The College View - Vol. XI Issue IX

www.thecollegeview.com

the 30 March 2010

Vol. XI Issue IX

college view STUDENTS' UNION ELECTIONS SPECIAL » PAGE 10

Full profiles on all the important candidates, a guide to the important dates, and all the information you need for polling day in our four page special

One step closer to USI vote Reaffiliation debate to occur after USI accused Keegan of refusing discussion

By Samuel Hamilton and Niall O’Connor News Reporters DCU is one step closer to having a referendum on USI – after it is set to have a public debate in two weeks time on whether the university should be a member of the Union of Students of Ireland (USI).

Both sides of the debate will be represented – with a member of USI being invited on campus for this first time this year.

However, according to the

Students’ Union education and welfare officer John Murphy it “wouldn’t be realistic” to have a referendum this year and that it would be the “onus of next year’s team to push this forward.”

At Union Council last week, former SU president Niall McClave asked whether, in the wake of NUI Maynooth reaffiliating to the national students’ union it was worth, “starting a discussion on USI and asking what our position should be.”

SU president Alan Keegan told the meeting that he feels DCU does

belong in USI, “just not in the current state it’s in.”

He said that before the university should come back, there is a need for officers to be stripped back and that, “one of the main reasons why DCU hasn’t come back in is because no one has made an attempt to contact us despite what you may read in the College View.”

John Murphy told Union Council that because of changes in the economy he felt the university needed to “look at” reaffiliation.

He said that the €5 fee it would

ANGELIC: THE FASHION SHOW HEATS UP - FULL STORY PAGE 6

cost each student to join would pay itself back in the material that DCU would receive from the national students’ union and that he, “could do an incredibly better job” and “offer better support to students” if DCU was a member of USI. This unexpected development came after the USI had accused Students’ Union president Alan Keegan of refusing to allow DCU students the opportunity to consider a referendum on reaffiliating with USI. continued on page 7 ••

By Jass Foley

IN THE PAPER SPC and SCC hit back at lack of transparency Members of both the SPC and SCC have hit back at claims of a lack of transparency in them judging a number of categories of the Clubs and Socs Awards – page 3

E&S disbanded after meeting of SPC The Entrepreneurial and Social Society (E&S) has been disbanded after a EGM held by the Societies and Publications committee earlier this month – page 5

Only 18 DCU students punished for plagiarism Only 18 DCU students have been dealt with by the University Disciplinary Committee on plagiarism over the past three years – page 4

INSIDE 30/03/10 | Issue 9 | Vol 1 Editor and layout: Sean McTierna n

+ Tolkien Copyists

FLUX

Paedogeddon Achewood Hoarseboxing Clever

Interg eightealatic years en

A

Rory Bonass talks Mark Hamilton, to the bassist in Ash, the alphabet, about Aston Villa and the final frontier

s conversatio ns in pubs are wont under the spotlight for a couple of to, the one with weeks, the chances of every single one out of fifty Mark two songs being Hamil- up to the kind of ton quality that we invariably turned to foot- want to maintain wasn’t realistic. ball. As a Villa We’ll still be fan he’s still a using the songs little sore about as the Carling Cup bonus tracks. We’ve started giving final (“Vidic shouldn’t have out free bonus tracks with been on that every other single, pitch”), but it’s and we’ll be his doing admiration for Roy Hodgson’s compilations as well; they’ll Fulham that’s all get used. the “What he’s done most telling.

Committing to releasing money is amazing.with so little single a a fortnight for It’s a really an entire incredible achieveme year looks, on the surface, to nt.” Operating on a be reduced budget insane, do you regret any of it? with none of Logistically, the big money there’s a lot help others involved, especially around them if you’re are getting, it’s easy to see parallels trying to release a physical 7’’ between Ash and the Cottagers. every single. We’re effectivelywith Abandoning our the rigid structure own independent label now. We of major labour finished a six album deal with Ash now operate album deals, Warners and whenever we talked label and have on their own to anyone, been a singles any of the record only band since October, when companies about what we wanted they committed to do, it was crazy. to There was no single a fortnight releasing a way we could make it financially for an entire year. Yup; 26 singles. Consecu- work. So we just thought tively. Ambition, that taken we’d have to to radio, made do it ourselves. invention and videos for, foresight, the We don’t have the Major record parallels are budgets we used but you just can’t make companies are well to, but drawn. videos and take every the whole aim is to make is song to radio. fraction the size they used a You’re just It just costs too to about halfway sustainable. So far, so good. much. Still, the be because they can’t through your sustain Does shackling songs inbetween themselves.

A-Z undertakin yourselves to we g, a singles how’s it going whatever we wanted felt free to do only format limit so far?

Things’ve definitely to do. your It’s the biggest been Do you have a scaled back, but challenge we’ve scope in anyway? favourite? if we can just ride ever had as a band.

When you There’s the storm and find something 26 singles we’re It’s not just the don’t approachwrite a song you up that’rethree in a row coming new which can releasing. We’ve it from a concept my favourites keep us afloat recorded over album point of and sustain and 52 songs view, well I know they’re N, O, and P; us then we can Dare to Was it originally in total. we haven’t in continue Dream, Mind the past, so planned to Control and Binary. to do what we love doing be one a week? they always have to and do You’ve it on our own terms. stand up on their been doing this We thought that own merit to Damon make the album some way since 1992, when in single is effectively because each anyway. you were lucky Albarn said that Blur were basically There’ve been going to be just a kid. How in that they existed certain sustain songs we’ve do at a point when interest for 18 highlighted it was acceptable years? and It starts out it was your dream make a bad first album, but to in the first now there’s nothing place. Then like that. every album - when Yeah, there’s we were doing no albums – was artist development. three years of There’s no your willing life. You put one to take a chance a year and a half single beyond into writing two, never mind and recording the two. album thing and a year and a half on the road so It’s tough they of your identity were sections new bands out there. I guess really have to for three years. spend The change to the subscription longer in predevelopment before model, to A-Z, they try to present it themselves to three year cycle. changed that the public.

We can dip in and out of touring A huge number and releasing of your or jump in and out of the studio, songs, both here and previously which is much have ‘looked more fluid and to the skies’. Is you entirely don’t have this this metaphorical rigid or are ye a is really restrictive. cycle, which little bit geeky?

Russell Lissack, Yeah, there’s a lot of that; who has joined you for this tour, started fascination with the universe. with Bloc Party, It’s who obviously a subject matter Tim can’t came up in seem a very different to move past. There’s certainly environment a geeky element, to ye. Do you the nerd factor. think guess it’s more difficult I it’s a youthful for musicians today or is it every kid’s dream kinda thing; just a question job is to be an of astronaut. adapting?

All the money’s Do you try just fallen out hold onto that of the industry.

In the 90s it was youthful energy? extortionate amounts I just think we of money haven’t gotten flying around.

Just doesn’t exist old and cynical yet. anymore.

Do you worry about that Was this a reason happening? for going to a single format?

To some degree.

I dunno, Well you don’t our fate is in our make own hands any if we screw money off singles. so it up we’ve only But have gone down album sales ourselves got to blame. We can get because everyone’s dramatically cynical then but right now downloading. we’re still making it work.

Flux, with an exclusive interview with Ash

Ban on strobe lighting at events called for

By Ceile Varley Deputy News Editor DCU Students' Union equality officer, and the DCU disability officer have called for a ban on strobe lighting on campus to allow epileptic students to attend events.

SU equality officer Aisling Fitzgerald spoke about the need for the “implementation of a no strobe light policy and informing epileptic students.”

Students with photosensitive epilepsy, which is triggered by

flashing lights, are unable to go to many Students' Union organised events.

The LifeWired Festival during Rag week was a recent example of this, where students were not informed ahead of time that strobe lighting would be used. Strobe lighting was in use in the Venue, where the headlining bands were playing.

This information was not available on posters, fliers or on any of the pieces advertising the gig in Campus.

The first time many students realized that strobe lights would be

used was when they turned up on the day after already buying a ticket.

One student told the College View at the time: “There were no warnings that it was there and after paying €25 to get in it was very disappointing not to be able to enjoy the bands.”

Fitzgerald says: “This issue has been brought to the attention of our Ents officer and it is an issue that will be seriously considered for all future DCU events.”

She added: “In the context of gigs and events at DCU, a ‘no-strobe light’ policy implemented for all union

events would be the best solution.

Rather than remembering to inform epileptic students whether or not there is strobe lighting at every event that DCU hosts, it may be more efficient to have a policy in place that ensures that strobe lights are not used. This way, there is not a problem for DCU epileptic students to find out if they can attend a gig or not.”

Anne O'Connor, DCU disability officer, described the facilities and services available to students on campus as being “by and large continued on page 7 ••

PLUS

In Features - an exclusive interview with Irish designer Paul Costelloe

2

THE COLLEGE VIEW

DCU NEWS

30 MARCH 2010

IN THE ISSUE

EDITORIAL

Paint a vulgar picture: Orla Ryan on the joys of quitting Facebook Flux » page 8

The most sacred of human rights Students' Union election voting has always been dismal; let's change it this year

I

DCU win the O'Connor cup for the second time in GAA's history Sport » back cover

t is one of the most sacred of human rights to be able to vote, and yet we refuse to do it for whatever reason.

At Students' Union elections in the past the question faced by the returning officer is always the same: will we have enough people voting to ensure we reach quorum. It's a sad question they have to ask - and yet - it is asked every single year.

In the past, DCU Students' Union elections have been nearly a hundred votes away from just being under quorum. Given the amount of votes needed is only a miniscule number of the students that call DCU their university, it is a fact we should not be in anyway proud of.

This year, the College View has been firm in calling our representatives to task. They asked to represent us, and so they must be forced to explain when things go wrong. But to call them our representatives is misleading given only around a tenth of the student population actually voted, and even less for the winning candidates.

Speak to anyone around campus and there always problems on the tip of any tongue. From the prices in the canteen, to the fact the Hub doesn't open on weekends, to cuts in courses... the list will always run on. And it is the Students' Union that the complaints are always directed towards. Of course they are. They are supposed to

represent us, and the feeling so much of the time is that they don't.

But who are we to complain if we don't vote? Apathy is one of the worst traits any human being can have. At university, when there are so few votes involved in winning elections - it is scary too.

Our new representatives when they are elected at the end of next week will inherit a paid full-time job for next year. It is our money that is paying their wages. And we should make sure that we have a say.

Only in Students' Union elections can people so clearly underqualified stand a chance of winning. Society and club pull plays a big part in this

OPEN MIC: AN ELECTION TIME SPECIAL

- an easy way to mobilise, in the case of bigger clubs or societies, half the amount of votes that would be needed to win an election. If you don't vote to ensure the most qualified person wins, it is only you who is to blame when we become the laughing stock of the thirdlevel institutes in Ireland.

Voting is a painless process, as opposed to the struggle people in years past went through to gain the right. The least you could do is become informed, pick up a pen, and put a number one beside the right person's name. It only takes two minutes. Less than that. Think about that when you walk through the Hub and come to a ballot box. It really does make a difference to vote.

By Rosie McCormack and Eleanor Keegan

What do you see as the main priorities for the new Students' Union?

Rebecca Payne CAFM1

We speak to Mark Hamilton from Irish rock stalwarts Ash Flux » cover

“

I think it's great as it is!

Sinead McDonald CS3

How Easter ster is clinging ng to its religious ious routes compared ed to Christmas tmas Featuress » page 17 7

“

Canteen prices are far too high. We need to reduce them

Sean Dunne CAFM1

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I don't think there's anything to change

Addy Heince CS3

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Advertise the clubs more, make them more available and we should hold more balls

Rebecca Fahy CS3

“

David O'Malley JR2

I'm pretty happy with how it was this year. I'm sure there's ways to improve but I can't see any flaws

Nina Hanzlikova PHA4

“

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The canteen because the staff aren't very friendly

Ciara Willson PEB1

We should have less of a focus on campus life and more of a focus on health care. The doctor should be free

“

More events on campus at night

PRODUCED BY PR He Editors & Production Editor: David Kearns | Deputy: Samuel Hamilton Head News Ne Editor: Samuel Hamilton | Deputies: Sam Matthews, Fiona Sherlock, Ceile Varley Features Fe Editor: Trudi McDonald Irish Editor: Audrey Donohue Iri Comment Editor: Helen Doyle Co Sports Sport Editor: Niall Farrell | Deputies: Dwayne Leavy, Sabrina Ryan Arts E Editor: Sean McTiernan | Deputies: Patrick Kavanagh, Paula Lyne, Rosie McCormack Images Imag Editor: Eleanor Keegan | Deputy: Rada Moneva CVTV Editor: Michelle Stedman Printed Print By Mortons Print Ltd, with the DCU Journalism Society Than To Sportsfile, SPC, Office of Student Life, DCU School of Communications, Sudoku-Puzzles.net Thanks

The College View is a full participating member of the Press Council of Ireland and supports the Office of the Press Ombudsman.

This scheme, in addition to defending the freedom of the press, offers readers a quick, fair and free method of dealing with complaints that they may have in relation to articles that appear on our pages.

To contact the Office of the Press Ombudsman go to www. pressombudsman.ie or www.presscouncil.ie

THE COLLEGE VIEW

DCU NEWS

30 MARCH 2010

3

Powdered, flowered, and confettied: Drama Soc planning for success with Hair

By Paula Lyne Showbiz Correspondent DCU Drama’s annual musical is running in The Helix next week. Last year’s musical, Rent, culminated with a run in Dublin’s Olympia theatre, and DCU Drama are hoping that this year’s chosen show, Hair, will be just as successful.

“The success of Rent has really helped us this year," says Ed Leamy, producer of Hair. “I’ve talked to a number of new students who said their decision to come to DCU was cemented when they saw Rent or heard about it. I think DCU have realised that, and they’ve been very supportive.”

This year, the musical’s cast and crew were offered the use of The Mezz, the room above the canteen which had been empty since the middle of last year.

“We’ve been allowed to use it free of charge, which is amazing," says Leamy. "It’s the perfect rehearsal space for the musical, and it’s like a little home for the cast now.”

Leamy says that the show’s director, Rebecca Hickey, was determined from the very first day that Hair be even bigger and better than last year’s show. “Everyone who auditioned was required to pass three audition stages - dance, singing and acting - before being considered for a part. We have a cast of 23, and they’re all hugely talented.”

Not only has the cast upped their game this year, but promotion for the musical is on a much bigger

The Helix will play host to DCU Drama's version of Hair next week. Last year, the society's version of Rent was shown at the Olympia Jass Foley scale, says Leamy. “We’ve started to promote the show nationally and through a few different mediums.

We’ve got an ad campaign on TV3, we’re running competitions with FM104 and entertainment.ie, and we’ve sent out letters via the Helix’s audience mailing list.”

Leamy is confident that the audience won’t just be mammies, daddies and friends of the cast, as

is so often the case with amateur productions. “Every year, we’ve built on the success of the year before, and I think DCU Drama’s musical has really made a name for itself outside of DCU. We had large audiences in the Olympia last year, and a lot of those people had no relation to DCU at all.”

Hair, a rock musical set in the 1960s, ran on Broadway for almost

2,000 shows, and this will be the first time the production is performed on Irish shores.

The show itself contains a few scenes which will take even the most seasoned of theatre-goers by surprise, including one in which principles and chorus members strip on stage.

Have the cast been a bit apprehensive about baring all?

“They knew about the nude scene from the very first audition,” says Leamy, “They know that it’s an important scene in the show because it’s so symbolic. They’ve all been very professional about it.”

See it all (and when we say all, we mean all) for yourself this week in The Helix. Tickets for the show are €15 for students, and are available from the Helix box office.

SPC and SCC reject claims judging lacks transparency

By Samuel Hamilton News Editor Members of both the Societies and Publications Committee (SPC) and Sports Clubs Committee (SCC) have hit back at claims there is a lack of transparency in them judging a number of categories of the Clubs and Societies Awards.

While a staff panel decides upon the winners for individual and fresher awards – the SPC and SCC judge the others, including best club, best society, and most improved society.

In an attempt to add transparency to the process, the head of the SPC, Jennifer Tweed, had pushed for a marking scheme to be put in place that would have taken some elements of that currently in place for the inter-college BICS Awards and seen them adapted to suit the Clubs and Societies Awards at DCU. Due to the late stage at which the plan was suggested by Tweed, it was thought it would have been unfair to

Members of Games Society celebrating after winning best society last year introduce a marking scheme, and so is being recommended to next year’s committee.

One insider, however, told the College View that if the marking scheme had been introduced this

year it would have led to an advantage for Drama Society, a suggestion refuted by Tweed.

She says: “The only element of the awards that I was trying to change was the introduction of a marking scheme, which I think everyone will agree would make the awards more transparent and ensure that the best societies won. I don't know how this would benefit Drama over other societies and I find it quite offensive that people are doubting my impartiality.”

Tweed added: “I don't see why there is a problem with the SPC judging the awards… Obviously people on the SPC are going to be heavily involved in societies and this has always been the way. However, the fact that we were elected to the position in the first place shows that societies have confidence in our impartiality and fairness.”

According to Willie Coyne, the clubs and societies officer, and a member of both the SPC and SCC, you just have to look at last year’s

winners to see that the Clubs and Societies Awards are unbiased in their judging.

He says that, “any society that wins an award will win on merit alone.”

Last year Games Society won best society, and Japanese Society won best new society – both of which no members of the then SPC were involved with.

Coyne says: “It is commonly known that the SCC judge the club awards and the SPC judge the society awards. I sat on the SPC committee last year, so I know the decisions made are fair and that the committees spend hours in rooms deciding on results.”

At the time of going to press, members of the SPC and SCC were unable to confirm how many entries had been received – only that there were more society than club entries.

According to Tweed, the awards won’t be discussed by the SPC until the week of the ceremony.

The Clubs and Societies Awards take place tomorrow in the Helix.

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THE COLLEGE VIEW

DCU NEWS

30 MARCH 2010

Eighteen people punished by plagiarism board over three years

€8k raised so far from Rag week

By Rosie McCormack Staff Writer

FOI request uncovers figure after College View survey found 66% of students admit to plagiarising

By Samuel Hamilton News Editor Only 18 DCU students have been dealt with by the University Disciplinary Committee on plagiarism over the past three years.

This figure – which was uncovered as the result of a freedom of information request – comes despite an anonymous survey that was carried out for the last issue of the College View finding that 66% of students have plagiarised at some point during their time in DCU. Students’ Union education and welfare office John Murphy told the College View that he feels 18 cases being referred to the University Disciplinary Committee over three years isn’t a “particularly low figure” and that punishments for plagiarism are “fair enough”.

Students who were dealt with by the University Disciplinary Committee incurred punishments including having to repeat a year, repeat a module, submit extra

assignments, grade caps – and in the case of one PhD student last year – being de-listed as a student, a punishment that Students’ Union president, Alan Keegan says is “as tough as you can get.”

John Murphy, the SU education and welfare officer, says that punishments are 'fair enough' He says that punishments by the University Disciplinary Committee are tough enough and that they, “want the student to stay in university, and will always work towards a good balance between that and a suitable punishment.”

According to the DCU plagiarism policy, students that have been caught plagiarising more than once must be “immediately referred” to the University Disciplinary Committee with initial cases of plagiarism being

One PhD student was de-listed as a student after plagiarising Angela Alston dealt with by lecturers.

In reality, lecturers have told the College View this doesn’t actually happen – with bureaucracy and the time it takes for cases to be processed by the University Disciplinary Committee cited as reasons for them to deal with the problem themselves even with second time offenders.

According to the Students’ Union president, Alan Keegan, detection of plagiarism is not a problem at DCU, and that given most cases are dealt with at faculty level, “if you were to look closely at the faculties… the number of cases would increase.”

DCU president, Ferdinand von Prondzynski says most cases of plagiarism, “can be dealt with more lightly, and in my experience most students who plagiarise in a minor context do not re-offend.”

He added that when he was a lecturer, he “detected quite a few

cases of small plagiarism,” such as not properly crediting sources but that, “usually this could be dealt with on the spot, and it wouldn't have figured in any college records.”

The College View’s survey also found that 5% of students had been caught plagiarising.

According to von Prondzynski, however, the detection rate at DCU could be much higher that this, with respondents “reluctant to admit they were detected.”

He says that he is, “now trying to get feedback from staff as to how they deal with plagiarism, in order to see whether the 5% includes minor cases” and that he will be able to give more feedback in coming weeks.

Full details of the FOI request and the punishments given in all cases can be found online on the College View's website - www. thecollegeview.com

DCU Students' Union have so far raised over €8,000 for this year's Rag week charities - with more money still to come in.

The SU had set a target of €15,000 for this year's event - but it looks unlikely to be reached, especially given the poor turnout at the Rag ball, generally the biggest event of Rag week.

Despite this however, the figure is an improvement on last year's event which raised only €7,000 - €10,000 under target.

This was one of the lowest hauls in recent years.

Speaking to the College View, SU president Alan Keegan says: "I think we are all very happy with the figure.

This money would not have been raised if it weren't for the hard work of the SU Charity Committee... and all the clubs and societies that got involved."

The money raised from this year's Rag week event will be divided among the four charities that the SU has decided to support - DCU's student assistance fund, Special Olympics Ireland, Alan Kerins African project and the Unicef Haiti appeal.

It is not yet decided how the money will be split among the charities.

SU president Alan Keegan says that he expects this year's figure will increase in the next few weeks as more money comes in from other societies.

SU SKETCH

'We saw scandal, intrigue, John Murphy nearly being trapped behind a blind...'

Beating all time records, at the pantomime Union Council this week: USI, budget cuts and class rep attendance issues

Ceile Varley Deputy News Editor The most interesting Union Council of the year flew by, despite lasting nearly three times as long as the last meeting. Keep in mind, it still only lasted an hour.

There was a lot to register, from the exciting new venue of the business building to the introduction of a sign-in sheet to track wily and elusive class reps. We saw scandal, intrigue, John Murphy nearly being trapped behind a blind. To top it all off, there was even pizza. Dinner and a show.

The first issue brought up is the ever present problem of attendance.

There were more class reps last week then have been at any meeting since the start of semester two.

Attendance was still nowhere near perfect. Alan Keegan pointed out the small gene pool of Union Council. Out of a possible 150 reps, the same few faces turn up week after week.

To try and tackle this problem, working groups will be set up to look at the structure of Union Council and at why people don't seem to want to go. This is certainly a step in the right direction, the only worry being that this may turn into another group that talks about the problem and never does anything.

Other problems to be looked at are participation and class rep training. John Murphy said “Attendance used to be really good.

We need to find out what's changed between now and three years ago.”

David Butler sent in a memo about Seachtain na Gaeilge that noone could read. A sort of bilingual

letter, according to David Doyle.

Going along with the DCU tradition of having everything on at once, Seachtain na Gaeilge will also be road safety week and campaign week for the elections.

A serious issue brought up was that of the sweeping budget cuts that are being made in the faculty of Humanities. There was a sense of a crusade about the whole thing as John Murphy decried the “blaze manner in which they go around doing this”and how they're “butchering the courses”.

The Union seem determined to fight the budget cuts, personally if needs must. As John Murphy put it: “I would step in there and say...

'Hey'.”

Towards the end of the meeting there was a miniature revolution.

Well, USI was brought up, which seems to amount to the same thing.

The issue of rejoining was brought up, conveniently while Alan was out of the room.

John Murphy agreed with bringing the topic up for discussion and reopening the debate as to whether we should be a part of USI. Alan walked back in just as he was saying this exclaming: “I was gone two minutes!”

Alan was then called on to defend his current stance. He described a meeting he had had the previous week with representatives from other Irish universities about problems with the current union and reform that needs to be made before we could consider rejoining.

“DCU belongs in USI, just not in the current state it's in,” he said.

Everyone seemed to support rejoining, John Murphy being one of the more vocal about it.

“I could do an incredibly better

job if I had the support of USI," he stated.

But are the problems too big to consider getting involved again?

Rejoining would cost in the region of €60-70,000, or the same amount of money that the union are spending on entertainment.

Alan looked haunted, or hunted.

I can't really read my scribbled notes but both fit. He questioned the crowd. “What do Union Council want from this discussion?”

Eventually it was decided there will be a public debate after the next meeting, with someone speaking on both sides of the issue.

Finishing up, Alan made an interesting observation about student politics. He said that you “can't change anything when the union changes every year.” He said it about USI, but could just as easily have been talking about DCU.

THE COLLEGE VIEW

5

DCU NEWS

30 MARCH 2010

Saddened, dismayed and without hope: DCU's largest society E&S ends its controversial life E&S events like the Iron Stomach will be a thing of the past Cian Ginty and how we reported on the ongoing saga

By Ceile Varley Deputy News Editor

Vol. XI Issue VI

college view iew.com

www.thecollegev

the

10 February 2010

ED » PAGE 16

over funds E&S suspended

Fine Gael’s new education plan may lead to international students being used as cash generators to subsidise the cost of educating Irish students, warned DCU president Ferdinand von Prondzynski.

He says that international students would not come here if they thought they were being used for this purpose.

The president also questioned Fine Gael’s assertion that doubling the number of international students

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E&S set to discover if they survive

unning n run SU constitution u behind schedule

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the moment.” ally to comment at which tradition “Obviously, as The society, She continued: the social has to be emphasis on attended body, the SPC d places heavy the trip had life, was allocate travelled on is SPC a funding the money we ack over justify where conference. It aspect of college funding last year, Ferdie hits ba are able to a mandatory cannot give SPC is going. We eports fund trips which rep €19,228 euro in amount of funding policy to only activity allocate something that might not expense claiim the fourth highest to the club or society's money to society for the related DCU activity.” s. any Social to society te nd von granted neurial and F t Ferdinan of benefit to member son of be a legitima DCU presiden The DCU Entrepre been suspended or are year 2008/09. abo about what exactly academic ye chairper ded Tweed, chairp When asked W d €3,968 hass defend society, Jennifer T a allocate the for was that iety (E&S) has Prondzynski h society means View society The funding misuse. r €22,0000 he of fundi one this ed eing suspended SPC told the College members are being er accusations expenses of over for semester “ s a suspend “A “As after in DCU the E&S iming that claim larg 2008 2 the largest at present Tweed said that: be able to carryy in funding 24 February since and conduct of unclear trip is it s, The society, incurred 2010 not ough U-related d member year, although actually review. ere “DCUsociety, E&S will SPC funding. all expenses we th over a thousanSocietie much of this was them with s and still under ly, the SPC is still activities or access to about how by the S out placed d tee t “Basical has informe commit Budapes as was to This amount asked the www.the of tee (SPC) that spent. the E&S trip collegev ns Committe the We have ions iew.com societies in terms s and let them a reviewing ublicatio Publicat to suspend their member 26th out of 48 cl class itself as and has decided is complete. We contact activities have it could no longer notice. so far this year. this that the society's no notice.” funding says that the SPC hopes to as society until action as we have not know ociety until further w society ed until further Tweed next was enforced suspend this the ion the at been taken of ion suspens have The that all those , co-chair the suspens Ian Denham com committee's doubts received sufficient proof t on the address in week one. ded conference a result of the refused to commen position committee meeting attended the cy of a SPC-fun for society r on the trip over the legitima d “We're in no as justification t during semeste matter, saying: which was given trip.” rip to Budapes trip s raised as it we s were

By Sam Matthew funding of the one. Concern s who SPC E&S member if E& was unclear EGE

SPC doubt larg e

By Audrey Donohu Staff Writer

hue

By Audrey Dono Staff Writer

DCU from every the Representives tomorrow on and society will vote Entreprenerial status of the (E&S). ns Social Society Vol. XI Issue Publi catio VII and The Societies to EGM an ) called ty Committee (SPC or not the socie decide whether continue to to ed COLL allow of should be S ITSELF TO THE t accusations FREEZE BRING recen BIG THE after function SNOW DAY: INSIDE se. misu An exclusive inter ing E&S fund view with the band called after the + album, finding The EGM was the about their a new audience d an appeal with committee lodge ty was “deemed” , and how mon new 'difficult' second ey impacts on socie Valentine's Day after the SPC them seduction job weeks ago. defunct several s that they were The SPC claim ty by the socie IN N THE THE erate PAPER PA ly misled Society officially last delib 'defunct' next week a trip to Budapest for ing fund DCU over U spent €112 bers on , but will dispute

By Audrey Donohu on each says that mem and e the mber CAO deci s Staff Writer Nove tudent atory sion said that the society exclusive it attracted "have lodged to attend a mand the Flux, with an the trip appeal on the an since met by failed ruling." h DCU and decided to tine's whic sp p The chairperson ent Valen dissolve the As was g the trip guide to tracting more than €112 society complet of the Entrepre atmisleading of durin ely. nerial College previously reported in the and Social (E&S) each student rence the SPC with regards Bucks confe who entered View, E&S was society has hit In an email to Hardy support of the into the university to The ds back by the the E&S commit at the Societie informed SPC Budapest trip.” ed. through SPC tee, y fund s and Publicat the chair Jennifer partl CAO this Tweed told the SPC Committee (SPC) ions class itself that it could no longer s academ a Tweed said: College View ic “Further to our Ian Denham as a society until E&S, "are now that to figures exclusiv year accordin g erson was deemed “defuncafter the society notice.

