Vol XXII - Issue 4 - Broadsheet

uo The University Observer above THE WORLD MOURNS AS OVER 100 DEAD FOLLOWING ATTACKS IN PARIS ILLUSTRATION SaoRLA WRIGHT

the SU AND NATIONAL POLICY A head to head debate on the INVOLVEMENT OF THE SU IN POLITICS

Arts contact hours ENOUGH BANG FOR THE BUCK IN NEWMAN?

A REVIEW OF ucd’s game AGAINST LANSDOWN RFC

DANIELLE CLARKE & EITHNE DODD P4

SIOBHAN MEARON P8

David kent p20

RUGBY

16 UCD students studying in Paris during attacks

Poetry and Fiction

GRÁINNE lOUGHRAN 16 UCD STUDENTS were in Paris on Erasmus exchanges at the time of the terrorist attacks on Friday 13th November, the University Observer has learned.

According to UCD’s European Programmes Officer Catherine Convery, all of the students have been contacted but not all had responded at the time of going to print. However, she added that “We have no reports of any of them being hurt.”

One Irish citizen has been reported as having been injured in the attacks, which left 129 people dead and a further 352 injured, 99 of whom are in a critical condition.

Third year UCD student Laureline Lemoine is currently doing her BCL in Panthéon-Assas University in Paris.

She says, “I wasn’t near the places where it all happened but I was in the city centre of Paris, having drinks with people from my class, all UCD students, from the BCL/maîtrise program. I left the pub when the attacks started but I only heard about them when I was safely home. But the first thought I had was for all of my classmates who were on the way home too, and some of them lived near where the attacks were happening.

I sent texts and I called people to warn them and at the end everyone was safe.”

Convery urged Erasmus students who are currently in Paris to keep in contact with their families at home and to stay safe. “In the coming days, students should follow any instructions given by the French authorities in relation to personal security and public order. They should also keep in contact with their families in Ireland, who may be anxious about them. If any student is affected by the events in Paris, they should seek out the support services in their host universities. The UCD support services are also available to them if they are back in Dublin in the next few days or weeks.”

The impact of the attacks on those still in Paris has been severe. Lemoine continued, “The worse part was this morning when I woke up and I heard how many had died. I couldn’t believe it. It still sounds unreal to me. I started to get scared about going back to college in Paris on Monday but I quickly realised that it was exactly what they wanted. For us to be afraid. So I will try my best to not be afraid and cherish life and to enjoy the beautiful city that is Paris… My prayers and

thoughts are for everyone who was affected by those awful events.”

UCD student Chiara Piazzi also shared the impact that hearing about the Parisian attacks had on her. “I grab my phone and I start texting all my friends in Paris, for the next three hours I am buried in my bedroom.

I can’t stop staring at my Facebook newsfeed to see if all my friends marked themselves safe in Paris, and I am talking to one of them about the situation on the phone… Although I am not Parisian or Lebanese, when attacks as dramatic as these ones of Friday 13th happen, I am affected; everyone around the world is affected.”

A statement from Minister Charlie Flanagan of the Department of Foreign Affairs said “The Irish Embassy in Paris is providing consular assistance to one injured Irish citizen. There is no indication of any other Irish casualties at this time but as a precaution I have activated my Department’s Consular Response Centre, with an experienced consular team in place to assist any families or citizens who have concerns. The Response Centre can be contacted on 01 418 0200 or consularresponse@dfa.ie.”

NOVEMBER 17th 2015 Volume XXIi issue 4 universityobserver.ie

Submissions of poetry and fiction from UCD students

otwo p14 & p15

ILLUSTRATION: CHIARA PIAZZI

PleaseTalk hold Candlelit Vigil

Roisin GuyettNicholson

News Editor

ALL OR NOTHING INTERVIEWS WITH THE UP AND COMING EVERYTHING EVERYTHING

AISLING KRAUS Otwo P17

Students to face difficulty with J1 Roisin Guyett-Nicholson AN ANNOUNCEMENT was made last week by the sponsoring bodies of the J1 programme that students applying for a J1–Summer Work and Travel (SWT) visa to the USA will face increased difficulties. It was announced on Thursday 12th November that students now must have a job secured before they travel. Last year approximately 7,000 Irish students availed of the J1-SWT. Fears have been raised that this could see a decrease of up to 80 per cent in the number of people applying for the visa. Speaking to the University Observer, third year medicine student Laura Worthington, who travelled to San Diego California on a J1 last summer, noted that looking for a job beforehand could make the experience more stressful for students. “It felt pointless even trying to get a job before going over for so many reasons, we didn’t know what area in San Diego we’d be staying in as we hadn’t sorted out accommodation yet, or where would hire J1 students or what was even there to apply to.” Worthington also notes that it would be “so much harder to go if you have to have a job lined up beforehand.”

The change originated from a number of sponsoring agencies within the USA that vet and sponsor J1 participants. These

agencies provide students with the documentation to travel to the country. This is an issue also raised

by Worthington who explains that not all of her friends had secured the same jobs throughout their stay.

She states that “some of my friends never even managed to secure a proper job the whole time we were there and relied on cash-in-hand jobs to get by which caused endless problems with our sponsors.”

A press release from the US embassy explained that the new procedures to receive a visa could protect students. It notes “preplacement procedures for J1 SWT students are already in effect and enjoying success in nearly every country in the world. The preplacement requirement is designed to ensure greater safety and security of participants, greater compliance, and a more rewarding cultural experience in the United States.”

John B. Murphy, a representative of the embassy also defended the changes as something that may benefit students in the long-run.

“These independent sponsoring agencies have communicated to us that their goal is to create the safest and most rewarding J-1 experience possible. Pre-placement procedures have already been successfully implemented in nearly every country worldwide,” he says.

The embassy has stated that they do not believe the change will see a reduction in numbers though it will make it safer for students. Murphy notes that “we fully expect that Ireland will remain a top sending country of J-1 SWT participants.”

Worthington highly recommends the experience, however she highlights the difficulty students may face in finding a job before they reach the USA. “I had e-mailed, I think about 50-60 places before I went over and got two responses for an interview when I arrived…The connections I have from spending a summer there would give me a head start on getting a job, I could probably even go back to the job I had last summer,” she says.

Companies such as SAYIT and USIT offer programmes that help students find work and accommodation in the USA. Other such organisations also offer this help to students. Murphy explains that preplacement schemes already exist and have been utilised by many students.

“Sponsors have seen that preplacement has increased well-being and safety of J-1 SWT participants and has improved the participant experience overall,” he says.

2016 will see the 50th anniversary of the introduction of the J1SWT visa programme. Since its inception nearly 150,000 people have used it to travel to the USA.

PHOTO: JAMES HEALY

ON WEDNESDAY 11th November, PleaseTalk UCD held their annual remembrance ceremony for those lost to suicide. It was attended by members of the PleaseTalk society, UCD Students’ Union Welfare officer Clare O’Connor, as well as the mental health coordinator for UCDSU and a number of college officers. Fr. John McNeerny from the Chaplaincy and Aisling O’Grady of the student advisors were also in attendance.

The event was held in November as part of the month of remembrances. Chair of PleaseTalk UCD Cathal Butler said that it was also intended to be before exam season and that the society traditionally holds the ceremony during the first semester of the year. He noted that suicide is a “tragic issue” and that it is important to hold events such as these “to let people know that these things exist.”

Butler stated that although there has been a reduction in the stigma around mental health issues, there is still a stigma surrounding suicide. He claims that there is still much work to be done to change this.

Fr. McNeerny also spoke and noted that there were supports in UCD for people who may be struggling.

These include the chaplaincy, the welfare officer and the student advisers. He said the “important thing is to take the initiative and talk to a significant other person.” This sentiment was echoed by Butler who claimed that “reaching out to the people around you is the first step.”

O’Grady, who is the student advisor for the school of Arts and Celtic Studies, also noted the supports within UCD. She claimed it was important to remember that “we are all here and concerned for each other.”

The ceremony ended with a number of people associated with PleaseTalk reading a series of poems. This included ‘Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep’, by Mary Elizabeth Frye, ‘Life Must Go On’, a Native American prayer and ‘Our Lives Matter’, by Maureen Killoran.

A number of candles were laid out to spell PleaseTalk but the wind meant that they could not be lit.

The ceremony comes as UCD’s counselling service sees record highs in the numbers of students on the waiting list.

FROST OR FIERCE?

WILL IT BE COZY OR CHRISTMAS COUTURE? LUCY COFFEY Otwo P24

GABRIELLE APLIN

PATRICK KELLEHER SPEAKS TO THE SINGER/SONGWRITER ABOUT HER INFLUENCES Otwo P22

NOVEMBER 17TH 2015

News national news in brief

LESS THAN ONE THIRD OF SENIOR ACADEMICS ARE FEMALE Alanna O’Shea

Record numbers graduate from IT Carlow

NEW STATISTICS from the Higher Education Authority (HEA) released this month show that women are under-represented at the highest level of academia.

National statistics for 2014 show that less than a third of senior academics are females.

The statistics show that there are equal numbers of males and females entering academia. Half of lecturers, the lowest grade of university teaching, are now female. More senior positions remain overwhelmingly male. At the higher grade levels 35 per cent of senior lecturers and 26 per cent of assistant professors are female. Just 19 per cent of professors, the highest level of academia, are women.

These new statistics have prompted a call to action from the Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT). Joan Donegan, Deputy General Secretary of IFUT, said comparing the number of women entering academia to those in senior positions suggests that women are simply being denied promotion.

NUI Galway has been under particular scrutiny since a landmark discrimination case last year. The Equality Tribunal found that Dr. Micheline SheehySkeffington had been passed up for promotion due to her gender and awarded her €70,000 dispensation.

The new figures show that NUIG again had the lowest number of senior female academics in all three higher grades of academia.

INSTITUTE of Technology Carlow has seen record numbers graduate this year, according to their President Dr. Patricia Mulcahy.

2,200 graduates were conferred with degrees in the first two weeks of November across the four campuses of Carlow, Wexford, Wicklow and Dublin.

Speaking at one of the eleven conferring ceremonies, Mulcahy stated: “We have increased our learner population by over 30 per cent in the past five years to more than 7,000 learners in this academic year, and our graduates by over 50 per cent.”

News of the record number of graduates comes as the IT continues to petition to be recognised as a Technological University. The IT was given the green light in 2013 to merge with Waterford IT to become the South-East Technological University.

At the conferring ceremonies, Dr Mulcahy also pointed to the high rate of employment for graduates from the IT. She said that the rate is currently at 93 per cent, which is above the national average of 80 per cent.

Trinity Consultants get paid €2.8 million TRINITY College Dublin (TCD) paid €2.8 million to external consultants to help with “change management” at the university, according to The Irish Times.

The Irish Times obtained figures under the Freedom of Information Act, which show that the university paid Clarion Consulting to manage their overhaul of administrative and support services. Trinity had the biggest expense for external consultants among all of the universities in Ireland.

The Irish Times were also able to reveal the expenses paid by other universities for external consultancy.

They revealed that NUI Galway spent €68,898 on HR consultancy companies during their gender discrimination case from September to June 2014.

Their Freedom of Information request also revealed that UCD paid PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) €55,346 last year. University of Limerick (UL) paid law firm Arthur Cox €154,355 in 2013/14 in a whistleblowers case. They went on to pay them another €121,440 in the nine months leading to June 2015.

The Irish Times’ FOI revealed that in total, the seven universities in Ireland spent €24,667,441 on external consultancy fees over a three year period.

A spokesman from the HEA told The Irish Times that they had no objection to external consultancy as long as it was best value for money.

UCC Student turned away by health centre after suicide attempt A STUDENT from UCD has claimed in a letter to UCC Express, the student newspaper on campus, that they were turned away by the university’s health centre after a suicide attempt.

The letter, which was published anonymously, claimed that they informed reception that they had attempted suicide. Despite this, the student did not see a professional, nor was an appointment made for them to see one.

The student wrote in their letter: “I went to the UCC Health Centre and told the person behind the desk I needed to see a doctor.”

“I told the person I had tried to kill myself and nothing had changed with the failed attempt. Shortly thereafter, I walked out the door and on to College Road not with an appointment, not with having seen a counsellor but with nothing.”

“There were no appointments, no emergency appointments and the person could do nothing for me but direct me to the Mercy A&E.” Michael Byrne, director of Student Health and Wellbeing in UCC responded to the situation. “It is a matter of real concern that this student describes a situation where they felt we weren’t there for him/her when they presented to the department, and that he/she describes that no alternative immediate help was arranged for him/her.”

The editor of UCC Express confirmed that they passed on numbers for counselling services to the student.

2 NOVEMBER 17th 2015

Overall, only 18 per cent of its senior academics are female.

However, statistics from the end of 2013 show that there is a similar gender imbalance in UCD. While 52 per cent of lecturers are female, women make up only 29 per cent of senior academic staff. At the top of the academic pyramid, 80 per cent of professors are male.

Other universities have launched gender equality initiatives, such

Climate Change Rally Roisin Guyett-Nicholson

equality in higher education is being critically examined by the HEA. They launched the National Review of Gender Equality in 2014, headed by former European commissioner and Minister Máire Geoghegan-Quinn.

“A report by this independent and expert group will be completed in June 2016 and will address gender equality and the reasons for continuing gender inequality

across all grades of staff, including administrative staff,” said Joan Donegan. Donegan said that universities now understand that equality is an institutional problem rather than solely a women’s issue and are taking steps to correct this.

She warned however that launching initiatives would not be sufficient to solve the “huge and complex problem” of gender inequality.

Campus News in Brief Gráinne Loughran

STUDENTS are being encouraged to attend a climate change rally in Dublin this month. The demonstration will be held on Sunday 29th November, the day before the United Nations host a climate change summit in Paris. Taoiseach Enda Kenny will be in attendance alongside other world leaders.

The rally is being organised by Stop Climate Chaos, a coalition of different organisations focused on “campaigning to ensure Ireland plays its part in preventing runaway climate change.” Groups involved with the campaign include An Taisce, Concern, Trocaire and Eco Unesco.

The event will begin at 2pm outside the Customs House.

The organisation is keen to get students involved. Ciara Kirrane, the coordinator of Stop Climate Chaos, says that “we want to show that it’s people power, not the actions of world leaders that will truly address the climate crisis.” The involvement of students is an important part of the campaign.

The timing of the rally is also vital as it will occur on the eve of the UN’s summit. Kirrane states that “it’s important to hold it on this date because

A PAPER published recently by the UCD Youth Mental Health Laboratory found that there is a strong link between “personal resources” and psychotic-like experiences in adolescents. Personal resources are defined by the study as “self-esteem, optimism, competence and good coping skills.”

According to the research they can have a stronger effect on certain people in creating hallucinations than substances such as cannabis.

Dr. Louise Dolphin, a researcher with the laboratory spoke to the University Observer. She explains that psychotic-like experiences are episodes which can include “auditory hallucinations, visual hallucinations and paranoid thoughts.” The study focuses on instances where these can sometimes occur in the absence of psychotic disorder.

Dolphin notes that there had previously been a gap in the research around this topic.

“A lot of the literature had

as The Integer Project at Trinity College or the Festa Project at the University of Limerick. TCD and UL were recently awarded a gender equality accreditation by the HEA. There was no similar initiative at UCD but the university does have an Equality and Diversity Unit which is “committed to equality of opportunity for all staff and students.”

These figures come as gender

PhotO: BANGLADESHI WOMEN STUDYING IN UNIVERSITY

PATRICK KELLEHER

media attention will be focused on the world leaders arriving in Paris on 30th November.” She further notes that “we want to make clear that governments don’t lead movements - people do.”

The Dublin rally is part of a wider system of events across the world, two of which will be held in Cork and Belfast also at 2pm. A number of similar events on the same day will be held in countries as far away as Australia. Kirrane stated that the involvement of the organisation in a number of different countries is encouraging. She says “hundreds of thousands of people around the world will take to the streets in over 1500 events in almost 70 countries showing the strength of the climate movement.”

A number of UCD societies have already confirmed their attendance at the Dublin rally, including UCD Sinn Fein. Both EcoSoc and UCD Volunteers Overseas are promoting the event among their members. Despite the attendance of the some UCD political parties, Kirrane claims that they “explicitly did not invite any political parties to participate.” This is part of the organisation’s aim to make sure the event stays focused on the people contributing and not on the political advantage.

Stop Climate Chaos are hoping to have over 1000 people in attendance so that they can “send Enda to Paris with demands for climate action ringing in his ears.”

UCDSU launch ‘Slutwalk’ UCDSU will run a ‘Slutwalk’ as part of their #NotAskingForIt campaign on consent today (Tuesday) at 1pm. The event will be led by author Louise O’Neill, who is returning to campus after launching the initial campaign in the Fitzgerald Chamber in October. O’Neill wrote the award-winning novel Asking for It, after which the campaign was named. The Slutwalk is being celebrated as a “Stride of Pride” across campus, and will showcase the right to wear “whatever ye like” without being subject to derogatory comments or insults.

UCDSU has faced criticism on various forms of social media for accusations of trivialising the impact of rape and sexual assault on the posters publicising the event. Issues were raised with the language used on the posters and the use of a photo of SU President Marcus O’Halloran for what many deem to be a female-centred campaign. An SU council meeting on 2nd November also voted in the majority for the event’s name to be changed, but this was not followed through on by the Union.

The event will begin in the Student Centre Atrium.

UCD study finds new cause for psychotic-like experiences in youths Roisin Guyett-Nicholson focused on substance use be distressing to young people. and particularly cannabis The Youth Mental Health use in hallucinations. They Laboratory was established are related but somewhat two years ago by faculty weakly, and they’re not a members of the UCD School key group of predictors.” of Psychology. The lab has This paper instead looks thirteen researchers attached to at other factors such as it and a number of studies into gender, school cycle and youth mental health are ongoing. a young person’s situation Dolphin states that she at home. It found that hopes the publication of this elements such as these can paper may have a filter down to have a greater impact on impact on how interventions are causing these experiences. held. She claims that the study Dolphin also gave a could highlight “modifiable number of reasons as to why resources,” that can be used the research is important. to focus interventions. The She explains that people personal resource area such who experience these as “self-esteem, life satisfaction psychotic-like episodes can and coping skills, are key be more likely to develop across the board with mental other mental health issues health.” Dolphin hopes that such as depression. Study this could lead to a lowering in this area is important, in the distress levels that according to Dolphin, can be associated with the because these episodes can psychotic-like experiences.

Fundraising drive for Youth Suicide Prevention Ireland

Copi-Print to shut down their computers until they could identify the virus. It transpired that the UCDSU have begun work on a naked virus is a new type of virus, which Christmas calendar to fundraise for has only existed for a month. a charity skydive in aid of Youth IT Security have sent on their Suicide Prevention Ireland. Over samples to antivirus software 400 students have signed up to take manufacturer Sophos to investigate part in the skydive so far, and over why the virus could not always be €5,000 has been raised. UCDSU detected by their software. The hope to raise €100,000 throughout computers are continuing to be the year for Youth Suicide Prevention rebuilt. As of November 12th IT Ireland. The calendar will feature Services were continuing to advise volunteers from UCD as well as that staff and students should members of the UCDSU sabbatical not use USB keys on open access team, including Campaigns and computers until further notice.

Communications Officer Cian Byrne, whose own naked photo was recently TEDxUCD published to the SU Facebook page.

TEDxUCD 2015 will take place Copi-print outage on Friday 4 December 2015 in the Dramsoc Theatre in UCD Student A persistent computer virus caused Centre. Now a global phenomenon, the public access computers in TEDx is a programme of local TEDthe Newman Building, the James like events that bring people together Joyce library and various other to spark discussion and connection. locations around campus to be This will be the third annual temporarily shut down last week.

TEDxUCD event. Former UCDSU According to a statement issued Education Officer Amy Fox will MC

by UCD Copi-Print, at the end of the event, which will host a range October Copi-Print became aware of of guest speakers including Maeve a computer virus on the computers O’Rourke, Dr Cara Augustenbourg in the James Joyce library and and Dr Brendan Rooney. The topics the Newman building which had of the talks will range from a fossilthe effect of changing the users’ free Ireland to a cure for HIV. 100 filenames to shortcuts and hiding tickets were made available for the the real files. IT Security advised event, and are currently sold out.

USI to launch General Election Manifesto Eithne Dodd THE UNION of Students in Ireland (USI) will be launching its General Election Manifesto on Wednesday 18th November.

The launch is being hosted by the Smock Alley Theatre in Dublin’s Temple Bar. It will begin at 6.30pm and the launch is open to anyone who is interested in attending.

For those that attend, there will also be an opportunity to discuss how the USI might work on the images presented in its manifesto or similar campaigns in the future. The document of their manifesto will be produced at this launch. It will include the core areas that the USI is hoping to address in the manifestos of individuals and political parties in the upcoming general election, which will

be held in spring of 2016. to vote by USI over just two Fiona O’Malley, the days last month. USI are not communications executive for USI finished trying to get students said of the launch: “The objective to put themselves on the voting is to get people with similar register, however. “We are objectives in the same room with now going into lecture halls political parties who are putting where every single student in manifestos together. To that end I the room has been registered. think it will be successful. Most Students are now a registered parties have committed to coming group that will engage with already and we will confirm the general election and USI the remainder soon enough.” will do everything it can to O’Malley also said that “It is facilitate that engagement,” crucial students engage in the says O’Malley. “Students next and all subsequent elections.” will vote for parties that they To this end, the USI launched a feel put forward the best massive campaign to get more plan for the future. They Irish students registered to vote. won’t necessarily vote for “We have been plagued for years the same party their parents by a perception that young people and grandparents did.” don’t vote,” said O’Malley. “We Tickets are free of charge have an opportunity to address through www.eventbrite. that in the coming election.” com. More information The recent drive by the USI is available through the has been a very successful one.

USI’s Facebook event page 10,000 students were registered “Education is Networking.”

News News Analysis: Student Protests Roisin Guyett-Nicholson looks at the ongoing student protests in the UK and the perception of student apathy in Ireland AS HAS been well-documented in Ireland, the ever growing cost of accommodation and college fees has put increased pressure on students. With the budget outlining no changes in the registration fee, which reached €3,000 this year, opposition political parties have looked towards students as a potential voter’s market. Fianna Fáil recently announced plans to unveil a new student loans system with other student loans companies considering expansion to Ireland.

Fees and college attendance is a contentious issue in most western countries, particularly in the UK. Their election this year was marked by controversy over university fees with little attention being paid to students. Traditionally seen as a group who are least likely to vote in any election, when politicians start to make promises they seem to forget about students. As a result, students in both the UK and Ireland have seen large increases in college fees, not considering the general cost of third level. When cuts need to be made, politicians look at students as an easy group to target. Thinking that they’re not likely to vote, those in charge see no loss in political capital in striking at those in third level.

This attitude is seen here in UCD with University management raising prices for on-campus accommodation, relying on the perceived apathetic nature of students and the turnover of classes. Simply put, students are

seen as not being active enough to force change to anything that affects them. The price hikes for accommodation on campus meant that there were still spaces available for students after term started. Despite the accommodation crisis, UCD still has housing available, simply because students cannot afford it. As the country begins to improve economically, students are still suffering.

In the UK, those in third level face similar issues with rising fees that are much higher than those in Ireland. The recent protests in London arguably show a much more active group of students than those in Ireland. However, that is not to say that students here have not done their fair share of protesting. In 2010, when UCD Students’ Union (UCDSU) was still a member, the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) organised widespread protests against rising fees. Upwards of 25,000 were in attendance.

Similarly in 2013 a “Res Rights Now” campaign was held on campus to protest the impending price hike on campus residence (which are due to increase again next year). Earlier this year students at the National College of Art and Design (NCAD) held protests over the college’s murky financial transactions. This is not the first such protest, with some concerns raised a number of years ago over the transferring of the accreditation of degrees from NCAD to UCD. Though students are sometimes

Photo: via indyrikki wordpress

seen as a group that has less political force than other groups, it would not be true to say that the group is apathetic.

In fact the opposite is true as evidenced by the number of active charity societies on campus, such as Volunteers Overseas, Saint Vincent de Paul and Amnesty International.

What is true is that students are among the more reluctant groups to vote. Though thousands of students registered to vote this year for the marriage referendum,

this influx is issue based. If this particular constitutional change was not being considered, far less students would be on the electoral register.

That is not to say that students are not active and informed members of society. By their definition, those in third-level education will be. They are simply less likely to vote in general elections. Therefore when it comes time for politicians to make decisions, they leave student concerns at the bottom of their list.

With the general election coming up in spring of next year, students need to show how active they are in society. A citizen who is involved in different organisations and works with various different groups to better society in general, even if they do not vote, is just as valuable as the citizen that does. The concerns and issues that they face should not be undermined simply because they have less political capital than other groups.

