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A Note From the Editor Hey Everyone,

Cover by: Tom Morgan Issue 41 December 2010

Editor: Oscar Finn Sub-Editor: Jonathan Keane Design: Oscar Finn Contributers: Adia Hammer Alyssa Fleck Brendan Beagon Brian O’Donoghue Clothilde Dumas Gareth Barry Ghino de Colle Ian Donnegan Ian Fleming Laura Mullett Maiken Woll Eide Martin Agbaso Marc Dennehy Matthew Jaffray Shane Ronan-Duggan Tom Morgan

well the semester is drawing to a close and assignments are being finished off. It’s been a busy and productive month but there was still plenty time to party with the school disco, International trip and the masquerade ball. This month we have an issue jam packed with articles, reviews, photos and the first of what I hope will be many short stories. I would like to thank Tom “Danbo” Morgan for the fantastic cover which he designed especially for the magazine and to everyone one who contributed articles, photos and suggestions. In this months magazine Alyssa Fleck looks back at the international trip to Galway and the Cliffs of Moher, Ian Fleming interviews Nick Dooge about deciding to return to college to be better prepared for the jobs market, and we have all the usual SU news, Genuine article, and film reviews inside. We have three more issues due out in the next semester so if you want to get involved the Christmas break is the perfect opportuinity to put together ideas for what you would like to see in Griffiti. I hope you all have a happy and safe Christmas and wish you the best of luck in your exams. Bye for now. Oscar Finn - Editor

Contents

4 state of the union

6 students union news 11 frustrations with Irish immigration 12 party people 14 international Trip

Advertising Enquiries: (01) 4150463

16 Are video games art?

Printed by: Speciality Print

18 the road to success - interview

Griffiti Magazine Griffith College Students’ Union South Circular Road Dublin 8 Ireland Ph: (01) 4151463 Email: griffiti@gcd.ie www.gcd.ie/griffiti

22 griffiti at the movies

Griffiti Magazine is a publication of Griffith College Students’ Union established in 2004. All contents copyright of Griffiti, Reproduction of any part of the magazine without permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited.

25 music reviews 26 the genuine article 28 growing up with christmas 30 a short story for christmas

The views expressed in Griffiti do not necessarily reflect that of the college or the Students’ Union

StATE OF THE UNION

Upcoming, we have the end of semester Christmas Party which we hope to see everyone out for. For many of the International students, it will be their last chance to party with all their new friends they made while studying here in the college. While it is sad to see many leave, we hope all of you that took part in the Study Abroad program enjoyed it and return to us again someday soon. Hopefully during the next Semester we will see many new Study Abroad erasmus students joining us and willing to get involved in our events.

i guys,

In the last month we’ve seen people who attended the college over the past couple of years graduate. It was a momentous two days to see so many friends get their degrees to which they all worked so hard for. The two consecutive Graduation Balls were both wonderful occasions and hope we can build on this for students set to graduate next year. Some of the other events were had included the School Disco on campus, the Poker tournament which we converted upstairs in the SU for, and the Masquerade Ball. The best of the lot was however, the International Trip which takes place in the first semester every year. Last month saw us take to the streets of Galway City and a visit to the Cliffs of Moher, near Lisdoonvarna in Co. Clare. You can read all about that in Pages 10 and 11.

Since the previous Issue, we have had two Student Council meetings and which the minutes can be seen in this magazine. It’s great to see more and more students engaging with the SU and the direction it takes. Some constructive ideas are brought forward which we hope to implement over the coming months. In terms of working with USI, I attended Eastern Area Council in University College Dublin and National Council in the National University of Ireland, Galway. Both of these forums provided for useful training and developing how our own SU can work more effectively for you. The insight into how other Students’ Union around the country function is something unique and hopefully we’ll take some of their already functioning practices and develop them to adapt to our own Union. I found it particularly useful being in the same room as all the other Entertainment Officers as the Ents Forum. From every other college, the Officers were bouncing ideas off each other providing useful advice and ideas going forward that we all learned from.

To promote all our events from now also, a new Ents Crew has been formulated to push everything we do forward. I’d like to welcome Eoin McKenna, Ciaran Verso and Gabbi Steel on-board the team. This crew will be hassling you all throughout the second semester letting you know about events and all other SU activity. If you’d like to be part of the Ents Crew, publicising and plugging the Students’ Union activities, let us know on su@gcd.ie Until the next issue in February, we hope you get some well deserved rest at home, and we wish you all the best of luck in your January exams. I hope to see you out at the Christmas Party before the breakup of the semester. As always, even when it snows, we’re in the Meagher Building if you need us for anything. Have a wonderful Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Your Students’ Union President, Graham

One of the most exciting things we’ve itroduced this year so far has been the brand

Office Opening Hours: Monday - Thursday: 09:30 - 19:30 Friday: 09:30 - 17:30 email: su.president@gcd.ie Ph: (01) 415 0418 4

new Students’ Union “Membership Card”. In its introductory year, 2010/2011, it will entitle you to cheaper entry to all SU organised events! It’s in the early stages at the moment but eventually we’ll be rolling out discounts to shops and stores you all are interested in. Every poster for an event we do will advertise a fee for holders of the card which will be discounted, as well as non-holder. It is free to obtain so you might as well pick one up off us. Come by the SU and we’ll hook you up!

Graham Butler President Students’ Union

StATE OF THE UNION

i guys ,

Firstly, I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in advance. This year has seen many changes as I am working very hard to take the clubs & societies to higher levels. I am glad to announce the start up of 10 new societies. The Football Team perhaps the most successful team in the college has had a long stretch of success going almost unbeaten in the league. With a walk over in the first round of the Umbro Cup the team seems set to go far in the competition In light of this, the team has been recognised for its success and as a result of this is now being sponsored by D2 one of the largest night clubs in Ireland located on Harcourt Street. This year has also seen the start up of a female football team with two players, Martina Paterson and Johanna Bandgren chosen to play for the Leinster team. The basketball team this year has also come along way with the introduction of coach David Baker. Baker is a coach with tremendous experience as he has coached at national level. With his help the men’s and women’s basketball team will be shaped and turned in to a successful team to rival such teams as DBS and DCU. It has been quite a rocky ride however the rugby team has managed to compete in the Sevens Tournament, though the team has not been able to complete a full tournament due to injuries, we are hoping to change that from January. This year though the clubs has had a positive start The societies however, have been slow to start up this is going to change from January as there are going to be many changes made. The first change to be made is going to be

the dance society. Mainly Hip-Hop but also looking at Salsa, Tango, Classic and other forms of dance. There is also going to be an introduction of many new societies and an improvement on certain societies such as creative writing, boxing, shooting, equestrian and golf society. There is now a deal in place where students can use the golf course at the Iveagh Grounds for free. Golf clubs can be collected at the Students’ Union before going down. Upcoming Events NBA Streets: This tournament is going to involve teams of 3s and 4s competing in a basketball tournament strictly street ball rules (tricks, jiving, swag the whole lot).

would take trips once every month.

Boxing: The aim here is to get the boxing society active and running before RAG week so as to put on a show for the whole college. It would be a tournament for all weight classes, both for men and women. G-Football league: Due to the previous success of the G-league I have decided to bring it back. The G league would involve teams of 5 playing a one day tournament on the green. G-Rugby League: This will also be played on the green except it will involve a team of 7 with tag rugby rules and full Rugby rule tournament All tournaments will involve bigger and better prices than previous tournaments held on the green. Paint ball Society: Next year I would also seek to start up a paint ball society which

Joseph Uzah Clubs & Societies Officer Students’ Union

Surfing society: This society will be brand new and quite possibly the most exciting society to be created. It will involve trips to the like of Galway, Sligo etc. It will be a society which will welcome every one of different skill levels. Concert: The next event I am hoping to have will be a joint concert performed by both the choir and music society. Both societies have been growing and hopefully will reach a stage where there can be regular performances in Arthurs bar. Casino Royal night: With the start of the New Year I will be looking to launch a casino night where there will be new games such as poker, black jack (all themed nights i.e. Bond) Your Clubs and Societies Officer Joe

Office Opening Hours: Monday - Thursday: 09:30 - 19:30 Friday: 09:30 - 17:30 email: su.sports@gcd.ie Ph: (01) 415 0608 5

Students’ Union News Student Council The Student Council met twice in recent weeks, on November 16th and December 6th respectively. On November 16th, the council made the Election Supervisory Committee (ESC) official. Eoin McKenna, Bernard White, Zhan Sergejev and Ross McKinley were elected. They will sit on the committee with the SU President and Manager to oversee any elections throughout the year. This class rep gathering also marked the ratification of the new Griffith College Students’ Union constitution. The vote was won unanimously, with no council member opposing it. This constitution applies only to Griffith College Dublin and does not extend to the Cork or Limerick colleges. All students can request of the Constitution directly from the Students’ Union now for free, either in physical or digital format.

