the same thing.

Travellers are not defined as an ethnic minority, which allows the state to dodge accusations of ethnic mistreatment. This may not last much longer, as calls have been made for Irish Travellers to become a recognised ethnic minority. Two weeks ago, in front of the Oireachtas Committee on Justice and Equality, Human Rights and Equality Commissioner Emily Logan declared there is no legal reason that stops the Irish state recognising the ethnicity of Travellers: “The negative impact of non-recognition on the engagement between the Traveller community and the State is unnecessary… the State is bound by the international consensus that self-determination forms the basis of a person identifying as belongPhoto credit: camille lombard

November 8th 2016 7

Business Inequality – The Right Balance Daniel Forde examines whether inequality has become a global policy.

IN the ’60s and ’70s, governments grappled with high inflation and high unemployment, a scenario thought previously impossible based on a prevailing economic idea of the day: The Philips Curve.

The Philips curve theorised that the rate of inflation inversely affected the rate of unemployment.

Governments subsequently used this as a tool to ensure equality, believing that by setting the right interest rate they could minimise unemployment.

Unfortunately, by the ‘80s, it appeared that Philip’s research was incorrect, and inequality persisted. Policy decisions based on the Philips Curve were effectively abandoned.

Today inequality exists in many forms: inequality of opportunity, outcome, or political inequality, but one of the most sinister incarnations is the trap of income inequality. Income inequality is defined as how unevenly income is distributed amongst a group of people. The Institute for Policy Studies, a Washington D.C. Think Tank, claims

“In today’s globalised economy, workers must compete with the emergence of cheap and often unregulated foreign manufacturers.” that currently, the world’s richest individuals, approximately 8.1% of the population, hold 84.6% of global wealth, while the World Bank estimates that roughly 10.7% live on less than $1.90 per day.

These figures are staggering, but the picture is more complicated than they might seem. A month ago, the World Bank reported that the amount of people living in poverty has continued to fall, despite a slow global economy. Furthermore, over the past half-century, worldwide market growth has skyrocketed. While global poverty levels are de-

creasing, the rate at which the rich accumulate wealth seems “The world’s ever increasing.

Plans to assist underderichest individuals, veloped countries have been approximately 8.1% suggested by the World Bank.

These mainly propose to of the population, improve the resources and hold 84.6% of infrastructures within developing nations, like providing global wealth, better health care, stronger while the World education, and more progressive taxation. However, Bank estimates closer to home, the difficulty that roughly 10.7% of inequality proves even more complicated. live on less than Governments’ fiscal policies $1.90 per day.” are compromised in that they are still trying to use yesterday’s tactics to fight today’s Homeless person on the streets of New York battles. The fight against inflation, which the saw the rise and fall of the Philips curve, had the unforeseen consequence of and back again, and previously inequality was at a pear to favour one side over the other. Currently, exacerbating wage inequality. much lower rate. However now that markets have trade deals such as the EU-Canada ComprehenCentral banks implemented a ‘tightening’ during moved past national borders and the growth in the sive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), are recoveries, to maintain a low level of inflation. middle class has stagnated, it’s harder to regulate presented as tools to re-engineer the balance of Over time this eroded workers’ wages, as central the economy. A greater global population has also world trade. However there have been cries that banks welcomed recessions as additional tools to changed how wealth is distributed. For instance, these only give more power to multi-nationals. control inflation. Now policies are split between tax is much easier to avoid when you have headProtests have been organised against CETA. keeping eyes on rising prices, and addressing quarters spread across numerous borders.

In the US, meanwhile, Hillary Clinton has workers’ demands.

Laws and tax regimes which differ widely from claimed, in a speech to the Goldman Sachs Group In today’s globalised economy, workers must country to country have allowed multi-national leaked by WikiLeaks, that the Dodd-Frank Act, compete with the emergence of cheap and often corporations to dupe tax authorities and reduce financial regulation enacted after the Great Recesunregulated foreign manufacturers. Thus, there their liabilities at the expense of taxpaying sion, was created only for “political reasons”, and are calls for economic protectionism and harsher residents. Tax controversies involving large tech that she is unconvinced of its effectiveness. immigration laws, to insulate advanced economy companies such as Apple, Amazon, and Google However, if she wins, she must listen to the workers from wage erosion and unemployment. occur frequently. Even proponents of globalisation large mass of disgruntled workers who support her This is best reflected in the rise of Donald Trump, and free trade have begun to recognise its benefits opponent and oppose ‘pro-Wall Street’ policies. who decries NAFTA and the offstage threat of and have shifted to one side.

Governments, in short, have to find the balance China, as a base cry to his followers.

So, is there anything that governments are not between big business and the common man. That Economies move in cycles from boom to bust doing when it comes to inequality policy? Most ap- however, is easier said than done.

Minority Government Stretched Thin in Torrid Political Landscape Nearing the Government’s 200th day in office, Brían Donnelly lays down the challenges the Kenny administration faces.

SINCE the formation of this minority government last May, many have placed little faith in its ability to deal with the innumerable obstacles which dog the State.

Weaknesses inherent in its Parliamentary make-up are referenced to demonstrate that the Fine-Gael-Independent Coalition supported by Fianna Fáil is incapable of simply surviving, let alone tackling budgetary issues, constitutional reform, public service strikes, or the existential ‘British Question’ of Brexit.

Laying bare the turbulent relationships between many cabinet members, Fine Gael Seanad Leader Jerry Buttimer remarked recently that Ministers breaching ‘collective cabinet responsibility’ should resign. Referring to cabinet tensions between Fine Gael ministers and members of the Independent Alliance, he declared that “all members of the cabinet are bound” by a decision, and the best recourse to oppose any decision in particular is to “resign.”

While this referred to the demand that Independent Alliance members be allowed a ‘free vote’ on TD Clare Daly’s recently defeated motion calling for the repeal

of the 8th Amendment, which protects the right to life of the unborn, intra-Cabinet relationships have soured over more than this issue. Minister for Children Katherine Zappone stated that she almost resigned over the government’s appeal to the European Commission’s finding that Apple Inc. had benefited from unlawful state aid. Among Fine Gael Ministers alone, the Irish Times has reported that some cabinet members do not believe in the competencies of Minister for Jobs and Enterprise Mary Mitchell O’Connor. An anonymous cabinet member claimed that O’Connor is simply not “up to the job.”

Critics have been quick to point out that relations between government ministers are not the only risks to the stability and viability of the government. Support from Fianna Fáil has been essential to pass most legislation, particularly the budget, a task which some anticipated would trigger an election.

Although amicable relations must be maintained, between the two parties’ TDs, clashes have been public and frequent, especially between Fianna Fáil

Leinster House. Kenny’s minority government struggle with industrial unrest, internal unease, and Brexit

8 November 8th 2016

leader Micheál Martin TD and Minister of Social Welfare Leo Varadkar. Varadkar, who is widely speculated to be in the running for the position of leader in a post-Kenny Fine Gael, has been accused of being ‘PR-obsessed’ by Martin, while Minister Varadkar had labelled Martin as a ‘deceiver’ before the February election and claims that the Fianna Fáil leader is ‘unbelievably easy to wind up.’

Having forced Minister for Finance Michael Noonan to alter Fine Gael’s first-time home buyers’ scheme in Budget 2017, despite the fact that Fianna Fáil approved it in private talks, tensions between the two parties may be reaching boiling point. Polls released on 23rd and 27th October show narrow leads in support for both parties, but well within the margin of error, so unless there is a serious deterioration in relations, many believe an early election will not be forced.

Following a summer of public unrest, during which both the Luas and Dublin Bus drivers went on strike, the issue of pay restoration for public servants has only partially been resolved.

Members of the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland went on strike on Oc“Minister Varadkar (ASTI) tober 27th, and are planning had labelled a second day of industrial action for November 8th, when Martin as a second-level students were ‘deceiver’ before expected to return to school after the mid-term break. At the February the time of writing, Gardaí election and were in talks with government officials to ward off industrial claims that the action planned for next week.

Fianna Fáil leader Pundits expect other public sector workers such as nurses is ‘unbelievably to make claims for pay restoeasy to wind up.’” ration following any successful deal with the Gardaí.

Many opposition leaders, including Labour’s Brendan

Howlin TD, have asserted that the government has failed to adequately prepare for the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union. Little consolation has been received from Downing Street as to Northern Ire-

“Little consolation has been received from Downing Street as to Northern Ireland’s future position, with experts decrying the blasé attitudes of politicians who believe the border will remain completely open.” land’s future position, with experts decrying the blasé attitudes of politicians who believe the border will remain completely open.

Former Minister for European Affairs Lucinda Creighton wrote in the Irish Times in June, stating that the UK could not expect to have an open border with the Republic, as it is a “fully-fledged member of the European Union, applying faithfully all aspects of the principle of free movement of people as member states must.”

Despite hopeful rhetoric that the border will remain intact, relations with the North may already be fraying.

First Minister and DUP leader Arlene Foster attacked Taoiseach Enda Kenny, accusing the government in Dublin of sending representatives “around the world to talk down [Northern Ireland’s] economy and to attempt to poach our investors”. Having already rejected Kenny’s suggestion, in July, of an all-island forum on Ireland’s future after Brexit, Foster’s indignation is likely to sour relations further.

Kenny’s government faces mounting challenges, including to the leadership of the main party. While its weak Dáil makeup may encourage it to dig its heels in deep and wait for a bounce in the polls, approaching its 200th day in office, it has shown somewhat surprising signs of resilience.

Gaeilge Ghaeilge agus an Cáinfhaisnéís; sracfhéachaint Caitheann Niamh O Regan súil tapaidh ar an méid a tharla don Ghaeilge sa cáinfhaisnéis agus a tuairimí faoi.

Niamh o’regan Eagarthóir Gaeilge THÁINIG ón gcáinfhaisnéis an fógra ná mbeadh aon ardú i gciste infheistíochta Údarás na Gaeltachta (anuaraidh gearradh mhilliúin euro de chiste an Údarás, in ainneoin ardú 12% ar buiséad don Roinn ) de réir Conradh na Gaeilge, tá laghdú 50% tagaithe ar buiséad Foras na Gaeltachta ó 2008. Deirtear de bharr seo nach mbeidh an Údarás in ann aon postanna nua a chruthú sna Gaeltachtaí i 2017 agus go mbeidh ar Foras na Gaeilge a dtionscnamh pobail a laghdú arís. Is é an chuid is mó a ghoilleann ar stocairí na Gaeilge ná an socrú gan glacadh leis an plean infheistíochta 3 bliana, a bhí cruthaithe ag thart ar ochtó grúpa Gaeilge agus Gaeltachta. Deirtear go mbeadh 1,175 post úr chruthaithe do ceantair Gaeltachta dá gcuirfeadh i bhfeidhm é. Argóint a deineadh in san moladh, ná gur caithfear deis a thabhairt dóibh siúd a labhraíonn an teanga, an teanga a úsáid trí réimse mór postanna. Leagtar cuid den mhilleán ar struchtúr na Roinne; is é atá i bhfeighil ar gnóthaí na Gaeltachta ná an Aire Stát Seán Kyne. Deirtear nach bhfuil an cumhacht céanna taobh thiar den phost seo is atá faoi Aire Rialtas, agus mar sin nach bhfuil an ionadaíocht ceart á fáil ag an nGaeilge, gan an aire sinsearach ní féidir an dul i bhfeidhm ceart a dhéanamh.

Is ait an rud é go bhfuil fonn ar an rialtas dul chun cinn a dhéanamh as teanga agus í anois le bheith mar teanga feidhmeach San Eoraip, gan an infheistíocht a dhéanamh ann anois le cinntiú go mbeidh a ndóthain daoine sa tír seo le scileanna teanga cuí, chun an aistriúchán a dhéanamh, agus cé ab fhearr do, ná na cainteoirí dúchais. É sin ráite, is fiú cur i gcuimhne do Údarás na Gaeltachta nach iad na Gaeltachtaí an t-aon pobal

An cheart go mbeadh ciste ar leith ann dóibh siúd? B’fhéidir go bhfuil dochair á dhéanamh don teanga trí í a choimeád agus a díriú ar ceantair tíreolaíochta ar leith seachas ar phobail éagsúil. Cuirtear an Ghaeilge chun cinn trí údarás an Roinn Oideachais agus an Roinn Ealaíon Oidhreachta agus an Ghaeltacht. Tá an stát fós ag braith ar an oideachas agus ar na ceantair Gaeltachta chun an teanga a choimeád i mbéal an phobal ach muna gcuirtear i mbéal mór phobal na tíre í, ní déanfaidh sí a slí féin ann.