PLUS meeting further the requesting an elyhairp obtained by Co-c The tempora the matter of the Entrepre regarding by way of appeal t” by the funding eal the Collegge View ry suspension body last week. an SPC EGM." came as a result neurial and – page 4 claims within Social society, E&S chair of claims that the SPC has come Ian Denham, society member the the followin has refuted these g that that the to the SPC's Denham has criticiseed E&S co-chair s failed to attend d g decision. From that claims of says mandat decision, telling sayin a March 8, Monday College SU funding misuse ory conference View office ge e the he rs see pay rise the Entrepreneurial among to Budapes Colle during a trip View that, “On the committee Social society and society stated with the are incorrect the ip, t of 5% fro will no longer that a campaig members attended trip, and SPC partly in November which the om nextittee are “deva recognis comm

the

college view NEW YOUNG

PONY CLUB

INTERVIEW »

FLUX

18/11/09 | Issue #6

Editor: Sean McTiernan

Layout: Samuel Hamilton

Fionn Regan

30 Seconds To Mars 2010 - The Future?

Paint A Vulgar Picture

E&S struck off

left to rigft: Buzz, The Boo, French Toast and Edd

as a society

this year Garda presence

RTE Storyland winners The Hardy Bucks dish out smooth science on how to do February the 14th right

Viper A woman's mind is an enigma capable of delivering emotionally piercing insights into your life. I once had a shit Valentine's where I took this young whan from Balintool over to the cinema job and I cried at the end of Stuart Little 2. Little did I know she'd secretly seen my tears under the glare of the silver screen. Later that evening in an unrelated argument, she told me to "Go cry to mammy like ya did at the film hey." It was the single most crushing thing I’d ever had said to me and serves as a warning to other hard lads in relationships: No matter how much you want to, never ever cry.

Boogenhagen There’s one lad in Castletown known as Cosy Joe cos he was jockeying five women up simultaneously for about two months before he got shopped by uncle Facebook when he was tagged in a picture necking Misty Mooney down The Wallhopper.

It turned out one of his other birds was in the foreground. His problem was he wanted to run with the hare and hunt with the hound. There’s no way ya can be doing any of that shite these days. I’m just greatful for what I have and enjoy visiting different nearby towns at the weekend to try and score nice women.

I usually impress girls with my

knowledge of military history and Russian spy tales. The spy tales are fictional.

Eddie If it’s a first date, take it smooth but play it cool.

Remember, the stakes are high and a favourable result could yield easy-riding. Dennis Hopper shtyle 24/7. Try to charm her with fancy talk and maybe perform bicep curls sporadically through the course of the evening. This will prove your masculinity on a more subconscious level. If she resists your advances try using the trusty old words of Arnie in Total Recall: “Cmon baby.

You know you’re the girl of my dreams.” It always wins them over. Make sure to have a CD back at the gaff with tunage that she can relate to. Out with Benni Benassi and DJ Alligator, in with Usher and all that R&B shite.

Mary J Blige job.

French Toast Try to look at the night as a title fight between your mind and your dignity. I like to play the romance game and go for the chase but more importantly, I fuckin' love the sauce. It’s a great way to get the ice broken and lubricate the silver tongue but must be limited to avoid rowdyness. My recent experiment speed dating also provided me with an insight

The Viper

into the female mind. During lull in one conversation, I false claimed to have been presen at Pierce Brosnan's weddin back in 2001 at Balintubbe The banter immediately picke up and a lesson learnt. If yo don’t have any impressive tale about yourself, insert yourse into already impressive one that have really happened. Th will win her over. Be careful no to let the fibs turn into a web o deceit.

Buzz I’m not braggin' but I’m how should I say, pretty slic when it comes to the ladies. put it down to my style whic is a blend of Polish vibes (that brown leather loafers, bootcu jeans, open shirt with th raised collar) and some smoot moves. I run a hip hop nigh every Saturday with a couple o lads from Burundi who aren that good at rapping but the wear all the gear like so the look American. Basketba jerseys and chains like. What also weird is that they bot have mercs but they don’t hav jobs. Anyway, our hip hop nigh Bomb Ass Joes brings in a lot o sweet booty from neighbourin townships and I usually fin that I can woo the hotties on th dancefloor with some poppin and lockin' or some breaking. you’re not fit enough to do tha be careful not to look like a tit.

be entrepre year funded. ed by the SPC an neurial conferen and will they The SPC, the body that oversees therefore be defunct. This at The Union Co were not officially ce that ouncil have voted club and society decision for. has been made funding in DCU, to increase the w Societie as wallets registered s must in light of as well has breakdo ages have by a reason to the phones, mobile go on a foreign stolen wn of trust o Union sabbatiical of the Students' all adelibera are and reportedtrip such as an officers by 5% watch g in gardens event haveteall been nt forget for next yearto continu to and urinatin . to com s in the DCU mpensate for edto onbe , accordin CONTgEST pageDon't e to resident students on campus students public 8 •• • sector DCU's nuisanc pay DCU of students involved behaving in cuts urged of the AT News – page Unit found Lynch CVTV 7 Garda Policing gs and k area, and anyone the Rag Ball will the Community their belongin y news Fiona Sherloc F station. vigilant about a manner after such as only weekl

By Trudi Charity conc News Editor Whitehall Garda liaison such Deputy D “advertising wealth,”thatMcDona they say. cert marred ld say, community ted to avoid amme - every be prosecuted Garda progrby headphones and Laura Gardai investiga e at this touting wearing large Last year the Martin Lynch at Garda presenc DCU a on be only that officers will ay There after Mond the College View ted 108 incidents that occurred “I’ve an iPod”. following arrests were found Sheridan told public order iew.com year’s Rag Ball, A charity llegevconcert A number of studentson page 4 •• , including of crimes commit theco campus year. b goods majority y l ed the last the Saw order Doc continu two balls tors has seen mone thefts. Electrica of students were by DCU students are public offences and ney laptops and A small number at have gone to Unice that should as MP3 players, order offences . e bottles such arrested for public and Halloween offences lost to a tout sellingf’s Haiti appeal throwing r g Shouting, both the Summe the prosecution outside the event fake tickets led to Balls, which to dispute this

n will be launche d decision. Denham

Rag Ball to have R BIKINIS AT THE

READY: MODE LLING

d decision.” n Jennifer Twee SPC chairperso “to ing is being held says that the meet the SPC decision al allow E&S to appe society.” the nd made to disba SPC's ing, both the “At this meet will side of the story side and E&S's After this, to the societies. and be put on whether the nd will be a vote there Each . if tated ties versi be reins ion, society should decis the on INSIDE vote society has one Each e fans of themselves. including E&S a vote,” d as +usual SPC also has member of the e Clubs and says. she 24/02/09

Editor:

Layout:

| Issue 7 | Vol Sean McTiernan 1 Samuel Hamilton

Black Triangle Blogs Into Books Big In Japan Blair Witch of Youtube?

e

e

Constitutional review 'a shamble s

I dunno.

I’d probably be dead by now.

Flux, with an exclusive interview with New Young Pony Club

By Steven Conlon PLUS Staff Writer process”, the executiv e member told the College View. learned that a referendum The constitutional “There is an on the idea new Student review currentl agenda of a is that we want taking place y individuals few will “likely” s’ Union constitution to make sure has and the process that we do this take place shambles to date” been labelled “a transpar is not the right, with proper ent, by one member sabbatical election alongside consultation the Students’ of have no clue the union executive nine and get as much s in week Union executiv what’s requirin input as possible going on and e. g the inclusio . Obviously we'd Refusing to student body the ‘grandfa n of a have prefer to be named, has yet to be consulte ther clause’ it done and out executive member the on what so as not to d create any before then but they would has slammed that isn't looking legal difficult like to see the entire likely.” included ies arising process as from sabbatic Union sources “lacking submiss ... were not even sure if our al officer role transparency” changes. . ions have Niall McClave Don't forget the ongoing delays confirmed that , secretary of “The entire thing the entire thing been considered, review to watch were due to “the the increase committee is a shamble d complexity making a mockery is farcical, it’s date,” CVTV News and former s to Student they added. of writing out of the whole DCU's what is a s’ Union presiden legal docume t confirmed The College only weekly news the delay. nt and conflict amongs View has t those also on the review He says: “It's programme committee.” looking likely.

- every The Monday only continued on page 6 •• at

to date'

thecollegeview.co

m

were appealed to by the society.

“Take a minute just to step into our shoes and see how much this means to us,” Shearer asked.

He described the “blood, sweat and tears” that had gone into the society and referred several times to how “heartbreaking” the SPC's decision was. He appealed to the representatives of clubs and societies at the event, asking: “If your society was taken away, how would you feel?”

He said: “We admit that wrong has been done, and that there must be a punishment,” but said the SPC's punishment was far too harsh.

He said the decision would punish all members of E&S for

Overseas students may end up cash cows under Fine Gael

By Emma Gill

SS INTERVIEW

about ANE RO tor Shane Ross pendent Sena view with Inde Irish State An exclusive interand the severe failures of the e his time in offic

SENATOR SH

FLUX

The Entrepreneurial and Social Society (E&S) has been disbanded following an EGM held by the Societies and Publications committee earlier this month saw a vote of society and club representatives.

The vote was carried by 27 votes calling for their disbandment against 11 votes for them to continue as a society.

E&S had called for the EGM to appeal the decision made by the SPC several weeks ago to declare the society defunct after allegations of funding misuse.

The source of the problems between the SPC and E&S was a trip to Budapest. The trip was organised

by E&S but partly funded by the SPC. The total cost of the trip was around €11,000, of which the SPC paid €4,500. However, members of the society did not attend a conference which the SPC had been told was the purpose of going to Budapest.

At the start of the meeting on March 17, SPC chair Jennifer Tweed read out a statement on the committee's decision.

It was the same statement that had been emailed to E&S after the original decision to disband the society. It described “the breakdown of trust and deliberate misleading of the SPC with regards to support of the Budapest trip.”

Phillip Shearer, then then PRO of E&S, followed by apologising on behalf of the society.

He said: “We're deeply sorry for misleading the SPC and all the events leading up to today.”

He spoke about the good that E&S did for their active members – the events, the speakers, the “lifelong friendships” made before listing the events E&S held this year. Emotions

would result in the creation of 6,000 jobs, labeling the figure “bizarre and irrelevant”.

A spokesperson for Fine Gael said that this figure was based on estimations that approximately 15 local jobs are created for every hundred overseas students that come to Ireland.

He said that this figure is a conservative estimate, and that many more jobs were likely to be created in economic sectors as diverse as construction and tourism. Fine Gael estimate that each international

the poor decisions of the few on committee.

E&S proposed instead the committee members would stand down, with new ones to be elected that had nothing to do with the incident in Budapest. They also proposed for a member of the SPC to sit on their committee.

Jenny Tweed stated that the decision to ban E&S was not one taken lightly, but instead had been discussed in detail over a number of meetings.

SU president Alan Keegan queried what differences E&S's proposed changes would make, mentioning similar incidents that had happened before when he was

chair of the SPC last year stating, “We need to punish the fact that it's happening time and time again.”

One society representative then asked: "How would we know an incident like this wouldn't happen again?"

E&S said they needed to be more careful selecting the new committee.

Shearer said: “We need to rebuild trust in the relationship.”

Once again the word heartbreaking was thrown around a few times.

Unfortunately the SPC did not seem to have the same wish to revive the relationship. The question of whether or not to disband E&S went to private ballot.

Every society had a vote, including E&S. Each member of the SPC also had a vote.

There was some confusion over the ballot – a piece of paper with simply the words "yes" and "no" printed on it. It eventually became clear, after clarification by Tweed, that yes meant to disband the society, while no meant for E&S to remain.

The vote was carried by 27 yes votes to 11 no votes.

E&S was declared no longer recognised by a society. The relationship was over.

After the vote had been taken E&S refused to comment to the College View.

student will spend €26,000 in their host country. ncrease the They aim to increase nternational number of international 000 which students to 40,000 enue over a would double revenue o nearly €2 five-year period to billion euro.

At present only onal 1% of international students come to ach study in Ireland each ast year. In contrast cts Britain attracts as 12% of all overseas ho students, who 12 contribute over €12 sh billion to the British economy.

International me students in DCU come ntries from 102 countries and make up 16% of the student body. Non-EU tudents undergraduate students

pay €10,100 to study in DCU for one year as part of th the study abroad programme, while wh EU students only have to pay the €1,500 registration fee fee.

Von Prond Prondzynski stated that whi while we should continu continue to encourage international stude students to study here, 40,000 extra stude students is too many.

H He says the a c c e p t a b l e upp upper limit of international stud students within a univ university should be no n higher than 20% and that if it were to becomes higher this would have a nega negative effect on internat international students.

Von Prondzynski

says that international students come here to experience another culture and to get to know Irish students and feels it would become more difficult for them if there were large numbers of foreign students.

Von Prondzynski did however welcome many aspects of the report, such as improvements to the student visa system making it more straight-forward. Fine Gael proposes the introduction of fasttrack Visas for students from specific target countries such as China, India, Taiwan and the United States.

Automatic green cards will be given to international PhD students in the areas of science, engineering and technology as there is a shortage of these graduates in Ireland.

Fine Gael has also pledged to provide €50million towards a fiveyear marketing campaign which will aggressively promote Ireland as a destination for overseas students.

6

THE COLLEGE VIEW

DCU NEWS

30 MARCH 2010

Style Soc strut their wares at the Fashion Show

By Samuel Hamilton News Editor One of the annual highlights on campus - the Style Society Fashion Show - took over the Helix’s Mahony Hall last week.

Based around the theme of “the edge of industry” – which saw new mixed with old, and vintage culture fused with more commercial high-street fashion – brands from Arnotts and Oxfam Vintage, all the way through to American Apparel and BT2 were represented on the catwalk.

Wholly modelled by DCU students, Kunle Oyateru was named as the male model of the year, and Eve Grant was named as the female model of the year.

Both will now receive the opportunity to begin their modelling career with Morgan the Agency, the biggest modelling agency in Ireland.

Clara Talbot, the chairperson of Style Society, and one of the main organisers of the event, said that the

Clara Talbot, co-chair of Style Society, says that the Fashion Show meant so much to the society show meant so much to the society, and to herself and Rebecca Fahy who she organised the event with.

"We have received nothing but positive feedback and are so proud of what we have accomplished... we have worked so hard for the past year and the whole production team we had put their heart and soul into it," Talbot told the College View.

"The show has introduced us into the business world as we have secured a lot of professional contacts and represented DCU and its abilities in a very positive way. We have loved every minute."

During semester one, the society held the Project Young Designer contest where designers from colleges across Ireland competed for

Concern looms over new Minister for Education

By Sabrina Ryan Staff Reporter Tánaiste Mary Coughlan was named the new Education Minister in last week’s cabinet reshuffle replacing Batt O’Keeffe.

Coughlan was moved from her role in Enterprise, Trade and Employment to replace O’Keeffe.

The Department of Education and Science has also been renamed as the Department of Education and Skills.

Following the reshuffle last Tuesday, Fine Gael spokesperson for education Brian Hayes congratulated Coughlan but criticised the reorganisation of the department.

He told the College View: "The department was already too big and was a department for schools with no interest in higher education. Now the department is even bigger."

Hayes added that he does not see what Coughlan can do for the education sector which is in need of major reform and that he is, "very pessimistic of the appointment of Mary Coughlan to this post."

He commented that moving Batt O’Keeffe from the education portfolio can only be a good thing as he was ‘disastrous’ for the education sector.

Commenting on the reshuffle, DCU president Ferdinand von Prondzynski says that he hopes

Coughlan will take an immediate interest in higher level education, and that she may be better prepared for the position having come from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

He says: "The experience we have had with new Education Ministers, whoever they were, was that they come into the job and initially they have very little interest in higher education. They focus on schools and it takes a year or two for the higher level sector to attract their interest."

In total seven changes were he Cabinet with the made to the nt of two new appointment ministers. Clare TD Tony Killeen d the Minister for was named Defence to replace Willie O’Dea ernment Chief and Government Whip Pat Carey was appointed Minister unity, Rural for Community, cht affairs. and Gaeltacht Mary Hanafin d to the was moved nt of Arts, Department Sports and Tourism to fill the vacancy left by Martin d Éamon Cullen and Ó Cuív was given o of Social the portfolio Protection, formerly rtment of the Department d Family Social and Affairs.

Members of Style Society on the catwalk in the Helix Jass Foley a chance to compete in the Young Designer contest, a major part of last week’s event.

Judged by a number of professionals in the word of Irish fashion, nine designers – all from Grafton Academy, Griffith College, and Limerick School of Art and Design – showed two outfits each, with Aine Kilbride from Grafton Academy winning the award for her monochrome creations, which included a black, flowing dress and another outfit of a white bodice, black shorts, and black and white tights.

New Minister for Education, Mary Coughlan Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, UCC

THE COLLEGE VIEW

DCU one step closer to holding voting on USI reaffiliation •• continued from front In a letter published in this issue of the College View, the USI calls on Keegan to “present us with the opportunity to make a case to DCU students.”

The letter states that the decision to rejoin USI “rests solely with the student body of Dublin City University” and that “the DCU Students’ Union president has hitherto refused the opportunity to open a fair and proper debate on USI affiliation.”

Author of the letter, USI’s eastern officer Chris Bond told the College View that it is important to be aware that rejoining USI is a decision that can only be made by the student body.

He said: “There is a clear unwillingness on behalf of Alan Keegan to engage with us but it is important for DCU students to know that it is up to them if they want to reaffiliate with USI.” DCU and UL are currently the only universities in Ireland that are not members of USI after 74% of NUI Maynooth students voted in favour of rejoining last month.

Sources within USI indicated this week that the issues of DCU rejoining the organisation and the

Heads of USI affiliated colleges protest over free fees outside the Dail USI alleged unwillingness on behalf of the SU to open the USI debate are set to be major talking points at the USI national congress this week.

One source said that there is “no intention to push USI on DCU but the ‘taboo’ that surrounds the topic has to be gotten rid of.”

Peter Mannion, the president of USI, told the College View last year that at present DCU is lacking a voice on a national level.

Commenting on his Facebook page, Trinity College SU president and one of the candidates for the position of USI deputy president, Cónán O’Broin, stated that “the

reaffiliation of NUI Maynooth has sent out a message to other non affiliated colleges that the tide has turned and that affiliation to USI is their only option should they wish to have a voice at a national level.”

USI officer Chris Bond told the College View that the restoration of the Dublin Bus Nitelink to DCU would become a key priority if DCU reaffiliated.

He said: “We would certainly fight to restore the Nitelink to DCU as well as continuing our fight to tackle the serious failures in the grant system.

Any delay in the payment of grants is unacceptable.”

Disability officer calls for strobe light ban •• continued from front fairly good” but that there are still improvements that can be made in the area of access to events and gigs.

“A solution would be the banning of strobe lighting where possible.

Where that it not possible then it has to be made explicit on posters and advertising for events that strobe lighting will be there.

“This is all very new, and it's going to get to be more of a problem as the number of students grow.”

The Disability Office have already taken steps to avoid a repeat of this situation.

O'Connor says: “From now on any events with strobe lighting will be clearly announced.”

According to Fitzgerald, “The issue regarding students with disabilities attending events at DCU has been brought to light more recently than in previous years.”

A recent issue was the inability of deaf students to attend comedy gigs on campus.

Fitzgerald dealt with the problem by alerting Student Support and Development who put aside money in their budget to allow the Union to

7

DCU NEWS

30 MARCH 2010

IN BRIEF

College View nominated at Smedias

By Liam Doyle The College View has been nominated in ten categories in the shortlist for this year’s National Student + Bowling Post-Booker For Soup interview Priz Paintings and e celebrations?

Media Awards. The pop The art of a fooular culture Old and ragg tball jersey ed Madonna categories include Newspaper of the Year, Journalist of the Year, and Editor of ‘He just tried the Year. pu s handto s ar t hi Flux, the nd my thou roat‘ newspaper's arts section, has also Nerina been nominated llot intePrvaie w for Magazine of the Year.

David Kearns, the editor of the College View says he is "proud" of all the nominations the paper garnered from the Student Media Awards.

He added that he is "extremely hopeful" that the paper picks up a number of awards at the actual ceremony next month.

Known best as the Smedias, the awards celebrate studentmade media, recognising up-and-coming talent in the print, broadcasting, online and creative arts fields.

The competition is open to all third level students, with serious competition coming from both Trinity College and UCD. This year sees the awards, which are hosted by the student life website Oxygen.ie, entering into their tenth year of existence with the awards taking place in Dublin’s Mansion House on April 21.

Other DCU nominations include six nominations for DCUfm in the DJ of the Year, Radio Production of the Year (News), and Radio Production of the Year (Arts and Features) categories.

Russell James Alford, a DJ of the Year nominee in DCU, found it hard to control his excitement about the shortlist outcome, exclaiming: “Roll on the end of April!”

Blog of the Year nominations have been given to Steve Conlon for his blog, Tallyman, as well as Vanessa Monaghan for her blog, Nessy Productions.

DCUtv also got a nod, with Nicola Leddy gaining a nomination in the TV Production of the Year category, while Flashback magazine has also been shortlisted for Society Publication of the Year.

14/10/09 | Volu

me 1

#3

DCU student represents at Miss University

By Aoife Quinn

The Coronas playing at the LifeWired festival Eleanor Keegan employ sign interpretors.

“Provisions are being made as they are being brought to the attention of the union," she says.

"Some provisions or solutions are harder to implement than others.

Once the issue is brought to Union, the issue is discussed and from there

decided how to be dealt with in the best manner possible.”

Anne O'Connor praised the work of the Students' Union to provide for all students, saying that they are, "definitely adapting to change and trying to make events as accessible to everyone as possible.”

It may come as a surprise to many of you that there is a Miss DCU. Lorna Domican was chosen to represent the university in a preliminary competition earlier this year.

Lorna will join the other Miss University contestants in Afterdark nightclub next month where she will be scrutinized by celebrity judges including Michelle Heaton and Glenda Gilson.

The lucky winner will get a contract with Assets model agency.

Miss University has had much success in its three short years of existence. In its first year it produced a first runner up in the Miss Ireland competition and last year Miss University went on to win the competition and represent Ireland in Miss Universe.

On the night of the competition contestants will take part in a fashion show where they will present formal wear, sportswear and nightclub wear. The top five contestants will then go forward to a questions round and from this the winner will be decided.

As well as a panel the contestants are also dependant on text line votes from the public so you can have a say in who you would like to see become Miss University Ireland 2010.

Tickets cost €10.

8

THE COLLEGE VIEW

DCU NEWS

30 MARCH 2010

Sexuality As Maynooth lectures face overcrowding Ferdie says class sizes a concern for colleges conference

By Sam Matthews and Rosie McCormack Staff Writers DCU president Ferdinand von Prondzynski has warned that the problem of class sizes was of huge concern to the higher education sector in Ireland.

Writing on his blog he said: “We remain on a path to much larger classes that could, in the end, destroy the international reputation of Irish higher education.”

This comes following the release of a report by the Irish Universities Quality Board (IUQB) in which they warned that NUI Maynooth (NUIM) must reduce class sizes or risk damaging its reputation. NUI Maynooth is at present the fastest growing university in Ireland.

The report examines the overcrowding and funding issues at Ireland's fastest growing university and found that students at NUIM are attending overcrowded lectures with up to 400 students in some.

It says that NUIM must focus

NUIM Maynooth has been warned over overcrowding in its Arts lectures

their efforts on combating the overcrowding issues, especially in its Arts degree courses, with focus particularly on its popular English and geography modules.

IUQB found that: “The student numbers at NUI Maynooth have grown rapidly in recent years, resulting in an unfavourable lecturerstudent ratio and extremely large student cohorts, especially in first year, in some disciplines."

The report urges the university to tackle the problem of overcrowded lecture halls, warning of the possible negative consequences for NUIM’s standing if it were to fail in fixing the problem.

It says: “Any delays in giving the issue urgent attention risks damaging the student experience at NUIM and, in the end, may be detrimental to the university’s reputation.”

Sharon Kelly, a second year Arts student at the university, says there are problems for her from overcrowded lectures.

She says: “I find it really hard to concentrate in the bigger lectures,

with so many people in the one room there are always more distractions and lots of people talking... The college could do with more funding.

We don't even have a proper place to eat on campus since the canteen burned down.”

The IUQB review team also expressed concern about the quality of NUIM’s student support services.

According to the report, “urgent attention” is required to student advisory and career services at the university, which suffer from “an acute shortage of staff.”

Yet despite these findings, the IUQB report is a largely positive one, citing NUIM’s “excellent progress toward an ethos of academic excellence and quality.”

It also recognises that while there has been a rapid increase in the number of students attending the university, funding had not increased to match this influx.

The report suggests that the university make recommendations to the government in a bid to tackle the issues.

Fine Gael's finance spokesperson speaks to a room of DCU students about the party's plans to get the country moving again, last week Eleanor Keegan

Young Fine Gael oppose main party plans Richard Bruton tells DCU how to get Ireland going once again

By Sam Matthews Deputy News Editor Young Fine Gael (YFG) has come out in opposition to the key political reforms proposed by its parent party, Fine Gael.

In a new document entitled Transforming Our Democracy, YFG have criticised many of “Constitution Day” reforms recently proposed by

the party. Fine Gael’s New Politics document aims to put five significant proposals before referendum on one day.

But the party’s youth division opposes the abolition of the Seanad, the reduction of the presidential term of office, the lowering of the voting age, the introduction of a gender quota, and the introduction of a list system.

"Some of the Fine Gael policies unveiled to date seem to be based primarily on cost savings to the exchequer, while others seem to be a knee-jerk response to public anger”, says YFG’s new document.

“There seems to have been little consideration of how the proposed changes will impact on the workings of our democratic structures”.

Last Thursday, Fine Gael deputy

leader & finance spokesman Richard Bruton TD came to DCU to speak to students.

He outlined to a large gathering of DCU students Fine Gael’s ambitions to “get Ireland working again”.

Young Fine Gael also have another event coming up with party leader Enda Kenny due to come to the university in April to speak to the members of Young Fine Gael.

hosted in DCU first for Ireland

By Sabrina Ryan Staff Writer

DCU was host to Ireland’s first conference in sexuality studies entitled Self, Selves and Sexualities earlier this month.

The aim of the conference was to open an arena for discussion on the area of sexuality and to advance the understanding of sexuality in all aspects of life.

All continents were represented at the conference with 26 countries in attendance over the two days of varying talks.

Mel Duffy of the School of Nursing said that she felt the sexuality conference was a great success with many disciplines represented and many areas covered.

She told the College View: "The conference had three streams: medical, intercultural and comparative literature.

We had speakers who covered homosexuality, transgender, queer studies, sex trafficking and even one who spoke on paedophilia."

She stressed that the conference had something of interest to everyone with 64 speakers in total.

Duffy and Jean-Phillipe Imbert of SALIS - who organised the conference - are currently working on the establishment of a new masters programme in sexuality studies in DCU. The course, which is still subject to accreditation, would hope to attract students from various areas of study to examine sexuality in every aspect of life.

Imbert is currently establishing a DCU based sexuality research centre in order to coincide with the prospective masters programme.

Duffy commented that DCU has shown great innovation in being the first Irish university to consider this area of research and it highlights DCU’s desire to be a progressive university.

Riham Shelbe of the American University in Cairo, who presented a comparative reading during the conference, commented that it was amazing to have a priest chair one of the sessions.

She says: "In a country like Ireland it is something totally new to have a Catholic priest chair a discussion on sexuality."

When asked if Ireland is ready for the era of sexual research and study Duffy says: "Ireland’s sexuality has been behind closed doors for so long and we are now slowly shaking off the ties of the Catholic Church and realising that sexuality is part of who we are and part of everyday life."