We are delighted to welcome on board Ulster Bank as the new sponsor of Griffiti Magazine. We look forward to building a relationship with Ulster Bank as both the sponsor of our Students’ Union magazine but also the role they will play in supporting Griffith College students whether it be financial or advisory services. If anybody would like to arrange an appointment with one of the members of Ulster Bank, please contact the SU and we shall organise a meeting for you.

We here in The Students’ Union were very sorry to hear about second year photography part time student Brian Flynn who passed away earlier this month. He is survived by his wife and two daughters and we would like, on behalf of the students and staff of Griffith College, to take this time to extend to them our sincerest condolences

On December 6th Union Of Students Ireland (USI) president Gary Redmond and Eastern Area Officer John Logue were at the meeting to present their roles and reasons for joining USI. At the first meeting of the year, it was agreed by the council agreed to pursue affiliation and again at the second meeting to include it within the Constitution. They ran through the workings of the Union and answered any questions. A number of concerns were raised by reps regarding whether or not the government higher education maintenance grant currently unavailable to Griffith students could be attained with USI’s support. Also, several concerns were made about the affiliation fee - €5 per student and how this may affect the SU’s budget in the coming years. Head librarian Robert McKenna addressed concerns over the library. Questions were asked regarding the opening hours at weekends. They have been cut due to low numbers using the library at such times. Concerns were also raised of the books being misplaced and computers being used for non-college work. These issues will be looked into. If you have any concerns or issues that you would like to be raised, please contact your class rep or the Executive Officers at the Students’ Union.

THe ENTs crew Let us introduce to you the latest additions to the Students’ Union, our new Ents Crew. Pictured above are Eoin McKenna (left), Gabbi Steel (centre), and Ciaran Verso (right). There are loads of events coming up next semester like SHAG Week, RAG Week, International Trip 2, SU House parties, the annual and end of year spectical; the Griffith Ball and much, much more, so there will be plenty of things to keep them busy.

If you want to know more about what is coming up next year these are the first people along with the SU President to ask so be sure to stop them and say 'Hey!'. They will be on hand throughout the year to help organise and promote Students’ Union events. We here at the SU would like to wish them the very best of luck with their new roles and look forward to working closely with them.

Students’ Union News New Look Jerseys Check out soccer superstars Martin Agbaso and Aishling Clifford sporting the brand new jerseys for the mens and womens soccer teams. The new kits are sponsored by d-two nightclub and we look forward to seeing them being worn with pride on the pitch.

Students’ Union Membership Cards No doubt that by now you have heard about the Students' Union Membership Cards which were launched earlier this month. The card is free, available from the SU, and is the best way to ensure you get discount entry to all events run and organised by the Students’ Union. It also gives discounts to d-two nightclub and Reads of Nassau Street. We are busy working on getting new partners to work with to provide you with the best discounts around. Hopefully this new iniative will develop over the semesters and years into more wideranging areas for the benefit of students. If you have any ideas to develop the card or places you would like us to try and get discounts from, drop in to the SU and talk to SU President, Graham. You can also send us an email at su@gcd.ie Pick up your 2010/2011 Membership Card for free today!

Students’ Union News Share the Love Sale Of work Wednesday the 8th of December saw the launch of the 'Share The Love Sale of Work' organised by the SU to raise much needed funds for the Pakistan flood relief efforts. The sale went on over two days and raised around €1200. On the Wednesday we were pleased to welcome Her Excellency Mrs Naghmana Hashmi, the Pakistani Ambassador to Ireland (pictured below). She told ‘Griffiti Magazine’ that she was extremely grateful to Griffith College Students’ Union for putting the event together. And she also thanked all the Pakistani Students and for everyone else for taking the time to do something to help. She also told Griffiti about the scale of devastation after the floods and that it will take between ten and fifteen years to recover what was lost. The SU would also like to say a special thank you to Kelkin, Crowne Plaza Dublin Northwood, Griffith Halls of Residence, The Paskistan Embassy, Frank ScottLennon, Khamer from Libaas, dTwo nightclub, Graffiti artist Maverick Ross and everyone else who made a contribution to the efforts.

Students’ Union News STUDENTS UNION BUILDING GETS TAGGED

To add diversity to the events we had over the year, one of the most exciting occurrences was having an amazing graffiti artist called Maverick Ross taking over one of the bare walls in the Students’ Union and utilise it as his canvas. This was a sight to behold, watching Maverick Ross, aka ‘Dope’; transform this empty space into a piece of slick art. Graffiti, an art that has existed since an-

cient times is too often overlooked and underappreciated, so we would welcome all to drop by and have a look at this newly installed piece of art, which although is complete at this moment, will develop further as the year goes by. Watch this space...... http://www.flickr.com/photos/maverickrossart

Music Room in SU starts rocking out

As Semester one has rolled out and is nearly over, one of the most prominent events that has happened during this period is the development of the Music Society and the new music room in the Students’ Union building. With 40 members in the club so far, we foresee that this society will grow and develop greatly over the next semester. We will soon be introducing music workshops, recording sessions and support acts for the students in the upcoming semester. The passion and drive that the students have shown thus far has been one of the highlights of the year and we’re very excited about the road ahead and what we know can be achieved.

them on a weekly basis, and soon will perform with them in our own Conference centre.

Without a doubt, all students and members of staff will get the opportunity to see some of the best perform over the next coming semester.

So far at least two bands have developed from this club, and we’re also delighted to see that two of the members have also joined the Orchestra and practise with

Below card-shark Brian O’Donoghue displays his poker face. He started strong but half way into the tournament he was strapped for cash which resulted in him getting bailed out more times than an Irish bank.

Griffith College Poker Tournament On the 16th of November the S.U held a poker tournament upstairs in the Meagher building, it was a major success. For €5 buy in you got plenty of chips and even though there were four tables of over six people everybody, except for those that were first out, had a right laugh, thanks in no small part to the allowance of beverages at the converted pool tables.

Poker is a great way to get to know people as you often have to try and read what a total stranger is thinking, and naturally unless someone’s poker face is down to a tee conversation is inevitable. By far it was the French men on the night who stole the show dominating on three of the four tables.

The night did go relatively quickly thanks to the watchful time keeping and blind upping. The S.U. deserve a pat on the back for the poker tournament, a great idea, and everyone who attended especially those who won money, would all go again!

While live programming will occupy the airwaves from 8am until midnight, repeats of earlier programs will be run through the early morning hours.

at least 60% - 40%. The Griff FM studios can be found in the Richmond Buildings adjacent to the SU building.

Griff fm back on the air

Every year in the opening weeks of the second semester, the 2nd year BA journalism students are thrown in at the deep end and asked to run a radion station for two weeks. The station which is licensed as GRIFF FM is one of the more practical aspects of the course. The station will run on a temporary that will be issued by the Broadcasting commision of Ireland (BCI). This year the station will broadcast for 10 days, launching on Friday January 28th and winding up on Sunday January 6th. Content on Griff Fm includes a magazine style breakfast show with news, music and competitions, comedy shows, light music programs, sports shows and foreign language programming produced for international students.