UCD SU’s ‘Slutwalk’ garners controversy

As UCD Students’ Union is set to have their first ever ‘slutwalk’, Patrick Kelleher looks at the controversy surrounding it

Photo: COURTESY OF UCDSU

UCD Students’ Union (UCDSU) are due to run their first ‘slutwalk’ on Tuesday 17th November as a part of their #NotAskingForIt campaign. The campaign was launched in October by author Louise O’Neill, with the title based on her novel Asking For It. The novel tells the story of a teenage girl who becomes a figure of blame and ridicule after having been raped in a small Irish town.

The SU has generated a great deal of controversy over the decision to call the event a ‘slutwalk’, however. The name has

been heavily debated, including within the SU itself, with a discussion having taken place at the last Council meeting. The idea of a name-change was only discussed at Council however, and a motion was never put forward.

This means that despite seemingly significant dissatisfaction with the choice of the name at Council, the ‘slutwalk’ looks set to go ahead.

The use of the word is controversial for a number of reasons. Some students have argued via social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, that the name exists

only to enhance its social media presence and its ability to gain viral status. In a lengthy Facebook response posted by the official Students’ Union Facebook page on a student’s status about it, the SU said: “The premise of this post is that the name choice was a cynical attempt to enhance the social media presence of this event. It’s a position depending entirely upon an assumption as to the character of the people involved in leading and organising this campaign. This assumption is entirely flawed.”

Arguments have also abounstarting the conversation. ded on Twitter, where the official Clearly, the aim of the SU SU account has also publicly was to bring men into the responded to criticisms. One debate as well as women. The student criticised the poster SU didn’t want this movement released by the SU to promote to be entirely centred around the event, which shows SU women, as it would then be President Marcus O’Halloran missing its central aim, which standing nude beside Graduate is to change rape culture on Officer Hazel Beattie, who is campus. Men are central to the wearing a black dress. The existence of this culture, so student stated that O’Halloran’s involving them from the outset presence in the poster was there was essential to its success. for “comedic effect”, but claimed However this does not detract that there was nothing to laugh from the accusations that the about with regards to the issue presence of a man in the poster at hand. The SU responded by – as well as humour – detracts saying that the “poster illustrates from the poster’s purpose. how ridiculous ‘showing too much UCD is not the first campus skin’ notion is when applied to to run an event of this kind. men (which it never is’”. They University of Toronto organised went on to again dispute the a slutwalk in 2011 when a city student’s police officer stance that said: “women “From it was for should avoid looking at comedic dressing like effect, sluts in order not those who saying: to be victimised.” have said “sorry but There have no – it been many they are illustrates more since, and attending double each time, they standard via Facebook, have garnered prevalent significant in Ireland.” the majority controversy Another taking part from many student quarters. Their or showing criticised intent is clear: the fact to challenge interest that the perceptions are women.” campaign about ownership is not being of women’s picked up on by cisgender men. bodies. While UCD’s ‘slutwalk’ The student claimed publicly on is certainly achieving this, it is Twitter that only around a quarter yet to be seen if the campaign of the people who had clicked will be run with the required ‘Attending’ were cisgender nuance for something as men, and went on to say that sensitive as sexual violence. this means it has “completely The #NotAskingForIt campaign missed the point”. From looking was always going to be the at those who have said they subject of controversy amongst are attending via Facebook, students. A campaign on sexual the majority taking part or violence of this magnitude has showing interest are women. not been run by UCDSU before, There has also been praise and as a result, it is challenging for the campaign and its poster the student body to reconsider expressed through social media. the way they think of rape.

The SU announced on November While the tone of the campaign 8th on their Twitter account that is evidently in question, author Louise O’Neill will be #NotAskingForIt can be said to back on campus for the ‘slutwalk’ have been successful in one area: to lend her support. Another it has started a conversation.

Twitter user said it was a good Students are engaging with this student feminist campaign. The SU campaign much more than poster has also received some they have with many previous responses via social media campaigns. And that in itself to the criticisms, claiming is at least a partial success. that it has been successful in

international News in Brief Helen Carroll

#GrantsNotDebt: London Students Clash with Police over Fee Hikes and Student Debt AT LEAST twelve demonstrators have been arrested after scuffles broke out at a student protest for free education without barriers last week. “Dozens” of officers from the Metropolitan Police territorial support group had to move in when fights broke out with some demonstrators, who wore black, with scarves obscuring their face. Flares, smoke bombs and eggs were thrown at police. Paint was thrown outside the Home Office and some protestors attempted to break into the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), but were held back by the police.

Students’ Unions have called a national ballot for strike action against harsh cuts to maintenance grants and student support, with a further day of action planned on November 17th to highlight the treatment of migrants, refugees and international students. The shadow Chancellor, John McDonnell supported the students and accused the government of betraying them, stating “Education is a gift from one generation to another, it is not a commodity to be bought and sold”.

A spokeswoman for the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts said their group supported “non-violent direct action”, but noted previous cases of police violence against them. She stated the case of Ashley Meadows who required emergency brain surgery after allegedly being struck with a police baton at student protests in 2010. A BIS spokesman said: “This government is committed to ensuring everyone with the potential to benefit from higher education has the opportunity to do so, regardless of their background.”

Zimbabwe: Half of all University council staff now to be women ZIMBABWE is steering the General Laws Amendment Bill through parliament at the moment, seeking to bring 126 laws into conformity with their Constitution.

If passed, the Higher and Tertiary Education Minister would be compelled by law to ensure that at least half of those appointed onto university councils in ministerial positions are women.

The Bill arose after President Mugabe’s cabinet subsequent to July 2013 elections held very few women. The former Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has claimed these elections were rigged, leading to a lack of confidence in the government. The Zimbabwean Constitution recognises that “the state must also take all measures, including legislative measures, to ensure that both genders are equally represented in all institutions and agencies of government”, something which this bill is intended to help ensure.

Their Constitution states that the country must take “just and fair affirmative action”, says Majome of Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change, to promote those groups who have been previously marginalized.

The relatively new Zimbabwean Constitution has been heralded as a major achievement, putting checks on the power of President Robert Mugabe and giving Zimbabwean citizens “greater liberties” than have been expressed in previous Constitutions.

Moroccan academic suspends hunger strike THE Moroccan academic Maati Monjib suspended his three-week long hunger strike on October 29th, after authorities ended a ban on him travelling. Monjib, a professor of political history at the Institute of African Studies of Mohamed V University in Rabat, claims his battle is not yet over. He has been summoned to a tribunal on 19th November, accused of “destabilising state security based on article 206 of the Moroccan Penal Code.”

Monjib started his hunger strike on 6th October, after Casablanca airport authorities did not allow him to travel to Norway to attend a seminar on 10th August.

The seminar would have trained him and other journalists with “investigative skills” and “civic journalism”. He was summoned by the National Brigade of the Judicial Police on September and was accused of threatening state security and of accepting foreign funds to destabilise Moroccan confidence in their institutions.

Many international organisations have called for the charges to be dropped, including CODESRIA, the Middle East Studies Association, Freedom Now, and the Front Line Defenders, who are “Ireland’s International Foundation for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders”.

NOVEMBER 17TH 2015

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Head-to-Head: Should the Students’ Union Involve Itself in National Topics?

There are always questions on what the UCD SU should campaign for. Danielle Clarke takes the stance that the SU should involve itself on national issues, while Eithne Dodd argues the SU should limit itself to university matters

pro

CON

Danielle Clarke

Eithne Dodd

EVERY student in Ireland is a member of a Students’ Union. This is not by choice but instead an automatic membership. It is the involuntary membership to be part of a body that is designed and in existence to protect your rights, fight for those rights, and represent you as a student. The UCD Students’ Union’s (UCDSU) website page states that it works to represent every one of the 30,000 students attending UCD. It further states that one of its roles is to promote the best interests of its members. “Your Voice, Your Union” is the motto of UCDSU – a motto which is continuously fulfilled by tackling UCD issues, national-third level issues, and wider societal topics together as one.

Promoting these interests is best demonstrated through the Students’ Union’s marriage equality campaign. At the start of the last academic year, the Students’ Union launched a massive campaign ahead of the Marriage Equality Referendum. The issue of equal rights for those of the LGBT community has always been a national political issue and is one very close to the hearts of the students of UCD. With one in every 25 people identifying themselves as gay, lesbian or bisexual according to a poll the The Irish Times carried out earlier this year, this is an issue that the Students’ Union couldn’t not involve themselves in.

In March 2014, Marriage Equality was considered as one of the most important issues for those standing as electoral candidates for the Students’ Union.

Fergal Hynes, last year’s SU President, promised to stand up for the rights of his fellow students and organised the largest ever voter registration drive ahead of the referendum. Thus, UCDSU became pro-equality, a decision taken by the student body who wished to have this perspective tackled for them by the SU. In accordance with this promotion, a registration campaign took place throughout the campus during the months leading up to the Referendum. The SU together with the UCD’s LGBTQ+ Society through lobbying and a poster campaign attempted to get those who had not yet registered to vote to do so, in the hope that their vote would be counted. It was hugely successful, with over 4,500 students registering to vote, the most of any Union in an Irish university.

Following on from the registration campaign in the first semester, the UCD Marriage Equality Referendum was held in an attempt to make a statement both within the university and nationally. The results showed a 97 per cent level of support in favour of marriage equality, which was once again, higher than any other university in Ireland. The last step in promotion was the #VoteforME campaign. This involved UCDSU encouraging students, lecturers, and those in the UCD community to become part of their poster campaign in which they outlined the reasons why they were voting yes for Marriage Equality.

By getting involved in this issue, UCDSU gathered an overwhelming support for pro-equality. The students of UCD in no doubt helped in the passing of the referendum which then led to the Marriage Equality Bill being signed into law last month. Without the dedication of the SU to tackle an issue that was important to both their student body and the country, this

THE STUDENTS’ Union has limited from other organisations and lobby resources, time and people. Why spend groups. There are so many student it on issues that it cannot change by specific problems that the SU could itself? The SU is not meant to be a lobby put this money towards such as group, it is meant to be representative accommodation, transport, student of the interests of UCD students. It can health and wellbeing, and equality better do this with a more micro focus on campus. These issues aren’t just on the issues that have a direct and important, they impact students immediate impact on UCD students. directly; they are the issues the SU We have a Dáil for national issues. is supposed to tackle. And if the National issues take time to campaign SU doesn’t take on those issues on for and national laws take time to change. behalf of its students, no other body Unlike in a wider body, such as a country, is there to step in and do it for them. many of what the SU campaigns on a Rather than the SU going on national national level for was voted on by students marches for national issues, they could two or three years ago. Due to the nature spend that money to help the UCD of college, that means that over half of students that they are in direct contact the UCD student population may not have with every day. It isn’t as if students voted on the national issue that their SU don’t have other platforms available is spending money campaigning for. to them if they themselves wish to Taking a stance on national issues is take a proactive role in a national not what the SU was set up for. It was issue. UCD has over seventy societies set up to represent students, and that with which any student of UCD can isn’t even every person in third level in campaign including four political Ireland, just the thirty thousand or so societies and LGBTQ+ society who all students that make up UCD. When you campaign for national issues regularly. consider that there are roughly 4.6 million There are many youth related people in the country, assuming that problems in Ireland but the SU doesn’t every single student votes, that still means need more of a platform than it already the UCD SU is a body representing less has to begin to address them. The than 1 per cent of the total population. country has one of the highest rates Not only does the limited number of youth suicide in Europe. Youth of people the SU represent give it a unemployment is over 20 per cent, and small platform on which to campaign we are one of the most obese countries for wider national issues in the country, in the world. The Union doesn’t need it also runs the risk of isolating those to lobby anybody to help change any that do not agree with those national of this. It can start right now from campaigns. The SU is spending time, the resources and talent it already talent and resources on issues, when it has on the campus it is standing on. could be doing more to improve the lives The SU is there to aid UCD students; of students, especially those students specifically in terms of what makes who disagree with those national goals. them students of UCD. The SU should The SU is meant to represent all of combat those problems first. Before its thirty thousand students, not divide students come to UCD they are worried them. By supporting national campaigns about accommodation and the cost of that some students may disagree with, living. While students are here they that is exactly what it is doing. In order worry about exams. When students to act in the best leave, they worry interest of the most about employment “The SU is amount of people prospects and the it should focus its exact value of their spending time, efforts, time and degree. The SU resources on things talent and needs to help by that all students providing adequate resources on can get behind. accommodation issues, when The SU doesn’t support, exam tips, just run the risk counselling and it could be of some students health services, doing more to feeling isolated, the career talks. Just improve the lives as important, they students may feel strongly enough need to ensure that of students, about the issue to every student gets especially those these. They need to disaffiliate. This means they have ensure that everyone students who no representation is fully aware of how disagree with at all. Not only is they can use their their Union not Union. They need to those national working on issues meet the many other goals.” for them, but needs of students anything that student does to support their that haven’t been mentioned.

Union is undercut by this disagreement.

The Students’ Union has no business A student may no longer feel able to in campaigning or even taking a buy a sandwich in one of the SU shops stance on national issues that do not because that money may be put towards relate to education or other matters a campaign they disagree with (and may that specifically affect students. It not even have had the chance to vote for). has no need and there are many other As student fees have increased in issues that it does need to address with Ireland, the quality of third level education urgency. Our Union has plenty of on has decreased. The money that the SU campus issues to deal with and improve receives from every student could be put before it looks to Kildare Street. to far better use than a national campaign, which would have gotten money anyway

“By getting involved in this issue, UCDSU gathered an overwhelming support for pro-equality.

The students of UCD in no doubt helped in the passing of the Referendum...”

may not have been possible. The referendum passed by 62.1 per cent in favour of marriage equality to 37.9 per cent of those against. It must be considered what the result may have been had the SU not taken a stance on this topic and encouraged 4,500 of its students to register. This undoubtedly had a knock on effect, with many young people encouraging their family and friends to register and vote.

Leading on from this successful campaign, this year UCDSU has heavily involved themselves in the campaign for sexual consent.

This is a topic that concerns not only the nation but the students of UCD. UCDSU have made this issue a priority because it is an issue that students wish to see addressed.

It is the chosen campaign which will run throughout the 2015/16 academic year.

Author Louise O’Neill launched the campaign titled #NotAskingForIt which comes from the name of the title of her new book. #NotAskingForIt is focused on putting an end to the belief that someone can and is entitled to someone else’s body. It will tackle the culture of “victim blaming” in Ireland, which transfers responsibility for the sexual assault from the offender to the victim, and in effect encourages silence. This is an important issue for UCDSU to address, especially as it is one not talked about enough in Irish society.

We are the future generation, the future of this country. Therefore we must become more involved in national issues and wider societal topics. We must have our voices heard on how these issues affect us and how they will continue to affect us in the future. And so what better place is there to start but during university? There are over thirty thousand students attending UCD at the moment. Among these students there are future teachers, politicians, lawyers, activists, nurses, doctors, farmers, and so on. But we must also consider how can we transition from student to adult if we are not even aware of what is going on outside our own front door. The SU, for that reason, plays an important role in the short period of our university lives to make us aware of such political issues and societal topics.

In order to fulfil their obligations to the student body they must tackle these issues from their perspective. We should not have a divide between what is considered a predominantly UCD issue and that of a national issue because we are one population.

Our opinions as students should be treated equal to that of the rest of the country.

THE ENTRANCE TO UCDSU PHOTO: KILLIAN WOODS

4 NOVEMBER 17th 2015

Comment

Has Slagging Gone Too Far?

Whilst ‘slagging’ has been a cultural institution in Ireland for a long time, Rachel Gaffney questions whether we have gone too far with it in the social media age SLAGGING is a unique form of communication amongst Irish people. Is it a way of expressing affection and our sense of humour, or is it such an embedded aspect of our culture that nobody has the heart to say it has gone too far? It is arguably quite a specific Irish custom, seen also in Britain, but not to the same extent, and not a newly emerging one.

Not created from the social media generation – slagging has had a home in Ireland for many decades. However, has the prevalence of social media stretched and distorted the relationship of the Irish and slagging? It can be seen as a form of cyber-bullying in some cases. Some would even argue that our slagging culture damages our image as a nation.

Slagging is the foundation of innumerable relationships in Ireland – both romantic and friendly. In some cases, it is a uniquely Irish method of flirting. Cutting out slagging in friendships does seem like an impossible task and one that no Irish person would rush to do. How else would we express our affection towards each other than calling each other “useless eejits” on a daily basis?

From an outsider’s perspective, how is our fondness of slagging each other perceived? “Twat”, “messer”, “dope” – all terms which have a different or no meaning in countries other than Ireland. Genuinely meant as terms of endearment in the majority of circumstances, it’s difficult to communicate this to those who are new to our small nation. Generally, the feeling is that it is something to adapt to; similar to the commonplace use of swearing or that public transport cannot be depended upon or trusted. Unless exceptionally sensitive, it is doubtful that our love of a good ribbing would prevent someone coming to Ireland for study or work.

On a positive side, the

slagging culture in Ireland thickens our skin from an early age and makes the majority of people less likely to take offence to potentially insulting remarks.

More negatively however, it can show a lack of ability to empathise.

If a group of people are aware that one of their friends is selfconscious about a particular trait –

for example their unusually small ears or the way they pronounce “orange” – is repeatedly making fun of that trait an attempt to make them realise that it is not

ILLUSTRATION: JOanna O’Malley

“When tone and intention cannot be expressed online, does all slagging become hurtful and therefore an example of cyber bullying?”

something to be embarrassed about? Or is it, more plausibly, simply making them more selfconscious? It is possible that Irish people are unable to see that a person may be embarrassed about that trait and therefore make an effort to not discuss it. It is also possible that slagging is a defence mechanism. Is it more the case that we slag others because we are slagged ourselves, and that if you ridicule someone in return, the thing you are self-conscious about may go unnoticed?

It has been validly pointed out that slagging is such a common occurrence in Irish everyday life that to speak up against it can actually be an excluding factor from our society. To not join in on the workplace banter, one is hastily labelled “dry” and, as a result, can be excluded from social events. By disengaging from slagging culture, people run the risk of removing themselves from camaraderie amongst contemporaries. Not partaking can see somebody being excluded from an important aspect of creating lasting friendships in Ireland. This is a lose-lose situation for those not comfortable with our slagging culture, and the solution to this problem is not a simple one.

When tone and intention cannot be expressed online, does all slagging become hurtful and therefore an example of cyber bullying? The effect of what is written online is rarely considered before hitting the send button and it is not difficult to see how slagging can be taken out of context and over the line.

A person might enjoy a joke at their own expense, and even join in and make fun of themselves too. However when a person has 600 friends on Facebook, a light jibe in a comment on someone’s page can easily get out of hand. The acceptable line of slagging is different to each person and reaction is usually the best indicator of that line.

When 16 per cent of students reported to have experienced cyber-bullying last year, it is

unreasonable to assume that this was all malicious and never began as what was intended to be a good-natured “slag”.

Anton Savage addressed this issue in an article for the Irish Independent in 2008. He looked at the Irish inclination to slag each other in light of a case where an employee successfully recovered twenty thousand euro as a result of workplace bullying due to insulting rebel songs being directed at him due to his support of the English football team.

Feeling that it was an aspect of building relationships, he wrote that “the closeness of Irish friendships – particularly Irish male friendships – can often be measured by how egregiously the friends insult each other.”

Rightfully he raised the issue that, regardless of intent, once a “slag” is perceived as hurtful, then it is. If offence has been taken, does the disclaimer “oh, no offence” still become void?

If a person reacts negatively to a joke, slagging cannot be used to sweep away that reaction and it should not be used as a blanket to cover insults.

In a country where slagging is considered a national sport, there will never be a definitive answer to whether or not slagging as one of our cultural norms is positive or negative. The light-hearted banter of it can be misused, and often that is what causes offence and leads people to take a negative view of what is really a uniquely Irish foundation of relationships.

Portugal’s Political Storm Portugal has been through a political meltdown the last number of weeks. Shane Conneely examines this situation

Portugese flag outside of their embassy in DUBLIN pHOTO: gARETH pHELAN

FOLLOWING on from the parliamentary elections on October 5th, Portugal’s political system has been in crisis. Mr. Pedro Passos Coelo has the support of Portugal’s President, Aníbal Cavaco Silva, and Mr. António Costa has the support of the Assembleia da República, Portugal’s parliament.

More than a month has passed since the election which has seen President Cavaco Silva reappoint the outgoing Prime Minister Passos Coelo to the position of Prime Minister of a minority coalition government.

Mr. Costa, the leader of the Socialist Party, having failed to win an absolute majority has breached the

“Berlin wall” of Portuguese politics.

He has formed a novel arrangement with the Communist Party and the anti-European Left Bloc.

The left-wing parties have found common purpose in the notion of keeping Mr. Passos Coelo’s Social Democratic party out of power, claiming to reject the “cycle of impoverishment” which has been caused by four years of austerity.

Unfortunately for this alliance of the Left, having control of parliament is not sufficient to control government.

While this new alliance has control of 62 per cent of the Assembleia, Article 187 of the Portuguese constitution states the Prime Minister

is appointed by the President “after consulting the parties with seats in Assembly of the Republic and in the light of the electoral results.”

President Cavaco Silva selected Mr. Passos Coelo – the current leader of the party which the President himself once led – to become Prime Minister. Two weeks ago however, with a vote of 123 to 107, the alliance of Left wing parties came together to approve a “rejection motion” for the programme of government that Mr. Passos Coelo put before parliament.

This is the first time since 1978 that a Portuguese government has collapsed as a result of losing the support of parliament. Typically, a

President in this situation would They were not put before the dissolve parliament and call people in the same way as the fresh elections. However, with coalition of Prime Minister Passos a new Presidential election due Coelo’s Social Democrats and in January, President Cavaco the CDS-People’s Party were.

Silva is barred from doing so.

Mr Paulo Portas, the deputy With this constitutional lacuna Prime Minster under Mr. Passos having no obvious legal solution it Coelo’s argued during the two is not clear what options are open days of debate that led up to the to the Portuguese political elite. defeat of the government that It was discussed that Mr. Passos while the left-wing government Coelo could remain in power as was mathematically possible, it a care taker Prime Minister until was politically illegitimate. fresh parliamentary elections in Throughout the last few weeks June of next year, but the Socialist it has been suggested that what Party have rejected this. Last was occurring in Portugal was yet week, the left coalition was finally another weakening of the democratic appointed after weeks of turmoil. institutions of a member state for This decision would require the the purpose of securing European President to back down from his interests, with frequent use of earlier position that “in 40 years the term “coup”. What President of democracy, no government in Cavaco Silva did may seem to be Portugal has ever depended on deeply political, but it meets the the support of anti-European requirements of legal legitimacy. forces. That is to say forces that There are two parallel conversations campaigned to abrogate the Lisbon occurring surrounding the domestic Treaty, the Fiscal Compact, the politics of EU member states. One Growth and Stability Pact, as well conversation frames the facts of as to dismantle the moment monetary in terms of “Throughout the union and take last few weeks it has austerity and Portugal out responsibility been suggested that of the euro, contrasted what was occurring in addition to against in Portugal was yet wanting the populism and another weakening dissolution recklessness. of the democratic of NATO”.

The other institutions of a The President discussion member state for the has argued that purpose of securing claims that the roll back democracy European interests…” in the “heavy is being sacrifices” subverted of Prime Minister Passos Coelo’s in the interest of European elites. austerity policies would damage It is not impossible that both of Portugal and result in “false these positions are correct. signals being sent to financial Certainly there seems to be a institutions, investors and markets.” tension across many European Part of President Cavaco Silva’s countries between the rules, logic seems to be that while the treaties, and obligations of alliance of the Left received 50.7 membership of the European Union, per cent of the popular vote, the economic interests of large they were not a formal coalition. swathes of the citizens of these EU

member states, and the capacity of European institutions to act in a way that does not seem to be prioritise concerns of core member states.

The interplay between these conflicts are not only ongoing in the Portuguese parliament but also play out in the rise of the political right across Mittel-Europe. The escalating campaign for Brexit in the United Kingdom, and the claims being made upon the state by various economic classes in the PIIGS nations.

Watching developments in the Portuguese parliament closely will be Spain’s Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, leader of the Spanish People’s Party: a sister party of the Portuguese Social Democrats through the European Peoples Party. Mr Rajoy will face the Spanish people in an election next month. Spain will be the third of the PIIGS countries to have elections in 2015, and elections have not been going well for members of the European People’s Party.

New Democracy, the Greek members of the European People’s Party, were ousted in elections in January.

With a summer that included an anti-bailout referendum, capital controls, a devastated economy, the resignation of the Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis, and ultimately, the capitulation of SYRIZA in their acceptance of a third Troika bailout, New Democracy failed to make gains in the September election.

With two new Spanish Political parties, the anti-corruption Citizens Party and anti-austerity Podemos likely to share in over a third of the popular vote, another hung government is expected.

