UT Broadsheet 10/23

Magazine

IN FOCUS

OPINION

Icarus

AI, Academics

Rush Hour

Sarah Browne looks into the past and present of Ireland’s oldest literary magazine and appraises the art of flying too close to the sun.

Wynslow Wilmot explores how artificial intelligence is reshaping education in features, page 6 »

Sophie Coffey discusses her commute to college from across the city in opinion, page 6 »

Sáoirse Goes asks if Taylor Swift’s lyric changes are about appeasing fans or absolving guilt.

universitytimes.ie

Volume XV, Issue II

Monday 16 October, 2023

Lost in Translation: Exchange Students Condemn College’s Poor Communication Hosanna Boulter and Phoebe Pascoe NEWS EDITOR AND ASSISTANT EDITOR

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hat do a PPES student in Zurich, an American at home for summer and a girl in the midst of a Moroccan earthquake have in common?

They’re all waiting for an email from Trinity’s study abroad office.

Going on a year or semester abroad is supposed to be challenging. Students are expected to ensure that they are fulfilling the requirements of their course while navigating the complexities of

living in a new country. However, The University Times has found that students’ lives and degrees are being seriously impacted by College’s handling of its study abroad programme, which is systemically disorganised and uncommunicative.

Trinity students studying at the International University of Rabat in Morocco were not contacted by College for five days following the September 8th earthquake. Tremors from the 6.8 magnitude shock were felt in the city of Rabat, where a number of Trinity students are on exchange. Maria Monteiro, a third year Middle Eastern and European Languages and Cultures (MEELC) student, had to evacuate from a

friend’s flat in Rabat due to the earthquake.

“We were in the living room when suddenly everything began to shake back and forth”, Monteiro recounted. “We were all of course in shock.”

In an email seen by this newspaper, a member of Trinity’s department of Global Engagement reached out on September 13th to “check in” with the students in Rabat regarding the earthquake and their welfare. This email assumed that the students had already been contacted by a member of the MEELC department. In actuality, this was the first communication Monteiro and her four coursemates

had received from College in the aftermath of the earthquake.

When students did finally receive correspondence from College, therefore, it only highlighted that issues with communication are prevalent within the department as well as with students abroad.

“There was no way Trinity could have known if we, as its study abroad students, were harmed”, Monteiro suggested.

But the stresses of study abroad begin before one steps on a plane or packs a bag. The first step in applying for an exchange is choosing where to go. The options available vary by course and can change from year to year, so students anticipate

PHOTO BY REUTERS FOR THE BBC

information from their departments about which international universities they can apply to in

Michaelmas semester of their second year. Sonia Sondheim, a third year Ancient and Medie CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Gross Inequalities in Resourcing of Trinity Women’s Soccer Team

»

TCDSU Sabbatical Officers Report on Progress, Manifesto Promises Clara Roche

Hosanna Boulter, Valentina Milne NEWS EDITOR, SPORTS EDITOR

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n investigation by The University Times has revealed that there are currently gross inequalities in Trinity’s resourcing of the women’s soccer team when compared to the men’s team.

Although both the women’s and men’s DU Football AFC teams are allocated the same budget by the Trinity Sports Union, this budget is currently not agreed upon. There-

fore, students on the team are currently having to cover some of the costs themselves. This has meant that the team has had to forfeit certain matches as the budget can’t stretch to cover the costs of transport to and from these games.

A member of the team said: “It’s frustrating to me that the infrastructure of this club does not let our team reach its full potential.”

Last year, the women’s team was prevented from being promoted to the Premier League because of the number of matches they forfeited.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

»

A Battle of the Ages

Med Day

Phoebe Pascoe sets out to settle the score on whether the Hist or the Phil can rightfully claim the title of the world’s oldest student society, PAGE 5 »

Clara Roche explores the traditions and evolution of Med Day, speaking to its secretary Brian Byrne ahead of the annual fundraising event, PAGE 12 »

NEWS

B2 SPORT

B20 FILM & TV

R8

FEATURES

B11 ART

R10 LITERATURE

R6

OPINION

B15 FASHION

R4 MUSIC

R3

EDITORIAL

B16 FOOD

R2 THEATRE

R9

Editor: Clara Roche Volume XV, Issue I ISSN: 2013-261X Phone: (01) 646 8431 Email: info@universitytimes.ie Website: universitytimes.ie

This newspaper is produced with the financial support of Trinity College Students’ Union, but maintains a mutually agreed policy of editorial independence.

To contact UT, write to: The Editor, The University Times, 6 Trinity College Dublin 2

EDITOR

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head of the first council on Tuesday, October 3rd, the five Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) sabbatical officers submitted reports outlining the progress they have made in fulfilling their mandates and their manifesto promises. At the first council meeting of the year, President László Molnárfi, Education Officer Catherine Arnold, Welfare Officer Aoife Bennett, Comms and Marketing Officer Aiesha Wong and Ents Officer Olivia Orr each presented updates and highlights from their time in office to date.

Of 41 total manifesto promises, President László Molnárfi categorised 15 items as “completed”, 19 as “in progress” and six as “not started yet”, while granting supervision of one to TCDSU Education Officer Catherine Arnold.

Of the 15 completed items, Molnárfi highlighted the reversal of the ban on homemade food being brought to the Buttery, the creation of TCDSU emails for School Convenors and the payment of €100 per Council to the Chairs of the Oversight Commission and the Electoral Commission.

Items in progress included the decolonisation of the curriculum and the translation of the TCDSU website into Irish.

His proposed return of the Academic Senate for “academic grievances, cross-faculty policy formulation, and proactive campaigning” was left to the discretion of TCDSU Education Officer Catherine Arnold.

PHOTO BY ALEX CONNOLLY

Items Molnárfi has not yet started include his proposed reform of the student partnership policy, which exists to ensure collaboration between students and staff. Other tasks not yet underway are the provision of free blood tests and the undertaking of anti-racist action.

The tracker can be found on the @TCDSU_President Twitter account, and is colour-coded with green, orange and red to signify the stage of completion.

In a statement to The University Times, Molnárfi said: “I cannot achieve my manifesto without the collective power of students.

I ask that students get involved in our campaigns, and together we can exert the pressure needed on those in power to make change.” He added: “Direct action works!”

Education Officer Catherine Arnold first noted her and the Electoral Commission’s organisation of class representative elections. She reported “engagement and voter turnout has increased massively from the year prior”, which she said will be corroborated in a report from

the Electoral Commission.

She then said that Health Science students are “woefully under supported” in Trinity, and as a result she reported negotiating to hold office hours in St James’s Hospital.

Arnold wants to make academic integrity “cool again” by demystifying it.

She has not yet fulfilled her mandate of campaigning for systemised rubrics and marking to be made available to students, nor has she lobbied for “convenor training” which she said has been delayed due to a “communication issue”. She has yet to lobby for the introduction of a College policy which would ban credit-bearing unpaid internships, and she has not begun her campaign for College to cease outsourcing of IT services.

However, she reported having lobbied for non-traditional forms of assessment such as take-home exams and openbook exams, and for the earlier publication of timetables. She has reportedly brought both campaigns to the Continuation of Learning and Student Activi-

ties Group (COLSAG).

She has not yet completed any of the proposals outlined in her manifesto. However, she has reportedly begun working towards the decolonisation of the curriculum as part of the Trinity Inclusive Curriculum project, and she is also exploring the feasibility of running staff seminars on LENS reports in the coming weeks. Moreover, she has submitted a motion to revive the Constitutional Review Working Group to fulfil her promise of reforming the Union’s constitution.

Arnold referred to this year as a “disproportionately difficult” one for casework, something she says is “reflected in the reports from TCD”. She claimed to have received 100 cases a day at certain points. She added that the Electoral Commision, the Oversight Commission and the Union Forum have all received training to deal with burnout.

She also admitted to losing her voice as a result of her involvement in last month’s Book CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

»

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The University Times Monday 16 October, 2023

NEWS

Exchange Students Condemn College’s Poor Communication « CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 val History and Culture student at Trinity, said that last year students on her course did not receive a form to apply for study abroad until she emailed the department in mid-November. The department was unaware that none of the students on her course had received the essential documents.

Sondheim did ultimately apply for Erasmus and received an offer from Trinity to study at a foreign university. However, months passed and she didn’t hear from the college she was supposed to be attending. She emailed the Global Room, who said they had only received word a few days earlier about her Erasmus offer, therefore had not contacted her prospective college: “The school that I had gotten into just hadn’t sent anything to me because they hadn’t received any of my information or [received] word that I was approved.” This resulted in her missing due dates for registration at the college.

Overall, she says, “it just felt like the entire thing was kind of rushed and we were all forgotten about.

Specifically in our program, we were literally forgotten about”.

Sonia was not alone in this experience. A Joint Honours English and History student told The University Times that despite submitting their Erasmus preferences “well within the deadline” and filling out the form correctly, the History department forgot to nominate them for study abroad.

The student realised something was wrong when their peers were receiving offers for study abroad but they were not, despite having excellent grades. When they emailed the Erasmus department to ask about the situation they responded that although they had received a nomination from the

English department for them to go on Erasmus, they had not received one from the History department.

Joint Honours students looking to study abroad have to be accredited by both departments to make sure that they can fulfil all their requirements while abroad. The student worried that because of this they “might not get to go at all”.

In communications verified by The University Times, the student contacted the History Erasmus coordinator to ask what was going on.

They said they were told: “I don’t know how that’s happened. You should talk to the Erasmus department.” The student had previously been told by the Erasmus department to contact the History Erasmus coordinator.

After that, the matter was resolved and the History department nominated them. Nevertheless, the student deems the entire process “needlessly stressful”. Additionally, they question whether anyone in the Erasmus or History departments would have noticed something was not right with their application if the student had not contacted them.

In many instances, the onus is completely on the student to ensure that the study abroad department and their subject coordinators are adequately undertaking the administrative work and communications expected of them.

Without students realising that something is wrong, things fall through the net and create stressful consequences.

This occurred again when a student in MEELC didn’t receive crucial documents informing her about Erasmus last academic year.

This degree requires its students to spend a semester abroad. However, the student told The University Times that in January she was hearing of people in other courses being accepted onto Erasmus placements

while she had not been told about hers. When she emailed the head of their department in February, he was under the false impression that the students had been told about their placements a month ago by the Erasmus office.

When this student later ran into complications with their learning agreement – an acknowledgement between the home college, host college and student that states the latter is fulfilling all the requirements of their degree while studying abroad – she had to email four different people before eventually being redirected to the professor she initially contacted. “I was sent on this wild goose chase that just did not need to happen”, she said.

She is now on her Erasmus, but continues to experience problems communicating with the study abroad team. A recent query about grants was not replied to until over a month later.

“It’s been so stressful and mentally it’s just so draining”, she admits.

“There were certain days, especially with the learning agreement, where I would get passed around from department to department.”

Another student, studying English and French, also found that mistakes and a lack of communication within the Erasmus department took a toll on her: “I ended up going to the student counselling services here because the whole thing just stressed me out so bad.”

This student had applied to go on Erasmus and been accepted to study at a French university for the year. She began to grow concerned when her peers were being contacted by their host university about the registration process but she had yet to hear anything. In July, she emailed her Erasmus coordinator but found that they were very slow to reply, if they replied at all.

She repeatedly found that she had to follow up on emails a week later

One student found that mistakes within the Erasmus department took a toll on her: “I ended up going to the student counselling services here because the whole thing just stressed me out so bad.”

PHOTO BY CHAITANYA NAIR PHOTO BY DIETMAR RABICH

PHOTO BY ADAM JONES PHOTO BY U.S. COAST GUARD

Another student said of the lack of communication: “it really messed with my head... it felt like no one was on my side.” saying “please reply to me”.

It took over two months for the Erasmus department, and specifically the French coordinator, to get in touch with her host university.

This culminated in early August.

In an email seen by The University Times, it was revealed to this student that it was no longer possible for her to enrol in the French university as she had missed all the deadlines. Instead, Trinity offered her the opportunity to go abroad for the second semester only.

The student was told by the coordinator from her host university that she was not the only Trinity student to have this issue with College’s Erasmus department. No apology from the Erasmus department was ever issued, or even a direct reply to her email in which she asked if there was any way they could help her go away for the whole year.

A month before the Michaelmas term began, this student found herself scrambling to enrol. She had issues meeting her requirements for both of her subjects and most of the modules she needed to be in were full. She had to petition her course coordinator to add more places to certain modules.

Of the overall situation, she said: “it really messed with my head”.

Throughout the whole process, she claims, “it felt like no-one was on my side”.

Other students have found that the study abroad experiences they were offered never materialised.

One student studying Drama and Theatre spent eight months believing that she would be spending a semester at University of Southern California (USC) the following year.

“I was telling everyone”, she said.

She claims that her application was “approved twice” by two different members of staff. It was only in July – when she saw online that her course was not available at USC and emailed the study abroad team querying this – that she was told, in an email seen by this paper, that the exchange was not possible.

A PPES student was also under the impression that he would be spending a semester abroad. He had been in Zurich for almost a week – and was ready to start university in a matter of days – when he received an email from College with a survey asking if he had been approved to frontload or backload his modules by his exchange coordinator. Front or backloading is when Joint Honours students take more credits in a single subject during one semester and then fewer the following semester, or vice versa.

“I had not really heard those terms before”, he said. “My exchange coordinator hadn’t mentioned them.”

This is despite him having emailed in July to ask whether modules on his course were compatible with the exchange.

When he contacted his course administrator on September 7th, he was told to email the study abroad coordinator. In emails seen by The University Times, he was in turn instructed to contact the Sociology coordinator. In an unfamiliar country where classes were about to begin, he recalls thinking: “I can try and figure this out with these people who aren’t responding to my emails or I can just play it safe, try and get a refund on my accommodation in Zurich and just take my chances with housing in Dublin”.

He describes spending the day emailing various people at Trinity who directed him in myriad directions: “I couldn’t get any clear responses.”

All of the sources who spoke with this newspaper confirmed experiencing a lack of communication and information from College whilst applying or preparing for study abroad. Multiple students expressed feeling unsupported by Trinity throughout the process: “it was just like fumbling in the dark, where I was just trying to figure out what I was supposed to be doing and hearing different things from different people”.

This lack of organisation and

clarity made many of the students feel unnecessary pressure and strain. “I feel like I’m going crazy”, Sondheim said of her experience.

Another student stated: “I was definitely very stressed out. I’m lucky to have a very supportive family who was able to help me out throughout all of this but if I didn’t have that sort of support system I probably just would have given up on it from the get go.”

Trinity’s mismanagement has left multiple students vulnerable, confused and alone in countries they have little knowledge of. It has also affected the mental health of their students closer to home.

The stress of being uninformed, the potential financial impacts when plans have to be rearranged and the time students have to take to communicate with College staff all serve as barriers to students considering applying for this opportunity.

In response to the claims made in this article, Trinity Global Office said: “We recognise that there have been some administrative issues including the examples that you have provided. The extensive Trinity community involved in operationalising global mobility opportunities at Trinity is working together to address this with a focus on the lived student experience.”

They also highlighted that in 2022-2023 more students than ever undertook study abroad at College: “Supporting the movement of over 2,500 students around the world across various programmes is not without its complexities and on every occasion we do our best to assist students that run into challenges.”

“Trinity Global has overseen a restructure of the area between June-September 2023, with five reimagined professional roles directly related to student mobility currently advertised. The Trinity community will continue to work towards improving the student experience for all students undertaking an international experience.”

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The University Times Monday 16 October, 2023

NEWS

Sabbatical Officers Report on Progress, Promises « CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 of Kells blockade.

Welfare Officer Aoife Bennett celebrated the return of in-person consent workshops to Trinity Hall for the first time since the pandemic, and worked closely with Together Consent to organise other consent talks on campus for undergraduates and postgraduates. The three workshops had a cumulative attendance of nearly 1000 students.

She also drew attention to the new website for the Accommodation Advisory Service, which she called a “slay” on behalf of her predecessor Chloe Staunton. Like her colleagues, she noted her involvement in the digs drive and the Book of Kells blockade.

She has arranged STI testing in both the Arts Block and the off-campus St James’s Hospital, organised an additional consent talk and brought back the annual sex toy bingo for the ongoing Sexual Health Awareness and Guidance (SHAG) Week, on which she welcomes feedback.

She has succeeded in her manifesto commitments to organise queer sex education workshops and publicise at-home STI testing kits. She is in the progress of expanding the free period products initiative, reforming the Union’s dignity and respect policy and organising diversity training for societies with the Central Societies Committee (CSC).

She is lobbying for the reopening of Cunningham House at Trinity Hall for more affordable student accom-

modation with family unit options, and the introduction of sensory spaces along with a Union presence in St James’s.

Comms and Marketing Officer Aiesha Wong first highlighted the €4500 revenue she earned the Union during Freshers’ Week, having arranged activities with sponsors every day at the Pav Marquee.

She also spotlighted her renewed sponsorships with Dominos and KC Peaches, and her new academic partnership with Capital Credit Union worth €2000.

She focused on the media coverage received by recent TCDSU initiatives such as the digs drive campaign and the Book of Kells blockade.

Towards the fulfilment of her mandates, Wong noted that she has referred to House 6 as “Teach Mandela” or “Teach a Sé” in all official communications, and has worked with the Irish Language Part-Time Officer (PTO) to update incorrectly translated terms in Union documents.

She said that she has taken an online training course to further her aim of formulating a GDPR policy for the Union, and disclosed that she has not yet begun to circulate information on harm reduction for transgender students seeking self-administered healthcare.

She has yet to create a Union-specific events calendar or organise her suggested “upskilling” workshops such as graphic design tutorials or barista training.

Ents Officer Olivia Orr logged

an additional 107.5 hours beyond those she is contracted to work.

Commenting on the fulfilment of her mandates, Orr noted that she has secured gender neutral toilets at the various venues where Ents have hosted events. She said that she is in the process of aiding the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) in developing an anti-spiking policy.

She has fulfilled her manifesto promise of appointing a Welfare Officer and an Accessibility Officer to the Ents Committee, following the passing of a motion to allow for the expansion of the committee at the last council of last year.

She has also implemented her proposed suggestion form for feedback and suggestions on Ents events. She also highlighted her work to secure the Buttery as a venue for daytime events, as well as her distribution of information about the safety and accessibility of venues before each event.