Griff FM anticipates a talk/music ratio of

For more information stay tuned to Moodle and Facebook for GRIFF FM updates

Frustrations with Irish Immigration International student Adia Hammer takes a look at the difficulties in volved with getting an extended Visa and how the Irish economy is missing out due to an inefficient system eing an American southerner in Dublin is an adventure of its own, from the many Irish dialects that distinctly differ from the slow, southern drawl, to the depressing weather of overcast days that is the complete opposite of South Carolina, that is enough to get used to by itself, so forgive me if I don’t appreciate the slow and inadequate immigration process that this beautiful country has in place. Getting my extended visa so that I could study here for 90 days was an experience I’d much rather not have to go through again. Picture if you will, a crowded room of African women with crying babies in strollers and Iranian men with small children. There were long hard benches for people to sit on, but the crowdedness made it impossible for a person to scoot past someone else without putting some part of their body in a stranger’s face. To top it all off there was just the one bathroom at the very back of the room, and it looked like a 1970s disco hangover. The bulbs had this awkward blue light as if to check people's DNA as they were coming out of the stalls. Astonishingly, when I got there at eight on a Thursday evening, the room was filled with agitated immigrants who had been waiting since the early hours that morning. When I approached several staff members to ask for our contact, they acted as if they had no idea who I was talking about and I was pretty much told take a number and sit down. Later, I was told that our contact was their manager. So I’ll just attribute their ignorance of who their manager was to a long day of making immigrants feel less human. Needless to say, I didn’t get my visa that night and was told by our liaison at the GCD International Office that everything would be taken care of on Friday morning. At this point no real concern set in, despite the fact that my green card would expire on that same Friday and that I had to fly back to the States the following Wednesday. The next morning I went to the international office only to find out that our INIS contact, was gone for the weekend and wouldn’t be back until Monday. Now I was stuck waiting for a vacationing immigration personnel to talk about my expired green card with an approaching deadline. Monday finally arrives, and I return to the GCD International Office to be met with excitement and happily be told that the Americans had an appointment with the INIS on the coming Thursday. After taking a moment to collect my thoughts I managed to remind the International Office for the umpteenth time that I had to leave Wednesday morning, so I

couldn’t wait until Thursday. Fortunately, he was able to arrange an appointment for me for Tuesday morning with the manager from the INIS office, yet again. I was able to skip the queue (which I sort of felt guilty about) and get another plastic card with my face on it. As grateful as I am that my story had some resolution, I’m still compelled to mention the lack of organisation, professionalism, and courtesy that the INIS displayed.

“the Department of Education and Skills wants to increase the number of international students from a €900 million to €1.2 billion sector for economic profit by 2015” I later read that the Department of Education and Skills wants to increase the number of international students from a €900 million to €1.2 billion sector for economic profit by 2015, according to a press release from late September. It amazes me how the government desires to make money off of international students when they can’t seem to efficiently process them in order for them to remain in the country. I asked other international students who needed to extend their visas to see how their experiences were. I met Jeng Min Kang, a Korean exchange student who’s taking classes at DIT. She said her experience with the INIS was tough. The wonderful officials at immigration kept sending her back and forth to her college because of a simple discrepancy in her paperwork. The error that her papers possessed was that the letter of admission from DIT was addressed to her and not the immigration office. That could’ve been quickly rectified if someone had told her that the first time. She also said she had to wait in the cold around seven in the morning for the doors to open before they would begin the queue which took hours. Grace Nam had the same experience with the long queue. Grace is a Korean-American studying at Trinity College who had to endure the INIS office. Grace said she stood in the queue all morning and into the late afternoon to get her visa. She said her biggest complaint was, “It seems like a very inefficient way to see everybody, especially making people wait in line in the wee cold hours of the morning for so long.” In my opinion, the long line is only half of the problem with immigration. Fianna Fáil is a party here that supports the social welfare of all its citizens, suppos-

edly. I emailed the Minister of Justice and Law Reform, Micheál Martin, to see if the party was aware of the conditions citizens face at the INIS office. The response I received from Aiden Cronin, the Minister’s private secretary, was very informative and diplomatic to say the least. My favorite part reads, “Regrettably, the issuing and managing of student visas is a complex area in many countries. Here in Ireland, it is hoped that any complications which exist in the current system might be addressed through the mechanisms to be put in place in response to the Report of the High-Level Group on International Education to the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills aka Ireland's International Education Strategy 2010-15.” Then Mr. Cronin included a link in his email that referred me to the Education Ireland website that had their Global Report for International Students in Higher Education. Apparently, I am supposed to read this long and formal document about Ireland’s international education strategy and that would explain exactly why the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service lacked professionalism, promptness, and organisation, not to mention its sheer lack of concern for people. Well, at least he bothered to return my email. Both students I spoke with regarding their encounter with the INIS agreed that they would like for the office to be more accommodating. Having people wait out in the cold before they are given a number and forced to stand in a queue for hours doesn’t appear very welcoming. My practical advice is to organise a day where specific colleges have their students register separately from the general public to make things run smoother. Or they could simply allot a week when the semester starts for all immigrating students to register. After all, I’m sure the Department of Education and Skills doesn’t want a bad reputation for having incompetent immigration procedures to stop them from making a cash cow out of students coming to Ireland in pursuit of higher education. Adia Hamer

eering out the window of a long, white tour bus as we drove through the small village of Lisdoonvarna on one of the colder evenings of November, a very long, overdue feeling of peace came upon me. I felt, for the first time in three months of being on this island, that I was truly seeing Ireland and everything I had ever imagined it to be. Surrounded by what seemed to be endless, slightly–frosted hills, narrow dirt roads and herds of animals tending to their business, I took a deep breath and allowed a sense of melancholy to come over me. The realization that I had only three more weeks left in this beautiful country became a very fast, and very true, reality. That sadness quickly disappeared, however, as I became more aware of my surroundings. 35 eager Griffith College Dublin students, all peering out the same windows, enjoying the same views, sat amongst me as the sound of laughter and quiet chatter filled the bus. We had just finished spending a sun-kissed day in the City of Galway and were looking forward to where the rest of our weekend-long adventure would take us. The Student’s Union International Trip

began on a Friday afternoon with students gathering at the gates of the college and smiling for a group photo that would mark the beginning of what would prove to be a fun-filled weekend.

Soon enough the live music started to play, the drinks continued to be poured and the pub began to fill up as we sat amongst our friends and sang along to the entertainment. Charlotte Depoorter, an Erasmus student from France, said she decided to go on the trip because she and her friends wanted to, “discover another piece of the country and meet other students.” Similarly, Antje Schurmans, an Erasmus student from Belgium, and Malte Finnern, of Germany, both said they attended the trip because they hadn’t seen the West Coast yet and heard how beautiful it was. “I didn’t want to miss out,” Schurmans said.

Four hours after piling onto our bus, we arrived at our destination – a lovely hostel in the City of Galway that would ultimately become nothing more than a place to close our eyes for the few hours we allowed ourselves to sleep that night. Once settling in and preparing ourselves for the night’s festivities, the group enjoyed a few rounds of cocktails at The Porter House, a quaint, yet entertaining, pub near the city centre. Soon enough the live music started to play, the drinks continued to be poured and the pub began to fill up as we sat amongst our friends and sang along to the entertainment. Schurmans considered the time at the pub to be one of the two best things she did on the trip, referring to the “nice glasses” the cocktail specials were served in and the great, although somewhat shy, singer, who sometimes needed the audience’s help to get the songs going. After a few hours of singing along with the musician, enjoying an array of beers, wines and cocktails and playing games to pass the time, the group moved on to a club to dance the rest of the night away. The not-too-early wake-up call for a complimentary breakfast the next day, which

was much-appreciated by many, would prepare us for our next adventure. Strapping on our skates, attempting to find a balance and gliding out onto the ice, the group spent Saturday morning ice skating in Galway. Laughing along at each other’s clumsiness and striking poses as our lack of skill was photographed, many students said this was a highlight of the trip. Depoorter said ice skating was the funniest part of the weekend and Sarah Cools, an Erasmus student from Belgium, agreed, saying it was one of the best parts of her trip. Before heading to Co. Claire, where we would spend Saturday night, the group was given the opportunity to walk around Galway for the remainder of Saturday afternoon. Strolling through the Christmas Market, enjoying a pint of Guinness and window shopping as we explored the city, much of Galway was soaked up before it was time to move on. Arriving in Lisdoonvarna Saturday evening, the group was thrilled to find out we would have the hostel to ourselves for the night. With jokes being passed around about reliving a Stephen King novel, students were set off to pick a room, explore

the hostel and come up with creative ways to keep themselves warm as we were quickly informed that the heat was not working.