This is potentially bad news for Taoiseach Enda Kenny whose Fine Gael party is a member of the European People’s Party, along with Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union.

NOVEMBER 17TH 2015

comment The International Battle for Data The legislative battle over private data has been raging in Irish, British and EU courts over the last few years. Martin Healy takes a look at the issue FROM the time that you first log onto the internet, data is constantly being collected. With websites such as Facebook and Twitter, much of that data is voluntary. If you want to sign up to Facebook, most people understand that they will have to give over a certain amount of their personal information.

What is more sinister, however, is the non-voluntary form of data collection – the kind practiced by the US and UK governments, as well as the European Union.

The information leaked by American whistle-blower Edward Snowden back in 2013 was critical in highlighting the mass surveillance tactics of the National Surveillance Agency (NSA) in the US and the British Government Communication Headquarters (GCHQ). They organised a wide variety of surveillance schemes in their respective countries, with ‘PRISM’ and ‘Tempora’ being the best documented.

Classified under the rationale of ‘national security’, these two organisations have been at the forefront of mass surveillance strategies made possible under modern technology. Snowden detailed the amount of access they have in an interview. NSA and GCHQ have the function to search up all your personal data, like phone calls and emails, use phones as microphones or even turn on the camera on your laptop.

This has been made possible by the agreements and legislature they have in place with phone companies and internet service providers (ISPs). These companies have our data that we have given to them. The worry is their inability to safeguard this information.

This discussion has re-emerged due to last month’s TalkTalk hack in the UK. As of early last week,

TalkTalk have stated that around 157,000 customers have had their details compromised, but their credit/ debit cards are supposedly safe.

Why was their information so easy to compromise in the first place?

The headlines surrounding hacks of major corporations have been consistently appearing over the last number of years. British officials have arrested five people in association with the hack, one of them being a

“While data protection has been discussed at length in the US and UK, the situation has found itself appearing on Irish shores over the last number of months.”

15-year-old from Northern Ireland.

Hackers like these often steal this information (cards, bank details and so on) in order to sell them onto crime organisations on the black market. Spy agencies having access to ‘metadata’ is one thing, but the companies themselves are not even able to consistently protect themselves from cyber-attacks.

Whether TalkTalk were in breach of the British Data Protection Act is another issue altogether.

Trust in ISPs and tech companies will only continue to plummet if this continues. On the government level, the UK Home Secretary Theresa May published a draft ‘Investigatory Powers Bill’ two weeks

ago in order to consider altering the state’s powers in how it can acquire customer data from companies.

The bill proposes that “the URLs of every website one visits is to be collected and stored for twelve months and may be inspected by agents of the state…” The bill may look to alter the situation somewhat, but it allows for absolutely no discussion of whether mass surveillance should be utilised in the first place.

While data protection has been discussed at length in the US and UK, the situation has found itself appearing on Irish shores over the last number of months. The discussion has been instigated by Austrian graduate Max Schrems. He lodged a complaint to the Irish High Court over two years ago – a short time before the Snowden leaks – about how Facebook was utilising data and sending it back to the US. The court passed on his complaint and referred him to the European Court of Justice (ECJ).

After battling for two years, his case has meant the EU “Safe Harbour” agreement with the US has to be significantly altered at some point within the next three months. Safe Harbour is the system that allows companies to fast-track sending data from Europe to the US. For most small-level businesses, it is used for routine information like human resource data. On a more insidious level, it moves around lucrative online advertising data.

Most importantly, Schrems’ original argument was that the US wasn’t a Safe Harbour; due to Snowden’s information leak on what the NSA can potentially do with that data once it reaches US shores.

Schrems’ battle with Facebook over private data will continue in the coming months and years. The Irish Data Protection Commissioner Helen Dixon has now been assigned to investigate the claims by Schrems

over European privacy practices and Facebook’s data transfers.

Facebook has tried to claim that altering the Safe Harbour agreement will actually limit what users can share internationally on the website.

At the Web Summit two weeks ago, Facebook’s chief technology officer Mike Schropfer used the example of trying to send a photo via Facebook to an American friend. Due to details noted by public relations at Dropbox, as well as the examination of Safe Harbour by The Guardian, this is likely a smokescreen to protect his company from having to comply with new legislature.

A new version of the Safe Harbour bill is currently in the works between the European Commission and the US. Whether Schrems’ actions have begun to instigate real change in European privacy protection remains to be seen. The new Safe Harbour agreement will likely still allow for customer data to make its way back to US-based companies, and land back in the jurisdiction of the NSA. On top of that, US companies like Facebook and Google have already built European data-centres, allowing them to side-step some of the restrictions imposed by any new agreement.

State-acquired mass surveillance

looks set to continue regardless, as none of this legislation questions whether or not it should be allowed, on either side of the Atlantic. While users have often remained apathetic to companies acquiring their personal data, the issue of non-voluntary state intervention presents a whole new situation. Limits need to be put in place on how governments – whether foreign or domestic – can access private information, but the journey to do so has yet to truly begin.

DATA PROTECTION HAS RECENTLY BECOME A HOT TOPIC IN iRELAND PHOTO: Gareth Phelan

Graduate Tax: A Viable Option?

There are a variety of alternative university fee systems that the Irish state could adopt, Megan Hickey examines one alternative in particular: graduate tax THE IDEA of a graduate tax in Ireland is becoming increasingly popular as a way to improve the standard of Ireland’s third level education. The system of ‘Free Fees’ is becoming less and less viable in this unstable, economic centred world, but is the graduate tax a feasible option for Irish students?

Ireland’s third level students currently pay a contribution charge of €3,000 to attend their chosen college. This rise in the price of college fees has been scheduled since the 2013 Budget.

The Irish student contribution charge has increased by 278 per cent since 2009, when the fee went from €900 euro the year before to €1,500 euro in 2009.

Yet this is nothing in comparison to our neighbours across the Irish Sea. Students in the UK must pay a fee of £9,000 to attend university which is paid off,

by the majority, using student loans. Both Ireland and the UK are looking for an alternative payment for students and both countries see the graduate tax as one of the more popular options for educational reform.

Back in 2009, Fine Gael proposed the graduate tax in their Third Way reform document.

This tax would allow students from all backgrounds to go to college for free. Then, when they become employed after graduation, the students would begin to pay back their fees. The graduate tax, according to Fine Gael’s education spokesperson, would be on average €12,000.

For those in courses such as medicine, dentistry and veterinary, it would be significantly higher. A recent dentistry graduate would have to pay €1,333 monthly for four years or €1,067 per month over

five years, whereas an English graduate would pay €238 per month for four years or €190 over five years. This could be a fairer form payment for Arts students as they get fewer teaching hours than students in laboratory subjects.

But only a small percentage of students will be able to pay back the graduate tax in five years. Fine Gael are not able to ensure how long it will take to pay off this debt for each student. The graduate tax is a huge step away from the contribution fee – a step that the education system and government are unsure whether or not to take.

The graduate tax would enable the government to pay students’ fees straight to the Universities, Colleges and Institutes of Technology. After a student has graduated and is employed, they will pay a monthly charge over a number of years to pay off their debt. Ireland’s higher education is dependent on non-state

“The Irish University system is already a point of huge class divisions in Irish society.

Universities have the lowest amount of students on SUSI grants.”

BA Graduands line up to enter the O’REILLY HALL PHOTO: Via FLICKR

6 NOVEMBER 17th 2015

funding through the universities’ own research, private funding and the student contribution fees. As they are mostly dependent on non-governmental investment, universities’ most dependable source of income is the students’ contribution fees.

Ireland’s third-level education system has suffered greatly in recent years due to the austerity that Ireland has faced. Continued cuts by the government to the educational sector has led to staff numbers falling and a lack of funding for research projects, which decreases the quality of education students receive.

According to Fine Gael, if the graduate tax were to become fully operational, it would raise €500 million for the government, which will then be reinvested into improving third-level education in Ireland.

The need for extra funding in third-level education could be solved by implementing graduation tax. But what will be the benefit of a richer third level institution be when the generation who have been taught in it have a high rate of debt?

The Irish university system is already an area of huge class division in Irish society.

Universities have the lowest amount of students on SUSI grants with just 28 per cent of UCD students receiving maintenance grants. This divide is also shown in courses with higher points, which are mostly filled with students who are not dependent on grants. The graduate tax could help everyone to go to college no matter what their socio-economic background is. As well as the graduate tax, Fine Gael also promised to review maintenance grants and student supports for students from poorer backgrounds. The graduate tax might be a viable option if it caters for students from all backgrounds, with specific interest on students

from low-income families.

With the contribution charge at its desired goal of €3,000 for 2015, can the students of Ireland trust the government not to raise it further? And if not, is the graduate tax a better option?

With the cost of accommodation rising, especially for Dublin based students, on top of the contribution charge, students are already paying thousands for their education. To increase the contribution charge to more than €3,000 will stop students from receiving a third level education.

This was seen in the UK when a 2011 study showed that a £1000 increase in fees cut the numbers of participation by 3.9 per cent. Yet it is unclear if the graduate tax is a viable option with the average student getting into €12,000 worth of debt after graduation. The Irish Federation of University Teachers would like to improve the education sector by allowing a certain percentage of corporation tax to be set aside to improve standards of third level institutions.

The issue of graduate tax will soon become a popular topic as the general election approaches in 2016. This issue will continue to appear in Irish media as the government must find ways to reform the failing third level education of Ireland.

The graduate tax in theory sounds like the best option as the system of ‘free fees’ is slowly dying out. The graduate tax could work in Ireland, if the government keeps the needs of the students in its primary focus.

Gaeilge

An Radharc Ón dTúr Uisce Tá comhairle againn ón dTúr Uisce maidir leis na scrúdaithe!

Le Síofra Ní Shluaghadháin TÁ deireadh an tseimeastair ag drúidim linn, agus is é seo an focal scoir uainn anseo sa Túr Uisce (tá a fhios againn, tá muid uilig ag gol anseo fosta!). Ach ná bígí buartha, fillfidh muid sa bhliain úr le tuilleadh fíorscéalta, agus cúpla ráfla freisin (ar an ábhar sin, b’fhéidir gur chóir imní a bheith oraibh go léir, beidh súil a cóinnéail oraibh uilig!).

Sula n-imíonn sibh ‘na bhaile don bhriseadh, chun barraíocht bia a ithe nó cibé’n rud is mian libh a dhéanamh, tá cúpla focal comhairle againn daoibh, tágtha ón mBord Scrúduithe anseo san Ollscoil. Tá bileog nua foilsithe acu roimh na scrúdaithe i mbliana, dár teideal “Conas Teacht Slán Ó Scrúduithe UCD”, agus ceapann muid uilig anseo go bhfuil sé an-chúidiúil ar fad.

Seo cuid samplaí den chomhairle atá curtha ar fáil acu; 1. Déan plean do gach scrúdú atá agat, agus an dáta ar a bhfuil sé – ná tar chuig an RDS ar an lá mícheart!

5. Déan plean staidéir. Fág am sa bhréis fá chóinne ithe, caoineadh agus ceird uasal na moilleadóireachta!

23. Go chuig an siopa. Ceannaigh peann nua, agus páipear. Agus an leabhar úr sin a raibh súil agat air le cúpla seachtain anuas. Faigh lón, tá sé tuillte agat.

24. A cúig a chlog?! Cá ndeachaigh an t-ám? Tá sé in am dinnéir anois.

Go amharc ar an teilifís chomh maith. Tá sé sin tuillte agat freisin!

32. Caoin go géar an oíche roimh an scrúdú.

33. Fán suas an oíche ar fad. Tá a fhios againn go léir gur plean den scoth é seo!

45. Glac naigín vodca chuig an scrúdú leat, chun a chinntiú a) go bhfuil 37.5% agat agus tú ag dul isteach agus b) nach bhfuil cuimhne agat ar an scrúdú ar chóir ar bith. Is leacht éadathach é!

47. Níl aon phointe uimhir do shuíocháin a áimsiú. Amharc fá chóinne na daoine a shuíonn thart ort i ngach scrúdú eile… Leat féin i scrúdú airithe? Is trua sin…

49. Léigh do chuid nótaí go dtí an bomaite deireanach. Tá an staidéar breise uilig de dhíth ort!

50. Tá an fear a dhéanann na fógraí ag gáire fút. Tá a fhios againn go léir.

55. Beidh do chara cléibh ina suí trí shuíochán ós do chomhair.

61. I mbliana, roghnaigh muid na feitheoirí as ucht a gcuid dathúlachta.

Bain sult as an radharc, feicfidh tú iad

agus tú ag áthdhéanamh an scrúduithe!

62. Níl an oiread sin ama agat sa leithreas, afách.

65. Ná scríobh do chuid “cog”notaí ar an bpáipéar leithris. Shíl muid uilig gur smaoineamh iontach é sin freisin sa chéad bhliain.

68. Glac cúpla nóiméad ag an marc 1 uair chun do shaol a cur in ord, nuair atá gach duine eile ag fágáil, agus nuair nach bhfuil ach trí fhocal scríofa agat.

75. Agus, ar deireadh, na bí buartha faoi na torthaí. Ní féidir le héinne cur síos a dhéanamh ar do shaol trí cúpla uimhir. Seachas an ollscoil, dár ndoigh.

Agus do chuid tuismitheoirí, nuair a caithfidh siad íoc as na háth-scrúduithe.

Agus sin go léir cloiste agaibh, ní féidir linn a rá ach, ádh mór, beir bua, agus bíodh saoire dheas agaibh go léir! grianghraf: VIA SACAP

“An miste leat má labhraím Gaeilge leat?”

Tuairimíocht: An Ghaeilge in éadan Auto-Correct

Amharcann Déonna McLaughlin ar an luach atá ag siombail cosúil leis an bhFáinne agus an pobal Gaelach ag déanamh cómhra agus cumarsáid sa lá atá inniu ann

Ina léiríonn an Cathánach cé chomh ciapta céasta atá sé ag ceartúcháin nach ceartúcháin iad Le Dónal Ó Catháin

óir acu) acu sa teanga. Ciallaíonn ná fáinní seo go bhfuil an seans ag daoine an méid Gaeilge atá acu a léiriú. Ceapaim go mbeadh sé cliste dá mbeadh siombail eile ann, ionas go mbeadh a

“Dar ndóigh ní féidir luach airgid a chur ar an tábhacht atá leis na siombailí ach i mo thuairim táluach mór dóibh don teanga Ghaelach.” fhios againn an bhfuil Gaeilge ag duine nó nach bhfuil. Mar tá aithne agam ar an-chuid daoine nach bhfuil fáinne acu, mé féin

NACH mbíonn sé ródheachair i gcónaí riamh bheith ag clóscríobh inár teanga ársa uasal.

D’éirigh mé as bheith ag comhaireamh an méid uaireanta a mbuailim le Dónal i mo chuntais éagsúla ar líne. Áiteanna a mbuailtear le ríomhchlárúchán nach bhfuil sofaisticiúil a dhóthain chun dul i ngleic le sínte fada. Is dócha go bhfuil mó shaol Tinder ag fulaingt go holc mar gheall air.

Tá sé ag éirí níos fusa dom de réir a chéile bheith ag cló as Gaeilge ar m’fhón cliste toisc go bhfuilim ag gnóthú stór focal réasúnta de réir a chéile.

Tá nós deas cumtha ag m’fhón cuid de m’abairtí Gaeilge is coitianta a chríochnú dom.

Mar shampla má thosaím abairt ar “Le” tugtar an rogha dom leanúint ar aghaidh le ‘gach’, ‘dea-ghuí’ díreach ina dhiaidh, deis a thapaím cuid mhaith den am.

Mura bhfuil an t-ádh leat Gaelfón de chuid Samsung a bheith i do sheilbh bíonn tú i bponc toisc nach ndéantar iarracht ar bith freastal ar fhoclóirí Gaeilge i ngnáthfhóin chliste eile ar an drochuair.

Deirtear gur fearr Gaeilge bhriste ná Béarla cliste ach go minic is meascán uafásach den dá rud seo a chuirtear ar fáil.

Is fearr liom i bhfad bheith ag clóscríobh as Gaeilge ar an ríomhaire caithfidh mé a rá, áit nach gcuireann sínte fáda as don uile-rud.

An t-aon fhadhb a bhíonn agam ar an ríomhaire ná gan bheith in ann roinnt clónna a úsáid i gcomhair obair dhearaidh

toisc gur beag focail Béarla a mbíonn sínte fáda ag teastáil fána choinne.

Dóibh siúd nach bhfuil téacsanna saor in aisce acu is mór an costas atá ag baint leis na sínte fada céanna a úsáid.

Cuireann sé moill ort chomh maith agus tú ag cló más gá do mhéar a choinneáil síos ar feadh soicinde gach cúpla focal.

Ach fós féin, leanaimid orainn, troidimid i gcoinne an oilc, i gcoinne an Bhéarla, déanaimid ár seacht ndícheall ár dteagna náisiúnta a úsáid i dtéacstheachtaireachtaí ar ár n-oibreoirí líonraí móibíleacha náisiúnta.

Cumtar chomh maith béarleagair álainn chun dul i ngleic leis na fadhbanna úd, nós comhaimseartha is ea seo atá le feiceáil i ngach aon teanga bheo, cén fáth ar chóir don Ghaeilge bheith pioc difriúil ón taobh seo de?

Feictear leithéidí: GOA – gáire ós ard GRMA – go raibh maith agat GMÍLE – go raibh míle maith agat CGL – ceart go leor Cé gur crá croí a bhíonn sa mhéid seo go rírómhinic is fiú i gcónaí an iarracht bheag seo a dhéanamh lenár dteanga a choinneáil beo.

Níor chóir dúinn géilleadh don Bhéarla, sna meáin, ná lenár méara ar ár bhfóin phóca.

grianghraf: SCREENGRAB FROM

I MO thuairim bíonn luach mór le siombailí leis an bhFáinne. Ar an gcéad radharc bíonn tú in ann a fháil amach má tám Gaeilge ag an duine agus ansin is féidir leat labhairt leo trí Ghaeilge ón tús. Níl tábhacht leis an bhFáinne ann féin ach i roghnú na teanga a úsáidfidh tú agus tú labhairt le duine. Tá sé tábhachtach do chur chun cinn na teanga, bíonn daoine ag ceistiú cad é an Fáinne sin ar do bhrollach agus is féidir le duine freagairt gur siombail é go bhfuil leibhéal bunúsach (má tá Fáinne airgid acu) nó líofacht (má tá fáinne

san áireamh. Bhí ceann airgid bronnta orm sa bhunscoil, rud nach dtuigim toisc go raibh gach duine againn líofa ag fágáil na bunscoile agus is é an fáinne óir an siombail dó sin. Fiú má bhí siombail ann go nbhfuair tú do chuid oideachais trí mheán na Gaeilge, ba mhaith le roinnt daoine an méid sin..

Bíonn an-chuid deacrachtaí ag baint leis an rogha comhrá nó cumarsáid a dhéanamh trí Ghaeilge, toisc go bhfuil sé deacair a aimsiú cén teanga atá ag duine. Ar an drochuair níl ardchaighdeán Gaeilge ag an-chuid daoine agus ciallaíonn sé sin nach bhfuil mórán daoine ag iarraidh labhairt trí Ghaeilge, fiú í a labhairt i dtosach báire t. Is é sin an rud is fearr faoin bhFáinne, go mbíonn tú in ann a roghnú cén teanga ar chóir tosú léi mar gur féidir leat a fheiscint cén leibhéal atá ag duine sula labhraíonn tú oiread is focal amháin leo.

Tá siombailí rí-hábhachtach sa saol inniu, cuidíonn siad le daoine roghnú cén teanga ar chóir dóibh a labhairt ón tús, cuireann siad an teanga chun cinn, rud atá an-tábhachtach. Dar ndóigh ní féidir luach airgid a chur ar an tábhacht atá leia na siombailí ach i mo thuairim is mór an luach atá acu don teanga Ghaelach.

Má táthar ag iarraidh fáinne a cheannach, (sea is féidir leat iad a cheannach, ní chaithfear iad a bhronnadh ort) is féidir leat do shúile a chaitheamh ar shuíomh Gael Linn.

Tá na roghanna ar fad ansin, fáinne airgid, fáinne óir, an sean fáinne agus tá an suaitheantas “cúpla focal” acu chomh maith.

An tOireachtas An deis iad féilte ar nós Oireachtas na Samhna bualadh le Gaeilgeoirí eile, nó an seans é le cúpla pionta a ól? Amharcann Oisín Ó Cléirigh ar mhaitheas na féile Gaelaí BHÍ Oireachtas na Samhna againn arís le déanaí. Féile, lán le craic agus ceol atá ann atá curtha i láthair trí mheán na Gaeilge. I mbliana, is i mBáile Átha Cliath a bhí an tOireachtas, in Óstán Citywest, i dTeach Sagard. Anuraidh agus an bhliain roimhe sin bhí an tOireachtas lonnaithe i gCill Airne, mar is gnách leis bogadh ó bhliain go bliain.

De ghnáth roimhe seo, is i gceantaireacha Gaeltachta a mbíodh an tOireachtas ar siúl, ach anois tá eagraitheóirí na féile ag bogadh ar chúl ón seanchleachtadh sin. Is mar gheall ar fhéile Oireachtas na Samhna atáim ag scríobh an phíosa seo. I mo thuairim ba cheart dúinn féile nó fiú féilte

eile a phleanáil chun an teanga Ghaelach a spreagadh i measc an phobail, agus tá mé féin den tuairim gur cheart dúinn an féile sin a lonnú sa Ghaeltacht amháin.

Bhí an-chraic ann ag an Oireachtas i mbliana. Bhí scaifte mór ann i rith an deireadh seachtaine ar fad. Bhí na comórtais a bhí ar súil i rith an lae Dé Sathairn ar fheabhas agus ba dheas an cultúr Gaelach a fheiceáil, agus í á chur i lathair ar stáitse mar sin, níos láidre ná mar a bhí riamh cheanna, i mo bharúil.

Bhí atmaisféar iontach ann i rith Oíche na Mac Léinn, agus ba rud iontach é domsa, daoine óga a

“Ba dheas an cultúr Gaelach a fheiceáil, agus é á chur i láthair ar stáitse mar sin, níos láidre ná mar a bhí riamh cheana, i mo bharúil.’’

fhéiceail, agus iad ag labhairt ina dteanga dhúchais go bródúil. Mar gheall ar an méid daoine a ghlac páirt san Oireachtas, ceapaim gur cheart dúinn féile Ghaelach eile a reachtáil i rith na bliana chun cultúr duchais na tíre seo a spreagadh agus a cheiliúradh.

Bhí duine ag caint liom ann ag rá go raibh an tOireachtas i gconaí ann sa Ghaeltacht agus ba cheart dó a bheith sa Gaeltacht i gconaí. Tuigim cén fáth a raibh sé i mBaile Átha Cliath i mbliana.

Tá ciall áirithe leis an gcinnieadh.

Tá an phríomhcathair i lár achan rud. Tá daonra níos mó ann ná

in aon áit eile in Éirinn. Tá sé níos fusa do gach duine sa tír teacht le chéile don Oireachtas ansin mar go dtéann na traenacha agus busanna uilig ansin, agus tá go leor óstán ann don mhéid daoine a bhí ag freastal ar an féile. Ar an phointe sin, mar a dúirt Ronán Mac a’Bhuí faoi, caithfidh muid airgead a chuir isteach sna ceantair Ghaeltachta chun iad a spreagadh. Tá géar-gá le fostaíocht sna háiteanna seo, agus is deis a leithéid d‘fhéile mar spreagadh a thabhairt don cheantar ina bhfuil sé.

Is rud iontach é an tOireachtas,

dár liomsa. Is féidir le Gaeilgeoirí, ón tír seo, agus ó thíortha i bhfad i gcéin, teacht le chéile chun ceol, craic agus damhsa a dhéanamh lena chéile ar feadh ceithre lá.

Mar gheall ar an rath a bhí air le déanaí, tá an fhreagracht ann anois féile nó féilte eile a reachtáil i rith na bliana, agus ba cheart go mbeadh na féilte sin lonnaithe sa Gaeltacht áirithe amháin.

NOVEMBER 17TH 2015

features The Danger of Thinking Dr Shirin Zubair, a scholar of women’s studies from Pakistan who was forced to flee the country because of her “immoral” work speaks to Eithne Dodd about her experience of being a scholar at risk

IT’S DIFFICULT to imagine from our privileged position in Ireland that in many places around the world, scholars and other member of higher education institutions are at risk of attack due to their academic research. These attacks range from imprisonment to killings, disappearances to loss of positions, and they occur frequently around the world. The Scholars at Risk Academic Freedom Monitoring Project reported 333 attacks on higher education between January 2011 and May 2015. The most recent attack reported on by the Monitoring Project occurred in Burma on November 3rd.