Anseo tá an Ghaeilge i mbéal an phobal, lasmuigh de na Gaeltachtaí ach níl na tacaíochtaí céanna ann dóibh siúd. An dara rud ná go leagann díomá an Údarás béim ar fadhb níos leithne na infheistíochta. Faoi chúram an Roinn Ealaíon, Oidhreachta, Gnóthaí Réigiúnacha, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta, tá na ceantair uile tuaithe go bhfuil gá le infheistíocht iontu. Chun go cinntiú nach tréigeann gach éinne an tuath i bhfábhar na catharacha, caithfidh plean a bheith ann dóibh, an cuma gur Ghaeltachtaí iad nó nach bhfuil. I gcomhthéacs na príomh beartas don Roinn sa cáinfhaisnéis bhí an leathanú ar Scéimeanna Náisiúnta Forbairt Tuaithe, athnuachan bailte agus sráidbhailte, feabhas a chur le seirbhísí poist agus an córas banda leathan. Tá plean ann comh maith go mbeadh an Plean Gníomhachta do Cheantar Tuaithe ann faoi deireadh na bliana. Ní tugtar le fios go díreach an mbeidh na Gaeltachtaí mar pháirt den phlean seo ach ba ait a bheadh sé muna raibh. Má’s rud é go bhfuil infheistíocht áirithe ag dul chuig na Gaeltachtaí, ach ní mar páirt den bheart atá ann dóibh amháin, an féidir gearrán faoin “easpa” i ndáiríre?

“Is fiú cur i gcuimhne do Údarás na Gaeltachta nach iad na Gaeltachtaí an t-aon pobal ceantar Gaeilge atá ann. De réir dealraimh tá an Ghaeilge á labhairt go flúirseach lasmuigh de na ceantair Gaeltachta, ach ní feictear buntáistí na Gaeltachta a thabhairt dóibh siúd toisc nach bhfuil siad sna háiteanna cuí.”

Ar cheart dúinn Shakespeare a mhúineadh inár Labhraíonn Síofra Ní Shluaghadháin, faoin taithí atá aici, staidéar a dhéanamh ar Shakespeare, agus a tuairimí faoina mhaitheas.

“Níl ann ach na freagraí a fhoghlaim, gan anailís criticiúil ar bith. Gan an idirphlé seo, is deacair an mhaitheas a fheiceáil in saothar Shakespeare”

IS fíor é le rá gurbh cás conspóideach é ábhar curaclam sa tír seo go minic. Cé nach bhfuil an leibhéal cinsearachta i bhfeidhm anseo is atá sna Stáit Aontaithe (agus tá mé ag smaoineamh go háirithe ar cásanna ina gcuirtear cosc ar leabhair sa seomra ranga), tá ár bhfadhbanna féin againn.

Gach bliain, thart ar mhí Meitheamh, agus na scrúdaithe ag dúnadh linn, tagann an ceist a bhfuil faoi lámh agamsa anseo aníos – Cén mhaith-

eas atá i Shakespeare sa bhliain 2016?

Ar dtús báire, caithfidh mé a bheith ionraic.

Le linn trí bliana, rinne mé féin staidéar ar an litríocht Béarla, agus I rith an am, rinne mé staideár ar timpeall is deich drama de chuid an Bhaird, chomh maith le Macbeth agus Rome & Juliet ar an meánscoil. Ach, cé go raibh mionstaidéar déanta agama r a saothar sa meánscoil, is fíor é le rá gur fhoghlaim mé meas dá chuid

scríbhneoireacht ar an gcoláiste.

Tá deacaireachtaí ar leith ag baint le múineadh Shakespeare sa seomra ranga mar atá sé.

Cuireann an córás scrúdaithe brú ar dhaltaí foghlaim de ghlan mheabhair, rud a dhéanann dochar d’aon cúrsa litríochta, i mo thuairimse.

Is deacair amharc ar na mionsonraí den scríbhneoireacht (mar shampla, leis an bhfilíocht), nuair atá brú ama, agus easpa tuiscint i gceist.

Go simplí, leis an gcóras mar atá sé faoi láthair, is deacair é aon suim nó sonas a spreagadh i ndaoine agus iad i mbun foghlaim.

Is breá é seo uilig a rá, ach cén baint atá aige seo le Shakespeare go díreach? Tá fadhb mhór ag roinnt daoine leis an gcoincheap go mbeadh údar Sasanach mar príomhpháirt inár siollabas náisiúnta, agus mar gheall ar seo, go bhfágtar scríbhneoirí Éireannacha ar lár as an siollabas sin. Is cinnte go bhfuil easpa scríbhneoirí dúchasacha ar an gcuraclam Bhéarla, agus ó mo chuimhne féin, ní dhearna mé staidéar ach ar beirt nó triúr le linn sé bliana ar an meánscoil.

Is trua é sin, agus táim fíor bhuíoch go raibh an suim ionam féin litríocht Éireannach a léamh as mo stuaim féin. Is cinnte go bhfuil gá le leathanú agus éagsúlú sa siollabas.

Cé a gcuirfinn ar an siollabas sin? Is deacair le rá, le rogha agus réimse leathan ar fail. Is cinnte go bhfuil staidéar ar fhilíocht Éireannach níos leithne de dhith inár scoileanna, go bhfuil mná agus fir i mbun sár obair a dhéanamh. Tá clú agus cáil ar ár drámadóirí ar fud an domhain, ach ní gcloisfear a dháth faoi a leithéidí de Frank McGuinness, Tom Murphy, Christina Reid, agus léir eile. Is féidir liom é seo uilig a rá gan tracht a dhéanamh ar na úrscéalta den scoth atá tagtha ón dtír seo le triocha bliana anuas, scríbhneoirí cosúil le John Banville, Emma Donohue, Eoin Colfer srl.

Ní múinteoir mé, agus ní féidir liom breithiúnas a dhéanamh maidir le cad atá oiriúnach do dhaltaí scoile (ach, fiú sin, an smaoiníonn éinne ar an bhforéigean agus ar na topaicí troma atá le feiceáil ar an siollabas mar atá sé? Táim ag amharc ortsa, Sylvia Plath.).

Ach, agus é sin ráite agam, an é an freagra ar seo nó gach sean rud, agus gach teacs eachtrach

ar an tsiollabais a cur ina luí, agus curaclam úrnua a thabhairt isteach? Ní cheapaim é. I mo bharúil, tá tábhacht ag baint le Shakespeare, chun comthéacs a cur ar an litríocht Bhéarla a tháinig ina dhiadh. Is é an bún fhadhb nó nach gcuirtear aon bhéim ar an gcomthéacs seo, nó an gaol atá idir na leabhair, scannáin, drámaí agus dánta atá i mbun staideár ag daltaí. Níl ann ach na freagraí a fhoghlaim, gan anailís criticiúil ar

“Go simplí, leis an gcóras mar atá sé faoi láthair, is deacair é aon suim nó sonas a spreagadh i ndaoine agus iad i mbun foghlaim.” bith. Gan an idirphlé seo, is deacair an mhaitheas a fheiceáil in saothar Shakespeare do dhaltaí sa lá atá inniu ann, toisc nach dtaispeántar dóibh conas a tharla na hathruithe ar litríocht ó shin, agus an tionchar atá ag ná scéalta agus na dánta a chum sé ar ár shaothar nua aimsire (She’s the Man, The Lion King, fiú ar an siollabas litríocht Ghaelach le dán de chuid Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill, Mo Ghrá-sa idir Lúibíní).

Ní tharlaíonn aon rud i bhfolús, agus is é sin an ceacht is tábhachtaí nach bhfuil ar fáil ar an mheánscoil sa lá atá inniu ann. Mar a sheasann sé, ceapaim féin go bhfuil seo mar comhartha d’fhadhb sa chóras ginearálta, ní le Shakespeare agus a shaothar.

November 8th 2016 9

features A Campus in Crisis: UCD’s “Gentle Revolution” With over 15,000 students taking part in the recent USI protest, Amy Gargan looks back to the late ‘60s and the origins of UCD’s protest tradition.

“We broke everything we could” action was no different, with tensions culminating in a series of protests during 1968 and 1969 which arguably changed the face of the university, becoming known as the ‘gentle revolution’.

“Any of the staff in the subsequent years longed for 68/69 because there was so much energy and excitement,” says journalist Kevin Myers, a UCD student during the late 60s and one of the leading voices during the gentle revolution. “We broke everything we could.”

In 1968, a group of UCD students formed the Students for Democratic Action, or SDA, a group with radical reform in mind. From their inception, they held mass meetings and protests, in clear opposition to the college authorities. Historian Felix Larkin, who was a first year student at the time, recalls these mass gatherings of students: “Classes were suspended and all of that for periods during the sit-ins,” he remembers.

“The Great Hall… it was packed with students, but you could wander in and out or wander around.” The number of students that took part in these ‘teach-ins’ were low in comparison to the student population of the time, yet large enough to attract the university’s attention.

What seemed to push the UCD students to

in the university,” says Myers. “You have no idea how terrible the university was. It was vastly overcrowded, the library didn’t function, no common rooms, nowhere to go.”

Yet it was the belief of the SDA that the move to Belfield was being organised in an undemocratic way. The science courses had already moved to the campus in 1964, however a price rise in the science restaurant had led to a minor sit-in in protest. The SDA feared the new Arts block would not be completed before the Arts courses were to move in 1969. The Church was completed before the library, and students were outraged.

“The church was completed before the library” The relationship between the staff and students was non-existent in the eyes of the SDA. They saw no system by which university students could have a voice regarding university matters, especially their concerns about the move.

Tensions were mounting throughout the student body. In November 1968, 2,500 students occupied the Great Hall in Earlsfort over the college authority’s inability to allow a teachin. In early December, 5,000 marched to Dáil Éireann with complaints over the third level grant system. There was obvious discontent amongst the students, whether they were actively involved in the SDA and their movement, or whether they had their own beliefs and opinions

Students occupy Earlsfort Terrace and discuss changes to university structure on the state of the UCD governing body.

The peak of the SDA protests occurred in 1969. Kevin Myers remembers, “We occupied the academic block… and paralysed the university.

The university essentially closed down. They “The library didn’t didn’t know what to do about it.” The protests in function, no common question occurred during February and March.

On 25 February, the SDA held a teach-in protest rooms, nowhere to go” about the move to Belfield and the news that the the near anarchic-like protests that threatened library still was not fully functional. Academic the university in the years of 1968 and 1969 staff were in attendance, but it was merely to was the move to Belfield. Earlsfort Terrace, voice their opposition to the protests. After this which had been the home of UCD since its meeting, the members of the SDA decided there establishment, was no longer equipped to deal and then to occupy the administrative block with the 10,000 students that attended a university for 48 hours and demand university reform. originally built for 4,000. Between the five main This was arguably the most explosive move buildings of the campus, the overcrowding, by the SDA with regard to their protests. and poor conditions meant that a move was Teach-ins and meetings continued during the necessary; UCD was only going to get bigger. weeks following, with lecture boycotts and “We had great grievances over conditions more gatherings planned. There was confusion surrounding the protests, however, from the students who were not involved, but rather caught up in the protests. “It was impossible not be affected,” stays Larkin.

“Obviously, classes were suspended and all of that for periods during the sit-ins. And the Great Hall, which is now the National Concert Hall, there were Sister Benvenuta, one of the academics in support of the “gentle sit-ins there. revolution“ And it was

10 November 8th 2016

fascinating, you know; that was 24/7.”

This outbreak of student protests in UCD was not a solitary event. As a largely liberal part of the population, third-level students are generally seen as more radical and political driven than the social norm.

In 1968, UCD students were very much influenced by their university counterparts in America and Paris.

“There was the wider world scene which inspired the gentle revolution,” Larkin says. “Student activism Ruaraí Quinn speaks to RTE in 1969 about discontent with university management was fashionable.”

In May 1968, know there was a reason for it,” says Larkin. students in universities across France The ‘gentle revolution’ of the end of the began occupation protests, largely against 1960s was a momentous occasion for both the capitalism and the traditionalism that they student population of Ireland, but also for the did not agree with. It had begun in Paris, faculty and staff across the major institutes.

They were able to highlight once and for “There was the wider world all what Irish students wanted out of their university education. The creation of student/ scene which inspired the staff committees and the formation of the first gentle revolution. Student students’ union in the country allowed greater student input in to university matters. activism was fashionable.”

“I think a lot of the protest was a function of the fact that there was no channel in which with tensions between staff and students anybody could protest or make a point.” eventually reaching the point of the closure of the Paris University at Nanterre. Protests and occupations against the treatment of students and the controlling nature of the university authorities followed during the next few weeks.

The protesters benefited from sympathy during the strikes, with onlookers believing the government’s harsh treatment of the students was uncalled for. “It was a great student movement around the world. Every major capital in every country and every major city had student uprisings,” says Myers. “We’d seen the stuff in France in 1968, and America had begun its own insurrection in American universities, largely because of Vietnam, but also local issues”.

Then student Kevin Myers addresses the Similarly, the protests in American universities crowd in UCD in 1969 regarding race issues and the Vietnam War also influenced the students of UCD. Although the war Larkin says. “So by just even putting an had no major impact on Irish students, and there institutional framework in place, I think you was a lack of racial divide in Irish universities, addressed the most fundamental point.” there was strong similarity between how the students believed they were being treated as lesser Although the revolution did not change UCD within their own country. There was a similar overnight, it set in place groundwork to allow demand for a more socialist and left-wing branch the University to communicate with its growing population and finally understand the unique needs that it previously didn’t beforehand.