THE COLLEGE VIEW

ANALYSIS

30 MARCH 2010

9

'It seems to involve students playing at politics' The Sunday Independent's Chief Political Reporter on why student politicians have failed Jody Corcoran Jo Sunday Independent Su

I

have been asked to write about student politics. But I know nothing, or very little about student politics, except that it seems to involve students playing at politics. I have no idea what student politics actually achieves.

Precious little I would say, other than to somehow boost the profile of a certain student within the party of which he or she is a member, and I suppose, to boost the profile of the party itself among students more generally.

But that is a waste of everybody's time and energy? What is the sense of an individual student attempting to boost their profile, other than to satisfy the ego of the student concerned? This is fine, if that is all student politics is about, which is, in fact, all it seems to me to be about.

What is the sense in boosting the profile of a particular party either? In the great scheme of things, actually, there is none.

The great scheme of things being where we are here, where we are now, which is, in my opinion, in a dire state, life-alteringly so, which has come about as a result of the collective failure of politics in general, and the various creatures of politics more specifically, by which I mean people on quangoes and regulatory bodies and the like; the trades unions are another example.

All of these people, or most of them, all of these creatures are fools. They are no brighter than you or me. Fact is, they are dumber. Is it any wonder the country is in the state it is in?

If those involved in student politics at DCU feel inclined to take issue with that point, then please do. I do not care about, and am uninterested in your opinion. But I know what I am talking about.

Therefore, my opinion is better than yours. It is also securely felt, honest and accurate. I wish you well finding a job when you leave college this year, or next, or whenever, those of you in student politics. The chances are you will not find one in this country.

You can thank your politics for that, whichever political party you belong to or follow, all politics, all parties, because what we have witnessed, are witnessing, is the collective failure of politics and the last rites of our political system, a system born of a civil war, of all the things. How ridiculous is that, in this day and age?

I have never been a student, or I should say, I have never been a third level student, so I do not what you get up to in college. If the stories are true, and I do not doubt them, then you all drink too much and take drugs and have casual sex with each other.

You are better advised to do that than get involved in student politics, because student politics has failed; it

A student takes part in the free fees campaign Tara Walsh

has failed in this country as sure as all of the other known failures in this country, and there are many. Why is this? Because most of our national politicians - well, many of them anyway - have come through the student politics route, and they have, in my opinion, failed us, abjectly so, in our current crisis.

They would dispute that. Of course they would. What would you expect? They would claim that they have done this and that they have done that, and that they are, in fact, great people altogether. But they are not. They are failures, as surely and as humanly, as most of us have failed at many of the things we seek to do it life. I have failed at many things, many, many things. We fail precisely because we are human, and humans are imprecise people. Politicians, therefore, are of us. That is the way it is. We elect people like us. We elect failures. Perhaps it is that democracy is what has failed us. Do not underestimate that possibility. It may well be that we need to rid ourselves of democracy, at least for a few years, maybe a decade. We should not expect our politicians to succeed.

But we should expect them to be at least competent though. In many instances, they are incompetent, other than at filling out their expense forms.

When I was a boy, my father discussed politics all of the time. He was, he still is ferociously Fine Gael.

My mother was, and still is Fianna Fail, though less ferociously so. All of this led to interesting rows, not debates, but rows and fights and screaming matches in our house. It was a bit like the Dail is today, all heat and no light.

My father used to suggest that we - my four brothers and I - get involved in politics, that we should join a political party. We would have

been around 15 or 16 or 17 or 18 at the time. Of course, none of us joined a political party, not did we ever want to. We were too busy drinking and having casual sex with little country girls. We never took drugs. Honestly.

Well, maybe one of us did. He has no hair now.

Perhaps if I had, I may have become a politician, instead of a political journalist. If I had joined a political party that is, not if I had taken drugs. I did not mean to become a political journalist. It just sort of happened. If I had become a politician I would have been no better than most of them. Because I would have fallen into their system too. The system has failed us. That much is certain. It continues to fail us. The response of the body politic, the response of the system, the response of the establishment, to this recession - actually, it is a depression - has been abysmal. It has been pathetic. That is why the system needs to be changed.

There is some debate about this at the moment. But it will be years before the needed change comes about, and even then we do not know what sort of a new model we will get.

Hopefully, it will be an improvement.

This is where you come in. If student politics is to mean anything any more, if it is to reclaim its sense of purpose, its sense of urgency, its sense of anger, then you must get involved. You must not be like me, as a teenager, fighting with my father, hating his blind adherence to his politics. You must get involved. At this stage you have a duty to. A duty to yourself and to your friends.

After all, this is about your future, and mine. Really it is about the future of my children. They are aged 13, 12 and 9. My 13 year old has joined his debating team in school, which is about two miles from your college.

He may well end up going to your college. He reads the newsletter where he lives, and is interested in his community. He is only a child.

If he has become interested, then so should you. Many of you will have children too some day. Hopefully, by the time my lovely boy gets out of college, when he is say, 22 or 23, there will be a job for him and that he will not have to emigrate, as most of you will have to emigrate, perhaps for years, perhaps never to return, because it would break my heart, as it will break the hearts of your parents who love you as much as I love my children.

That is why I said I would write this article. I am writing it, and this is not over-stating it, because your country needs you and somebody needs to tell you this, and it might as well be me. Your country needs to to change the political system here, the whole rotten system, to topple to edifice, from the bottom down. You will not do that by being part of the system as it is now set up. You will only do it within the changed and changing system, which will take years to come about, and come about it will.

As a start, I suggest that maybe somebody among you set up your own political party, and ignore entirely the political parties which now exist. All of them. Because they are too worn down by dogma and issues and bullshit and ideology to get anything done. Set up your own party with no ideology, other than to cut through the bullshit, to see spin and PR and lies and downright lies for what they are, and to get things done. I would wish you well if you did that. If you did that, in the real world, I will also vote for you.

That's the way it is at the moment.

It's exciting in a way. But it is also deeply troubling. These are the kinds of things that keep me awake at night.

“ I suggest that maybe... you set up your own political party, and ignore the political parties which now exist.

They are all worn down by dogma and issues and bullshit...

Jody Corcoran

THE COLLEGE VIEW

10 STUDENTS' UNION ELECTIONS

30 MARCH 2010

And the race is on... with 18 candidates vying for eight SU roles Candidates begin to campaign for votes this week as all three sabbatical officer positions are contested

By Samuel Hamilton News Editor The pistol has been fired and the newest batch of Students' Union candidates are off on a week-long race for your votes.

18 candidates have put themselves forward for election in eight roles - meaning ten people will end up disappointed after the votes are counted.

Only one role had no candidates come forward - the Engineering and Computing convener.

At the time of print nominations had been opened up for two additional days in the hope that a nominee would come forward.

If they do, voting for their position will still take place at the same time as the other positions on April 6 and 7.

For the main role of SU president there are three people hoping to become the newest leader of the Students' Union: David Doyle, Ciaran Hughes, and Megan O'Riordan.

All have had huge involvement with clubs and societies during their times at DCU - and all expressed their desire to give something back to the university that they have been at for so long.

Doyle, who was the ex-chair of Young Fine Gael, and the current chair of Airsoft society, told the College View that if elected he will bring "dedicated leadership and enthusiasm" to the role.

He says that the SU at present suffers from a lack of postgraduate involvement and is very much an "under-24 union" which he pledges to change.

Doyle also wants to to concentrate further on education stating that at present, "the union solely concentrates on events and on party organising."

Hughes, the current chairperson of the GAA society, says if elected he will "bring to the job a level of efficiency."

He told the College View that if elected, he will "fight for anyone’s

rights and... make sure everything runs properly."

When asked though what his policies and pledges were, he was less forthcoming, simply stating: "To be fair for a start, but I’ll not make any promises that I’ll not try and follow through on."

O'Riordan - the most unexpected of the candidates - has been massively involved with Drama and Dance throughout her time in DCU. She says that she has, "so many positive attributes to bring to the role of president" and that she is a "friendly approachable face for students."

Her policies mainly see her concentrating on issues that will be familiar to those in the college for more than a year: a lack of parking, a need for better student services, and high food prices.

She also though wants to see a more paperless university, with online submission becoming the norm in courses.

The other sabbatical also see tough competition, with the trio of Cillian

Members of the electorial team counting votes during last year's Students' Union election vote counting Cian Ginty Byrne, John Devine, and LeeAnne Heneghan vying to take over from John Murphy in the education and welfare role; and the duo of Maeve McQuillan and Colin Oliver looking to continue Melanie Farrell's work in campaigns and information.

Clubs and societies officer saw

only one candidate come forward Brian McDonald - who is expected, through his involvement in societies as the chair of both Book Soc and ParaSoc, to easily see off the vote to reopen nominations.

The same is also true of equality officer, where Khaula Bhuttet, is the

EQUALITY OFFICER: KHAULA BHUTTA

By Fiona Sherlock Deputy News Editor Human rights have always been a passion of Khaula’s and it has been an area she wants to specialise in after her studies.

She wants to work closely with all the DCU offices and societies in order to make sure that her role and responsibilities are carried out.

The equality officer is a fresh and vibrant role with a lot of potential and she feels the collaboration with different groups is key to ensuring that people’s voices are heard and adhered to.

She is confident and ensures that her voice will be used expressively to make sure students’ needs are listened to.

Khaula brings a new voice to this position in the union council and the union executive. Ethnically she is from Pakistan, nationally she is Irish and spiritually she is Muslim.

She sees things from a different perspective which is needed in a university that is becoming more

vibrant and colourful everyday with students from different backgrounds, cultures and beliefs.

She thinks the key is to understand that we are different and embrace it.

She has been involved in student work in the past year such as being the chair of the DCU Islamic society.

She was the students affairs officer for FOSIS which is the Federation of Student Islamic Societies – a national body that represents all the Islamic societies in UK and Ireland, voicing the needs of over 90,000 students.

She believes in equality, full stop.

All students should feel comfortable in university and have equal opportunities regardless of their religion, sexuality, ethnicity and physical or mental health.

solo candidate running.

The race for humanities convenor is likely to be the most cut-throat of the convenor positions with three candidates - all running on roughly equal policies - vying for votes.

Last year's convenor, Dara McGann is running again, alongside newcomers Jackie Fox and Adam Douglas. Douglas ran unsuccessfully in the recent local elections for the Green party.

Science and health convenor sees Alan Armstrong, Maria Corcoran and Leo Prymakov running; and for business convenor, Mark Doyle and Ian McGlynn are hoping to be elected.

All candidates will have an opportunity to speak in the hustings on Wednesday afternoon, with polling taking place the week after on April 6 and 7.

Counting of votes will then take place the day after - as opposed to through the night last year - with results likely by the afternoon of April 8.

Candidates are allowed to spend €320 in campaign material, with receipts given to the election secretary the day after polls close.

All results will be covered in the next edition of the College View, out the week after polling.

STUDENTS' UNION ELECTIONS 11

THE COLLEGE VIEW 30 MARCH 2010

The fight to become the new Students' Union president

By Samuel Hamilton News Editor It is the position where you do a little bit of everything: there is no one set area to concentrate on, you are forced to do anything and everything.

One day you may have to - as Alan Keegan certainly was forced to, whether he liked it or not - discuss the ins and outs of why DCU isn't a member of the Union of Students in Ireland (USI); another day you may be tasked with working out the Rag ball; or representing DCU in the Dail; or doing all number of things. It is a position that requires an ability to instantly take on almost any task.

As the face of the union - like it or not - you take the flack for anything that goes wrong, or occasionally right, within the hallowed offices

of the Hub. It is not a position for people whose ego walks out the door before they do. You have to be willing to take things on the chin and continue on - especially when it comes to dealing with the campus media, which has become more of a watchdog than ever. You have to be willing to respond to ten, twenty, sometimes more emails a month from the College View - and all in good humour.

As president though, you also get the once in a lifetime ability to put your stamp on DCU by creating policy that ensures, when you leave your office upstairs in the Hub, you have still left behind a bit of you - in the changes to the union under your watch. But the most important part of being president? Ensuring that DCU students have a voice in the big, bad world of our university.

'This has been the most challenging and rewarding year of my life'

Alan Keegan SU president In the Students' Union constitution the role of the President is: “Representation of members, development of policy, Coordination of union affairs, strategic development of the union, safeguarding of union finances, management and development of services.”

This is a pretty roundabout way to say that the president is responsible for absolutely everything that the SU does. If I was to narrow it down to three things, the president is responsible for: ensuring the smooth running of the union, more so on the student side of things but also with staff ; ensuring the union has a long-term strategy, and that this is followed; and being the public face of the union.

While, obviously enough, these three points don’t cover everything, they encompass what the president will find themselves doing. Unlike any of the other officers on the union, the president does not have a specific job title. This means that they will find themselves at the bottom end picking up a lot of loose ends that aren’t covered by other officers, and on the top end overseeing and co-ordinating things that are above the other officers’ heads, such as union strategy and university policy.

While the importance of being the public face of the union cannot be stressed enough, the president will also find themselves dealing

with making the Union work. This means that they will be doing an awful lot behind the scenes, leaning on the other officers to get their work done, making sure that spending doesn’t go over the top, that everyone in the union offices get along, and much more.

This job is the most interesting, hectic, unusual and rewarding that I have and most likely will ever have. People ask me if I would like to do something like this as a career, but I really don’t think that there is any other job in the world that is like this. This year I have had the opportunity to do some of the most exciting things. For example, if it weren’t for the fact that half the country was flooded and subsequently frozen, I would have been part of a nationwide charity event to push a sleigh from Dublin to Galway.

Each day in this job is so different from the one before. I can come into work in the morning with a definite plan for the day and something will pop up that needs to be attended to immediately, and at the end of the day I find I could have done 101 things, but they will have been nothing to do with the plan I had.

This has been the most challenging and rewarding year of my life. I have witnessed the highs and lows that this job throws at you and learned a lot about myself.

For anybody running for president, good luck. If you get elected you will embark on one of the most interesting journeys life is likely to take you on. You have a year to make your mark; make it, and enjoy yourself.

PRESIDENT: CIARAN HUGHES Ciaran Hughes is currently the chairperson of the GAA club and says that unlike other candidates running he is “outgoing and... a people person as well.”

He says that due to his time running the GAA club he will, “bring to the job a level of efficiency... and I’ll know how to run certain things and events to the best of my ability.”

Having been in DCU for four years, Hughes says he has, “seen the potential that the Students’ Union can have” and that he wants to see if he can have any input into it adding that if elected, he’ll “fight for anyone’s rights and... make sure everything runs properly.”

On actual policies, however, Hughes is slightly less outgoing.

When asked for his main policies he says: “To be fair for a start, but I’ll not make any promises that I’ll not try and follow through on.”

But what would be the one thing that if he doesn’t achieve during his

term in office would deem his run a failure? “I don’t know, man.” Do you have one thing? “No.” He says that fees are going to be the main challenge during his term, they “are going to be a big one.”

What will Hughes do differently to the current holder of the role? “I think Alan’s done a great job this year,” he says. “I’ll just try and follow on what he’s done and just push the Students’ Union to make it better.”

On USI, he feels we shouldn’t rejoin the national students’ union this year, but that he can “see it happening in the next few years.”

Is he confident of winning? “I think everyone has a good chance of winning – I’m not too sure now but I’d be fairly confident.”

PRESIDENT: MEGAN O'RIORDAN Megan O’Riordan says she is running for president because of an invested interest in the university over her four years here – a time that has been immersed in clubs and societies, which she feels “will prove extremely valuable to the role if elected as the next president.”

She says: “Since my first year at DCU, I have admired the Students' Union and the work they carry out on behalf of the student body... I have decided to run for president as I believe this position demands the enthusiasm and determination I will bring to the table to investigate and develop on the issues arising concerning DCU students.”

The main areas she hopes to work on centre around four key areas: student life, education, facilities, and SU activity. She will be looking at increasing parking on campus, bringing down the price of food in the canteen, increasing the use of online assignment submission, and

prioritising students at exam time – when she hopes to have the library open on a 24-hour basis.

She is hesitant to name one thing that would constitute her term of office a failure, saying that: “Working hard every day to work alongside and lead the SU on behalf of the students will be my goal for success. Without achieving this 100%, I would be disappointed in myself during my time in office.”

O’Riordan says that, “the role of president is not an annual position to be compared each year... I believe Alan Keegan has proudly fulfilled his role this year, and I would look forward to liaising with him on carrying his current work into the next year if elected.”

On USI, she says she will attend the debate in week ten “with an open mind, with the best interest of the students at the forefront of my mind” but that her stance on whether we should reaffiliate “is influenced by the financial implication of rejoining.”

She says: “I would be happier to see the €5 annual fee per student given to the USI spent by our own Students' Union to tackle issues of our own students.”

But is she confident of winning?

All she will say is that, “hopefully, the issues I feel are achievable and relevant will hit home with my fellow students.”

PRESIDENT: DAVID DOYLE David Doyle is currently a member of the SPC, chair of the Airsoft society, and chair of Union Council.

He feels he will bring “dedicated leadership and enthusiasm” to the position having been involved with the union in some way during his three years in DCU. If elected he will concentrate far more on academic affairs. He says that, “we need to bridge the gap that exists at the moment between academic affairs and events.”

Doyle says the main reason he has decided to run, “is because I think that the structures that hold DCUSU together are outdated, and they’re complacent, and I think it’s time we changed them around so that our union becomes inclusive of all students.”

If elected, Doyle has six key points he wants to concentrate on.

He wants to see “massive union reform.”

He also wants to bring about Hub refurbishments as he feels, “that it’s

time DCU students have a student centre that facilitates their needs and requirement.”

Doyle says that at present “DCUSU is... an under-24, undergraduate union” and he wants to see “better representation for postgraduate students.” He also wants to “make sure that mature students have proper representation” and if elected “will immediately establish a mature student officer of Union Council and then proceed to do what I can within

constitutional changes to ensure that there is a mature student officer within the Executive.”

He also wants “to see a greater expansion of a national presence” saying that “if the students of DCU need to be heard nationally I will ensure as president that they are.”

Given the coming debate on USI, he says that he “will listen very attentively to the discussions in the coming weeks” and “will meet with USI if there is a demand for this.”

On whether we should rejoin, Doyle says: “If DCU wants to be part of a wider Students’ Union body in Ireland, I think that would be fantastic... but USI as it stands is not what we need,” feeling that it is “flawed” and “needs reform”.

He would also like to see expansion of campaigns beyond weekly events – to include year-long campaigns on education and welfare.

Doyle says he is “never confident” of winning and doesn’t want to call it too soon.

THE COLLEGE VIEW

12 STUDENTS' DENTS UNION ELECT ELECTIONS The path to o victory: the e important race dates

March 29

March 31

April 1

Campaiging kicks off around campus... expect posters galore around any spare g piece of wall available

Hustings take place outside the canteen - after last year's record turn out - this could be make or break time

April Fools Day, and the day of the DCUfm presidential debate - which is being broadcast at 8pm online

Slogging it out for deputy

By Audrey Donohue Staff Writer The deputy president of DCUSU is known as the education and welfare officer. In terms of education, the position involves dealing with any issues relating to the academic side of the student body's college experience.

Examples of such issues are awareness and understanding of marks and standards, appealing a result, dealing with the likes of extenuating circumstances,

facilitating grinds for students who may be struggling or acting as a gobetween if a dispute arises between a lecturer and student.

The education and welfare officer also oversees the class rep system, with co-operation between this position and the four faculty convenors playing a vital role in this operation. The deputy president sits on a wide range of committees representing DCU students.

Welfare plays a substantial role in the officer's day to day work. The education and welfare officer is

thought to be the first port of call for students who have a problem of any kind. These problems could involve finance, accommodation, health, stress and other personal issues. The officer may deal with this problem immediately or perhaps direct the student in the direction of the correct support service.

Sensitivity, compassion and the ability to remain confidential are all traits which the successful candidate must have. The officer also oversees campaigns such as Please Talk week and Shag week.

DEPUTY PRESIDENT: CILLIAN BYRNE Cillian Byrne, who ran for the role of SU president last year, is back in the running this year but for the secondin-command position.

"In running last year I picked up a lot of experience in matters of the union, as well as experience gained from being on the union executive this year along with the SCC. "When I reflect, the education and welfare officer is the position which I personally am more suited for - especially on the welfare side of things, you're not going to find a more friendly and easy-to-talk-to person than myself."

Byrne, who is completing a Masters in Electronic Business, says that he wants to stay in education

"no matter what happens. I'm even looking into teaching (as a career option) at the moment as well. It's the sort of role I feel I'm more suited to, the guidance and advisory role."

He says that this year in particular is going to be a very busy and hectic one for the education and welfare officer, with the Bologna accords (policies from a Europeanwide marks and standards quality assurance body) being implemented.

"That's going to be an issue and will definitely affect students here, with everyone else being affected by it already." Byrne also wants to "deal with Union Council. At the start of the year everything is nice, attendence is high. But like with everything else it fizzles. We can't let that happen next year, so I'd like to bring in some strong inititives to change that, as the Union Council is the voice of the students.

'Some students can have such heart breaking issues...'

John Murphy S deputy president SU Looking back over the last ten-or-so months, it all seems to be almost a bit of a blur. Cliched as it sounds, it only seems like last week that I was sitting down in this chair for the first time and getting settled in to the office.

Between the handover and the first few weeks on our own, there is a hell of a lot of information to take in, in a very short space of time. Despite this, I managed to get my head around the day-to-day logistics of the job and the many, many meetings quicker than I expected, given the huge learning curve. What I didn’t expect was how quickly the semester hits you like a train. We had developed a sort of comfort zone over the summer. No handover document can prepare you for that first day of Orientation

Week when everything just comes at you. But again, you learn to deal with it and adapt. Sitting on 17 odd committees also takes a bit of getting used in terms of what they do and who sits on them.

Without a doubt, the most difficult, but most rewarding part of being education and welfare officer is dealing with and helping the individual students that come through my door on a day to day basis. Some students can have such heart breaking issues but helping them get through it is so rewarding and is the main reason I ran for this role in the first place. The biggest issue this year, that I still get weekly, is finance. Many people have run in to severe financial hardship and it will continue to be one of the biggest issues for my successor.

Probably the most frustrating aspect of the job is how much work needs to be covered in both education and welfare. While I certainly try to do a good job in both aspects, it’s very difficult to

30 MARCH 2010

excel and do a fantastic job in either because you are trying to get the ground work of the two covered. It’s a balance that’s tricky to strike.

I think the campaign I was happiest with was Please Talk. A huge amount of planning and effort went in to it and it really showed.

It turned out to be a great success and staff and students really got involved and enjoyed it.

Did I enjoy this job? Absolutely.

It has been one of the greatest experiences of my life and I have learned so much from it. It wasn’t always easy but I’m so happy that I did it and it will stay with me for the rest of my life. I wish my successor and the entire team next year the very best of luck. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has helped me over the year and made it so memorable.

In particular though, I have to say a huge thank you to Alan and Melanie. You guys have been so fantastic to work with and have both become two of my closest friends.

DEPUTY PRESIDENT: JOHN DEVINE John Devine says that running in previous elections has helped him to see where the problems regarding education and welfare lie.

Last year I was running for faculty convenor in Science and Health and I just thought of a lot of things that would be beneficial to running for education officer this year, such as the library, marks and standards, etc.

There's a lot of work to do in support services."

He claims that he has instigated real change already during his role as class rep. "From an educational point of view, I suggested a lot of reforms at programme boards. Some of them are going through right now, [these are] major issues."

If elected he hopes to "sort out the whole issue of marks and standards and anonymous marking because there are major issues with that. There's not enough leeway for lecturers. Let's say a student is doing well in a module and had a bad day in an exam, at present it's setting out that nothing can be done once the mark is submitted. I want to start a conversation about that as it is unfair on students."

The library is also a priority for the

candidate. "I want to fix up the library.

A lot of people are complaining because other institutions have longer opening hours and I'd like to look at that as well."

When asked about the controversial issues of reading week, Devine said: "I wouldn't be in favour of a reading week for all courses but I'm in favour of the people who need it getting it. There are some people that get it and take holidays and I'm completely against that. That is an issue."

Devine is a final year Chemical and Pharmaceutical Science student who has been a class rep for the past two years.

DEPUTY PRESIDENT: LEEANNE HENEGHAN Another candidate from last year, Heneghan says that she thought a lot about re-running for the position of education and welfare before adding her name to the mix "You have to be in the right mindset to run again. I think the fact that the result was so close last year made my decision. It was such a small margin that I would have regretted not going for it again."

So why should students vote for her?

"Really I'm going for this position because I care. I want to be there for someone no matter what kind of problem they have, whether it be big or small, so that they feel that there is an education and welfare officer that's open and welcoming."

Heneghan feels she has the experience for the role.

"For the past four years I've been a class rep and this past year I've been nursing officer. In both roles, you're there to solve problems for people and I feel that that is a large part of the education and welfare role.

When asked about her aims for the year if elected, she lists involvement of all students in the union as a priority.

"I want to make sure that the union is not just in the Hub, it's all over campus.

"I would hope that people feel

they won't have to come to the Hub for information, that information is all around the campus.

Heneghan echoes her fellow candidates when she claims that union council needs to be improved.

"I would like to make use of the class reps and convenors and make sure that they're used to the best of their ability, that I would liase a lot with them and any support I could give to them, I would.

"I would definitely aim to increase the amount of class reps at union council and make sure that that information is going back to each and every student."

The final year Intellectual Disabilty Nursing student says that she hopes to "put in measures... that prevent these problems before they arise, like Please Talk week has done."

13 3 STUDENTS' UNION NION ELECTION ELECTIONS NS 1

THE COLLEGE VIEW 30 MARCH 2010

April 5

April 6

April 7

April 8

The day before voting begins - candidates should either be overly worried, or too confident for words

The first day of voting - so no posters within ten metres of polling stations and lots of free lollypops for voters

The second day of voting - which means it's the last chance for candidates to pick up last minute votes

Votes begin to be e counted, and with all going g to plan, all the winners of the e elections should be known

The two horse race for vice

By Paula Lyne Staff Writer The vice president of the union is responsible for co-ordinating SU campaigns and for promotion of SU events. The role is usually known as campaigns and information officer.

The role of the officer, under the current constitution, is to plan, implement and publicise campaigns in support of all union policies and strategies, and to research and distribute accurate information to

the student body about campaigns and events.

The campaigns and information officer is responsible for shaping the message of the union and for promoting this message to the student body.

This promotion can take the shape awareness campaigns, like the current drug awareness campaign running across campus, or it can take the shape of posters and other information about SU balls and events.

The campaigns and information officer also works with the education and welfare officer to ensure that accurate information and support is available to all students regarding their safety, education and welfare on campus.

An important part of the role of campaigns and information officer is to ensure that the student body and the union executive are communicating successfully with one another and that all voices are being heard.

reflected in my campaign and it's something I will be passionate about if I'm elected."

Oliver says that he also hopes, "to improve the level of involvement that postgrad students have, not only with the running of the union, but also with club and society life."

He says that, "as it stands, the postgrad student body don't play and active role, and I know from firsthand experience that many of them have never visited the SU. I want to change that."

I was asked to write this piece to sum up my year as Students' Union vice president, and to be honest its hard to know where to start. There is so much to say. First of all, the position is completely different to what I had perceived. Would I recommend it? Yes, I would. It's not like any other job you will ever have. Every day is different. From sitting on the Governing Authority with the heads of the university to planning the Christmas ball. It is completely diverse.

As the role of vice president, campaigns and information officer is only in it's fourth year, it is still quite flexible and therefore carries with it the 'it is what you make it' tag-line. That said, there are many definite duties within your role.

Some of your main responsibilities include: informing students on Student Union and University issues, carrying out campaigns such as Shag Week and Budget Week, designing and producing any material that needs producing, and representing students on various university committees.

The job begins in June and the summer is a strange time. The handover between ourselves and last year's executive team was vital.

This happens over a two week period. Once this is over, you're on your own to learn the ropes. It's during this time that your planning takes place. Try do as much planning in this time as possible because once Orientation week arrives, you have no time.

The start of the year is very exciting, Orientation Week and

Freshers' Week were the most fun for me. Meeting students is one of the most enjoyable aspects of the job; you meet so many new people in the first couple of weeks and all through the year. The re-opening of the bar created huge excitement for us this year, students were just delighted to have the bar back.

The best aspect of the whole year, cliched as it may sound, is the great friendships I have made both within and outside of the Union.