The attack happened when Lin Htet Naing, the vice chairman of the All Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABFSU), was taken into custody for his role in organising a student protest against a recently passed Burmese education law.

Scholars at Risk (SAR) was founded in 1999 as a worldwide network of higher education institutions and individuals. Their aim is to protect members of higher education institutions. They do this by providing those at risk in their home country with positions of sanctuary in other higher education institutions. Scholars can be at risk for undertaking research which is deemed subversive by authorities and citizens. They can also be at risk for speaking out against regimes and actions that are inconducive with academic freedom.

Andrew McClelland, the contact point for Scholars at Risk in Ireland said that the organisation had three main purposes. “One of which is to try to work towards protecting threatened scholars around the world, also to try to prevent attacks on higher education, and then thirdly

is to promote ideas of academic freedom and other such values.”

SAR has provided advice and assistance to scholars and institutions in over 2000 cases. They have provided 600 positions of sanctuary for scholars who were forced to leave their home countries due to violence or threats made against them.

Dr. Shirin Zubair is a scholar of English literature and women’s studies. She had been teaching English literature at a Pakistani university in southern Punjab for nearly 30 years before she was forced to leave the university.

Dr Zubair studied English literature to PhD level and her interest in gender studies developed after that.

She rose in position in the university until she became chair of the department of the university and began designing modules for undergraduates. Many of these modules focused on women’s studies and feminist literary theory. “For the past 12 or 13 years, I have been teaching these modules along with other traditional literature modules,” she says.

In regards to women’s studies Dr Zubair says, “I think there is some kind of threat with these disciplines. Women, feminism and these topics were not received very well by the administration and some of the other groups, extremist groups, they accused me of teaching materials and texts and promoting immorality or promoting ideas or values which were incompatible with the teachings of Islam.”

The modules on women’s studies frustrated some students in the university, as did the hiring of a liberal English lecturer. Both this lecturer and Dr Zubair were

“They deemed them immoral, subversive, there were several allegations of transgressing the norms of the society”

IMAGE: SCREENSHOT FROM THE SCHOLARS AT RISK WEBSITE

accused of blasphemy by some students in the university.

“When the protest happened it was a very normal day,” says Dr Zubair. “You go to work and I was in the class and I just left the class and came back to my office and suddenly here are these students that shout and then these students... they just barged in to the department… some of them had batons in their hands.”

“100 or 150 students came protesting, chanting slogans against him [the lecturer] and also against me for promoting, for hiring this guy to teach. Also because they did not approve of the texts and themes that I taught… They deemed them immoral, subversive; there were several allegations of transgressing the norms of the society.”

The students were looking for the English lecturer, who had

posted something perceived as blasphemous on his Facebook page the previous night. “He had known [that the protest would happen] the previous night,” Dr Zubair said. “Otherwise they could have beaten him to death.”

“At that time, I was in my office. I was scared because I thought maybe they would come and throw stones at me or smash the windows… I did not know what to expect really and I was really scared.”

The other English lecturer was arrested by the police for blasphemy and is currently in jail in Pakistan. Dr Zubair was investigated by the police also, but was not charged with blasphemy. However Dr Zubair says, “I heard later

that some of the groups in the university were pressurising the police to arrest me also.”

The following day Dr Zubair was called in to the office of the vice-chancellor of the university. “He said, ‘there are threats to your life and you better not come to campus’.”

Dr Zubair has not been on the university campus since.

She went to London, then she got a fellowship in Germany, “and then I came into contact with Scholars at Risk.”

Dr Zubair is currently researching at a European university, in her “second exile” as she calls it. Her first exile was in 2009. She has a consciousness raising group in Pakistan which organised rallies to protest against honour

killings and promote women’s rights. Although this group was not affiliated with the university, when her name was in the local paper, the university removed her as chair.

There was also slanderous graffiti written against her on public streets.

She went to the United States on a fellowship from Scholar Rescue Fund, a sister organisation of SAR. When asked about education in Pakistan she says, “Maybe the access to education is there, but the content of the education is also important.” She says that education is no good “if you are not teaching them to think about issues or not asking them or making them reflect on these issues, and they’re just rote learning and reproducing the stuff.” She also added that some of the textbooks promote biases.

Dr Zubair also references the Pakistani government’s recent YouTube ban and the influence of religious clergy on education. “Just before I fled the country, the religious groups had also pressured the vice chancellor to show them the curricula, the texts and materials that are shown in the literature department at the university level.

They put so much pressure on the vice chancellor,” she says.

The extremist groups visited the English department to view the texts and materials used by the department. Because the religious groups were watching the department so closely, the heads of the department got scared: “The very next day, they said… stop showing movies.” Dr Zubair summed up her experience of the event: “That’s not education, this is ridiculous.”

According to Scholars at Risk, their work “is rooted in the principle of academic freedom – the freedom to pursue scholarship and research without discrimination, censorship, intimidation, or violence.” In some locations this goal is far from being achieved; but with the support of Scholars at Risk, Dr Zubair and academics like her will be able to continue their work in safe environments around the world.

Dublin’s Homelessness Crisis: OUT IN THE OPEN As the formerly invisible problem of homelessness in Dublin comes out into the open, Gráinne Loughran investigates who make up Dublin’s homeless and why

THE NUMBERS are stark. The most recent figures released show that the number of homeless children in Dublin has more than doubled in the last year and that there were 4,999 homeless people on the streets during the week of 21st to 28th September.

The homelessness crisis has been deteriorating for the past number of years to the point where, for the first time, it is becoming an issue of public interest.

Following the death of Jonathan Corrie almost a year ago just metres from the Dáil in the December cold, public attention has been more directly focused on what previously had been a practically invisible segment of society.

“If you’re homeless most people ignore you,” says Fr Peter McVerry, who has been working with the homeless for over 35 years. “They pass by on the other side of the road. They don’t want to have any relationship with you, even to say hello, they’re nervous about doing it. So the hardest part of being homeless is actually that sense that you’re an outcast, that nobody wants to know you, that you are rejected, that you are looked down upon.”

The typical attitude to homeless people is that they are mostly addicts or have mental health problems, or

have been in trouble with the law.

The reality however is that of the 4,999 homeless people in Dublin during that week in September, roughly half were parents with children. 1,571 children, 980 parents and 2,448 adults without children were homeless in Dublin during those seven days. “There’s a stigma that attaches to homeless people, because of the perception that they’re all, you know, alcoholics or drug users, they’ve brought it on themselves, that would be the typical attitude,” says Fr McVerry.

“And that stigma attaches even to people who don’t have those problems.

For example, it was suggested that some homeless families might relocate down the country. There was uproar from my provincial town, they said ‘we don’t want Dublin’s homeless coming down here!’ Even though these homeless families, they’re absolutely no different from the families that were living down there already.”

The overwhelming cause of homelessness today is not drugs or mental health, but quite simply poverty, according to McVerry. “A lot of people in the private rental sector, the rents are going up and up

“Under current policies we will never eradicate homelessness.

Unless there is a change in attitude and a change in policy, we’re not going to eradicate homelessness”

8 NOVEMBER 17th 2015

and up at an astronomical rates, and people just can no longer afford to pay their rents and they’re getting evicted. So the primary cause of homelessness today is just poverty.

People don’t have the money to avail of accommodation… The reality is that the vast majority of homeless people are invisible, and they are no different from anybody else. They don’t have addiction problems, they don’t have mental health problems, they don’t have behavioural problems, they just don’t have the money to pay their rent.”

In 2013 the government set a goal of ending long-term homelessness in Ireland by 2016. At this late stage in 2015, with the numbers of homeless people increasing month after month, the target seems unattainable now.

“That is pie in the sky as far as I’m concerned, there isn’t a hope,” says McVerry. “And dogs in the street know it’s not going to happen. I mean, the numbers are just going up and up and up. There’s a thousand more people in emergency accommodation than there were 18 months ago, and but if it’s possible at all. With the numbers of families becoming cuts in funding to addiction and homeless is staggering. In 2012, mental health services and no seven to eight families a month were increase in the rent supplement becoming homeless. In 2013, 20 year on year, it seems impossible families a month were becoming to eradicate homelessness as rent homeless. In 2014, 40 families a prices grow. According to McVerry, month were becoming homeless. the only solution to homelessness is In the first six months of this year, the introduction of social housing.

60 families became homeless. In “Under current policies we will never July, August and September, there’s eradicate homelessness. Unless an average of 73 families became there is a change in attitude and a homeless each month. The figures change in policy, we’re not going from October aren’t out, but I have to eradicate homelessness,” says been reliably informed it’s going McVerry. “The solution is social to be 80 plus… so the numbers housing. That is housing owned and are just going up and up and up. controlled by local governments.

This problem is out of control.”

Now, there’s a huge reluctance on The question it seems now is not the part of government to do that. It’s when will we eradicate homelessness, expensive. To eliminate the current

IN Photo: A HOMELESS COUPLE ON O’CONNELL BRIDGE

social housing waiting lists, which are in excess of 100,000, would require an investment of one billion euros a year for the next twenty years. Local authorities don’t actually want to be running social housing because they see it as problematic. They have the experience of the Ballymuns and the Tallaghts which have caused them endless problems in trying to manage those estates. And they don’t want social housing estates again. But it is the only solution, unless there is a change of attitude on the part of government, we’re not going to see it. Government policy is still to delegate the responsibility for social housing to the private sector.”

With the future looking less than bright for the homeless of Dublin under current policies, it’s difficult to know how to help solve the crisis, but Fr McVerry is adamant that the most important thing to change is attitude. “I always say to people the most important thing you can do is when you see a homeless person, just go up and have a chat for two seconds with them. Ask them how they are.

People are very reluctant to do that but that is the most important thing, because that gives homeless people a sense then that even if this person can’t solve my homelessness, at least they do care.” If we can all make that just that smallest of gestures, perhaps the lives of the homeless in Dublin can be improved for the better.

features

Sexual health: the importance of getting checked

As reports indicate that STIs are on the rise in Ireland, Patrick Kelleher looks at the importance of getting checked, as well as the importance of protecting against infection

CONDOMS EMIGRATING ILLUSTRATION: AISLING MCGUIRE

IN UCD, there is no doubt that sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are common. Students are among the social groups most likely to engage in regular sexual activity with different partners, and therefore are particularly susceptible to becoming infected. Accompanied with the greater risk of infection is the stigma around STIs in Ireland – and they are on the increase, according to the Irish Family Planning Association’s 2014 report. The problem with STIs in Ireland is worsening. There are a number of reasons for this, such as the high price of screening, as well as the stigma around infection.

In their 2014 report, Dr Caitriona Henchion, the Medical Director of the IFPA said: “While STI rates

are on the increase, there remains a lack of affordable screening services. The cost of screening in private clinics can be prohibitive, in particular for young people and those on low incomes. This is a public health issue – it is well established that delayed STI diagnosis can increase complications and onward transmission.”

Clearly, Ireland’s problem with STIs extensive. Dr Derek Freedman specialises in diagnosing STIs in his clinic in Ranelagh. He is quick to note that young people are especially at risk of getting infected with STIs. “Well obviously young people are the people who are most at a stage of life where they are partner seeking,” he says. “There may be

frequent partner changes, and even frequent trial runs, and even more in the University atmosphere, alcoholfuelled runs. So consequently they are people who would be considered very much at risk. Obviously during the time of life when one is a singleton, one is more inclined to meet more people, and, you know, it’s a simple formula, it’s like playing lotto: the more cards you buy, the greater the chances of winning; the more partners you have, the greater the chance is of catching infection.”

There are ways to avoid infection, of course, which Dr Freedman is keen to stress. The key lies in prevention. “Now obviously some people are riskier than others. That’s why it’s so important to always know

the person you’re with. Know their name, know their mobile phone number, [it’s] so important to use a condom to start off relationships, and always give breakfast so at least you know where you’ve been.”

There are a huge number of STIs that affect young people. Youth website SpunOut.ie reports that there are “at least 25 different types of STIs. All of them are serious but most are completely treatable.” Dr Freedman also notes that there is no narrowing it down; the number of STIs is huge, and young people are susceptible to all of them. There are, however, some that are more common.

“They can get any of the STIs,” he says. “Some of the things we see more commonly with young

prostitution, or promiscuity). people is chlamydia, we see Therefore, HIV is viewed as a warts and wart virus infections, moral problem rather than a but not amongst those who have medical condition,” he continues. been vaccinated. We see herpes, “A HIV infection is often thought particularly with the popularity to be the result of personal of oral-genital contact. And we’re irresponsibility. HIV Ireland seeing now a recrudescence of challenges this view as and when some of the classical infections, we get the opportunity to do so.” particularly amongst men who While HIV is still a serious illness, have sex with men: gonorrhea, once it is detected and treated, it syphilis and of course HIV.” HIV has, since the ‘AIDS epidemic’ is much more manageable than of the 1980s, been known as the most people think. “Life has changed harmful of all STIs. The Word Health dramatically in the past twenty Organisation (WHO) report that since years for people living with HIV in Ireland,” Mulligan says. “Advances the beginning of the epidemic, 78 in medication mean that a person million people have been infected who is living with HIV can have with the HIV virus, with 39 million the same life expectancy as those dying from it. 35 million people were living with HIV as of the end of 2013. who are not.” He stresses that this is not quite as easy in rural The attitude amongst young people areas, where those with HIV have to HIV is mixed. Often, it is seen to deal with a lack of services. as a disease of the past, or one that Mulligan’s advice echoes that of Dr only affects people in developing Freedman’s: prevention is preferable countries. Some see it as a disease to diagnosis. “College students can exclusively associated with gay men. get informed about HIV and STIs. However this is simply not the case, Anyone who is sexually active should and the illness continues to effect be getting tested regularly and many people across the world. This should be using condoms consistently is also true of Ireland. HIV Ireland and correctly. Student Unions can was set up in 1987, originally as the promote sexual health amongst their Dublin AIDS Alliance. Their 2014 peers which will hopefully dispel report says that there were 377 new the myths and fears associated diagnoses of HIV in Ireland in the with HIV and STIs and make STI year. This represents an 11 per cent testing the norm on campus.” increase from the previous year. The In UCD, there are supports group most commonly diagnosed available for students who want to with HIV continues to be men who get screened for STIs. UCD has have sex with men (MSM), making an STI screening clinic as a part up 49 per cent of new diagnoses of the Student Health Service, in 2014. HIV is an illness that which operates on Wednesday and everyone must continue to watch.

Friday mornings. UCD Students’ Niall Mulligan, who is the Union also offers supports, such Executive Director of HIV Ireland, as providing free condoms. stresses that the stigma surrounding The problems around STIs and HIV continues to be a major issue students are not going away. Students for the organisation. “HIV related must become more proactive in stigma is still prevalent in Ireland,” looking after their sexual health. As says Mulligan. “People do not Dr Freedman says, “People are much have an understanding of what more open about STIs [today]. They HIV is and what it means to be realise that like any sport, sex is living with HIV. People think HIV, something with which you can get despite advances in medication, injured.” With cheaper screenings will inevitably lead to death. available, and young people vowing There is a lack of understanding to get checked more often, Ireland’s about how HIV is transmitted problem with STIs is likely to and how it can be managed.” improve. However this will not “HIV infection is often associated happen without further education and with behaviours that are subject greater awareness of the importance to moral judgments (such as of taking care of your sexual health. homosexuality, drug addiction,

ACCESS TO ARTS: Low Hours and High Fees With extortionate fees and a lack of funding, Siobhan Mearon asks if Arts students are paying too much for the education they receive THE MAJORITY of Arts students at UCD have between 7 and 15 contact hours per week. In contrast, students studying Science subjects, Law, Medicine, and other subjects are in classes or labs from nine to five most days. Despite this difference in hours, all students studying at third level pay the same fees, with no regard for the obvious difference in how the courses are taught.

Many students at UCD are eligible for the Free Fees initiative, wherein the Irish Exchequer covers the cost of tuition fees. Currently, these “free” fees for an undergraduate BA degree at UCD cost €3,000, not including the student centre levy.

Almost all UCD students meet the criteria for the free fees scheme, but the €3,000 contribution charge can only be avoided if a student qualifies for a Higher Education Grant, such as SUSI. Students across the board pay the exact same amount for their degree, despite the inconsistencies in how subjects are taught.

Students studying for a BA Joint Honours degree, for example, have on average two hours per week, per module, usually consisting of one lecture and one tutorial or workshop.

This means students only have an hour per week to discuss the content of a course with a tutor or lecturer, and the rest of the time is to be spent focusing on “independent learning”. This emphasis on independent learning is perhaps a factor as to why students feel they are paying fees for use of the library.

Dannii Curtis, the UCD Students’ Union Education Officer said: “The BA programme in UCD is unique in the sense that it is set up to be a very independent learning based programme which encourages research and critical thinking from its students.”

“From my perspective as a BA International graduate and the current Education officer, I believe the number of hours suits the set-up of the course in general, as students are usually allocated quite a lot of research and reading on top of contact hours.”

Obviously Science and Arts are two very different subjects, with different expectations and outcomes.

Science students benefit from full-on timetables and contact hours, and labs are necessary to gaining a complete education. More money is spent on subjects like this in order to accommodate the ever-increasing interest in the scientific sector, and the increasing amount of students that need full access to labs, equipment, and supervisors. The cost of labs alone counts for more than a tutorial for an Arts student.

Any UCD student taking part in a scientifically based module will have to do these labs, which often go on for three hours at a time. A large majority of fees would also be spent on facilitating the use and upkeep of all the scientific equipment in UCD. Arts and humanities subjects, however, are often noted for their promotion of critical thinking, independent study and research.

There is a lack of funding for the arts and humanities at any level of education, so usually, one guided session with a tutor is the best many schools can do.

According to Curtis, this emphasis on cultivating skills is well suited to

hours, especially for stage 3 classes, is a product of lack of funding and resources within the Arts and Humanities schools. “My only issue with contact hours would do with the lack of funding at school level to be able to provide small tutorial groups for subjects within Stage 3. Many schools at the moment lack the funding/ resources to provide these.”

So if Arts students are paying upwards of €3,000 for their degrees, what is the money being used for if not on the need for more tuition in the Arts? As with any university, money saved in one area is spent to improve another. Money saved on cutting back contact hours in the BA programme can be spent on more expensive subjects. All schools in the Arts and Humanities sector struggle with a lack of funding, from History and Geography, to International Languages, with class sizes growing and an insufficient amount of teaching staff, particularly for languages.

This lack of funding is a problem across the board, and it seems that the issue of lower contact hours for Arts students will not be resolved until the issues with funding and university

photo: JAMES HEALY

would be expected to do upwards of 100 hours of independent study alongside their ten hours of contact with lecturers.

Although independent study is essential to the basis of the BA degree, the ratio of contact hours to study seems unfair. But, as Curtis points out, the issue of

“The BA programme in UCD is unique in the sense that it is set up to be a very independent learning based programme which encourages research and critical thinking from its students.” how the BA programme is developed. expenditure are resolved.

Curtis’ view is that the lack of contact Students in many subjects

contact hours is one of many that are currently being addressed.

Curtis explains that there is a “new curriculum review and enhancement process happening across the university.” According to Curtis, the main concern of Arts students is not the lack of contact hours, but over assessment. “The number one issue which has been highlighted across board for the BA programme is actually over assessment with students. There has been a lack of communication between faculties,” she says.

With the SU aware of these

educational issues, and improvements in the BA programme due to take place, the lack of contact hours for Arts students is likely to be addressed. What is clear however is that students paying the same across the board for such a disparity of hours is problematic. The result is that Arts students are paying the same for an education that is highly based on their own independent learning.

Whatever the result, there are likely to be changes that will change this for the better in the coming years.

NOVEMBER 17TH 2015

features

Suicide amongst young men: Steps in the right direction As suicide rates amongst young men remain consistently high, Laura McHugh looks at steps that are being taken to tackle the crisis THE LAST place you would expect great ideas to be born is in the local pub, especially after a few pints.

However, two Australian friends defied the odds and Movember began in 2003 with 30 participants willing to grow moustaches for the month of November.

Twelve years and 485 million euro later, the hairiest month of the year is back with Movember 2015. While Movember is mostly associated with cancer awareness, male mental health is also a core focus of the Movember Foundation.

Mental health among men is a particular concern in Ireland. Suicide is the leading cause of death amongst young men in this country. According to the Central Statistics Office, there were 459 registered suicides in Ireland in 2014 and 80 per cent of those were male.

Suicide by young people in Ireland was fourth highest in the EU for that year.

There are many difficulties that can threaten the mental health of young people. According to the youth mental health organisation Jigsaw, the most common issue that impacts young people is anxiety. However, isolation, stress, family problems and low self-esteem were all issues that young people reported as impacting on their mental health.

The ‘My World Survey’ of 2012 was conducted through a collaboration of Headstrong and UCD Youth Mental Health Lab’s Dr Amanda Fitzgerald and Dr Barbara Dooley. This study on youth mental health in Ireland found some striking results. Of the 14,000 young people (aged 12-25) that participated in the study, 35 per cent had levels of depression which were of concern. 51 per cent of youths aged between 17 and 25 reported suicidal

thoughts, 7 per cent of those had attempted suicide. With these figures in mind it is easy to understand how Ireland has come to rank so high in youth suicide rates in the EU. While women are more likely to have depression, men are far more likely to commit suicide. While not the only reason, higher levels of suicide in males is often related to men being less likely than women to seek help when it comes to mental health concerns.

It is often found that men will not speak to their social network or to professionals if they are experiencing mental health concerns. This lack of expression can often be due to protecting social ideals of masculinity; men do not want to seem weak for asking for help. Denial that there is actually an issue is also detrimental to seeking help for mental health concerns. The attitudes of the public towards mental health can also be a further barrier to males seeking help for the issues affecting them.

Coping with mental health issues such as depression alone can often escalate an already serious condition.

Rather than seeking help, youths who decide to deal with depression alone are more likely to endorse maladaptive coping strategies such as alcohol and drug use. Alcohol often leads to impulsive behaviour, so it is not surprising that suicide completers are often found to have high blood alcohol levels. The lack of social support that also comes with trying to deal with depression alone is also detrimental as it can increase levels of depression and make bad situations even worse. Therefore, men who die by suicide often do

“Coping with mental health issues such as depression alone can often escalate an already serious condition”

IMAGE: elgrupoinformatico.com

so without ever having attempted to seek help for their difficulties.

On a national level, Samaritans are very aware of the increased risk of suicide amongst young men. As a result, they focus much of their outreach at targeting young males.

The GAA and Samaritans became a partnership in 2014 in order to reach out to men across the 32 counties.

The two organisations are working to reduce the stigma around mental health and encourage young men to contact them not only if they feel suicidal but about anything from depression to isolation and family issues.

Earlier in 2015 the government also launched ‘Connecting for Life’, a national strategy to reduce suicide in Ireland. The aims of this strategy include improving on understandings of suicide, making services more accessible to vulnerable groups and encouraging research in the area

of suicide. This strategy has a strong evidence base behind it including analysis of CSO figures, reviews of research and personal accounts from members of the public affected by suicide. Young people are a particular focus for this strategy as well as those with mental health difficulties, the LGBT community and asylum seekers amongst other vulnerable groups. In relation to the Connecting for Life strategy, Samaritans have stated “we believe the strategy has the potential to address the social and economic factors which impact on suicidal behaviour if it is implemented.”

In UCD, a number of steps have been taken in order to address youth suicide rates. UCD Students’ Union (UCDSU) are running a year long fundraising campaign in order to raise funds for Youth

Suicide Prevention Ireland (YSPI). SU Welfare Officer Clare O’Connor stated, “Our goal is to raise over €100,000 for this charity which depends entirely on public donations in the absence of support from the state.” During the year long campaign YSPI representatives will continue to come to the university and give talks on suicide and self-harm.

UCD have also put forward a policy in the last year which outlines the recommended steps for staff in order to respond to students who are in distress due to mental health difficulties. Within the University there is also the opportunity for staff to receive Safe Talk and ASIST training.

Suicide prevention is the core focus of these two workshops. In these workshops trainees are taught to identify individuals

who are at risk from suicide and trained to keep these people safe until further help can be obtained.

Student advisors, the chaplaincy service and the counselling service are also available in the University if students wish to talk about any issues that are troubling them. In relation to UCD counselling service, O’Connor stated that she would “like to see the budget for counselling services here in UCD increased

by University management.”

It appears that in light of recent figures on suicide in Ireland, local and national authorities have stepped up in order to combat the issue. While we have a long road ahead, there have been some steps in the right direction in relation to suicide, particularly amongst young men in this country.

Diary of a Taoishmuck Fiachra Johnston 5/11 Halloween is over, which can only mean one thing: CHRISTMAS! Of course decorations are going up in Dunnes already. There’s no end to the amount of people complaining about it. In this day and age though, you’d think we’d have more important things to be discussing.