Taking in the beauty of the West Coast and sipping hot chocolate in an underground café, the most mesmerizing part of the trip was certainly saved for last. The lack of warmth, however, would not keep people from having fun, as the group gathered at a pub in the village that evening and sat around tables socializing and enjoying the “craic.” Many students would continue the party back at the hostel, as they sat back in the antique furniture, drank some beers and continued to have a good time. Finnern said the night in the hostel was his favourite part of the trip. “Drinking beer in an ice cold, old hotel in the common room, hearing the piano … (I) never (did) that be-

fore and it was an awesome mix between ‘The Shining’ and drinking.” The next day the group would head to the Cliffs of Moher for one last adventure before the trip came to a close. Despite the cold, Depoorter said this was also one of her favourite parts of the trip. Taking in the beauty of the West Coast and sipping hot chocolate in an underground café, the most mesmerizing part of the trip was certainly saved for last. Ready to climb back on the bus to warm our fingers and toes, the trip would not have been complete without ending it the same way it began. The group gathered atop a hill near the cliffs and smiled at the camera for one last photo to document the memorable weekend. With the well-organized planning, the inexpensive price and the endless fun, Depoorter, Schurmans, Finnern and Cools all agreed the trip was worth it and would suggest students join the SU in the future. “(It was) better than I expected,” Finnern said. “I had (a) really good time.” Alyssa Fleck

Are Video games Art? ccording to Merriam-Webster, the word “art” can be defined as “the conscious use of skill and creative imagination, especially in the production of aesthetic objects”. The Oxford Dictionary says art is “the expression or application of creative skill and imagination, typically in visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power”.

tion in the viewer. Sure, the swirls of Van Gogh's “Starry Night” or the magnificence of Michelangelo's statue of David can prompt awe and contemplation in onlookers. But should we think any less of sprawling virtual worlds that marry music, literature and graphics into a layered aesthetic experience filled with countless scenes, scenarios and choices open for individual interpretation?

So why do so many critics, most notably Roger Ebert, still assert that video games, the best of which rank among today's most visually arresting and touching experiences, don't fit these definitions? Arguments run the gamut from games' interactive nature to their goal-driven mentality, commercial aspirations and ability to be definitively won, or ended, at certain key points in the plot.

each video game is arguably its own selfcontained symphony of programming and graphics

The logic goes something like this: When you read a poem, listen to a symphony or view a painting or a sculpture, you're enjoying an experience that's inspired by an artist's vision and prompts limitless reflec-

From pioneering efforts such as Another World and Myst to cult classics like BioShock and Ico, games have long used eye-catching imagery and compelling narratives to evoke passion and senti-

ment in viewers. Other titles, including Flower and Braid, also provide perspective-changing experiences with ample opportunity for introspection. Touched by the hands of dozens or even hundreds of talented individuals working in concert toward a larger creative vision, each video game is arguably its own selfcontained symphony of programming and graphics. From the haunting, shadowed realms of Limbo to the swirling sands you'll wander in the upcoming Journey, these games further reflect the larger creative vision of the designers and directors who personally oversee these projects. Nonetheless, some critics still maintain that controlling the wind's passage as it blows through the hills or contemplating one's own mortality while surveying the tattered remains of a fictional civilization are experiences cheapened by their hands-on nature. What these arguments appear to miss is that the journey can be just as transformative as the endpoint. Whether or not you “beat” seamy potboiler Heavy Rain matters less than the

choices made in pursuit of its serial killer, as each decision can have serious or even fatal outcomes for the lifelike heroes you command. Despite all this criticism video gaming has one big proponent of their own, director Guillermo del Toro, who recently gave an impassioned defence of the medium as a whole, via gaming news website 1up.com. According to del Toro “videogames are the comic books of our time. It's a medium that gains no respect among the intelligentsia. They say ‘oh, videogames’ and most people that complain about videogames have never fucking played them”. He continued by saying that videogames “are an art form and anyone saying differently is a little out of touch because they are a narrative art form”.

He also listed a few of his favourite games, professing to be “an absolutely devoted fan” of Halo, while also citing the Halo-predecessor Marathon, and calling Ico and Shadow of the Colossus “masterpieces”.

people that complain about videogames have never fucking played them Detractors can rightly argue that not every game technically fits the definition of art, or aspires to such lofty goals. Plenty of titles exist purely as profit-generating vehicles designed to cash in on TV shows, films and mindless pop culture

artefacts. But by letting us assume a variety of different roles, experience the world through new eyes and soak up scenarios from a fuller range of perspectives, many of the best games provide room for personal growth and individual interpretation. Capable of great import and splendour, at their best, video games can marry the aesthetic grace of painting, music and sculpture with the depth and gravity of film, literature and stagecraft. For all the joy and sorrow these titles can bring, it seems a crime to dismiss them because we're free to experience and interpret them in our living rooms, not some musty gallery. Gareth Barry

Top 5 videogames for Christmas 1. Little Big Planet 2 If this turns to be half as good as the original LBP I reckon I can kiss getting any work done in semester 2 goodbye.

2. Call of Duty: Black Ops COD:BO is this years Modern Warfare. it’s all about going online with your buddies and going on the rampage in distant warzones and getting yelled at by American teenagers with anger management issues

3. Gran Turismo 5 The ultimate driving simulator is back with graphics so smooth the real world will look pixelated.

4. Xbox Kinect Just like my dad watching the rugby, now I have a reason to jump around the telly shouting like a deranged eejit. Kinect uses a camera mounted on your tv to track your movements allowing to control the actions on the screen.

5. LA NOIRE LAN is a detective thriller set in 1940’s LA where you must solve a series of murders. Published by Rockstar Games this could very well be the must have game of 2011. Oscar Finn

The road to success Ian Fleming talks to Nick Dooge about his decision to return to college to see if people can create their own light to find a way out of this seemingly bleak economic tunnel? ccording to this man yes we can. This is Nick Dooge, originally from Cork but now lives in Dublin. Nick currently attends Smurfit Business College. In 2009, the Toyota dealership company Nick worked for was looking to cut costs due to the recession. Nick was offered voluntary redundancy and quite happy to take it. Nick is one of many people across the country who are after being left go or asked to leave their jobs because of the recession that has hit Ireland. The four options that face people following redundancy are to join the dole queue, find another job in another sector, emigrate or as many have done, go back to eduction. Nick has joined this migrating herd of people that are returning to third level education to re-invent themselves academically. He is determined to come out the other end and make his mark within a company when he finishes his masters in Business in Smurfit College. I asked Nick about what made him tick and why he went back to education and what he intends to do in the future. I hoped this style of questioning may help me to come to a conclusion. Whether this immediate financial recession is pushing people to their limit or could there be other possibilities? Can people create their own light to find a way out of this seemingly bleak economic tunnel.

Have you any hobbies/interests? I enjoy anything to do with computers and I always worked on cars. It is probably the reason I did my first course in C.I.T. My car is the only thing I spend money on other than college, food and bills. What course are you doing now and what does it involve? I am studying a Masters in Management in Smurfit College. It is for people from nonbusiness backgrounds to learn business and management skills. I have about 50 hrs a week in college and they recommend we do more then 10 hours of reading in our own time. The course is broken down into Time Management, Economics, Accounting, Organisational Behaviour and Marketing.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;during the boom, people were more bookwise than streetwise. They seemed to have no cop-on and did not save money for a rainy dayâ&#x20AC;?

other industry. To be honest I did not see a promotion in sight for me in the job I held and I could not see the future in car maintenance going back to the way it was in the boom time. How you feel to be going back to college again or is there a difference? I have enjoyed going back but I found a big difference in the structure of the college term as it is now semester-ised. The work you do is down to you, your attitude affects your work directly. If you just do the minimum required you will pass. You are in with other intellectuals and are in the top bracket of the educated, essentially you are in competition and you need to stand out from the rest. Why Smurfit college in particular? Smurfit is considered to be the best in the country to attend for business. It is listed in the Financial Times Top 100 list of business colleges to go to. It will push me to go as high as I can get. The college gives a realistic view of the working environment and what I need to jump into a job after I leave. It is the starting point in my plan for the future.

Were there any other defining elements which helped in your decision to return to college?

What are your feelings on the recession?