That is what I will miss most of all.

The worst aspect of the job is negativity. Sometimes no matter how much work you put into something people can put a negative spin on it. That is the most disheartening part of the job.

One of the toughest things that next year's team will have to deal with is student finance. Students are finding managing their money increasingly difficult and the Students' Union have to work hard to support them.

My one recommendation to the new sabbaticals is to plan as much as you can during the summer.

Make sure to work closely with your executive team, they are vital and they have been such a support to us this year and we couldn't have done it without them.

I would just like to wish next year's executive team the best of luck. Make sure that you make the most of it and enjoy your time. It's not always easy but you learn so much and meet so many amazing people throughout your time.

Finally, I would like to thank everyone that we have worked closely with this year. From our executive team, to the staff in the Union and the university staff. They have made this a year to remember and I will miss them greatly.

“Clubs and societies are an integral part of university life. They’re a way of making friends, and developing interests and hobbies outside coursework.”

McDonald studies Environmental Science and Health, is an experienced campaigner with extensive past involvement in student politics.

This year, he was elected the Union Council secretary, as well as a class representative.

He is also the chair of DCU’s newest society, ParaSoc. Were he to be elected, McDonald’s biggest ambition is to improve the

communication between the various societies and the Students' Union.

He feels that all parties would get more out of it were there to be better co-ordination of activities and a stronger relationship in general saying that: “We need to improve inter-union and club/soc communication.”

He feels that high profile society events such as the Fashion Show and the Casino ball could benefit from clubs and societies working more with the union.

He also hopes to increase fundraising for charitable causes,

by starting the charity committee in November and running it throughout the year.

With regard to his predecessor, he feels that outgoing Clubs and Socs Officer Willie Coyne “has done a great job.”

McDonald is running unopposed, but under the Students' Union constitution he still requires a certain number of votes in order to assume the role of officer.

Running uncontested “was a big relief,” he said, but emphasised that he would not be complacent about it with his campaign.

VICE PRESIDENT: MAEVE MCQUILLAN During Maeve McQuillan's time in DCU, she has been very involved in society life, and says that she's "gained a lot from it."

She feels she knows "the potential of DCU to bring out the best in people, as it has done for me."

According to McQuillan she has "the personality and drive to give students the best experience they can have during their time here."

If she was elected to the role of campaigns and information officer, she says that one of her main policies

if would be to utilise newer forms of media far more. This year, the SU expanded onto Facebook, but she plans to take it further by introducing Students' Union video blogs from members of the executive saying that, "that way students could know more about what their union is doing."

McQuillan says that she also wants to get clubs and societies more involved in promoting Students' Union events, so that the amount of promotion for events being held is increased.

VICE PRESIDENT: COLLIE OLIVER Throughout Collie Oliver's time at DCU, he says that he's "been hugely involved in extra-curricular activites... both as an undergrad and a postgrad student."

He is also well known as the face of Red Bull on campus.

Oliver says that he wants "to give something back to this college and its students."

He says that one of his main aims, "is to increase the openness and transparency of the Students' Union."

He adds: "That aim will be

'No matter how much work you put into something people can put a negative spin on it'

Melanie Farrell SU vice president

CLUBS AND SOCIETIES OFFICER: BRIAN MCDONALD

By Sam Matthews Deputy News Editor Brian McDonald is the single candidate running for the position of Clubs and Societies Officer.

According to the current constitution, the Clubs and Socs Officer is “responsible for the representation of members and the implementation of union policy in relation to extra-curricular activities.”

Duties include supporting the development of current clubs and societies, as well as aiding students wanting to establish new societies.

Speaking on Friday evening after announcing his candidature, he said:

THE COLLEGE VIEW

14 NATIONAL NEWS

UCC head spends over €75k in expenses

By Sorcha Jowitt University College Cork's (UCC) president, Michael Murphy, has run up an expenses bill of €75,000 over the course of almost two years.

This comes despite the university owning €13m of the €30m debt belonging to the seven Irish universities.

The president's expenses covered business class travel seats, hotel accommodation and restaurant bills.

One restaurant bill amounted to €658, a business trip to New York cost €6,642 and more than €1,000 was spent in first class rail fares courtesy of the Irish taxpayer.

Murphy defended his past spending habits saying policies have been tightened in recent months.

He says: "In the last six to eight months, UCC has restricted the use of any business class by any staff to flights of eight hours or longer and where budgets allow. And since September 2008, I have not travelled first class on the train to Dublin."

Irish Federation of University Teachers general secretary Mike Jennings has agreed that business class flights must be restricted stating that, "all universities should be operating to the public service guidelines and any travel should be kept to essential trips only."

Michael Murphy, the head of UCC, spent money on business class flights and expensive meals Murphy also reinforced the need to represent UCC abroad in order to attract students from overseas.

He says: "Part of my role as president is to represent UCC abroad and to promote international education here, given that overseas students were worth €19 million to us and €35m to the local economy last year."

All of his trips, for which he claimed expenses, were trips on official college business.

He explained that he must visit the likes of Dublin on a regular basis to meet with other university presidents, cabinet ministers and senior civil servants with Murphy’s wife travelling with him on several occasions.

However, a spokeswoman for UCC explained that his wife’s expenses have been paid for by "the university’s philanthropic or commercial earnings" and not by the taxpayer.

The UCC president is the highest paid university president in Ireland, earning over €273,000 a year.

30 MARCH 2010

Ex-student suing Trinity College over bullying and xenophobia claims

By Niall O'Connor Staff Writer A Trinity student who alleges that he was subjected to two years of xenophobic bullying by staff and fellow students has lodged an application to the High Court for a judicial review into his suspension from the college.

Serbian-born Aleksandar Zejak claims that several university staff members harassed and intimidated him because of his nationality.

Trinity College have described the allegations as “inaccurate and unfounded”.

Zejak, who is a PhD student in mathematics, was suspended in July for refusing to undergo a psychiatric assessment and failing to provide “appropriate medical evidence” to prove that he is not suffering from a mental illness.

In a series of letters sent by the university’s junior dean Dr Emma Stokes, Zejak was told that “given the number and nature of complaints I have received about your behaviour...

I have reasons to believe you may have problems with your mental health.”

The College View understands however that Dr Stokes has no background in psychiatry and is in fact a senior lecturer in the university’s department of physiotherapy.

Zejak was suspended on July 1 and notified by Dr Stokes that he is now banned from entering the Trinity campus and his office in the university’s Lloyd building.

In an email sent to the head of the School of Mathematics, Dr Donal

The front square of Trinity College where a student alleges he was bullied by several staff Sophie Bury O’Donovan, Dr Stokes writes, “We are all concerned about the students and staff who share his office in the Lloyd Building and would ask that these individuals be provided with alternative office accommodation in the short term.

“To prevent Zejak from obtaining access to the office during his suspension, the locks will be changed.”

A number of complaints regarding Zejak’s behaviour were made to Dr Stokes over a period of several months.

One staff member wrote “On a regular basis I am struggling to come into work and perform my duties to their required standard as a result

of this continued and persistent harassment...”

Another staff member lodged a complaint against Zejak for taking photographs of them without permission.

The employee wrote “I found the fact of this complete stranger taking photographs of me irritating, as I personally believe such behaviour is grossly disrespectful...”

Zejak told the College View last week that he believes there exists in Trinity College, “a pattern of institutional xenophobia, as well as a culture of mis-governance, lack of transparency and lack of ethics among certain members of the college, persons who have attempted,

and continue to attempt, to cover up their abusive and discriminatory behaviour through acts of intimidation, slander, harassment, bullying and ultimately mobbing, as well as through the orchestration of vast libel."

Trinity College said in a statement that: “The college wishes to put on record that the allegations being made by Zejak are inaccurate and unfounded.

"It refutes in the strongest possible terms all allegations of xenophobia.

Zejak’s suspension came after all pastoral avenues to support him had been exhausted and after his refusal to engage in any meaningful way with the college’s procedures.”

NUIG president blames publicans for students' unruly Rag week behaviour

By Samuel Hamilton News Editor The president of NUI Galway (NUIG) has lashed out at publicans who he says are to blame for the unruly behaviour that saw 51 students arrested during the college’s banned Rag week earlier this month.

NUIG Students’ Union had arranged College Charity week as an alternative to Rag week – after it was banned by university authorities after drunken riots, public urination and widespread anti-social behaviour took over last year’s event where 42 students were arrested.

During the College Charity week, which took place from March 8-11, NUIG authorities and Gardai spent €10,000 a night on extra resources to try and avoid a repeat of last year’s Rag week trouble.

Before the event students were

warned of a zero-tolerance approach in advance by Gardai.

However, in defiance at the university's stance, students in opposition to the Rag week cancellation arranged their own alternative events for throughout College Charity week.

James Browne, the president of NUIG, says that pubs encourage students to drink over the top A Facebook page set up for Galway Rag week 2010 had over 8,000 fans when checked by the College View.

James Browne, the university’s president, says that pubs encouraged students to engage in excessive drinking and that they had tried to

“hijack the charity event for their own profits.”

During the College Charity week, a number of bars and nightclubs were seen distributing flyers outside the front of the university advertising cheap drinks.

According to Browne, these promotions hinder the university's attempts to try and promote sensible drinking given that these promotions encourage “the consumption of excessive alcohol in an undesirable way.”

He says: “These pubs and clubs are at the frontline of a cynical campaign by the drinks industry to target young people at the minimum legal drinking age. By offering cheap alcohol outside of normal hours they are providing students with an opportunity for excessive drinking leading to unsafe, unruly and antisocial behaviour.”

However, according to Val Hanley, the president of the Vintners Association of Ireland, Galway pubs will not become “the whipping boys” for Galway students’ drunken behaviour.

The spokesman for the drinks industry told the Sunday Mirror: “Rag week is very much an open-air event when 90% of the alcohol consumed is consumed in apartments and students come out late and pubs are by-passed in many cases.”

Hanley added: “The event has only become contentious in recent years. When it tended to be staged in the controlled environment of pubs, there were seldom any problems.”

According to local Garda, Superintendent Tom Curley, the Galway policing effort had led to a minor improvement on last year’s event, despite the higher number of arrests.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 15

THE COLLEGE VIEW 30 MARCH 2010

British PM's salary dwarfed by university heads

By Fiona Sherlock Deputy News Editor Over 80 heads of British universities earn more than the country's Prime Minister, Gordon Brown.

Brown earns £197,000 (€218,807) – plus a pension. In contrast, the highest paid university head, known as a vice-chancellor, earns £474,000 (€526,471) with 19 other vice chancellors earning more than £300,000 (€333,240).

Over 4,000 other British academic staff are earning more than £100,000 (€111,020), including academic administrators, consultants, and scientists - compared to just a handful ten years ago.

Last week, The Guardian ranked eight universities based on combination of chief executive pay and the proportion of high-earning staff.

In order of vice-chancellor income, they are London Business School, University College Liverpool, Imperial College, Nottingham University, Oxford University, Kings University, London University and Bristol University.

General secretary of the British lecturers’ union, University and College Union, Sally Hunt says that university staff hide behind remuneration committees as an excuse for their massive salaries.

She says: “The pay rises senior staff, in particular vice-chancellors, have enjoyed in recent years have been a constant source of ridicule.

There is no transparency for the arbitrary rises they receive."

The income of thousands of senior academics has soared in the past ten years.

Salaries for senior academic staff have risen faster than the salaries of average lecturers.

British universities face huge funding cuts, and the president of the National Union of Students, Wes Streeting, complained about students being asked to pay higher fees in order to balance the books.

He says: “The fact they are giving themselves and other managers huge pay rises will raise questions about whether students’ money is being well spent.”

Some senior staff have given part of their salary back to their universities, with Prof Eric Thomas at Bristol University taking "no pay rise last year," and instead making a donation of £100,000 (€111,020) to the university.

DCU presdident Ferdinand von Prondzynski earns €236,000 per annum, just over the €228,466 earned

by Taoiseach Brian Cowen.

Cowen took an 11% pay cut in December 2009, reducing his salary from €257,024 to €228,466.

Weekly guide to entertainment

Sexist female ranking list scandal hits Oxford soc

By Ceile Varley Deputy News Editor Fifteen members of an Oxford drinking society have been suspended after the circulation of a sexist list naming female first year students.

The male students are alleged to have drawn up a list ranking female freshers on attractiveness which was then circulated by email.

The list was comprised of photographs of each girl, along with comments and derogatory remarks.

Under one girl’s photograph someone wrote “only if we're desperate" and beside another picture was written “buy condoms”. A third remark about a girl said "saw her get battered on Sat... although not all that great.”

The aim of the list seems to have been to decide which first years to invite to the society's fresher party.

The private emails were discovered after an anonymous person posted them on college notice boards overnight. They also revealed a humiliating initiation ceremony for

male freshers who wanted to join.

The initiation rituals included forcing new recruits to streak naked across campus smeared in goose fat and having to eat raw squid.

The Telegraph quoted a student who had watched the ordeal before: "They had to dismember a squid.

Someone who failed had to eat half of one. Bits of squid ended up back in college and there was lots of vomit everywhere."

The society in question is the Penguin Club. Members are easily identified by their maroon ties with gold penguin logos. The club formed last year and, according to the Oxford student newspaper Cherwell, has created a degree of ill-feeling around the college campus due to their rowdy behavior.

Some of the students who have been suspended are reported to be in their final year of study. The Oxford student bar has been closed for the foreseeable future as a result of the events.

The Penguin's fresher party has been cancelled.

EveryFridaywith

7+( ,5,6+ 7,0(6 Specialstudentrate 80 c

THE COLLEGE VIEW

16 INTERNATIONAL NEWS

30 MARCH 2010

British university fees far too low Palestinian academics says chancellor of Oxford to recieve

new British scholarships

By Emma Gill University fees in Britain are preposterously low, according to the chancellor of Oxford University.

Lord Patten says that the current tuition fees of £3,225 (€3,500) don’t even come close to covering the £16,000 (€18,000) it costs to educate a student for a year at Oxford.

Even with the aid of government grants British universities must raise half the fees themselves through private donations.

By Sam Matthews Deputy News Editor

Ivy League universities, like Harvard, have tuition fees of over $33,000 annually Lord Patten proposes that grants given by the government should be reduced, and that instead universities should be allowed to decide how much they want to charge students.

He says that this system should be introduced on the condition that students were still accepted onto courses based upon their intellectual merit and not whether they could afford to pay the fees.

America’s prestigious Ivy League universities charge ten times as much as British universities with undergraduate tuition at Harvard University costing over $33,000 (€24,500) annually.

There are no fees in place for university students in Ireland, with third level education being paid for by the taxpayer.

The current €1,500 registration charge paid each year is used to fund student services such as the Students' Union.

DCU president Ferdinand von Prondzynski has long been an advocate for the reintroduction of tuition fees in Ireland saying that the funding offered by the government for higher education in this country is inadequate.

Speaking to the College View last year, von Prondzynski said that Irish

Lord Patten, being assisted by a young child on his graduation walk, feels tuition fees are far too low in Britain universities are operating on about half the amount of money that a similar sized university in Britain operates on, and that the difference between funding available for

American universities compared to Irish universities is much greater.

Questions were raised last month about the quality of the Irish education system when it emerged

that that American multi-national companies were reluctant to hire Irish graduates due to a supposed fall in the quality of graduates and a rise in grade inflation.

US uni put on watch after spate of suicides

By Ruth Hogan A leading American university has posted a number of guards at a bridge over a deep gorge on campus following the deaths of three students by suicide in the last month.

Cornell, an Ivy League University in Ithaca, New York state is also sending staff members out to check on students by knocking on the doors of all those living on campus.

The recent spate of suicides has also led to extension of opening

hours at the student counselling centres.

Students at the university are trying to understand the reasoning behind the recent suicides with many feeling that the long, cold winter combined with Cornell’s stressful academic regime may have been contributing factors.

At a Student Assembly meeting in the university, vice president of facilities services at Cornell University, Kyu-Jung Whang, said that erecting some form of barrier

around the bridges could decrease the number of suicides - as it had in other previous cases.

The university is expected to take advantage of the absence of its 21,000 plus students this week by installing temporary barriers to provide a short term solution to the problem.

However, Whang said that in the long term the university, “want to make sure that whatever we end up with is not unsightly since a lot of people come to Cornell because of the beauty of the campus.”

Director of mental health initiatives, Dr Tim Marchell, also spoke at the assembly about recent studies on the efficiency of fences as suicide deterrents on bridges.

He said that not all people will just go to another bridge to commit suicide and that, “the thing to understand about why these barriers work is that suicide in young adults is often an impulse.”

Marchell added: “We are in an unusual situation right now; this is a crisis."

The British government has launched a new university programme providing UK scholarships for Palestinian academics over the next four years.

The Higher Education Scholarships for Palestine (HESPAL) will sponsor ten Palestinian academics to travel to the UK each year to complete masters degrees and postgraduate courses.

HESPAL will focus on several key areas of study, including finance, business, IT, physics, chemistry, agriculture, water management, and Law and International Development.

The UK Minister of State for Higher Education David Lammy welcomed the new programme. In his speech to the House of Commons, he said: “In countries all over the world, the link between a burgeoning Higher Education sector and a thriving economy is clear.

He added: “Through training the next generation of academic leaders, HESPAL will make a real difference to local communities in Palestine, benefit the academic community and the wider society and re-energise the economy.”

Participating British universities will include the University of Exeter, Kings College London, the University of Essex, the University of Manchester, the London School of Economics, and several others.

The UK co-ordinator of the Palestine Solidarity Initiative, Michael Deas said: “The news of this scheme is obviously welcome.

It reflects the growing realisation about the ways in which Palestinians are routinely denied their right to education by Israel’s grave violations of international law."

Palestinian academics and students face great difficulties in the Occupied West Bank and Gaza.

Travel to and from universities and schools is severely restricted by Israeli checkpoints, curfews, permit refusals, and the illegal separation wall.

Israel controls Gaza’s land borders, air space and territorial waters.

Gazan students are prohibited from studying in the West Bank or Israel, and are frequently denied the right to travel abroad for higher education purposes.

HESPAL aims to create a “next generation” of senior academics in order to develop international education quality standards in occupied Palestine, and thus improve the Palestinian economy and standard of living.

30/03/10 | Issue 9 | Vol 1 Editor and layout: Sean McTiernan

+ Tolkien Copyists Paedogeddon Achewood

FLUX

Hoarseboxing Clever

Intergalatic eighteen years

A

s conversations in pubs are wont to, the one with Mark Hamilton invariably turned to football. As a Villa fan he’s still a little sore about the Carling Cup final (“Vidic shouldn’t have been on that pitch”), but it’s his admiration for Roy Hodgson’s Fulham that’s the most telling.

“What he’s done with so little money is amazing. It’s a really incredible achievement.” Operating on a reduced budget with none of the big money help others around them are getting, it’s easy to see parallels between Ash and the Cottagers.

Abandoning the rigid structure of major labour album deals, Ash now operate on their own label and have been a singles only band since October, when they committed to releasing a single a fortnight for an entire year. Yup; 26 singles. Consecutively. Ambition, invention and foresight, the parallels are well drawn.

You’re just about halfway through your A-Z undertaking, how’s it going so far?

It’s the biggest challenge we’ve ever had as a band. It’s not just the 26 singles we’re releasing. We’ve recorded over 52 songs in total.

Was it originally planned to be one a week?

We thought that because each single is effectively going to be

under the spotlight for a couple of weeks, the chances of every single one out of fifty two songs being up to the kind of quality that we want to maintain wasn’t realistic.

We’ll still be using the songs as bonus tracks. We’ve started giving out free bonus tracks with every other single, and we’ll be doing compilations as well; they’ll all get used.

Committing to releasing a single a fortnight for an entire year looks, on the surface, to be insane, do you regret any of it?

Logistically, there’s a lot involved, especially if you’re trying to release a physical 7’’ with every single. We’re effectively our own independent label now. We finished a six album deal with Warners and whenever we talked to anyone, any of the record companies about what we wanted to do, it was crazy. There was no way we could make it financially work. So we just thought that we’d have to do it ourselves. We don’t have the budgets we used to, but the whole aim is to make is sustainable. So far, so good.

Does shackling yourselves to a singles only format limit your scope in anyway?

When you write a song you don’t approach it from a concept album point of view, well I know we haven’t in the past, so they always have to stand up on their own merit to make the album anyway. There’ve been certain songs we’ve highlighted and

Rory Bonass talks to Mark Hamilton, the bassist in Ash, about the alphabet, Aston Villa and the final frontier

taken to radio, made videos for, but you just can’t make videos and take every song to radio.

It just costs too much. Still, the songs inbetween we felt free to do whatever we wanted to do.

Do you have a favourite?

There’s three in a row coming up that’re my favourites and they’re N, O, and P; Dare to Dream, Mind Control and Binary.

You’ve been doing this in some way since 1992, when you were basically just a kid. How do sustain interest for 18 years?

It starts out it was your dream in the first place. Then every album - when we were doing albums – was three years of your life. You put a year and a half into writing and recording the thing and a year and a half on the road so they were sections of your identity for three years.

The change to the subscription model, to A-Z, it changed that three year cycle. We can dip in and out of touring and releasing or jump in and out of the studio, which is much more fluid and you don’t have this rigid cycle, which is really restrictive.

Russell Lissack, who has joined you for this tour, started with Bloc Party, who obviously came up in a very different environment to ye. Do you think it’s more difficult for musicians today or is it just a question of adapting?

All the money’s just fallen out of the industry. In the 90s it was extortionate amounts of money flying around. Just doesn’t exist anymore.

Was this a reason for going to a single format?

Well you don’t make any money off singles. But album sales have gone down dramatically because everyone’s downloading.

Major record companies are a fraction the size they used to be because they can’t sustain themselves.

Things’ve definitely been scaled back, but if we can just ride the storm and find something new which can keep us afloat and sustain us then we can continue to do what we love doing and do it on our own terms.

Damon Albarn said that Blur were lucky in that they existed at a point when it was acceptable to make a bad first album, but now there’s nothing like that.

Yeah, there’s no artist development. There’s no one willing to take a chance beyond single two, never mind album two.

It’s tough out there. I guess new bands really have to spend longer in predevelopment before they try to present themselves to the public.

A huge number of your songs, both here and previously have ‘looked to the skies’. Is this entirely metaphorical or are ye a little bit geeky?

Yeah, there’s a lot of that; fascination with the universe. It’s a subject matter Tim can’t seem to move past. There’s certainly a geeky element, the nerd factor. I guess it’s a youthful kinda thing; every kid’s dream job is to be an astronaut.

Do you try hold onto that youthful energy?

I just think we haven’t gotten old and cynical yet.

Do you worry about that happening?

To some degree. I dunno, our fate is in our own hands so if we screw it up we’ve only got ourselves to blame. We can get cynical then but right now we’re still making it work.

PREVIEWS - THAT WHICH IS 'RELEVANT'

HOW CHEAP IS TOO CHEAP? TESCO VALUE FROSTIES €1.39, 500G So why did you choose Frosties?

Well I like cereal, in the evenings not mornings. Not a huge fan of Frosties, more a cornflakes mixed with rice krispies person, but I saw them and was intrigued.

I haven't tried too many of the Value range products but those I have were pretty decent, so I thought I'd give them a bash and see.

What's the saving pricewise? €1.06. Didn't have to break any notes, which is always a good thing.

Regular Frosties cost €2.45, see I did my research, so its a good saving. For that price, I was able to get the Value Frosties, as well as a pint of milk along with them.

What was the packaging like?

Weird, very weird. Comes in a big white bag, looks very cheap. Since I've never seen cereal that didn't come in a box, I was immediately suspicious. Yeah it makes sense from a storage point of view but I don't buy my food with that kind of stuff in mind. I'm a very cautious eater, basically I'm five years old.

If I haven't tasted it or seen it before, I don't like it. This wierd packing wasn't selling Tesco Value Frosties to me.

But then I've always been told that it's all about what's inside right?

Well it doesn't get much better once you get in there. It's odd. They look like Frosties, smell like them, taste... we'll get on to that in a sec, but they're not Frosties.

And it's quite apparent that they're not. There's just something odd about them that's slightly off.

So the big question, were they nice?

No. God no. Got through three big spoonfuls before I gave up. Tasted like sugary paste. Now as I said, I've never been a huge fan of Frosties but I don't remember them being that bad. At first I thought that the milk had gone bad, it was that kind of taste. I really wasn't ready for something that horrible.

Will you be buying them again?

Read the above.

David Peter Patrick Kearns Esq. 2

No more smile of the week

T

here are TV programmes you think will always be around, stuff that you don’t ever worry will cave under the pressure of incoming Glee-type creations.

The Late Late Show for example or, ya know, Nationwide – they’re not going anywhere.

You’d think that list would include RTE’s The Den. Turns out though, you do have to worry about that one, because in a few short months RTE will be ditching the whole Den department in order to ‘refresh the schedule’ and make way for a new format.

It’s a total outrage! The Den is an institution.

It’s been the foundation upon which Irish childhood entertainment has been built. I mean, without the influence of Socky, Dustin, Zig & Zag, and all the gang, where would we be?

Without them, how could we have turned into the well-rounded individuals we are today?

I know it’s all jazzed up now with the likes of T.O.A.S.T and Kazoo and all that lark, but back in the day it meant so much more than just puppets and Draw with Don. It represented a freedom from school and homework; a time when you were famous for simply being wished a ‘Happy Birthday’ on TV; and a place where uncontrollable laughter could be created from a turkey doing the flap flaps!

It was a glorious part of our childhood which unlocked the gems of television that have remained with us: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; Round The Twist; and the old favourite The Morbegs (not really, they were pretty annoying – especially Molly).

Everyone is concerned about the future of The Den’s presenters (what will Brian Ormond try next? etc...), but what we should really be thinking about is the void that children everywhere, ah...in Ireland, will be feeling once The Den is cancelled.Don’t do it RTE! Don’t take away the joy!

Elizabeth Lavin

The new art of mixtapes

Hanging on the Telephone

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nless you live under a giant rock of some sort, chances are you, along with over 31 million others, have seen Lady Gaga and Beyoncé’s music video for their duet Telephone. You’ve also probably marvelled at the video’s complete bizarreness and almost random string of events.

With this video, Gaga’s truly outdone herself, managing to offend transgender people, lesbians and those who are adverse to excessive product placement.

She has been criticised for portraying lesbian relationships as toxic and poisonous, and for trivialising transgenderism with her “Told you she didn’t have a dick” scene.

She has hit back at critics, stating "There are transsexual women and transgender women and suddenly it becomes poisonous and something else because there are some people in this world that believe being gay is a choice. It's not a choice; we're born this way.

In the course of the video’s nine-and-a-half minute runtime, Gaga and her team cram in over ten references to particular brands. Amongst others, she prominently displays products from Virgin Mobile (sponsor of her Monster Ball Tour), Miracle Whip, Wonder Bread, Polaroid and Diet Coke.

Although this may look like an over-the-top moneymaking scheme, her manager Troy Carter denies that all of these brands paid for their products to be included. For example, Wonder Bread didn’t pay a penny for their slices to form the basis of Gaga’s poisonous sandwiches, but Miracle Whip did.

Polaroid’s appearance is a little bit more understandable, with the singer being appointed as the

emember those days of sitting by the radio and hitting record on the tape player every time a song you loved came on. Back in the day before the iPod generation and the ultra digital age smashed onto the scene leaving a completely transformed music industry in its wake.

We thought the days of sitting by the radio waiting to press record were long gone but fear not, Apple have once again come to the rescue with their latest feature. Welcome to the Snowtape.

Sounds awesome? Well it certainly is and it couldn't have come sooner for music lovers.

The Snowtape is that one feature that the digital age was missing out on. As it's been put “Think of it as the record button that iTunes doesn't have” Users can record their favourite tracks straight from online radio stations but the fun doesn't stop there.

You can also tag and add your own album art to the song allowing it to blend right in with your iPod and iTunes and you can also build up your own station directory to keep track of everything going on in your own customised music world.

Like our TV friends Sky and NTL Plus, Snowtape also allows you to schedule a recording of an upcoming radio show using iCal. Could it offer any more? Well yes actually.

It also has a built in editing feature that allows you to edit your tracks and create your very own mix tapes at complete ease.

For lovers of this digital musical era this is a must have feature.

The app can be found online on the Apple Mac site and is also available for download on the iPhone.

Rosie McCormack

U

company’s Creative Director just last year.