Like how John Lewis is an awful fella for making people cry at supposedly “the most wonderful time of the year.” How did that fella get up on the moon in the first place anyway? Never mind the little girl, won’t the missus be absolutely distraught to find out? I know England’s been going downhill a little, but it’s a bit extreme to be sure.

Of course the highlight of the season is the Dáil Christmas party, which is being hosted this year by Michael Noonan. I don’t know where he’s found the money for the nine foot tall Christmas tree he currently had laying in his driveway, but I’m not complaining. I did ask him where he got it from, but all he did was smile coyly at me while trying to hide a tag on the tree saying “With many thanks for all your assistance in this matter, Anglo-Irish Bank.” Seemed quite nice of them, must remember to thank them sometime at the next inquiry.

Simon Coveney has even sent us a turkey! I have a feeling he might still be slightly miffed after I called his plan for aiding migrants working on Irish trawlers “a bit fishy”, because the turkey was still alive when Fionnuala opened the box. Poor thing ran out the door and down the street. So did the turkey.

6/11 Sent a card to the new Prime Minister of Canada today. Haven’t met the fella yet, but from watching him show off his trick of falling down the stairs completely unharmed on telly, I can already tell he’s going to make a stellar leader. First Prime Minister that wasn’t a Conservative in almost a decade I’ve been told. Not exactly sure what Canadians 10 NOVEMBER 17th 2015

Illustration: Ateebah chaudhry

could be so conservative about though. Apologies? The number of riots over ice hockey per year? The amount of terrible musicians exported abroad?

Apparently his Da was one of Canada’s most well-loved leaders. “The Father of Modern Canada” they called him. I suppose that make auld Justin the decent looking half-brother of Canada then. Already people are saying how forward thinking he is, how “with the times” he can be, just because his cabinet is 50 per cent women and all his ministers have backgrounds in the areas they work in. Just because he made a Sikh Minister for Defence. I’m just as open. Just last week we went to a Protestant mass with one of Fionnuala’s friends and I got their version of the Lord’s Prayer right in one try. I could just as easily have a Sikh in charge of the military.

7/11 President Higgins’ four year anniversary in office is coming up, and I’ve been trying to think of something to get him. What do you get a 74 year old President with a knee problem and a newfound taste for extreme sports?

Ever since that picture of him on that damn BMX he’s become an adrenaline junkie of sorts.

It’s impossible to get him down from his paraglider to sign off on any laws now, it’s ridiculous.

Still though, can’t say I dislike the man. He’s like that jolly auld reverend from Postman Pat. We wish he had brought in his own staff though. Ever since Mary left, the staff in Áras an Uachtaráin have been moping about the place, and all Higgins brought with him was his driver.

His poetry is rough as well. We try not to give him any reason to but if he hears even the slightest whiff of cultural discussion whenever he comes to visit he’ll whip out his notepad and ream off a dozen verses. It’s worse than that time Joan Burton tried to cover “Total Eclipse of The Heart” at her birthday (never should

have bought her that jukebox).

Maybe I might just get him a book voucher. He may be one of the few people who actually want those.

Or I could get him an actual book. Cameron suggested one he himself was reading before I left last month. 1984 I think it was called. Said it was one of his absolute favourites. May have to give it a go myself.

8/11 Speaking of anniversaries, I heard a certain special someone is celebrating a very special one today. Spoiler: it’s me!

It’s been 40 years since I first stepped foot in the Dáil, and to celebrate I had a small gathering with my hundred or so closest friends from Fine Gael in Mayo.

Even Liam Cosgrove came down to congratulate me. I’ll be honest, wasn’t even sure if he was still alive, but it was nice to see him still kicking so I could hear him thank me again for saving the coalition back in ‘75. Not really sure what’s he’s doing these days up in Knocklyon. Probably yells at the kids prematurely for running in his garden even though they never did. Some habits die hard I suppose. We were going to hit the town after pre-drinks at my Brother Henry’s gaff. Of course though, Liam had to go and forget his ID so we couldn’t even get into the club. There we were standing outside like muppets waiting for someone to come along who knows the bouncers just so we can get in. Never taking him out with us again.

Still though, it was a good day.

Reminded me of why I became a politician in the first place.

Besides, you know, the fantastic salary, never having to pay much tax, the armoured limo and the secret three story mansion off the coast of Crete (thank you very much Greek economic crisis). Really, it’s always been about helping the people.

And sure, isn’t that what Christmas is all about?

science

Weird and Not-So-Wonderful Diseases Aisling Brennan investigates some of the stranger medical conditions that can torment humans THE HUMAN BODY is incredibly complex, and it accomplishes extraordinary feats on a daily basis.

Bodies of the top athletes push the boundaries of what’s physically possible every day. Nervous systems and senses creating music, art and literature. Metabolisms continuing to function and thrive despite running largely on Pot Noodle and a threeweek old crushed energy bar found at the bottom of a gym bag. The human body is amazing, right? Unfortunately, the magnificent intricacies of human physiology also mean that any and every part of this biological labyrinth can go wrong, usually resulting in unpleasant, unsafe, and in some cases downright strange consequences.

Take, for example, Tree Man Disease, Epidermodysplasia Verruciformis (EV), an extremely rare genetic disease which results in an increased susceptibility to certain viruses that cause warts.

Sometimes these warts, or macules, usually brownish-red in colour are limited to only one extremity, but in other cases they can be found anywhere on the body. Excessive and continuous growth over time results in a ‘bark-like’ appearance of the affected skin. No treatment has been found for EV, though many have been suggested and tried. And while surgical removal of the growths is usually seen as the best option, most afflicted with the disease require two or three major surgeries a year to simply keep the ‘bark’ at bay.

Equally as weird, but much more frightening, is the disease Fatal Familial Insomnia (FFI). A very rare genetically inherited disease, it involves progressively worsening insomnia, delirium, hallucinations and confusion, and on average is fatal within 18 months of first symptoms. As the disease progresses,

the person afflicted is stuck in a state of pre-sleep limbo, an almost zombie-like state of consciousness.

You might wonder how someone can inherit a disease that inevitably kills all those who suffer from it, and that’s the weirdest part. The age of onset is variable, anywhere between 18 and 60, but most tend to show symptoms around the age of 50. If a person doesn’t know that they have FFI, there’s every chance that they’ve had children by that age, and have unknowingly passed on the genetic curse to at least some of their next generation. The chances of it happening to you, or anyone you know, however, are incredibly slim.

The disease has been found in only 40 families and is estimated to affect only about 100 people worldwide.

Another disorder that causes zombie-like symptoms (and no, it’s not exam week) is Encephalitis lethargica or ‘sleepy sickness’. First described in 1917, it attacks the brain and in more extreme cases, leaves victims in a statue-like condition, speechless and motionless.

Other symptoms include headache, lethargy, delayed responses, double vision, abnormal eye movements, and in some cases akinetic mutism (a coma-like state where the patient neither moves nor speaks). What is truly strange about the disease is that between 1915 and 1926 an epidemic of encephalitis lethargica spread worldwide. Since then, no recurrence of the epidemic has been reported aside from a few isolated cases. Unsettlingly, the cause of the outbreak, and the disease itself, is unknown, although research in 2004 suggested some sort of immune or autoimmune reaction, possibly linked to strep throat. There is no cure, and though various treatments have been tried and used, they have always

met with varying results, as every case is different depending on which symptoms the victim may develop.

Following along the Halloween theme of zombies, mental diseases can be just as morbid and creepy as those that occur outside of the brain.

For example, sufferers of Cotard’s Delusion often sincerely believe themselves to be missing body parts or completely dead. Alternatively, a few patients believed themselves to be completely immortal. The cause?

Complete emotional detachment removes any sense of personal identity when the patients look at their own bodies. They tend not to eat or bathe, and in some cases spend time in cemeteries wishing to be among their (perceived) own kind.

Schizophrenia is commonly found in many sufferers, leading to general treatment with pharmacological drugs, though hemodialysis tends to resolve all symptoms.

In fact, there are several diseases linked to famous Halloween monsters.

Werewolf syndrome, or hypertrichosis, causes growth of hair over the majority of the body, although there is a ‘localised’ type in which hair grows in a specific patch. There’s no cure, so most sufferers focus on treatments to manage the condition, but that can be difficult, particularly in cases where temporary hair removal may only last for a couple hours. Alternatively, Porphyria – a rare group of diseases linked to the production of porphyrins and heme – is believed by many to be the source of much vampire lore.

Sufferers of porphyria can be subject to any number or combination of symptoms, but a few that stand out include oversensitivity to sunlight (with sun exposure causes skin redness and painful blisters), garlic causing agonising abdominal

pain, and receding gums that give teeth the appearance of fangs… sound familiar? There’s no cure, but treatment for individual diseases making up the group is possible.

Just in case you hadn’t had enough zombies yet, Kuru disease, or laughing sickness, is caused by cannibalism.

Specifically, eating human brains.

Among the rarest diseases in the world, it is transmitted only among members of the Fore Tribe in Papua New Guinea.

This is due to the local practise of mortuary cannibalism, where the bodies of those who died from Kuru disease were buried for days, then exhumed, dismembered and their internal organs (now infested by maggots) eaten by mourners. The reason it is called laughing sickness? The victims sometimes suffer from pathological bursts of laughter, along with trembling limbs, headaches, and eventual ataxia (loss of muscle coordination) before, ultimately, death. Though the disease has been declining since the mid 1960s, since Australian colonial law enforcement eliminated cannibalism, the mean incubation period for kuru is 14 years, with other reports of latencies of over 40 years occurring in genetically resilient patients.

There are many weirder afflictions around the world, and their symptoms and strangeness could, and does, fill a library of books. From Auto-Brewery Syndrome (where an intestinal yeast infection turns all food and drink into alcohol and leaves the patient perpetually intoxicated), to human-brain eating amobae, to Foreign Accent Syndrome, there’s no end to the biological perils that exist for us worldwide. But knowing they’re out there can put things in perspective, and suddenly having two essays due and a mid-term next week doesn’t seem that life-threatening.

IN photo: A sufferer of TREE MAN DISEASE

Chemicals of our everyday lives Michael O’Sullivan looks at how important chemicals are to our everyday life THE TERM “chemical” often illicits energy to making your nails grow. a negative reaction from people.

A lot of the chemicals that form part Most of us associate chemicals of these biological pathways would be with the sorts of things that cause classed as dangerous elsewhere. For cancer, kill babies or make your example, the chemical pyruvic acid poo turn an unhealthy shade of forms a major part of the way your magenta. However most people do body generates energy. It sits quite not realise that every single thing happily in your cells, performing its we see and interact with is made tasks fairly innocuously. You can buy from that which we fear so much. this same acid from chemical supply The misconception that chemicals companies fairly cheaply, but it carries are a class of materials that are a corrosion warning. This goes to show bad for you is nothing new. It is that every chemical can be dangerous ingrained into society to such an depending on the way it’s used and the extent that even scientists who work amount of it that is used. To generate with chemicals themselves will often sweeping statements about certain speak of the dangers of “chemicals”, chemicals being harmful is entirely despite knowing intrinsically how misleading without investigating the oxymoronic the statement is. chemicals themselves more thoroughly.

The classic example of the misuse When you exercise for extended of the term is the story of the student periods, your muscles can ache, often who informed his peers and their for a few hours afterwards. This is due parents of the dangers of a chemical to a chemical called lactate, which called “dihydrogen monoxide”, is created as a by-product when your causing outrage among those in body produces energy, building up attendance that such a chemical was in your muscles faster than it can be so unregulated by the government. cleared. The same chemical can be That is, until it used to remove was pointed out limescale “The same volume that dihydrogen from kettles. of ethanol is monoxide is the It’s not just chemical name chemicals from slightly more for water. We food that our than is contained bodies can live in a world where a wealth use however. in a naggin of of information is When you take vodka, which only a few taps of painkillers for might make a phone screen a headache, away, and yet still the odd person antibiotics for people are under an infection or blind if they informed and even something confused about like Rennie were decidedly what chemicals or Gaviscon weak-livered are and just for an upset how important stomach, you but is much less they are to our are putting permanent.” everyday lives. chemicals For starters, into your the way our body works is entirely bodies to prevent that which is governed by chemicals. When we causing you harm or discomfort. eat, everything we consume is broken Even some completely innocuous down to the chemical level. The everyday occurrences are hydrochloric acid in our stomachs is actually caused by chemicals. In a chemical, used to break down food fact, nearly all of them are. into something more manageable for The reason we cry when chopping our bodies. This acid is strong enough onions is down to chemistry. Onions to eat through concrete, yet it is made release chemicals containing and stored within our very bodies. sulphur when they are cut. These Once food is broken down to its chemicals dissolve in the moisture chemical components it is shipped around your eye to form a compound off to different areas of the body, called sulphuric acid. It is this where it forms part of various acid that causes the burning complex chemical pathways that have sensation that leads to you crying. many functions, from generating Alcohols are chemicals. The one

IN photo: A selection of chemicals found in everyday life

a chemical. The very basis of our we are most familiar with is ethanol, life and have had no idea. Polyester is a well known type of fabric; in existence is completely formed as it’s the main component in the fact most people reading this are by a complex chemical coding Jagerbomb you had three of last probably wearing polyester of some system that governs everything Friday. Its cousin, methanol, is only that makes us who we are. Using different to ethanol in that it contains form on their person. The name just four smaller chemicals, DNA one less carbon atom, yet if you were actually gives clues as it is its chemical structure. Esters are a class builds into massive chains with an to drink just ten millilitres of methincredible variety of combinations. anol, you could go blind permanently. of oxygen containing chemicals and the word “poly” is commonly used All of these determine everything The same volume of ethanol is in chemistry to represent lots of the from how tall we are, to how badly slightly more than is contained in same chemicals linked together. So our bodies react when we consume a naggin of vodka, which might polyester is simply a massive chain more ice-cream in one sitting than make the odd person blind if of esters linked together. Plastics is entirely necessary or sane. they were decidedly weak-livered, like polyurethane and polystyrene Chemicals are a necessary and but is much less permanent. are named in similar fashions. essential part of our everyday lives You may even have come across and are so completely intertwined some chemical names in your everyday There is also the fact that DNA is

with our existence that we never notice their importance until they don’t do what we expected. While it is certainly true that there are chemicals in existence that serve only as vectors of harm (just look at the use of sarin in the Syrian Civil War), a very large amount of people believe that chemicals are inherently bad things that only ever serve to do damage. The fact is, we wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for chemicals. Perhaps it’s time we stopped giving them such a bad rap and put more time and effort into understanding what they are and how they affect us.

NOVEMBER 17TH 2015

science

Gene Editing, a potential new

Dilemmas behind Self-Driving Cars

treatment for Cancer A one year old child has made headlines around the world for being the first recipient of an experimental treatment against leukaemia. Aoife Hardesty examines the science behind the treatment CANCER is one of the biggest threats to the human race at this time. The disease targets people at varying stages of life: the very young, the middle aged, the elderly, the strong and able bodied, and the weak. Cancer does not discriminate on any grounds.

The standard definition of cancer is the uncontrolled growth of cells, caused by loss of control over cell division. Cancer can affect any organ of the body: the brain, the skin, the blood. Leukaemia is one of the most well known cancers. It is the cancer of the bone marrow, or blood, or any part of a system that results in impaired production of blood cells. Chemotherapy is one of the most commonly heard of methods by which doctors use chemicals designed to kill cancerous cells in the body. Chemotherapy is the use of medicines to destroy cancerous cells.

However it is not perfect, as it often destroys non-cancerous cells, causing extreme sickness in some patients.

It is often used in combination with radiotherapy (targeting cancerous cells with radiation to destroy them), surgeries and transplants.

Blood cells make up the majority of the immune system. White blood cells in particular can be divided into the groupings of B-cells, which produce antibodies to fight disease, and T-cells, which target diseased cells and produce enzymes to kill them. In leukaemia, the production of white blood cells, whose function is to protect the body and defend against disease, is impaired and one result is that those very cells are unable to fight the invading cancerous cells, further reducing blood cell production and continuing the cycle.

Docotors in Great Ormond Street Hospital in London have managed to rescue the life of a one year old child by genetically re-programming donor T-cells. The patient, Layla, was 14 weeks old when she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. This disease affects stem cells in the bone marrow. Layla was

admitted to hospital and underwent chemotherapy, followed by a bone marrow transplant. This is the typical treatment for the disease, and is normally successful in older patients, but there is only a 25 per cent cure rate amongst children Layla’s age. After the course of chemotherapy, there were still cancer cells present, and the hope that the immune cells from the bone marrow transplant would fight the disease turned out to be fruitless. With no other avenues available, Layla’s parents contacted a researcher in University College London, Waseem Qasib, who is developing gene therapies to combat cancer.

Gene therapies already exist whereby T cells are extracted from the patient and modified to fight the cancer. However as well as being extremely expensive, Layla’s body did not have enough T cells left to perform this treatment. Qasib’s team has developed a method of using T cells from a healthy donor which can be multiplied and given to a patient. They use gene editing techniques to deactivate the gene which normally causes these foreign cells to attack the body, leaving them free to attack only the cancer, and another gene which causes the chemotherapy to destroy the cells.

The gene editing uses enzymes called TALENs which cut DNA at specific sequences and this allowed

Aoife Hardesty Science Editor

the cells to be selectively modified.

This experimental approach had proven to be successful in rodent studies. Despite the treatment having not yet progressed past clinical trials, the doctors, Layla’s parents, and the company working in collaboration with Qasim’s team decided to see if they could get special permission to perform the procedure on the little girl. They received the go-ahead.

Layla was treated with the donor cells, and her situation greatly improved, beginning to recover within weeks.

The TALEN enzymes are not perfect, and may deactivate other genes, so side effects including cancer-causing mutations are theoretically possible.

A second bone marrow transplant took place, with the new immune cells destroying the experimental T cells left in Layla’s system.

So far, the results from the treatment show that Layla is currently cancer free. However, and this is stressed by the doctors involved, it is important to note that it cannot be said that this treatment has cured Layla of cancer. All that can be said is that it helped her enter remission.

The future of this technique could be promising if similar results could be obtained with other patients, but there are concerns about how exciting this news seems versus the reality from a scientific viewpoint. The results obtained are only from one patient and one round of treatment, which does not constitute a scientifically valid study.

It is also unknown how this treatment will fare in the long term, whether or not toxicity could result, or whether or not the cancer could return.

While further studies are crucial before this becomes a regular tool to fight cancer, it is a fantastic result for Layla and her family, and hopefully the technique passes through clinical trials and is as effective for all cancer patients in the future.

Aoife Hardesty ponders a future where cars are entirely autonomous IMAGINE a world where cars are no longer reliant on human input to ferry us from place to place. Scores of cars streaming along the M50 with nobody sitting behind the steering wheel, cars full of passengers talking, browsing the internet, playing with their phones and even catching up on lost sleep. Cars for people with reduced mobility, with no need for somebody to operate complex controls, allowing such individuals total independence. The opportunities are exciting and endless.

Such thoughts seem like science fiction in some ways, and for many people the idea of autonomous vehicles (also called self-driving cars, driverless cars, or robotic cars) is not one that would ever cross their mind.

When you look at the world around us however, and the vast technological leaps that have been made in the last 200 years, it does not seem so crazy a thought. The first motor car debuted in 1886 and now we’re at a moment in time where two manufacturers are promising self-driving cars by 2020.

At first it may seem like quite a foreign concept. However if you’ve ever taken an airplane, that plane has probably been on autopilot for a significant portion of the journey. Whilst autopilot systems do not replace pilots completely, they can follow instructions and react to changes almost perfectly, and some of the challenges with self-driving cars have already been solved with auto-pilot.

On the other hand, would you be comfortable sitting for a complete journey in an entirely automated vehicle? Are we really ready for a world where our machines can literally control whether we live or die? Because that’s what you would be doing: putting your life into the hands, or wheels, of a machine. That doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing however.

In 2013, 190 people lost their lives as a result of road traffic accidents. Road traffic accidents usually occur as a result of human error. Drivers can be distracted by

A retro designed autonomous car IMAGE: VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

many things: phones, sudden noises, they can be tired or they can just not be in good frame of mind for driving.

If we were to eliminate human error from the equation, it is possible that we could cut down on a large number of the resulting accidents.

This is where autonomous vehicles run into some difficulty concerning the ethics behind their manufacture.

On the surface, eliminating human error looks like a great way of ensuring safer roads, but that elimination means, by definition, removing human judgement from the equation. One problematic question is how an autonomous vehicle would deal with a terrible choice.

For instance, if we take a scenario where a car is travelling at a significant speed, when suddenly a group of people run out onto the road. The car is unable to stop in time to avoid crashing into the group, but the only alternative is to swerve and hit a wall, at the risk of killing the passenger inside the car. How might manufacturers deal with preventing or solving such problems? Can a computer logically determine who to prioritise, or should manufacturers programme them to make a certain decision in these cases? These are the questions that were raised by a recent study by

researchers at Cornell University.

The ethics behind such a dilemma are curious. If such a scenario were to occur in a real life situation, someone would have to make a terrible decision. In theory it should not matter if a computer makes the same decision; in fact it might be preferable to the guilt that is no doubt felt by those who have been forced into such awful situations, but nevertheless it feels wrong to leave someone’s fate up to a computer.

Perhaps it is because if it is the car that decides what to do, then that decision making process has been programmed into it by the people involved in its manufacture.

Do we balk at the idea of a team of engineers or scientists sitting around a table and coldly and impersonally deciding the outcome of such an event? Is removing the humanity from the situation the very problem? In the event of such a tragedy, we must understand first with whom the culpability will lie.

If we’re hoping for a future with self-driving cars there are many questions that will have to be answered first. How autonomous vehicles may change society is an interesting prospect, but not something society will have to deal with for at least the next five years.

“Are we really ready for a world where our machines can literally control whether we live or die?”

Robots: from Science Fiction to Science Fact THE WORD robot evokes a variety of images in different people. To some, a robot is a tool to help perform a job faster or more safely. To others, a robot is a companion or carer. Until quite recently, robots, to many people, were fictional creations; science fiction heroes or villains. In the past number of years huge strides have been made in robotics, as well as computer science and engineering, allowing robot technology to undergo huge leaps.

Exactly what a robot is can be hard to pin down, but the general consensus is that a robot is a mechanical or electrical machine capable of carrying out a physical task. This can involve sensing its surroundings, moving various limbs or joints, or even intelligently adapting to different tasks.

Robots, in some shape or form, have been thought of since ancient times. As far back as ancient China there are reports of “automata”; machines which acted, or seemed to act, independently of outside input. The most famous of these is an astronomical clock which contained figures to chime the hours. Ancient Greeks produced a number of water clocks and designs for mechanical figures, while Leonardo da Vinci included plans for a mechanical humanoid figure in one of his diaries.

The term “robot” derives from a Czech word, robota, meaning “slave”. This sums up the shift in perception of robots from curiosity or toy, to tools and workers. A large amount of science fiction postulates worlds with intelligent, humanoid robots, generally developed to assist humans with dangerous or menial work. While true artificial intelligence has not yet been perfected, which saves us from any potential robotic uprisings, modern technology has allowed for a huge variety of robots in modern life.

Perhaps some of the most common, if unnoticed, robots 12 NOVEMBER 17th 2015

ASIMO THE ROBOT IMAGE: VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Robots are beocoming more common in the world around us, whether we notice them or not. Laoise Fitzpatrick explores the history of robots

are those used in industry. Many industries, such as automotive and aerospace require extreme precision, often under dangerous conditions. Heat, sparks, and heavy moving parts can easily hurt human workers, but robotic arms are immune to many of the dangers we face. Some are designed for specific tasks, such as welding two parts together, while others can be reprogrammed depending on what they are needed for.

Robotic arms are typically described by their “degrees of freedom”. These often are analogous to joints on a limb. An arm that can bend in one direction, like an elbow, has one degree of freedom.

Adding “shoulders” and “wrists” means that robotic arms with up to eight or ten degrees of freedom can be designed, to allow them to perform huge arrays of tasks.

While many people will not come into contact with industrial robots, there are some more common examples that can be found in the home. One of these is the robotic vacuum cleaner. These small, generally disk shaped robots can be found in homes all over the world. They are simple to produce and programme; generally following an algorithm to avoid covering the same area twice, and sensing walls and furniture to alter their routes.

“While true artificial intelligence has not yet been perfected, which saves us from any potential robotic uprisings, modern technology has allowed for a huge variety of robots in modern life.”

Other domestic robots can help to clean gutters and mow lawns autonomously, giving homeowners more time away from tedious chores.