“You could feel the pent up “I think the bigger impact was created by a change in general perception and general frustration. And you know culture and the university administration there was a reason for it” realised that it couldn’t continue… with this sort of culture and authoritarianism which had prevailed,” Myers concludes.

Now in the 21st century, and almost fifty years down the road, the UCD of today has benefited from what is known as the ‘gentle revolution’.

A Students’ Union was established whose voice now exists alongside that of the governing body.

Student issues and demands no longer need intensive campaigns and protests to be taken seriously. Yet, there still remains a cycle of protest.

The march to Dáil Éireann in 1968 over the grant scheme strikes a chord with the recent USI protest, which also attracted thousands of Irish students. Demands for lowering of fees mirrors what the students of the ‘60s wanted; of politics that was lacking from both countries a university that was inclusive for everyone, who were historically strongly conservative. no matter social status or income. However, “Every single student demonstration around student demands are being listened to today, and the world had both its local variant and its student voices are becoming louder. The calls for international variant, and international variant political change do not only rest with the wealthy was universally anti-capitalist and pro-socialist”, elites. The challenge of rising fees, the marriage recalls Myers. On top of this, there was a referendum and the current Repeal movement distinct fear for the loss of identity, leading to have all been supported and driven by students. the demand for an attack of capitalism, whether There is a growing understanding among physical or political. “I must say I was made society that the student voice is an important quite uneasy by the demagoguery and not that one. As the next generation, it must be it was violent, but with potential for violence. listened to. The ‘gentle revolution’ of 68/69 You could feel the pent up frustration. And you was a key part of setting this in motion.

images courtesy of rté archives “seven days: ucd protest“

IN the 1960s, Ireland was a country caught in the crossfire between remaining in its traditional ways or pursuing a new modern, radical image.

It was a time when a national desire for change and progression had never been greater. Yet the struggling politics of the 1960s hindered any chance of real progress. The Catholic Church still held a vicelike grip over Irish governmental affairs, maintained order over Irish daily life, and controversially, still retained control over the primary and secondary education systems.

However, across the globe there were tensions brewing among university students. From America and Paris, to UCD on Earlsfort Terrace, students were beginning to speak out. Throughout the 1960s, student protests were starting to gain international coverage, with an anti-capitalist ideology growing amongst campuses, and an anti-war movement beginning to form.

In the United States, American students began their campaign of opposition against Vietnam, while the civil rights and feminist movements began to build up support. In UCD, this call for

features Is The No-Laptop Rule Justified?

The No-Laptop Rule enforced in lectures has been controversial to say the least. Mieke O’Brien speaks to its supporters and critics. give the impression that he or she is not actually engaging with the lecture.

Yet the CRTL report also already noted that “the careful use of laptops can enrich opportunities for interaction with peers and instructors, as well as with course materials, increasing student

“A ban on laptops would cause more problems than it would fix”

Is learning in a laptop-free lecture environment feasible?

EFFECTIVE note-taking is a skill in itself.

Listening to lectures can sometimes be as difficult as attending them, not to mention retaining the information provided. When information is fired at you at a quick pace, writing it down with pen and paper can take up a lot of time. As a result students turn to electronic methods to keep track.

Yet typing notes on your laptop might not be as effective either, because a laptop also functions as a tool of entertainment, diverting the attention of some students away from the lecture content.

The usage of laptops in lecture halls allows for an escape to an infinite realm of entertainment, which was already noted by Stanford University in 2011. Upon researching the emergence of laptop usage in lecture theatres, the Centre for Research on Teaching and Learning (CRTL) concluded their report by advising University faculties to “plan carefully for how and when they will ask students to use their laptops, rather than simply allowing students to bring them to class.”

Fearing that staring at a laptop screen might prevent students from actively engaging with the information provided, Dr. Aidan Regan, Assistant Professor at UCD’s School of Politics and International Relations, discourages the use of laptops in his lectures. According to Dr. Regan “having a laptop open … is an invitation

“Having a laptop open is an invitation to distraction” to distraction”, and so he thinks it is in “the students’ best interest” to ban laptops from the lecture hall, and notes that ‘the use of pen and paper perfectly suffices.”

Dr. Regan explains that the limited contact time students have with their professors, is “far better spent interacting with the class, actively engaging, asking questions, and actively listening.” By sitting behind a laptop screen, a student might

engagement and learning”, thereby encouraging lecturers to utilise the beneficial aspects of laptop usage in class.

UCD’s Teaching and Learning Centre is clearly concerned with focusing on the possibilities provided by technological innovation. With several projects currently running to prepare students for their post-graduate encounter with the digitalised world, the UCD Teaching and Learning centre seems to understand the importance of training students for the modernised society they already live in. Perhaps the most practical approach is not to prevent the possibility of distraction, but to teach students that by employing some selfcontrol, a laptop can provide plenty opportunities for progress.

Sorcha Doyle, a third-year English and Philosophy student, comments that “Maybe if laptops were first discovered I would find them distracting, but it’s 2016 and I know what a laptop is.” Doyle adds that she “understands the idea of banning laptops in lecture halls for people who are using Facebook,” but says that a ban on laptops would cause “more problems than it would fix.”

Doyle even considers it “dangerous” to ban laptops from lecture halls, as she notes that it “enables students who can’t necessarily see the lecture screen, so they have to pull up the slides on their computer”. The practical benefits of having a laptop handy is seconded by Cáitlín Moran, a second year Arts student, who says “I like to read the class material”, adding, “I also like to take notes on my laptop”.

UCD’s Education Officer, Lexi Kilmartin, is aware that a no-laptop rule exists in certain classrooms, but says that “although it may be an inconvenience, I don’t think it necessarily has a negative impact on a student’s learning”. She adds that students with a disability specifically requiring the use of a laptop should not be subjected to a pen and paper only rule, but says that she can “understand the reason this rule is being implemented in some lectures”, yet says that “the use of laptops in lecture halls can be distracting”.

If not with attention, using a laptop in lecture halls can still cause issues with retention. Recent research conducted by Princeton University and the University of California has demonstrated that the difference between taking notes by hand or computer significantly affects a student’s learning.

According to Pam A. Mueller, Professor in the Psychology Department in Princeton, students typing notes tend to “write down as much of the

“The careful use of laptops can enrich opportunities for interaction with peers and instructors” lecture as they can”, whereas those “who were taking longhand notes were forced to be more selective.” Mueller notes that not being able to write as fast as one can type, actually requires an “extra processing of the material”, which ultimately benefited the students writing notes by hand.

However, enforcing the use of pen and paper only, cannot guarantee that a student will be taking notes correctly. As noted by Mueller, the most effective way to retain information is to paraphrase and conceptualise, and not copy words ad verbatim, whether this be on paper or screen. The solution to effective note-taking lies with the student, who needs to develop strategies to see which methods are most suitable, and to grow the skills needed to retain the information heard in lecture halls.

Death by a Thousand Cuts: The Decline of Third Level Funding Matthew Hanrahan looks at the implications of the Cassells report for a student body that is united against its recommendations.

“Staff are being hired on precarious contracts and on a very short term basis.” were the cuts to the library. “The library had 36% cuts and as a result haven’t been able to update their stock, and they have had to let go of staff.”

The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) Deputy President, Jack Leahy, echoes the harms of the funding shortfall. “Staff are being hired on precarious contracts and on a very short-term basis.” In an answer to whether this affects the quality of graduates, he said “no one wants to say because of this problem [of] ‘my university is producing worse graduates’ ” but notes “the industry has generally pointed to a lower quality of graduates.”

Kilmartin also highlights how the cuts have particularly affected students who might need additional

support. “If you’re thinking about withdrawing, if you are having a hard time academically, you have less people who are employed for the specific purpose of helping you out.” The UCD SU pre-budget submis-

“€36.5 million, split between all the higher institutions, is a drop in the ocean” sion highlights the issue of mental health services; demand has risen by 300% over the last eight years and no extra funding has been allocated to universities to deal with the issue.

At the same time, it is important to note that there has been a government response. A spokesperson for the Department of Education commenting on the government’s efforts in the recent budget to address the short term funding issue said “there will be an additional investment in third level in 2017 of €36.5 million, and €160 million in total additional funding over the next three years. This will allow us for the first time to keep pace with demographic increases and also introduce targeted initiatives in priority areas such as disadvantage, skills, research and flexible learning with thousands of students benefitting in each of those areas.”

Leahy contends that this amount is “definitely not enough to plug the gap in that what’s been identified by the Cassells report as €600 million over 5 years.”

Kilmartin agrees, saying that “€36.5 million, split between all the higher institutions, is a drop in the ocean.” While there is widespread agreement on the scale of the funding problem in higher education and while the recent injection of funds is a positive, it is clearly insufficient given the scale of the problem identified by the Cassells Report.

Crucially, however, the question around the level of higher education funding is one tied to where higher education funding comes from. The Cassells report considers several options, whether this is free fees

for students, or a student loan system with students bearing some of the burden for increased higher education funding.

A spokesperson for the Department of Education commenting on the government response to the Cassells report said “as committed to in the

“You have less people who are employed for the specific purpose of helping you out.”

Programme for Government, I have referred the report to the Education Committee. The Education Committee will analyse all of the options put

forward by the Expert Group and allow the views of all stakeholders and all sides of the debate to be considered.”

Students have been active in trying to address this problem as well. On the 19th of October, thousands of students took to the streets in a protest organised by USI. UCDSU, who are not affiliated with USI, still took part. When asked why the protest came after rather than before the budget, Leahy said that there is a “longer term decision to come in June when they make a decision on the funding mechanism.” The government has not yet, adopted a position on future funding of higher education and so it is clear that students will have a vital role to play in which option is advocated.

Photo: MArtin Healy

“UCD drops in the QS World University Rankings.” “UCD staff to student ratio rises.” “UCD student services cut” – over the past number of years these stories have become all too familiar. This year the President of UCD, Professor Andrew Deeks, and the Provost of Trinity, Professor Patrick Prendergast, took the unusual step of calling for government action on higher education funding.

In July, the Expert Group published the Cassells report on the future funding of higher education. The report identified the risks to higher education caused by “falling resources since 2008”, as well as the need for €600 million over the next 5 years and €1 billion over the next 15 years. This raises the question: what does this lack of sufficient funding actually mean to students’ lives?

UCD SU Education Officer, Lexi Kilmartin, highlights the effects of the cuts. She talks of much larger class sizes: “I have 15-20 people where previously I had 10, and I haven’t had tutorials in a lot of my classes.” Also widely publicised earlier this semester

Students protest against thrid level fees at the recent USI march

November 8th 2016 11

Features Will a Sugar Tax Work in Ireland?

Keri Heath weighs up the pros and cons of the measure proposed in the recent budget.

ON October 11th, Minister for Finance Michael Noonan announced that the long discussed tax on sugary drinks will be implemented in the upcoming budget. The tax increase is set to become effective in 2018, to line up with the UK’s proposed sugary drink tax.

In his statement to the Dáil, Noonan did not include any further details about the amount of the tax. The measure was introduced in the 2017 Budget along with other health related taxes, including an increase of 50c in excise duty on cigarettes. The supporters of the tax state that it will raise awareness of public health and encourage citizens to make wholesome choices.

“It is of upmost importance to me that such a tax is as effective as possible, as fair as possible and minimises the administrative burden on business,” Noonan said.

Noonan stated that there is still a lot of analysis that needs to take place. Along with the tax announcement, he introduced a public consultation process to allow citizens to discuss the implementation of the tax. Interested parties can submit comments and concerns on the department’s website. The process will continue until January 3rd.

Nevertheless, some argue that a tax on sugary drinks doesn’t do nearly enough to address issues of public health in Ireland. University College Dublin Agriculture and Food Science Professor Eileen Gibney believes that a tax on any one item or food product is only part of the solution. “There are many studies that show it is not any single food that causes obesity, it is down to diet, portion size, and calories,” she explained. “We need a broad and sustained campaign educating the public on diet and lifestyle.”

Ireland is not the first country to propose such a tax increase. Countries such as France and Mexico have already implemented a tax on their sugary drink products. However, Gibney stated that the results from these countries are mixed. “Some countries do see a significant reduction in consumption of sugar sweetened beverages, but they don’t necessarily see a reduction in BMI or obesity levels,” Gibney said.

“So whilst it may have an effect on one food, this may not affect the public health issue of obesity.”

Lorraine Brennan, also of the UCD Agriculture

“Making healthy food available, affordable and something people understand they need to consume is also important”

“Taxes on sugar sweetened beverages will have a modest if any effect on obesity at a population level”

“There are many studies that show it is not any single food that causes obesity”

“This will cost the Irish consumer dearly with no evident benefits”

and Food Science Department, agrees that a sugary drink tax would only address part of the issues relating to obesity. “Evidence from Mexico shows that increased taxation on sugar sweetened beverages reduced their sales,” Brennan said. “However, the latest evidence also indicates that taxes on sugar sweetened beverages will have a modest if any effect on obesity at a population level.”