“We have a lot of fun with it now,” Carter said of the Telephone video’s product placement. “If Michael Jackson was making Thriller, he would do this too.

These million-dollar music videos have to have partners to be produced.”

It’s hard to imagine Michael Jackson and his troupe of zombies doing their infamous dance routine with multiple cans of Diet Coke in their hair, but as Carter added “Lady Gaga plus Beyoncé equals an expensive video.”

It’s not just product placement that sneaks its way into the video, but also obscure references to anime and Star Wars.

Blink and you’ll miss it, but Gaga’s Fex-M3 poison is a reference to Star Wars. But you probably knew that anyway.

Patrick Kavanagh

Flux 30/03/10

Tolkien started this gangsta shit Conor Donohoe takes a look at who created the template for fantasy and who is ripping it off most effectively

W

e’ve all heard it before.

Somewhere, in the far reaches of some continent, an innocent, uninteresting protagonist finds a magical/ancient/mythical object. Protagonist is then charged with taking said object from A to B, a mere pawn in the fight against an evil tyrannous power. Protagonist becomes a hero after, presumably, much bloodshed, and/or several near-death experiences. Yes folks, it’s fantasy fiction time!

As the epic Wheel of Time series draws to a close with only (only!) two books remaining, it’s apt to examine the growth of fantasy novels. Where did the template (magic, dragons, wizards, wars, Dark Lords) that has become so frequently used actually come from?

Well, initially, a certain JRR Tolkien classic comes to mind.

The Lord Of The Rings, released in 1954, pretty much set the bar

for the genre. After his success, the genre exploded in popularity, leading to a lot more titles that were more or less influenced by LOTR. These can be said to include The Dark Tower series by Stephen King, and the Earthsea saga by Ursula Le Guin to name a few. But if we jump ahead and examine a more modern series for blatant signs of extreme Tolkien influence, we really need to look no further

Chris Morris: the last sane man Doyen of podcasting Niall Farrell examines what made earth's most vicious satirist want to make a Mike Leigh style comedy about sucidie bombers Flux 30/03/10

than Christopher Paolini and his Inheritance saga.

For anyone who isn't familiar with Inheritance, think back to the (God awful) film adaption of its first installment, Eragon, may jog your memory. At the start of the series at least, you can almost hear the LOTR film score as a young boy finds a blue stone, which he learns is a dragon egg. He meets an ex-Dragon rider (pretty much

a wizard for all intents, purposes and generalisations) who guides him on his journey, and meets an untimely death, leaving just the boy and his dragon. Sound familiar? Eragon then seeks the help of both dwarves and elves in his quest to defeat the evil Sauron.

Wait, not Sauron, forgive me. I momentarily confused Eragon with something else...

More obvious similarities

'I

As you may have noticed, “dimesmeric andersonphosphate” isn’t real. Neither is “Shatner’s Bassoon”. The incident with the Prague schholboy never happened, because Cake doesn’t exist. Yet, Noel Edmonds was willing to read that statement, thinking it was for an information programme on the drug.

Edmonds wasn’t the only one duped by the Brasseye crew; among the other celebrities fooled were Bernard Manning, Gary Lineker, Rolf Harris and, famously, Conservative MP David Amess.

Amess was a victim of the “Cake” episode, and filmed a warning about the "made-up" drug for the same programme. The MP again referred to Cake’s affect on Shatner’s Bassoon and the drug’s ability to cause a condition known as “Czech Neck”.

Amess didn’t stop there though, going as far as asking a parliamentary question concerning Cake in the House of Commons. This was where Brasseye’s effect was shown; the ability of an ounce of (fictitious) media hysteria to provoke a moral panic among people who didn’t even bother to check the validity of what they were denouncing.

Exposing the trend of hysteria wasn’t the only thing Brasseye accomplished in its shirt stint on Channel 4. Morris managed to be the catalyst for tougher broadcasting regulations on TV and a stricter enforcement of the 9 o’clock ‘watershed’.

Some more quotes from the “Cake” episode: Bernard Manning lamented the death of a made-up child; “One young kiddie on Cake cried all the water out of his body. Just imagine how his mother felt. It's a fucking disgrace.”

The comedian, who courted his own

f this were really happening, what would you think?” The quote from Brasseye is an emblem of the kind of comedy Chris Morris has made

his own.

Brasseye remains one of the most controversial television programmes in British TV history. The controversy was in many ways courted by Morris, but it doesn’t take away from the brilliance of Brasseye.

On a first viewing, Brasseye may come across as crass, crude and blunt. Beneath the layers of seemingly straightforward humour is a message.

Brasseye, along with the earlier Morris programmes The Day Today and On The Hour, remains the most biting and accurate of satires directed at the media.

Brasseye takes the form of a Panorama-style current affairs programme, addressing a theme every show (such as drugs or paedophilia).

The coverage it gives to each issue is presented seriously, leading to lines like “An overdose of heroin is fatal - in the short term. But there has been no research whatsoever into long term effects” in an episode concerning the fake drug “Cake”.

In the words of Noel Edmonds, “What is Cake? Well, it has an active ingredient which is a dangerous psychoactive compound known as dimesmeric andersonphosphate.

It stimulates the part of the brain called Shatner's Bassoon. And that's the bit of the brain that deals with time perception. So, a second feels like a month. Well, it almost sounds like fun...unless you're the Prague schoolboy who walked out into the street straight in front of a tram. He thought he'd got a month to cross the street.”

I've noticed come from Mark Chadbourn's trilogy The Age Of Misrule. First of all, the fact that it is a trilogy is an immediate giveaway, something that is rampant in the genre. But concerning the plot, its central premise basically simplifies to five chosen ones, under the guide of what is, again, essentially a wizard, carrying around artifacts that would be highly dangerous in the hands of the wrong people, or the dark lord Balor, in this case. Oh, and Balor has been vanquished before and is seeking to rise again.

I'm not complaining, however.

Most fantasies, while indulging in taking templates from Tolkien, generally do enough different to make the genre itself vastly interesting. The Wheel Of Time is a good example of this, and while certain aspects may be the same (the token inclusion of a Dark One and the struggle against Him), it shows how the genre has grown and may, hopefully, be expanding above and beyond its Tolkienesque (real word to describe the genre, by the way) base.

controversy in his day, also said; “Cake is a made-up drug. It's not made from plants, it's made from chemicals... by... sick bastards.”

In the “Paedophilia” episode, an MP detailed how paedophiles are using “an area of Internet the size of Ireland.” MTV Presenter Richard Blackwood was all upset about a fictional child victim of paedophilia, as “The child smells of hammers.”

One thing Morris couldn’t be accused of is being a onetrick pony.

Morris has worked extensively in Television and Radio, writing his own projectss as well as appearing on programmes like The IT Crowd.

Morris appeared in The IT Crowd as a result of his friendship with Father Ted writers Graham Linehan and Arthur Matthews.

At this point, you’re probably wondering “Why is that Farrell fella telling me about Chris Morris’ old shows?” Firstly, you’re a fool for leaving that question until the end of the article. Secondly, it’s because Morris has a new movie coming out very soon.

“Four Lions” is, as Morris describes it, a “jihadist comedy” focusing on terrorists living in the UK. Some brief clips have been released, and they feature a group of terrorists debating which voice to use in the local shop as they buy bleach for use in explosives.

Four Lions appears to be a different animal (if you forgive my pant-shittingly hilarious pun there) than Morris' previous efforts. Early reports seem to suggest even though it has an English setting, it panders far more to American audiences than British ones. Also the script seems to be a lot more naturalisitic that Morris' previous efforts. Whether he can succeed in this form and overcome public outrage remains to be seen.

3

Read Achewood?

Achewood Oh,Neccesarily Blood of Champion Sean Mc Tiernan explains one of the internet's funniest and most human works of ongoing fiction

W

hen it comes to comics on the internet, it is a real shame XKCD dwarfs Achewood in the popularity stakes but it's also pretty understandable. XKCD charts interactions between stick figures, the blankest of canvases, and deals with pretty universal topics like love and how the people like to feel smarter than everyone else on the internet.

And it does it pretty well (if you like to be suffocated by a combination of smugness and sentimentality).

Achewood on the other hand has long story-lines,often taking detours into the surreal, and humor which depends heavily on both prior knowledge of the characters and the way the jokes are phrased rather than their content. It covers love, in a very real and not always pleasant way, but gives equal time to the other important emotions like: greed, loneliness and the shame on having your secret fetish for “women mashing birthday cakes around under their bottoms” exposed. Oh and Achewood is populated by a minimally drawn group of anthropomorphic animals inspired by the cuddly toy collection of creator Chris Onstad's wife. They are also the human characters in comics today.

Achewood enters it's tenth year next year and over its decade it has built up a dedicated stable of fanatical devotees. One only has to look at the impressive, sad and occasionally startling costume competition they ran or indeed the many songs people have written inspired by their stories. Or the virulent bile-spitting arguments that break out on forums about whether or not there's too much magical realism in the comic these days .

Achewood is definitely a comic for adults.

That doesn't mean it makes any attempt

4

to be gritty or is just a normal comic with nudity and swearing shoehorned in(you're fooling no one Frank Miller). Basically it helps to read Achewood if you know people who are trying to grow up and have made a few attempts at growing up yourself. Also a knowledge of friendship, failure and embarrassment can help.

The two main characters are Ray Smuckles, bawdy millionare and solid dude, and his best friend Roast Beef, terminally depressed and awkward computer programmer and equally solid dude. The dynamic and trials of the their friendship is one of Achewood's main concerns.

Just like Homer in The Simpsons, Roast Beef started off as a relatively minor character in Achewood but has eventually become the heart of the comic.

Looking at the story of Roast Beef you can see why Achewood is an outstanding comic. His story has morphed from a nuanced examination of depression into the combined difficulties and transformative power a loving relationship can have on a depressed person. Witness the strip where his girlfriend Molly (who he met in Heaven, long story) gives him a shirt and the pressure of being mocked by his friends for “putting on such airs” leads him to frantically bury it. Roast Beef's struggle

make his infrequent redemptions all the more powerful. It also helps to have his characteristic logic around when Ray buys Airwolf and Keith Moon's head and loses the run of himself.

There's also a huge cast of supporting characters, all with their own concerns and detailed back stories. Some are sympathetic and relatable, such as Teador the Bear (a graphic designer and Joy Division fan with some body issues ). Others are...well, not the kind of people you want to run into.

For instance, there's Nice Pete. He's

a serial killer some of the characters occasionally and grudgingly have to hang out with. Nice Pete's speech could be one of the most unsettling and hilarious things in fiction. That's not to say he's overdone, campy or devious. He just talks about people like they are insects on slides.

For instance, when asked what it is like to kill a man, Nice Pete explains: “It is kind of like playing a basketball game. I am there.

And the other player is there. And it's just the two of us. And I put the other player's body in my van. And I am the winner.” This uncomfortable mix of horror and hilarity accompanies most Nice Pete interactions.

In typical Achewood style, the main focus seems to be on how awkward he is to know: it is kind of cool and edgy to know a serial killer but he's probably going to viscously murder you at some stage. It seems the more chilling Nice Pete gets, the funnier it is. His blog post where he details standing outside Ray Rachel's house is probably one of the funniest things I've read this year.

That's right, Nice Pete has a blog, as do many of the the Achewood characters. All written in their own unique voice and about things which tie into previous Achewood storylines. And people actually read them. The kind of merchandise the comic profits from shows both a creativity on Chris Onstad's side and a willingness to fly in hte face of convention on the die of his fans. For instance Ray Smuckles has published a cookbook in which he details simple but awesoem recipes.

In addition to this being hilarious, the recipies are pretty good. If you're hardcore you can also buy the Teadore the Bear apron. Nothing has alienated my previous housemates further than seeing me milling around a kitchen, fish sauce in hand proudly displaying a doughy nerdy cartoon bear on my man chest.

If you are looking to start reading Achewood and are overwhelmed, then welcome to everyone's mutual nautical vessel. My advice is to start with The Great Outdoor Fight.

It sums up the characters pretty well, has an easily followable storyline. Also it's a sentorian display of the style of humour

in Achewood In the story Ray has an emotional side, inherting the lineage of his father Luther Ramese Smuckles, the infamous Man With The Blood On His Hands and known to fight scholars as the "Thomas Edison of handing a dude his ass".

If you laughed at any of that, or if you're look for fiction that is at once totally identifiable and utterly sureal: Achewood is for you.

State of Flux:Hoarsebox David Hanratty mucks out with Rory from Hoarsebox

P

retty interesting name you got there…

It came from a combination of the phrase “How are ya horse?” and the fact that we were singing so much that we’d always wake up on a Sunday with hoarse voices, so we kind of put two and two together and got five.

Some people hate the name, even some people in the band. I love it though. I’ve been defending it for five years now. Loads of band names are shit but once a band gets heard people forget the name and hear the music.

Hoarsebox seem like the type of band you could go for a pint with…

More like 12 pints! Yeah we’re fairly sociable, we tend to hang around after our gigs and dance to whatever music is playing.

Do you think there’s too much posturing from bands nowadays?

Like is there too many bands trying to appear apathetic in a bid to look cool?

That kind of attitude pisses us off, when you see bands onstage with moany faces on them looking like the last thing in the world they want to be doing is playing music. If you like the music you’re playing there’s no reason why you can’t have fun. It’s kind of a fashionable thing, some of them are doing it as a kind of image thing, but

is long and hard and we’re in there 13, 14 hours a day but it’ll be worth it in the end.

Any difference between Irish and American crowds?

Irish people tend to dance quicker than Americans. We aim to get people moving because otherwise we look like fucking eejits. We try and create an atmosphere that’s quite relaxed and hope to get people to relax too.

Do you think downloading music is killing the industry?

The industry is changing, music was too expensive. We offer some songs for free because we just want to get people to our gigs.

We don’t even bring CDs to our gigs anymore, we just tell people where to find them online. There’s no point complaining, you just have to adapt.

You mentioned gigs, what’s more important; a good album or a great live show?

A great live show, every time.

I get a real kick out of playing gigs. Recording is secondary. I

want this album to be as good as possible, but it’s mostly a vehicle to play bigger and better shows.

And you played some interesting shows during your time in America…

Yeah we played a gig in a catfish restaurant to a group of about 60 or 70 old people and they didn’t know what to make of us.

It was one of those gigs where you thought that nobody was interested but by the end we were getting hundred dollar tips and people coming up to us saying how great it was.

A catfish restaurant certainly seems like a change of pace…

The place is 150 years old and in a really small town of about 200 people.

Muddy Waters played there the previous week so to have four white guys from Ireland show up and play weird funky pop music was probably not something the locals were accustomed to!

Hoarsebox play on Thursday 1st of April in The Button Factory Dublin.

David Kearns is skeptical about the growing trend for quicktime events in computer gaming

Q Flux 30/03/10

COMICS WORST ASSHOLES 1. Superman 2. Guy Gardener 3. Superboy 4. Cable 5. The Riddler 6. Desire from Sandman 7. All Frank Miller Characters 8. Frank Miller 9. Stan Lee 10. Dick Tracy 11. Jimmy Olsen 12. Cyclops.

13. Bizzarro 14. Steel 15. Professor Xavier

BEST GARTH ENNIS CHARACTERS

Press A to advance story uick time events, or QTEs, are those little ingame interludes where an action pops up on screen and (generally) you either PUSH THE BUTTON, PUSH IT NOW or lose! This is usually done in the middle of a scene you're trying to watch. Pretty annoying, right?

From the developer’s perspective, it’s understandable the appeal of QTEs. They’re a catchall mechanic that allows you to do pretty much anything you want without having to do much work. There’s little need to create new game play conventions for your insane spectaculars (Bayonetta take note!) when you can just throw in a QTE and give the player the illusion that they’re in control.

The problem with QTEs is an obvious one: they combine

Flux 30/03/10

it’s not something we suffer from.

What do you think of the state of today’s music scene?

I think things are getting a little bit better. I was really inspired by the fact that people managed to get Rage Against The Machine to number one at Christmas.

To see that kind of level of solidarity amongst people on Facebook was really cool. There are some pretty good bands in Ireland rising up too, so it’s definitely looking good.

Has it been important for you to play abroad?

It’s very easy to become oversaturated in such a small country. I think if you want to make a living off music you have to tap into bigger markets, and you can’t get away from the fact that there’s only so many places you can play in Ireland.

You’ve been recording your upcoming album in Mississippi…

We’re halfway through the album, it’s going really well. We’re recording in a small town near the Bible belt. The recording process

the worst of interaction with the worst of cinema. Usually during a QTE something very interesting is happening on the screen, but unfortunately you're so busy looking for the next prompt to hit you'll probably miss it. It's rare any meaningful interaction goes on, or what you're doing has any connection to what's happening on screen.

The arcade game Dragon's Lair can be blamed for creating the QTE, as it's widely credited with being the first game to feature them. The timed button controls suited a game like Dragon's Lair because it was born out of the arcade scene, and this new method of control suited this environment.

Fast forward 27 years however and what was once a revolutionary concept has become a gaming crutch.

A surprising number of recent games have relied on the QTEs,

including some absolutely wonderful titles. Shenmue (series), God of War (series), Resident Evil 4 & 5, the aforementioned Bayonetta.

The list goes on.

The point of playing a game is to give the player some sort of control over the world.

It doesn’t have to be a lot, most games boil it down to "do I kill X using Y or Z?" Even the first Mario gave the player the choice of a head stomp or fireball!

With QTEs the player has no control over the events beyond a simple binary pass / fail.

Successfully completing a QTE has the same payoff as pressing a play button when you're watching a movie.

Get it right, and you get to see what happens next.

If that can be classed as "gameplay" then where does Resident Evil: Extinction go on the game shelf, before or after RE5?

1. Saint OF Killers 2. Arseface 3. Jean De Baton 4. Sixpack 5. Bueno Excellente 6. The Female 7. Denfesntrator 8. Blowchowski 9. Cassidy 10. Kev 11. Dog Welder.

12. Tommy Monghan 13. Cassidy

As you can see, realism is very important to the developers of Bayonetta 5

Bicycles are red hot

Eimear Nolan helps you keep dignity while two-wheelin'

COMICS BEST CATCHPHRASES 1. "Stupid Rat Creatures" - Bone 2. "Hulk Smash! " - Hulk (duh) 3. "Flame on!" - Human Torch 4. Spooooon!- The Tick 5. "By the Hoary Hosts of Hoggoth!"Doctor Strange. Seriously Stan Lee? 6. "Nothing moves the Blob" - Blob 7. "My name is Wally West and I'm the fastest man alive" - The Flash 8. "I have come to pass judgment on you...

Know that men call you Liar!

Know that men call you Betrayer!

Know that men call you Defiler!

Therefore, it is the duty of the Angel Azrael, agent of the Most Holy And Blessed Order Of The Sacred Saint Dumas, to bring you punishment.

The punishment of death by fiery sword! " - Azrael. Before Batman made him mad dweeby.

S

o, with the advent of what looked like spring for a second there I thought I’d write about clothes for cycling. While this may sound deceptively simple (get up, put on clothes, get on bike) be assured, it’s not as easy as you might think.

Through some years experience of wheeling around this fine city I’d like to think I’ve a fairly good grasp on what works on a bike and what does not work on a bike.

Firstly I’d point out how easy (and cheap) it is to get cycling.

It pays for itself. In fact, on the Dublin waste website you can get bikes for free. Free. As in, costs nothing. Then you can easily jazz it up, if you’ve got the skillz in your garage, if you’re not one of those blessed with oily fingers you can pop on down to Rothar in Phibsborough to avail yourself of tools, expert advice and your caffeinated beverage of choice for just 5 blips an hour. Check rothar.ie for more information if you feel so inclined.

Anyway, my focus being the fashion side of things I’ll move swiftly along. Now, firstly when on a bike you should be mindful of the fact that you’re slightly more elevated than normal.

Thus while your dress may have been of a decent(ish) length in your room you may end up showing off parts of yourself only a select few should be privy to when negotiating your way around. The sensible thing to do here would, of course,

be to wear trousers whilst cycling. That’s no fun though and besides that, trousers can present a whole host of issues what with tangling in chains and oil stains, not good. If you are more inclined toward the trouser end of things though it is possible to look good atop

quite literally, blow up in your face.

However too tight is also an issue I found much more pressing making my way home from town one fine day.

While, in theory, a bodycon skirt seems more suited to the task the whole motion of

your trusty steed, the obvious choice here is skinny jeans. This negates any issues with chain tangling as they’ll be plastered to your legs. Otherwise, wearing a skirt or dress for cycling is immensely doable.

I’ve found that Penneys wool tights offer sufficient mindingyour-modesty coverage as well as looking good and, need it be said, keeping your pins toasty warm all for only €3. Choice of skirt is a tricky one; don’t wanna go too flowy as it could,

cycling tends to push these skirts up, way up. So up they end up around your waist, kind of .

To summarise, a skirt for cycling should have a fair bit of give in it or be long enough that you can safely secure it under your arse on the seat and please, always wear thick tights. Unless you’re into the whole catcalls from Aidan’s schoolboys thing.

Otherwise you’re pretty much golden as anything goes on the top half, it can get pretty

freezing zooming down hills though so wrap up. Go for layers as it can alternatively get pretty warm whilst struggling up said hills and sweaty is never really a good look. Pretty essential kit is a scarf and gloves; you know that mild breeze outside? On a bike that refreshing breeze will cut like ice knives into your chest and hands so to avoid this throw on a vintage scarf and some mittens or fingerless gloves (all the better to change your IPod with).

If you’re really into it you can customise your bike with helpful, yet good looking, accessories. The first, and most obvious, being a basket. Megahelpful for lugging your bag and all your notes to college and they give your wheels a whimsical, Parisian charm.

Along the same vein, an old style horn can be used to tell all the idiots to, politely, get the fuck out of your way while simultaneously lending a retro air to your bike.

And so much more badass than a bell. Here’s where I tell you how important helmets are but that’d make me a massive hypocrite because I don’t wear one. You probably should though and you can get some really nice ones on t’internet.

Really.

Just because you’re on a bike doesn’t mean you’ve to neglect the aesthetic side of things.

In fact, there are whole blogs dedicated to cycling chic so hop on and show Dublin what you’re made of, just avoid the upskirt.

"YOU SEEN THAT STAR WARS MOVIE?" - THE CLASSIC FILM REVIEW

THE WORST THINGS TO HAPPEN TO COMICS 1. Everyone being 'dark' cause of Watchmen 2. Most of Image Comics in the 90s 3. Anime nerds discovering Preacher 4. Alternative Realities 5. Multiple Dimensions 6. Anything from outer space.

7. Doctor Light being a rapist 8. Killing Green Arrow 9. Unkilling Green Arrow 10. The Judge Dread Movie 11. Frank Miller 12. Civil War 13. Blue Superman 14. Everything after the 90s

6

American Psycho: "Maitre d' at Canal Bar..?" ften as a general rule, the transition from book to film is almost always a disaster. Notable exceptions include The Beach, Fight Club and Let The Right One In, but somewhere up at the very top is American Psycho. On publication, Brett Easton Ellis’ book ignited controversy over its depictions of violent misogyny. Tammy Bruce of the National Organisation of Women called the book “a how-to manual on the torture and dismemberment of women”.Given the subject matter, Mary Harron (I shot Andy Warhol, The Notorious Bettie Paige) raised eyebrows when she took on the role of director. Her film is not as graphic as the book – much of the violence is suggested rather than shown. Nonetheless, it is brutal enough to stay true to its original conception.

O

Christian Bale is Patrick Bateman, a wealthy young investment banker at the fictitious Wall Street firm of Pierce & Pierce (yes, Bonfire of the Vanities). In his downtime, he is also a psychopath and serial killer.

His interests range from cannibalism, to chainsaw-enabled prostitute dismemberment, to hacking a colleague (Jared Leto) to death with an axe. He kills old ladies, homeless people and kittens.

As you might expect from that exposition, the whole thing is audaciously funny. It is revered by those who like their humour as black as Lorelai Gilmore’s coffee. It darkly satirises the white-collar yuppie culture of the 1980s. It also spoofs the horror film genre, drawing wry references to society’s woes and popular culture.

Bateman’s world is one in which the desire for

conformity is so strong that the characters are constantly confused with one another.

They wear the same suits, have the same haircuts, they are equally bland, and the only thing that sets Bateman apart is his unquenchable bloodlust.

As the story progresses, his descent into madness is highlighted by the increasing superficiality of his personality.

Unfortunately, the lengthy

#9

deconstructions of vapid music, such as that of Phil Collins or Huey Lewis will probably go way over your head.

I recommend you watch American Psycho, but I have my concerns, because most likely you won’t ‘get it’. You’ll probably laugh at all the wrong moments and then join a Facebook group comprising the more obvious and widely quoted lines.

It’s a scenario that ends with you smiling obliviously and pretending to understand as I educate you on the merits of the new Robert Palmer tape, or inform you of my lunch engagements with Cliff Huxtable at the Four Seasons.

But it’s only after I’ve buttoned up my raincoat that you notice the copies of the style section all over the floor, and suddenly you realise that even the less subtle parts of American Psycho are pretty darn smashing.

Sam Matthews Flux 30/03/10

"OH ANYTHING BUT RAP OR COUNTRY..." - REVIEWS

Hate your parents? Enjoy distortion?

Dillinger Escape Plan Option Paralysis 5/5

I

n delivering their masterpiece, Dillinger have drawn upon their past body of work; honing and refining the more successful elements of previous albums, namely the raw aggression of debut album Calculating Infinity, the melodic vocal lines first found on 2004’s Miss Machine and the electro-tinged oddness of 2007’s Ire Works.

The usual staples associated with the band are present; complex time signatures, piercing guitar work and furious vocals, but it’s the marriage of old and new that really sets Option Paralysis apart.

Opening track Farewell, Mona Lisa serves as a composite of the band itself; a mixture of breakneck pace and quiet reflection, showing off the stunning range of vocalist Greg Puciato without sacrificing the bite that the band have become famous for.

That bite is present throughout the album, from the accusatory paranoia of Good Neighbor and Room Full Of Eyes to the staccato sarcasm of Endless Endings, but it’s the quieter moments that really surprise and impress, in the form of the album’s two standout tracks; Widower and Parasitic Twins.

Both tracks owe a debt to one-

time collaborator Mike Patton, whose influence is present in the lounge crooning vocals and washed out guitars that permeate the tracks.

However both stand up as Dillinger Escape Plan originals.

Widower is especially notable, a schizophrenic genre-mashing triumph that transitions from

melancholy piano to tribal drums, building to a huge crescendo before coming all the way back down again. it’s the song that sums up the album. In lesser hands it would be an incoherent mess, but Dillinger have both the charm and skill to make it all fit together.

David Hanratty

Sorry,the dubstep is in another castle Ikonika Contact, Love, Want, Have 4/5

T

his is Ikonika(Londoner Sara Abdel-Hamid )'s début album and it dares to mix 8bit (video game style) music and British Dubstep. On the surface, the only things these genres have in common is how incensed fans of either become when hipsters get hold of some of their music.

Witness the deliberately terrifying elitism that exists in online dubstep communities and the berserker rage with which nerds greet the continuing existence of Crystal Castles.

Apart from this over-protective fandom, 8bit and Dubstep could not be more different. Dubstep is mutated form of drum'n'bass that is all about soundscapes, deep rich tones and aesthetic. 8Bit sacrifices sound quality at the hands of nostalgia and melody.

So did Ikonika manage? Pretty well actually. She certainly doesn't try too hard to ape fellow dupsteppers.

None of the starkness of Skream or the glacial slow reveal of Kode9 is evident here. Instead her songs are like pokemon, ever evolving until they mostly become unstoppable behemoths. Rich synth chords accompany driving rhythm tracks and bouncy mushroom-chasing leads.There are a couple of tracks on here that kind of peter out into nothing but the more 8bit Ikonika

Flux 30/03/10

Massive Attack Heligoland 3/5 Just announced as one of the headline acts for Electric Picnic 2010,Heligoland is their long awaited 5th Studio album, and it’s a grower.

The latest effort from Bristol duo Robert 3D Del Naja and Grant Daddy G Marshall takes a little bit of getting used to.

Many of the signature Massive Attack styles are present: choc full of soulful vocals, chill-out beats and dark atmospherics, but it all comes together in a way that lives and breathes in a slightly different manner to their previous releases.

3D recently described the songs as having their own respective personalities, which makes sense, considering the range of high profile guest contributors – among others, TV On The Radio’s Tunde Adebimpe, Blur/Gorrilaz frontman Damon Albarn, Hope Sandoval from Mazzy Star and Guy Garvey of Elbow.