She said that she was in discussions with the Global Room to organise more cultural Ents events.

Another work in progress was the development of a reporting system, towards which she is working with other SU officers “to find a safe and secure way to create this”. She is also currently working with Welfare Officer Aoife Bennett and the USI to develop a drug policy.

In her report, Orr made no mention of her intention to keep Trinity Ball on campus next semester, a move she named as her “top priority” in her manifesto.

Students Call for 100% Plant-Based Catering Phoebe Pascoe ASSISTANT EDITOR

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t midday on Friday, September 29th, a group of Trinity students held a large banner in Front Square to call for a transition to 100 per cent plant-based catering on campus.

The group joined students from University College Cork and University of Galway, who enacted similar demonstrations on their own campuses. Students also handed out leaflets.

The banner read “PLANT-BASED UNIVERSITY / END THE CLIMATE CRISIS”, and is part of the PlantBased Universities campaign. The campaign was started in 2021, aiming to persuade universities in the UK and Ireland to transition to fully

plant-based catering. It has over 60 ongoing campaigns in UK universities.

Plant-Based Universities have also published an open letter urging colleges to align with their goal.

The letter has been signed by nearly 1000 academics and healthcare professionals, as well as 76 professors from Trinity.

Oisín Considine, Plant-Based Universities’ Trinity College Dublin Coordinator said: “I’m proud to say that Trinity College Dublin was the single biggest representative on the recent open letter calling for 100 per cent plant-based menus.”

He explained that the purpose of the banner was “to make sure that the vital conversations about creating Irish food security and tackling the crisis happen”.

Currently, Trinity has a policy of “plant-slanting” catering, which

involves aiming to reduce meat, fish and poultry sales in College as well as promoting plantbased dishes above options containing meat.

A spokesperson for College said: “Trinity Catering’s policy is to make the vegan option the most delicious, most promoted and best value meal on any of its menus, rather than moving to an all-vegan menu. This reflects our ambition to change food culture by pleasurable experiences and choice rather than ban, which we believe will have more legitimacy and longevity.”

Trinity Catering has also partnered with Cornucopia, a plantbased restaurant on the nearby Wicklow Street Dublin to run a series of pop-ups on campus and create a variety of vegan student dishes.

PHOTO BY 98FM

President László Molnárfi has completed 15 of his 41 manifesto promises, while 19 are in progress and six are not yet started.

Education Officer Catherine Arnold has yet to complete any of her 11 manifesto promises. 8 are in progress and 3 have not been started.

Welfare Officer Aoife Bennett has fulfilled 3 of her 11 total manifesto promises, while another 8 are in progress.

Comms & Marketing Officer Aiesha Wong has fulfilled 6 of 16 manifesto promises, while 7 are in progress and 3 have not been started.

Ents Officer Olivia Orr has begun work on all 11 of her manifesto promises. 6 have been completed and 5 are in progress.

Island Renamed for Ella Mills Clara Roche EDITOR

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n island on the Potomac River near Washington DC has been named after Ella Mills, the Irish Times has reported.

The 20-year-old English student on the Trinity-Columbia Dual BA program died in a kayaking accident on the river last month.

The island, renamed by the Potomac kayaking community, will be known as Ella’s Island.

Mills, from Clontarf, began her studies in Columbia two months ago, after completing the first two years of her degree in Trinity.

A book of condolences was placed in Room 4015 of the Arts Building for two weeks for students who wished to sign it.

On Thursday, September 28th, Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) extended their

“deepest sympathies” to her friends and family, and urged affected students to get in touch with the Student Counselling services.

Following her passing, she was remembered in national and international news outlets including the Irish Times and the Columbia Daily Spectator.

In a statement to students, Dean of General Studies at Columbia, Lisa Rosen-Metsch said: “Ella had a love for learning, was intellectually curious, and passionate about literature.”

Rosen-Metsch highlighted her involvement in DU Players and the tennis club at Trinity.

A Record of Trinity’s Mind: Icarus Magazine PHOTO BY CATHAL EUSTACE

Sarah Brown examines the history and state of Ireland’s oldest literary magazine, exploring how Trinity’s literary journals chronicle its history of talented writers. Read more in Radius, page 6 »

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The University Times Monday 16 October, 2023

NEWS

Provost Rallies for Increased Funding Ahead of Gov. Budget

Students Sign Letter to Provost Demanding 2-Year Rent Freeze College, through its spokesperson, has previously claimed that there is an “incorrect” narrative that it is making “millions” through its accommodation services due to “significant” operating costs.

“In response to government underfunding”, Molnárfi detailed some numbers on rent prices, saying: “Rent prices have increased by at least 25 per cent since 2015, and can be as much as €12,000 per year, a price 93 per cent of students find unaffordable according to a recent survey.” He believes that the increases are “actively pricing students out of education”.

He also referenced a meeting held between himself and the Provost on Friday, September 15th, where he quotes the Provost as saying that he must follow the “appropriate financial process”. Molnárfi claimed that this “process” is “dominated” by the College’s Commercial Revenue Unit (CRU), a unit he says is responsible for overpowering “student and staff opposition” to rent and international student fee increases.

Alex Payne ASSISTANT EDITOR

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rovost Linda Doyle expressed concern about the Government budget before its release on October 10th. In an email sent to all staff and students on Thursday, September 28th, the Provost said she wants the Government to “finally address the chronic underfunding of our sector”.

“We are often told by politicians that they do not hear about the issue ‘on the doorsteps’. This must change. Even if you do not have a vote, your voice matters so please make your voice heard”, she said.

The Provost identified multiple key points that she wanted the College community to “keep in mind when engaging with public services”. These included Ireland’s higher education system’s relative underfunding compared to international standards; the cost of education combined with the deficit in core funding; the “suffering” of students due to the accommodation crisis and over-stretched student services; mounting workloads for staff due to increasing class sizes; ageing infrastructure; and the slow progress made by the Government to address the sector’s €307 annual shortfall identified in 2022.

In her email, the Provost included links to the contact page for public representatives as well as a direct link to the contact details for the Minister for Higher Education, Simon Harris. She called on the Government to take “immediate action if they really care about higher education in Ireland and the future of our country”.

PHOTO BY THE UNIVERSITY TIMES

She also attached a letter to her email, signed by the eight Irish Universities Association (IUA) Presidents, that was sent to the Government on September 19th.

With the subject line “Investing in Skills & Talent and the Capacity of Universities to Support Core National Priorities”, the letter urges the Government to “make a decisive move to build our collective capacity to address the nation’s talent needs and to deliver on the commitments you have made under Funding the Future as well as unlocking the bulging National Training Fund reserves”.

The Government’s Funding the Future options paper, prepared in August 2023 after an in-person Stakeholder Event on May 25th, presents ideas on “reducing the cost of higher education for all students”. The issues raised included the income thresholds and rates of the SUSI scheme, the costs of the student contribution and accommodation and supports for more flexible forms of learning.

The Government’s National Training Fund aims to “support

the training of those seeking to take up employment, those in employment seeking to upskill and facilitate lifelong learning”.

The IUA letter calls for the Government to set up a Skills Development Fund from the over €1.5 billion National Training Fund surplus. It says: “All of the major national challenges share the common denominator of urgent and growing skills and talent development needs.” In order to respond to such needs the IUA argue: “We can only do so if the resources are made available to invest in our capacity.”

A capacity which they claimed is “stretched to the limit”.

In College’s latest financial report, approved on March 23rd, the College’s Chief Financial Officer Peter Reynolds expressed a desire to see Trinity remain a “globally competitive” university in the midst of the significant concern of “inflationary pressures”.

In reference to spending, he said: “We will continue to manage our resources prudently and to invest strategically in the University’s infrastructure.”

Alex Payne ASSISTANT EDITOR

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CDSU President László Molnárfi encouraged students to sign his open letter demanding a two-year rent freeze on university-owned accommodation due to the cost of living and accommodation crises.

Sent to all students at 10.52pm on October 1st, the letter, as of its closure on October 3rd, has reached 591 signatures, approximately 3 per cent of Trinity’s student population.

Molnárfi demanded the two-year rent freeze, something he considers to be the “bare minimum”, commence by October 11th, committing to taking “further disruptive action on campus” otherwise.

He said that Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) wrote to Provost Linda Doyle in March of this year, “with a series of demands to be met with regards to housing issues”. He also says that the daylong blockade of the Book of Kells

exhibition is a direct response to the Provost having “ignored our pleas”.

Molnárfi claimed that many students are couchsurfing, sleeping in cars and dropping out of education as a consequence of a “hostile government that sees cost-efficiency calculations in each act of teaching and research, and our college institutions [who] are complicit in this for-profit model”.

PHOTO BY EMER MOREAU FOR THE UNIVERSITY TIMES

Budget 2024: What Does It Mean for Students?

Hosanna Boulter, Alex Payne NEWS EDITOR, ASSISTANT EDITOR

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udget 2024 was presented to Dáil Éireann on Tuesday, October 10th, by Minister for Finance Michael McGrath, and the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform Paschal Donohoe.

The University Times has broken down which students are set to benefit from the new budget, and by how much.

While all third-level students will benefit from a €1000 reduction in their fees regardless of their household income, the budget will further impact postgraduates, students who are eligible for the free fees initiative, students who use the Student Assistance Fund, students

who have SUSI maintenance loans, students whose household income is under €55,924 and students who use public transport.

Postgraduates January 2024 will mark the first time since the financial crash that postgraduates may apply for student maintenance grants. How much a postgraduate student is entitled to will depend on how close they live to their college and their income.

Postgraduate students who receive a Postgraduate Contribution Grant will see the amount of this grant increase from €4,000 to €5,000 for the 2023/2024 academic year. The increase in the Postgraduate Contribution Grant is a “one off costof-living measure”, so it is unclear whether it will be kept in place after this academic year.

PHOTO BY EAVAN MCLOUGHLIN FOR THE UNIVERSITY TIMES

Students who are eligible for the Free Fees initative All students who are eligible for the Free Fees Initiative will see a €1,000 reduction in their student contribution fee for the 2023/2024 academic year. This is a one-off payment to help with the cost of living crisis.

Students who use the Student Assistance Fund The Student Assistance Fund (SAF) is a fund run by the HEA (Higher Education Authority) which provides financial support to students who are experiencing financial difficulties while attending college.

Students can apply for this on top of their SUSI grant. This fund will help with costs not borne by your college such as books, rent, utility bills, food and travel. The fund’s budget will almost double in size as it increases from €8.9 million last year to €17 million this year. This should mean that more students experiencing financial difficulties are able to access monetary support from the fund. The increased budget was only announced for this academic year as a one-off to help with the cost of living crisis.

Students who receive SUSI maintenance grants All students who currently receive SUSI maintenance grants will see an

increase in the size of their grant.

The size of this increase will depend on which band they are in (which is determined by their income) and at which rate they are paid their grant. The two options are: adjacent (which is for students who live under 30 km away from their college) and non-adjacent (which is for students who live more than 30 km from their college). The increases in these grants will come in from January 2024.

As a result of last year’s budget, those with a household income of between €62,000 and €100,000 can also apply for a €500 student contribution fee reduction this academic year.

Students who have a household income under €55,924 From September 2024 onwards any student who has a household income of under €55,924 will not have to pay student contribution fees.

Public Transport All those under 26 years old can now avail of the 50 per cent discount in public transport fares. Last year this only included those under 24 years old. This scheme will stay in place for at least the next two years. The 20% discount for all adults using public transport has been extended and will continue for the next year.

Transport Minister Eamon Ryan also vowed to make public trans-

PHOTO BY ALEX CONNOLLY

port free for those up to the age of 18 in the future.

How will this impact other measures brought in earlier to tackle the cost of living crisis?

Budget 2024 shows the Government is trying to balance cost-of-living measures whilst trying to secure Ireland’s long-term economic resilience. This year the Irish budget surplus reached around €10 billion due to increasing levels of tax on overseas companies.

Last year the Government spent €4.1 billion on one-off measures to help people struggling with the cost of living crisis. This year, by contrast, they reduced that amount to €2.7 billion. This reduction can be seen as a reflection of the concerns over inflation, as more mon-

ey spent could result in higher rates of inflation. Reduction in spending on one-off measures was countered by a renewed focus on the Infrastructure, Nature and Climate Fund.

The government also announced the launch of a new Future Ireland Fund, which “will help to protect living standards and public services for current and future generations,” according to Minister for Finance Martin McGrath. It is due to receive 0.8 per cent of GDP, currently just over €4 billion, from 2024 to 2035 and should reach a value of €100 billion over that period.

Spending on funds such as these is seen as less likely to increase inflation as the spending will happen over a number of years and therefore will not enter the economy straight away.

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NEWS

Buttery Ban Reversed: Students, Staff “Welcome” to Eat Homemade Meals Alex Payne, Clara Roche ASSISTANT EDITOR, EDITOR

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fter a sit-in protest, a social media campaign and a draft proposal that was due to be submitted to the Student Life Committee on October 3rd, Trinity College Dublin has decided to change the previous policy of the Buttery which only allowed food bought there to be eaten in the canteen.

Now, students can eat homemade food or food purchased elsewhere in the Buttery. Described by Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) President László Molnárfi as “classist”, the old policy was also criticised by Students4Change (S4C) and various trade unions.

As previously reported in The University Times, Students4Change led a boycott of the Buttery by staging a sit-in protest at the canteen on March 16th, 2023. Speaking to the paper at the time, when he was

Chair of S4C, Molnárfi said that the old policy was sending the message “that Trinity College Dublin is not an inclusive place for those who are struggling financially, and that Trinity College Dublin is not a college that supports its students”.

TCDSU, via an Instagram post at the time, supported the protest, stating: “The main priority of College, and Trinity Catering, should be creating a vibrant, inclusive student community — not turning away its own students in favour of earning extra commercial revenue.”

College’s previous reluctance to change the policy resulted in a proposal, drafted by the TCDSU, that was due to be submitted to the Student Life Committee when it met on October 3rd.

In a document seen by The University Times, TCDSU criticised the current policy that forbids students from eating homemade meals in campus canteens, citing its adverse effects on students’ well-being, its contribution to the challenges posed by the cost of living crisis,

PHOTO BY IVAN RAKHMANIN FOR THE UNIVERSITY TIMES

and its detrimental impact on the environment as problematic.

Following a survey in February, S4C shared student feedback emphasising the adverse impact of the restrictive ban on homemade meals. Students reported being asked to leave both the Buttery and the Dining Hall for bringing their own food, even when the spaces were nearly empty and had excess available seating.

New Chair, Vice-Chair Elected to Trinity S4C Alex Payne ASSISTANT EDITOR

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n September 21st, the Trinity branch of Students4Change (S4C) elected a new Chair, Ella Mac Lennan and, for the first time, a Vice-Chair, Nicholas Evans.

The group, which operates under the principles of a “United Front”, meaning it seeks to represent a “mass alliance” of socialist students, has welcomed the two Trinity students to carry out the executive functions of the group for the academic year.

New Chair, Ella Mac Lennan, takes over the role from current Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) President, László Molnárfi after an uncontested race.

Mac Lennan, a second year Political Science and Social Policy student, believes it is “clear” there is a “strong need for change amongst the student body”, given the rise in

S4C membership and increase in events such as direct action.

She further added, in an email to The University Times, that she ran for Chair of S4C because: “S4C has and will play a great role in bringing about the change that students so badly need, and I wanted to continue the work we have already done so far.”

“I don’t expect that we will single-handedly bring about instant societal change and an end to the corporate nature of our universities, but if we can bring further attention to the College’s failings and stand in solidarity with those affected by their corporate greed (whether they be students or staff), we can fight back and transform our institutions.”

S4C, as stated in its constitution, aims to “support the wider socialist movement in Ireland and the wider world”. In response to being asked what she thinks the biggest issue facing students today is, Mac Lennan responded that it is difficult

to “identify a singular ‘biggest’ issue”.

Instead, after highlighting the “sheer cost” of education and living, she pointed to what she described as the “real” issue: “Trinity’s greed, and the for-profit nature of all institutions in Ireland; and on a national level, the government’s failure to provide for a protect vulnerable members of society in favour of a neoliberal market state.”

In a statement to The University Times, College’s spokesperson said: “The narrative that Trinity is making ‘millions’ on accommodation is incorrect as there are significant costs associated with operating student accommodation.”

The statement continued: “The commercial activities are used to provide essential funding for the College, which include student services, teaching and research.”

In the document, TCDSU highlighted the adverse impact of the current policy on students’ overall health, wellbeing and autonomy.

The Union argued that the ban on homemade meals not only restricted students’ dietary choices, but also undermined their sense of agency and autonomy within the university.

The Union further contended that the policy exacerbated the

impact of the ongoing cost of living crisis for students. Costs at the Buttery have reportedly risen by 18 to 25 per cent in the last five years, prompting the Union to call it “unconscionable” for College “to be kicking students out, essentially shaming them and in some cases separating them from their friends, for not being able to afford food and for saving on their finances by eating food cooked at home”.

The Union reported that Trinity’s Commercial Revenue Unit has advised Trinity to ensure the enforcement of the policy, in a change diverging “from previous agreements between the student body and the College”. It expressed concern that “commercial interests might be superseding the sense of community” within the University, and argued that any loss in revenue incurred by its proposed change in policy would be negated by students purchasing “drinks or smaller items from the catering establishments, leading to increased revenue that they otherwise wouldn’t have re-

ceived”.

The Union clarified that its concerns were directed at College authorities rather than Trinity Catering or its employees, and reiterated its stance of “standing in solidarity with all staff members”.

In the face of the increased media attention the campaign has attracted, College said through its spokesperson in a statement to The University Times: “Trinity has reaffirmed its arrangement that students and staff are welcome to eat homemade lunches in the Buttery.”

In a statement to The University Times, Molnárfi welcomed this change in policy, saying: “Direct action and being radical works, because it makes those in power listen to us.”

He also reserved special thanks to Students4Change, of which he is no longer Chair, for supporting the sit-in protest and the trade unions “who expressed support for our cause”, as well as “everyone who supported this campaign on social media”.

TCDSU Protest Trinity’s Links to Matheson LLP Hosanna Boulter NEWS EDITOR

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t 10.06 am on Tuesday, October 10th, Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU), Students4Change (S4C) and Trinity People Before Profit staged a protest outside a “Promoting Social Mobility Through Education” event being held in the Exam Hall by the law firm Matheson.