The Food and Drink Industry Ireland (FDII) has also come out in public criticism of the decision to move forward with the tax. In February, the FDII stated that the soft drink tax in Mexico only reduced average calorie intake by 4.7 calories a day. In a statement released on Oct. 11, FDII Director Paul Kelly said that the tax measure does not go far enough. “Evidence based policy has collapsed in the face of populist and ineffective public health measures,” Kelly said. “This will cost the Irish consumer dearly with no evident benefits and it is the thin end of the wedge for further damaging discriminatory taxes on the Irish food and drink sector.”

According to a report released earlier in the summer by the World Health Organization, Ireland is on track to become one of the most obese countries in Europe by 2030. Estimates predict obesity rates to rise from 23% to 57% among women and from 26% to 48% in men in Ireland. This places Ireland at the top of the “overweight” table, equalled only by Uzbekistan.

At any rate, Ireland’s struggle with weight is part of a larger trend towards obesity in Europe. The WHO predicts Bulgaria and Belgium will have the highest proportion of overweight and obese citizens by 2030.

Greece, Spain, Sweden, Austria and the Czech Republic are also expected to experience significant increases in obesity.

“Perhaps taxing food is one answer, but making healthy food available, affordable and something people understand they need to consume is also important,” Gibney said. “If the money raised is ringfenced for public health, as some have called for it to be, then that would be beneficial.”

In his announcement, Noonan said that this budget is the first step to a new government. He hopes that future budgets will go further in that direction.

Not Our Fracking Problem Billy Vaughan looks at the new anti-fracking Bill, and the fears surrounding the practice “Fracking”, or hydraulic fracturing, is a controversial practice to say the very least. In places where it has been legalised and carried out, such as in the US and UK, there have been protests and evidence of significant environmental damage.

North Yorkshire saw large anti-fracking demonstrations in May of this year. The state of Pennsylvania has so far reported 271 cases of water degradation due to fracking, and in certain areas of Parker County, Texas, the water is actually flammable due to high levels of methane contamination.

The practice involves the high-pressure injection of water into rock formations to create cracks, through which natural resources such as oil and

natural gas will flow more freely. The problems stem from the fact that the water injected can spread underground to contaminate water supplies. The industry is also a very heavy user of water, with as much as 3 million gallons required per well.

Some in Ireland have begun to worry that the shale-rich areas of the north-west will soon attract the interest of fracking companies. One of those people is Sligo-Leitrim TD Tony McLoughlin, who recently tabled a private members bill in the Dáil to prohibit fracking onshore and in Ireland’s inland waters. His efforts came from a grave concern about future environmental effects: “fracking would have a seriously damaging effect on the environment, our

lakes and water, and potentially our nation’s public health.”

Adam Boyle is a member of UCD’s emerging anti-fracking community, which has established a Facebook group in response to news of the bill. In

“Fracking would have a seriously damaging effect on the environment, and potentially our nation’s public health” terms of what the wider community is doing, he said “a core team of remarkably dedicated campaigners launched a highly successful campaign, making huge numbers of calls and sending off numerous emails to TDs across the country in support of the Bill.”

He mentions how several groups have been involved with them in the effort, including Earth Ireland and Love Leitrim. There is, as of yet, no dedicated environmental society on campus in an

“The bones are there for interested parties to really build this into a movement to be reckoned with”

Jonah natural gas field near Pinedale, Wyoming 12 November 8th 2016

official sense, but Boyle maintains that this may change in the near future. “The bones are there for interested parties to really build this into a movement to be reckoned with”.

There was some tension when Fine Gael, McLoughlin’s own party, tabled an amendment to delay the passage of the Bill, pending the outcome of a study into fracking by the Environmental Protection Agency.

The amendment was, however, withdrawn due to lack of support from Fianna Fáil. “The EPA research needs to be understood by everyone, but six months

is too long in my opinion, which is why I asked the Minister for the amendment to be withdrawn”, says Deputy McLoughlin.

There are some who say that fracking is largely safe, and any concerns are far outweighed by the economic benefit that it would bring to Ireland.

McLoughlin, however, says that the safety risks are not exaggerated: “from what I have learned over the last six years, I am not of the opinion that it could be regulated in such a way as it would be safe to extract”.

Boyle says that in the future it could be made safer, but the effort could be better spent elsewhere. “If we are going to invest that kind of time and money into

“The area where fracking is planned would be irreparably harmed” energy research, it should not only be into processes that won’t pollute our water, air, and people, but also that are environmentally sustainable”. He says that economically, Ireland would probably be at a net loss, due to the detrimental effect that fracking would have on tourism and agriculture: “the area where fracking is planned would be irreparably harmed, damaging tourism and agriculture in the region”.

There is some concern over the fact that the Bill does not prohibit fracking offshore, in Ireland’s territorial waters. This is quite significant, as the seabed surrounding Ireland is rich in minerals.

McLoughlin is clear that “my intentions are to prohibit it onshore and in Ireland’s inland waters only”. This means that offshore fracking remains an issue, and will have to be definitely dealt with in future.

The cross-party support for the new Bill is a clear sign that the general consensus in Ireland is very much against allowing fracking. It remains to be seen, however, if this consensus holds in the long term, in the face of diminishing supplies of fossil fuels and the prospect of a low growth economy.

Science Controversies of Contraception After the publication of a recent study on female contracpetion, Aoife Hardesty talks to a number of experts regarding how contraception affects men and women.

CONTRACEPTION has a long history of being a touchy subject - up until 1980 it was illegal in Ireland, largely due to the tight reign of the Catholic Church. Even today it remains controversial. An advisor to the Polish government on sex education recently described contraception as “wicked”, warning it can lead to “hedonism, sex addiction, a sense of shame and a tendency to betray.”

In Ireland, 32% of women between the ages of 15 and 43 use hormonal birth control, from a study by Bayer Healthcare in 2014. Two studies published in October added further controversy to the contraception debate.

A Danish study provided evidence that women using hormonal birth control are more likely to

“Several patients had to stop an oral contraceptive because of the negative effect on her mood.” have depression, whilst the second study published findings from a trial of a male contraceptive, a trial which was halted due to severity of side effects including… depression.

The Danish study, published in JAMA Psychiatry, monitored health records and observed a correlation between users of hormonal contraception and commencement of anti-depressant treatments.

Professor Patricia Casey is a specialist psychiatrist and consultant in the Mater Hospital, as well as a lecturer in psychiatry in UCD, she says: “in this study it was the new onset of depression or the use of antidepressants in those with no prior history which was evaluated suggesting that it may be causal. The study doesn’t claim this but the authors suggest it is one possibility.”

Many women have been saying for years that their contraception has altered their mood and others have claimed to suffer depression due to their contraception. And so it comes as little surprise that reactions to the Danish study included a very loud “duh” and “we’ve known this for years” and “about time”.

Dr. John Sheehan is a clinical assistant professor and consultant in psychiatry at the Mater Hospital.

Speaking about linking hormones and depression he says: “Hormones are not regularly implicated

as a cause of depression. However, hormones can improve mood or conversely, precipitate depression.

Some women are unable to tolerate hormonal-based contraceptives and become depressed after starting them. It is probably an interaction between the woman’s genetic susceptibility to depression and the hormones.” Dr. Sheehan has “seen several patients who had to stop an oral contraceptive because of the negative effect on her mood.”

However, the Danish study does not prove hormonal contraception causes depression. Dr. Lauren Alexander is a Senior Registrar in psychiatry in St. Vincents’ and specialist lecturer in psychiatry in UCD. She cautions against believing the study proves that hormonal contraceptives cause depression.

“One of the more significant weaknesses is the authors’ equating being prescribed an antidepressant to having depression. Young people often attend their GP complaining of emotional problems around the time of menstruation – ‘premenstrual syndrome.’ Now recognised as a type of mental disorder, separate from major depression, it is common for GPs to prescribe either hormonal contraception and/or antidepressants to alleviate these symptoms. This may better explain the picture we are seeing in this study. Many studies have,

“Sperm count for several participants did not return to pre-trial levels for an entire year.”

women taking hormonal contraceptives.

In the study, male participants were injected with hormones designed to prevent sperm production.

This was found to be very effective. In some cases, too effective. Sperm count for several participants

“The severity of the depression associated with hormones is in the mild to moderate range and is usually managed by the GP.” did not return to pre-trial levels for an entire year, with one individual’s count not returning to level four years after injections were stopped.

Mood changes were experienced by 20% of participants. An independent panel ruled that this, and other side effects, were severe enough to halt the trial. Previous studies did not indicate that mood changes would be so common and so the side effects were alarming as they were not anticipated.

For this study, the researchers were unable to determine whether the mood changes were directly caused by the contraceptive as ethical guidelines prevent the use of a placebo in such studies.

Whilst it has not been proven that all female hormonal contraceptives cause depression, depressive mood is listed as a side effect of the implant. Dr. Sheehan says “depression is thought

to occur in about 5% of women who use Implanon [the implant].” Prof. Casey says that “the severity of the depression associated with hormones is in the mild to moderate range and is usually managed by the GP.” Asked whether women should be cautious of hormonal contraception, Dr. Alexander stated that: “the best advice for women is to be educated about signs of depression, such as feeling persistently low for several weeks and not enjoying things, and to raise this with their GP if it arises. If a woman feels that her mood has changed (with or without hormonal contraception), they can make an appointment to see their GP. It is not advisable to stop medication without discussing this with a doctor. Talking to friends and family also may also help to identify another cause of low mood that they may not have considered themselves. Sometimes a few small changes can make a big difference.”

In an ideal world, people could completely control when or if they conceive without experiencing side effects by using a simple method. The advent of the pill in 1960 provided women with greater control over their bodies, but the pill was introduced at a time when clinical trials were not so rigidly scrutinised.

The future of designing contraceptives should include minimalising side effects, for people of any gender. Hopefully further research can unravel the reasons behind the correlation between hormonal contraceptives and depression.

in fact, found that use of hormonal contraceptives actually improve mood.”

The onus of not falling pregnant tends to lie on women’s shoulders; currently the only available methods of contraception for men are condoms and vasectomies. Female hormonal contraceptives can contain both estrogen and progesterone, or only progesterone.

The widespread reporting of the Danish study added a touch of irony to the release of the male contraceptive study, clinical trials of which were stopped due to the side effects men were suffering.

This was a move perceived by many to be unfair in the extreme, men were branded as “wimps” for not being able to put up with the same side effects as

Fantastic beasts and where to find them Aoife Hardesty takes a look at some of the creatures that may have inspired myths and legends from all over the world. they all resemble flying dragons. They are tree-dwellers, and can glide from tree to tree by extending a membranous flap connected to their forearms. The membranous wings allow for flight and have earned these lizards the nickname “flying dragons”.

Other than flight, perhaps the most distinguishing characteristic of dragons is their ability to breathe fire. As an evolutionary development, that would be a useful way of killing enemies, scaring away predators and keeping warm, but with the added drawback of possibly setting oneself on fire. So it’s not a great surprise that there are no reptiles alive today that can breathe fire.

However, there are a great number of lizard and snake species with venomous bites. The beaded lizard has modified salivary glands which produce a venom that can kill red blood cells, and in extreme cases prove fatal to humans. Upon biting, and making a wound, the act of chewing releases venom into the wound.

Unicorns feature in the Bible as a symbol for a creature of great strength and grace that cannot be tamed by man. Depictions of unicorns differ, some are tall white horses, others are more goat-like with cloven hooves and a goat’s beard, but they all describe the long single horn atop the creature’s head.

The Indian rhinoceros, is a real-life unicorn with a single horn grown on top of its nose. This rhino lacks the majesticity and grace of a mythical unicorn. The underwater dweller, the narwhal, is known as the unicorn of the sea. Males grow a long canine tooth which protrudes out via the upper lip

“The membranous wings allow for flight and have earned these lizards the nickname ‘flying dragons’” Photo credit: George Reyes via Flickr

IN the real world, fantastical creatures live only in stories: but could versions of these creatures exist outside of our imaginations?

The hydra features in Greek mythology as a multi-headed sea serpent. According to legend the hydra can regrow lost heads, proving rather tricky to vanquish. Whilst multi-headed snakes might seem like they only belong in myths, polycephaly (having multiple heads) has been known to occur naturally in snakes. In October 2016, a wild two-headed snake was found in Croatia. Usually two-headed, most documented cases are in captivity. In the wild, survival is difficult for a creature with two heads; two heads are difficult to coordinate, and sometimes one head will try eating the other.

Snakes with more than two heads have yet to

be discovered, but enter Narcisse snake dens in Manitoba, Canada and you would be forgiven for thinking you’re seeing a multi-headed giant snake monster. Thousands of snakes gather every spring to mate. They form mating balls where a hundred males try and get close to a single female so they can slide up against her. These mating balls can create the illusion of a multi-headed monster snake.

Tales of flying, fire-breathing dragons are found in Asia, Scandinavia and Great Britain. The bodies of dragons differ between Eastern and Western legends, being more snake like and lizard like respectively.

The genus of Draco bear quite a resemblance to western dragons. There are 42 species within this lizard genus, growing to a length of 20cm and

and becomes a tusk, a beautiful spiral horn.