Stand out tracks include the laid back Paradise Circus, Tunde’s morose opener Pray For Rain and the haunting Rush Minute.

Longtime collaborator Horace Andy reappears for reggae-esque vocals on Girl I love you and Guy Garvey’s track Flat of The Blade is an altogether harrowing experience that could easily be something from Thom Yorke’s The Eraser album.

Babel provides a good dose of choppy glitch for anyone who’s got a hankering for edgy gloom-tronica…

Albarn’s presence lends parts of the record a strong Gorrilaz feel, and there are also elements that are reminiscent of Zero 7 and Hail To The Thief era Radiohead.

Ideally this album should be listened to through a good system for all the colours to come through (I.E. cheap headphones + cycling through traffic doesn’t do it justice.)

It can at times feel very claustrophobic and gritty, and it’s full of the sort of dubby bass, synth bleeps, disjointed rhythms, and orchestral flourishes MA fans will have come to expect.

It’s not their masterpiece, but it’s a solid record.

Loving Heligoland is a gradual process, but it’s a worthwhile one.

David Clarke

singing throughout about filling up a kettle and making a cup of tea. Cilmi has the syllables, but seems to have forgotten about the emotion.

Ten feels like an album that would have done well ten years ago – but when even Christina Aguilera can’t now make a successful move to the bargain basement of electro, you are forced to ponder the question: why bother? With Robots, you can’t help but compare it to Marina and the Diamonds’ much better song. The same with What If You Knew where she ponders the question of, “What if you knew your best friend was in love with you?” except for the fact that fellow Aussies The Veronicas have already asked that question without the eerie, disturbing undertone. Overall, the album is a disappointment.

Samuel Hamilton

Fang Island Fang Island 3/5 Opening an album with the sounds of fireworks is cool and brave in about equal measure. Fortunately these are two traits Fang Island possess in spades.

Those fireworks are on every track in some way or other; from the pounding drums to the choral harmonies to the filthy guitar crunch; carefree joy floods from every note.

It’s a shame then that what they make up for in fun they lack in originality and invention, because while this is an album of only thirty one minutes it feels a little laboured by the end, and while the opening tracks (Daisy especially) will make you want to throw your hands up and run around a whole lot, by the end you’ll just feel like you’ve been doing the same thing for a bit too long and you look a bit thick.

Rory Bonass

Gabriella Cilmi Ten 2/5

takes it, the more inspired it becomes.

Stand-out track Millie's bitcrushing of the traditional heavy dubstep bass till it sounds like a robot made of Super Nintendos demolishing skyscrapers is an especially awesome example of what fruits her unique approach could yield in the future.

Melody is as much of a focus in this album as aesthetic though, making it a lot more accessible than many of her peers. It is fitting Ikonika be the one to render Dubstep accessible, she was the co-director of

seminal documentary fittingly titled “It's Not Just Bass”.

Contact, Love, Want. Have definitely captures the same grimy sinister feel of music from the streets of London that Burial does so well.

However in spirit and in execution, this album is a hell of a lot closer to Streets of Rage.

And aside from the traumatic memories of my dad calling the police at the start of the level, that is pretty awesome.

Sean Mc Tiernan

Gabriella Cilmi is fast turning into the ultimate case study of being the low-fat version of an already much loved popstar. On her first album, Lessons To Be Learned, she was the salad-rather-than-steak version of Amy Winehouse – her precociously sultry voice only taking her so far.

On latest album, Ten, the 18-year old has reinvented herself into a sub-par version of Little Boots, offering up generic electro-pop lacking any sort of actual physical emotion. Current single On A Misson could – at a push – just about pass the emotion test; asides from that, however, she could for all intensive purposes be 7

THIS IS NOT AN EXIT

Isolated and destroyed Sean McTiernan

T

here are very few people I can hang out with. This is partly my problem, I'm as anti-social as someone raised on Limp Bizket should be. Also though, I have super high standards for people.

Every conversation I have with everyone comprises mostly of me blanking out whatever shite they're saying about how important the Beatles are and what great things they're doing with their lives. And in my head, I am insulting their great big stupid faces and families. Have a problem with that? Then let's do the man dance. First dance is yours, friend.

Anyway, empty hostility aside, my three Galwegian cousins are among the people with whom I don't mind talking with. The eldest is a nine year old and recently, he's been developing an interest in music.

Now, this is important. My cousin is a smart guy, he gets it. He's the only person I know who I could have an intelligent conversation with about Astroboy. He asks some of the most well considered questions about comic book continuity I've ever heard. Dude is in the know. He also, sadly, is one of those unfortunate people who thinks for himself and doesn't feel the need to be like other people. This means the next few years might be a bit tougher for him than others. However this also means he'll emerge on the other side as an adult who can have interesting conversations and think for himself rather than a moron gurning over Harry Potter and claiming Shawshank Redemption is their favourite movie.

Now music is important to me and, asinine as it sounds, it helped me to know other people felt the same way as me and could express this through awesome riffs and kick ass lyrics.

I want my cousin to have this as well. Sadly, at the moment, he is not getting the best guidance.

His mother is ok, she likes Sinatra and that (sadly she is less than discerning swing-musicwise so the creeping spectre of 8

Buble is also lurking around the cd collection). His father is another story. Looking at his CD collection is like looking into some sort of 80s shoulder pad wearing nightmare. Such is the depth of its unimaginable mediocrity, that Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark are not even in the bottom 10% of the albums, quality wise. I will repeat that, OMD are in the top 90% of his albums. May god have mercy on us all. If they weren't otherwise two of the best parents I know, I'd report them.So mobilised by this burden of terrible knowledge, I ran to Galway. Well, I went on a bus. A couple of days later. But you get the idea.

But what albums should I have given my nephew? These would be the first albums he would own.

Should I give him something that in years to come will give him an air of credibility? The first two albums I bought with my own money were London Calling by The Clash and My Aim Is True by Elvis Costello.

And you know what? I have never told anyone that without them assuming I am some sort of elitist asshole.

Now I probably am, but 12 year old me making a decision based on a book he got from the library definitely wasn't. In fact, I have been considering telling people my first album was Wheatus' debut, just to get people off my back.

So there is the danger of my cousin being labelled “pretentious” later in life. But even that isn't the only reason.

Call me mad prudey but even though Songs About Fucking

by Big Black is, to me, probably one of the most perfect pieces of music ever, I don't think I can give it to a nine year old. I want to give him time to learn enough about himself to find out why the type of obscenity on that album is so perfect. Plus, he's a nervous dude sometimes.

I don't want him with a head full of horrors. He has to get the right kind of angry and get the right sense of context before he can listen to that album and get it.The key realisation however was that this desperate bid to figure out what albums to give my cousin, wasn't about helping him at all. It was about me showing off.

You can't give a dude his "favourite" album or tell him what his favourite band is. John might hate Big Black (I doubt it). He might not even like the kind of music I do. I was being was selfish.Music is for him to find out about and there's no way a cousin can give him a shortcut past bad taste. Liking sucky music is a vital part of your evolution. Without all the Linkin Parks and U2s, how are you going to find what you yourself think is awesome?

Still, steer clear of OMD.

What do you give a nine year old?

INNER FETCHINGS John Harrington

Paint a vulgar picture Orla Ryan

I

never thought myself and Tiger Woods would have that much in common.

Sure, I'm a regular whiz on a pitch 'n' putt course and we both have a propensity to bang porn stars but I honestly thought that's where the similarities began and ended.

However, in recent weeks I've discovered yet another startling connection. As the professional sex addict announced the end of his "self-imposed exile" from the world of golf and strip joints, it got me thinking. Most people ostracise themselves from certain people or places at some point in their lives.

Most recently for me, this involved deactivating my Facebook account. *Insert audible gasp here*. Not long after this bold move, I was receiving panicked texts and emails wondering what on earth had happened. Was I still alive?

Had I to delete my page due to the potentially incriminating evidence it contained regarding my somewhat questionable hobbies, sorry - addictions?

If my e-life ceased to exist, did that mean I did too?

Sure, I was at that party last weekend but if I'm not tagged in a few dozen photos was I really there? If I don't update my status regularly, how will people know when, what, and where I eat, think and shit.

And perhaps most importantly, how will others poke me without invading my personal boundaries? It's no longer a case of 'cogito ergo sum', rather 'I Facebook therefore I am'. Somewhere Descartes is spinning in his grave. Well, probably not, his ghost is more likely to be thinking - angrily.

Now that it's been a couple of weeks since I last logged on, I'm beginning to notice some changes in my life. I'm once again starting to see how blue the sky is and how rich food can taste. I'm even considering having a face-toface conversation with an actual physical person. I don't want to rush my rehabilitation though.

I may not miss it as much as I thought I would, but I still refuse to wholly dismiss the grandaddy of all social networking sites.

After all, without it I wouldn't know that others too enjoy the simple pleasure of covering themselves in Vaseline and crying in the dark. Fond, fond memories.

And as for my earlier admission, as you might have might have guessed, I was lying I'm shit at pitch 'n' pit. Woefully shit - Tiger Woods-attemptingmonogamy shit.

Flux 30/03/10

THE COLLEGE VIEW

FEATURES 17

30 MARCH 2010

From Blackrock to Balenciaga Trudi McDonald speaks to the Irish designer who has been at the top of the international fashion game for decades, and finds him surprisingly unassuming

F

or almost four decades, Paul Costelloe has been at the forefront of not only Irish, but international design, and is one of the most well respected fashion designers in the world. nique about There is something unique this man, who is polite, unassuming ng to talk to. and extremely interesting m the showy, He is a world away from es conceited bizarre and sometimes sociate with attitude you would associate aul Costelloe the world of fashion – Paul is a gentleman.

Born in Booterstown,, Co. Dublin, d in Costelloe was educated ck the renowned Blackrock ft College. “When I left Blackrock College, I didn’t know what I wass going to do with my life. I d remember leaving, head bowed and despondent.

I was only interested in what normal 17 year olds are interested at 17 – food, drinking and girls.” ge Coming from a large family, Costelloe had a lot n. “I of footsteps to follow in. ven am the youngest of seven ast children, so I was the last to do things. I have an older brother who was a d painter and sculptor and he was quite successful.

I was the end of the linee ve and decided I had to leave Dublin if I wanted to get on. nded up I’m sure I would have ended se.” in John of God’s otherwise.” bed as ‘a Often being described espite his top British designer’, despite actual nationality, is something m. “I don’t that doesn’t bother him. really mind being called British; it’s hink people not a big deal to me. I think h because I assume that I am British n week every show at London Fashion year, and because I live in London. lican that I But, I’m not so Republican eone speaks really care. Once someone to me, I think it’s pretty obvious that ough for me,” I am Irish, which is enough he said. ew he was Costelloe never knew destined for a career in fashion, but was interested in art and painting from a young age. “A career in fashion was neverr a lifelong m much too commitment for me. I’m fickle for that. I think I stuck with it

to prove something to myself, and to my friends and family. I wanted to prove you don’t need a Master's degree to succeed. What you need is a good attitude. Attitude is incredibly important, as is experience. You need to surround yourself and engage yourself with people who are relevant to the world you are pursuing. I moved to Milan and Paris and this worked for me. I became immersed in the fashion world,” he said.

Spending time learning his trade in Europe’s fashion capitals had a huge influence on Costelloe’s design inspiration, moreso than his early years spent growing up on the coast. “I’ve never really drawn inspiration from the sea, or Ireland really. Ireland is a beautiful country, but it’s a country for poets, painters and writers. It’s not a country that inspires catwalk fashion. I still take a lot of inspiration from my time in Milan and Paris.”

Inspiration is drawn from many other sources, from films to people on the streets. “I based my new collection on the film The Assassination of Jesse James, which Brad Pitt starred in. I took a lot of the inspiration from the film, which is set way out in Montana. It’s a mixture of Brad Pitt and a young Clint Eastwood. The collection has a lot of long coats, white shirts and is very masculine, is has a certain dark penetration to it. It’s the kind of thing that if you wore it down Grafton Street, you would be noticed without going out to be noticed.

Although, what originally inspired the collection was a guy I saw walking around in London wearing an old black riding coat.”

Costelloe’s new collection is not only men’s wear. “The women's wear is based on the same approach, but obviously in a detached way. With menswear, it’s a lot more personal as I could wear it myself so it is easier to adapt, whereas designing for women is fantasy. You are designing for a woman who may or may not have ever existed.”

Having opened London Fashion week for the last six consecutive years, Costelloe has created a large number of collections, each completely different from the previous season. “I don’t have a favourite collection, or one that I am particularly proud of above others. I look back and see certain failings, because fashion is transient. It’s not like painting, where you have something that you can admire for years. Fashion is only a glimpse; it’s something

“ Stick to the rule less is best - keep it natural. The orange look that you see on some girls in Ireland is just awful

Paul Costelloe

you see and imagine im but it’s only a passing trend, a passing moment.

And that is just the way it is. Fashion is always evolving.” evolvi Paul Coste Costelloe has had the opportunity to be surrounded by and work with some icon names in fashion. “I don’t do have a favourite designer as suc such. I do admire John Galliano (Dior) and Armani because they control their th own brands, they aren’t influenced uence by anyone else and they stay true to themselves,” he said.

“Also, I think the th way Karl Lagerfeld has handled Chanel Ch is amazing. He is in his 70s and his h designs show such continuity and longevity. It reminds me that the job that I have doesn’t stop because of o age or anything. It is constant and an keeps moving and developing, which wh can be reassuring.”

Style come comes naturally to Paul Costelloe, something som that is visible in the simplicit simplicity and elegance of his designs. “To m me Yves Saint Laurent is the epitome of o style. He essentially put women into trousers; he designed the w women’s trouser suit.

He liberated women, w which is such a power thing to t be able to say about someone’s designs.” desi Being such a respected designer, Costelloe has a better idea than most of what works and doesn’t works when it i comes to fashion.

“Cheryl Cole h has style. She smiles a lot and style and smiling work so well together. If I you want style, you need to smile. smile Victoria Beckham is supposed to be one of the most stylish women in the world but she never smiles. She always looks so grumpy, which is really unappealing to me and very unfeminine.”

It isn’t only celebrities that have

style, according to Costelloe. “I think Ireland has a very unique style. The best Irish style comes when we don’t try hard. When you start to bling it up is when it becomes unappealing.

Natural, effortless Irish style can be really stunning.”

“However, make-up that stops on the jawline is surprisingly common everywhere and looks terrible.

Stick to the rule less is best - keep it natural. The orange look you see on somee girls in Ireland is just awful.”

Despite just being finished wing a new collection at this year’s showing don Fashion Week, Costelloe London ady has plans well underway already for the coming seasons. “Spring/ mer 2011 is going to have more Summer ts, more colour. It’s going to prints, be more positive than this year’s ause I think people are getting because moree positive and brightening up. Colours pale like g r e e n , nge and orange hed out washed pinkk I think will make a comeback. ewashes and tieStonewashes dye I think will also be big.”

He said “It’s going to be casual in design all. Tiny small prints, like overall. thosee you see on little girls' dresses, and visible appliqué stitching. ple want to buy things that work People hem right away and that aren’t for them too expensive. They don’t want to earching for items to match so be searching we have to put in that little bit more ught” thought.”

Paul Costello (left), one of his creations on the catwalk at London Fashion Week (above) and an exclusive sketch

by Costello for the College View (below))

THE COLLEGE VIEW

18 FEATURES

30 MARCH 2010

Can you feel the eggs-citement?

Didn't think so...

Patrick Kavanagh compares Christmas to Easter, and examines why the Easter bunny's backstory just doesn't add up

A

sk anyone what they think of first when Easter is mentioned and you can bet they’re more likely to mention chocolate eggs rather than the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Like Christmas, Easter has become a holiday that is increasingly focused more on the commercial than the spiritual. While it’s easy to put this down to society’s loss of religious values, perhaps Easter is still a little more connected to its roots than Christmas.

Maybe it’s just a little more palatable to people to receive a Christmas card depicting a nice Nativity scene than a card showing the Christian Son of God nailed to a cross.

While the ‘true meaning’ of Christmas has been completely swamped by a flurry of gift buying around the festive season, Easter has little else to contend with than entire populations gorging themselves on chocolate eggs for one day of the year.

Even so, some churches have begun to refer to Easter Sunday as “Resurrection Day”, distancing the holiday from the usual connotations of Easter like bunnies, chocolate and eggs. Other Christians refuse to participate in Easter celebrations, as they do not have any specific relation to Christianity and due to its origins in Paganism.

Despite the fact that confectionary has become a major focus of the Easter holidays, it’s always been a part of it in some way or another.

Easter was originally a Pagan holiday, and parts of the Easter tradition such as hot cross buns and egg painting come from this. Even Lent is said to have its roots in Paganism.

Easter might not yet be completely lost to money-hungry corporations, but if chocolate eggs are the only way the marketers can exploit Easter, then they’ve certainly been doing just that.

Once Christmas has wrapped up at the beginning of January, the shops waste no time in filling the shelves with Easter eggs. Never mind that people may have no intention of actually buying an Easter egg in January, but this seems to be part of the plan – bombard people with Easter products from the beginning of the year and create a bit of hype around the holiday.

The Cadbury’s Crème Egg for example, appears every January and sticks around for just four months, disappearing quite swiftly at the beginning of April so that advertisers and shop owners can begin preparing for Halloween and Christmas.

Just as Santa Claus is the mascot of Christmas celebrations, the Easter Bunny has a similar role in Easter traditions. Originating in Germany in the 18th century, children would

build nests where the Easter Bunny, or Oschter Haws as it was known, would lay coloured eggs for them the next morning. Nobody ever really questioned why a rabbit, who doesn’t actually lay eggs, would be the one providing these eggs on Easter Sunday. Surely a hen would have made more sense?

That’s the problem with the Easter Bunny – he (or she) has no decent backstory, and by the time a child is five years old, they are probably fairly certain that animals can’t talk and certainly aren’t capable of hiding eggs and devising egg hunts. And with Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy already taking up enough time and effort to lie about, many parents just aren’t bothered with the poor bunny.

One thing you can rely on, however, is that there will not be a bevy of cutesy Easter films released each year. I don’t recall a successful film revolving around the tale of the Easter bunny, but when I think of Santa Claus, I can think of dozens of Christmas films – both good and bad – designed to make us spend money in movie theatres every Christmas.

In fact, the one Easter film of note that springs to mind is The Passion of the Christ. This harrowing adaptation of the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection, directed by Mel Gibson, is certainly not something you’d throw on every Easter to show

the kids. It does, however, stay true ginal religious idea of to the original ke too many Christmas Easter, unlike films. ss of how religious or Regardless unreligious somebody is, most amilies make a point of Christian families hurch services on Easter attending church Sunday as well as Christmas Day. Even if theyy don’t visit the place at any otherr point during the year, re always that bit fuller churches are ays – perhaps a bit of on these days uilt that they bottle up for religious guilt he year. the rest of the w, it seems that only For now, Christians devout are fretting about the loss off the aning true meaning of Easter. And hey for that, they nd can go and h a p p i l y celebrate on Resurrection ad.

Day instead. er, Maybe Easter, ar as a secular holiday, st can co-exist peacefully an and we can continue on binging chocolate eggs lt. without guilt.

Not leaving on a jet plane any time soon...

Chris Murphy examines the current passport debacle and how citizens' rights are being infringed

'I

f your passport expires in 2010 you ought consider seeking it’s renewal immediately.” That is the grammatically incorrect header on the Department of Foreign Affairs press release dated March 4. Thus began the rush for passports.

On March 18 another departmental press release stated the Passport Office would close at 1pm the next day and offered no re-opening details. Chaos ensued.

Deputy Secretary, Eoin Ronayne, of the Civil and Public Services Union, at the heart of the maelstrom, said: “It was sheer madness to scare the public into a panic when there was no need as the office will be open for business again as usual on Monday.“ Both sides have adopted subversive tactics and its clear neither Government nor union see the public’s access to passports as the primary concern with the escalating stand-off now bordering

on another national fiasco. For the Irish, passports are historically as important as lungs, without them we can’t breed. An 11% increase in applications in the last annus horribilis bears testimony to this. But how long a delay is acceptable? Or is it acceptable?

The answers, as always, only raise other questions.

In the Dail, on Wednesday March 24, Fine Gael’s Billy Timmins put it to Dick Roche, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs: “Does he agree there is an implicit right in the Constitution to travel? Thus, an individual has a right to transport, a right that the State should be in a position to honour.

"The European Convention on

Human Rights, to which we are signatories, recognises the freedom of movement. This indicates that a State should be in a position to issue passports to its citizens.”

Minister Roche’s reply was remarkable for its complete confirmation of the opposition TD’s sentiments: “I agree with Deputy Timmins that it is a citizen’s right to travel… That is why the action taken by the trade union in this case is singularly ill-advised. It will create bad feeling between the union and the general public, who are being grotesquely inconvenienced.”

For those awaiting passports the immediate concern is their delivery.

Their constitutional rights don’t cover the cost of cancelled flights,

holidays, business trips and delayed job starts.

The same day Fine Gael TD Alan Shatter told Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary General David Cooney that a letter should be sent to the unions saying they would be added to any compensation claims arising from the Passport Office debacle. No doubt this is a stick the current and successive governments intend to use for similar industrial actions over the hard years ahead.

But political pressures on the CPSU and other unions to acknowledge the economic costs and constitutional rights of the citizens are double-edged swords.

Article 40 of the Constitution underlines the right to travel but also to form unions. Further to this, Article 45.2 says “The State shall, in particular, direct its policy towards securing: (i) That the citizens may through their occupations find the means of making reasonable

provision for their domestic needs (all of whom, men and women equally, have the right to an adequate means of livelihood)”; (iv) “That in what pertains to the control of credit the constant and predominant aim shall be the welfare of the people as a whole.”

On Friday, at the end of a week which saw former Anglo executives finally visiting Garda stations, CPSU member Ciaran Hodge told RTE News he takes home E1,600 per month with a current mortgage of E1440. Later that day, with nothing to lose, the 13,000 member union overwhelmingly voted to increase industrial action if talks with Government fail.

The Constitution seems to be past its sell-by-date; from the Government’s failure to control credit, to the citizens’ diminishing rights to travel and reasonable living standards, the race to the bottom continues.

THE COLLEGE VIEW

FEATURES 19

30 MARCH 2010

Surfing his way to success Sam Matthews speaks to Tim Rooney, winner of last year's Dragons' Den, about the ups and downs of his entrepreneurial career

I

t’s been almost a year since last season’s finale of Dragons’ Den, when Sligo-born entrepreneur Tim Rooney walked away with the series’ top investment of €100,000.

Dragons’ Den is a television programme where entrepreneurial hopefuls make business pitches to a panel of five venture capitalists.

Business leaders Bobby Kerr and Sean Gallagher invested in Tim’s innovative new food product, ‘Surf Seeds’.

Surf Seeds HQ is located in Dun Laoghaire, where Tim lives with his wife Olga, and their four children: Dillon, Aran, Emma and Nicholas.

Built like an archetypical Hawaiian surf hut, it is Tim’s office for his new business.

“Dad gets up in the morning and thinks of interesting new ways to have fun," his eldest son, Dillon says.

“It’s what I want to do one day."

Tim always wanted to be an entrepreneur. At just 20 years of age, he established his first business – a chip shop in his hometown of Rosses Point in County Sligo.

With the profits he had made during the first year, he paid for a three-month cookery course run

by Darina Allen at the prestigious Ballymaloe cookery school. Here, Tim not only honed his culinary skills, but he learned about life as well.

“It was a real eye opener into lifestyle and food quality," he tells me. “I learnt a lot about people and spirituality.”

It was also there that he met his future wife, Olga Price. In 1983, just as they started going out, she was offered a job in London. There was

Judges from the Dragons' Den, the show that Tim Rooney won last year RTE

no work in Ireland, and so when she accepted, Tim went with her and found employment in the London Hilton.

He recalls the valuable experience gained in a big kitchen, working as a commis chef with 47 others.

“Everyone was highly trained and enthusiastic. I learned a lot about cultures – Germans, French. The Germans didn’t buy rounds, but they would always be in work early. There were a lot of differences between the various cultures.

“I was the only Irishman, but I never had any hassle. Actually, it wasn’t a great time to be Irish in London, because I think we were blowing it up at the time.”

There is a pattern emerging here.

Food has always been Tim’s passion.

It’s in his blood – his mother, Freda, ran a bakery in Sligo, as well as an inn.

“My mum was very good at cooking. Growing up in the inn, there was always something being cooked. I’m very comfortable in that area; I don’t get panicked, I don’t get stressed and I don’t have any problems.”

When he came back from England, the first thing he did was open a carvery in Sligo. However, he had no experience of what business was like outside the tourist season.

Things did not go to plan: “I was broke after seven months.

There was no money and I was paying the rent, I made a complete balls of it. I didn’t know there would be no one around, I was so used to doing summer businesses.”

It was the first failure of his career, but it only made him want to work harder. Ever the introspective

sort, Tim often reflects upon how his failures have shaped his determination to succeed.

“The older you get, the less time you have to spend on failing. And because I’m entrepreneurial, I’m guaranteed to fail at some point, you have to keep pushing yourself until that point. I would consider myself a very successful failure.”

Tim discovered the nutritional and health value of seeds while designing and baking a new range of breads for Superquinn. He did a Masters degree in Culinary Innovation and New Product Development, and discovered the power of packaging and brand awareness while learning about the coke bottle.

Recognising the surfing subculture as an appealing potential market, Tim invented a container shaped like a surfboard for the seeds. And then he decided to go on Dragon’s Den to secure funding for his new company.

His entrepreneurial inclinations have been noticed by a number of Irish organisations, such as Enterprise Ireland. The day I spoke to him, he had spent the morning visiting schools in Leinster, giving business talks to transition year groups.

“Oh yeah, I’m loving all that.

Enterprise Ireland have done a video of surf seeds, it’s going out to every single secondary school in the country. I’m doing speeches, it’s for the Young Entrepreneur Programme.

People form a mini-company, and we’re kind of the poster boys for that.”

But despite his success, Tim is clear about his priorities.

He describes how, at one point in the early ‘90s, he was running a B&B

in his house, as well as working two full 8-hour shifts in Fitzpatrick’s Hotel and the Guinea Pig in Dalkey. “Olga was working nights at a hospital, and we never saw each other – it had to end."

“Now I spend loads of time with my family. There’s no point otherwise. I don’t know who got the whole idea that you should work.

You’re in nappies. Then you’re in school for 18 years, then they say you have to work for the next 45 years, and then you’re back in nappies again. And I’m going: Huh? Who came up with that plan?”

Tim regards all time spent idle as wasted. His philosophy is to achieve in five years what most people achieve in fifteen years. He is already looking forward to his next project, for which he has a number of ideas.

“I want to do something with the planet, leave something behind.

Emotionally. I want to create something – a new way of thinking.

Books can do that, I might do books next. I’ve spent four years doing surf seeds. Four years and €200,000.”

At just 48, Tim has no plans to stop soon. But after an exciting and varied career of ups and downs so far, what does he see as his biggest achievement, his favourite moment in life?

“Sand castle building! With my children having fun. A few years back, there was a competition on in Duncannon, for sand castle building.

And we – the Rooney family – won.

I would definitely describe it as the pinnacle of my career."

Surf Seeds are on sale in the Zest Café in the DCU Sports Centre. The new series of Dragons’ Den is shown on Thursdays on RTE 1.

“ You’re in nappies.

Then you’re in school for 18 years, then they say you have to work for the next 45 years, and then you’re back in nappies again. And I’m going: Huh? Who came up with that plan?

Tim Rooney

THE COLLEGE VIEW

20 GAEILGE

30 MÁRTA 2010

Greann imithe mar gheall ar áiféis agus scríbhneoireacht aisteach Tugann Roibéard Ó Conchuir léirmheas macánta ar an gcnuasach scéalta Canary Wharf le hOrla Ní Choileáin

R

aiméis atá le sonrú síos tríd an chnuasach scéalta áiféiseacha Canary Wharf, atá scríofa amhail is gurb ó scrioptanna athchúrsáilte do shobalchlár éigin atá siad.

Is olc an scéal ar fad é nuair is féidir le litríocht ruipleogach den chaighdeán seo “duaiseanna i gcomórtais éagsúla de chuid an Oireachtais” a bhaint amach. Más é seo an caighdeán atá le baint amach, d'fhéadfadh aon dalta rang 6 na duaiseanna céanna a fháil.