Several students put up three large cardboard cut-outs of cartoon vultures and unfurled a banner which read, “Trinity – Stop Preying On Our Future”. Three of the students were dressed in white shirts with fake blood to illustrate the harm they say vulture funds have caused.

After the students set up their protest, Matheson’s banner welcoming people to the event was removed from outside the Exam Hall.

Some protesters spoke through

a megaphone to explain why they were protesting Trinity’s links to Matheson. They also played vulture sounds through the megaphone.

Matheson is currently collaborating with Trinity Law for The Trinity Matheson EU Law Partnership. They launched the Cara Scholarship for Trinity students in 2022 and host a variety of events with the college every year.

The protesters took issue with some of Matheson’s past corporate practices which include working closely with so-called “vulture funds”, according to the Irish Times.

These funds are “registered charities” who “buy distressed property loans” in order to “help the funds avoid Irish tax”.

Speaking at the protest, László Molnárfi – the president of TCDSU – said that vulture funds were, “an absolute human tragedy”. He said that they were carrying out this “essentially satirical protest to show the irony of an event that is about equality and diversity and is being

sponsored by Matheson: a law firm so complicit in the housing crisis in Ireland”.

Ella Mac Lennan, the newly-elected Chair of Trinity’s Students4Change, commented that: “TCD’s continued support and partnership with Matheson is disgusting, and even more so when they hide behind the guise of “diversity and inclusion”. Matheson remains one of the biggest advisors to vulture funds, aiding them in their exploitation of vulnerable individuals and stopping at nothing to meet their needs and maximise their profits, even going as far as exploiting children’s charities. Stop preying on our future. Trinity must put an end to their shameful partnership.”

The University Times has reached out to Matheson for comment.

Matheson and Trinity sent out a press release about the event but have so far made no mention of the protest that took place outside it.

The Hist Triumphs Over the Phil in World Record Win Phoebe Pascoe ASSISTANT EDITOR

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he College Historical Society (the Hist) will be awarded a Guinness World Record to commemorate its status as the oldest student society in the world, it was announced last month.

The Hist was founded at Trinity in 1770 to “promote student discourse and debate”. Past members include Oscar Wilde, Samuel Beckett and Sally Rooney. It currently has over 10,000 members.

The process of obtaining the record began in March 2020, when

the society celebrated its 250th anniversary. This procedure involved proving that the society has been active from its inception to the present day, including the two instances in which it was expelled by the College Board.

However, the University Philosophical Society (the Phil) also asserts the title of the world’s oldest student society. President of the Phil, Jack Palmer, told The University Times that “we still claim connections and a strong lineage all the way back to 1683”.

Palmer praised the Hist’s efforts in obtaining the record, calling it a “great initiative from them and fair play”.

Of disputing the Hist’s claim, Palmer said: “I suppose it’s kind of on us to potentially put our money where our mouth is and contest the record, but also for now we’re focused on the year and running events.” He suggested that others might be more eager to prove the Phil’s right to the title come summertime.

Speaking to The University Times about the potential of the Phil contesting the record, Hist Auditor Áine Kennedy said: “They are more than welcome to. I don’t think any historian is going to back them up.”

Overall, she welcomes their efforts: “I would love to see them try!”

Palmer says that the light-hearted

competition between the societies is an improvement on their past relationship. “It’s definitely a good way for us to coexist. I know in the past there’s been full-on animosity.”

On the importance of the Hist’s legacy, Kennedy commented: “I

think it’s really easy now for us to all agree that students having voices is a very important thing, but at the time that was not a universally popular opinion, particularly within Trinity but in any university worldwide.” When the Hist was founded,

she says, “it was a very radical idea”.

The Guinness World Record will officially be awarded to the Hist on October 20th, with celebratory events beginning on October 18th, including a Gala Dinner to which all members are invited.

Speaking to The University Times about the potential of the Phil contesting the record, Hist Auditor Áine Kennedy said: “They are more than welcome to. I don’t think any historian is going to back them up!”

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NEWS

Paper Balloting Causes Delays at First Council Alex Payne ASSISTANT EDITOR

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t the first Student Council meeting of the year, held in the Stanley Quek lecture theatre in TBSI on Tuesday, October 3rd, only 21 out of 45 elections were held for the various available positions on Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) committees.

Elections were open to fill positions on the Electoral Commission (EC), the Education Committee, the Welfare & Equality Committee, the Communications & Marketing Committee, the Trinity Joint Honours (TJH) Committee, the International Committee, the Working Student Accommodations Working Group, the Campaigns Committee, the Access Committee and the Engagement Working Group.

The only groups for which elections were held were the EC, the Education Committee, the Wel-

fare & Equality Committee and the Communications & Marketing Committee. All available positions were filled on these committees and notably, the Education Committee appointed a Parent/Legal Guardian representative for the first time in five years.

Before any elections were held, Conor Casey, Chair of Council and the EC, decided to move forward a number of motions, delaying the start to elections.

Last academic year, council passed a motion to discontinue its use of Eviabi as an online voting system due to perceived barriers to engagement including the need to pre-register to vote. Therefore, for each election held at council this year, all elections were held via a paper balloting system.

For each election, voting members had to wait to receive a ballot paper, write the position up for election at the top, mark which nomination they preferred and wait for their ballot paper to be collected by a member of the EC. Then, members of

the EC would count the ballots and Casey would announce the result.

For one election, this process lasted 14 minutes and 46 seconds.

Before discontinuing the use of the online voting system, council members had to log in to the system and their votes could be made, collected and counted immediately before being announced.

Casey also chose to introduce reports and motions whilst the above process was in action, causing further delay to the announcement of results and further delays to holding more elections.

Casey’s introduction of the EC’s Report invited the most questions, mostly concerning the switch to paper balloting for the Class rep elections. Maria Healey, the fourthyear class representative for Chemistry and Biosciences, raised the issue that she was unable to vote in class representative elections in TBSI, where she is carrying out her capstone project. The EC decided to only allow a student to vote for a certain class representative in the

PHOTO BY ANNA MORAN FOR THE UNIVERSITY TIMES

physical campus space with which that class representative would be associated. In the case of Chemistry and Biosciences, this is the Hamilton building.

Issues were also raised concerning the number of students who had problems using the nomination form for class representatives.

Casey said that the reasoning for

paper balloting, and an assessment of it, would be presented to members in the EC report at the third council of the year, due to be held in November.

Council was also delayed through limited explanation of the process to members, with one class representative asking whether they could also run for the available positions

on Union committees. With the exception of the EC, this is permitted and often encouraged. Another class representative also asked for an explanation of the various Committees and their positions.

Members of the EC were also slow to remember microphones and reach attendees who wished to speak, causing further delays.

President Molnárfi Dissents from TCDSU Statement Condemning PWO Criticism Alex Payne ASSISTANT EDITOR

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rinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) has refuted criticisms outlined by the Trinity branch of the Postgraduate Workers’ Organisation (PWO) on Twitter. The objections centred around the operation of the recent union-run elections for postgraduate committee positions.

On Twitter, the PWO stated that the Union’s voting system is “disenfranchising PhDs en masse”. The organisation further claimed that voters had been turned away from ballot boxes due to a shortage in paper ballots, and that there was no online voting option available as an alternative.

In a statement to The University Times, TCDSU said that ballots

were pulled because of “election interference” rather than a physical shortage. The Union said it was “made aware of an email sent out by the PWO in violation of the Union’s longstanding electoral regulations endorsing their own PWO member candidates over others via electronic mailing lists”.

The statement further alleged that members of the PWO were harassing polling clerks in person, behaviour the Union said it was “extremely disappointed by”.

The Electoral Commission has decided to rerun the Postgraduate Committee election next week “to remedy this breach of election regulations by the PWO”. Candidates will be reminded of “the appropriate decorum and behaviour which is expected”.

The Union also rejected the PWO’s claim that there was “no online voting option” for the elections.

According to the Union, “there was

an accessible voting form which was circulated on 25th September via the weekly email to the entire student body”.

Speaking to The University Times via email, TCDSU President László Molnárfi said that he did not authorise the TCDSU statement, and that he is dissenting from it, indicating disagreement and potential disconnect within the Union itself.

In a later statement, the President called for unity between TCDSU and PWO. He said: “We need unity against the common enemy — College and the Government. There is much work to be done. Fighting for postgraduate researcher’s living stipend and a workers’ rights, as well as affordable accommodation and an inclusive education system.”

He continued: “Postgraduate researchers marched on October 5th, and have expressed their demands and stated that they are willing and ready to escalate as far

as strikes. We, the TCDSU, now have a crucial responsibility to support their struggle and spread words of solidarity amongst students, not to fight with each other. It would be a shame if our solidarity were to be damaged. We should not lose sight of the bigger picture.”

This year, the Union replaced the online voting system with paper ballots for the first time since the pandemic. This caused delays at the first Student Council meeting of the year on Tuesday evening, and only 21 elections were held of the 45 planned.

On Twitter, former Chair of Council and Chair of the Electoral Commission, Yannick Gloster, said that the Union “previously had a contract with an online voting platform which had been built for TCDSU by software engineers who were former students but the current sabbatical officers opted to break out of that contract this year”.

PHOTO BY RÓISÍN POWER FOR THE UNIVERISTY TIMES PHOTO BY THE UNIVERSITY TIMES

Seven Societies Derecognised at CSC Michaelmas Meeting Hosanna Boulter NEWS EDITOR

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even societies were derecognised at the Central Societies Committee’s (CSC) Michaelmas Term General Meeting, held on 28th September 2023.

The seven societies were: Dance, Geographical, Arabesque, Nursing & Midwifery, Pool, Public Health and TedX. A society will automatically be derecognised by the CSC if it fails to present satisfactory accounts for two consecutive years. Every year a deadline is released by the CSC by which time societies must hand in their accounts. This year the deadline was August 31st, 2023. Unsatisfactory accounts could include accounts handed in late for two years.

It is the job of a society’s treasurer to hand in their society’s accounts to the CSC Treasurer by the deadline each year.

Arabesque, Geographical, Nursing & Midwifery, Pool, Public Health and TedX societies failed to submit

their financial reports by the August 31st deadline for this year. As their accounts were also unsatisfactory the year before they were automatically derecognised by the CSC. Though Dance society did manage to hand in their financial re-

cords, they were unsatisfactory for the second year in a row, and thus the society was automatically derecognised by the CSC. Fourteen other societies failed to submit their financial reports by the August 31st deadline automatically PHOTO BY SINÉAD BAKER FOR THE UNIVERISTY TIMES

rendering their accounts unsatisfactory. However as this was not a second consecutive year that they had unsatisfactory accounts, they were not automatically derecognised. The fourteen societies were: Amnesty, Clinical Therapies, Food & Drink, Global Development, Horse Racing, Indian, Jewish Students, Juggling, Labour, Neuroscience, Science Fiction, Social Democrats, Student Managed Fund and Zoology societies. If these societies have unsatisfactory accounts next year, they will be automatically derecognised.

Any student who has joined a society that was then derecognised by the CSC will be refunded, the CSC stated.

A society that has been derecognised may continue to function but it is not able to secure amenities or funding, such as travel grants, from the CSC until the society is formally

recognised again.

DU Geographical and DU Dance are continuing to run like functioning societies after the CSC’s rulings.

They are both holding events next week. DU Geographical has a link to the petition to get the society to be recognised by the CSC again in their Instagram page bio.

Since the rulings, Public Health Society, Arabesque and TedX have not been active on their society’s instagram pages.

If a society which has been derecognised wishes to be reinstated, it must go through the same procedure that a new society wanting to be recognised goes through. This involves collecting 200 signatures and I.D. numbers from students and staff in a petition. That petition must then be submitted to the CSC before the end of Week 12 in the Michaelmas term.

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NEWS

Gross Inequalities Revealed in College’s Resourcing of the Women’s Soccer Team Despite 100 women turning up to their trials in Freshers’ Week this year, they felt they could only take on one team due to the lack of coaches and other necessary resources.

The women’s team does not have a manager at present. Instead, it is up to the team’s captain to organise all of their games. This includes contacting referees, registering players and organising matches.

This is a job that the Trinity Sports Union should support a club in finding. The men’s team, for example, has a manager. The team’s captain told The University Times of the stress that this causes on top of being a full-time student.

Whilst the men’s team currently has three coaches, the women’s team has none. The team feels that the lack of a coach “makes us look unprofessional and disorganised whilst also affecting [our] game”.

The women’s team contacted the Trinity Sports Union to ask for a coach over a month ago. In an email seen by The University Times, Trini-

“

The team feels that the lack of a coach “makes us look unprofessional and disorganised whilst also affecting [our] game”.

ty Sports Union told the women’s team that they were making their way through a “backlog of enquiries”. There is a discernible lack of urgency with this issue that is so critical to the performance of the women’s team.

In a statement to The University Times, the Trinity Sports Union said that they had “sent communications to the national governing body of soccer in Ireland (FAI) to assist with finding a coach for the club”.

The team also feel that they look less professional than other women’s teams as they have been using the same kit for the past five years.

Trinity will only provide the shirts for the women’s team. This means that the team has to source the rest

of the kit on their own, resulting in a team turning up to matches wearing an array of different colours and kit.

Meanwhile, the men’s team revealed earlier this month that they managed to secure new sponsors, resulting in a whole new kit. The women’s team are currently without sponsors.

When contacted by The University Times, Trinity Sports Union stated that they would support teams that wished to reach out for sponsorships.

The women’s team is enjoying some successes despite all of these setbacks: they were the champions of the WEFT tournament in Paris last year. They self-funded to enter and were the only team competing

Half of 18-24 Year Olds in Ireland Experience Sexual Harrassment Hosanna Boulter NEWS EDITOR

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n Tuesday, September 26th, the Irish Central Statistics Office released their Sexual Violence Survey for 2022. The survey revealed that 50% of the 18-24 year olds questioned experienced sexual harassment in the last 12 months.

It also revealed that 15 per cent of women had experienced inappropriate physical contact in the last 12 months, 50 per cent of men who experienced sexual harassment in the last 12 months did not disclose their experience and that three per cent of adults experienced stalking with fear of sexual violence in the last 12 months. Overall, 20 per cent of those asked said that they had experienced some form of sexual harassment in the last 12 months.

PHOTO BY DUBLIN RAPE CRISIS CENTRE

For the purpose of this survey sexual harassment was defined as “unwanted behaviours that a person may have experienced in their daily life in the last 12 months, which made the person feel offended, humiliated or intimidated”.

USI (Union of Students in Ireland) Vice-President for Welfare, Colette Murphy, called the statistics “really concerning” but added that she thought most young people would not be shocked by the findings in an interview with RTE. Murphy added that she believed education around the topic of sexual harassment would be key to bringing such figures down. She also called for some form of SPHE to continue at third level education institutions.

Also speaking to RTE, Helen McGrath, the Senior Statistician who led the survey, provided further insight into the circumstances of these instances of sexual harassment: “26% of people” who report-

ed experiencing sexual harassment said that it had taken place in a “pub, club or disco”, however “20% experienced it in a park or another public place” and “15% identified that they’ve experienced it online”.

The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre’s CEO Noeline Blackwell said in a statment: “Rates are especially high among young people aged 18-24 years, of whom half have been sexually harassed. We know that such behaviours can escalate into more serious sexual offences; at the least, they help create an environment for serious offending to be minimised and excused. Most importantly, this behaviour can negatively impact and limit the freedom of victims of sexual harassment to live their lives without intimidation and distress The next such survey is set to be carried out by the Central Statistics Office in 10 years’ time.

PHOTO BY WOMEN’S DU FOOTBALL AFC TEAM

« CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

without a coach. They also recently beat DCU 4-1. The DCU women’s team are currently competing in the league above them: the Premier League.

Overall, the women’s team feel that there is a distinct lack of urgency when it comes to the resourcing for their club. Trinity Sport has recently been pushing the theme of inclusivity in sport. On their homepage a banner reads, “Trinity Sport

Leads the Way in Inclusion and Accessibility”. The women of DU Football AFC do not currently share this sentiment. As the team captain

“

said: “We are really not asking for much, we just want a coach and the ability to play the matches we need to play.”

“We are not asking for much. We just want a coach and the ability to play the matches we need to play.”

Consent Campaign Launched to Combat Sexual Harrassment Hosanna Boulter NEWS EDITOR

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n Monday, October 2nd, the Higher Education Institutions, their Representative Bodies, IUA and THEA, the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) launched the #UnmuteConsent Campaign 2023. The aim of this campaign is to “mobilise the student community to make a difference, by speaking out, by enhancing their own knowledge about consent, and ultimately, by challenging and changing behaviours”.

This campaign is taking place digitally on X (formerly known as Twitter), Instagram and Tiktok. The aim of this campaign is to “increase levels of knowledge and skills among students for accessing personal supports, and reporting pro-

cedures that engage all students in a non-threatening and empowering way.” The campaign has found some success on Tiktok, where the #unmuteconsent page has accumulated over 80,000 likes.

A range of measures around the issue of sexual harassment and assault in HEIs are being implemented across Ireland under the National Consent Framework. Some of the measures being implemented include: the appointment of dedicated Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Managers on HEI campuses, the implementation of an anonymous report and support facility in all HEIs and the extensive roll out of Consent education and Bystander Intervention training programmes. This campaign is aiming to “supplement these initiatives and further encourage conversation about consent”.

The campaign is seeking to encourage students in reporting unacceptable behaviour and access-

ing support, challenging perceived norms, talking about consent and relationships in a positive way and practising consent in their relationships and interactions.

The launch of this campaign comes just days after the the Central Statistics Office released their Sexual Violence Survey 2022. This survey, which is released once every 10 years, revealed a number of statistics about the levels of sexual harassment and assault in Ireland currently. Among other things, the survey revealed that half of all 1824 year olds asked said that they had experienced sexual harassment within the last year. This age demographic encapsulates the majority of students attending higher education institutions.

In response to the findings of the Sexual Violence Survey, Noeline Blackwell, CEO of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, called for increased education for young people on the topic of sexual harassment.