Stories of Will o’ the Wisps can be found in South America, mainland Europe, Ireland, and Scotland. Found hovering over bogs they appear as flickering lights floating through the air. Depicted as tricksters, their lights act as a beacon to night time travellers, luring them through bogs into dangerous patches, and eventually to their deaths.

The illusion of floating lights over bogs is thought to be caused by oxidation of gases released from the bogs. The gases rise into the air above, where they encounter oxygen and a fleeting fire occurs.

But fireflies are quite similar to Will o’ the Wisps.

Within their stomachs, enzymes oxidise a pigment

“The Indian rhinoceros, is a real-life unicorn with a single horn grown on top of its nose.” that releases a glow. Flying through the night skies, fireflies can give the appearance of flickering lights.

The ocean has also produced its fair share of myths and legends. Selkies are a lesser known in mermaid lore. In the sea, selkies are seals but on land, selkies remove their fur coats and become beautiful humans. Children with webbed fingers and toes (a condition known as syndactyly) were said to be descendants of a selkie-human union.

Seals could be mistaken for real-life mermaids. It has been said that the bobbing heads of seals in the water resemble humans, and they have uncannily human-like watchful eyes.

Creatures of myths and legends may not exist in the world around us, but those creatures that do can be every bit as strange and exciting.

November 8th 2016 13

Up, Up, and Away?

Could humans ever achieve independent flight? Ellen Nugent investigates.

OVER 5000 years ago, the mythological Babylonian King Etana flew to heaven on the back of an eagle. In the 16th century, artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci designed his flying machines and parachute prototypes; the Wright Brothers flew the first “heavier than air” aircraft for a sustained flight in 1903. Humans have always been fascinated by the concept of flight; our history rich with invention and experimentation in flight technology.

One of the most famous stories of human flight, however, makes no mention of complicated machinery, or even helpful eagles: the myth of

“Around 1000 years ago, the Turkish scholar Ismail alJawhari strapped feathered wooden frames to his arms and torso, and leapt from the roof of a mosque” Daedalus and his ill-fated son, Icarus, who flew from Crete with nothing but wings of bird feathers, wood and wax.

Humans have been trying to recreate this particular Greek legend for hundreds of years.

Around 1000 years ago, the Turkish scholar Ismail al-Jawhari strapped feathered wooden frames to his arms and torso, and leapt from the roof of a mosque. Much like the Portuguese nurse Joao Torto, who in 1540 jumped from a cathedral tower with a pair of cloth wings and a beaked helmet, his subsequent “flight” (and life) ended rather abruptly.

So is it possible, with the technology and knowledge available today, that we could succeed where these early experiments failed?

Unfortunately, the work of Renaissance mathematician and physicist Giovanni Borelli indicates that Daedalus’ invention is still an impossibility. Borelli concluded in 1680 that human muscle was inadequate for independent flight – we would be incapable of generating sufficient energy to lift ourselves off the ground, and staying aloft for an extended length of time.

It’s not just about lift force, however. Humans have evolved to walk upright, a feature reflected in our skeletal structure. Some of these features include our legs, which are longer than our arms, to support our striding gait. Our distinctive ‘s-shaped’ flexible spinal column also accommodates our upright stance and high center of gravity. In order to facilitate independent flight, we would require longer arms, to allow for a greater wing surface area, and short legs, to reduce body weight.

An inflexible, shorter spine would also be required to prevent our lower half from hanging down and generating resistance, among other morphological features. We also lack supplementary respiratory organs (for example, avian air sacs) that would allow for extra air intake at high altitudes, or further oxygen metabolism to support the energy expended on flying.

All of this would be very difficult to evolve and it is unlikely that humans could ever achieve independent flight. Our brains may have allowed us to transcend the limits of our bodies with the advent of aviation technology, but independent flight remains no more than a fantasy.

“In order to facilitate independent flight, we would require longer arms, to allow for a greater wing surface area, and short legs, to reduce body weight”

Hello Dark Matter, My Old Friend Louise Flanagan unravels the history behind one of physics’ least understood concepts: dark matter and dark energy.

JUST because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it’s not there – this may sound like something from a horror film trailer but this statement also holds true for physics’ most puzzling and mysterious invisible entities: dark energy and dark matter.

Together, dark energy and dark matter make up 95% of the universe. Only 5% is made up of “normal matter”, all the stuff we can see (atoms, stars, trees, and humans). Dark energy (68%) is thought to be a repulsive force responsible for the accelerating expansion of the universe, while dark matter (27%) is believed to be a heavy particle whose strong gravitational pull allows galaxies to exist without being torn apart.

But we can’t see either of them. They do not emit electromagnetic waves. They do not interact with light. They have never been directly observed. If these mysterious dark entities are so invisible, how do we know they are there at all?

Our awareness of dark energy began in the twentieth century, a time of dramatic developments in astronomy. The universe, which was once thought

“They do not emit electromagnetic waves. They do not interact with light. They have never been directly observed”

Photo credit: nasa/esa

Science

Gravitational lensing visible as streaks of light in galaxy cluster Abell 1689 indicating the presence of dark matter

force strong enough to build galaxies and other complex structures. If only the visible matter existed, then the stars that make up galaxies would likely exist in isolation, scattered all over the universe.

Something had to be providing this attractive gravitational force to hold the galaxies together, something dense: dark matter. Though invisible, and since dark matter is massive, its gravitational effects are strong.

Concentrated regions of dark matter can actually be detected because gravity interacts with light from distant galaxies and bends it, known as gravitational lensing. This bending of light in space has been captured in photos and has enabled the creation of dark matter maps. It appears that unlike dark energy, dark matter is unevenly distributed and is more like an interconnected web that extends across

to be static and consist of just the Milky Way, was now proven to contain billions of stars and galaxies, and shown to be expanding.

It was thought that this expansion would eventually slow down because of the effects of gravity pulling matter together, but this idea was turned firmly on its head in 1998 when two independent research groups showed that the rate of expansion of the universe was “Unlike dark energy, dark matter is not slowing down at all. It was accelerating. unevenly distributed and is more There had to be some kind of explanation for this.

Step forward: dark energy – a term that was given to like an interconnected web that the “something” that was causing this acceleration. extends across the universe, holding It appeared that dark energy must be some kind of visible matter in its invisible threads” repulsive force that was evenly distributed through space, and whose properties did not get diluted when the universe, holding visible matter in its invisible threads. Ongoing attempts have been made to detect it expanded, pushing galaxies further and further candidate dark matter particles directly but so far apart over time.

While there have been many suggestions, we don’t none have been successful.

There is an awful lot yet to be learned about dark yet know what kind of “thing” dark energy might be. energy and dark matter but it seems that our eventual Like dark energy, the notion of dark matter came about to fill a gap in observations made in space. The understanding of them will give us an insight into how the universe has been structured from its origins amount of “normal”, visible matter in space did not to now. have enough mass by itself to exert a gravitational

illustration: Danielle Crowley

The Dinosaur’s New Groove Danielle crowley science editor Danielle Crowley looks at how our view of dinosaurs has changed in recent years.

Palaeontology has a long and distinguished history. Originally seen as the remains of dragons and giants, the first dinosaurs to be scientifically described were Megalosaurus and Iguanodon during the Victorian era, when dinosaurs really became part of the public psyche. Giant models were installed in London’s Crystal Park where they remain to this day.

These two species in particular are a good example of how our understanding of these huge reptiles has changed.

The model Iguanodon looks like a massive, well, iguana, while Megalosaurus looks a bit like a bizarre crocodile. We now know that Iguanodon was more elegant than previously thought, with a spike on its thumbs instead of its nose, and that Megalosaurus was a bipedal carnivore.

These models and many early reconstructions depict dinosaurs as cold blooded, lumbering beasts.

Many years later, we now have good reason to believe that they were active and warm blooded, like birds and mammals. This and the discovery that many dinosaurs were likely covered in feathers has changed our view of them for ever.

For some odd reason, this latter finding has ruffled feathers all over the world. Many people have complained that the idea of a feathered T-rex takes some of the awe and majesty away from it, and makes it less scary. This last point is a bit ridiculous, as anyone who has been up close to an ostrich will tell you.

Up until very recently, impressions of feathers were only found on fossils of dromaeosaurids (the most famous member of this group is the Velociraptor).

Some of them had beautifully preserved wings, and others just had quill knobs on their arms, the anchor point for wing feathers.

14 November 8th 2016

But evidence for feathers has been found in some plant-eating dinosaurs, leading researchers to believe that all dinosaurs could potentially grow feathers. We even know what colour they may have been. Analysis of the fossils of Microraptor, a diminutive raptor, shows that its feathers were a glossy iridescent black.

By looking at modern dinosaurs, the birds, we think these feathers may have been used for insulation or display. Some species may have only had a few feathers, some were entirely covered and others could have only had them as youngsters.

Velociraptor is one of the ones that was most likely covered with fluff, and contrary to pop culture, it was about the size of a turkey. The raptors of Jurassic Park were based off Deinonychus, a larger but less well known species, hence why the name was changed.

Our knowledge of dinosaurian anatomy has gone through a makeover too. Spinosaurus, a carnivore famed for its iconic sail and size, was initially only known from bone fragments. New discoveries hint that it wasn’t a terrestrial hunter at all: it was the only

How we believe these animals behaved has also gone under scrutiny. The pachycephalosaurs are famed for their domed heads. We used to think that males butted heads rather like rams do today, but some scientists are now questioning that theory.

The opinions of some is that their skulls would not have been able to sustain heavy blows of the sort imagined, and that the trauma of competing for mates this way would have killed them fairly quickly.

It’s very difficult to reconstruct dinosaur behaviour from a few fossils, nevertheless some remarkable insights have been suggested through careful analysis of what we do have. The remains of a T-rex was found that showed some terrible injuries, including a badly

broken leg. Major injuries often kill carnivores, as unable to hunt they slowly starve to death - but this dinosaur had healed. Palaeontologists think that this T-rex had been fed by another, a far cry from the media’s perception of them.

These are only a few of the exciting revolutions that are continuously been unearthed in palaeontology, and it just goes to show that more can always be learnt about the magnificent animals that once roamed our planet even though they now only do so in our imaginations.

“Spinosaurus was the only aquatic dinosaur”

“Some species may have only had a few feathers, some were entirely covered and others could have only had them as youngsters” aquatic dinosaur. These findings show that its hind legs were small, this combined with its bone structure (which is similar to modern aquatic vertebrates) hint at a creature that may have acted more like a crocodile than previously thought.

Spinosaurus skeleton

photo credit: kabacci via flickr

sTUdenT vOices gold stAr For you, lesbiAn! Welcome to the exclusive lesbian club with one rule: no sleeping with men, Shauna Gavin investigates.

A GOLD star is a symbolic recognition of outstanding merit, it is a way for teachers to acknowledge and reward achievement, it is a marketing ploy used to brand products as superior quality, and somehow it has become another way to create judgement and division within the queer community.

The term “gold star lesbian” refers to “a lesbian who has never had sex with a man.”

The first time I heard the term I was surprised and confused. Why would someone get a gold star

“The term ‘gold star lesbian’ refers to ‘a lesbian who has never had sex with a man.” for not having had sex with someone of a certain gender? To me a gold star was something to be earned – I didn’t understand how this privileged status could be awarded based on sexual history.

I don’t personally know anyone who would actively search out a sexual or romantic partner based on the fact that they had maintained this magical “gold star” status but the term still exists and is in use. The implications of this term are damaging and hurtful, and the fact that it is used at all is worrying.

I know lesbians who have been praised for their “gold star” status and one of my friends encountered a girl who was “happier to shift [her]” because she was a “gold star lesbian.” I also know that discrimination against lesbians who have slept with men is a very real thing among the lesbian community. In a space where we are supposed to accept all, regardless of who they have sex with, this seems a little hypocritical.

When people are ranked according to what they have or have not done in the bedroom, we start to create an environment where shaming people

based on their sexual history is okay. It results in a situation where people feel like they are somehow “less” than someone else.

The words create a hierarchy in a community where there is no need for one. Lesbians who have never slept with men are placed in a position that is higher, or better, than those who have. Not having slept with a man becomes equated with being a “real” or “true” lesbian and all other lesbians are below or beneath those who have been awarded the gold-standard of lesbianism.

Furthermore, the term is incredibly cisnormative and revolves around the assumption that everyone who identifies as a lesbian is a cisgender female. As far as I can tell, the term just means a lesbian who has never had sex with a man but in our cis-centric Freudian society however, “man” is often equated to “penis.” Therefore the

“Not having slept with a man becomes equated with being a ‘real’ or ‘true’ lesbian and all other lesbians are below or beneath those who have been awarded the goldstandard of lesbianism.” “gold star” label may only end up relating to the genitalia of previous sexual partners instead of the gender. In this way the term manages to exclude trans lesbians, and those who date them, from this elite ‘gold-star’ status circle.