My decision to go back to college was based both on a tactical and educational basis. I wanted to educate myself further and also I am using this opportunity to get out of the motor industry and move into an-

I feel that during the boom, people were more book-wise than streetwise. They seemed to have no cop-on and did not save money for a rainy day. They were not aware of the price of money. For example

Tell me a little about yourself? My name is Nick Dooge and I am 29 years old. I am from Cork and I studied Transport Management in Cork Institute of Technology for four years.

when I was working people were changing their cars nearly every 2 years just because they thought they could always pay it off later. In January 2007, 250 new cars were bought and then in 2009 only about 40 cars were bought new. The recession brought people who had lost their way, their sense of value and who had duped themselves into a false society, back to reality. Here is a quote which sums it up for me 'A cynic knows the price of everything, but the value of nothing'. Have you had to adjust your spending or lifestyle because of the recession? Well I was always a person who stayed in on weekends, I tended not to follow the trend of going out every weekend and that has not changed. This was a policy I brought to work with me in the car dealership; I did not try to force sales on people who did not necessarily need what we had on offer just to boost my sales record. I am careful about money and I am not too thrifty with my spending, my biggest indulgence would be my car. I would rarely buy something just because I wanted it there and then. I am reserved when it comes to spending and I found this is down to my upbringing. What circumstances led to your decision to leave your job? Pre-recession you could have easily have had 2-3 people all doing or working on the same job. The atmosphere was relaxed. The staff enjoyed their bit of banter and everybody got along. When the recession hit, the job changed an awful lot. For instance 2-3 people all worked on the same work load, which got it done quickly, efficiently and maintained customer satisfaction. Then with the recession those elements had to be obtained by just one person doing the same work done by three people previously. The banter changed to backstabbing, work colleagues trying to

deals, which they were entitled to do. This put added pressure on my role as I had to try to give the customer more value for their money without giving too much away for free. I was happy to be working to a point. There was the constant pressure to perform the same job with less incentive and the dog-eat-dog atmosphere became too much. Within this environment I did not see myself getting a promotion I was hoping to get. When the staff were asked who wished for voluntary redundancy I took it with both hands. I saw it as an opportunity. Even though I was closing one door, I was at the same time opening a new door for myself, by making a decision to leave the job to go back to college.

The banter changed to backstabbing, work colleagues trying to get the better of each other and huge competition erupted.

conflict resolution and work delegations issues. I want to be the public face of a company. My immediate aim after leaving college is work in an established consulting company and gain some experience. If you can not get the working experience in Ireland, would you consider emigrating to another country? The short answer is yes. London and Europe are far better places for work opportunities. What are you looking for in a job after college? Smurfit College is just a starting point for me to begin. Our lecturers predict with the skills we learn from our time at Smurfit we can expect to earn above the average mark of â&#x201A;Ź25,000 per year. I aim to be higher than this and earn average of â&#x201A;Ź60,000 per year. On saying that though, my primary aim is to attain a job where I can enjoy my job and as a result work hard and earn a good wage. If I can not achieve this, I will take any job within my chosen industry to earn a good wage.

What do see in your future and do you see light at the end of this recession tunnel? I aim to work hard, earn a good living and enjoy the fruits of my labour â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a nice house, a new car outside and a family of my own to share this with. For the future I am cautiously optimistic but would see the glass as being half full. get the better of each other and huge competition erupted. I found it appalling and I became disheartened and angry as a result, stressed going into work. On top of that the general public were now tightening their purse strings and looking for more

What do you hope to achieve from returning to college?

Ian Fleming

I want to build skills in order to work in a company dealing with customer service,

Turkish Court Impose Ban On Youtube Across Country s of the 5th of November 2010, a governmentally imposed ban on all Youtube services throughout Turkey was introduced. The ban was installed following the publication of footage exposing Deniz Baykal, the leader of the Opposition Republican Peoples Party (CHP) to be involved in sexual activities with his secretary. The news reflects a change in policies regarding internet censorship following the lifting of this exact ban in a court in Ankara only three days earlier. In May 2008, a similar ban was installed after video footage insulting Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of Turkey, was uploaded onto Youtube by Greek football fans after the two nations played against each other for the World Cup qualifiers. Insulting Ataturk is seen as an illegal offense within the Turkish judicial system and the matter subsequently led to the shut down of the services as Google refused to remove the video from their international portals. The new ban created political controversy and subsequently, Deniz Baykal, political oppositional leader and man in the published footage resigned from his post. “The new law creates a lot of tension, especially amongst the younger generation.

Dying To Be Thin

Given the circumstances and timing of events it certainly raises a lot of questions of why the ban was re-introduced again,” says Ceyhun Aslan, journalist working for International Press Association in Istanbul. The ban follows in the path of a recent alteration in the Constitution that now enables the Government more access to citizen’s private information. Can Surmeli: A Turkish student living in Ankara, Turkey, declares that: “The new law does not resemble the economic growth of Turkey and additionally sets us back digitally. Our youth should not grow up living under censorship laws imposed by our Government, this law gives a clear message to the rest of the world, it is unnecessary and humiliating.” On Monday the 4th of November, the Turkish officials and the administration of Google stated that due to differences over the publication of certain videos the ban was introduced again. Current Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Justice and Development Party (AKP), the current political party in power introduced minor forms of internet censorship in 2006 in order to contain political debate via the internet. The censorship laws have since proceeded to various educational websites including Google Earth and Google Maps, as well as a list of over 5,000 websites, mostly relating to pornography. Can Surmeli mentions, “The images published were never actually proven to be Baykal himself, he never denied the claims. However his stepping down as

Party leader enabled the wave of laws to be introduced without opposed political pressure, which resemble a change of structure in Turkish Politics.” “The Turkish Government are on one hand publicly trying to join the European Union, on the other hand receiving money from Arabic investors and subsequently restoring a more traditionalist Turkey rather than a modern Turkey, which is what the opposition are saying… internet censorship only supports this claim,” says Ceyhun Aslan. A temporary internet censorship act was introduced in 2007 which became permanent in 2008, revoked in November 2010, only to be introduced again as a result of political dispute. Although Youtube and certain internet portals are censored, social networking sites such as Facebook or Twitter are uncensored, enabling the public to be informed about international happenings. By allowing such controlled, yet lenient censorship laws Turkey furthermore distance themselves from membership of the European Union. Ceyhun Aslan declares, “This new law on Youtube is only a synonym, a symbol of political oppression towards freedom of speech within this country.” The newly confirmed law is not expected to be revoked in the near future as no appeal or new Court dates were announced.

Kate Moss expressed that one of her mottos was ‘nothing tastes as good as skinny feels’, the fallout was instant, vitriolic and damning.

food and weight. Bulimics often binge eat and then purge themselves to avoid gaining weight. Many eat large amounts of food, very rapidly, and with little self control. Purging may involve vomiting, laxatives, or excessive exercise.

The media is not the cause of eating problems but is a significant socio-cultural determinant of why so many people express their personal distress through the language of food and weight. hey call her ‘Ana’. She is a role model to some, a goddess to others — the subject of drawings, prayers and even a creed. She tells them what to eat and mocks them when they don't lose weight. And yet, while she is a very real presence in the lives of many of her followers, she exists only in their minds.

Ana is short for anorexia, and — to the alarm of experts — many who suffer from the potentially fatal eating disorder are part of an underground movement that promotes self-starvation and, in some cases, has an almost cult-like appeal. When confronted about her views on girls, not only in the modelling industry, but all over the world, aspiring to be very thin, or ‘thinspired’ as it is known, supermodel

One of the most important aspects of prevention of eating disorders is teaching children media literacy so that they do not fully “internalise” thin ideal images. In other words, they question the importance or possibility of looking the same as models and pop stars. Some of this literacy starts in the home. Although anorexia means “loss of appetite”, the sufferer does in fact have an appetite, however the fear of gaining weight creates a need to control the appetite to the point of eating very little, and in some cases nothing. Some binge and purge but maintain a low body weight. Some hide food, take laxatives or slimming pills in a bid to reduce the “perceived” weight. 200,000 people in Ireland suffer from an eating disorder. Like anorexia sufferers, bulimic sufferers are obsessed with

Ghino de Colle

It is troubling to recognise that someone you care about may be suffering from an eating disorder. The decision to approach the individual can provoke much anxiety since it is difficult to know what to say and what to expect from the situation. Perhaps you have broached the subject and got an angry response. It is important to understand that they might not welcome your expression of concern, either because they are ashamed to admit their behaviour, or they feel “in control” and don’t want anyone to “make them fat again.” It will, therefore, be important for you to be as well educated as possible about eating disorders. Part of this knowledge is being able to understand the many reasons why people are reluctant to get help. Perhaps they feel they “should” be able to do it by themselves. Laura Mullett