PHOTO BY SINÉAD BAKER FOR THE UNIVERSITY TIMES

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The University Times Monday 16 October, 2023

NEWS

TCDSU and Trinity BDS Release Joint Statement on Israel-Palestine Conflict Hosanna Boulter NEWS EDITOR

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rinity College Dublin Students’ Union and the Trinity BDS have issued a joint statement condemning the “violence” and “tragic loss of life caused by this war” in reference to the ongoing conflict in Israel-Palestine.

TCD BDS is the Trinity branch of the Boycott, Divestment and Solidarity Implementation Group. This is a campaign to end the occupation of Palestinian territories through boycotting Israeli products, ending investments and ties with Israeli business’ and institutions as well and issuing sanctions against the Israeli state.

In recent years, “TCDSU has committed itself to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people” the statement reiterated. Last year, TCDSU and Trinity BDS held a “An-

ti-Apartheid Week” during which they co-hosted a number of events to raise awareness around the ongoing injustices and resistance efforts of the Palestinian people. TCDSU and Trinity BDS helped to organise last week’s “Emergency Support Rally” in support of Palestinian liberation which was held outside the Dáil.

In light of the attacks by Hamas in Israel — like the attack on The NOVA music festival which left at least 260 festivalgoers dead — and retaliations by the Israeli forces, the statement clarified that “standing with Palestine does not mean that we stand for violence”.

The statement blamed the ongoing “cycle of violence” in the region on the “systematic oppression, apartheid and occupation of Palestinian territories” by the Israeli state.

Some Israeli publications, such as Haaretz, which is the third biggest newspaper in Israel, have said that the Israeli government’s policy on Palestinians “bears responsibility”

for Hamas’ recent deadly attacks.

Amnesty International, among other organisations, have previously condemned the Israeli government’s policy on Palestinians under its jurisdiction as “apartheid”.

The statement from the TCDSU and Trinity BDS did not specifically mention Hamas, who were behind the initial attacks. Hamas is a militant group which was formed in 1987. Hamas won elections in the Gaza strip in 2006, thereafter ensued a power struggle between Hamas and Fatah (the biggest secular Palestinian political party). Hamas fighters’ ousted all Fatah politicians from Gaza by force and since then no election has been held. To this day Hamas maintains political control of Gaza.

TCDSU and Trinity BDS expressed support for what they see the current Isreali-Palestinian conflict to be — a war for “national liberation” for Palestinians. They stated that such a war is “in accordance with international humanitarian law” through

PHOTO BY JENNY MAGUIRE VIA TWITTER

“the adaptation of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Convention in 1949 as a protected and essential right of occupied people everywhere”.

The statement ended by affirming that, “TCDSU is here for all students, for anyone who has been affected by these tragic events”. The Instagram post which contained the statement

ended with a series of mental health services and organisations that students can avail themselves of if they have been impacted by the ongoing events in Israel and Palestine.

DUGES and Alliance for Choice Derry Educate Students on Abortion Stigma PHOTO BY CIANNAIT KHAN FOR THE UNIVERSITY TIMES

pill-induced abortions (for instance

Phoebe Pascoe ASSISTANT EDITOR

W

hen you think of a ‘girl dinner’, abortion pills might not be the first thing that springs to mind. However, at the Abortion Pills and Stigma Workshop hosted by DU Gender Equality Society (DUGES) and Alliance for Choice Derry (AFCD) on Thursday evening, they emphasised that this method of abortion should be as destigmatised as our TikTok trends and dinner plates.

A self-described “non-hierarchical radical feminist group”, Alliance for Choice Derry began running workshops such as Thursday’s after the welfare officer at Queen’s University Belfast realised there was a lack of support for students having

for not being able to take time off from lectures).

For DUGES chairperson Ivie Okome, educating students about abortion is crucial: “People think that because of the eighth amendment being repealed, the fight for abortion is over.” The night focused on providing students with information about the stigma surrounding abortion – our own as well as others’ – and practical guidance about the realities of abortion medicine and law.

“We need to discuss abortions, safe sex, have open discussions and break down the stigma”, Okome says. Indeed, open discussions and breaking stigma were cornerstones of the workshop. The evening felt intimate and encouraging, with students sharing their own experiences harbouring stigma about abortion or living in places where abortion is

still illegal.

DUGES members spoke eloquently and empathetically about the ongoing struggle for women worldwide to access abortion. The night did not shy away from the complexity and nuance of the topic: one discussion involved how to support a friend who views abortion as ‘murder’ but also has an unwanted pregnancy. As a spokesperson for AFCD told me: “It’s something that involves your mental health, your bodily autonomy, your friendships, our community.” The event made clear that DUGES are working to provide a supportive community for students at Trinity.

While the workshop didn’t skirt the seriousness of the topic, it managed to remain friendly and at times humorous: the room laughed over the ‘girl dinner’ anecdote and talk about dressing as abortion pills for

Halloween.

Throughout, AFCD emphasised the potential legal ramifications for clinicians providing abortion services and were pragmatic about the experience of a pill-induced abortion: “It can be extremely painful. It’s fair to be upfront about that.” The second half of the evening detailed the process of undergoing an abortion using pills, from how to access the medicine legally to how to take it safely.

Ultimately, the night fostered empathy and empowerment through information and open-mindedness. As a spokesperson for AFCD said: “we do consider it care work and bringing people together”. Future DUGES events will hopefully continue this trend of care and community.

Dean of Graduate Studies Apologises for Data Breach PHOTO VIA TCD.IE

Clara Roche EDITOR

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he Dean of Graduate Studies, Professor Martine Smith, has issued an apology for an email sent in error, which disclosed the personal information of a single postgraduate student to all other postgraduate students registered at Trinity.

The data breach, which occurred earlier today, contained a student’s TCD email address and their student ID number, and requested proof of

previous education at Trinity.

In the subsequent apology sent to all postgraduate students, Professor Smith referred to the incident as “a very serious matter for the College”, and reported having spent the intervening time liaising with the Data Protection Officer (DPO) and IT Services “to minimise the impact on the student in question” and other postgraduate students.

In this later email, Professor Smith attributed the breach to “simple human error”, and said the Graduate Studies department were “now reviewing our processes and safeguards to prevent a similar inci-

dent from occurring in the future”.

Professor Smith further requested that students delete the email, saying: “I kindly request that you delete the email, which contains confidential information, as soon as possible.”

Students were advised to contact either the DPO or Professor Smith herself for further information or guidance.

In a statement to The University Times, Professor Martine Smith said: “This was an isolated incident that regrettably occurred despite established practices and procedures being in place at Trinity.”

She reiterated her initial statement: “As is so often the case, human error was the cause.”

She added: “IT Security and Data Protection are regarded as core priorities for the University and the Data Protection Officer (DPO) and Trinity IT Services have provided support from the outset of the incident to ensure that GDPR compliance requirements are addressed.

My office will continue to stay in close touch with the DPO to monitor the situation and to ensure that we are successful in reducing the likelihood of a similar incident reoccurring.”

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The University Times Monday 16 October, 2023

NEWS

“We Are Drowning”: Irish Students March for Increased Funding After Budget Surplus Brídín Ní Fhearraigh-Joyce DEPUTY NEWS EDITOR

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n Wednesday, October 4th, hundreds of Irish students marched from The Garden of Remembrance to the Dáil, urging the government to use the €65 billion budget surplus to alleviate the cost of living and rental crises for students.

The protest coincided with the USI’s Pre-Budget Submission, which was reportedly sent to every TD in Ireland. This year the government has a budget surplus of €10 billion which is predicted to climb to €65 billion by 2025.

Various unions, university staff and government opposition parties

were in attendance. Professor Rory Hearne, Senior Lecturer of Social Policy in Maynooth University and author of Gaffs: Why No One Can Get a House, and What We Can Do About It, was the first to address the crowd at the main stage outside the Dáil.

Hearne stated: “The housing crisis is forcing students to drop out of college. The quality of education is reduced. College days are supposed to be the best days of your life. Now it’s a nightmare.”

He further contended that “the housing crisis is caused by government policy”.

Union of Students’ in Ireland (USI) President Chris Clifford asserted that students are being priced out of university and demanded that the government put “the billions into building homes now”.

PHOTO BY FRANK MCGRATH

Professor Rory Hearne: “The housing crisis is forcing students to drop out of college. The quality of education is reduced. College days are supposed to be the best days of your life. Now it’s a nightmare.”

He continued: “Just to put the figures on it, rental figures have increased by 100% since 2011. They’ve increased by 60% since 2020. Reinstate the eviction ban, freeze rents […] there are so many solutions to this housing crisis. There are 160,000 vacant homes. There are so many thousands of Airbnbs. If the government wanted to address this crisis they could.”

Dean Kenny, the Students’ Union President of the University of Galway, spoke of having organised a student sleep out in “pissing rain” at Eyre Square in September to

highlight student homelessness.

Kenny said: “This crisis is not limited to any one place. It’s felt all over the country.”

Kenny noted a survey conducted by the University of Galway Students’ Union (UoGSU) taken by 2000 students. Of the 2000 surveyed, 600, or 30 per cent, of students surveyed, reported living in unsuitable housing conditions, such as living in hostels, couchsurfing or sleeping in cars.

Other topics addressed at the protest included the lack of Irish language teaching available for

students in secondary and tertiary education in Ireland, the voting power of students and the inclusion of housing as a human right in the Irish Constitution.

Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) President László Molnárfi stated in his speech that “88% of students worry about finances”. He continued: “The system is not working. It’s time to say enough is enough. This is no longer about opposition to a government that does not care about us; it is about building resistance.”

CATU-TCDSU Partnership on Hold Following Dissent at First Council Alex Payne ASSISTANT EDITOR

D

uring a combined motion to both adopt a CATU-TCDSU partnership and establish a Housing Rights Officer, dissent was raised and a debate ensued resulting in the mandate for a CATU-TCDSU partnership to be dropped from the motion and the mandate to establish a Housing Rights officer to be delayed to the second council of the year.

At the first council of the year on Tuesday, October 3rd, the above motion, proposed by Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union President László Molnárfi, incited the most vigorous debate of the evening.

The Community Action Tenants Union Ireland (CATU) is an organisation that seeks to represent council tenants, mortgage holders and those in emergency and precarious living situations. It strongly advocates for direct action in its Union Guide and proposes that the Gov-

ernment adopt a universal public housing model to provide free accommodation to citizens of Ireland.

It is currently supported by the Union of Students Ireland (USI) and Maynooth Students’ Union (MSU).

Molnárfi wanted to bring forward the motion to adopt a CATU-TCDSU partnership in order to “deepen the collaboration” between the two unions as well as to “formalise” the relationship.

The Memorandum of Agreement concerning the partnership, which was approved by the CATU National Committee, TCDSU President Molnárfi and TCDSU Council, included the following aims: “promoting CATU materials as requested on the platforms of the TCDSU”, “allowing CATU to present at Freshers Fair and having stands in College buildings”, “exchange of information regarding campaigns of both TCDSU and CATU where it may be felt this exchange can mutually benefit each other’s memberships”, “offering venue and meeting rooms to CATU if administratively possible”, ‘“coordinating door-knocking activities with CATU and TCD stu-

dent members” and “inviting CATU to class representative trainings or other trainings that the student union holds”.

Mature Students Officer Ailish Smith proposed an amendment to the motion to remove the partnership with CATU and TCDSU, leaving just the establishment of a Housing Rights Officer. She expressed concerns that the combined motion left little opportunity for the Housing Rights Officer to engage with other housing services and, due to the political nature of CATU, she wanted anyone speaking for or against the motion to announce if they had any affiliation with CATU. Molnárfi announced that he was a member of CATU. He also went on to defend the motion, saying that it was important for the TCDSU to support the “power of the grassroots” and pointed to previous joint work between CATU and TCDSU, arguing that the motion only sought to formalise the relationship, not exclude other housing organisations that could help students.

Ailish Smith’s proposal was approved when put to a vote, where

Speaking to The University Times after council, Molnárfi described the result as “extremely disappointing” and “disgraceful”.

voting members raised cards indicating whether they agreed or not.

The initial vote was too close to call on first sight and so went to an individual count.

With the mandate for a CATU-TCDSU partnership dropped, council member Sé Ó Héidin then argued that the establishment of a Housing Rights Officer now “didn’t make sense”, as having removed the CATU-TCDSU partnership wording from the mandate, the Housing Rights Officer did not have a well-defined role.

Procedural motion K was then proposed and passed by a vote, resulting in the mandate to establish a Housing Rights Officer being moved to the next council. It is not clear what is next for the proposed CATU-TCDSU partnership.

Speaking to The University Times after council, TCDSU President Molnárfi described the result as “extremely disappointing” and “disgraceful”. He argued that a “faction of council” that are “less inclined” to take direct action “used” the procedures of council in order to get their way. He described the whole event as a “bureaucratic suppression of debate”. He encourages those who disagree with the politics of a motion in the future to “bring out their own politics” when speaking so that a “proper debate” can ensue.

PHOTO BY ALEX PAYNE FOR THE UNIVERSITY TIMES PHOTO BY LEAH FARRELL FOR ROLLING NEWS

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The University Times Monday 16 October, 2023

NEWS

TCDSU Release Reaction to Budget 2024 Hosanna Boulter NEWS EDITOR

T

rinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) have released their official reaction to the measures set out in the recent budget that will affect students — their reaction focused on the cost-of-living and minimum wage provisions as well as the higher education funding.

Overall, TCDSU stated that they “regret the missed opportunities with Budget 2024 but are not surprised that the government failed to tackle key areas of concern to students in the third-level sector, while recognising that once-off measures will help some”.

They “welcomed the €1,000/€1,500 reduction in third-level fees, the increased student grant as well as the return postgraduate maintenance grant, alongside the SUSI rate increases”.

However they were disappointed with the “once-off and temporary nature of the reduction of third-level fees”. Instead they advocated for these measures to be made permanent to help alleviate financial barriers to third level education.

Additionally, they noted that students’ unions across the country “asked for significantly higher increases to the maintenance grants than the increase to all non-adja-

cent maintenance rates by €615 and adjacent maintenance rates by 10% from September 2024”.

TCDSU were further disappointed by what they deemed to be the lack of provisions in the budget to help to tackle the ongoing student accommodation crisis. The Union criticised the increase to the Rent Tax Credit and tax break worth between €600 - €1,000 which was offered to landlords as they deemed this a “continuation of the government’s reliance on the market to deliver housing”. Before the budget was released TCDSU, in line with the USI had called for the budget surplus to have gone towards remeding the student accommodation crisis.

They criticised the increase in the minimum wage for being too small to tackle the mounting pressures and issues currently affecting young people and students. A call for the sub-minimum wage currently in place for workers aged 17, 18 and 19 to be abolished was reiterated by the union.

When it came to the funding allocated for postgraduate researchers and staff, TCDSU said they were “left in a difficult situation” as they did not benefit from many of the oneoff measures in the budget. Though the budget provided an investment of €35m into core funding for pay, TCDSU are concerned about the lack of guarantees about how this money will be spent.

PHOTO BY EMER MOREAU FOR THE UNIVERSITY TIMES

30% of postgraduate researchers are currently funded by the Irish Research Council (IRC) and Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), this year they will receive an increase of €3,000 to their annual stipend.

TCDSU described this increase as,

TCDSU disappointedwiththe“once-off and temporary nature of the reduction of third-level fees”

Academic Integrity Week 2023 Launches in Trinity Alex Payne ASSISTANT EDITOR

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onday, October 16th marks the start of Trinity College Dublin (TCD) Academic Integrity Week 2023.

Centered around the International Day for Academic Integrity, which is held on October 18th and is in its 8th year, TCD’s offering aligns with Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) National Academic Integrity Week.

Trinity is running over 40 events during the week, some in conjunction with the QQI, which include panel discussions, workshops and drop-in clinics.

At these events, attendees will find out what Trinity staff and students think of academic and research integrity and learn ac-

ademic integrity skills. There will also be a keynote speech by Dr Abeba Birhane (TIME 100AI list) titled: “Can we trust generative AI?” in Regent House, Front Square at 11am on October 16th.

Aside from the keynote speech and Library HITS sessions, all events are run online.

Other events on October 16th include a “Shut up and write cafe” with Student Learning & Development (SLD) which is being held online from 9.30am - 11am, followed by an Essay Writing workshop.

Billy Kelly, Chair of Ireland’s National Academic Integrity Network (NAIN), hosts “Opening the week” at 12.15pm before NAIN host the first panel discussion of the week, “Academic Integrity: the Learner Perspective”, at 12.30pm with panel members from Dublin City University (DCU), University PHOTO BY SINÉAD BAKER FOR THE UNIVERSITY TIMES

College Dublin (UCD), the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) and Munster Technological University (MTU).

From 1pm - 2pm in the North Training Room of The Library (former Berkeley Library), Library HITS are running a workshop covering plagiarism and referencing.

NAIN’s other events of the week are talks on the UK universities policy response to AI related academic misconduct, strategies to include all students and staff in promoting and supporting academic integrity, and a discussion on what more Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) could do to help students avoid engaging in academic misconduct.

Other notable events include a webinar on strengthening academic integrity through the “Swiss Cheese” approach in assessment design (where multiple layers of defense against cheating will be employed to ensure any cheating method is caught out) at 1:30pm on Wednesday, October 18th, a discussion of the McCabe Survey outcomes which asked Trinity students and academic staff their views on academic integrity run by the International Center for Academic Integrity (ICAI), also on Wednesday, at 4pm. A workshop will also be held on the new procedures in cases of suspected misconduct called 2pm on Thursday.

“breadcrumbs” and repeated how it fell short of the demands of both the Postgraduate Workers’ Organisation and the recent government review recommendations for funding. The PWO’s demands for PRSI sick and parental leave were also not implemented by the budget and acknowledged by TCDSU. The 70% of postgraduate workers who miss out on this stipend were highlighted as the TCDSU reiterated how financial barriers remain in place for those seeking to continue their studies after their undergrad.

Concerns that TCDSU said were raised by the third-level sector in-

volving crumbling infrastructure, high student to staff ratios and the state of student services like counselling or health, remain underfunded despite the provisions made for them in the budget. In 2022, the government identified a €307m annual shortfall in core funding for third-level institutions but the budget is only providing €40 million towards this in 2023 with €60 million to follow in 2024.

The research budget for the next year has also decreased by 3% when compared to last year. Though the Union did say that the recently introduced Research and Innovation

Bill 2023 will alter the research landscape in Ireland.