Healthcare is an area that is using robots more and more. One example in pharmacies is the robotic dispensing assistant. These can take many forms, but typically contain a storage area where medicines are kept in ordered rows with a database of all the stock available to the robot. It is accompanied by a picking device, which selects the correct box or bottle and presents it to the pharmacist. The advantage of these is time saving and, when properly operated, a reduction in human error. Providing the robot is

set up correctly, the pharmacist can simply enter the required medicine into a computer and the robot can provide it faster than humanly possible.

Other healthcare robots include assistants which can perform tasks for elderly or disabled patients who wish to remain independent. These robots can perform tasks which the patient is physically unable to do, such as preparing and serving meals.

There are many more examples, such as space-based rovers and satellites, and military bombdefusing machines, developed for both private and government interests. One of the more

well-known robotics companies in recent times is Boston Dynamics.

Recently purchased by Google, Boston Dynamics have received attention for their walking and jumping robots, such as Big Dog, which can travel at 4 miles per hour, and carry heavy loads up steep inclines.

Big Dog was designed for military use and funded by the US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which has been involved in funding other groundbreaking technologies such as a precursor to the internet. The technology behind these robots may someday have a huge impact in other areas of life. Another well known company is Honda, which has produced the humanoid robot, ASIMO, which can run and walk, as well as respond to commands and gestures.

Current research in robotics is following a number of different paths.

There are a number of clear trends in the world of robotics though that underlie all of these. One is that as computers become faster and smaller, more powerful software can be written to allow robots to perform their tasks. This can give more freedom to the robot as to how to perform a task, or what to prioritise.

When coupled with advances in electronics and engineering, such as more accurate sensors, this brings us closer to fully autonomous devices.

Another area of research is into nanorobotics. These are microscopic robots, as small as a billionth of a metre in length. These may have uses in healthcare, targeting tumours in the body and destroying them without the use of medicines.

While we are still some way away from the omnipresent humanoid helpers in I, Robot and other science fiction, as interest and investment in the area increases, we can expect to become a lot more used to robots performing menial or dangerous tasks for us. Hopefully this will give us more time to enjoy being human beings.

Business & careers China’s two child policy Eithne Dodd examines the economic implications of China’s new two-child policy Science, said, “The core issue is not about one child or two children. It’s about reproductive freedom. It’s about basic human rights. In the past, the government failed to grasp the essence of the issue.”

Zhongtang also said that even a twochild policy will not do enough to reverse the demographic changes already in place: “At the moment, many people are not willing to have more children, even if they are encouraged to do so. So in reality the government introducing the two-child policy still won’t have much of an impact.”

Zongtang may be right, especially when you consider that in 2013, the one-child policy was relaxed somewhat to allow married couples to have a second child if one of the parents was a single child.

So far in Shanghai, less than five per cent of eligible couples have applied for permission to have a second child.

Many believe that the change in China’s demographics will not be significant. Many couples may decide to have only one child as they have become the societal norm.

In the last 35 years, the Chinese economy has grown substantially and as any country gets richer and more urbanised, the fertility rate declines.

The new two-child policy is expected to have little effect on married couples as the financial cost of having two children are expected to grow Any economist or demographer would say that the best way to curb population growth is by promoting economic growth and good infrastructure and China has not reached this stage yet.

China’s labour force is shrinking as its

photo: VIA CHINA DIALOGUE

CHINA’S ruling Communist Party minorities or farmers whose first child has announced the abandonment of was a girl, most couples who violated the infamous one-child policy which the law faced harsh punishments. These has been in place in the country for range from fines, loss of employment more than thirty years. From March and forced abortions and sterilisations.

2016, couples will be able to have China’s labour force was at its peak in two children before they face fines.

2012 at 940 million people. Since then The decision has been made to it has been falling and is forecast to fall combat China’s ageing population, by 29 million by 2020. The working-age which the Communist Party fears population fell by 3.71 million last year. will lead to a The UN slowing of the estimates that “At the moment, growth rate of the country many people are the economy. not willing to have will have According to almost 440 more children, Credit Suisse million over even if they are calculations the 60s by 2050. encouraged to do removal of the This will leave one child policy so. So in reality pensioners would introduce the government depending on introducing the 3-6 million a shrinking two-child policy more newborns working each year from population still won’t have 2017. Those and will much of an impact.” extra babies compromise would cause an additional China’s ability to keep a high growth consumer spewing of between rate and standard of living.

120 and 140 billion yuan.

Since the impact of the one-child policy In 1976, the then leader of China, there has also been gender imbalance in Deng Xiaoping, introduced the idea the country as male children are preferred of a one child policy, but it was never over females. In 2014, Chinese women intended to last forever. China was a gave birth to 115.9 boys for every 100 girls much poorer country at the time and Over the past few years, many it was feared that it would not be able demographers have spoken out against to support the growth in population. It the one-child policy including Yi Fuxian is estimated that around 400 million who said that if the fall in the working births have been prevented due to the population is not reversed “The future programme since it began in 1979. of China’s economy will look grim.”

While there were exceptions to Liang Zhongtang, a demographer the policy, such as among ethnic from the Shanghai Academy of Social

population ages. This is also happening in Japan and Germany but unlike in China, they were rich before they got old. When Beijing announces its next five year plan it is expected that it will reduce its average annual growth rate from the seven per cent to six per cent.

In the wider world, the abandonment of the one-child policy has revived the debate of population control and the strain an increased population will put on the planet’s resources.

Most demographers believes that the world population will naturally stabilise

this century at around 10 billion people.

Major global regions are already moving towards fertility rates below the replacement threshold of 2.1 children per woman.

The Chinese experiment shows that government intervention in population did not alleviate the pressure on the economy in the long run. China still needs to boost productivity and global innovation in order to expand its economy. It is an economy which will find it increasingly difficult to pay for itself due to its ageing population and low (although increasing) birth rate.

Can Money Buy You Happiness?

Can money buy you happiness? Jane Purdom looks at the economics behind the theory THE AGE OLD question “Can money buy you happiness?” is becoming increasingly relevant in the developed world. At a time when money appears to influence everything – what you wear, where you go and even how you act – many have explored the link between money and happiness. So, can enough money make you happy?

In order to understand whether having money truly equates to being happy, a true understanding of what happiness is necessary. However, it is a hard concept to correctly define and one definition may not incorporate all perspectives on what being happy involves. For example, research has shown that some people categorise themselves as happy despite not experiencing laughter, connections or comfort regularly, conditions many of us consider necessary in order to be happy.

One must also understand that in some circumstances an increase in money may not directly make someone happier, but may reduce anxiety or stress,

by relieving previously daunting financial strains such as mortgage repayments or mounting bills.

The majority of existing research suggests that money can indeed buy you happiness. But don’t go selling your soul on Wall Street just yet, as the two are only linked to a limited extent. Research suggests that happiness only increases to a certain extent – roughly about $75,000 per annum. After this, it appears that further increases in wealth don’t necessarily increase your happiness. For example, increasing someone’s earnings from $30,000 to $50,000 may very well increase their happiness – but a wage increase from $100,000 to $120,000 would usually not see the same increase.

These findings have of course led us to question the link between money and happiness even further. Recent evidence suggests that money will only make us happy if we spend it on certain things such as children’s college funds and certain material possessions, such as cars. Surprisingly, no link was found between a large pension fund and greater happiness. The once property obsessed economy of Ireland should note that no

link has been found between happiness and owning several properties. In this sense, it is true to say that happiness cannot be totally bought. However, this may be because the wealth owned through property and pensions cannot be spent on luxury items such as artwork, holidays or designer clothes which have been positively correlated with happiness.

Evidence also suggests that spending your money on others rather than yourself improves your happiness over time. Similarly, spending your money on trips and experiences rather than physical items appears to be more effective in increasing one’s happiness.

Although an item lasts longer than a trip or a holiday, the psychological effects of such an experience – forming human connections, excitement and a sense of purpose – last a lifetime. So, money can buy you happiness if you shop for the right things.

Studies that look at the insanely rich have also shed some light on as to whether or not money brings us happiness. Mirroring previous research, it appears that if the rich become richer they do not necessarily become happier.

Furthermore, it appears that how an individual makes their money greatly influences whether or not they will be happy. If you’ve made your money with an idea you’re proud of, and feel

that what you do genuinely contributes to society for the better, you are much more likely to find happiness than someone who doesn’t have these views. So it appears that it’s also how you earn your money that determines its link to your happiness.

As research regarding money and happiness has studied the rich, it has also looked to lower socioeconomic samples to shed some light on the situation. It appears that like higher-earners, money only buys happiness if it comes from the right place.

Those earning similar amounts to those receiving social welfare payments tend to be happier and more satisfied with their lives. This once again proves that money itself does not buy you happiness, but that you have to value where it’s coming from.

It is fairly evident that money can buy you happiness. However, it is also clear that it’s not a simple correlation and that there are a lot of other things that will influence your satisfaction.

Earning money in a way that you deem important, and spending this money on what you truly want seems to be more important than the exact numbers going into your bank account each month.

Virgin Media Take Over UPC As Virgin Media take over UPC, Megan Fanning looks at the implications of the take-over in the Irish telecommunications industry IT WAS announced in late August that Richard Branson’s Virgin Media would be taking over Ireland’s UPC in the following months, with its official launch on October 1st. This is not the first time the global firm has been in Ireland, having had Virgin Megastores in locations such as Dundrum Town Centre in recent years. What makes Branson think that this time the presence of Virgin Media will be successful and what change will it bring to its customers?

Recently, the popularity of UPC has gone spiralling down, with unhappy customers complaining of inadequate service in both television and broadband, faulty equipment, and a too-heavy focus on gaining new customers rather than caring for the existing. The company saw an increase in broadband and phone services customers three months before the Virgin takeover. Still, its total amount of customers have dropped since the same period last year.

Fortunately for UPC customers, they do not have to make any changes themselves. The transition period is done automatically by Virgin so those previously UPC customers are now automatically Virgin customers. This is in Virgin’s best interest considering the recent growing of unpopularity towards UPC, having recently been listed as one of Ireland’s least favourite

Virgin’s balloon taking up some passengers over wiltshire photo: Virgin.com

brands. Virgin Media wants to make a “transformation” to the unpopular company, promising a greater focus on existing customers over putting all its resources into gaining new customers.

Virgin Media entered the mobile markets at the start of October, shortly after its commercial launch. Its promise to focus on old customers is evident here with existing customers being offered three months unlimited mobile data and a chance to simplify billing matters by pairing it with their broadband, television and landline

services. However, while Virgin Media are offering this shiny new service, they have been unclear as to how they aim to approach already existing problems within UPC. The company was known to have difficulty in its broadband services reaching its advertised qualities outside of Dublin and many areas couldn’t access UPC broadband at all. Virgin has yet to offer any other solution than increased investment in these areas, and there has been no time frame nor structure put to the plans.

What has Virgin Mobile got to offer

over the ever-increasing competition on period of UPC becoming Virgin Media, the market? A benefit to them is that they Eircom became eir. The new rebranding are offering thirty-day contracts so you has seen Eircom invest €16 million, can leave whenever you wish. However, not into infrastructure, but into the it will be using changing of logos the infrastructure on its vehicles and “Virgin has yet from Three to bring changing its stores. to offer any its service, so its However, the move quality will be no was called for after other solution greater. As well as it was unveiled that than increased this, 4G will not Eircom was voted the be introduced until investment in fifth least favourite 2016, a service brand in Ireland, four these areas, and offered by many places behind UPC. other providers.

There has been there has been no Virgin Mobile a major shake-up time frame nor will also not be in recent months in structure put selling mobile the Irish telecoms phones or handsets to the plans.” market and there will but rather will be many changes only sell the sim in the coming years cards themselves. This means that within these brands. Unfortunately for customers must purchase the mobile customers, these changes have yet to from another provider, and will most be clarified or revealed. However let’s likely have to have it unlocked by hope that the purpose of rebranding, the network it bought it from. in both UPC and Eircom, to increase Irish telecommunication companies its popularity again among customers, have gone down massively in popularity is justified through the changes it in recent months. Some of the accusations makes to its services and customer levelled at them have included not care and is not just prettier logos. focusing on customers, increasing prices, faulty services and so on. UPC is not the only company to be revamped in order to save its market share. In the same time November 17th 2015

student voices

Postcards from Abroad: Minnesota Ciarán Sweeney recounts his experience of his year so far on a year abroad in Minnesota in the US an address in front of nearly 3,000 people at the University’s theatre. It was a great opportunity to hear from such an accomplished personality in the law and everyone definitely learned a lot from what he had to say.

As well as Scalia’s visit, the law school also organised for two more guests to come and talk to us. The first was Walter F Mondale, after whom the University of Minnesota Law School is named, and he was the former Vice President of the United States under Jimmy Carter.

As a former Senator of Minnesota and Attorney General of the State, it was great to hear what he had to say. Along with him that same day, the law school brought in prosecutor Jill WineBanks, who was the special prosecutor against President Nixon during the famous Watergate scandal in the 1970s. Wine-Banks was only 5 years out of law school when she was prosecuting the President and therefore it was amazing to hear how she went about the prosecution at such a young age.

Outside of the law school, the Twin Cities are amazing. Where I live is situated pretty much split between downtown Minneapolis and downtown St Paul. St Paul is where most of the government buildings are, where the Fed bank is, where the Minnesota Supreme Court is, and it is the official capital of Minnesota.

It is also the home to the Minnesota Wild, Minnesota’s ice-hockey team.

On the other side of the Mississippi river then is the city of Minneapolis.

Downtown Minneapolis is where all of the bars are, including a lot of Irish bars, where the clubs are and where a lot of the shopping centres are based.

Minneapolis is one of the best places in the US to shop and it is currently ranked as the fourth best city in the US to shop in behind New York City, San Francisco and Chicago. The main reason for this is the Minneapolis is home to the Mall of America, which is the biggest shopping mall in the US.

AS PART of the my third year of the four year Law with Economics degree in UCD, I was given the option to study abroad for the year at the University of Minnesota, based in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St Paul. There are a few big differences I noticed straight away from studying here at the University of Minnesota law school compared to at home. The first main difference is that in the USA, Law School and Med School are reserved only for graduate students who have already obtained an undergrad, and as a result, the minimum age you can be as an American studying at law school is about 22 or 23 by the time you have done your four year undergrad after secondary school.

I found however that with law school being so expensive for Americans, usually they don’t have enough money to go straight from undergrad into Law School and so a lot of them save for a few years. As a result, most of the people in my class are in their late twenties and early thirties, with many of them married, which is definitely a big change from the class dynamic at home in Dublin.

So whereas at home, as a 3rd year I would be one of the older students in the Sutherland school, here, because of the grad school requirement, myself and Conor Gilheany, the other UCD international exchange are the two youngest at the Law school, so it took a while to get used to the new age dynamic here.

Another big difference is the way the lectures are taught. At home in UCD we come into lectures and sit there while the lecturer talks for two hours. The classes aren’t very interactive between student and lecturer. Here it is very different.

Every student is assigned about two hours of reading before each class and then you are “called-on” by the lecturer so he can ask you on what you are supposed to have read. This took a while to get used to, and being “cold-called” to speak in front of a class can be very daunting at first. Another change is the size of the classes here compared to UCD. In the Sutherland school at home we can often have up to 200 or 250 people in a lecture, whereas here the biggest class size is 35 people and my smallest class is nine (and the nine people class is a three hour class so you’re guaranteed to get called on).

One of the highlights of the Law school so far was when the University organised for Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia to come in and give a lecture to the Law school. He took one of our classes for a lecture in the morning and then in the afternoon, he gave

To put its size into perspective, it is four times the size of Dundrum Shopping Centre, so it is an amazing place to visit. As well as that, there are loads of outlet stores on the outskirts of the Twin Cities that make the city a great place to go shopping in.

As expected American football is the biggest sport in Minnesota, and the Minnesota Vikings, who are the state team, are currently having their new stadium, the US Bank Stadium built.

As a result, they are temporarily playing at the stadium used by the University’s football team, the Minnesota Gophers. It is essentially the equivalent of Leinster playing their home games at the Belfield Bowl, except for the fact that the University Stadium, the TCF Bank Stadium, is the same size as the Aviva Stadium.

Apart from the American football teams of the Vikings and the Gophers, and apart from the Minnesota Wild ice hockey team, there is also the Minnesota Twins, which is the baseball team and the Minnesota Timberwolves, the basketball team.

So as a sports fan, it is definitely a state that will keep you occupied.

As well as the sport side, the nightlife in Minneapolis is also a lot of fun. It tends to be slightly more bar orientated here than in Dublin, but there are still a few nightclubs Downtown which are very similar to the Harcourt Street scene, and are a good laugh.

I couldn’t recommend Minnesota highly enough. The only negative I would have about it is the weather, which gets freezing cold in the winter.

Minneapolis-St Paul is the coldest metro city in America and last year the temperature got down to -41 degrees Celsius, so if you are going to come, bring a ski jacket and lot of layers. Apart from the cold though, it is an amazing city and I’m loving every minute of it, and would recommend to anyone who is offered it as an exchange option to seriously consider it.

“Every student is assigned about two hours of reading before each class and then you are “called-on” by the lecturer so he can ask you on what you are supposed to have read.”

PHOTOGRAPHY: CIARÁN SWEENEY

SOCIETY NEWS

By Gráinne Loughran L&H Memorial On Thursday 12th November, in following with the longstanding tradition, the L&H lay a wreath of poppies at the memorial to former auditor Thomas Kettle in St Stephen’s Green. Thomas was a barrister, essayist and poet as well as an economics professor who enlisted, and ultimately fought in the 9th Battalion of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers in World War One. He was killed in 1916 on the Western Front. Current L&H auditor Conor Rock was present for the laying of the wreath. Kettle’s most famous sonnet “To My Daughter Betty, the Gift of God” is inscribed on the memorial.

Economics Society InterParty Debate Economics Society and the Students’ Union are holding a student-focused InterParty Debate on Thursday 17th November at 7pm. This will be an opportunity for political party representatives and students to discuss issues such as the student contribution charge, higher level funding, the accommodation crisis and graduate opportunities in Ireland ahead of the 2016 general election. Confirmed guests so far include Lucinda Creighton of Renua, Áodhán Ó Ríordáin of the Labour Party, Paul Murphy of the AntiAusterity Alliance, Eamon Ryan of the Green Party and Stephen Donnelly of the Social Democrats. Students are invited to attend, ask questions and get the answers they’re looking for from the people who will possibly lead the next government.

Drawsoc Competition UCD Drawsoc and the Library have teamed up to celebrate Library Ireland Week by inviting UCD artists, designers and illustrators to help design the next UCD Library book bag. Your idea can be created either on paper or digitally using design software tools such as Adobe Illustrator. You can submit your idea(s) to the UCD Library Outreach team at outreach@ucd.ie by Monday, 30th November. For further information, see www.bit.ly/UCDLibraryBag UCD SVP Homeless Week The UCD St Vincent de Paul society ran another hugely successful Homeless week last week, with a peak of 53 students sleeping outside the James Joyce Library on a single night. The SVP society ran numerous events throughout the week, including a fashion show with Cumann Gaelach, an Open Mic night with ComedySoc, a charity wax and a battle of the buskers.

Gael Linn Debating Success UCD have won the National Gael Linn Debating Final at Oireachtas na Samhna for the second year running.

Cumann Gaelach Auditor Seamus Ó Ceannain and Irish Language Officer Dónal Ó Catháin represented UCD discussing the motion, “Now is the time for our Emigrants to return home

to Ireland”. The team spoke in favour of the motion. In competition with them were two teams from UCC and a Dublin Team (one speaker from UCD and one speaker from TCD).

UCD Symphony Orchestra UCD Symphony Orchestra will perform a charity concert on Friday 20th November in Christchurch Cathedral in aid of Aware. Aware performs an important role in providing information, education and support for people who experience depression. The programme will feature Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture and Tallis Fantasia by Vaughan Williams.

Tickets cost €20 and concessions are €10, and are available now from www.ucd.ie/orchestra/ UCD Gamelan Ensemble To Host Annual Christmas Concert

By Aaron Poole Students and members of the public are invited to attend the Third Annual Concert hosted by the UCD Gamelan Ensemble, which takes place Wednesday, December 2nd in UCD’s Global Lounge.

Headed by Doctor Peter Moran, the ensemble is the first of its kind to be established in Ireland. Having been constructed in the Javanese

city of Surakarta in 2002, it was appropriated by UCD ten years later.

This year’s concert follows a growing tradition of Gamelan music within UCD. Being offered as an elective this year, the number of applicants was higher than expected. The School of Music then decided to increase the amount of places available. Students have also began to fully embrace the tradition, establishing an extraneous improvisation group as well as well as composing their own pieces for the ensemble to play.

Gamelan music has been labelled as one of the most ancient classical forms of music in the world. Originating in Indonesia, the tradition has been celebrated for the best part of a thousand years. Each ensemble consists of a large set of percussive instruments, pitched gongs of varying sizes, flutes carved from bamboo, two­stringed instruments similar to violins and pitched drums.

Unlike other instruments every set of gamelan instruments is unique.

Each set is constructed with a specific range of pitches that are cohesive to that particular series, meaning two different sets will sound disparate when compared.

This heightened individuality carries weight among seasoned gamelan players. UCD ensemble director Peter Moran says that “each gamelan [is] its own distinct personality, and it is

common to give a gamelan a name and even celebrate its “birthday” on the date when it was first played.”

The ensemble is resident to the Newman Building, having played there for the first time (as well as setting its “birthday”) on 3rd October 2012. The ensemble has seen a high levels of success since its inception. The UCD gamelan has been featured at festivals, university events and political gatherings, and its reputation has even found its way back home to Java. The

Sultan of Javanese city Yogyakarta gifted the National Concert Hall with its own purpose built set of gamelan instruments. They are now played by new ensembles, also directed by Moran, that meet regularly in the Concert Hall.

With the ensemble readying to recruit for the next semester, students are encouraged to attend their end of semester event to pique their interests and get a feel for what the ensemble offers.

THE WREATH AT THE BASE OF THOMAS KETTLE’S STATUE photo: MEGAN FENNELLY

14 NOVEMBER 17th 2015

OPINION Quinn’s Bizzness Jess Quinn rounds off her semester of one-liners with the stresses of exam season and SU antics

THE END of the semester is upon us and so far this year I’ve made more Pot Noodles than friends and I think I have actually completed Tinder. Wouldn’t you love to go back to a simpler time when the only decision you had to make was between a Dairymilk and Taytos at the shop after mass on a Sunday morning?

I’m just not cut out for modern life and technology, like that STAT10010 lecturer. I just want to go back to the days when people can’t see that I read their message and just didn’t reply.

Why is it that Facebook’s list of “suggested friends” is quite literally a list of people I’ve been avoiding my entire life?

Growing up is terrifying. You have to face the fact that you’re not going to achieve all of your goals. For example, based on how I react when the toast pops out

of the toaster, I have accepted that I will never look cool when walking away from an explosion.

With exams approaching the mania will be upon us and my fear of the stairs in James Joyce is “escalating”. Regardless of what you study, every student will learn Newton’s previously unknown 4th law of motion: a student in bed will remain in bed unless acted upon by a large enough panic.

If you thought the queue for Centra was bad, wait for the line into James Joyce come study week.

Lectures finishing up is somewhat daunting. Do you ever skip lectures to catch up on work and then feel like that slug in Monsters Inc. that mops the floor while simultaneously leaves a mess behind?

The awkward moment when a lecturer asks “any questions?” and everyone sits in silence because they don’t even know

what they don’t know. Even if I was 7ft tall my lectures would still go over my head. Although there’s nothing like concluding a semester with the awkward clap you give your lecturer at the end of term. It helps mask the internal screams of panic. Use the promo code “Netflix” and get 50 per cent off your next exam.

If you are flustering about exams, know that you are not alone. I walk around like everything is fine but deep down inside my shoe my sock is sliding off. My Maths teacher called me average today; I thought that was rather “mean”.

When I Google something for college I add “for kids” so I can actually understand what it is.

Guess who just got all their assignments done. It’s hard not to get down at this time of year.

The only thing I found scary about Halloween this year was how quickly the decorations were replaced by Christmas lights.

Also Irish weather needs to fliuch off. The wind is fierce these days.

I was headed to the library and then the wind blew me all the way to the Clubhouse. I think it’s foolish that UCD teaches “Arts” but fails to teach the more important subject of Defence Against The Dark Arts. Rumour has it that The Very Hungry Caterpillar is on the reading list for English final years.

Just because exams are approaching, it doesn’t mean you should put your social life on hold. Things aren’t going well for me these days. My girlfriend broke up with me because I talk about video games too much. I think that’s a stupid reason to Fallout 4.

I wanted a cheese toastie, went

to the fridge and to my disappointment discovered I’m the only easy single in this house.