Ranking a woman based on her sexual relation to men is misogynistic and does not recognise the existence of genders outside of the binary of male and female. Judging a woman based on her sexual history adds to the idea that women are to be viewed as sexual objects and reintroduces

the double standard that exists in the straight community in relation to men’s sexual experiences as opposed to women’s. Women do not need another reason to have their sexuality judged by others.

encounters is less desirable than one who has not?

Sexuality is a fluid and ever-changing thing and, by using the term ‘gold-star lesbian’ and by placing value on having this status, it may discourage people from experimenting with their sexuality and exploring other attractions that they may feel.

This term, along with “gold star gay”, a term used to describe a gay man who has never had sex

“The queer community already faces so much prejudice from outside sources why should we use terms that perpetuate prejudice from within our own communities?”

illustrAtion: sApnA sAtyAnArAyAnA

Within the queer community as a whole, the idea of a “gold-star lesbian” being better than any other lesbian seems to extend to all women who are sexually attracted to women. It just serves to add to the biphobia that is already a major problem in society.

To me, the term implies that women who have slept with men are tainted and less pure than those who have not.

If this is the case, then where does this leave bisexual females? We live in a world that constantly questions the validity of people’s sexual orientations, especially bisexuals. Is it therefore necessary to have a term that insinuates that a woman who has had different-gender sexual

with a woman, is harmful. The queer community already faces so much prejudice from outside sources; why should we use terms that perpetuate prejudice from within our own communities?

Coming to terms with your sexuality is a process that is completely different for each individual.

It can be horrible, confusing and, really amazing all at once. Sometimes it’s a really long process and sometimes it’s not. Regardless of how a person discovers and accepts their sexuality, all sexualities are all equally valid.

When someone embraces who they are, it shouldn’t be questioned or judged based on how they came to realise it. In fact, it shouldn’t be questioned or judged at all. Whether you slept with a person of every gender, or you didn’t have sex at all, nobody should be given an award or be judged solely based on their sexual experiences.

Either nobody should get an award, or everyone should get one for just being ourselves.

Quinn’s biZZness Breathing a sigh of relief after last week’s referendum result, Jess Quinn looks back over the controversial campaign.

Jess “the Captain“ Quinn HAPPY exam season, UCD amigos. It’s time to realise that there is actually more to university than societies, group chats, campaigning, or whatever college clique you have fallen into. The biannual pilgrimage to the RDS is almost upon us. Here are some directions to the Roofed Despair of Students: take a left on the Stillorgan Road. Get the Aircoach.

Go to the airport. Flee the country. Don’t come back. Get a good night’s sleep beforehand.

Although its not all doom and gloom here at UCD.

The Referendum for UCDSU to be neutral on their stance for repealing the 8th did not pass! So UCDSU can maintain their reputation for being at the forefront of pushing social change. In 1979, the sale of condoms without a prescription was illegal. Our SU, knights in slippery latex armour, put themselves on the line by selling rubbers regardless of the legislation against it. SU’s got you covered.

Following that, UCDSU in 1988 won a huge legal battle with The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) that went as far as The European Court of Justice. SPUC threatened legal action against the SU if they published information about abortion services in their Welfare Guide. So what did they do? They published it anyway. Legends. Thug Life theme music plays.

That’s a different SU than the one we have today. Condoms are thrown at students and no one bats an eyelid. Except from being momentarily blinded by the design graphics of ‘Winging It in UCD’. Despite my criticism, it is still something to be proud of.

The tradition of challenging the system needs to be maintained.

Our current SU may just look like a bunch of blue t-shirt wearing bobble heads, but it’s important that we do not forget the power of the student voice. Although I still don’t think that voice should be used for busking on campus.

Looking at global politics, you can see that the world is changing in a way that is unusual. Take the US presidential election and Brexit, for example.

Both these issues have revealed resurgence in far right conservative values. Sigh, why can’t we just all sip some Earl Grey and be friends?

The point I’m trying to make is that on one hand the world is moving forward and making significant

“She also was unable to tell me basics about the SU, the 8th Amendment and the wording of the referendum she was canvassing for.” social change, while going backwards at the same time. If our SU was neutral on this issue, we would be the Donald Trump of Irish student politics.

I do consider the Yes side to be in the same league as Donald. Just as ridiculous as Donald was when saying he started his business with nothing, just a few million dollars. The Yes side saying they’re being persecuted, when their stance is the law.

The Yes side does deserve some credit though.

Even though they lost, they still got 36% of votes.

That is 1,726 students who were persuaded to vote in favour of their ridiculous argument and moronic manifesto. That is impressive. Maybe they should run for the Dáil?

Pardon me if I seem condescending, but, I don’t believe your opinion matters if it is based on false information. I don’t think you need representation from the SU when your stance is regressive. I don’t think microwaves are as important as human rights. Also, there are actually plenty of microwaves available for students use on campus. Ask me where they are. You can’t go to jail for providing information on microwaves, but you can get 14 years for sharing information on abortion. An average of ten Irish women don’t travel abroad every day to reheat their lunch, you can’t compare the two.

Apart from causing me to question my faith in humanity, this referendum also made me question the student awareness of what the 8th Amendment is actually about. My hour long encounter with a Yes canvasser consisted mostly of me wondering if she was having a seizure because her eyes were rolling back into her head so much that it looked like she was convulsing.

Even worse, she was unable to rationally process

any other ideas but her own. This is hypocritical considering she was campaigning for fair representation of all views, while disregarding any view but her own.

She also was unable to tell me basics about the SU, the 8th Amendment and the wording of the referendum she was canvassing for.

This brings to light a problem in UCD student politics. Bigger than the general incompetency of it, but the absence of there being a process to squash false information during a campaign the minute it is stated. I’m not suggesting a more censored version of the SU, but a better and more credible SU. How was it that this argument was even brought as far as a referendum? When clearly, the people proposing it didn’t have a notion of what the SU is about. I say this in all sincerity that I do not think a bunch of students have the right to run riot on our SU constitution on a whim. I do not think any campaign should get away with lies, manipulation and false claims.

“Canvassing people to vote on a human rights issue with the opening line, ‘Hey, do you like lunch?

Vote Yes for microwaves.’ should not be condoned.”

Canvassing people to vote on a human rights issue with the opening line, ‘Hey, do you like lunch?

Vote Yes for microwaves’, should not be condoned.

We should all look at corruption in every student campaign with disdain, because it’s just a drop in the ocean in terms of driving ignorance and stunting social growth.

I’m happy the students of UCD have stood up to this blather. It is about time the people who cherish the 8th Amendment, like Golem and the ring, took the back seat.

This isn’t the end of this debate being thrashed around UCD, but hopefully now we can put it to rest and focus on exams and getting a degree. Oh yeah that thing. Did you forget that’s what you’re actually here at UCD for?

November 8th 2016 15

16 November 8th 2016

ediTOriAl

editoriAl STUDENTS in UCD have recently voted for their Union to retain a pro-choice stance on repealing the 8th amendment. 64% of people voted in favour while 36% voted No, which means that UCDSU can continue to campaign to repeal the 8th. At the very least this means that all the planning the union have put into their campaign over the summer was not a waste.

What surprised many people was that a large number of decidedly pro-choice students voted Yes. This would have meant that the union would remain neutral and could not get involved in any official capacity for the repeal movement.

When the result was announced, many pro-choice organisations around the country celebrated it as a part of the repeal movement in general. Yet it is not simply a microcosm of the wider country’s opinion.

People who would vote to repeal the 8th amendment without any hesitation were also among those voting Yes last week. That is not to say that there were no elements within the Yes campaign that are anti-abortion and religious. Just that the proposed mandate was not as cut and dry as a repeal the 8th referendum would be.

The mandate asked if the students’ union should be neutral, which is not an insane idea. Almost two years ago when the new constitution was passed, also by a campus-wide referendum, the role of Campaigns and Communications officer was reinstated.

This role, as voted for by students, has a constitutional mandate to campaign on behalf of the union

The UniversiTy Observer on national political issues.

This is largely taken to mean issues that affect the student population, which the laws on abortion most certainly do. Of the Irish women that travel abroad for a pregnancy termination, most of them tend to be between the ages of 20-29.

Yet the union cannot represent students’ views if it does not know them. This was why there was a referendum on whether the union should campaign for equal marriage in early 2015. This passed with 97% agreeing that the union should support a Yes vote. In fact students’ union across the country were highly important during the campaign, in part through the large voting registration drive held in the months leading up to the vote. This saw over 4,500 UCD students register, the largest in any Irish university.

While students’ unions can be extremely influential on social issues, not all of these issues are as straightforward as marriage equality. In the UCDSU referendum on whether to support a Yes vote on marriage equality, there were still 3% of people who disagreed. On the issue of abortion there is much more division of opinion among students.

As shown by the Yes campaign, there is a sizable minority within UCD that disagrees with repealing the 8th, with similar groups in other Irish colleges like Trinity.

Instigating this referendum highlights a key issue that students’ union will continue to face. Funded by students, run by students and for students, the un-

ions will always be ultimately accountable to them.

When they are divided by a relatively significant amount, then Students’ Unions will face a huge amount of problems. If you are pro-life and paying for your union to exist, you should still have a say.

Except those students are now represented by a union whose views they fundamentally disagree with.

Though they will still lobby on behalf of all students on areas like fees, when it comes to some social issues these students will be isolated.

Yet unions have in the past had a huge impact on driving society forward. From politically socialising many future politicians, to positions on issues (such as providing condoms or abortion information), unions have traditionally challenged the status quo.

When the majority of students have voted for a particular stance then the union is obliged to fulfil that mandate. For the sake of progress and social improvement, the Students’ Union should campaign for change.

For unions to still be effective – to still be relevant, they should take political stances. They should challenge the government and society’s status quo.

When there are health and social issues affecting a huge majority if students, then unions must take action. Regardless of the dissatisfaction of a small number people on campus.

Students are the next generation. Their majority by rights should have a key role in shaping future society.

letters to the editor

ArT & desiGn ediTOr Louise Flanagan chief Of phOTOGrAphy Camille Lombard news ediTOr Alanna O’Shea depUTy/inTernATiOnAl news ediTOr Rory Geoghegan cOmmenT ediTOr Julia O’Reilly feATUres ediTOr Billy Vaughan eAGArThóir GAeilGe Niamh O’Regan science ediTOr Danielle Crowley

bUsiness ediTOr Brian Donnelly brOAdsheeT Online ediTOrs Ruth Murphy Eithne Dodd

AHOY PLEBS! dents and breaking rules when canvassing. Even in my non-corporeal form I have witnessed some of the pro-lifers – sorry, pro-neutrality people – canvassing where they shouldn’t be. Perhaps they’ll realise the insensitivity of trying to push your opinions on people that don’t agree.

Maybe now that the referendum is finally over the SU will actually do some work for a change. Maybe, just maybe, they can stop assuring us all that hiding in their offices and leaving at half-3 everyday is them working! How dare you suggest that they’re just as useless as the last lot!

Though even Talley has to admit, at least the last lot provided some entertainment with their incompetence. Vile and Bacardi’s crew will no doubt be crowing that reaching quorum was all due to their hard work for the next six months. That totally excuses you from doing any actual work right? Even Talley must admit, putting up posters is very taxing, poor sods.

Of course the high turnout was all to do with the sabbats encouraging people to vote and had absolutely nothing at all to do with how divisive an issue it is. Nothing at all. What a silly notion.

As you are no doubt aware from avidly following this publication’s online coverage, there was a large No vote. Roisin O’bortions-for-all was ecstatic as it really meant that all the money spent on t-shirts and banners wasn’t a waste.

Meanwhile, Luke Fitz-Where-The-Fuck and Cian ‘Who is That Again?’ Casey have all faded into obscurity over the last month. They seem to have taken the fact that the SU couldn’t comment on the

depUTy ediTOr Martin Healy

cO-spOrTs ediTOrs Conall Cahill & David Kent

tAlleyrAnd As your exams rush towards you with relentless speed and you wonder how you will ever pass, Talley returns to liven up your days. At the very least it’s probably more interesting than half the crap you have to read for your course.

With reading week over you really have no more excuses not to study, and no, going to the clubhouse with that hot guy from your class does not count as studying. If you intend to actually pass, maybe stop visiting the bar twice a week or going to Dicey’s every Tuesday.

Another distraction that no doubt had you on the edge of your seats was the result of the recent referendum on abortion. No doubt you were as excited waiting for the result as you were waiting to hear Talley spout the good word once again.

Putting aside the insanity of holding a referendum on whether or not to support another referendum held two years ago, the short and rather dull campaign has finally stuttered to an end. While most students are unaware that there is even such a thing as a students’ union, 20% of people actually showed up to exercise their political rights.

Talley assures you that only one-fifth of students showing up really is a large number. If you had students that actually cared, we might end up with le guillotine or student representatives that actually worked on student issues. No, that’s not a pig flying overhead, it’s just the demise of all your belief in student politics. I know, they were never that high to begin with.

Speaking of insane ideas in politics, Talley hears countless reports of Yes campaigners harassing stu-

ediTOr Roisin Guyett-Nicholson

referendum as an excuse to do absolutely nothing.