A proposal to use the €1.5 billion National Training Fund to fund academia was not included in the budget and the TCDSU echoed the Irish University Association’s statement that this was a missed opportunity.

The Union finished their statement with a call to continue organising and protesting in order to make student’s voices heard. They included an appeal to students to register to vote in the upcoming elections, the dates of which are yet to be confirmed.

START Research Festival Takes Place in Tr init y

PHOTO BY PAUL SHARP

Hosanna Boulter NEWS EDITOR

Today, September 25th, 2023, begins the week-long Start Talking About Research Today (START) Festival which Trinity is hosting in partnership with the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland, ADAPT and the SFI Research Centre for AI Driven Digital Content Technology.

The festival is part of the European Researchers’ Night, which is a Europe-wide initiative with events being held at universities and other research institutions in 26 countries across Europe. The aim of this initiative is to show “the diversity of research and its impact on citizens’ daily lives in

fun inspiring ways”.

Smaller “pop-up” style events will be held throughout the week with most of the events scheduled to take place from 2pm onwards on Friday, September 26th, which is European Researchers’ Night in Front Square. The festival will include “lightning talks, interactive workshops, screenings, performances and more”. A full list of events can be found here.

Some of the events on offer include: “Meetings with Manuscripts” where staff and students are invited to try their hand at becoming mediaeval scribes, with quill and ink provided. There will also be the, “Explore AI with ADAPT” exhibition in the Douglas Hyde Gallery which will offer a series of interactive activities so people can understand how AI is

beginning to infiltrate so many aspects of daily life.

As part of the festival Trinity’s Long Room Hub is hosting a week long Arts and Humanities festival, with multiple free talks every day, most of which do not require any form of booking. Talks on offer include: “Who Owns the Sea?” and “How do books speak?”. The full programme of talks on offer is available here.

The Dean of Research at Trinity, Professor Sinead Ryan, commented on how this is the tenth year that European Researchers’ Night has been celebrated in Trinity and the “wonderful opportunity” it provides to students, staff and the wider public to understand the vital and exciting work that researchers do.

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The University Times Monday 16 October, 2023

IN FOCUS

How Northern Irish Students Navigate the Maze of Identity Politics in Trinity Lucia Orsi sits down with other Northern Irish students in the Republic to uncover their unique experiences of navigating questions of identity and belonging against a complex historical backdrop.

Lucia Orsi CONTRIBUTING WRITER

“Are you Catholic or Protestant?”

T

he dreaded question, and an all too familiar one for students from Northern Ireland.

Countless conversations that begin with this religious examination mark a widespread attitude that denotes Northern Irish students as explicitly ‘other’ within Ireland.

A sense of subtle alienation characterises the Northern Irish student experience. Despite the undeniable overlap between the cultural, historical and social scenery of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, Northern Irish students often find themselves unable to assimilate themselves fully into Irish society.

Why is this? Contrasting upbringings and political differences accounted for, I have found there to be a conscious and pointed dismissal of NI students, specifically at the hands of Irish students.

To return to the opening question, it must be highlighted that this is not merely a question of an individual’s religion but rather an outright political scrutiny that is posed too often and too casually to students from the North. Anyone who knows to ask this knows the sociopolitical connotations associated with either answer and is most likely attempting to decide how to behave towards the person on the receiving end of their interrogation. Every Northern Irish student knows what this question is trying to get out of them, and knows that their answer will place an invisible mark on them for the rest of this interaction. It is not only a painfully insensitive question but an isolating one. It instantly identifies Northern Irish students as a type of ‘other’. Moreover, this genre of question is posed so often in my experience that I’ve made a habit of sharing my own religious identity as

soon as someone makes note of my homeplace, preempting the examination that is surely to come.

What is particularly jarring about these interactions is that the interrogator, for the most part, is Irish.

The historical and political sphere of Northern Ireland is not something that is usually studied outside of this island, nor do students of other nationalities feel entitled to know this information. On the other hand, Irish citizens have grown up learning Irish history, have a keen understanding of the sectarian tensions still present in the North and were most likely taught about the tragic loss of life during The Troubles. Instead of utilising this awareness to connect with Northern Irish students, it is wielded against them.

Personally, I find it misleading to place the insensitivity of these questions down to ignorance as it takes knowledge of Northern Ireland to even pose the question at all. Rather, these distasteful questions, either consciously or unconsciously, are rooted in a disrespectful attempt to identify and demarcate Northern Irish students.

Having spoken to fellow students from Northern Ireland, many stated that they felt that they owed others an explanation for their presence within the Republic of Ireland. Clara Potts, a Trinity student from Northern Ireland, felt that coming from the North was a “conversation starter that could go one of two ways: a discussion of history and politics or an appreciation of my Belfast accent!” However, she also expressed her frustration at having to explain her identity to others, comparing it to an “interrogation”. She went on to say that “having to convince someone that you belong in Dublin as someone from the North is a really horrible, awkward experience”. As a student body that seemingly prides itself on inclusion and respect, there appears to be little evidence of this in the behaviour of certain Trinity students towards those closest to home. Car bomb jokes and ac-

PHOTO VIA EXPEDIA

cent-mocking are all too commonly thrown in the way of Northern Irish students, waiving any sense of political correctness that these comedians tend to claim to.

For Northern Irish students who identify nationally with Ireland, the subtle rejection these experiences evoke is particularly upsetting. Many come to the Republic of Ireland expecting their Irishness to no longer be a political statement but a mere actuality, a fact of their being. Instead, they are greeted with suspicion and exclusion. My current experience on Erasmus has only heightened this feeling of alienation as, after meeting a fellow Irish student, he laughed in my face when I informed him that I was from County Down, replying, “so you’re

“

In what I like to call the “Derry Girl-ification” of Northern Ireland, another persistent behavioural pattern is exhibited towards Northerners which involves making NI and its inhabitants the butt of every joke.

PHOTO: CHANNEL4

not actually Irish then”. Despite stating my identity and possessing a passport to prove it, I was still not Irish enough. This dismissal of nationality, something so integral to any individual, is so commonplace that other Northern Irish students, like Erin Keenan, have noted similar experience: “In the North, saying you’re Irish is accepted at face value because people understand the force behind the statement. That’s not so much the case in the Republic.” As another Northern Irish student, Luca McVey, summarises: “My Irish identity has been denied or disregarded simply because I wasn’t born in the Republic.”

What makes Northern Irish students so different from Irish students? What leads to this sense of hostility? And what gives someone the right to deny someone else’s identity? Culturally and socially, there are very few differences to note between the two states. Our humour, behaviour and attitudes often align almost perfectly. While the Northern Irish accent certainly is unique, I do not believe it is cause enough for our students to be so rejected from Irish society. Is it insensitivity, misunderstanding, or merely a thinly veiled superiority complex that leads to this belief that Northern Irish people are not Irish enough?

The tragedy of this rejection is even more poignant when the reality of identity politics in Northern Ireland is considered. It is a brutal and tragic fact that many innocent lives were lost in the process of allowing Northern Irish citizens to choose their nationality. Yet, somehow, there persists a severely misplaced confidence that allows some drunk South Dublin private school graduate to dismiss someone’s entire identity because their accent is different.

Fellow Northern Irish student, Jonathan Boyd, highlights his experience coming from a Protestant background and simultaneously identifying as Irish: “I feel as though I constantly have to not only assert my right to my nationality, but also in turn, my expression of it…

whilst I may not have those connections to the traditional tenets of Irish culture, I am firmly rooted in my Irishness.” The requirements placed on Northern Irish citizens to be worthy of their Irish identity are both absurd and irrelevant. To my knowledge, no one else is expected to play GAA or speak fluent Irish to be ‘worthy’ of an Irish passport. This insistence on limiting the access that people from Northern Ireland have to Irishness is unfounded and demeaning and highlights an exclusionary strain that runs through Irish culture.

In what I like to call the “Derry Girl-ification” of Northern Ireland, another persistent behavioural pattern is exhibited towards Northerners which involves making Northern Ireland and its inhabitants the butt of every joke. Whether it be the classic car bomb quip or a “Go back to the North!” thrown in our direction, Northern Irish students must bear witness to our culture being made a mockery of, simply because someone watched a television programme and thinks that gives them licence to turn every Northerner they meet into the object of their amusement (seemingly, they’ve forgotten the key part of Derry Girls is that it was Northern Irish people making the jokes).

Alongside these public acts of humiliation, Northern Irish students can also be subjected to some not-so-flattering assumptions, as detailed by Lucy MacRandal, a student from Belfast: “In my time at Trinity, I’ve developed a slippery inkling that we also may not be taken as seriously by our peers academically. South Dubliners have a hard time pinpointing where you fall within their school ranking system when existing outside of it.”

This misplaced belief that Northern Irish students are somewhat lacking in terms of intelligence is an unfortunately common occurrence for many of the Northern Irish students I spoke to. Some even stated that their peers expressed unconcealed shock when they shared their success in their final exams, as if Northerners were lucky to barely scrape by

academically. Potts believes that the CAO conversion for A-Levels is a possible reason behind this: “With only a very small percentage of students able to study in the Republic due to the A-level/CAO point conversion, the education system seems to prevent more students from staying [in the Republic of Ireland].”

The small number of Northern Irish students studying in the Republic not only leads to a lack of representation but also again perpetuates the assumption that they lack the grades to gain admittance into Ireland’s top universities.

Not all experiences of Northern Irish students are negative, however. Jonathan Boyd found that “people from the Republic of Ireland are generally very welcoming to those of us from the North”, highlighting that “shared culture and common ground” elicit an easy integration into Irish society. Similarly, MacRandal noted that people from the Republic of Ireland usually deem Northerners to be “good craic” and sensed a “fondness for the accent” amongst her peers. Almost all the Northern Irish students interviewed recognised that they received a largely positive welcome after their move to the Republic. However, in spite of this, they all could detail certain encounters where they were made to feel ostracised by their Irish peers.

The positive experiences detailed by other Northern Irish students cement my belief that these attitudes are not so ingrained within Irish culture that they cannot be overcome.

Despite the proximity of Northern Ireland to the Republic, sensitivity and open-mindedness should still be utilised when approaching the topic of NI’s past and in the behaviour exhibited towards Northern students. In other words, the car bomb joke should be kept to the characters of Derry Girls. If Ireland as a nation wishes to continue to pride itself on inclusivity, there should be a conscious effort to not further alienate those with whom they share an island with, especially those who have decided to make a home here too.

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The University Times Monday 16 October, 2023

IN FOCUS

Trinity’s ‘Med Day’ is One of Fundraising, Fun and Meaningful Change for Medical Students Clara Roche talks to Trinity Med Day Secretary Brian Byrne ahead of the annual fundraising event in November to discuss its impact on Dublin hospitals and healthcare innovation.

Clara Roche EDITOR

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iven that the demographic makeup of The University Times’ readership is 90 per cent arts students, it’s easy to forget that Trinity also houses Health Science students. That is, until Med Day. Every November, the medical school designates one day for its students to don brightly-coloured t-shirts and substitute their lectures with fundraising. Not only do their philanthropic efforts financially support Dublin’s training hospitals, but their concurrent raffles and bake sales are known to sustain students when their KC Peaches vouchers expire before reading week.

Speaking to The University Times via email, Med Day Secretary Brian Byrne said that the annual event has gone from “strength to strength” since its inception in 2001. In its 22 years of operation, the initiative has raised over €1,000,000 in “much-needed funds” for projects in hospitals across Dublin. Byrne views Med Day as an opportunity for medical students to give something back to the hospitals responsible for their education.

On a campus where the college tradition of ‘Christmas Day’ is notably absent, Byrne sees Med Day as a worthwhile substitute. “The fundraising is followed by all sorts of festivities”, Byrne explains, including a talent show, “a bachelor-bachelorette auction on the steps of the Pav”, and of course, a night out. A hard-earned night out, if you ask me. Two hours of classes and I’m heading straight to Hogan’s. Spare a thought for STEM students and their 40-hour work weeks.

While Med Day has expanded in recent years to include pub quizzes, career talks and wine receptions, Byrne is quick to point out the hard work behind its organisation and execution. “It’s a testament to the spirit of the students that year-onyear, hundreds of meds rise at ungodly hours just to get involved”,

“

PHOTO BY SINÉAD BAKER FOR THE UNIVERSITY TIMES

fund in the past”, saying, “young people suffering with cancer can often feel isolated and alone in their condition”, and “to have a space that is theirs … to allow them to socialise with others going through a similar experience” can be essential for their overall health and happiness.

Another project Med Day has set their sights on is the purchase of a Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) device at St James’s Hospital.

An FES device, Byrne explains, is “a new technology which is proven to improve walking endurance” for multiple sclerosis patients and stroke survivors. This, Byrne hopes, will prove instrumental in “improving quality of life for patients who previously may have had to undergo months of strenuous physio to reclaim even a fraction of previous mobility”.

The Med Day team also intend

“It’s a testament to the spirit of the students that year-on-year, hundreds of meds rise at ungodly hours just to get involved.”

he says. This winter, when you see the bright-eyed, bushy-tailed medical students shaking buckets on Grafton Street at six o’clock in the morning, thank God it’s them instead of you.

Each year, Med Day aims to raise €50,000, a goal they have “always succeeded in with the help of the College community and the wider community of Dublin and beyond”.

To be able to contribute to their teaching hospitals is “extremely gratifying for the medical student body as a whole”, says Byrne.

In recent years, Med Day has sponsored chemotherapy robots, exercise bicycles for paediatric stem cell patients “and absolutely everything in between”. This year, they hope to sponsor the development of a “hangout space” for paediatric cancer patients in Crumlin children’s hospital. Byrne calls this project “as worthy as any we’ve ever helped

to fund assistive technology at the National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH) in Dún Laoghaire. This will improve independence for patients by offering them “much more control over their surroundings” by allowing them to turn on TVs and lights and raise their beds “without the help of assistants who may be frequently unavailable”. In a similar vein, the team want to provide “specialised iPads and accompanying software” to palliative care patients in Our Lady’s Hospice, which will enable them to “communicate with family, friends and staff” with ease.

As the project revolves around thanking Trinity’s training hospitals, this year’s Med Day will also raise funds to “help trainees develop their skills” in Tallaght Hospital through the use of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS). This specialised training model, Byrne says, will “improve patient outcomes” by allow-

ing medical students to make “more assured and confident diagnoses”.

Another beneficiary of Med Day is the Trinity Access Program (TAP), which Byrne calls a “wonderful institution”. The Med Day committee is involved in TAP Day, which offers access students an introduction to what Byrne refers to as the “bread and butter” of medicine. Lessons include instructions on how to take vitals and how to perform CPR. Byrne sees the collaboration with TAP as an essential aspect of the programme, as it ensures “equal opportunities” for all.

Byrne knows that the volume and variety of the beneficiaries, as well as the complexities of the projects themselves, can prove intimidating to onlookers. To combat this, he says, the committee records videos with spokespersons “to convey in the simplest terms” what the projects are about, and the impact they will have on patients once procured.

Beyond that, he says, “as long as students are out helping us spread the word on the streets and donors can easily access information on our beneficiaries, then we’re happy!”

While the projects Med Day hopes to fund have considerably modernised since its inception in 2001, so too have the fundraising efforts.

Byrne advises students to beware that the “old lie” of having no cash “holds no water” in 2023, as Med Day’s cash-collecting volunteers are now equipped with SumUp machines. And I’m sure he has Revolut, too. Moving closer to a cashless model was not without its challenges, Byrne reveals, but he credits previous committees for having the foresight to “future-proof” the charity by introducing “ancillary fundraisers in the form of smaller events” in the run-up to Med Day itself.

When the committee was forced to rethink their strategy in 2020 due to the pandemic, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The revised approach included independent fundraising efforts wherein students “ran, walked, cycled, pole-vaulted, knitted, you-name-it”, and Byrne remembers that year as “the most successful Med Day ever”.

He hopes that students will contin-

ue to incorporate independent projects in the coming years: “A hybrid system is perhaps the most conducive to success in this post-Covid era, and we’re hoping this year we can set a new benchmark for Med Day in the coming years!”

This year’s Med Day will take place on November 10th. Byrne is tightlipped about what colour t-shirts

the team will wear: “In this way, I believe we keep people hooked.” Those wanting to keep in touch virtually can find Med Day “everywhere in the cosmos”. New followers to @TrinityMedDay on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok can expect to be “entertained and heartwarmed”, Byrne teases.

The committee’s Public Relations Officer (PRO) “is doing God’s work

on our socials these days to ensure our reach is bigger than ever”. Beyond that, Byrne says, “we can only hope for the best!”

Students who wish to support can donate online at https://www. supportstjames.ie/donate-to-trinity-med-day/ or by texting MED to 50300 to donate €4 to St. James’s hospital.

PHOTO BY IVAN RAKHMANIN FOR THE UNIVERSITY TIMES

Students can donate online at https://www. supportstjames.ie/donate-to-trinity-med-day/ or by texting MED to 50300 to donate €4 to St. James’s hospital.

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The University Times Monday 16 October, 2023

IN FOCUS

Encouraging the Essential Skill of Media Literacy in the Age of Artificial Intelligence Wynslow Wilmot interviews the generative artificial intelligence platform, ChatGPT, about the importance of media literacy and critical thinking in an evolving digital climate.

PHOTO BY DEEPMIND

Wynslow Wilmot FEATURES EDITOR

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ith the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the past years, universities have taken a number of different stances on regulation of the tool.

As a student at Trinity, I have been continuously told that using generative AI on assignments is unacceptable, without any further discussion upon the ethics of using or abusing AI tools such as ChatGPT. Professors have essentially shoved any conversation having to do with it under the rug, leaving no room for conversation or education. This made me wonder if there were effective ways to use this tool ethically and if they could be taught to students. If credible sources were beginning to use AI, how would students be able to tell they were using it and distinguish accurate information from inaccurate information? This led me to posit whether the AI understood its own flaws and limitations in presenting information, and if it had any suggestions on how to bypass those flaws and make use of its strengths. So, I sat down and interviewed ChatGPT. The need to educate students in media literacy, particularly as the prevalence of AI rises, is at an all-time high. Media literacy refers to the ability to critically analyse information and stories presented within mass media to determine accuracy and credibility.