Go bunúsach, is éard atá i Canary Wharf ná cnuasach scéalta a dhruideann i dtreo an fhicsean eolaíochta don chuid is mó (scéalta gruama faoi chontúirtí ríomhaireachta, an t-olcas géar a bhaineann le saol an ghnó agus ceisteanna faoi bhás, dáin agus gruamacht an ghrá).

I ngach uile scéal, bíonn cur síos gasta leictreach le críoch thobann a dhéanann iarracht geit a bhaint as an léitheoir, ar aon dul leis an sórt garrfhicsean a d'fheicfí tráth i siopaí bhraiche Meiriceánacha ar chostas 10c.

Is minic i gcúinsí an chnuasaigh go bhfeictear dianscaoileadh carachtair ó bheith gnáth go maith (cé is moite de dhroch-thréith nó dhó) go dtí go bhfuil an domhan tite go hiomlán trína chéile dóibh de bharr eachtra amaideach amháin nó dhó (mar shampla idirghabháil ó charachtar aisteach nua a thagann isteach sa scéal, nó faoi eachtra éigin atá tarluithe).

Is fadhb mhór í cumas scríbhneoireachta an údair sa leabhar seo. Teipeann ar an scríbhneoir suim an léitheora a ghríosú, toisc an nós atá aici an léitheoir a chaitheamh isteach i dtimpeallachtaí neamh-ghnácha, atá lódáilte le focail aisteacha.

Is léir go raibh focal.ie ar oscailt ag Orna úd agus an leabhar seo á scríobh aici; agus ní hé gur olc an rud é sin in aon chor, ach i gcás an chnuasaigh áirithe seo, téann an scríbhneoir i muinín an fhoclóir aistigh i bhfad rómhinic go dtí go bhfuil an léitheoir ar mire le téarmaí nuachumtha agus aistriúcháin neamhghnách ar nós 'Capall na Traoi' ('Trojan Horse' ríomhaireachta) 'Ionchlannán Fo-chraicneach' ('subcutaneous implant') srl.

Ach níl an cnuasach go hiomlán gan maitheas, i ndáiríre. Tá píosaí greannmhaire ann (más rud é go raibh greann i gceist ag an údar) agus chomh maith le sin, tá áiteanna i scéalta faoi leith ina lastair splanc

LEABHAIR GAEILGE COITEANTA Daltaí DCU i mBéal Feirste i rith Jailbreak a bhí eagraithe ag an gCumann Gaelach

Críochnaíonn Seachtain na Gaeilge, ach an gcríochnaíonn an bhá ó thaobh na teanga de leis?

An Bóthar go Santiago le Mícheál de Barra (thuas ar chlé) Dún an Airgid le hÉilis Ní Dhuibhne (thuas) Fuadach le Áine Ní Ghlinn (thuas ar dheis) Cúpla Focal le Anna Heussaff (deis)

dóchais.

In ainneoin fadhbanna an údair i leith teannas craicneach a fhoirbriú ina scéalta, tá sí ábalta mothúcháin ghrá a léiriú idir charachtair. Sna scéalta Canary Wharf agus Cúrsa Eitilte, is iad grá an phríomhcharactair dá leanán an tréith a shábhaileann an scéal ó bheith go hiomlán amaideach agus doléite.

Is é Cúrsa Eitilte an scéal is gile ó thaobh an chríoch de (cé go bhfuil baint an-láidir ag bás leis) agus baineann sé sin le rogha an údair scéal grá agus ádh a dhéanamh as, seachas scéal ciniciúil eile faoi dorchas an tsaoil.

Is é an scéal Saineolaí Teicneolaí an scéal is mó atá seafóideach sa leabhar. Scéal atá ann faoi frithlaoch leisciúil, leithleasach darbh ainm Ultain a bhfuil an-dúil aige ar chúrsaí ríomhaireachta.

Buaileann sé le fear aisteach le féasóg air a insíonn scéalta uafáise dó faoi na dáinséirí a bhaineann le teicneolaíocht agus titeann an domhan atá Ultain bhocht trína chéile go hiomlán. Caitheann Ní Choileáin tromlach an scéil ag míniú don léitheoir na céimeanna a thógann an gamal áiféiseach seo i dtreo is gur féidir leis teicneolaíocht a bhaint as an saol atá aige go hiomlán.

Is ón scéal Canary Wharf a fhaigheann an cnuasach an teideal atá aige, agus is dócha gurb é seo an scéal leis na tuairimí is láidre agus is duairce maidir leis an saol i gcoitinne.

Le bheith fírinneach, is scéal réasúnta maith atá sa mhéid seo.

Scéal atá ann faoi fhear atá go hiomlán tógtha leis an obair oifige atá aige. Cónaíonn sé (go liteartha) san oifig agus ní minic a fhágann sé an t-ionad oibre ar chor ar bith.

Titeann sé i ngrá le cailín Polannach agus nuair a tharlaíonn sé go bhfuil an cuma ar an scéal go bhfuil sí torrach lena pháiste, beartaíonn sé ar an ionad oibre seo a fhágáil go deo.

Is scéal suimiúil atá ann toisc an crá anama a fheictear san fhear síos tríd an scéal. Is léir ón deireadh (atá réasúnta seafóideach, mar is gnáth) go bhfuil tuairimí láidre ag Ó Coileáin maidir leis an ngreim a fhaigheann an gnó ar a chuid oibrithe.

Is é an láidreacht is mó atá ag an scéal seo ná nach gcloíonn sé le clíseanna (rud atá an-íorónta ar fad, ag féachaint ar na scéalta eile). Ní fhéadfá a rá gur scéal go hiomlán damanta atá sa cheann seo, i ndáiríre, ach fós téann an scríbhneoir i muinín a nósanna luchtmhara.

Ag deireadh an tsaoil, is drochiarracht atá i Canary Wharf.

Déanann an t-údar traeniarracht chun suim an léitheora a ghríosú trí chásanna áiféiseacha agus tarlúintí neamhghnácha a chaitheamh isteach ina cuid scéalta, ag iarraidh gruamacht an tsaoil a shonrú.

Teipeann glan uirthi, faraor toisc róúsáid an foclóir aisteach agus na cásanna réamhluaite; atá greannmhar seachas scanrúil. 4/10

le Aoife Carberry I rith Seachtain na Gaeilge 2010, thug mé rud faoi deara don chéad am. Bhí níos mó daoine ag baint úsáide as a gcuid Gaeilge, cé nach bhfuil suim dá laghad ag cuid acu i nGaeilge.

Tóg mar shampla mo chairde. Sa mheánscoil, ní raibh aon suim acu i nGaeilge.

Bhí siad i gcónaí ag gearán faoin gcúrsa Gaeilge, agus bhí siad sásta fáil ré leis. Nuair a chuir mé an cúrsa “Gaeilge agus Iriseoireacht” síos ar mo CAO, bhí mo chairde ag magadh fúm. Bhí siad ag iarraidh freagra a fháil uaim faoina cúiseanna gur roghnaigh mé an cúrsa. Nuair a mhínigh mé gur thaitin an Ghaeilge go mór liom, bhí ionadh orthu.

Níor thuig siad go raibh daoine a bhfuil suim acu i nGaeilge. Is fuath leo an teanga. Nuair a d’fhág siad an mheánscoil, níor labhair siad focal amháin Gaeilge. Bhí siad sásta neamhaird a dhéanamh air.

Ansin, i gcomhair Seachtain na Gaeilge, cruthaigh daoine grúpaí ar an suíomh gréasán Facebook. Grúpaí ar nós “Cuir dath glas ar Facebook i gcomhair Lá Fhéile Pádraig,” “Cuir stádas i nGaeilge ar do leathanach ar Lá Fhéile Pádraig” agus rudaí mar sin de.

Bhí grúpa áirithe ag cur isteach go mór orm. Grúpa darbh ainm “Athraigh d’ainm go dtí an Ghaeilge i gcomhair Lá Fhéile Pádraig.”

Bhí chuid mhór de mo chairde mar bhaill den ghrúpa seo, agus d’athraigh siad a n-ainmneacha, cé nach raibh ceann dóibh ábalta iad a fhuaimniú. Bhí siad ag léim ar an “bandwagon” mar ceaptar go bhfuil an Ghaeilge thar a bheith cúl i rith Seachtain na Gaeilge agus ar Lá Fhéile Pádraig.

Bhuail mé le mo chairde ar Lá Fhéile Pádraig. Bhí ceann amháin dóibh ag caitheamh t-léine le nath Gaeilge air. Is oth liom a rá nach raibh clú dá laghad aici cad a bhí scríofa air.

Pearsantachtaí Sheachtain na Gaeilge Ar an 18ú lá Márta, an lá tar éis Lá Fhéile Pádraig, logáil mé isteach chuig Facebook. D’fhéach mé ar mo leathanach, agus d’fhéach mé ar na pictiúir ar leathanach mo charad ón lá roimhe sin.

Nuair a shroich mé a leathanach, thug mé faoi deara go raibh a ainm athruithe ar ais go dtí an Béarla, agus níor luaigh sí aon rud faoin nGaeilge tar éis é sin. Tá sé soiléir go bhfuil daoine sásta Gaeilge a labhairt nuair atá sé á dhéanamh ag gach duine. Ní leor é sin, i mo thuairim.

Is cosúil go dtéann an Ghaeilge as amharc don chuid eile don bhliain.

Tá sé mar an gcéanna i scoileanna lán-Bhéarla. Níl mórán béime ar an nGaeilge, ach amháin i rith Seachtain na Gaeilge. Ansin, bíonn ceolchoirmeacha, drámaí agus rudaí mar sin á dhéanamh acu.

Is rud scannalach é seo. Ba chóir go mbeadh daoine bródúil as a hoidhreacht, agus as a dteanga.

Bíonn an Ghaeilge ann don bhliain ar fad, ní hamháin don choicís sin.

THE COLLEGE VIEW

GAEILGE 21

30 MÁRTA 2010

Na laochra iadsan féin

Le rath suntasach faoina gcrios anseo, tá na Coronas ag cur an fócas ar chúrsaí thar lear anois, mar a dúirt siad i gcómhra le Mícheál Mac Giolla Chearr Tá tú ag cur Seachtain na Gaeilge chun cinn i mbliana. Conas a raibh baint agat le seo?

Tharla sé tar éis rath an amhráin atá againn darbh ainm Taibhsí nó Laochra, a bhí aistrithe go Gaeilge.

Tá Seachtain na Gaeilge antábhachtach agus ba chóir go mbeadh gach éinne ag baint úsáide as an gcúpla focal atá acu.

Tá Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin ag cur an Ghaeilge chun cinn do Sheachtain na Gaeilge freisin.

Chomh maith le sin tá an t-amhrán Listen Dear aistrithe againn go Gaeilge mar Éist mo ghrá.

Tá sé ar fáil faoi láthair ar an albam Ceol 10.

Cén chaoi a tharla Taibhsí nó Laochra?

Bhuel, cuireadh ceist orainn amhrán a dhéanamh do Cheol 09 agus rinne Raidió Na Life an t-aistriúchán de Heroes or Ghosts.

Tá an t-aistriúchán an-éifeachtach don amhrán. Anois cuireann daoine céist orainn an t-amhrán a chasadh as Gaeilge, agus canann na leantóirí an t-amhrán ar ais as Gaeilge, is rud iontach é seo le cloistéail.

Tá sé dochreidte. Tá an t-amhrán le cloistáil fiú i scoileanna agus i gcoláistí samhradh anois.

An raibh sibh ag súil le rud éigin a bhuachaint ag na Meteors i mbliana?

Ní raibh muid ar chor ar bith. Bhí muid in aghaidh grúpaí cosúil le U2, Snowpatrol agus Bell X1.

Bhí muid an-sásta go raibh muid ainmnithe agus chun an fhírinne a rá, baineadh geit asam ar dtús nuair a d’fhógraíodh Tony Was an Ex-Con amach don albam is fearr ar an oíche.

Ar an iomlán oíche maith a bhí ann.

An raibh óráid réitithe agaibh do na Meteors i mbliana?

Bhuel anuraidh bhí an grúpa ainmnithe agus ar an oíche roimh an searmanas bronnta bhí muid ag smaoineamh rud éigin a ullmhú, ach níor bhuaigh muid dada ar an oíche.

Mar sin bhí ionadh an domhain orainn ar fad nuair a chuala muid gur bhuaigh muid i mbliana. Ach ní raibh óráid réiteach againn.

Conas a bhí do thuras san Áise le déanaí?

Bhí sé fíor ghnóthach, rinne muid cúpla ceolchoirm i Singeapór agus caithfidh mé a rá go raibh sé

Na Coronas ar an ardán san Old Bar i DCU anuraidh Kieran Frost Kieran

dochreidte Bhí an t-ádh orainn dochreidte. turasó óir i ea eacc a dhéanamh nuair a turasóireacht bhí muid mu uid thall t ansin. Tá súil againn go bhfuil leantóirí againn ansin anois.

Bhí sibh ag seinm san Olympia le déanaí. Co Conas ar éirigh libh?

Ba é seo ceann de na rudaí is fearr a tharla dúinn dú i mbliana. Bhí bliain dochreidte againn agus ansin bhí muid ag casadh ca san Olympia.

Bhí an t-ádh orainn freisin chun Danny ó The Script a fháil suas ar an ardán chun casadh linn.Bhí na ceolchoi ceolchoirmeacha seo tharr barr. b An bhfuil aon phlean déanta agaibh don todhchaí?

Tá an banna tar éis síniú co le comhlacht bainistíochta i Meiric Meiricéa.

Tá súil againn go mbeid muid rathúil i Méiricéa mbeidh gco i gcomparáid leis an tacaíocht atá againn in Éirinn. Bhí

an t-ádh orainn freisin sa tslí inár éirigh rudaí amach dúinn i mbliana, chomh maith leis sin tá muid ag dul ar chamchuairt Shasanach agus ar aghaidh go dtí Meiricéa tar éis sin. Ó cén áit ar tháinig an t-ainm Tony Was an Ex-Con don dhara albam atá agaibh?

Bhí muid ar chamchuairt i Meiriceá i nDeireadh Fómhair seo caite. Bhí tiománaí bus againn, fear a bhí an-aisteach ar fad.

De réir an méid ama a chaith muid leis fuaireamar amach gur ‘Physcopath Mór’ é. Ach ní raibh an t-ainm ceaptha a bheith mar ainm an albaim ach scríobh Dáithí scéal agus sin an tslí ar tharla an t-ainm.

Tá sé deas an scéal a insint freisin nuair a chuireann duine éigin ceist orainn faoin ainm. Tá sé i bhfad níos éasca an scéal a insint i gcomparáid le Heroes or Ghosts.

THE COLLEGE VIEW

22 COMMENT

30 MARCH 2010

Is Sean Fitzpatrick public enemy No. 1?

Fiona Sherlock Opinion

S

o Sean Fitzpatrick. It’s been a long time coming. The villagers are getting angry, approaching the castle gates with pitchforks and flaming torches.

Someone has to be sacrificed in an apparent act of contrition.

The first act in this tragedy of democracy has closed, and the curtain to the second rose with Seanie’s arrest on Thursday morning. The heavies at the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation took him for 31 hours.

Seanie knew this day was coming, his legal eagles gave him lots of sample exam answers, and he gave his full co-operation.

So what exactly was he arrested about? Being a cute hoor and making a mint for himself, whilst letting everyone else run wild using fifty euro notes as insulation in their grand residences?

It’s all a matter of interpretation. I don’t claim to competently interpret Irish statutes, but here is the first sentence from Section 10 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act, which he was arrested under.

“A person is guilty of an offence if he or she dishonestly, with the intention of making a gain for himself or herself…”

False Accounting. Diddling the figures. Playing with the figures a bit.

But fraud is notoriously difficult to prove. So who knows?

Was Seanie’s arrest an empty gesture? The guards are preparing

a file for the Director of Public Prosecutions, but it’s nowhere near ready. The summer will be here by the time the DPP gets his file, and at least six months more before he’s charged with anything.

Sean FitzPatrick was arrested at his home in Greystones at 6:30am So what’s happening with Seanie now? Well he just got €7m of interest on loans at Anglo written off.

Ah sure the poor love owes nearly €80m, so what’s €7m here or there?

Wouldn’t it be great if us mere mortals could write off a couple of million. Or a couple of thousand. Or a fiver. But we can’t.

Just before Christmas 2008, Sean resigned as Chairman of Anglo Irish Bank, after it came out Anglo and Irish and Permanent had been playing table tennis with €7.45bn to balance the books.

The guards are looking into that bit of messing too.Nama is after absorbing €28bn of Anglos dodgy loans. That means each family in Ireland is spending €12,500 undoing Sean and his fellow bankers recklessness.

Seanie wasn’t the only one playing blackjack in the chain of casinos that was our banking system during the Celtic Tiger. Other Anglo officials, other bankers, developers, lawyers, accountants and milk men all had a go.

The Sunday Tribune reported three more Anglo Irish officials are being investigated. The Sunday

Independent reported six officials are being investigated. Sure the guards can’t very well let on they’re scratching their bollix, without a notion of where to point the finger next.

It’d look shockin’ bad on the poor lads. But Seanie is public enemy number one. When we look back in fifty or a hundred years every minor player won’t be mentioned in the history books, even though they may be as responsible, or even partially responsible for the economic misery we’re muddling through in 2010.

But history likes major figures, and the names of all those who lent, or borrowed foolishly will be buried in the sands of time.

School children will hear the tale of Sean Fitzpatrick and how he single-handedly slew the Celtic Tiger with his blade of bad loans.

Hysteria is more dangerous than any 'legal high' John Power

I

Opinion

n Ireland, there are some subjects we are incapable of discussing rationally or calmly.

To bring them into conversation is to risk unleashing waves of hysteria and childish name-calling.

Abortion is one such subject, immigration another. To support abortion is to be an apologist for murder, while to disagree with it is to be a rightwing, Christian fundamentalist.

And, of course, we all know the only people who have objections to mass immigration are bigots and racists. Attach a convenient label, raise your voice that bit louder than everyone else’s and, hey presto, the debate is over.

In the last few weeks we have once again seen this predictable response to the issue of head shops. Nothing – save perhaps that king of rabblerousers, paedophilia – generates outrage like the subject of drugs.

Since head shops hit the headlines we’ve heard the horrified calls into radio shows and seen the protests.

Now many people want the shops banned outright. And to be fair, there’s some cause for concern. One of the substances sold at head shops around the country, mephedrone, which’ll be banned by June, has been blamed for nearly killing a 17-yearold girl in Bray and the deaths of two teens in the UK. So there’s a debate worth having here.

The problem is that so far the public discourse has been dominated by overreactions by the most shrillvoiced among us.

Recently on Pat Kenny’s The Frontline, a show of which Joe Duffy would be proud, one worried audience member asked how many more children would have to die before head shops were closed. This

“ The problem is that so far the public discourse has been dominated by overreactions

John Power

is the verbal equivalent of Usain Bolt or the H-bomb: it’s unmatchable.

Who, but a monster, could support something that kills children? But not a single child has died in this country from a legal high.

That a 33-year-old Irishman who died in 2006 after taking magic mushrooms and jumping from a building had also taken alcohol, our beloved, very much legal drug and cannabis didn’t stop even broadsheet headlines screaming about “Deadly Magic Mushrooms”.

Without delay, magic mushrooms, like mephedrone, were banned, all because of a questionable link to a single death. But if deaths are what

matters then let’s look at alcohol.

Between 1995 and 2004, 1,775 people died because of alcohol abuse.

Added to that are thousands of alcohol-related car fatalities, suicides, murders, rapes and assaults. What about road deaths? In 2008: 279. But none of these statistics irk people as much as the handful of legal high horror stories.

A reasonable middle road can be found out of this clamour. There’s no question that head shop products should be tested for their effects and labelled accordingly. And of course they should never be sold to minors.

But before we ban more substances outright we should ask

The Nirvana, a head ourselves just what kind of state we shop in Capel Street wish to have. After all, what moral that was recently basis does a government have for burned down preventing a consenting adult from William Murphy doing something that doesn’t harm another?

Either we’re free, rationale beings capable of deciding what’s good for us or we’re de facto children, desperate for the nanny state’s teat.

It’s simple: do we value liberty and or do we want to be protected from ourselves? Because if the answer is the latter, you might want to say farewell to some of your favourite things. “Not hamburgers and beer!” you cry? Suck it up buddy; nanny state’s teat is better for you.

THE COLLEGE VIEW

COMMENT 23

30 MARCH 2010

What will be the cost of healthcare for Obama?

Sean Carroll

O

Opinion

n March 23, President Barack Obama signed into law a controversial new healthcare bill, which’ll extend health insurance cover to 32 million Americans. The bill will prevent insurance companies from denying coverage to people with preexisting conditions and will subsidise those struggling to afford health insurance.

Obama staked the authority of his presidency on passing the new measures and managed to scrape together the required votes with some last minute deal making.

However despite the apparent success in passing the bill, the fallout from the legislation in Washington could be much greater.

Not one Republican voted for the bill. 34 Democrats voted against it. The vitriol of the political debate surrounding the bill has been deeply polarising, with each side retreating further from the middle ground.

The debate on the bill reveals much about the vast ideological gap that runs through the United States and the division inherent in American politics.

Not since the Iraq war has an issue provoked such an emotional response on both sides. On the day of the vote protesters picketed outside the White House chanting “Kill the bill!” and holding up anti healthcare reform placards.

Politically questionable placards, reading “Stop socialized medicine!” and racially questionable signs depicting President Obama as an African witch doctor have also been seen.

During the debate on the congress floor Republican Randy Neugebauer from Texas screamed

“baby killer!” as Democrat Bart Stupak discussed abortion-related clauses. Republicans have now vowed to do everything they can to disrupt the bill from being adopted into law, claiming that the majority of American’s don’t want it.

Already a number of states have mounted a legal challenge to the bill, citing the large cost ($938 billion over ten years) of enacting it. Americans on the left believe this legislation to be as important and groundbreaking as the enactment of social security (the American welfare system), while those on the right see it as a step towards socialism and the loss of American free market ideals.

There is growing protests against Obama's plans for the US health care system As Europeans we may find the intensely negative reaction to the provision of free healthcare bewildering.

In most European countries free or subsidised healthcare is seen as a right, not a privilege. However in the United States such battles are usually fought on ideological grounds with pragmatism a secondary concern.

Dr Shane Martin, DCU lecturer in American politics, explains the difference between America’s perception of government and Europe’s. “A universal health care system is very 'un-American' in that virtually every American believes in limited government and the power of the individual over the ability of government as an institution.”

“The government is not seen as a social safety-net to 'help' the less fortunate. Individual responsibility is a cornerstone of American values.”

To understand why a great number of Americans are opposed

Just how much 'change' Obama can really bring to the US remains to be seen Shepard Fairey to the government intervening in the provision of healthcare it is important to understand how Americans view the federal government says Dr. Martin.

“The American dream is built on the individual succeeding in life.

Government is seen as a negative, something that all too often works against hard working Americans. The idea of the free market is critical."

"If you are successful you do not need social welfare. In Ireland we

believe that government should support the less well off in society.

This philosophy is not shared in America.”

Republicans are hoping that in forcing through legislation the majority of Americans are opposed to Democrats will suffer greatly at the upcoming midterm elections.

Obama is planning to launch a campaign to educate Americans on the immediate effects of health care, hoping that the GOP’s use of scare

tactics will have misfired in the face of tangible benefits to voters.

Obama ran partly on a platform of bridging the gap between conservatives and liberals, Democrats and Republicans.

He said he would tear down the partisan divide that characterises political debate in Washington.

Despite his best efforts the furore surrounding this legislation proves that he has failed to make that vision a reality.

Those at the back listen up, it's the Fianna Fail 101 Micil Glennon

T

Opinion

here was some confusion among students this week when it was announced that Mary Coughlan was appointed Minister for Education and Skills.

Excellent move, thought some of

the students. If there’s one thing we need it’s someone who knows how to party.

Anyone who has been hospitalised 30 times for drinking, and survived, should be in charge of student welfare.

She can come to campus and tell us how to survive a stomach pumping, what not to eat before heading out to demolish a few pints, how to rock ‘n’ roll, etc.

They’ve added skills to the brief.

The hope was that this referred to the very difficult knack of joint rolling or shotgun drinking. These are practical, helpful skills that students need to know to get by.

Then some spoilsport pointed out that it was actually the Tanaiste Mary Coughlan TD that was looking out for the needs of the supposedly prioritised generation now.

This is a nice little touch to

keep Fianna Fail in power for years to come. The secondary school system of learning facts and figures off by heart is extremely useful for maintaining the status quo.

Instead of putting in someone with a record of achievement to actually attempt to update a 19th century model, stick in a career Fianna Fáiler, from a Fianna Fáil family, with an inherited seat and sit the children down in rows.

Today’s letter is B: B is for Baby kiss (great for votes); Back scratch; Brazen (as in ‘whenever you are under pressure to resign Brazen it out’).

B is for Brian Cowen – our leader; Backbench – where you’ll be if you don’t follow the leader; Buddies (take very good care of ); Banks (see buddies); Builders (see buddies); Blabber (use when in tribunals or during question time).

THE COLLEGE VIEW

24 COMMENT

30 MARCH 2010

That's quite enough slap and tickle Is the College View's portrayal of women simply reinforcing a negative stereotype?

Vol. XI Issue VII

college view .com www.thecollegeview

the

24 February 2010

Maura Conway

I

Lecturer's View

’m a feminist. For many young people today that’s a dirty word.

When teaching on Women and Terrorism or Gender and Security, I habitually ask my MA classes how many students present are feminists.

In the five years that I’ve been at DCU, not a single hand has been raised. Does it mean that there are no young feminists in existence?

Not even on college campuses?

Not even on politics courses? Or and I don’t know which is worse, does it mean that young people who are feminist aren’t at liberty to admit it, even in post-graduate politics classes?

Either scenario is scary to me.

On a basic level, feminists often ask simply ‘where are the women?’ It’s a relatively straightforward question, but the answer often throws-up interesting matters. Some recent issues of the College View have given me some pause-for-thought in this respect.

A recent front-page photograph, for example, shows a bevy of female students strutting in the campus bar wearing only bikinis, while a bunch of fully-dressed, pint-quaffing male students cast their eye over them.

Honestly, I’d love to know what these people, girls and guys, were thinking. Ok, especially the girls.

Unfortunately, the image wasn’t accompanied by any additional

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INSIDE 24/02/09 | Issue 7 | Vol 1 Editor: Sean McTiernan Layout: Samuel Hamilton

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Andy Spence says if it wasn for New Young Pony Club, h would be dead. Flux talks to him about the band's new album money, and being popstar

PLUS

es to date' review 'a shambl Constitutional

to make sure is that we want with proper on the idea a referendum we do this right, much input learned that tution that as ive member told new Students’ Union consti ide consultation and get to usly we'd prefer process”, the execut place alongs as possible. Obvio before then but “likely” take n the College View. out ns in week a few will and of

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to watch Don't forget DCU's CVTV News only weekly news y - ever e ramm prog at Monday only .com thecollegeview

VIEW

9 MARCH 2010

Samuel Hamilton Tully, Ireland's talks to Claire first Page 3 mo dell about reaction to the iconic page, her career, banning and beauty ideals n November

17 1970, meets the first in have immen a series of pectt for what she is doing, se respec photos was printed on but that her does by job page three of the Sun unwan its nature attract a type newspaper. Stepha of ted attention. year old Germa nie Rahn, a 20“There are a n model, becam lot of trolls on the newspaper’s e internet the and things that first official Page model – kickin could 3 quite abusiv uld be g off a traditi e and say on that, and you’re to this day, still you’re re this remains strong that and you’re , even but a if the models nothin othing g slappe have been replac Names such ed. be so proud r and your familyy must as Samantha Melinda Messe Fox, of thing,” of you and all thiss type nger and Jordan she explains. saw their career all check my “I would s begin by model Facebook page topless on the ling morning every iconic page. and I would have messa Until two years sages from people ges just saying ‘Oh, ago there was no Irish Page you’re ou’re horrible’ or ‘You’r 3 girl. Claire e ugly’, or ‘You’r Tully fat’, or changed this ou’ree when she becam ‘You have a big nose’ or this, e the that and first Irish Page 3 girl in March the other and 2008 really after the Sun just being eing cruel and horrib – hot on the heels of seeing le and justt not an appearance well, at the end in FHM’s annua High Street Honey of the day, l I am actual ly s competition contacted Tully – feelings and a human being with to would be interes ask whether she job which I’m just trying to do my ted in appearing happens to be Page 3. At that this.”