It sucks coming home, taking off your UCD scarf after a long day of being a virgin and my roommate has locked the door so nobody walks in on him having sex. I lock the door to stop people walking in on me eating two pizzas. I don’t know why I’m single. I’m a real animal in bed, specifically a koala. I can sleep 22 hours a day. “You’re so hot, let’s take this to the bedroom,” I say to my microwaved meal.

During this stressful time it’s important to look after your physical and mental health. I overslept and didn’t go to the gym. That’s three years in a row now. Everyone knows you’re not really getting fit and healthy unless you post a selfie on Instagram with your new Nikes and protein shaker. I hate exercising, mostly because the only exercise I do is run out of money. I did go for a run though, and lost a stone. It’s grey and round, if anyone sees it let me know.

Mental heath is a serious issue in universities. It’s not surprising really because while in college there is this pressure to have the time of your life while simultaneously having daily mental breakdowns. I think that there is a great misunderstanding of how serious an issue anxiety and depression is. The inspirational quote you posted on Facebook really helped cure my clinical depression, thanks.

Being constantly on the brink of poverty is a drag. It’s no wonder students are so willing to donate blood with the promise of a free lunch. This year the SU are trying to raise €100,000 for

Youth Suicide Prevention Ireland by selflessly going on a parachute adventure. Here’s hoping they reach their target, and the Facebook posts about their good deeds get enough likes, or else it will all be for nothing. Major props to the architect that designed the SU corridor. Anyone who can find a way to make a building capable of holding the egos of the SU deserves much respect.

The SU’s #NotAskingForIt” campaign is in full swing with the “Slut Walk” as the opening event.

I’m not sure if they are trying to reclaim the use of the slur slut, or are they completely oblivious to what their campaign is about. I’m still unsure what it has to do with Graduate Education to be honest.

I think a campaign entitled “Netflix and consent?” would be more appropriate these days. There should be a campaign to promote library etiquette. Love, put your shoes back on, it’s the library, not a day spa. My own personal campaign is to have hot chocolate renamed beautiful chocolate.

A worldwide campaign that has come to light is the war on tampon tax. Why do girls complain about periods so much? They’re essential for correct punctuation. I expect this campaign to emerge every 3-4 weeks, which suits our government. They are so bad at organising things that if abortion were legal there would be a nine month waiting list. Speaking of slow, the new Subway workers are as efficient as junior B full forward line.

“Even if I was 7ft tall my lectures would still go over my head”

November 17th 2015

OPINION

To shave, or not to shave?

For a long time, women shaving their bodies has been seen by some in the feminist movement as anti-feminist. But does shaving really make you a bad feminist, asks Niamh O Regan?

‘‘I’D rather be a bad feminist than no feminist at all”: Roxane Gay, journalist, author, professor and “bad feminist”. Can a good female feminist shave her legs, or does she cast the razor away in disgust? That is the question. Does shaving inherently make a woman anti-feminist?

Does not shaving make her a feminist? No, and no again.

Really, it comes down to the motivation behind picking up that razor, or wax strips, or hair removal cream or booking an appointment (obviously some industry wants to capitalise on unwanted hair). If the motivation lies in the belief that all hair (except for perfectly shaped eyebrows and head hair), is disgusting and unfeminine then yes, that is probably anti-feminist. But shaving in itself is not. Enjoying the feeling of shaved and moisturised legs on clean sheets or in fresh pyjamas is a strange little serotonin inducer. Nor is not shaving

inherently feminist; sometimes people mean to, and just forget. Not shaving by decision of “I don’t care if I have hairy armpits, they are my armpits, I will not cow to society’s unnecessary wishes,” however, is arguably a feminist move.

Of course, there is the argument that the issue boils down to why some women decide to start shaving in the first place. Is it because not doing so deems your bikini line unacceptable for society’s perception of what is right and respectable in its vision of women? Or did it ever start off as an independent choice of what smooth legs feel like?

This is where the problem lies.

Even if someone is doing it purely for themselves, do they do it because their subconscious must adhere to societal pressure? Does shaving your legs make you, as Roxane Gay puts it, a “bad feminist”?

In one of her essays, Gay says that she “isn’t even sure what the sisterhood is, but the idea of it menaces” her, and

reminds her how bad a feminist she is. Many people don’t know what exactly “the sisterhood” is, but want to be liked by them and so in the context of leg and pubic hair, do not shave in order to feel fully accepted into the movement. The problem is that this community they want to be part of also seems to have ideals, and while it may not be the “perfect woman” portrayed elsewhere, it is unintentionally the perfect feminist. Who may or may not shave.

Perhaps the best thing is to do the unthinkable and not judge what a person does with their body hair. Perhaps we should instead focus that energy on continuing to question why on earth disposable razors and shaving gel marketed at women contains a ridiculous mark-up based on a promise to make your legs smell like lavender. Forcing a halt to unnecessarily gendering products is a more rounded feminist standpoint than shaving or otherwise – it is based on having equal standards for men and women, but still allows for silky calves.

IMAGE: SAUSAGE OR LEG?

Diary of a First Year Kevin Byrne realises the cruel truth that the Leaving Cert was not to be the last exam he ever sat before preparing for the RDS Christmas slog

IMAGE: SCREENSHOT FROM UCD.IE

WELL, that was quick. It not only feels like the first year’s first semester has flown by, it feels like it hasn’t happened at all. Now, it seems that a strange whispering has begun to creep around campus, peeping in through lecture halls and sneaking into the innards of the first year’s untroubled conscience. More curious then fearful, he strains his ears against the raucous November gusts for this fleeting whisper, trying to decipher its meaning. What does he hear? It sounds like a word, yes, with one, no, two syllables! It really does sound familiar but not a nice familiar, one with an edge, one with a coldness. Clearer now it comes to him until… Oh no. It couldn’t be.

Stumbling backward and shuddering against the icy sweat oozing outward from his pores he allows the sickening taste of that five letter word to rest on his tongue. Exams.

Once upon a time we did an exam, us first years. It was a big exam too and it went on for much of the month of June. But that was it. We were never supposed to have to do any more of those pesky things. It was the exam to end all exams, the one exam to rule them all, the mother exam, the exam that- well, you get the idea. For those in more elevated years, do not misinterpret the first year’s reaction as an over-blown case of unnecessary pre-exam stressing. He knows the

relative unimportance of these first year tests. As my wizened second year housemate always says – “in first year, a D is an A!” While this might be true, there is great weight behind what these impending exams are in a broader sense. They are a final adios to that transition from second-level to thirdlevel, a return to the hard grind. Alas, in the words of Othello – “chaos has come again”. Feck. Now what do we do?

Having wiped the chilled sweat from his brow and the salty tears from his stubbly cheeks, the first year sees his exam timetable and utters some profound and quite impressive curse words.

A mean 6pm slot is cruelly followed by a merciless 9am start. Christ. A nice six day gap follows before another cluttered barrage of irregularly timed exams begin. He doesn’t know what do so he texts his mammy to complain – “what a load of shite”, he concludes. An apt summary by the now quickly ageing first year. Faster and faster it seems the bent backed and bedraggled young man’s days slide by until, yes!

Incredibly (or perhaps accidently) he manages to swipe into the library and, wait for it, sits down at a desk!

Basking in his maturity the first year unpacks his laptop, goes on Facebook, watches videos of dogs and cats doing silly things, packs up and goes home.

Exhausted, he plans for another trip to the library sometime in the near future. Ah, back to the hard grind.

My House, My Rules The number of burglaries across the country continues to climb each year. Ciara Fitzgerald recounts her own experience of the epidemic as well as what is being done to slow the spread I NEVER thought it would happen to me. It’s the classic line a person gives when something bad happens to them. As cliché as it sounds, this is always the first thing that comes to mind. What else is there to say? How are you supposed to verbalise your thoughts on something that has left you reeling? Three years ago I tried and failed to come up with an answer to that very question when asked about my house being burglarised.

It’s certainly not an experience I would wish on anyone else, that’s for sure. Receiving a phone call from a concerned neighbour about your open, and seemingly bashed in front door is not something you want to have to deal with on an average day. Neither is returning home to find a whole Garda forensics team, fingerprint dust and all, examining said door and the rest of your house, as if they just stepped right out of an episode of CSI. If not for the general feeling of confusion and alarm, I probably would have laughed at how bizarre the whole situation was. It was only when I got to go inside and survey the mess that had been left behind that the reality set in. My home had been broken into by strangers who had been through every room, taking things that belonged to me.

Modern day burglars are quite smart in some respects. They know it is now very simple to track down cars and stolen electronics such as game consoles and TVs using their serial numbers. The main target nowadays is much smaller and easier to run with, not to mention virtually impossible to trace. Jewellery, specifically gold jewellery, was what our robbers were looking for, and they certainly found enough to make their efforts worthwhile. I would guess they were in and out within twenty minutes, but not before they made sure to rifle through 16 November 17th 2015

everything with a door, drawer or lid.

Not even the jars of sugar and tea in the kitchen were spared, though I don’t really know what they expected to find hidden in there. An investigation was of course carried out by the Gardaí, but there was nothing they could really do without any useful evidence except provide the proper documentation for the insurance claim. The people who had raided my home got away scot-free.

It was not the financial loss that bothered me. Burglaries are low on the priority list for a good reason; usually no lives are put at risk. I am not trying to suggest there are any adverse effects to losing things. There are not. In the grand scheme of things I would quite gladly watch someone steal everything I own, as long as I knew the people I love are alright, as I think most people would. In spite of the sentimental value, things are always replaceable, so that wasn’t the issue. The issue was I no longer felt safe in my own home. The confidence and security you are supposed to feel when you close the door on the outside world was gone. I was scared.

I couldn’t sleep properly for weeks. I developed an obsession with checking that every door and window was locked tight. I refused to be home alone for at least a month. It was ridiculous really that I allowed these thugs to have so much control over me. I hated them for it, but it didn’t change anything.

It was only afterwards, through a bit of investigating of my own that I discovered how frighteningly common break-ins really are. The area had experienced many in the preceding months and even more since. The whole of Ireland experiences hundreds every year. Yet there was no open discussion in the community or warnings from those previously targeted, no stories about it in the paper or on the news. It came as a shock that we as a country were not doing more to help each other, but were instead making it easier for them. In spite of the lack of any

physical harm, robbery is still a crime perpetrated by criminals who somehow feel like they have the right to enter other people’s homes and invade their privacy. Houses are an outward expression of everything that makes us who we are. Our personalities can be found in the colour we choose to paint the walls, in the organised chaos of our bedrooms, the stack of books we keep by our favourite chair and the picture frames we use to brighten the place up. No one should be able to see into our homes except for those we choose to allow.

At that time in 2012, Gardaí had recently launched Operation Fiacla, an initiative set up to investigate the rising number burglaries nationwide and punish those responsible. By the end of 2014 almost 12,000 arrests had been made, with around 7,000 of those resulting in criminal charges. In February 2015, over 1,000 pieces of jewellery were found in one single raid as part of the operation, most of which was subsequently returned to its owners. Because of this success another scheme, this time called Operation Thor began just a few weeks, with the Gardaí being given €5 million worth of new equipment and man power to help continue the crackdown.

The idea is to increase the visible presence of the law, particularly in high risk areas so as to act as a deterrent. Despite this positive action, there is still the problem of a lack of awareness. I will never be caught out again because my house is now a virtual fortress, thanks to a lot of added security measures. But others without previous experience may not be even taking simple precautions to prevent themselves becoming a target.

28,830 break ins were reported from June 2014-June 2015, a rise of 8.4 per cent on the previous year. Everyone, including us seemingly invincible students, has to be responsible for our own security, and not just another number in the next round of statistics.

WAYNE AND LIZZIE FROM LOVE/HATE BREAKING IN TO NIDGE’S HOUSE PHOTO: Screenshot from RTÉ

“Things are always replaceable, so that wasn’t the issue. The issue was I no longer felt safe in my own home”

editorial

editorial IT IS impossible to describe the feelings of shock and dismay that have overcome Europe following the terrorist attacks in Paris on Friday night. The horrific deaths of 129 people from across the globe and the injury of so many more have brought an outpouring of sympathy from European nations.

An appalling attack perpetrated by the ever-growing menace of the Islamic State has brought home what had formerly been merely a threat to western culture. Suddenly the threat of terrorism to European lives has become all the more real.

Our western-centric European culture tends to ignore global issues until they arrive at the back door.

Little was done to aid with the refugee crisis until European countries began to feel the impact of floods of people beginning to arrive in search of safety. The same can be said for the ongoing threat of terrorism, but what may be most significant are not the responses of governments around the world, but that of individuals.

Perhaps the most jarring indication of this is the fact that Facebook profile pictures have become flooded with the blue, white and red of the French flag, but so far there has been no Facebook outpouring for the victims of the Lebanese suicide attack which occurred in Beirut on the day before. 43 people were

killed in a double-suicide blast, in another relatively peaceful country.

No landmarks were lit up with the Lebanese colours in solidarity with their victims. There has been no public outcry, no offers of assistance from foreign governments; no caring for the fact that Lebanese citizens were killed, despite the fact that they were killed by the same military group as the Parisians. Even Facebook’s safety check, designed for people in crisis areas to be able to let their friends and family know that they are safe, was not activated after the Beirut attacks.

It has been difficult to identify a reason for the lack of global response to the Beirut attacks, but a similar story occurs on an almost weekly basis with other terrorist and war-related activities. 273 citizens were killed in Syria during the month of October alone, but there has been significantly less outcry over these deaths than those in Paris on Friday. With Paris, we read about the identities of those who died; their photos are displayed in the media, their personal stories shared. With Beirut, we hear a figure and nothing more. It’s likely that had the Paris attacks not occurred many of us may not even have heard of attacks in Beirut.

What makes some deaths more important to us than others? Can

such a value be placed on the mere proximity of the deaths to ourselves that it can make the deaths in Paris of so much more importance? If so, surely our motives for sympathising with Paris are merely selfish, driven by concern about whether terrorist attacks might happen to us and those we love next, rather than empathy with the victims and their families.

Perhaps the fault lies with media coverage covering some stories in more depth than others, perhaps government response should be greater when these attacks and others occur; but all in all, this is a case of individual human emotion, not political platitudes.

It is important not just for Irish citizens but those from Europe and further afield to realise that fear and death are universally painful, and that empathy should not have limits when it comes to distance. Those who were killed and injured in attacks in Beirut and other places across the world last week, such as Thailand and Chad, are just as deserving of flags across our Facebook profile pictures as those in Paris. The public outcry that occurs when deaths occur in horrific circumstances such as these can’t just be limited to our European neighbours.

ILLUSTRATION: SARAH DUNNE

Talleyrand the university observer Season’s greetings, dullards,

in fact, couldn’t care less. As a result, let us celebrate the achievements of our SU thus far in the first semester.

AH, Christmas, what a wonderful The cool winter breeze appears to time of the year! The unshowered have accidentally removed our SU masses set up camp in the James sabbat officers’ clothing, as only an Joyce Library, their grimy faces coventirely narcissistic and egotistical ered in ink from falling asleep in one Union would decide that they are too many open books. The combined doing anyone a service by appearing scent of sweat and coffee unmistaknaked on Facebook timelines. I ably hovers around five square kilom- can’t quite recall which charity the eters of the campus. And as it’s exam calendar is for exactly, as it hasn’t time, as per tradition UCD will likely been mentioned anywhere since its announce another exciting price hike, initial launch, but I imagine it to be closure or rights reversal of some something worthwhile. It is, after description, being the only time that all, extremely noble to hold a charity students will be unable to complain event ostensibly in aid of the running about it. ‘Tis the season to be cynical, costs of another charity event, ie, no? No, friends, every season in the SU’s skydiving day out. It is UCD is the one to be cynical. wonderful to see our SU in all their Talley has heard whispers of variglory splashed all over Facebook (as ous SU convenors approaching staff sponsored posts, no less – how much members of this newspaper to warn does the Union spend on sponsored them against hitting out too strongly posts? Likely more than will be given against the SU, most notably in this to the charity at the end of the year) particular column. I am indeed as Cian Bum-out nobly shed his extremely sorry to hear that the SU clothes in the first noticeable act he’s find the truth about their downright committed all year, other than vomitarrogance and ineptitude upsetting, ing everywhere during the Freshers’ but as always, will not be swayed and Week Iron Stomach debacle of course.

It is a tough life being Campaigns and Communications Officer after all.

Never to be outdone, Marcus O’HangSangwiches appeared nude on the posters for the female-centred Slutwalk event to be held today. The implications of the name I am not to be concerned with here – the name Talleyrand has been dragged through the mud for several years, and they still haven’t managed to get rid of me – but it makes me begin to wonder which sabbat officer will get their kit off next, and whether the SU have come to the conclusion that ridiculing themselves is now the only way they can get any form of attention from students. My own personal wager will be placed on Clare O’Connor.

The Union’s online communications have been of particular interest of late, as Hazel Beattie turned into Hazel Beastie in a Hulk-like transformation while attempting to defend the Slutwalk, the posters, O’Hangsangwiches’ appearance on the poster, the fact that she’s running this campaign while not doing any work for postgrads… the list goes on. The go-to SU Twitter

response seemed to be the extraordinarily eloquent “sorry but no”, emphasising exactly the amount of thought put into the whole thing.

In society news, the L&H have finally managed to eat their way through the barricade of flapjacks preventing them from leaving their office over the past number of weeks.

They have emerged with enough witty comebacks to last for at least one more debate this semester.

The Musical Society put on their successful ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ at last, bringing campus-wide relief that this is no longer the moment, and they will now stop breaking into raucous song throughout the Student Centre. And of course, who could forget the Economics Society’s… oh yes, I believe everyone does forget about the Economics Society.

Enjoy your exams, cretins. I will enjoy watching you fail while feasting on the reputations of other incompetents.

TALLEY OUT

Editor Gráinne Loughran Deputy Editor Patrick Kelleher VISUAL CONTENt & Design Editor James Healy Chief of pHOTOGRAPHY Joanna O’Malley News Editor Roisin Guyett-Nicholson Comment Editor Martin Healy Features Editor Eithne Dodd Science, Health & Technology Editor Aoife Hardesty BUSINESS & CAREERS Editor Megan Fanning Eagarthóir Gaeilge Síofra Ní Shluaghadháin

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

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

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

Photography & Illustration Joanna O’Malley Louise Flanagan Amanda Cheng Aisling McGuire Gareth Phelan Annabelle Nguyen Sarah Dunne Saorla Wright Dmytro Moyseyev Ateebah Chaudry Aaron Murphy Eva Griffin Ciarán Sweemey Megan Fennelly

Sports Editor David Kent Otwo Editors Eva Griffin & Karl Quigley Food Editor Niamh O’Regan Games Editor Adam Donnelly Film & TV Editor David Monaghan Music Editor Aisling Kraus Fashion Editor Lucy Coffey Creative writing Editor Roisin Murray Arts & Literature Editor Maebh Butler

Words Alanna O’Shea Helen Carroll Danielle Clarke Rachel Gaffney Megan Hickey Shane Conneely Siobhan Mearon Laura McHugh Fiachra Johnston Oisín Ó Cléirigh Déonna McLoughlin Dónal Ó Catháin Aisling Brennan Michael O’Sullivan Laoise Fitzpatrick Jane Purdom Ciara Fitzgerald Kevin Byrne Jess Quinn Ciarán Sweeney Jack McCann Sean O’Neill Ruan McGuinness The Badger Mieke O’Brien Laura Brohan Mina Dawood Corey Fischer Andrew Carroll Christopher Seeley Owen Steinberger Adam Lawler Amanda Cheng Harry Ó Cléirigh Corey Fischer Megan Hickey Katherine Devlin Kiera Black

ONLINE EDITOR Keira Gilleechi

NOVEMBER 17TH 2015

sport

Fantastic Foxes the shining stars halfway through the season The madness of Mourinho, the craziness of Klopp, dodgy offsides, LVG’s army, goal line technology, and trouble on Tyneside. Jack McCann reviews a rollercoaster Premier League season so far THE FIRST half of the Barclays Premier League has thrown up a fair few surprises so far this year.

There are still the perennial issues for many teams, however, that have yet to be fixed much to the dismay of many a the premier league teams.

The stand out team thus far in the season has to be Leicester City. They stand third in the league, having picked up six wins out of 11 games, three points off the top. They won 11 games in the whole of the previous season. The likes of Mahrez and Vardy have been playing extremely well on a consistent basis since the start of the season. People were a little perplexed when Nigel Pearson was sacked when he kept them in the League, after it didn’t look possible while standing at a few points. However, the appointment of Claudio Ranieri is wholly justified as things stand.

Manchester City deserve praise too. They appear to have found a winning formula with the addition of Raheem Sterling to the team. It’s not only the fact that they got hold of Sterling that has helped them this season, the consistency of team selection has also helped. Previously, Man City had access to so many good players it was hard to see how they would all fit. Many a manager struggled to do so, however, with the addition Sterling and the removal of a few players they appear to have struck the best balance to date.

West Ham are another team to have started the season very well, positioned in the top six after 12 games. There’s a long way to go in the season but having already beaten Man City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea this season the Hammers should be the dark horses of the season come the business end of the season.

However, similar to Leicester City if they don’t keep their best players fit for the duration of the season they could come unstuck very quickly.

Money has been spent at Stoke with the marquee signing Shaqiri.

Even though on paper they have the makings of a strong team, and did just beat Chelsea the lack of consistency makes it hard to see Stoke being anything other than a strong midtable team, possibly higher depending on how Mark Hughes is able to use the victory against Chelsea.

Seeing Chelsea struggle so badly this season has been one for the highlights of the season for many fans. The Mourinho ego is a huge factor here. His attempt to take the pressure off his players when things started to go wrong only made things worse as he got too involved on one too many times with the media, referees and pretty much anyone who will listen. They won’t be relegated, but they’ll struggle to do well if the players don’t find some kind of form on and off the pitch.

With Liverpool, Klopp has come in and to date he is unbeaten from a few games and appears to be getting his methods and ideas across quite quickly. However, due to how much this Liverpool side depend on confidence, will they improve quick enough to threaten? Too many times this season they were in position to win and bottled it. Often it seemed due to a lack of confidence.

If Klopp can fix that issue as well as Sturridge this season, both of which will be a minor miracle, they could challenge high up the table.

Everton and Tottenham both have good managers and even though they both will, in all likelihood, end up at the right end of the season, they will probably struggle to break into the upper echelons like many a fan has thought they would have done over the years. Spurs this season have found a defensive solidness that was missing previously due to the performance of Toby Alderweireld.

While the Toffees, after a shaky start, have found some form, with the likes of Kone and Barkley performing well.

However, with both teams they appear to not believe in themselves

100 per cent. Spurs beat Man City 4-1 at home in a very impressive performance, yet were only able to draw their next two games against Swansea and Liverpool in the league.

They did put in a very impressive performance against Arsenal at the Emirates, however they were unable to put the game away and drew 1-1 when they realistically should’ve won.

Everton quite often are close but unreliable. They may beat one of the big teams one week and struggle to beat a team at the same level as themselves the next. They beat Chelsea at home and then only drew with Swansea in September.

They have been too reliant on Ross Barkley to perform week in week out, which he hasn’t done yet this season, or at all yet in the first couple of years of his senior career.

Both Crystal Palace and Southampton after very good seasons in 2014/15 are not doing nearly as well as they have done previously and appear to have some second season syndrome. They are unable to find the formula that was so successful last season as teams have learned how to play against them better. Both sides have good squads and should comfortably finish top ten by the end, but they may not finish as high as many may have expected after their performances last season.

The same can be said about West Brom and Swansea. Neither appear to have found the method to play that made them so successful last season and had the Swans where the Foxes are now.

Of the three promoted sides Watford have done the best thus far, as they appear to have found the knack of how to not lose a game, drawing a third of their games to date. This skill is vital for any team in the league to do well but especially for the promoted sides as they try to find their feet in their first season in the Premier League.

It is rather disappointing to see that

Riyad Mahrez celebrates his opening goal AGAINST SOUTHAMPTON PHOTO: VIA GETTY IMAGES

both Norwich and Bournemouth, two very attack minded and ball playing teams are struggling to find form, winning just four games between them this season. It’s admirable for their respective managers to stick to the football that got them promoted but at the same time very naïve, as

they appear unwilling to adapt as Watford have done so far.

Last and most definitely least are Sunderland, Newcastle and Aston Villa. Newcastle’s performances have been so bad that it’s easy to why Steve McClaren, the manager, has a bad reputation in English football.

Aston Villa have played like a deer in the headlights on occasion and appear to be completely void of ideas when the going gets tough.

The season has plenty of twists and turns to come. Whatever way things go, there are bound to be a few exciting games, and it’ll be intriguing to see how things pan out.

The Problem with the Poppy Amid widespread condemnation of three Irish sports stars, Seán O’Neill discusses the flower that is making everyone red with rage

TOP: JAMES MCCLEAN PLAYING FOR WEST BROM BOTTOM: MCCLEAN IN GREEN

18 NOVEMBER 17th 2015

WHEN a chorus of football fans in Old Trafford booed James McClean on Saturday, they weren’t irritated at his actions on the field, but what he was wearing. Or, more accurately, what he wasn’t.