This now includes ChatGPT and other generative artificial intelligence platforms. As the popularity of these platforms continues to grow, reputable sources have begun to utilise

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them. In May of this year, Amnesty International made use of AI generated images, posting to their social media photos depicting a woman at a protest. Educators need to update their approach to teaching media literacy, to include artificial intelligence. Even ChatGPT argues the importance of this, “AI is fundamentally transforming how media is created, distributed, and consumed.

Students need to grasp these changes to navigate the evolving media environment effectively.” If students are not being taught about AI, they are being left behind. Whether you like it or not, this technology is becoming increasingly ubiquitous across all industries. By taking the stance that usage of AI is off the table, as well as failing to educate on

that coming from artificial intelligence? ChatGPT seemingly agrees, “as AI-generated content becomes more prevalent, students must be equipped to differentiate between content produced by humans and that generated by AI. They should also understand the implications this has on the credibility and reliability of information they encounter.” By simply banning the use of artificial intelligence platforms, not only has Trinity made it significantly harder for students to learn how to use this technology properly and ethically, but also to spot when other reputable sources have used it, and to determine whether the information being procured is accurate. Without allowing room for education about AI, Trinity hinders students’ ability to learn valuable skills and tools.

While Artificial Intelligence is being used more and more as a tool to produce the information that is circulating and shaping our understanding of the world, we must also understand the way in which it does this could lead to sharing harmful misinformation.

ChatGPT gathers information from all corners of the internet, using anything available to it and prioritising the most popular sites. This produces a mess of information, which cannot yet differentiate between fabricated information and reality-based information. While AI is becoming more and more powerful, it still has plenty of flaws. “AI’s potential to inadvertently perpetuate bias and be misused to manipulate information, students need the skills to recognize these issues and develop strategies to detect and address them. Ethical considerations, such as the responsible use of AI in journalism and content creation, are also paramount.” We must be able to hold these two truths: that AI can be a brilliant tool to make use of, but only if one is educated in media literacy on how to recognise and discern real from not real as the use of AI becomes more common. Without this education, misinformation will be spread significantly quicker, not just by AI but also by students.

While students using Artificial Intelligence platforms to plagiarise assignments and content is an understandable concern, there are deeper and more important questions to be asked when discussing AI. Questions that are less about plagiarism and more about how people are going to discern and identify bias within the media being consumed.

How will you be able to tell if the information being shared with you is creating an accurate depiction of what is actually occurring? These worries are reminiscent of when the internet was becoming widely common, and we are still grappling with them today. Yet, had educators chosen not to educate pupils on the internet, we would certainly be far worse off.

If students are not being taught about AI, they are being left behind. Whether you like it or not, this technology is becoming increasingly ubiquitous across all industries. By taking the stance that usage of AI is off the table, as well as failing to educate on ethical and responsible ways to use it, Trinity is severely handicapping students. ethical and responsible ways to use it, Trinity is severely handicapping students.

There are ways to utilise this tool without risking a case of plagiarism, yet these methods have been completely ignored by professors. How are students expected to discern fact from fiction if they are simply not taught about the signposts of false information especially of

PHOTO BY ELEANOR O’MAHONY FOR THE UNIVERSITY TIMES

14

The University Times Monday 16 October, 2023

IN FOCUS

The Challenges Faced by Women in the Workplace are Laid Bare at Careers Fairs

In an in-depth exploration of the Trinity Careers Fair, Ella Sexton uncovers the hidden gender biases that hinder women in their career choices.

Ella Sexton DEPUTY FEATURES EDITOR

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What do you want to be when you grow up?” is a deceivingly simple question that I’m sure we have all been asked at some stage or another by a parent, teacher or friend. If you’re anything like me, then in reponse you probably blurted out whatever came to mind (within reason) and went along with the string of questions that inevitably followed. I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that, for the majority of people, this idea of needing to know what career path to take can be a daunting one that, even with hours of consideration, there is no clear-cut answer to. Even being three years into a four-year degree, I, along with others I know, are still indecisive for a plethora of reasons, but God forbid one is ever honest and answers “I don’t know” to the question about what job they want to have — because somehow that is even worse than lying. With this angst about the future, the Trinity Careers Fair seemed to be the perfect place to get some inspiration for potential employment opportunities. However, I was quite shocked at what I saw at the stands of wellknown business and finance companies known on a fairly national — if not global — scale, and it made me think about the fixation of picking a career, along with the expectations that follow from what you choose.

As the stands were swarmed by people eager to speak to the representatives of certain firms, a strange pattern emerged. There was a good balance of both men and women queueing up at each stall, but time and time again the representatives would skip over the women and talk to the men first — more specifically, white men. The first time I noticed this I thought it was odd, the second time, it was a coincidence, but by the third time this had happened, it was purely frustrating. Not to air out the names of these particular businesses, but the ones tending to do this were those with mainly male representatives and were generally for accounting and taxation-type positions. This filled my brain with thoughts disputing the idea that we have (supposedly) progressed as a nation to allow women to feel as welcome in the male-dominated areas of finance and STEM as they do in fields where work is more based on connections with people like human resources, nursing and being a receptionist. It is scary the statistics that prove that women in the workplace do not have the same access to resources as men. The McKinsey and Company Women in the Workplace Report (2023) admits the “slow progress for women at the manager and director levels — representation has grown only three or four percentage points” higher than it used to be, which is practically nothing. Yet, it is fascinating to see the male biases of companies displaying themselves so blatantly in something like a careers fair. Sadly, this is only a minor representation of how these companies work. Most of these events want to find people to hire as much as the student wants to be taken on board by them. Hence, it is more advertisement for the company than let on as it is being targeted to students and

graduates.

To promote their firms, it appeared companies took young members, who are successful at what they do having only been there for a few years since their graduation, and propped them up at these stands so they seem approachable for those of us close in age to them.

But, with the inequality in numbers of men compared to women, it seemed that they perceived the men to be more of a valuable asset to the company that could be shown off to future employees, alluding to the fact there is a performance support bias. This bias occurs when “employers, managers and colleagues review an employee of one gender differently from another gender - even when the evaluations are purely merit-based” (Built In, Gender Bias in the Workplace, 2023). Although I can only say that this is alleged, I think it is fair to say that anyone who witnessed this at the fair would agree it is unacceptable.

On the topic of men being represented more, it was discovered that the biggest reason women can not move up to more senior positions is because of this hypothetical ‘glass ceiling’ that is stopping them. The ‘glass ceiling,’ as described by Business Insider, is “the often invisible barriers women and minorities face in the workplace”, and was originally coined by Margaret Loden in 1978.

The theory itself makes sense with modern-day society as much as it did in the 1970s as it outlines how many women enter the workforce in lower positions of companies in hopes of advancing, but the numbers dwindle as women advance. Even with getting new jobs, it has been proven that “letters of recommendation written for men are longer, they contain more agentic words - words that are [like] independent, initiative, assertive - and they have fewer words that are communal words - caring, sensitive, kind - these words make a difference” (Mikki Hebl, Professor of Psychology and Management, Rice University. 2018) and those communal words were seen as being more negative, making resumés less PHOTO BY CORINNE MAHON FOR THE UNIVERSITY TIMES

PHOTO BY GETTY IMAGES

desirable - but of course it is mostly women who receive recommendations with these words and that is the demographic it is impacting.

When women are taking on so many roles in the home that are societally expected of them, and doing it with their initiative and time-management skills, it is surprising how that is not considered to be a ‘leadership’ or ‘goal-oriented’ quality. On the other hand, a man who works overtime regularly to the point where it affects his family life is not seen as a flaw, but rather conveying the ‘passion’ and ‘drive’ he has.

Based on these observations and facts, it’s not a revelation that women and minorities are the ones who are struggling to find a career or pursue something that interests them, because there are so many obstacles that are in the way making it an unmotivating and tedious pro-

cess. If women have to work twice as hard as men to achieve the same results, could it even be considered worth it? “People need to see leaders who look like themselves to understand that it’s possible for them” (Lean In, Women in the Workplace.

2023) in order to believe that they can achieve the same thing, but we

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are severely lacking the needed representation in the aforementioned firms. This careers fair may only be something small but in the grand scheme of things it represents continuous inequality and expectation.

If this is what is being shown to us as women, how are we supposed to have role models to look up to? Now

more than ever it is important to engage in these discussions of the ongoing disparities of gender roles and expectations because there is no other way that we will be able to progress past this if it is not addressed. There is no better time to protest than in the year of the anti-patriarchy Barbie movie!

When women are taking on so many roles in the home that are societally expected of them, and doing it with their initiative and time-management skills, it is surprising how that is not considered to be a ‘leadership’ or ‘goal-oriented’ quality.

15

The University Times Monday 16 October, 2023

COMMENT & ANALYSIS

ADHD, Trinity and Me: Living Beyond the Labels Anonymous CONTRIBUTING WRITER

T

he first time I met my disability officer I was a confident but burnt out third year Physical Science student and his vivaciousness struck me. However, as our conversations meandered, it revealed a deeper, unspoken truth — a narrative shared by many but voiced by few. Both of us have ADHD. I am passionate about my lived and shared struggles, and he communicated this sentiment also. “I’ve always felt this need to prove myself twice as hard”, he shared. “Not because I lacked the intellectual capacity, but because my brain wouldn’t cooperate.” This wasn’t just a chat about extensions or deadlines — it was about the silent battles students with ADHD like me fight every single day.

For many, the term ADHD conjures visions of hyperactive children bouncing off walls or adults with thoughts that dart like hummingbirds from flower to flower. These notions, while not entirely baseless, merely scratch the surface of the profound depths and complexities associated with this neurodevelopmental disorder.

To truly understand ADHD, one must imagine it as a journey through the mind which involves both turbulence and wonder.

In the world of academia, ADHD often finds itself trapped in a limbo of misunderstanding. Universities, whilst proud bastions of knowledge, sometimes falter in recognising the intricate challenges ADHD students face.

This isn’t just about hyperactivity or distraction; it’s about a deeply embedded neurological difference.

When an ADHD student asks for an extension, it’s seldom a last-minute whimsy. It’s the culmination of days filled with mounting frustration, battling cognitive obstacles like time-blindness, emotional mis-regulation and slow processing. Whilst neurotypical students might see a clear road ahead, those with ADHD often navigate a

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path riddled with detours.

Yet, the prevailing sentiment among some faculty members is scepticism. “Are these students merely lazy?” they might wonder.

Such sentiments, although perhaps rooted in concerns about academic integrity, can inflict profound distress on students who are genuinely grappling with their neurodivergence.

My narrative echoes this sentiment. “I remember an assignment”, he recalled: “I had every intention of starting early. But each time I sat down, my ADHD took the reins.

Hours would melt away, and I’d be left feeling desolate, doubting my own capabilities.”

ADHD isn’t about a lack of willpower or intelligence. It’s about brains that are wired differently.

Those diagnosed often possess brilliant minds that, ironically, become their own adversaries. They’re not asking for undue leniency but merely a fair chance — a level playing field.

However, the onus doesn’t solely lie with faculty. It is essential that students proactively communicate their needs. Trinity’s Disability Service provides the LENS report, a tool to bridge the gap of understanding between students and professors.

This report, coupled with open dialogues at the semester’s start, has

PHOTO BY MCCULLOUGH MULVIN ARCHITECTS

es of learning but also of inclusivity and understanding. For in recognising and supporting people like me, we pave the way for a richer, more inclusive future in education.

Over recent years, there’s been a discernible shift in the way ADHD is perceived and understood. Across the globe, increasing numbers of students are identifying as having ADHD, bringing to light the nuances of this neurodiverse condition. In just one year, Trinity witnessed a staggering 40% growth in students who identify with ADHD. This surge not only underscores the growing awareness and acceptance of ADHD but also heralds the changing dynamics of our student population.

Recognising that this increasing proportion of students has specific needs, Trinity has taken commendable steps forward. A notable milestone was the opening of an ADHD clinic, a pioneering initiative that marked its place as the first

Our academic spaces must not just be places of learning but also of inclusivity and understanding.

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the potential to usher in a new era of understanding.

My story isn’t unique, but it was pivotal for me. My disability officer’s courage in sharing his personal ADHD journey with me sparked this

ADHD isn’t about a lack of brainpower or intelligence.

It’s about brains that are wired differently.

PHOTO BY TRINITY DISABILITY SERVICE

article, which I hope is a clarion call to universities everywhere to understand, empathise, and adapt. Our academic spaces must not just be plac-

of its kind in any European university. Whilst services like these play a pivotal role in supporting students, it’s abundantly clear that more needs to be done, especially in the realm of academia.

The recent enhancements in support services are laudable, yet the broader academic landscape remains largely unchanged.

Tailored to cater to conventional learning styles, it inadvertently side-lines neurodiverse students. If College, and academic institutions at large, aspire to create inclusive environments then a profound reform in the way we perceive and structure education is necessary. It’s not just about support services – it’s about reshaping the very fabric of our academic world to ensure everyone, irrespective of their neurological wiring, can fully participate and thrive.

The challenges for those with ADHD begin before the – often labyrinthine – diagnosis process even begins. Individuals often grapple with a series of internal questions:

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“Why can’t I focus?” “Why do simple tasks seem so challenging?” “Is something wrong with me?” These concerns can arise from years of unexplained struggles, culminating in a moment where seeking answers becomes inevitable.

Once you enter the realm of professional evaluations, the journey

with ADHD often feel they’re expected to instinctively know how to “fix” themselves. But without guidance or understanding, how is one supposed to navigate these challenges?

The overwhelming sentiment becomes, “I’m supposed to know this, so why don’t I?” At Trinity, there’s an unspoken bond among students who sail the tumultuous ADHD waters. My personal journey with ADHD at Trinity was transformed by the community I found. The ADHD peer group and the Neurodiversity Society were sanctuaries. These spaces, brimming with empathetic individuals, became platforms for mutual support and understanding. Here, we weren’t anomalies; we were part of a vibrant tapestry, each thread essential, each story valued. Our informal gatherings soon evolved into structured meetings, where stories of struggles were met with nods of understanding and tales of triumph with shared jubilation. There’s a unique strength derived from realising you aren’t alone, that there are others sailing the same tumultuous waters.

In these gatherings, the most poignant moments often revolved around shared strategies. Lucas, from Physical Sciences, would demonstrate how ‘body doubling’ transformed his study sessions.

Clara, a History major, shared her rhythmic study patterns, which became a revelation for many of us.

We weren’t just sharing; we were co-creating solutions, tailored for our unique needs.

It’s not just about support services... it’s about reshaping the very fabric of our academic world to ensure everyone, irrespective of their neurological wiring, can fully participate and thrive. can be equally puzzling. Lengthy tests, comprehensive interviews, and the constant oscillation between hope and fear make it an emotionally taxing experience. “Will this test finally give me the answers I’ve been seeking?” “What if they say there’s nothing wrong, and I’m just lazy or unintelligent?”

Beyond the internal struggles are the battles against societal misunderstandings and stereotypes.

ADHD is recognised medically, but society’s grasp of its nuances remains tenuous at best. Expressions like “everyone’s a little ADHD” or “you just need to try harder” reflect a lack of comprehension and empathy. Such misconceptions can be debilitating, leading those diagnosed to sometimes doubt the legitimacy of their own experiences.

Guilt frequently accompanies an ADHD diagnosis, especially in adults. Thoughts like “I should’ve achieved more by now” or “Why can’t I manage what seems easy for others?” can be oppressive. Furthermore, given the lack of widespread understanding, many feel isolated and reluctant to share their diagnosis for fear of being labelled or misunderstood.

One of the harshest realities of ADHD is that whilst there is ample information on the diagnosis itself, practical day-to-day coping strategies can be elusive. It’s like being handed a puzzle with no image to guide you. The struggles extend beyond focus and attention: emotional regulation, time management, and even establishing meaningful relationships can become herculean tasks.

In schools or workplaces, those

ADHD, while a journey fraught with challenges, also offers unique perspectives. At Trinity, through shared narratives and communal support, students like myself find not only coping mechanisms but also a sense of belonging. Our stories underscore the importance of understanding, empathy and community in navigating the intricate world of ADHD and creating a space where neurodiversity isn’t just tolerated, but celebrated.

16

The University Times Monday 16 October, 2023

COMMENT & ANALYSIS

Learning the Language of Irish Identity on Erasmus

EDITORIAL: If László Molnárfi Can Follow Through On His Promises, Why Can’t Linda Doyle?

Matthew Keeley CONTRIBUTING WRITER

I

W

hen the students elected László Molnárfi as TCDSU president, he promised to bring the union back to its “grassroots.” The reason for his running, he said in an interview last year, was that he had seen the union and the school “let down” the resident students. The student body, since László was elected, has not had much go in their favour. Class sizes are rising, the cost of living crisis bitterly persists and the administration insists there is nothing it can do. However, no one can say that László is not fighting, just as he promised to do.

College, on the other hand, has insisted that lack of funding prevents action. They dispute the narrative that they are “making millions on accommodation”. The newly elected Students4Change (S4C) chair, Ella Mac Lennan, takes the opposite view that the “real” issue behind the decline in student prosperity is simply “Trinity’s greed”.

These issues point to an obvious miscommunication between College and its students, yet the students still have cause to be angry with the administration. College has the power to mend this gap in communication, yet it has decided not to time and time again. Out of the 15 committees making up the Trinity administration, 11 have not reported meeting minutes to the public in 7 years, with one of the committees, the Gailege committee, having never reported minutes in its history.

Further, College has made a point to not provide students with details regarding their financial decision-making. This means that many of the issues plaguing the students at Trinity could be fiscally impossible to solve with the current budget, but the administration would rather have László and the rest of the SU and S4C committee blocking the Book of Kells entrance instead of conveying this.

The S4C committee and László himself have already made a point to address College and demand transparency. Yet, it is time for a concentrated, university-wide effort to demand that the College be honest with its students. Otherwise tourists will likely have to continue to skip the Book of Kells on their Dublin tour.

PHOTO BY GIULIA GRILLO FOR THE UNIVERSITY TIMES

EAGARFHOCAL: Rinne László beart de réir a bhriathair ach an amhlaidh don choláiste?