Share in the end of Semester Festive Cheer with the Final Year Students on the BA in Photographic Media. The exhibition will be held in room AF203 in the Conference Building in Griffith College Dublin on December 16th for one night only. There will be some light refreshments, do come along early. You might just find the perfect Christmas gift in the form of a photographic print. It'll be a great night to round off the semester in style. All Welcome

Emma Loughran

Jose Perez

Tom Morgan

Rory Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neil

Oscar Finn

Griffiti At the Movies

Title: Predators Cert: 15A Running Time: 107 minutes Release Date: Out Now on DVD s a big fan of the Predator movies I was delighted to hear the latest movie would take the series back to its roots. Predators is the true successor to Predator 2, which was released in 1990 and featured our tooled up anti-hero hunting down its prey in downtown L.A. The script was written by producer Robert Rodriguez back in 1994 but it was not given the green light until 2009. Fortunately, it has been worth the wait. Predators has more in common with the original Predator film, with the alien planet where the action takes place reminiscent of the jungle setting from the first movie. The movie follows a group of people who all have questionable backgrounds except for a doctor (brilliantly played by Topher Grace). These include a mercenary (Adrien Brody) and an escaped death row inmate. These people fall from the sky onto a strange planet where they have become the prey and are being hunted. It becomes apparent that they are all worthy enough to be hunted, with the doctor thrown in to spice things up. The movie is a great twist on the formula perfected in the first two Predator films,

with the action taking place on the Predatorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s turf instead of Earth. This allows the film to shine by introducing more strange creatures and eerie settings which fans of the franchise will find intriguing. The development of the Predators as characters is also very interesting and the film throws up quite a few moments which give an insight into how these killing machines work. I wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t give away too much but letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just say there are now different kinds of Predator and there is some kind of war going on between them. The only thing that holds the movie back from greatness is the absence of a genuine star in the vein of Arnold Schwarzenegger or Danny Glover who excelled in their respective leading roles in the first two movies. While Adrien Brody does a good job as the mercenary who takes on the Predators, he is not tailor-made for the role like the original duo that outfought and outsmarted their hunter in the admittedly superior original films. Despite this, the movie is still a blast and fans of action movies will be more than satisfied. Fans of the Predator franchise will love this and everyone else can enjoy it as the film is accessible to newcomers as well as hardcore fan base. Marc Dennehy

Title: The American Cert: 15a Running Time: 104 minutes Release Date: Out Now ight from the beginning, after a shocking opening, you know this film is means business. Made by Anton Corbijn, a man more well known for making music videos than movies, it was quite hard to gauge whether this film would be any good. It puts any doubts you might have had to bed straight away.

George Clooney, in a dark and subdued turn, stars as the main character, Jack, a custom arms maker and assassin. He decides to do one last job before retiring, although his exit proves more difficult than he anticipates. While this basic premise hardly seems original, the director manages to make it shine, and seem original and new. It's pace is glacial, as so many reviewers rightly put it, but it is also realistic, and more of a character study, than the action film the trailers portray it to be. It's been said that it's more like the European mystery films of the 70's than a modern thriller, and while I'm not too familiar with them, it does have a different quality to a lot of recent films. The film is mostly atmosphere, sparse and muted, with very little dialogue and action,

but when something does happen, it's very skilfully executed. It's unpredictable, and beautifully shot. Clooney is very closed off in the film, very intense. He reminds me of Carey Grant, or maybe Clint Eastwood's The Man with No Name in A Fistful of Dollars, in that he's a lone gun slinger, who says little, but speaks volumes. Unlike a lot of films made these days, it doesn't explain absolutely everything. It expects the audience to have some intelligence, and that's yet another aspect that makes this film great. It does have some fairly pretentious existential dialogue in some scenes though, but if you ignore that, it's a brilliant film, one of the best of the year. Brendan Beagon

Griffiti At the Movies

Title: Monsters Cert: 12a Running Time: 94 minutes Release Date: Out Now

acter development ensues, along with a ridiculous plot that forces them to go through the infected zone to get to the States.

n independent film, made on location and with a shoestring budget of 500 grand, Monsters has been hailed as the next Cloverfield or District 9. Well, it's in the general ball park, but it's also quite different in a lot of ways. It doesn't pretend to be a documentary for one thing, and it isn't a found footage movie either.

It gets better from here on, as the duo trek through mountains filled with the giant aliens, with some close encounters along the way. The soundtrack is tense, and really adds to the atmosphere of the film. There are large sections of the film where the actors don't actually talk that much, and it's all for the better, as they have absolutely no chemistry, which is odd considering they're married in real life.

The basic premise of the film is that six years ago, a NASA probe on it's way back from somewhere in the solar system, with samples of possible alien life, broke up during re-entry over Mexico. Soon after, new life forms began to appear, and a lot of the country was then sealed off and designated as an infected zone. The two main characters, a photojournalist (Andrew) and his boss's daughter (Samantha), are played by relative unknowns, so this adds a lot of realism to the story. Andrew has been ordered to escort the daughter back to the US, so various awkwardly done char-

While the acting is rubbish and the plot are hiccups irritating, it really doesn't take away from the overall film too much. It's still a very original take on an alien invasion story, and for that reason, you aren't really able to predict what's going to happen. It does turn out a bit preachy towards the end, but it's still a decent movie with an interesting story, and is definitely worth a watch if you are a fan of the genre. Brendan Beagon

Title: Somewhere (2010) Cert: 12A Running Time: 98 minutes Release Date: 22 December

do, it happens, in fairness to director Sofia Coppola, the way those experiences would happen in real life.

f you are going on a cinema date and your only plan is to get yourself some “smoochin” go to see this film. It won’t blow you away, and unless your kissing partner is remarkably bad this film won’t even catch your attention.

Chris Pontius features in this film, “Party Boy” in Jackass anyone? Perhaps Chris should have stuck to Jackass but you can be the judge of that when you go to see this run of the mill film.

It’s the same old “famous person is missing something, needs life changing experience, oh look he actually has a daughter”, and so on and so forth. It takes a long time to get going, Johnny Marco, played ably by Stephen Dorff suddenly needs to look after his eleven year old daughter, Elle Fanning, who plays the part of Cleo.

The best part of the film is the very realistic way the Paparazzi are shown, and the ending. After saying all of that it’s not the worst film I have ever seen and if I had the flu and wasn’t in college and found myself watching daytime movies it is one I could stomach Brian O’Donoghue

The two do have a good on screen chemistry but they are forced to vomit out slow painful dialogue and you can see just about everything that is coming. You will be sitting there waiting for the life changing experience but it doesn’t happen in the usual way that these types of film

Griffiti At the Movies

Matthew Jaffray takes a look ahead at the films we can look forward to over the Christmas holidays he Christmas period is always jam packed with big budget films looking to capitalise on the festive season, mixed in with more serious fare looking for Oscar glory in February. It’s typically a fairly jammed release schedule so it’s about time the upcoming films were broken down to see what we can expect. The 9th of December see the release of the third Narnia film, Voyage of the Dawn Treader. It’s hard to know what to expect given the large void that exists between the first two movies. The Lion , the Witch and the Wardrobe, grossed 750 million dollars worldwide as was received well by critics, the second film grossed just over half that amount and divided critics and fans alike. This film could see the franchise sink or swim. The next day see the release of The Tourist. Johnny Depp and Angelina star, giving this film serious marquee value. It is a remake of French film Anthony Zimmer, which was a box office bomb in its home country. The story is familiar mistaken identity stuff, so the draw here is clearly to see the chemistry between the two leads. The following week sees the release of Tron Legacy. It’s been almost thirty years since the release of the first movie and it seems unlikely source material for a modern blockbuster. Jeff Bridges returns in his dual role as Kevin Flynn, and Flynn’s creation, the computer program Klu. The internet is buzzing with negative feedback after the release of the trailer. This is aimed at the seemingly dodgy use of CGI to make Klu look like Bridges did when he