Talley is sure nobody has noticed the irony of the Campaign and Communications officer being incognito. Nor the irony of an elected sabbatical officer of the union not voting. That would never happen. At all.

Fitz-Where-the-Fuck was likely concentrating hard on his actual day job, which seems to be posting photos of his feet on Instagram. The Mysterious Casey was last seen in Copper’s in mid-October, and Talley would actually really appreciate if you could reveal his current whereabouts, thank you very much. He’s wanted for milking on the farm.

At the same time Kiljoy and the rest seem to be growing into the role and believing the university line about everything. Why would they want to question the Grand Old University Administration when they clearly have the students’ best interests at heart? Surely they wouldn’t just prioritise their own jobs and investment in the university?

Cuts to student services are evidently all done for the sake of students, while money can be pumped into Lord Commander Deeks’ pet projects. Talley smells something fishy.

TALLEY OUT XOXO

brOAdsheeT cOnTribUTOrs Julia Carney Helen Carroll Daniel Forde Amy Gargan Brendan Garrett Shauna Gavin Matthew Hanrahan Aoife Hardesty Keri Heath Colm Honan Orla Keavney Dave Kennedy Aileen McGrath Ian Moore Sinead Mulcahy Síofra Ní Shluahadháin Ellen Nugent Mieke O’Brien Jess Quinn Talley The Badger Ross Walsh visUAl cOnTenT cOnTribUTOrs Danielle Crowley Meadhbh Sheridan Sapna Satyanarayana Aisling McGuire Kevin Quinlan speciAl ThAnKs Webprint Joanna O’Malley Aoife Hardesty Dramsoc Wes Anderson

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

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

Correspondence may also be sent to editor@universityobserver.ie.

November 8th 2016 17

Sport

The Badger Club Focus – UCD Trampoline Club Paul Clarke springs in to chat with Conal Cahill about one of UCD’s more niché clubs: UCD Trampoline

“Most members of the club will not have participated in the sport prior to college.” into the air off six Olympic standard trampolines, a phenomenon always greeted with curious intrigue by those using the Performance Gym a couple of floors above.

Watched over by several experienced coaches, most members of the club will not have participated in the sport prior to college. This, assistant Head Coach Paul Clarke says, is perhaps the club’s “biggest selling point.”

Clarke himself only started the sport last year after seeing it advertised in the leaflet for the Sports Expo and thinking it sounded like an “interesting” new challenge. Now he balances his coaching duties and own training in UCD with a part-time job teaching children the joys of the sport. While upon joining the club he quickly started taking trampolining seriously, he emphasises that there is ample opportunity for those just seeking some kind of social outlet: “They are catered to, to have fun at training, people who don’t want to take it seriously… my friend didn’t take it seriously at all but she got to go

“[Newcomers] are catered to, to have fun at training”

photo credit: Ucd trampoline club facebook

LET The Badger make one thing perfectly clear. He enjoys playing and watching GAA – for the most part anyway, unless we’ve Tom Carr, Martin Carney, Marty Morrissey or Ger ‘Dundork’ Canning on commentary.

For the next five years’ minimum, however, The Badger may not be exposed to the same old crackpot commentators on RTE as the GAA have agreed another deal with Sky Sports. This is despite the All-Ireland Final replay only having 5,700 viewers. That’s less than an episode of How to Not be an Insufferable Bastard with Eamon Dunphy.

Baby.

So, you take an organisation, which doesn’t pay its players, or (supposedly) its managers. And you take away this ‘free’ game to get some money for yourself from British people who care more about the finale of the Tiddlywinks Championship than our NATIONAL sport. It’s utterly pathetic.

What do you do with this extra money?

Do you split it evenly between the 34 County Councils? (No, my maths isn’t bad, London and New York have teams as well you smart-aleck). Not if you’re the head of the GAA, you simply pump money into the most successful county and completely neglect the rest of the country.

Speaking of extraordinary money, The Badger notices the head-to-head in this issue. He’ll provide you with this fact – Dundalk gaining a minimum of €6 million will do literally nothing to improve the facilities or fan base of Longford Town. Let’s see if anyone can name any player not from Dundalk in three years’ time.

Luckily the Badger is nocturnal, because he could watch Ireland vs the All Blacks at 8pm. In Chicago. Admittedly, he never knew that rugby was such a major sport in America. Why else would the IRFU have sanctioned it there? Excuse The Badger, he must go off and listen to his favourite ABBA song: “Money, Money, Money.”

“Since the dawn of time man has looked to the sky, at the birds and the bees and the pterodactyls, with one dream: to fly….” So begins the wonderfully eccentric introduction the UCD Trampoline Club offers visitors to its website at ucdtramp.com This little snippet of light-heartedness aptly captures the unique and welcoming atmosphere the club provides. At their best, college clubs and societies provide a crucial release for students from the daily stresses of university life. Under pressure regarding examinations, finances or otherwise, being able to spend a couple of hours in a fun and positive environment has immeasurable benefits. And all the evidence seems to suggest that the Trampoline Club ticks both of those boxes.

Every Tuesday (8-10pm) and Thursday (5-7pm) evening provides the sight of the acrobatic members of the Trampoline Club flinging themselves up

Love lifts us up where we belong: UCD Trampoline Club in action time he ventured onto the trampoline it was “scary” (“once you get the height you go, ‘Oh crap! Am I going to come back down?’”) but that you “get used to it” and that in his case he felt “well equipped” at the end of his first session. And when quizzed on how he felt as a newcomer at his first training session he was quick to praise the “friendly atmosphere”: “Every one of the coaches will make an effort to talk to you. They’ll tell you what they want you to do and then, even when you come off, they’ll say, ‘How

to competition. If she competed she sort of messed around, learned some new skills, all that. Or if she didn’t want to compete, she didn’t have to.”

At the time of writing, the club has recently finished a weekend in Cavan that is a staple of its year and which sounds, quite frankly, fabulous (“we go on a bender in a GAA hall that we have free reign over for the weekend and we just have a trampoline set up “Every one of the coaches will and that’s it, like”) and is currently looking forward to make an effort to talk to you.” the intervarsities competition in Cork on the weekend of 18th-20th November. For anyone looking to join, did you get into trampolining?’ They’ll make an efClarke says, this is a perfect “ice breaker” as it is fort. For first years or novices, that is brilliant.” “still informal and still good craic and cheap enough The club describes trampolining as a sport that – it’s not like you’re paying for flights or anything”. “combines cardio, co-ordination, core strength (and) One newcomer to the club is Dave Kent, a third flexibility” – and Kent admits he was surprised by year Arts student who decided to take up the sport af- the physical demands of the sport. The gentle backter seeing it at the Olympics and thinking “it looked garden trampoline boundings of childhood are soon like unbelievable craic.” Kent admits that the first forgotten:

“The way your form has to go, if you’re going to be going into a competition you have to get it spot on.

That involves bringing the stomach in, pushing out the hips, snapping your hips up. There’s a lot more than just going up and down.

I figured that I’d be somewhat tired. But when you’re coming off three or four bounces in a row it does take it out of you, and that was a bit of a shock for me.”

And Kent has words of advice for anyone torn between taking the jump into this “niche” sport and sticking to more familiar pursuits: “It is one of those clubs where you go, ‘Oh, out there. Niche.’ And then you think, ‘I might take up soccer. I’m used to soccer, I’m used to rugby.’ No! Go for trampolining, because it’s incredible craic!”

Membership of UCD Trampoline Club is just €15 for the year. If you wish to join or have any enquiries you can contact them at trampoline@ucd.ie, via Facebook (UCD Trampoline Club) or on Twitter (@ucdtramp).

Sports Digest A round-up of the sporting activities throughout UCD this month. photo credit: Ucd Men’s hockey facebook

UCD Snowsports: UCD Snowsports are hosting a charity drive on November 16th for Chernobyl.

If you have any old winter clothes you don’t need like gloves, hats, scarfs, tops, pants etc, the club will collect them and give them to a charity. It will then be shipped to Chernobyl. The drive will take place just inside the double doors (the ones on the concourse beside Readers Deli) underneath the James Joyce library. It will be from 10am-4pm.

UCD Soccer: The UCD Women’s Soccer Club had a huge 8-1 victory over IT Carlow a fortnight ago. Ireland international Deirbhle Quinn grabbed a brace as did Maddie Edwards, one of the current UCD international GAA team that headed off to Shanghai during the week. Katrina Moore, Sinead Gaynor, Kim Garth and Niamh Moran all found the net to ensure a dominant victory. It was the side’s second win of the season after a 2-1 victory over NUIG the week before.

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UCD Hockey: UCD Hockey Club did the double in the varsities. The men had an amazing comeback against DIT. Having navigated their way through the group stage, they thumped CIT 14-1 in the semi-finals. Having been 3-1 down in the final to DIT at half time, the lads came back in the second half to win 5-4 and the Mauritius Cup. The Ladies side completed a great weekend for Hockey in Belfield by taking the Chilean Cup in stylish fashion. Facing Queen’s in Jordanstown, they took an early lead through Irish international Katie Mullan. Abbie Russell doubled the lead before Queen’s pulled a goal back. With the game heading towards the end, the Ulster side pushed but were absolutely blitzed by UCD LHC. Another goal from Russell was added to by Sarah O’Loughlin, Sarah Twomey and Emma Duncan to give UCD LHC the victory.

UCD Men’s Hockey Team

sport

The GAA Club Player: the fly in the ointment With the amount of strain place on club and inter-county players, Colm Honan argues for change to the GAA calender.

“Clearly there is a middle ground to be reached, and county boards must be smarter with their fixture planning.” run-up to Christmas, when the club competitions take centre stage. One point margins of victory are becoming a much-welcomed norm.

Each year an overriding sentiment develops among the media that the club action is indeed worth the attention it receives, and perhaps even more. That maybe the players, coaches, volunteers and supporters involved with these teams deserve more. Needless to say, this inclination is well and truly extinguished by the time spring appears, when the National League takes centre stage. Club activities once again become a fly in the ointment for the GAA hierarchy.

The makeup of the GAA calendar shows a clear disdain towards the club championships. Most formats are as follows: two/three club championship games in the month of April, followed by a break of three to four months, rounded off with what could be up to four or five games in six weeks to decide the outcome.

The Dublin Championship resumed just six days after their All-Ireland win against Mayo. For most club players, the summer is spent playing uncompetitive league and cup games. These matches are often contested with weakened outfits, bereft of the teams’ star players. Numbers at training decrease and levels of competition in the squad drop dramatically. Every inter-county match is accompanied with the possibility of club championship the following week if the result is negative. There is no room for planning.

Club players are at the mercy of county results and erratic fixture scheduling leaves them in a state of limbo where they are unable to plan holidays, work and social outings. If this situation is unacceptable for club players, it is almost worse for inter-county athletes.

Following what is an intense summer campaign of training and matches, they are then expected to carry a significant load for their club sides. This mental and physical burden is unsustainable.

A favourable run for a club side in their provincial competition can lead to a situation where players may find themselves playing twelve months of the year without a break - notwithstanding work, study and family commitments. Players barely have time to draw breath. The toll rests most heavily on

voice in Croke Park. One wonders what impact this body will have adjacent to the juggernaut that is the GPA, the coffers of which were further replenished by the GAA earlier this year.

GAA president Aogán Ó Fearghaíl has commented on the issues facing club players, saying that he has “never hidden away” from the problems and is “more interested in solutions” - referring to the GAA’s new proposal to revise the provincial and qualifier series in a way that will shorten the season for many counties, relieving some of the pressure faced by county boards. These proposals, however, do not solve the issue of a club season running until St. Patrick’s Day and seem only geared towards generating more matches in the latter stages of the All-Ireland series.

Nevertheless, Ó Fearghaíl has pleaded with county boards to attempt to alleviate the congestion

in club championships - and he has a point. This year Burt GAC, the Donegal intermediate champions, were forced to play their Ulster quarter-final a day after their county success. In Meath, where the county side exited the All-Ireland series in July, there was a seventeen-week break followed by three rounds of club championship in three weeks.

Clearly there is a middle ground to be reached, and county boards must be smarter with their fixture planning.

With new figures showing a rapid decline in attendances at inter-county games (the average figure of 13,146 down markedly from 20,172 in 2007), there seems to be a consensus developing amongst ordinary members of the GAA on the need for change. The club players, who have been universally overlooked by the GAA, must be given consideration under any new proposals.

“A favourable run… can lead to a situation where players may find themselves playing twelve months of the year without a break.” young stars who must be all things to all teams with school, third level and club coaches as well as senior and underage inter-county managers knocking at their door.

Three weeks ago, former Monaghan selector Declan Brennan announced plans to establish a representative body for club players. The Club Players Association (CPA) would act on behalf of the thousands of club players, providing them with a

photo credit: Ulster Gaa council

IT is hard to dispute that TG4’s Mícheál Ó Domhnail and his team do a wonderful job in presenting live GAA club games every Sunday towards the latter end of the calendar year. Often fighting inclement weather, the TG4 crew provide insightful analysis on what are generally enthralling encounters. There are no studio touchscreens nor flashy visuals. They do not conduct their analysis from a box overlooking a glistening Croke Park in high summer. This is GAA coverage at its purest.