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uair a thogh na mic léinn László Molnárfi mar Uachtarán ar Aontas na Mac Léinn Choláiste na Tríonóide, gheall sé go stiúrfadh sé an tAontas ar ais chuig an “chosmhuintir”. In agallamh anuraidh, dúirt sé gur sheas sé mar gur léir dó gur lig an tAontas agus an Coláiste síos na mic léinn. Ó toghadh László, ní dheachaigh mórán chun sochair do na mic léinn. Tá an líon mac léinn sna ranganna ag ardú; leanann géarchéim dhian an chostais maireachtála ar aghaidh agus maíonn na húdaráis nach féidir aon ní a dhéanamh. Mar sin féin, ní féidir a shéanadh go bhfuil László ag seasamh an fhóid, faoi mar a gheall sé.

Ar an lámh eile, maíonn an Coláiste nach féidir gníomhú de bharr easpa maoinithe. Ní aontaíonn siad leis an tuairim go bhfuil siad “ag saothrú na milliúin ón lóistín”. Tá a mhalairt de thuairim ag Ella Mac Lennan, cathaoirleach nua-thofa Students4Change (S4C) agus maíonn sise gur “saint Choláiste na Tríonóide” is cúis go príomhúil le titim chaighdeán maireachtála na mac léann.

Léiríonn na deacrachtaí sin go bhfuil mí-thuiscintí follasacha idir an Coláiste agus na mic léinn, ach fós tá ábhar ag na mic léinn a bheith feargach leis na húdaráis. Tá ar chumas an Choláiste na mí-thuiscintí sin a chur ina gceart, ach arís agus arís eile, ní dhéantar sin. 15 coiste atá laistigh d’údaráis Choláiste na Tríonóide. Níor fhoilsigh 11 de na coistí sin aon mhiontuairiscí go poiblí le 7 mbliana anuas, agus níor fhoilsigh an coiste Gaeilge aon mhiontuairiscí riamh.

Lena chois sin, chinntigh an Coláiste nach dtabharfadh siad sonraí do na mic léinn faoi mar a dhéanann siad cinntí airgeadais. Fágann sin go mb’fhéidir nach leor an buiséad reatha le mórán de na deacrachtaí atá ag crá mic léinn Choláiste na Tríonóide a réiteach; ach in ionad sin a chur ar a súile dóibh, ní miste leis na húdaráis László, an chuid eile d’Aontas na Mac léinn agus coiste S4C a bheith ag stopadh daoine ó dhul isteach chuig Leabhar Cheanannais.

Thug coiste S4C agus László féin aghaidh ar údaráis an Choláiste agus d’éiligh siad trédhearcacht. Mar sin féin, tá sé in am iarracht chomhchruinnithe a dhéanamh ar fud an Choláiste ar fad lena éileamh go mbeidh an Coláiste ionraic leis na mic léinn. Sin nó beidh ar thurasóirí gan bacadh le Leabhar Cheanannais ar a dturas go Baile Átha Cliath.

t is sometime between 2am and 3am. The night is young, at least per the Spanish clock. I, however, am absolutely exhausted.

I’m downstairs in a nightclub in Santiago de Compostela, my final destination after walking over a hundred kilometres of the Camino pilgrimage with the Vincent de Paul society. My friend and I are perched on barstools at the back of the club, watching incredulously as the locals continue to dance long into the early hours of the morning. A man walks in our direction, pulls up another stool and sits down beside us. “This is a bit bizarre,” I think. He’s an older guy, late twenties maybe, and seems to have had a fair bit to drink.

“So, where are you guys from?” he asks in Spanish-accented English. I, a Spanish student ever keen to practise my embarrassingly poor grasp of the language, attempt to reply. “Somos de Irlanda,” I say. Our new acquaintance does not like this answer, not one bit. He shakes his head, gets up from his stool and walks away, only to turn around with an index finger pointed firmly in my direction. “I don’t like your country. It is a racist country”. I’m astonished. I’ve never received this kind of reaction to my nationality before. He continues, “So many Spanish people come to your country to work, and you treat us and the Portuguese like dogs”.

That doesn’t sound right, I think. There must be some sort of confusion. Then the cogs start to turn. I recall that Spanish people often confuse ‘Irlanda’ for ‘Holanda’, the word for the Netherlands. “No, no, no,” I reply as I try to rectify the misunderstanding. His whole demeanour changes instantly. A scowl morphs into a brimming smile as he embraces me in a bear hug.

“Ireland!” he exclaims, “We are brothers! We are Celts!”.

You see, Santiago de Compostela is located in a region of Spain called Galicia, an autonomous region with a strong Celtic identity. The people from this area are exceptionally proud of their heritage, a fact demonstrated by the pain I feel in my ribs once my new friend finally releases me.

He runs away from us, disappearing to the other side of the bar before returning with a friend. This friend, however, is considerably more inebriated and stumbles over to us, clinging onto the other man’s shoulder so as not to fall flat on his face on the sticky club floor. The man seems to have informed his friend of our Irishness because as I begin to introduce myself, he leans into my ear and with drunken breath and slurs “Tiocfaidh ár lá”.

Now, I’m sure this kind of encounter isn’t wholly unfamiliar to any other Irish person who has divulged their nationality abroad. But, since I began studying here in Spain, I’ve noticed that some Spanish people seem to be very familiar with Irish republican and nationalist language, particularly that which has an undertone of violence. On nights out, Spanish club-goers have replied with drunken cries of “Up the Ra!” and other similar chants in response to ques-

tions of my national identity. As these instances recurred I began to question it. Why do certain Spanish people seem to initially associate Ireland and Irishness with the fervent nationalism that characterised the sectarian violence of The Troubles?

It is important to clarify that, in my understanding, this is far from the dominant perception of Ireland held by the Spanish population. I have had many charming interactions with Spaniards, each with varying degrees of awareness of Ireland’s existence, and many seemed to have positive connotations of our country. Some expressed to me their desire to visit, to which I often responded with “muy caro” – very expensive.

However, I have noticed that whenever my Irishness has been picked up on and associated with this kind of nationalism, more often than not the perpetrator is from one of Spain’s more prominent autonomous communities.

Spain is one of the most federalised countries in the world. It is split up into 17 individual autonomous communities, each with differing degrees of self-determination. The foremost of these communities, namely Catalonia, the Basque Country and the aforementioned Galicia, all have long standing independence campaigns and an impassioned sense of national identity that is separate from Spain.

After our initial interaction at the nightclub in Santiago de Compostela, the inebriated Galician man explained to me that the Republic of Ireland is celebrated by some Galician people as the sole example of a Celtic country that secured independence from its conquerors. This struck me as something that I had never thought about before as an Irishman. Consider Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, Brittany and Galicia: all are Celtic regions

with some level of autonomy, but none are independent. In a strange way, this man’s admiration for our country’s independence movement, albeit marred by his choice expression, filled me with a sense of national pride.

This, unfortunately, cannot be said of all my encounters with those with a separatist inclination. At a music festival in Barcelona this summer, I wore a Spanish football jersey, thinking nothing of it. Oh, how foolish I was! I mostly received very little attention for the jersey throughout the day. In one instance, a girl in one of the crowds caught my eye, pointed at the jersey and waved her fist in the air in a seemingly affirmative manner.

However, at one of the final sets of the night, a man came over and confronted me. “Why do you wear this jersey here, in Catalonia?” he asserted. I apologised, earnestly explaining that I meant no offence, but the man continued with his line of questioning. “Where are you from?”

“Ireland”, I replied. “How would you feel if I wore an English jersey in your country?” I wouldn’t give a toss, I thought to myself, but something told me that this wasn’t the answer he was looking for, so I shrugged my shoulders instead and hoped that he would leave me alone. Thankfully, this response seemed to suffice, and the man forgave my transgressions. “It’s ok bro, I love the Irish. Up the ray!” he shouted as he slapped me on the back and walked away.

As hilarious as it was hearing this Catalan man mispronouncing ‘the Ra’, the interaction still left an impression on me. As I consider all of these intermittent yet persistently impactful interactions, it seems, to me at least, that there are some in Spain that idolise Ireland and our independence movement. They view it as an honourable illustration

of a small, subjugated people achieving sovereignty from a far more powerful empire. Perhaps they see parallels and similarities between our fight for autonomy and their own. As a result, these people use the words of the Irish independence movement freely and obliviously without considering the connotations between such language and violence and terrorism in Northern Ireland during The Troubles. Thus, rather than being a grotesque celebration of all the negative aspects of Irish nationalism, I believe that the Spanish use of this language is a misguided attempt to foster a mutual acknowledgement between their own independence movements and ours.

Nevertheless, apart from these kinds of associations with Ireland, I have experienced many more stereotypes while living in this country, both from the Spanish and people of other nationalities. The cliché that the Irish are all heavy drinkers and borderline alcoholics is still commonly found, though it must be said that I have done little to defy this perception. My English roommate’s dad joked to us all one night about how “Irish time” is always half an hour behind, suggesting that the Irish are always late. This man’s name is Michael Murphy.

So, although it is never nice to hear another person’s preconceived judgement of you and your nationality, I would much rather be told that I drink too much and that I’m always late than hear people use highly political language in a seemingly trivial and tactless manner. But then again, my truthful preference would be for Spanish people to immediately cry out ‘EVAN FERGUSON!’ when I mention that I’m Irish. I’ll hold my breath for a few years’ time when he’s banging in hat tricks every week for Real Madrid.

PHOTO BY ALEX CONNOLLY

PHOTOS BY MATTHEW KEELEY

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The University Times Monday 16 October, 2023

COMMENT & ANALYSIS

Reading Week: Catching Up on College Work or Catching Flights?

Mandela House, 6 Trinity College, College Green, Dublin 2 Phone: (01) 646 8431 Email: info@universitytimes.ie Clara Roche, Editor Sáoirse Goes, Deputy Editor

Sophie Coffey

Phoebe Pascoe, Assistant Editor

OPINION EDITOR

Alexander Payne, Assistant Editor

T

he long-awaited and much anticipated calendar break is finally nearing: Reading Week. After six long weeks of intense studying (disputable), unfailing motivation (doubtful) and perfect attendance (debatable), Week 7 is closing in.

Following the information overload of the first six weeks of the semester, the impending reading week is a blessed relief to most students. As suggested by the name, it is the perfect chance to catch up on the workload that has mounted since September. However, it is also a key opportunity to catch a flight.

As a fourth year student I can admit to having trialled both of these options across my previous reading weeks. Honestly, I am unsure which was more productive. On the occasions that I have spent my reading weeks at home, even my best-laid study plans have been known to fall victim to anything from an unseasonably warm day to a well-timed “pints?” text. However, there is even less chance of me achieving anything academic while in mainland Europe.

The college calendar flies by in a sequence of numbered weeks that count rapidly down. The consecutive weeks of classes mean that reading week is positioned as the most convenient option to book a break away without infringing on academic attendance. Subsequently, I have discovered that the semester has barely started before the group chats start sending in potential destinations and Ryanair flash sales. Next comes the inevitable Revolut transfers and holiday requests from work. Alternatively, if the trip never makes it out

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Hosanna Boulter, News Editor Wynslow Wilmot, Features Editor Ella Sexton, Deputy Features Editor Sophie Coffey, Opinion Editor Valentina Milne, Sports Editor Cleo Daly, Magazine Editor Sajal Singh, Deputy Magazine Editor Ellen Duggan, Assistant Magazine Editor Barrett Ellis, Radius Editor Ella Hussey, Radius Editor Maisie Greener, Assistant Radius Editor Joshua Hernon, Political Correspondent Charlie Hastings, Chair of the Editorial Board Aoife Kirby, Copy Editor Sarah McCarthy, Copy Editor Elizabeth O’Sullivan, Copy Editor Princess Omozusi, Creative Director Róisín Newman, Social Media Manager

Elly Christopher, Art Editor

of the group chat, rest assured there will always be a society excursion available. At this stage in my college career I wouldn’t be shocked if it emerged that third-level reading weeks were sponsored by Michael O’Leary.

There is a sense of pressure associated with reading week to make the most out of it by not wasting an ounce of those precious lecture-free days. It can feel as if the time away from campus will be utterly meaningless unless it entails a 6am flight to whichever destination was offering 14.99 flights. I am neither denying the logic behind the thought process nor claiming to have never

Even my best-laid study plans have been known to fall victim to a well-timed “pints?” text.

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PHOTO BY MCCULLOUGH MULVIN ARCHITECTS

Clara Potts, Fashion Editor Eloise Sherrard, Deputy Fashion Editor Hanna Valila, Assistant Fashion Editor

At this stage in my college career I wouldn’t be shocked if it emerged that reading weeks were sponsored by Michael O’Leary. participated in this particular calendar tradition. After all, it remains a convenient opportunity for a break away from the same four walls. However, my underlying point is that in the face of the almost commercialisation of reading week, it is allowed not a failure to instead look forward to a week catching up on sleep and Netflix or lounging around in leggings and slippers.

The very first time I spent my reading week abroad, I flew back on the Sunday evening with the greatest case of the ‘Sunday scaries’ I had experienced to date.

PHOTO BY ALEX CONNOLLY

The subsequent week involved more frantic academic reading than I had achieved during the entire preceding seven weeks.

While this may rightly be a canonical event it is not necessarily one that fits with every student’s circumstances or college capacity. Perhaps there are work or home commitments or maybe there are too many financial and logistical constraints. Regardless of the reason, reading week adventures do not have to require a passport.

From October 23rd I am preparing myself to open Instagram to a seemingly endless supply of images depicting beautiful beaches and stunning cities. On the contrary, my reading week is looking less like close-ups of tourist attractions and more like close readings of my dissertation texts. As my workload mounts I will have to remain content with exploring Neverland over the Netherlands. It is perhaps a telling sign that I am not devastated by this tame itinerary. At my old and wisened stage of life (senior sophister) I sometimes believe my energy levels are more suitable for a cosy cocoon in my bedroom than a coconut cocktail on the beach.

This article is not intended to degrade students who have glorious holiday plans or who are perhaps embarking on their first college trip abroad. For those who do have exciting plans, enjoy every moment of them. But for those who don’t, let this article serve as the antithesis to the barrage of Instagram location tags currently sitting in drafts.

Regardless of what your reading week agenda looks like and whether you achieve every single task on your to-do list or simply manage to charge your laptop, congratulations! We’re halfway through the term.

Sarah Murnane, Film & TV Editor Ella Parry, Food & Drink Editor Pearl Biggers, Deputy Food & Drink Editor Sarah Browne, Literature Editor Molly Wetsch, Deputy Literature Editor Sadie Loughman, Music Editor Eliora Abramson, Societies Editor

Corinne Mahon, Photographer Gareth McCrystal, Photographer Maisie Norton, Photographer Ella O’Brien, Photographer

18

The University Times Monday 16 October, 2023

COMMENT & ANALYSIS EDITORIAL: It’s Time to Freeze Class Sizes

T

rinity added 195 new spots in courses across College in 2021 to meet “rising demand”. That same reasoning has justified class size jumps nearly every year, along with rent increases across the board. College seems like it can only be hindered in its willingness to make life financially and academically difficult for students through student action. That student action has come with a popular demand for freezing class sizes in a move that attempts to prevent the shrinkflation of student experience at Trinity.

More students obviously means more money, something that the College desperately needs according to a recent email to students pleading with them to redirect their protesting towards the Dáil. This has been coupled with calls for more international students and for the government to release over 300 million euro they allegedly promised to the Higher Education sector.

The strain, despite not being able to be corroborated privately by students as there is no in-depth access to College financials, seems evident enough with the constant tension with faculty and student resources never having the materials they need to effectively do their jobs without major stress. However, it is unwise to limit the already limited student experience in order to increase funds for that same student experience.

Similar to taking an old, used bandage off one wound and slapping it on another, the College desperately needs to reprioritise its methods on how to save the student experience, lest the whole system become infected.

The short-term remedy of prioritising intake debilitates the student experience by diluting the already-imbalanced student to faculty ratio of 23:1. This, as a comparison to the OECD average of 17:1, leaves much to be desired from the College, and demands that the administration look elsewhere to solve the problems that plague Higher Education students in Ireland today, perhaps in the halls of the Dáil.

EAGARFHOCAL: Tá sé in am méid na ranganna a chonneáil mar atá

C

huir Coláiste na Tríonóide 195 áit nua ar fáil ar chúrsaí sa Choláiste in 2021 chun “ardú ar éileamh” a shásamh. Úsáidtear é sin mar leithscéal chun méid na ranganna agus costais lóistín de gach cineál a ardú beagnach gach bliain.

Soláthraíonn breis mac léinn breis airgid, rud a bhfuil géarghá ag an gColáiste leis de réir ríomhphost a seoladh chuig mic léinn le déanaí ag iarraidh orthu a gcuid léirsithe a atreorú chuig an Dáil. Mar aon le sin, moltar glacadh le breis mac léinn idirnáisiúnta agus iarrtar ar an rialtas breis agus 300 milliún euro a chur ar fáil, rud a gealladh d’earnáil an Ardoideachais, más fíor.

Ní féidir leis na mic léinn fianaise cheart a fháil ar easpa maoinithe Choláiste na Tríonóide, mar nach bhfuil rochtain cheart acu ar thuairiscí airgeadais an Choláiste. Is léir an easpa maoinithe ón síortheannas leis an bhfoireann teagaisc, agus ón easpa acmhainní agus ábhar riachtanach do mhic léinn.

Ní haon mhaith don Choláiste a bheith ag snámh in aghaidh easa. Is mithid dó a chuid iarrachtaí a chur in ord tosaíochta, chun eispéireas na mac léinn a tharrtháil, sula n-éiríonn cúrsaí níos measa fós.

Tá an cóimheas 23:1 mic léinn le foireann teagaisc as riocht cheana féin, agus eispéireas na mac léinn á dhéanamh níos measa a bheidh mar thoradh ar thosaíocht a thabhairt don méid mac léinn a thógtar isteach. Nuair a dhéantar comparáid idir sin agus meán an ECFE 17:1, is léir nach bhfuil sé sách maith agus go gcaithfidh na húdaráis réitigh a lorg in áit éigin eile — b’fhéidir sa Dáil — ar na fadhbanna atá ag crá mac léinn Ardoideachais in Éirinn faoi láthair.

Living At Home Saves Me Money, But it Costs Me More in Other Ways Sophie Coffey OPINION EDITOR

I

t is is essential to start this article off with a disclaimer: I am very grateful to be from Dublin. I am incredibly aware of the privilege that living here affords me. The fact that I do not have to pay utterly extortionate accommodation costs is something I am immensely grateful for. To put it simply, I could not afford to attend Trinity if not for the fact that I grew up in Dublin and can remain living in my family home. However – logical and rational declarations aside – there is no denying that living at home has altered my college experience. Being from Dublin has simultaneously helped and hindered my college life. It has facilitated as much as it has forbidden.