first played the part. In the film, Flynn has been stuck in the computer world for twenty years and follows his son, Sam, as he attempts to find him and return home. The 22nd sees Little Fockers unleashed on the world. While the first two were barmy fun, the trailer for this makes the formula look very tired indeed. I would say this one is only for diehard fans of the series, if any exist. The 26th of December sees the tradition of dumb but fun family films being released. This year it’s a big budget retelling of Jonathon Swifts classic Gulliver's Travels. Jack Black stars as Lemuel Gulliver, a travel writer who finds himself among a civilization of tiny people after a trip to Bermuda triangle. For those looking for something with a little more meat on its bones, the 26th also see the release of Truman Show director Peter Weir’s epic The Way Back. The story centres on a group of prisoners who escape a Russian gulag in Siberia during world war two, and the 4,000 mile walk they must make to freedom. It stars Jim Sturgess, Ed Harris, and Colin Farrell. No early word on this yet but there’s no denying the pedigree in front and behind the camera. It wouldn’t be a bad bet to expect an Oscar nod for Weir while Colin Farrell might snatch his first nomination in the catagory of best supporting actor. 127 Hours Danny Boyle’s follow up to Slumdog Millionaire is out on the 7th of January. Already making controversial headlines, this one is apparently not for the faint of heart, leaving a trail of people pass-

ing out and walking out of theatres during its run on the festival circuit. It follows the true story of Aron Rolstan, who became trapped by a boulder while climbing and had to endure the elements for five days before cutting off his arm to escape. James Franco is being hotly tipped for best actor as the trapped climber. Arguably the most anticipated release is the Coen Brothers interpretation of the classic western novel True Grit. Adapted before as a vehicle for John Wayne, it was the film that finally bagged him an Oscar. The new film however promises to be quite a different animal, sticking far closer to the Charles Portis book. This should prove to work well for the Coen brothers as the novel is laced with wry black humour and is seen through the eyes of a 14 year old girl who hires ageing US marshal Rooster Cogburn(Jeff Bridges). It sounds like a match made in heaven for them. The impressive supporting cast includes Matt Damon as Cogburn's would be partner, Josh Brolin as the fugitive murderer, and what promises to be a breakout performance by Hailee Steinfeld as revenge fuelled 14 year old Mattie Ross. There’s already serious Oscar buzz around so if you want to know what all the fuss is about, check it out when it’s released on the 14th of January. Matthew Jaffray

music Reviews

butterfly explosion Butterfly Explosion Academy 2, 25/11/10 he Academy 2 is void of much activity initially, so it means support act Overhead, The Albatross are playing to only a handful of people that braved the shitstorm outside to be in early. It’s unfortunate but they make the best of it. Equipped with three guitars their sound is an expansive one of affecting peaks and troughs. The instrumental passages range from hypnotic ambience to towering and whirring clamours. Supposedly releasing an EP in the coming weeks, it should be something more than worthy of your attention

By the time Butterfly Explosion arrive on stage the crowd has thickened greatly. Even though, they play for just around an

hour it’s an hour of density, airing much of the Lost Trails album, their debut released in March. After a year of heady touring in support of the record, the whole cycle has come to a head here. It’s their year end show, encompassing much of the Lost Trails material as well as other bits and pieces. They play in near darkness save for hazy lighting that accentuate the spectral and atmospheric vibe that’s so palpable throughout their shoegaze and post-everything imbued output. Butterfly Explosion weave in and out of brooding melancholia and extroverted riffs and walls of sound, all done so with an otherworldly efficiency and apparent ease. It’s that aspect that made Lost Trails such a beguiling listen and live it translates so

well. Each nuance, from the sleek guitar tones to the layered keys is audible and heightened in a live setting. The restful and ambling milieu of Closer or Sophia’s scaling cadence lay testament to that. The execution of the evening is a stark reminder of how vast they can sound and continues to beg the question of why aren’t they so much bigger. It’s furthered by closer Automatic, which is accompanied by some dizzying strobes which in the confines of Academy 2 are almost apocalyptic. 2011 should see Butterfly Explosion begin to capitalise on the momentum garnered from Lost Trails as a new record looms. Jonathan Keane

THE GENUINE ARTICLE

Pigeon Army Invades Students Union Building Poo Everywhere

MOODLE HACKED BY WIKILEAKS By Daniel James here is nowhere to run and nowhere to hide folks, moodle has been hacked. The once most impenetrable of forces has been, well, penetrated.

News first broke when every single student in a first year class of Journalism handed in assignments containing such obscure information that RTÉ, TV3, SKY News, and even Griffiti did not know about. The Supermen in I.T have been working around the clock, stopping only to watch Stargate At

lantis and The Matrix, naturally, to find out how this happened

and to put a stop to it. They just can’t believe that such a thing could happen to their wonderful Moodle. Wikileaks has amazingly revealed that S.U president Graham Butler is in fact a terrorist. Plans to ram his VW Golf into the Spire on O’Connell Street on Christmas Day have been well and truly foiled. Butler is currently on the run but when people see him he acts totally normal, which is to say suspi

ciously, so beware. As for the rest of the college one panicked journalism student had this to say “I really

thought I’d have to get off my ass and go looking for stories, I can now launch my entire career from my bedroom” which is where we journalists get most of our inspiration anyway . Griffiti welcomes the Hack, we think Moodle should be renamed Woodle or Widdle, maybe we can vote on it, let’s get on to the terrorist.

McCORMACK LAUNCHES FASHION LABEL Norway defeat the Irish soccer team, nobody cares Unconfirmed reports suggest Hell has frozen over The budget confirms we are actually F***ED Fire Alarm goes off in Arthurs, Nobody moves By Jim Sok As a result of VAT increases Santa will include an invoice with all presents this year

t was announced last week that entrepreneur and business tycoon Paul McCormack has moved into the world of fashion Norwegian students mock Ireland for its inabilwith the launching of his ‘MrScarf.com’ ity to deal with “a light dusting of snow” clothing range.

Under the Spotlight

Name: Barry Finnegan Occupation: Lecturer / Freedom fighter Hobbies: Golf, shopping at IKEA Likes: Techno, Unicycle Hockey

You may remember Students’ Union manager Paul Mccormack got spotted for juventus during freshers week at the football tournament but due to his commitment to the Students’ Union he had to decline the offer rumoured to be in the tens of millions, He has however branched out in to fashion design. “I’ve allways liked a good scarf, but I always thought that they could be something...more. I want to be at the forefront of scarf design so that is why I set up MrScarf.com” said the Dublin design guru. We hear at the Genuine article are also quite fond of the scarf and we do enjoy perusing the website for the latest styles and innovations in scarf technology.

Dislikes: Bankers & The LisbonTreaty

We can also unveil plans for a companion website ‘justcaps.ie’ to be launched early in Interesting fact: Barry once did the voice of Meg the new year. in Family Guy The contents of this section are satirical and may offend. The views expressed do not represent the views of the SU

Growing up with Christmas Shane Ronan-Duggan looks back at how Christmas changes as you get older from the rush of opening presents to simply spending time with friends and family hristmas is looming, we are now bombarded with TV ads for the best toys of the year, food companies who provide your Christmas dinner for you and of course all the happy cheery songs begin on the radio.

But as we grow up does Christmas loose its magic? Does it just become another holiday, a time when stress in our lives grows as we all struggle to gather money together to pay for presents? When Christmas comes knocking on my door I am often filled with an overwhelming sense of nostalgia – distant memories of struggling to sleep with the excitement, and anticipation for the jolly fat man in the red suit to appear. Nowadays, I realise that jolly fat man in the red suit was none other than the jolly fat man in his work suit, my dad, and that the mysterious disappearance of the mince pies and brandy was simply a free meal for him also. I will admit that I do still get a certain amount of excitement on Christmas Eve night. But it’s no longer for the jolly old man with his presents galore and his bag of tricks. It has become much simpler than that; it is simply the joy of meeting all my friends in the local pub for our new

tradition of Christmas Eve pints. I will also admit that I do still struggle to sleep Christmas Eve with the excitement of opening the presents the next morning, but my sleep is eased with the three or four festive pints of Guinness I enjoyed earlier in the night. I do also tend to be the first one to wake up on Christmas day to storm down to the tree and shred open my presents. Christmas for me now, is a time for nostalgia, where stories of tricks our parents played on us, to convince us old Saint Nick had been to visit, echo in our memories. Life as a child then was simpler too. The best form of entertainment for an eight year old is as simple as running around your house until you pass out. If I was to attempt to run around my house now I would probably need an ambulance on standby with a defibrillator on hand.