Viewers of the club action on Sunday afternoons will testify to the excitement of the games and the level of skill on display. The annihilations that have become such a common theme in the inter-county provincial series are mostly a distant memory in the

Are demanding GAA season schedules putting players under too much pressure?

Boiling Point: The Return of Political Sport Stars With Colin Kaepernick’s silent protest garnering so much interest in the US, Martin Healy discusses how politics have returned to US sports

RIGHT now, more so than any time in the last twenty years, US politics has reached a preverbal boiling point. Certainly race issues and politics – from the US election, to gun ownership to immigration – have mixed with American popular culture in a way that hasn’t been seen since the 1960s.

Sports are no different. Sport stars are inherently risk-averse creatures; any kind of controversial or polarising statement could be hazardous to their place in a team, or affect their sponsorships or bottom line. The last time sports, race, and politics became completely intertwined, at least in the US, was during the 1960s through the anti-war protests of Muhammad Ali and the fists raised by Tommie Smith and John Carlos at the 1968 Olympics.

The spirit of rebellion has slowly seeped away through the decades. Black sport stars are often pressured to talk about race, but starting with OJ Simpson in the 1970s and mastered by Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan in the 1990s, American athletes began to completely avoid anything connected to politics and race issues. With the sheer amount of money and commercial interests in modern sport, there is rarely room for athletes to have their say about politics, especially if it was against white, conservative America.

Suddenly, however, things have begun to shift.

The Black Lives Matter movement has picked up a lot of steam since 2014, with the mainstream outpouring of support for police victims such as Eric Garner, Michael Brown, and Alton Sterling. During a preseason game on August 24th, San Francisco 49er’s quarterback Colin Kaepernick sat down during the pre-game rendition of the US national anthem.

Kaepernick’s action sparked outrage across the nation – his actions were described as being disrespectful to the sacrifices of the US armed forces.

Despite this outrage, Kaepernick received a huge amount of support from fellow athletes: eleven players kneeled during the anthem on the first week of the NFL season.

Support has continued for Kaepernick ever since, and continues to add to the fusion of sports and US politics over the last three to four years.

LeBron James and Kyrie Irving wore ‘I Can’t Breathe’ t-shirts in support of Eric Garner, who was killed via an illegal choking technique utilised by a NYPD officer, in 2014. This past July saw

“Sport stars are inherently risk-averse creatures; any kind of controversial or polarising statement could be hazardous…”

New York Liberty players wear Black Lives Matter shirts in the warm-up before a WNBA game.

It speaks to how important issues like police brutality are for the black community if they are able to burst into the über-capitalist world of sport. LeBron James, who is the biggest name in contemporary US sport, has supported Eric Garner and Trayvon Martin – Michael Jordan would have never ventured into this kind of hazardous territory. Even with his political leanings, James still remains the commercial king of the NBA – he is still accepted by conservative, corporate America.

Politics and sports have always mixed – despite the insistence of commercial interests and partners. Where else is there a platform for young African-American or Latino or Asian -- often working-class -- people to stand up and have people listen to what they have to say? Athletes don’t have to speak about race or politics – certainly not – but there are few other avenues for working class people of colour to have their life experiences listened to on a national stage.

There is a litany of stories about athletes living the fabled “American dream” and moving from squalor to riches. Surely these men and women, who have lived a life dealing with police brutality

and racial discrimination, deserve to have their first-hand experiences be heard?

The passing of Muhammad Ali saw a sea of eulogies in his honour. Sports fan and people worldwide adore Ali’s charisma, but political involvement played a huge role in his incredible appeal.

While Ali knocking out Sonny Liston is an iconic image, Ali’s anti-war remark that “I ain’t got no quarrel with them Viet Cong” is just as iconic.

So much of what makes Ali’s legacy so endearing was his anti-establishment ideals. He was the champion of the world, but always quick to discuss the struggles of the African-American. It is almost ironic to see conservative figures remark on his trailblazing legacy after he passed – if a young Ali existed in 2016, conservative politicians would despise him.

Politically aware sport superstars can rouse so much hatred, but they have an incredible platform to discuss what happens in their community; in their country. Even if Tom Brady wishes to pub-

“There are few other avenues for working class people of colour to have their life experiences listened to…” licly endorse Trump, it is perfectly his right to do so, just like it’s James McClean’s right to decline to wear a commemorative poppy if he pleases.

The colour of an athlete’s skin doesn’t mean they have to fly the preverbal political flag, but it is heartening to see the return of important, real-life social issues to sport. Sport does not happen in a vacuum - athletes are real humans who have given so much to get where they are. Since so much airtime is given to their athletic prowess, it is only right they get to speak their minds.

November 8th 2016 19

Sport Head to Head: Is Dundalk’s Success Bad for the League Of Ireland?

The League of Ireland champions have been making waves on the continental stage but how exactly does that translate to the domestic league? Ian Moore and David Kennedy lock horns on the topic.

YES

By Ian Moore An Irish sport fan would need to have spent the last couple of months hiding under a rock in order to let Dundalk’s exploits on the European stage pass them by. Spirited performances against bona fide Champions League outfits such as Zenit St Petersburg and BATE Borisov along with a draw away to AZ Alkmaar and a historic win against Maccabi Tel Aviv have seen the Lilywhites punching well above their weight. This gave them a realistic chance of making the knockout stages - drastically improving on Shamrock Rovers’ foray into the Europa League group stages five years ago.

Dundalk’s European odyssey is undoubtedly a game-changer for the Louth outfit. The multimillion euro windfall in prize and television money will usher in an era of financial security which is virtually unheard of for an Irish club, and funds can be used to develop their decrepit home ground of Oriel Park (which was deemed unfit to host their European fixtures). Additionally, the Europa League provides a platform for the talents of Dundalk’s prized assets such as Daryl Horgan and Dane Massey, UCD alumni Ronan Finn, Robbie Benson and David McMillan as well as manager Stephen Kenny.

This is all good news for Dundalk. But what does this mean for the rest of the League of Ireland?

For the past three seasons Dundalk have been Premier Division champions, with limited competition in that time. Cork City have provided a reasonable challenge, trailing the champions by two, twelve and seven points in 2014, 2015 and 2016 respectively. In modern football - where what

“Their success merely serves to paper over the cracks in a League where many clubs live with the everpresent threat of extinction’’ happens with regard to finances can be as important as what happens on the pitch - it’s perfectly reasonable to assume that the rumoured cash injection of €6 million will widen the gap between Dundalk and the rest. Especially in a division where the highest earner takes home €40,000 a year, the average wage is a mere €16,000 annually and short-term contracts are the norm. Based on this fact alone a pessimist may cry that competition in the League of Ireland is dead.

But what about Shamrock Rovers? The Hoops reached the same stage of European competition a mere five years ago but they haven’t even mustered up a title challenge in the intervening years, never mind the total domination that was predicted at the time. The difference here lies in the stability that Dundalk have maintained over the last three years,

and which looks to be continuing.

Manager Stephen Kenny is contracted until 2018, and it is expected that many of the squad will remain over the close season - the mercurial Horgan has said “only a fantastic offer” would tempt him away from Oriel Park. This is in direct contrast to that Shamrock Rovers team, which manager Michael O’Neill left to manage Northern Ireland and key players such as Garry Twigg, Enda Stevens and Karl Sheppard moved on from only to be replaced by a seemingly endless stream of ineffectual managers and costly players (which reputedly made a serious dent in the windfall from their European adventures).

With the solid team structure surrounding Stephen Kenny, it’s hard to see history repeating itself at Oriel Park.

Yet a question remains about the UEFA coefficients. After Dundalk’s exploits, the League of Ireland has climbed four places in the rankings, now sandwiched between the footballing strongholds that are the Finnish and Albanian league systems.

Combine our (still paltry) position with UEFA’s plan to make their competitions essentially a closed shop for the clubs that dine at the top table in Europe and it seems safe to say that this change won’t make much difference to the League.

Nevertheless, the “coefficient” buzzword will be used by the FAI to parade Dundalk as evidence of the progress the League is making, even though in reality their success merely serves to paper over the cracks in a League where many clubs live with the ever-present threat of extinction - notwithstanding the laughable €5,000 each was offered as part of the FAI’s ‘strategic plan’ (despite the organisation receiving millions in prize money after the Republic of Ireland’s showing at Euro 2016).

As a lifelong League of Ireland fan, I was enthusiastic about the response to Dundalk’s success from peers who had once sniggered at my interest in the domestic game and - if the Internet was anything to go by - half the country turned into League of Ireland fans overnight. But the interest amounted to little more than a pat on the back for Dundalk.

Attendance remains poor, and in a country that is home to “the best fans in the world” only three hundred and sixty-nine of them showed up for a clash between Cork and St Pat’s that would have a direct effect on the title race.

While it is obvious that Dundalk’s performances of late are a credit to the League and have become a model that many Irish clubs wish to follow, it is unfortunate that their success will be used by the FAI to continually stab the domestic game in the back.

With the League as a whole in terminal decline, we are edging ever closer to a time where Eamon Dunphy’s famous words that “you can’t hurt a corpse by stabbing it” will ring true.

UCDAFC vs Dundalk playing earlier this year in UCD

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photos: kevin quinlan

No

By David Kennedy Since Dundalk’s European adventure began attracting attention from all quarters after the win over BATE Borisov in August, there have been cynics aplenty amongst both fans and media regarding its wider benefits for Irish football. However, with interest in the League of Ireland remaining low over the past decade, the Dundalk fairy-tale has put domestic football in this country back on the table. League of Ireland football has remained at the forefront of the sporting consciousness of an impassioned minority but, in general, the English game is more closely followed and talked about.

In terms of attendance, the reality is that the Louth side’s recent mass exposure cannot make the numbers any worse. The Premier Division average crowd for 2016 was 1,471 people, according to extratime.ie. Next season, should Dundalk keep their prized assets, the draw of players like Daryl Horgan and Ciarán Kilduff may well boost attendances at grounds around the country, while Oriel Park could also see more people through the gates off the back of this season’s results.

The theory then follows that Dundalk’s televised European games, as well as those broadcast as part of the title run-in, have shown that while interest in domestic football has dwindled, Ireland has a competitive top flight with some decent footballers.

In the end, seven points separated the Lilywhites from runners-up Cork City, but it took a 2-1 win for the hosts when the sides met at Oriel Park in the closing weeks of the season to swing the tide in Dundalk’s favour.

Most of the discussion surrounding Dundalk’s Champions League and subsequent Europa League campaigns has naturally focused on the prize money they have earned to date due to the extent that it dwarfs the sums awarded domestically. Alas, expectations of the minimum €6m being splurged on a brand-new team are probably wildly unrealistic.

Martin Connolly, the club’s general manager, recently told the Dundalk Democrat that around half of the money earned will end up being spent on the increased expenses that come with the rigors of European football, such as travel and accommodation costs for trips to Russia and Israel.

Add in the extra bonuses due to players and staff and suddenly the seemingly massive windfall is a fraction of the figures widely quoted in the press.

That said, Dundalk will still end the season as the league’s richest club. The noises coming out of the club suggest that the money will be invested strategically. The Oriel Park situation, where former owner Gerry Matthews still holds the lease, makes improving one of the league’s least equipped grounds impossible for the moment. Attention will

likely turn to the club’s training facilities, while there is a desire to ensure the longevity of the club’s success by investing in the youth setup.

On a recent Second Captains podcast, Lilywhites fitness coach Graham Byrne spoke of his desire to implement the same rehabilitation programmes and nutrition habits at all levels of the club should he be given free reign of the club’s money.

An improvement of facilities will make Dundalk the benchmark for League of Ireland clubs when it comes to infrastructure. Successfully enhancing training and fitness amenities within the confines of

An improvement of facilities will make Dundalk the benchmark for League of Ireland clubs when it comes to infrastructure’’ the budget will provide a blueprint to other clubs in the league. Should the likes of Cork, Derry City or even in-form Bray Wanderers bludgeon their way through the European qualifiers over the coming years, a precedent will have been set: even when bonuses and travel expenses have been factored in, a portion of the budget can be used to make sustainable improvements to facilities and provide a more stable source of expenditure than wages or transfer fees.

Fears of Dundalk splashing their riches in the transfer market are probably misplaced. With the work to be done elsewhere in the club, the reality is that massive sums of money probably won’t be binged on new players. However, should the likes of Horgan be tempted by the bright lights of the English game, just as Richie Towell was lured to Brighton at the end of last season, Stephen Kenny will probably shop local for a replacement. Christy Fagan of St Pat’s, for example, has been suggested as an ideal candidate should Horgan move on.

While a League of Ireland club would be losing an asset in terms of the transferred player, any prospective transfer fee received would probably go further in the league’s current climate.

Overall, Dundalk playing in the Europa League has put domestic football in Ireland back on the map. People are talking about the future of the domestic game, conversations that were not taking place in the mainstream media this time last year.

With money coming into the League of Ireland from an external source, this could perhaps be the beginning of a stronger league and ultimately a stronger pool of players for the national team.