McClean was missing a bright red symbol of remembrance for the British war dead. McClean has always been the poster boy for dissent against the British Army, but recently others, including Conor McGregor, have chimed in with their opinions on the wearing of the poppy.

When most people see the poppy, all they see is a reminder of those who were lost in the many wars that the British have been involved in over the course of their history. Wearing the poppy is a form of penance and offering gratitude to the many generations that came before them that ensured the prosperity of the British nations. So for many citizens of Britain, this is a cut and dry decision: the poppy should be worn to show respect.

Where this idea gets a little murky is when former colonies and disputed territories get involved.

For lots of these territories, Northern Ireland included, there are reservations about the British Military. In lots of these countries, the British Military are not seen as heroes by portions of the population. The Military are seen as the aggressors, the invaders, the ones who are to blame for the disruption to the daily lives of many people. When they think of the British Army, they don’t think of the brave soldiers who fought off the wave of fascism in the 1940s. They think of the men who wandered their streets at all hours, carrying a rifle and wearing a full suit of protective equipment.

They were the ones who were supposed to make their lives safer, but they turned it into a warzone.

It’s this side of the debate that James McClean is firmly sided with. McClean released a statement in November with West Brom, in which he outlined his reasons against wearing the poppy. Being from Derry, McClean saw the grief and pain caused during Bloody Sunday, where 14 unarmed

civilians were killed by British Paramilitaries. For him, and many others like him, the poppy takes on a more sinister connotation once you’ve been on the other end of the barrel. Wearing the poppy is seen as a slight against one of the most harrowing events to ever hit Ireland.

So when the two views on the poppy are placed side by side, quite a large disparity is seen, with disrespect being the word that is thrown around by both sides. The pro-poppy side are of the opinion that you are disrespecting the memory of the soldiers from other wars, which few would argue don’t deserve commemoration. The anti-poppy side believe that wearing the poppy means you are supporting the forces who killed and interned many innocent Irish civilians.

To both sides of the debate, these people are heroes who have lost their lives in the pursuit of something better. A better world, a better place to live, or even just their voice to be better heard.

This is why McClean’s actions have provoked such a vitriolic response. The taunts and jeers at Old Trafford were simply the latest in a line of jabs and barbs directed at the Derry man.

McClean has reported to have received death threats during his time at Sunderland as well as an annual barrage of insults and abuse directed at him on various forms of social media.

While McClean has tried not to make an issue of his views, only airing them when he felt was necessary, Conor McGregor has gone for a completely different tactic. The UFC superstar has directly called out those who questioned his allegiances and devotion to the Irish flag after an old photo of him wearing the poppy resurfaced, with some groups calling him hypocritical and disloyal. The MMA multimillionaire takes aim at Celtic jersey wearing ‘nationalists’ and ends his post with an instruction for an activity, should the event ever arise that you are in the proximity of a member of the British Royal Family. Firing at

anything that moves seems to be the order of the day in the McGregor camp.

The reactions to both statements have been varied and split, with Twitter again being the barometer. McGregor has been praised and lambasted in equal measure, with some users supporting McGregor for his outburst, with many supporting his decision not to hide behind PR experts and speaking his mind. Others have taken issue with the manner in which he expressed himself.

McClean hasn’t quite sparked the same reaction, with the biggest complaint against his statement that it was boring.

The poppy debate rages on in other sports too, with Ulster Rugby being the latest focal point of outrage. The PRO12 team received scorn and scrutiny from ex-players and pundits, including former Ulster centre Nigel Carr, for not having the flower on their shirts. The club responded by pointing out that only two clubs in the division wore poppies: Newport Gwent Dragons, Ulster’s opponents on the day, and Cardiff Blues. They also pointed out how the London Wasps and Gloucester also wore poppy-less jerseys in their game on the same day.

In the end, there is always going to be a dispute over the poppy due to a flaw in its very design. The problem with the poppy is that it covers the entire history of a very large military, and like with all things very large there are always going to be unsavoury parts. Those unsavoury parts are like rotting petals, which ruin the brilliant red colour of the flower. And until those petals can be removed, there are going to be people who aren’t comfortable with wearing a black stain on their chest.

sport

The Fighting Irish

After all the hype and waiting, the McGregor/Aldo fight will finally take place in Las Vegas in three weeks. Ruan McGuinness looks ahead to what could be the biggest event in UFC history ON THE 12th of December, the UFC will host the most anticipated fight in the history of the sport of mixed martial arts. Conor McGregor will take on Jose Aldo for the undisputed featherweight world championship belt. The fight was previously scheduled for July 2015, but Aldo was forced out by injury.

McGregor and Aldo’s long awaited battle headlines UFC 194, probably the most stacked card ever put together by the promotion. The co-main event will see middleweight star Chris Weidman defend his belt against Luke Rockhold. Weidman, one of the current icons of the sport, has never lost a fight; however the extremely talented Rockhold poses a considerable threat to his record.

A second middleweight bout, between Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza and Yoel Romero, looks to be another great match-up, with the victor likely to be granted the next title shot at 185 pounds. Gunnar Nelson, whom Irish MMA fans will be familiar with from his connections to McGregor and SBG, will compete in perhaps the most important fight of his career to date against Demian Maia. Featherweights Max Holloway and Jeremy Stephens make up the main card. Holloway is looking to extend his current seven fight winning streak and earn a title shot in the near future.

Another fight of note takes place on the prelims, where Uriah Faber, McGregor’s opposing coach on the Ultimate Fighter reality show, and an MMA legend in his own right, takes on Frankie Saenz.

By now, McGregor is a household name in Ireland. His meteoric rise to fame began with his UFC debut in 2011, and he has since become the biggest male star of the sport. His opponent and current

champion Jose Aldo is undoubtedly the greatest featherweight in history, currently occupying one of the most impressive periods of dominance in the entire UFC. While McGregor is primarily an athlete, he is perhaps most characterised by his antics outside of the octagon. McGregor is widely considered the best trash talker the sport has ever seen, allowing him to mess with his opponents’ mindsets leading up to contests, as well as to hype his fights to astronomical levels.

McGregor gets people excited; they want to see him fight, purely to see if he can actually deliver on what he says. Nevertheless, his performances have been excellent. He has made short work of every single person to face him, and lived up to every promise he’s made so far. In just over two years, he has amassed a six fight win streak in the UFC, making waves across the entire sport.

Apart from the hype that McGregor has generated, one of the reasons this fight is so highly anticipated

by MMA fans is because it should answer a huge amount of questions.

Despite McGregor’s highly impressive record, he has only really faced one top level competitor: Chad Mendes, who stepped in on short notice to fight McGregor at UFC 189 after Aldo pulled out injured. What followed was a difficult fight for McGregor, who was essentially dominated on the ground for almost two rounds before he knocked Mendes out.

shaking things up in the division is a huge contrast to that of Jose Aldo. Although only 28 years old, Aldo has been around for a long time, and is widely considered by MMA fans to not only be the best ever 145 pounder, but one of the greatest fighters to ever enter the Octagon. Seven of Aldo’s 25 wins have been UFC title defences, meaning in each of these fights he was competing against the next best fighter in the division.

Few fighters in the history of the sport have asserted such a level of dominance. Jose has repeatedly faced the best in the world and come out on top every single time.

Aldo is an extremely well-rounded fighter, with an array of skills drawn from different martial arts including Muay Thai kickboxing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He has repeatedly proven his worth against different fighters with vastly different styles, and it’s difficult to fault any single part of his game.

Technically, McGregor also differs from his Brazilian counterpart. He is not nearly as well rounded, as exposed by Mendes he is highly vulnerable to take-downs and his ground game is far from polished. But what McGregor does well, he does brilliantly. Few others in the sport can hold a candle to his superior striking ability. It is a combination of power and accuracy that make McGregor’s

IN PHOTO: ALDO AND MCGREGOR WILL FACE OFF ON DECEMBER 12TH

have captivated the world of MMA, but the manner in which he has finished his opponents.

So what can we expect to happen on the 12th of December inside the MGM Arena in Las Vegas?

Aldo and his team will have learnt a lot about McGregor’s weaknesses from UFC 189, and may look to capitalise on his apparently poor takedown defence and ground game. Although Aldo typically likes to stand and kick-box, he is more than capable of taking McGregor down and attempting to win the fight on the ground. However, it

“it seems reasonable to expect that this match-up will be won and lost by punches and kicks rather than take-downs and holds” While McGregor certainly proved that he was a gulf in class ahead of each of his opponents previous to Mendes, they were by no means top fighters, and were nowhere near the level of Jose Aldo.

McGregor’s role as the newcomer

fists so formidable. Very few 145 pound fighters can go the distance inside the cage with him. He has ended five of his six UFC bouts with TKOs or KOs, an uncommon and extremely impressive ratio.

It is not so much his wins that

seems likely that Aldo will want to beat McGregor where he feels most comfortable: on the feet.

One thing that seems certain about this bout is that if McGregor is to win, it will be through his world class striking ability.

McGregor will look to pressure Aldo, utilise his two inch reach advantage while constantly moving forward. It’s highly unlikely that McGregor will look to take the fight to the ground at any point, but coach John Kavanagh will have ensured that his takedown defence has been revised since his last fight. Ultimately, both men have plied their trade as primarily stand-up fighters, and it seems reasonable to expect that

this match-up will be won and lost by punches and kicks rather than take-downs and holds. McGregor’s best chance of winning is by an early KO/TKO. Aldo seems to lack the knockout power that he once held, so if he is to defend his belt once again it could likely be by split decision.

Either way MMA fans all around the world will see the culmination of an intriguing saga that began over a year ago, and the UFC will close the curtains on the biggest Mixed Martial Arts fight of all time.

What happens when an unstoppable force – McGregor and his dramatic rise to the top – meets an immovable object – Aldo and his lengthy tenure as number one? We will soon find out.

The badger A FLICK through the Badger’s Twitter timeline last weekend brought up so many angry odious little toads, moaning about the “disrespect” shown to the ladies FAI Cup Final teams by the men’s in the penalty shootout. For those that didn’t see it, the men’s teams warmed up on the other half of the pitch during the shootout. This upset Shelbourne, who were not happy afterwards (they lost, The Badger doubts it would’ve been a problem if they won).

Throughout all the uproar, one thing was quite clear to the Badger.

If even 10% of the people tweeting and commenting on the Facebook actually went to a WNL match this year, their opinion might be respectable. But they didn’t.

And they won’t this season. The Irish just love to be outraged at something and not doing anything

about it. So sit down and shut up.

UCD have the best Gaelic Football Player in the country. Officially.

Jack McCaffrey not only picked up an All-Star, but was also named as Player of the Year. But when the Badger clicks onto UCD’s website days after the ceremony, not one scrap of news about it. It’s even worse when you go onto UCD GAA’s website. If the Badger wants to find out where to burrow up to watch a Freshers’ team, or a higher Ed game, he has to go onto the Dublin GAA website. The UCD GAA fixtures haven’t been updated since 2012. And that is a total disgrace.

UCD have one of the best sporting facilities in the country, the crown jewel being five All-Stars in the national sport. The directors are too lazy to do something that would literally take five minutes to update.

Sports Digest A breakdown of some of campus’s sporting news from the last few weeks Mountaineering

UCD Mountaineering hosted their Fresher’s Bouldering Competition last month, and have their Winter Skills Course in Scotland in December.

SWIMMING:

UCD Swim team competed at the Manchester Open last month with Shauna O’Brien setting three Irish senior records in the 50m and 100m butterfly. David Prendergast came 3rd in the 100m freestyle. Alex Murphy won the 50 and 100m breaststroke. Additionally, at the Leinster winter short course championships the Women’s relay of Jess and Shani Stallard, Shauna O’Brien and Jane Roberts broke the Irish senior record for the 4x100m freestyle which has stood since 2003. This means that the UCD women hold all the Irish senior relay records in short course metres. Furthermore, five members of the Varsity squad competed at the Celtic Masters Championships in the NAC, Dublin on the 17th of

October. Collectively, they brought home an impressive medal tally of ten Golds and two Silvers.

UCD RIFLE CLUB

The Irish season opener for national ranking competitions in Olympic air rifle and pistol was held in UCD Rifle Club’s range on the 21st to the 24th of October (traditionally named the UCD Air Open I).

CDRC dominated the proceedings, laying claim to 15 medals (six Gold, five Silver, four Bronze) out of a possible 18, including clean sweeps in the Novice competition, Class B competition, and Class D competition.

MENS HOCKEY

1st XI Head Coach Elun Hack has been announced as Assistant Coach to the Boys Ireland U18 side, a fantastic appointment after only a few months in Ireland. On the pitch, the first XI lost to Clontarf 6-5, and the second XI defeated Corinthians 3-0 through goals

from Iain Styles, Colm Byrne and James Purcell. The third team were also victorious, with a double from Huw Rees backed up by Eoin Naughton to help them to the win.

LADIES HOCKEY

UCD: Ladies Hockey are also celebrating a win in the Irish Senior Cup, taking apart Queen’s University 5-0. Goals from Duke (x2), Mullan, Lloyd and Clarke made it a comfortable showing for the LHC.

3-0 for the women and 3-1 for the men.

UCD NFL

The American Football team travelled down to Limerick to take part in competitive matches. They opened up with a competitive game against Cork Admirals American Football Club where UCD won 14-0, with some impressive plays on special teams from new players. After that came a narrow loss to the UL Vikings by 2 points in overtime. Rookie quarterback, James O’Dea picked up two awards for a huge performance throughout the tournament.

SAILING UCD GAA

UCD Sailing travelled down to Dingle Sailing Club on the 17th of October for the IUSA Easterns.

Medals went to UCD1, UCD3 and UCD5, a great weekend for the club UCD VOLLEYBALL

There was a great double win in the Colours Premier League matches for UCD Volleyball against NUIG:

The All-Star Awards proved to be very fruitful for UCD, with Sigerson Captain Jack McCaffrey being named as Player of the Year. Also named on the All Star list were UCD graduates Brian Fenton, Rory O’Carroll and Cian O’Sullivan. On the Hurling All Stars, Kilkenny’s Cillian Buckley was also named to add to the brilliant UCD collection. Monaghan and UCD’s Ryan Wylie was nominated

for Young Footballer of the Year but was pipped at the line by Dermot O’Connor of Mayo. McCaffrey has also been named in the International Rules Squad.

GOLF

UCD SUB AQUA

With the dive season finished up for the winter, UCD Sub Aqua squad travelled down to Killarney in October. A great experience for newcomers, students are invited to join the club in the new year.

UCD’s Alex Gleeson has defended his title as he emerged triumphant from a three-hole playoff with Stuart Grehan at the Irish Intervarsity Championship at Rosslare. He has also been named on the GUI national panel for 2015-16.

LADIES SOCCER

Rachel McGann and Orlaith Whelan both netted to give UCD Women’s second side their second victory of the season and maintain their 100 per cent record by beating Trinity 2-1 on the 4th. The UCD Waves had a huge 5-1 victory away to Cork City Women’s FC, with current student Emily Cahill scoring the fifth goal to cap off an impressive performance.

NOVEMBER 17TH 2015

sport David Kent Sports Editor

UCD moved up to second in the Ulster Bank League after a comfortable 39-10 victory over last year’s champions Lansdowne in the Belfield Bowl. The Leinster ‘A’ match against Connacht on Thursday meant that both sides were depleted.

Six of the UCD team who started in the Galwegians win (Adam Byrne, Sean McNulty, Josh Murphy, Peadar Timmins, Jeremy Loughman and Jack Power) were all in action for the province. Lansdowne themselves were missing four players, including both centres Tom Daly and Tom Farrell, the former excelling for Leinster.

One of the most impressive things about UCD so far this season has been their scoring. They’ve put more on the board than any side across all five divisions, averaging 32 points per game. While the attack has been impressive, arguably more so has been the strength of the UCD pack and maul. Both of these were combined to open the scoring after eight minutes. Having stolen the first Lansdowne line out and won a penalty thanks to a break from Mark McGroarty, the Collidge were at it again, winning their own set piece.

Hold up play in midfield allowed Barry Daly the perfect angle to burst through the line. Daly’s speed saw him run clear of any chasers, and touch the ball down under the posts.

The boot of Conall Doherty made sure work of the extras, giving Noel McNamara’s side the perfect start.

The breeze came into play from the re-start however, with Lansdowne able to bring UCD down inside the 22, subsequently winning a penalty right in front of the posts off referee Mark Connolly. Captain Scott Deasy inexplicably sliced the ball right and wide, a real let off for UCD having just scored. Deasy would make up for his miss seven minutes later, by nailing a rather impressive penalty from a difficult angle after Jamie Glynn was pulled up for illegal use of his foot.

Lansdowne’s tactics were quite one-dimensional in the first half: get position on the field by kicking, and then roll through the phases to look for gaps. But UCD have one of the strongest attacks in the country; their defence is equally strong, and they proved it as the barrage

UCD 39-10 Lansdowne: Collidge continue charge towards the top of attacks came from first Brian Moylatt, then Mark Roche with scrum half Patrick O’Driscoll pulling the strings. Shane Grannell and Emmett MacMahon stood strong on their own five-metre line, and were rewarded when the rearguard managed to force Lansdowne back onto half way.

Some argue defence is the best form of attack, and this was very nearly the case with 10 minutes left in the first half, when UCD blocked down two attempted clearances in the space of two minutes. O’Driscoll’s kick-chase attempt was stopped, leaving the champions under pressure in front of their own goal. His attempted clearance a minute later also charged down, with a Lansdowne player just able to touch the ball down ahead of three chasing UCD backs to concede the scrum. Excellent handling by Bobby Holland allowed Doherty just enough of a gap to squeeze through. Stopped just inside the Lansdowne 22, Eamon Mills deliberately killed the ball and was yellow carded for doing so, Doherty slotting the subsequent penalty to extend the gap back to seven.

The students used the extra man to work their way through for another try before half time. A grubber kick through bounced nicely for Tom Fletcher. Fletcher, son of former UCD and Lansdowne prop Paddy, had the acceleration required to outpace the scrambling Lansdowne fullback and go over. Doherty’s conversion attempt fell about three yards short of the posts as the half time whistle went with UCD 12 points up, and now with a strong wind at their backs for the second half.

Lansdowne won possession to start the second half, but another kicking error led to them gifting a try away. Barry Daly caught a badly misjudged chip, and from inside his own 22 began the counter. The gap was found on halfway, which began a passing move ending with Doherty scoring again under the posts, converting his own effort.

After showers all morning, the weather had dried up before kick-off, and the pitch was perfect for the UCD backs to exploit a weakened Lansdowne flank. Another chip and chase had Daly in behind for his sixth try of the season, and a bonus

point winning one for UCD. Doherty’s accuracy was off on this occasion.

This was what truly killed the game off as a contest, as a tiring Lansdowne attack were snuffed out time and time again by the resolute pack of UCD. Not happy with just a bonus point, UCD went hunting for more to bring the points difference column up, and some individual brilliance from Fletcher saw him cross in the corner on 59 minutes after some dazzling footwork. Doherty recovered to add the two from the touchline. It allowed McNamara’s men to relax, but the coach will have been furious with how the next ten minutes went.

On 68 minutes, after sustained pressure from the away team’s pack, Grannell was yellow carded, and he was followed into the bin by Daly minutes later after a deliberate knock on prevented a try for Lansdowne.

Referee Connolly awarded a penalty try as a result, with Deasy adding the conversion to put a bit of a better look on the scoreboard. But the Collidge still weren’t done, an up and under landed inside the opposition 22, the ball eventually reaching the hands of Jamie Glynn, who rounded off the scoring.

UCD thus retained the Sutherland Cup, which was commissioned in

memory of the great Billy Sutherland, for first team matches between two of his former clubs. After the match, the Sutherland Cup trophy was presented to Stephen Murphy, the

UCD Captain, by Peter’s daughter, Natalia McEnroe. The sides meet again on the 18th, before the Collidge head to Garryowen on the 28th for another league game.

UCD: Tom Fletcher; Hugo Keenan, Stephen Murphy (capt, Conall Doherty, Barry Daly; Bobby Holland, Jamie Glynn; Andrew Porter, Gordon Frayne, Liam Hyland, Shane Grannell, Emmet MacMahon, Donagh Lawler, Mark McGroarty, Greg Jones.

Replacements: Michael Moynihan, Robert Byrne, Will Connors, Conor McQuaid, Andy Marks Tries: Barry Daly 2, Tom Fletcher 2, Jamie Glynn, Conall Doherty; Cons: Conall Doherty 3; Pen: Conall Doherty

photographS: VIA FLICKR

club Focus: Lacrosse

A sport brought to these shores from the United States, Lacrosse is new to UCD but improving all the time, as David Kent finds out.

photography: JAMES HEALY

20 NOVEMBER 17th 2015

FROM the second you go to a training session, you get the vibe that the Lacrosse team are one big family. There’s encouragement aplenty, but still a bit of competition. Being one of UCD’s younger clubs hasn’t stopped UCD LAX becoming one of the more successful ones. The Irish international teams for both men and women use UCD campus as a training camp. The men’s team have a strong record in the Newtonards Cup (winning it for the last two years), and it’s not just domestically that they’re making waves, as Men’s Captain Matthew Doncel explains: “We won the Belfast Open, the first time it was held in October this year. We go on international trips.

Two years ago they went to the Ken Galluccio Cup in Belgium, and they represented Ireland in, basically, the European Championship for Lacrosse because they won the national league that year as well.”

Most people will have a slight knowledge of Lacrosse coming to UCD, particularly from seeing it in movies based in America, where the sport is huge. This has a drip down affect with UCD LAX. Annie Page and Deirdre Eason both hail from the States, and explain why they think the Club is seeing more and more Americans join each year.

“You could fill the Blue team with all the American girls!

Americans lean towards the sport because we know it well, we like it, it’s a lot more casual over here, and people can enjoy it.”

It’s not only the American students that benefit, as club member Eimear Daly points out. “We can all learn from the Americans which is good as well. They know it better than anyone really in Ireland.”

“They’re a big asset to our club,” Emma Whelan adds.

The invention of the game across

the Atlantic Ocean is reflected in the dominance of the sport internationally by the Western countries. In the 13 World Lacrosse Championships held so far, the United States have won nine, including six in a row, with Canada sweeping up the other four. There are similarities to hurling with regards to fitness, with the average lacrosse player running between three and five miles per game depending on position. This is not a problem for UCD LAX though.

“I think everyone has a general fitness level,” says Whelan. “We’re all young and can run so we all have a bit, but there’s a fair bit of motivation it takes. We train on both Mondays and Thursdays, an hour on each day. Returners have a Friday training for either an hour or two hours depending on the week.

Friday is much more intense. We also have team gym on Tuesdays for girls, and Wednesdays for guys.”

Similar to UCD Trampoline Club, UCDLAX are set up during Orientation Week for Freshers at the start of the year, with thousands trying the sport out. This sees an influx in numbers for training, and Whelan has a good explanation as to why that happens. “We have a big turnout for the first few trainings, like 50 or 70 girls or something. It’s the best thing to come into college and you go, ‘you know, I haven’t played sport in a year because of the Leaving Cert and I had to study, so why not pick up something that I can do a little bit of running, make so many friends in different years.’”

“I think it’s very popular because it’s not well known,” Elena Douglas says. “Everyone knows they are going to be starting from zero and everyone moves together as one.”

The sense of family is apparent again when the issue of membership comes up. Members

who join get their money’s worth from their fee. “Well there’s basic insurance, which is what other clubs get you, and the class night out,” Douglas says.

“We do require everyone to get their own equipment, but we subsidise for everyone and it’s not that expensive either. We also have a coach who’s here as well every Monday and Thursday, she’s a qualified coach.”

The national Irish league begins again in January, with the teams hoping to make a return to the Galluccio Gup, which in 2016 will be held in the second weekend September. Douglas insists these aren’t the only events planned for the college year. “Yeah, we’ll probably be going to Italy or Spain this year, we still haven’t agreed where to go. Some years we do Dublin Fest as well, where we get teams from the UK to come over and play, but we still have to finalise that for this year.”

Fresher Cian Griffin is quick to encourage other students to join: “It’s a lot different from most team sports, like everyone, at least from my experience, is more encouraging and friendly. It’s easier to pick up than you think.”

Page agrees, “I think we also have a good relationship, the girls and guys’ team together like, we’re not separate teams, we’re one big class team. We don’t play on the same field, but we’re at the same tournaments, we cheer each other on, we want both teams to do well.”

Students wishing to join UCD LAX for Semester 2 should email lacrosse@ucd.ie or show up to any of the training sessions at the 11-a side astro pitches.