If I was to attempt to run around my house now I would probably need an ambulance on standby with a defibrillator on hand

The worst part of Christmas back then was being shipped off to your family’s houses where you were questioned for hours by relatives about “how you’ve been?” and “how’s school going?” like some detainee at Guantanamo bay, when all you wanted to do was play with your awesome new toys. Nicole Rogers, a 20 year old student described Christmas Day for her – “I used to hate the way I wasn’t allowed to get up until seven in the morning to open my presents. I would have been up for at least two hours before that making do with a selection box for breakfast.” She then went on to talk about what she hated about Christmas as a kid. “I hated the fact that as soon as I got done with opening my presents I was whisked off to see the rest of my family, the worst part about that was having to have Christmas dinner late.” The last thing any child wants on Christmas Day is to be distracted from their new toys. The big thing for Christmas when I was a kid was Pokémon playing cards and Scalextric racing tracks. Not a lot has changed in the last ten years on the toy front. Pokémon still holds a place

in the market with its games and toys. But one thing that brought upon a huge sense of nostalgia was the release of the new Toy Story film and the re-emergence of the toy line. I was nine when the first film was released in 1995. When the new film was released early this year I became I a child again in the cinema watching these characters that I grew up with appearing once again on the big screen.

toys. The simple basic Buzz Lightyear I had as a child has gone through some major upgrades. It now comes with the ability to talk and of course shoot flames from his jet pack. No more imagination induced comas for our kids, as the doll now does not require any imagination.

“I do still get a certain amount of excitement on Christmas Eve night.” This look back in time was all brought upon when six 20 something year olds ventured to the cinema to see the final adventure of my childhood heroes.

The Christmas of 1995 I got the Buzz Lightyear doll that simply did nothing but induce some kind of fantastical coma over me as my imagination would leap into overdrive when it was in my hands. Now with the release of Toy Story 3 in 3D, saw also the release of a new line of

Children brought along by their parents who were being introduced to these characters for the first time and sat in the middle of them all were six grown men almost reduced to blubbering messes with the final scenes of the film, as we all finally said goodbye to our youth.

Christmas lost its magic to us ever ageing students? I personally do not think so. I think it has simply shifted from waiting for the big man with the presents (not my dad, Santa that is) to the excitement of meeting up with your friends as they all return from their places of study for a festive pint. Being shipped off to your family no longer annoys you as many of us now have a new found appreciation for family, that, and we no longer have toys to be playing with. We also get to watch the younger ones in our family lose themselves in a world of imagination with their vastly superior toys and we all have to fight the urge to fall to the floor with the kids and play with their toys. As we students get older, I think we begin to appreciate things more. Plus after that food induced sleep on the couch we can wake up and watch as the first Toy Story is shown on TV and re-capture that youth for at least two hours. Shane Ronan-Duggan

But despite all this jealously of new amazing toys and being nearly reduced to tears by animated characters, has

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A short Story for Christmas A short story by Clothilde Dumas about a young boy and the king of the forest and the adventure they have nce upon a time, in a green and mysterious country, populated by legends and wonderful stories, lived Andrew. He was only 9 years old but already knew how to play music perfectly. He was smart and knew how to cope. His parents were poor but always gave him all the best they could. They had died the previous winter, a disease had taken them. From that time on, Andrew’s only friends were his two instruments: a fiddle and a whistle. His dad was telling him since he was young that he had magical powers and was able to do extraordinary things. But Andrew didn't understand what his dad wanted to say, all that he knew was he was feeling better, less lonely when he was playing.

One day, after a long day at school where the other children were laughing at him, Andrew took his instruments and went walking in the forest near the village. The venerable sage used to tell stories about this forest. According to him, it was the kingdom of Dillon, the mythical lion with eagle wings which liked to devour children. Andrew wasn't afraid by his stories, for him it was just fairy tales to scare children with the aim they don't go alone in the forest. He didn't listen to him; the forest was his playground, his secret stash. He liked to play his music and hear the birds singing. So far, he never went beyond the river, but on this day, attracted by a melody he went further than the limit he knew. This melody

was like a melancholic song, the voice was strong, savage but still sad. Andrew followed the notes to a clearing. It was beautiful, clear, and full of grass and flowers, butterflies were flying all around the clearing one flower to another. And here, just in front of him, proudly standing on a stone was a singing majestic lion. It was not a normal lion like you see in images in school and story books, this one was shining like water under the sun, his coat was similar to gold, the most significant detail which made this lion so special were two magnificent white eagle wings.

His dad was telling him since he was young that he had magical powers and was able to do extraordinary things. Andrew, as surprising as it may seem, wasn't scared. He was just curious to know why this beautiful lion, which he was sure was Dillon, the King of the forest whom the venerable sage spoke about, appeared to him. He decided not to interrupt the song by his voice and let the lion finish it. After few minutes, Andrew decided to join the lion singing with his instruments. The melody was sweet in perfect harmony with the lion's voice. When the song ended, Dillon looked at the kid and said: -“Hello Andrew, I was waiting for your visit.”

-“Really? Me? Why? I don't even know you, how did you know I would come to you?” The lion explained to him that for several years now, he has been observing him. He knew that Andrew was often alone, and played beautiful melodies. Andrew was more and more surprised, how could this lion know so many things about him? He finished by asking: -“Dillon, is it because I am an orphan, and always alone too that you came to me? You wanted to devour me and no one would have noticed that I disappeared.” -“Ha Ha Ha!!! How funny you are! I won't eat you, I never ate any child.” -“But... the legend says ...” -“Legends are not always true Andrew. They are based on true facts but distorted by the human imagination. I am Dillon, King of the forest. It is true: I can fly and I have magical powers.” Andrew imagined what he could do with a magic lion as friend: terrified the naughty boys that laughed at him, but also he could find a new family. Dillon told him he was here to help him. He knew how Andrew was lonely from the death of his parents. He told him that if he listened to him carefully and does what he tells him to do he would never be alone again. Andrew, happy, fixed the lion with eyes full of hope, he was anxious to hear what the lion would say.

Dillon told him to go back to his home to prepare a bag with some clothes and food for two days. Then he said to Andrew to go into the forest and to follow the path of his heart. If he was lost, he had to play music and birds will help him find the right way. When he hears the melancholic lion's melody again he will have arrived. -“Arrived? But arrive where?” -“When you arrive you must play the most beautiful songs you know. That's the only way you can find your way back to happiness.” After this last advice the lion disappeared. Andrew, still shocked by this strange encounter, thought it was just a dream. He went back home and decided to not think about it any more. The day after, Andrew was awoken by a melody, the same melody as the day before. He realised that it wasn't a dream, the lion was real. He started to pack a few things in a bag and followed the instructions. The little boy walked through the forest for a long, long time, and finished his day, exhausted, at the foot of a tree. He lit a fire to warm up and ate a light dinner.

If he was lost, he had to play music and birds will help him find the right way The next day, he awoke in the middle of the forest, he started to panic. However, he remembered what the lion said to him and played music. A few minutes were enough; he felt better, ate fruits and berries for breakfast and continued his walk. During the afternoon, he noticed the forest was becoming clearer and clearer, until he arrived at a huge flower fields. It was wonderful, beautiful; no words could describe what Andrew saw! He closed his eyes and concentrated on his ears, he wanted to hear the melody because he was sure that this place was the arrival of his trip. After seconds, which seemed like hours to him, Andrew heard the lion's song and started to cry. Remembering what Dillon told him, he took his instruments and played. He played like he never did before; it was sweet and melancholic – every type of music, one after one.

Nearby, a little girl, who was picking flowers for her mum, heard the music. Attracted by this beautiful sound she ran to the young boy and stopped. Her parents scared of seeing their daughter running away all alone, followed her. Nobody dared to speak and interrupt him. When Andrew stopped playing, the parents and the little girl didn't say a word. So he decided to tell them his story, how lonely he was from his parent's death, how he met the lion in the forest and how he arrived here. Charmed by the melodies, the couple listened to him till the end and decided to take the young boy with them to their home. They took care of Andrew for many years and finally adopted him. Happy again, Andrew thought of his dad and said: “You were right Dad, my instruments were magic, able do to extraordinary things, they brought me a new family” And Andrew grew up in his new family with his little sister, whose name was Sarah, and new parents who was love him as their son. He lived happily ever after. Clothilde Dumas