I am 22 years old and have never lived away from home. My house’s geography means that I frequently pay €40 for taxis back to my house after nights out in town or race to catch the last available public transport. When I receive a text proposing spontaneous plans for pints I have to consider my commute. I weigh up whether it’s worth my while to spend almost an hour travelling into the city centre, hang around for maybe two drinks and then spend another hour getting home. Attending a society event in the evening requires a similar calculation – any situation that involves showing my face briefly will involve a not-so-brief return journey home.

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PHOTO BY O’CONNOR SHANNON

The social aspect of my circumstances aside, the nature of my arts degree means that my contact hours in college are limited.

Two days during the week necessitate that I travel into college for one class. I spend 50 minutes travelling into the city centre, 50 minutes in a lecture hall and then another 50 minutes home.

Thankfully, the student leap card has made a significant difference to my monthly expenditure, but there is nothing that can be done to reduce the proportion of my day that I spend wrangling public transport. Just this week I found myself attempting to battle the phantom buses of Dublin

On more than one occasion I have mournfully watched the oncean-hour night bus sail past me, crammed with tired revellers. More nights out than I can count have concluded with a 30 minute walk from Camden Street.

PHOTO BY ANDY GIBSON

“

Being from Dublin has simultaneously helped and hindered my college life. It has facilitated as much as it has forbidden. city when the LUAS I intended to take home was stopped and the entire system was suspended leaving me with a return journey that exceeded two hours.

On more than one occasion I have mournfully watched the once-an-hour night bus sail past me, crammed with tired revellers. More nights out than I can count have concluded with at the very least a 30 minute walk from Camden Street, fruitlessly attempting to flag a taxi. Many a weeknight has seen me dash from a pub quiz with garbled apologies as I race for the last Brides Glen tram.

Even decisions surrounding going on Erasmus were impacted by being from Dublin. Studying abroad would have resulted in my having to pay accommoda-

tion costs. Remaining in Dublin meant remaining in my family home and incurring no additional rent or utility expenses. Erasmus, therefore, becomes something much harder to justify. My parents would have supported my independence and decision either way, but ultimately it was a choice that I had to consider in light of what was economically rational.

At this point, I am considering undertaking a postgraduate degree abroad, primarily because it can be achieved in a shorter timeframe than if I were to complete it here. There is also another bonus tied up in this possibility: I would get to move out! I will be 23 years old and the idea of having a place and space that is mine seems like something of a fictional unreality. I watch films set in universities and envy the depictions of cramped dorm rooms and roommate debacles.

For all my whimsical wishes, ultimately it doesn’t make financial sense for me to move out while I have the option to live at home. But, it should. It should not be the norm for an entire generation to be living at home and locked out of a housing market. Statistics released by the European Union show that in Ireland 68 per cent of adults in the 25-29 age bracket still live at home. If I do emigrate it will not be merely a case of leaving the country I was born in but of leaving the bedroom I first grew up in and have now outgrown.

As with any decision in life, there will always be some form of opportunity cost; the thing that we must sacrifice in order to fund something else. My ability to live at home and attend Trinity might save me money, but it is a cost that seeps into many aspects of my college experience.

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The University Times Monday 16 October, 2023

COMMENT & ANALYSIS

My Changed Relationship With Facebook Memories Clara Roche EDITOR

I

might be the only member of my generation who still uses Facebook. I don’t have BeReal or Snapchat and I haven’t posted on Instagram since March, but it’ll be a cold day in hell before I stop logging into Facebook each day to check which cousins are pregnant and which primary school classmates are in prison. The halcyon days of honest opinions and FarmVille invitations are long since gone, but I still find a certain comfort in scrolling through the deserted platform and remembering the names and faces of people I used to call friends.

Without my parents’ permission, I

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chocolate in December.

These memories used to be a source of shame. As I tried to develop the aloofness and apathy of a seventeen-year-old iconoclast, I was embarrassed by my earnestness and vulnerability; my willingness to share with hundreds of virtual strangers how sad I was feeling on any given day. Call it sentimental or call me a history student, but I have come to appreciate this virtual time capsule. It’s reasonable to assume a correlation between my enduring attachment to this digital scrapbook and the fact that I have never thrown out a birthday card or a hard-earned Brownie badge.

My Facebook memories immortalise the “complicated relationship” I was in at twelve years old. It was the summer of Wiz Khalifa’s “See

I still find a certain comfort in scrolling through the deserted platform and remembering the names and faces of people I used to call friends. set up my first account in 2011, under a pseudonym inspired by my favourite characters from Gossip Girl and Grey’s Anatomy. I had a generic purple smartphone with 130MB of storage and no front-facing camera, and I worshipped it for the online world it unlocked. Because I was the type of teenager compelled to post her every waking thought on the Internet, I am greeted every morning with an archival curation of Facebook memories with the surety of an advent calendar

You Again”, and when I hear Charlie Puth’s saccharine warbles I think of the sunny afternoons my so-called boyfriend and I spent in the shops searching for bottles of Coke with our names on them. We met in person only a handful of times and I’m not sure if we ever made direct eye contact, but I still remember my heart beating faster every time his texts lit up my phone screen, and I chase that feeling in relationships now.

Recently I was reminded of my

thirteenth birthday wishlist. In pride of place was Taylor Swift’s “1989” album. Later this month, I will listen to the re-recorded version with the same friends I dissected the initial release with. When we were in school, our SPHE teacher imparted upon us the moral parable of the 14 months she went without seeing her school friends because as adults, they were all too busy. We laughed. We thought we were immune. We couldn’t conceptualise a time beyond our guaranteed gatherings in the classroom or the canteen. Now, one of us lives in Paris and another in London, and our daily lunchroom liturgies have been replaced with ten-minute catchups over coffee every three months.

When it comes out, we will host a listening party for “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” on WhatsApp. Ten years ago, we watched ‘Stand By Me’ in the assembly hall, and I am reminded now of the closing lines: “I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?”

Facebook memories also allow me to recognise which parts of my personality are immutable. In “Tag Your Friends” challenges I was usually labelled as clever and talkative and creative — and, on more than one occasion, a self-righteous vegetarian — all words my friends would use to describe me now. While I hope I’m not as impatient or as self-absorbed as I was when I was twelve, it’s heartening to believe that I have a core essence that won’t change even if the circumstances and the people around me do.

Many of the statuses that resurface in the ‘Memories’ tab are inside jokes between me and my brothers,

unintelligible to anyone other than us. I don’t live at home anymore and I probably never will again. While I could call my brothers tonight for a pint or to lend me a tenner, the eve-

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posite sofas or laughing in the back of the car is the space in which shared language develops, and these rhythmic reminders of decade-old status updates act as a safeguard against

The unremarkable nothingness of lounging on opposite sofas or laughing in the back of the car is the space in which shared language develops. nings we’ll spend together ordering takeaway or playing Grand Theft Auto are now limited. The unremarkable nothingness of lounging on op-

the erosion of adulthood.

Mostly, my Facebook memories make me feel grateful. There was a time when my entire life was con-

tained in the stretch of road between George’s Street and Lower Rathmines.

As my inbox floods with reminders of birthday parties and teen discos and competitions for concert tickets, I realise how much my world has expanded since then. How much I have travelled, how many friends I have made. How many things went horribly wrong and how many far-fetched fantasies came true. While I know I’ll never forget the landmarks of my life, my Facebook memories keep me in touch with the mundanities that shaped me in equal measure: the late-night conversations, the nervous excitement before exams, the midnight movie releases and the relief of returning home from the airport. It all adds up.

Not Finishing the Reading List is a Lesson in Itself Sophie Coffey OPINION EDITOR

I

n school I was a member of that special group of students who love English. I was scornful of those who didn’t complete the reading and shrugged off claims of novels being too long. As far as my literature-loving self was concerned, reading was without question the best and easiest form of homework to have. I devoured page after page of The Great Gatsby and A Doll’s House in a shorter timeframe than it took me to muster the motivation for a fraction of my maths homework. It was this persistent preference for my English homework at Leaving Certificate level that led me to approach college and my English literature reading lists with a combination of ambition and excitement. As it turned out, I should have been approaching them with reverence and ridicule.

I will never forget being assigned The Obedience of a Christian Man by William Tyndale as my primary text in my very first English module.

Anyone who has not yet had the privilege of encountering Tyndale’s work should note that this 547 page book was published in 1528, just a few short years after the author had translated the New Testament.

In other words, this particular introductory text was far from the Charles Dickens and Alexandre Dumas I had been expecting to encounter on my course. Nonetheless, I persisted with the compliance of the fresher student that I was and read the entire book. Or, more accurately, the verb ‘read’ could be replaced with ‘skimmed’ or ‘eyes

PHOTO VIA TCD.IE

-roved-from-word-to-word-without-comprehension’.

In that opening week, every time I found my motivation waning I reassured myself that this dense tome of a text was merely a blip in the romanticised vision I held of my reading lists. As the weeks and modules developed, I was relieved to discover the range of texts expanded. However, I was

“

less relieved to realise that the initial surge of motivation that had enabled me to persevere through The Obedience of a Christian Man was already fading. Suddenly, my reading lists were clamouring to be read but my laptop was desperate to be closed. This came as something of a culture shock to my bookworm self.

After all, if sixth-year me had been told that her homework would pre-

dominantly comprise fiction she would have jumped for joy. Somewhere between my final secondary school task and my first college assignment I appeared to have lost this critical message.

I arrogantly assumed that my love of reading would thrive in an English Literature degree and that this adoration for books would be the only inspiration I needed to keep

At first there was a sense of something resembling shame. I had never been the student who didn’t have the reading done and for the duration of my secondary school career I had been validated by the smugness of never needing to Google character names or plot synopses.

on top of my extensive reading lists.

Instead I discovered that reading several books a week to keep up with multiple modules was a study of English on an entirely different level to the close-reading single texts of the Leaving Certificate. My English requirements combined with my Joint Honours Sociology papers meant that soon my reading lists were piling up faster than my to-be-read pile of impulsively purchased paperbacks. My younger self would be appalled. The sixth year iteration of me who scorned internet summaries of novels and study guides has been replaced by a Sophister student with the SparkNotes tab bookmarked.

At first there was a sense of something resembling shame. I had never been the student who didn’t have

the reading done and for the duration of my secondary school career I had been validated by the smugness of never needing to Google character names or plot synopses. My inability to keep on top of my reading lists in college was accompanied by an uncertainty and guilt that were both new to me. Yet now, at the concluding stage of my degree, it is more common for an unfinished reading list to evoke a sense of deja-vu than recrimination. It has taken time and patience – two things my parents would suggest I fundamentally lack – to get to a stage where I can reconcile my determination to beat my reading lists with my recognition of the limits of a 12 week semester.

I have a tendency to take a romanticised approach to many things – a perhaps inevitable result of growing up with a penchant for the classics of Austen and the Brontë sisters – so my initial rose-tinted perception of college reading is not without its merits.

However, the past three years have pushed me towards a more realistic consideration of the limits of my reading lists. My third-level English education has allowed me to develop my repertoire of literary knowledge but this has been on the condition that not every text is granted an equal portion of my precious time. I may not have mastered every learning objective or theory within my secondary sources, but I have learned to prioritise, to skim, to highlight and to condense. This is perhaps not the primary knowledge I should have gleaned from my bibliographies but it will stand useful nonetheless.

And if any of my professors happen to be reading this piece, rest assured that if there is one class I diligently complete the reading for it is, of course, yours.

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The University Times Monday 16 October, 2023

SPORT

From Rugby Star to Coaching Inspiration: The Remarkable Story of Eleanor Furlong Valentina Milne follows the story of Eleanor Furlong, whose pivot to coaching from playing has not only reshaped her life but rekindled her love for the sport.

Valentina Milne SPORTS EDITOR

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rom the age of five, Eleanor Furlong, Assistant Coach to Trinity Women’s Rugby, has been obsessed with the sport. Originally from Carlow, Furlong played for the local rugby club as the only girl for over two years until her sisters joined her. At the age of 18, she came to Dublin and began playing for Trinity alongside a successful stint with Irish Touch.

“My dream was to become a professional rugby player”, Furlong told The University Times. The pathway to that dream began with Leinster Rugby. However, having made the Leinster squad, Furlong endured a bad accident in her first game of the season for Trinity which resulted in a severe concussion, swiftly shattering her dreams of playing rugby in the future. Months of rehab and being forced to drop out of college from long-term injury effects left

Furlong devastated.

One day Head Coach Andy Adams asked Furlong for a one-off coaching favour. From that moment on, Furlong’s perspective on rugby dramatically changed, and she fell in love with this fresh and previously unexplored facet of the sport she had reluctantly parted ways with.

“I’ve more passion for coaching than playing simply because I’m enjoying it more”, Furlong reflects to The University Times. Coaching has made her realise that one has to change their perspective on what success means. As a player, it was the trophies and domination of a league that signified achievement but as a coach, success comes in a more subtle yet undoubtedly richer form when the team spirit is good, or a great pass is made. She realised that in all her effort to become professional, she lost sight of what made her fall in love with the game in the first place In such a male-dominated field, Furlong comments on the difficulties she has faced being a women’s

PHOTO BY AOIFE WAFER

rugby coach, “when I’m sitting in a team meeting and I look around to see only men, it does make you question yourself, no matter how hard you try to avoid it”. Nevertheless, Furlong stresses the indisputable importance that Larissa Mul-

dun, a former coach, has had on Furlong’s experience as both player and coach. It is important with the rapidly growing interest in women’s rugby to have more female coaches so that young players have role models to look towards.

In fact, it is very promising indeed that the head of Dublin University Rugby Football Club (DUFC) is the highly regarded Maria Flahiv. Furlong comments on the huge support from the rugby club and the investment of time and money directed

towards the women’s rugby team.

This included the arrival of head coach Andy Adams, one of Ireland’s most decorated coaches in women’s rugby. It is certainly an indisputable fact that his work has been essential in the success and development of the team.

As the beginning of the season gets underway, Furlong moves from strength to strength in her newfound passion for coaching. At the time of talking to The University Times, Furlong was in the United States shadow coaching other teams in a strive to improve her coaching style by observing different methods. On return to Dublin, she is eager to continue coaching so more women can experience a role model in a very male-centric sport.

“It is something that has turned my life around”, Furlong says of her coaching career as she reflects on the past year and all that came with it. An inspiring story and the upcoming season for Trinity Women’s Rugby XV is looking promising with Furlong on board.

Erasmus Football Enthusiast Experiences Third Division Showdown: Unionistas de Salamanca CF v Real Unión Club Currently on Erasmus in Spain, Matthew Keeley reflects on the spectacular display of both talent and enthusiasm that ripples through the Spanish Third Division.

Matthew Keeley CONTRIBUTING WRITER

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late kick-off in the Sunday evening sun. A plucky third-division club, rapidly climbing through the divisions. A small local stadium filled with impassioned supporters, each adorned with a jersey and scarf, and many with a flag or banner in hand. An atmosphere so commanding, you would think you were anywhere but the outskirts of Salamanca, Spain.

This is Unionistas de Salamanca CF, a fan-owned club born from the ashes of its predecessor, Unión Deportiva Salamanca, which dissolved as a result of financial difficulties in 2013. Ten years later and the Unionistas have risen to the third tier of Spanish football, not necessarily dizzying heights but still a division

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PHOTO BY MATTHEW KEELEY

which sees them face off against teams such as 2004 Champions League semi-finalists, Deportivo de La Coruña and Barcelona B.

It is experiences like these that remind me why I love football, when I see how much it means to people and how much joy it can bring us. I left the game a die-hard Unionista!

It also saw them take on Real Unión Club, a comfortable, if not quietly ambitious, team from the Basque Country in northern Spain.

The club is owned by current Aston Villa manager Unai Emery, whose father and grandfather used to play for the side. With his brother Igor as president, Real Unión sat 2nd in the table before kick-off, with Unionistas languishing in 11th by comparison after six games.

All of this, I will admit, was not information that I was privy to before arriving at the Estadio Reina Sofia which is tucked deep within the suburbs of Salamanca. A loose sheet of paper was handed to me before entering through the gates, upon which the league table and oppo-

sition’s starting lineup were listed.

Not a single name was recognisable, there were no superstars to be seen here. Nonetheless, the Unionistas fans honoured their players like gods. It was a Sunday after all, and they were here to worship.

Most seats in the stadium were in direct sunlight which meant that the majority of fans congregated towards the main stand, the only one covered by the shade. This assemblance of aficionados only amplified the already animated atmosphere with chants ringing through the stand, seemingly emerging from a phantom megaphone located somewhere within the crowd.

Though it must be said that whoever was commanding from that

megaphone deserves some sort of national recognition for screaming his lungs out for the entire 90 minutes, leading each song with electric enthusiasm and cultivating a captivating and commendable backdrop to a game of football.

And boy, could these guys play football. Far beyond my expectations for a third division clash, both teams were lightning quick in their movement, their passes and their footballing intuition. Every touch was near perfect, most passes were precisely weighted, and the buildup play was intricate and precise.

I asked an Irish friend beside me, a Bohs fan, how he thought Unionistas would fare in the League of Ireland. ‘Poor old Finn Harps wouldn’t have a chance’ was his reply.

Nevertheless, the motifs of lower division football still remained as the game was decided by a towering header from Unionistas’ young Bulgarian striker Slavy in the 38th minute. Cries of ‘Unionistas de

Salamanca!’ accompanied by the sound of thousands of claps rang through the stadium. As the final whistle blew, the Unionistas were ecstatic in victory. The players lined up in front of the stand and joined the fans in a collective clap akin something like the Icelandic clap, all chanting in unison.

This is what real football is all about. I cannot imagine the satisfaction that each one of the club’s socios or members feel when they see the team that they support, the team that they themselves own, the team that they helped build from the ground up, succeed on the pitch and to demonstrate their gratitude and respect for the fans in such a profound way.

It is experiences like these that remind me why I love football, when I see how much it means to people and how much joy it can bring us. I left the game a die-hard Unionista!

PHOTO BY MATTHEW KEELEY