She feels that moment she becamon a lot of the not just Irelan e, towards ion n d’s first Page her stems from reactio 3 model but but the “world jealou syy – for ’s brainiest Page diff 3 girl” and female erent reasons from males to boot having les gotten 600 points s. her Leaving in “I think the men Certificate and who take a dislike a fi in her degree ke in biochemistry rst to you, I really can’t explain it, it’s immunology from with almos t’s t like they just Trinity. hate you. Like She says that she ke wasn’t surprised that’s how it would come that it took so across,” Tully explains. long for Irelan “Women would d to find be its first Page 3 justt like ‘Oh, you’re model in her. a slapper’ or “We’re so prudish, and thatt I think we’re getting sort of thing, and really from them worse,” she explai stems from an ns. “I think a lot insecurity – maybe itt is actually this of it the same it’s recession and with the men. I’m people sure. just seem to not too But for examp be going backw le, I’ve had people ards, there are huge numbers of people that I’ve worked with, like say if I’ve going back had people workin to mass and g on my websit prayin and things like e that. As a scient g that would be guys, their wouldn’t sort ist I insisted girlfriends of be backing that they don’t that up.” work with Tully says that me. And it’s she feels the sort of like, church’s domin ‘This is actually a profes ant sional arrang has a lot to answe role in Ireland It’s just... paranoia becau ement’. r the public’s view for in regards to misco se of this nception they of women, not have of me.”

Page 3 girls in just It doesn’t just Ireland.

“I remember people who don’t come from my family would know her quite Catholic, be though. as in Through her love would have been my grandparents of footba ll, Tully has go-to-mass people all the time,” a lot of male she says. “If friends, I ever and showed up in the inability to a jumper that be was a public round neck, or ly associated a v-neck jumpe r that with might have shown her because of cleavage it would a tiny, tiny bit of what for her is simply have been, ‘Oh, cover yourself a career choice up.’ This sort – be of thing. it Be ashamed not a particu of your body. larly Cover yourself up. Have sex with the lights well paid one despite out sort of thing. the misnomer – goes healthy for people I don’t think it’s as far as some of them. ; healthy for people I don’t think it’s Some are afraid to at all.” tell Tully says that most men she their partners that they are friends with her, which

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she admits to finding “hard and... that’s hurtful.” put out to sell Page 3” even “One guy in particu tougher. “There’s lar, with his exno smoke withou girlfriend, would fire,” she explai t never have told that we actual her of the Englis ns. “Having met a lot ly trained togeth h girls, a lot of er,” she date says. “We do a them do... footballers and lot of running sell stories and outside things together, we’d like that – so I meet can understand run, like my runnin up and go for a where women are comin g from.” be like ‘Oh, God, g buddy, and he’d She says that I couldn for a lot of wome ’t let her they see me out runnin n, don’t understand g with you’ and how men can There's it’s look at lads' like ‘Why, we’re magazines like just out runnin g. Zoo. Nuts and no smoke There is absolu tely nothing without fire. else going on.

“I suppose, We’re just out a lot of wome especially the n, Having met running.’” younger they are, the a lot more they sort Tully feels that of the of hate the lads' there is and mags things like that a lack of under standing don’t because they English girls understand it of what Page 3 is. That “Th really,” she says. a lot of them ey sort of think some people ‘Oh, why are think lookin you do... date g at pictures just because she of her when you is on have footballers me.’ And, like Page 3 she has really, it’s just to be the guy available. The and sell problem becau who has opened the pictur e se men are very for Tully is that visual, and they stories and there open are a lot of a models, think picture and see it, and they things like she says, who ‘Oh, that’s nice, are like they whatever’ and that that – makin sort of flick on. g her job of Whereas when convincing people women have a crush on someb that she it’s is “very different ody, a much more from the image in-depth. They Claire Tully can’t really equate that men just look at a

“

A number of pages from past issues of the College View analysis but would, I think, make a great jumping-off point for discussion in any of a dozen different classes from Gender Studies to Media Studies.

Anyway, it was this photo along with a recent double-page spread on some porn actress that already had me thinking about women and their portrayal in the College View when I was contacted by the very same publication to contribute an opinion piece. Given that I do Social Science, I thought I’d gather some empirical evidence on the matter.

I thus engaged in some random

sampling by fishing a copy of said publication out of my green recycling bin, collecting the image data contained therein, and analysing same. Here’s what I found: Excluding advertisements and group shots containing over five people, Vol. XI, Iss. VIII (March 9, 2010) of the College View contains 112 images of identifiable persons.

Two-thirds of the images are of males, while just one-third are of females. This mightn’t be a truly abysmal state of affairs, excepting two things: first, the ratio of male to female students (including

postgraduates) here at DCU is 49% to 51%, so roughly half and half, but with females in the majority.

And second, eight of the 38 images of women contained in the issue are either of a Barbie doll or Claire Tully, “Ireland’s first page 3 model,” both of who appear either naked or scantily clad throughout.

To be fair, the content of the article on Barbie is fairly critical, but as Tully points out in her interview “men are very visual.” In fact, visuality is not a gender issue; images generally speak much louder than words to both sexes.

The only other person to be p pictured five times in the College V View of March 9 is RTE Newscaster B Bryan Dobson. Like Tully, he’s a m media personality and receives a d double-page spread, (headlined ‘T ‘The Bryan in whom we trust’); u unlike Tully, he’s celebrated for his p professional achievements and not h his appearance. Unsurprisingly, he’s fu fully clad in all five photographs.

Personally, I’m committed to free sp speech principles; and when I use th the term ‘speech’ here I mean it in th the broadest sense, that is to extend to images, etc. And, like I said, I’m a feminist and I therefore believe th that women should be free to make w whatever choices they wish, whether o on the public display of their naked b bodies or indeed any other matter.

No, what struck me is that in the is issue of this newspaper published on th the day after International Women’s D Day 2010, on the production team of which women are fairly well represented, at a university where the majority of students are female, the woman who was pictured most often and received the most column inches was a woman ‘celebrated’ for her bust inches rather than anything she’d achieved.

That’s not, I think, out of the ordinary for this publication, and that’s what’s kinda sad.

Why? Because, like it or not, the consequences of such general and (un?)witting denigration of women’s intellectual and other capabilities have real-world consequences that are felt by all women, feminists or not.

It's been almost 20 years, where have all the rebels gone?

Brian Casey

O

Opinion

n April 5, 1994 the voice of a generation fell silent. No matter how you regard his music, his persona or his cult status, it must be acknowledged that Kurt Cobain remains unrivalled by anybody as a voice for alternative culture.

What made Kurt Cobain such an icon for the youth of the early 1990s, why is he still idolised today and why has no one taken his place 17 years later? The truth is, Kurt Cobain wasn’t ever the king of the underground that he is sometimes made out to be.

The drug use, the controversial suicide, the troubled home life, the abrasive lyrics and the sarcasm are just one side to this member of the 27 club. On the other side was Kurt Cobain the REM fan, the father and the pop music listener.

The real foundation of Cobain’s

iconic status was the conflict, and more importantly, the occasional marriage of seemingly opposite interests. Rather than making his legacy less cool or less real, instead it was the key to his success and his relevance to the youth of the early 1990’s, and interestingly, to new fans today.

The 1970’s and 1980’s were decades of corporate consolidation, Neo liberalism and MTV. Musically the 1980’s pop was flashy, high on presentation and synthetic in instrumentation and intent.

The rock music of the day was rich in guitar soloing virtuosos who grew up listening to Hendrix or Led Zeppelin but who lacked substance and personal resonance. Underneath all that lay a simmering cauldron of distorted guitars, thrashing drums and the non-radio-friendly voices of heavy metal and punk. Burning on the fuel of their charismatic front man burst on to the underground scene and then the mainstream, Nirvana let the cool people know it

“ What’s missing is the reluctant hero, pulled into fame rather than chasing it

Brian Casey

Kurt Cobain, the 'voice' of a generation DGC Records

was ok to watch MTV and opened the doors to the underground. It was cool because it was uncool, it was normal not to fit in and conflict was the glue that held it together.

Despite Cobain claiming their songs had no message, they reaches out to the ordinary people and spoke to them in a way like never before.

So where is this generations Kurt Cobain? Maybe there isn’t one.

There is certainly drug use and plenty of pop-tinged hooks, distorted guitars and people trying to look cool by being uncool. Stars today all chase fame in one way or another, either on reality singing shows or through plain hard work.

What’s missing is the reluctant hero, pulled into fame rather than chasing it. Saying what they feel, doing what they wants - trying to make sense of their own inner conflict. 2010 bears resemblance to 1990, and 1980’s pop has clearly experienced a second coming but something tells me a second Kurt Cobain is far less likely.

THE COLLEGE VIEW

COMMENT 25

30 MARCH 2010

Will the British general election spell trouble for the North?

Kate Lawlor

I

Opinion

t’s been 12 years since an agreement pushed our country towards peace and equality and offered light at the end of a very dark tunnel.

The Good Friday Agreement in April of 1998 was a representation of politicians in Northern Ireland, Ireland and England who were liberal, objective thinkers.

It offered a power sharing government, one in which nationalists for the first time could have a say in how things were run.

It seemed everybody was almost on the same page; a new chapter in the history of our nation.

The Labour Party ‘s Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern, shared the same ideals for the future of Northern Ireland.

They worked hard to make these into a reality. Being objective in their treatment of both nationalists and protestants, the Labour party urged both sides to see sense.

A statement by Bertie at the time summarized Labour’s efforts in the peace process: “The people of Ireland know that this would not have come about without the commitment and dedication of prime minister Blair and his party.”

But a risk to the peace process comes in the forthcoming general election in England, when it’s widely predicted that the Conservatives will beat Labour.

Whereas Labour has been mainly objective and liberal in its approach to Northern Ireland, the Conservatives have been staunch in their support of the Unionists.

An electoral pact between the UUP and The Tories means the UUP has agreed to back the Conservatives with seats if they need it. With the

A mural in response to the Good Friday agreement Karma two parties united in the upcoming election, their possible success could have risky consequences for Northern Ireland.

David Cameron’s Conservatives have nothing to offer the people of Northern Ireland beyond one-sided, pro-union ideals and political

support for the UUP. The principles of the Good Friday Agreement spelled out equality between nationalists and unionists.

With the Tories in power, the balance could tip in favour of hardlined unionists in the UUP. The country has progressed even more in those 12 years, with the devolution of policing and justice to Northern Ireland on the horizon.

The future of the British government’s policy on Ireland could be dominated by a Conservative outlook, which may prioritise unionist’s concerns.

The unionist parties could grow increasingly hostile to the introduction of further educational reforms and equality measures; the aims of the agreement subdued into lesser significance.

This could completely unravel the progress made by the agreement, giving the unionist's the balance of power once more.

'Student politicians are like nappies. DCU students should stop taking the SU for granted They need regular changing' Steve Conlon

A

Opinion

s we all make our minds up as to who we will be voting against (let’s be honest it’s the way we vote in student elections) the decision will not be made by the majority.

Decisions are made by a majority of the minority of those who make themselves heard and who vote - a very different thing.

With the advent of actual student media on campus this year you can rest assured the political sound bites will be to the fore, and you have commentators like me who struggle to use witty and humorous political jokes as most of them are already running.

Our husting speeches will prove how ill-informed the student electorate is as applause, mingled with boos and hisses, is about all that the average student voter is able or willing to contribute to their democracy. The air will be full of speeches and vice versa.

This years DCU elections offer a bewildering freedom of choice, which will leave many students with the impression that they had nibbled at dozens of canapés of knowledge and never had their fill.

Our candidates will go around campus, addressing classes and students stirring up apathy. They will claim that they are only interested in students.

That is not always a virtue.

Fleas are interested in dogs and by the very definition of ‘student politics’ that analogy rings even truer. Students – the electorate. Poli meaning many. Tics – blood sucking creatures.

Students need to get involved with the SU more than just once a year Orla Ryan Posters will litter our notice boards, an orgy of clever puns and slogans in an attempt to distract from the real issues and the lack of knowledge or experience most of the candidates actually have.

After all you only have to be constitutionally competent to run for the Students’ Union in DCU – and we all know how competent the constitution is.

Of course in student politics there is often a career path to a sabbatical position – and this is its greatest downfall. What do we want from our candidates?

The fact that they sat on a committee, or the fact they sat on that committee because they got free food?

The problem with many student politicians is they forget that they have been appointed to office, many of them think they have been annointed to office.

This years elections will be full of recycled promises, resurrected by manifestos long since past – the same unachievable nonsense just with prettier faces. Copy and pasted from the ideas of greater men.

This all being said, there are those

who run for all the right reasons.

There are those who genuinely care for the student body. Unfortunately they are the ones that rarely get elected.

Last year was not one of those years. It is my job as a journalist to ask the questions that ought to be asked. To seek justification for the action and inaction of those who proport to represent us.

Did I treat Alan Keegan and John Murphy hard? No, and they will probably disagree. Do I respect them, of course. Did I think they did a good job? They did the best they could do within the structures and experience afforded to them.

I’ve had many conversations with both men, but on and off the record.

I have always come away from those conversations with a sense that they had a passion for the work of the Students’ Union and a desire to genuinely do the best for students.

All a mark of good Students’ Union officers, and something both men should be proud off.

They didn’t always go about things the best way, but those who replace them will not learn unless we as journalists keep a critical eye. The press is always the fourth branch of any government.

However student politicians are like nappies. They need regular changing and often for the same reason.

These elections are no watershed.

There is no real hunger for change out there no matter how much candidates allude too one.

Apathy is rife in DCU. The focus for next years team is simple – get students involved. Do away with the handicaps of the current constitution, debate the issues that interest students, campaign for them and listen. How hard is that?

Derwin Brennan D

D

Opinion

CU Students' Union, what's it for? Is it worth part of our registration fee every year? What do we want from it? Far from just being a clique confined to upstairs in the Hub the SU fulfils a variety of roles.

They represent students and provide a busy social college experience for all students who wish to get involved. The SU is a mostly voluntary body.

Class reps and faculty convenors, some of whom give hours of their free time to dealing with their faculties every week are all voluntary workers and help make DCU a more studentfriendly place for no obvious reward.

While the president, vice and deputy president are paid at a level comparable to civil servants it’s the volunteers that carry out a lot of the groundwork.

From charity collecting on Rag week to making sure balls go smoothly things would not be happening without these individuals.

To the casual observer the union is mostly responsible for organising many of the larger social events on campus such as the balls that we've all attended at one point. But the union is more than just a glorified disco committee.

This year for example the incumbent union landed a coup in getting the bar reopened through background negotiations with the college and bar providers.

The union also acts as the main student representative with the upper echelons of the university. This work is done behind the scenes and is unbeknownst to a lot of students.

The sabbatical officers are especially

active in dealing with the college governing and academic boards on behalf of students, which have huge sway over our academic lives.

Even your class reps are active in this role, taking your complaints and issues to programme board meetings to deal with course problems we all come up against during our time in college.

For example the union was instrumental in getting many derogations that capped degrees should a module be failed in the final year removed during this and last year. It's work like that this that goes largely unnoticed by much of the student body but is vital to them at the same time.

A common refrain against the union is that it operates somewhat cliquishly or they don't do enough for students. Yet every year fresh class reps get involved with the union and enjoy the work immensely.

This refrain of closed shops usually emanates from those who don’t bother to get involved.

On the claim of the union not doing enough there are always complaints about certain issues from facilities to accommodation and while convenors and sabbatical officers are busy on these ultimately the power to change lies with the university.

Realities of finance and precedent means sometimes change is slow to come but it’s largely not the union's fault that DCU does not have more money for everyone at once. As we approach elections we end a year largely devoid of the controversies of fees and bars that featured in last year’s elections.

For next year let’s hope we get a union executive that can work on its feet, continue to represent students and deal with our problems if and when they come.

THE COLLEGE VIEW

26 COMMENT

30 MARCH 2010

CLERICAL ABUSE IN IRELAND

So where's the divine justice?

By Helen Doyle It’s hard to tell these days whether the Catholic Church are purposefully trying to self destruct or decide whether the current leaders of the church are that stupid that they honestly think, the recurring cases of sexual abuse, really can all just be swept under the carpet?

Is it too much to ask for a proper apology, an opening of all the documents that relate to any reported cases of sexual abuse by priests?

See how these priests were dealt with and then for the men who perpetrated these cover ups to hang their head in shame, ask nay beg for forgiveness and then to step down from any sort of public role.

The Swiss president, Doris Leuthard has called for all paedophile priests to be put on a central register and said, “Whether perpetrators come from the civil or clerical world makes no difference. Both are subject to

Swiss criminal law, with no ifs or buts”.

The mere mortal sexual offenders who abused children without being able to hide behind canonical trials and their own church sponsored witness protection programme, were (in some but not all cases) given a trial in a court of law, imprisoned or at the very least put on a sexual offenders list.

The thought which should make all our collective bloods boil is that when confronted with a victim or victims, as it seems to have been in a number of cases, the catholic church went into lock down mode. Keep it quiet at all costs and never tell the truth when asked.

As in the case of Cardinal Sean Brady, who took a 14-year old victim of Brendan Smyth into a locked room and conducted ‘canonical inquiries’. The victim who was then sworn to secrecy never heard another word about it and Brendan Smyth got moved on to another set of innocent victims. And yet Cardinal Brady

doesn’t think he has anything to resign about?

Now we find out that Pope Benedict, as n investigation Cardinal Ratzinger, he stopped an urphy, of what into the abuse by Lawrence Murphy, we now know to be over 200 boys in a deaf school in Milwaukee. he victims had Instead of listening to what the hile priest who to say, he listened to the paedophile pleaded ill health and old age ass some sort of ped. Lawrence excuse for the case to be dropped. hout a stain on Murphy died peacefully and without his character. His victims won’t.

As we head into holy week ending with Easter Sunday let’s look at what the osed to message of this season is supposed rificed be. Jesus died for our sins, sacrifi ut yet himself for the good of others but rose up again.

This part the church should be wn afraid of, cause if Jesus came down ow and saw what’s going on and how

morally bankrupt the people who use his name have become…would he have bothered?

Can the Catholic Church ever recover?

By Kay Kinsella The scandal of the Catholic Church and its systematic abuse of children over the years is fast becoming something primarily associated with Ireland worldwide. Sky News was live in Dublin to hear Pope Benedict read out his letter of apology for the clerical abuse of children in Ireland.

The Church has taken a battering in recent years that not even the most established institutions could withstand. This year has seen the call for resignations of all the bishops who helped cover up sexual abuse. Cardinal Sean Brady now has the task of making right the wrongs of the past, but even his future could still be in doubt.

The victims of clerical abuse in Ireland met the letter, from the Vatican, that apologized for actions of the past with mixed reactions. Pope Benedict did his best to say sorry for the wrong doings of others in the Church, but he may have

received a better reception with his letter had he admitted the Vatican’s part in the cover up.

The letter emphasized the role of lower level clergy in the abuse scandal, but overlooked the part played by the Vatican itself.

Many abuse survivors felt that the apology didn’t go far enough and that the Pope was simply placing the blame on others without accepting responsibility himself. In many ways, you can’t help but feel sorry for those who are left to clean up the mess that others have left behind. The church’s reputation as a whole has been tarnished by the acts of others, and with numbers of vocations already in freefall, many commentators have said that they’ll continue to do so, as people don’t want to enter a profession with such an injured standing in society. However, in other ways, you feel it’s deserved, as they refuse to just lay all the facts bare. Instead we must endure, in Brady’s own words, “the drip-drip of revelations of failure” as more priests, bishops

and cardinals are exposed ass having some part to play in thee scandal. Instead of putting theirr hands up and saying they havee made their mistakes, they’ree leaving it to the HSE to reveal alll their remaining secrets and pastt h mistakes. The editor of the Irish te Catholic, Garry O’Sullivan, wrote ity that “the symbol of Christianity ging is a condemned criminal hanging on a cross”, and that Cardinal Sean Brady could be the very symbol for the Catholic Church in Ireland, he himself st when it having made mistakes in the past en. came to the protection of children. egain the The Church is desperate to regain he people trust and faith of its followers. The nd justice of Ireland will continue to demand for the victims of clerical abuse, and until pology is that justice is done, the Pope’s apology still only a small step forward.

LETTERS AND EMAILS

CONTACT US

The decision on whether or not DCU should rejoin USI rests with its student body Dear Sir - The recent economic downturn has resulted in many drastic cutbacks in Irish education and has also led to increased costs to students.

In order to protect the standards of higher education in Ireland, it is important that students are united with a strong voice.

The Union of Students in Ireland is the only national body representing for third level students in this country. For the past 50 years, we have fought for the rights of the student community.

We will continue to fight against the reintroduction of fees and cutbacks in education and for an improved student grant system.

With this, I wish to open a debate on the relationship between DCU Students’ Union and the USI. USI fully understands that the decision to join or not join USI

rests solely with the student body of Dublin City University.

However, we do feel that it would be fair to be given the opportunity of presenting to the student body of your institution, the benefits of USI membership.

In February of this year, NUI Maynooth Students’ Union held a referendum on re-affiliation to the USI. Over 74% of its student body voted yes.

During the campaign, we were given the opportunity to talk to Maynooth students on a grassroots level.

Prior to our presence, it was clear that there was an inherited negativity towards the national union.

However, after communicating the benefits of USI, we found that many students were supportive of the idea of being a part of a national Students’ union.

Up until that point, NUI Maynooth rarely debated the issue of USI. The initiative to rejoin came mainly from class reps, who worked alongside USI officers during the referendum.

The DCU Student Union President has hitherto refused the opportunity to open a fair and proper debate on USI affiliation. We call on the Students’ Union President Alan Keegan to present us with the opportunity to make a case to DCU Students.

We would very much appreciate a fair chance to create an open discussion on the issue.

Sincerely, Chris Bond, Eastern Area Officer, Union of Students in Ireland, 3-4 St Agnes Road, Crumlin, Dublin 12

Letters which may be edited, should include a full name and email address and should be sent to The College View, Clubs and Socs Office, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, Dublin 9. All letters for the next issue should be recieved by Friday April 9. Letters may also be emailed to editor@thecollegeview.com.

ON CVTV THIS WEEK

Due to technical difficulties, CVTV's airing of BBC journalist Alan Johnston's recent talk at DCU was postponed last issue. Hopefully this situation will be resolved soon. We apologies for this delay - thecollegeview.com/cvtv

THE COLLEGE VIEW

SPORTS 27

30 MARCH 2010

Fingal Sporting a new direction Niall Farrell talks to Sporting Fingal striker Eamon Zayed about football, DCU and racism

O

n a fairly grim Friday night in Santry, Eamon Zayed scores for Sporting Fingal against his old club Drogheda United. The match finishes 4-1 to Fingal, but in truth it was more even than the scoreline would suggest.

Three years earlier, Zayed had won his first Premier Division with Drogheda. Rumours of a transfer were widespread, with teams from England, Turkey, Korea and Azerbaijan among those interested.

In October 2007, the Drogheda United bubble burst. “Drogheda went into administration in November, we weren't getting payed.

We were getting payed 30 pc of our wages from October until the end of the season.”

Now studying for a Masters Degree in Business in DCU, Zayed recalls what happened when Liam Buckley, manager of Sporting Fingal, first got in contact with him, “my contract was up anyway at the end of the season. I was talking to St Pat’s at the time."

"And I had been planning to sign for them for quite a while. I went on a couple of trials. I went to South Korea, I went to Scotland with Hamilton, and Azerbaijan."

"Then Liam rang me around January time, I met up with him a few times and he sold me the project.

It seemed like they were one of the only clubs in the league that were actually trying to go forward."

"He seemed like he knew what he was doing and I wanted a bit of stability because the last few months i finished with drogheda there was no stability whatsoever.”

Zayed is honest about the fact that it was a bit of a drop down in standard for him going to Fingal in the First Division, “at the time yeah it was [a drop in standard]... but it’s probably one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”

The former Bray Wanderers striker

also had to adjust to playing in front of smaller crowds at Sporting Fingal, “you want to be playing in front of bigger crowds every week, that's one thing we need to work on. We need to get a bigger fanbase.”

Those attendances, though, are gradually starting to rise and the club now averages around 1000 on a typical Friday night, “I think you'd have to give Conan Byrne a mention.

He’s doing a lot of work with other people in Sporting Fingal, Conor Cullen and a few others."

"They’re involved in going to schools, I think the FAI Cup went to every school in Swords when we won it. A couple of weeks after we won it we had a little presentation in Swords and I was surprised as there was a great turnout."

"When we're playing better teams the attendance will go up. And in Europe this year hopefully we'll get a big attendance.

Eamon Zayed in action against Romanuld Boco during the FAI Ford Cup Final Barry Cregg / Sportsfile

The only way we're going to get those attendances is by doing well on the pitch and by winning things.”

The Ravens qualified to play in the Europa League after a 2-1 FAI Cup final win over Sligo Rovers last season, in which Zayed scored the winning goal through a late penalty, “that day is probably one of my best memories of football.”

Rovers fans, understandably enough, didn’t take too kindly to Zayed’s goal, “the ‘keeper definitely didn't mean it, he just lost track of the ball. He definitely caught me and it was a penalty."

"I missed the first game against them last week, but I'm not looking forward to playing down there in the Showgrounds” As a professional footballer, Zayed must balance his work and study, but according to the Masters student, “combining the two is tough.”

“Last semester was tough enough when we were coming up to the exams in January time. When I started my exams we had just started back preseason, which requires a lot of training on the fitness side of things."

"Now I think I'm combining them a little bit better because I know what to expect. We have three exams coming up in May which I think I'll be a little bit more prepared for. Then we've a thesis to hand in at the end of

June which will be tough."

"It's a very very difficult course and a lot of work is required. We finish up here [at training] at 2 every day and DCU is only down the road so I'm getting in, I can stay in and go to the library or whatever."

"The only thing is you do miss classes because of football in the morning. Thankfully I have a bit of a network of people in the class and they're more than helpful.”

Born to a Tunisian father and an Irish mother, Zayed says his second name can lead to people having misconceptions about his nationality, “With my second name being Zayed, I get a lot of people thinking 'are you a foreigner?' When I was younger I probably got more abuse."

"Thankfully since I've been in the league I haven't received too much.

There were a few incidents when I came on the scene when I was 18 or 19."

"I did get a couple of remarks, one from a player. Since then, you might get a few remarks from the fans but I don't let it affect me."

"I'm involved in the Show Racism the Red Card campaign... Growing up it would have affected me when I got a few remarks. Now that I'm older I can take it. I'm sure there's kids out there getting remarks like that too and if I can help them in any way

“ With my second name being Zayed, I get a lot of people thinking 'are you a foreigner?'

Eamon Zayed

THE COLLEGE VIEW

28 SPORTS

30 MARCH 2010

'A team of Irish weightlifters in a foreign land, we are clearly in uncharted territory'

DCU's weightlifting club training alongside the Irish national team. This month the club opened their own gym in Albert College DCU Weightlifting Club

Veteran Irish weightlifter Harry Leech gives the College View a personal insight into the Olympic sport The life of an Irish weightlifting coach is not a glamorous one, at least not in the conventional sense.

Nightly sessions in the gym Monday to Friday; double sessions on Saturdays; the occasional Sunday session; the constant refrain of falling bars; an atmosphere of sweat, frustration and chalk dust. To a small but dedicated group, this is heaven, but to the public at large we’re somewhat of an oddity.

When I stepped off a plane at Thessaloniki airport a small, smiling Greek man with an improbably large camera asked if he could take my photo. I am naturally somewhat taken aback.

Eventually, through his broken English and my non-existent Greek, we establish that he’s a photographer dispatched to photograph the teams competing in the FISU World University Weightlifting Championships, the competition we’re in Greece to compete in, for the local newspaper.

The penny finally drops. A team of Irish weightlifters in a foreign land, we are clearly in uncharted territory.

We’re certainly not in Kansas any more.That’s not to say that our team were strangers to international competition. Cathal Byrd, Eamonn

Flanagan and Andrew Murphy had lifted at the European Union Championships that year in Germany and Byrd had competed in the University World Cup in Lima the year before, placing 5th in the 69kg class.

Nathaniel O'Callaghan was a member of the Irish Team at the Small Nations Tournament in Cyprus and Neil Dougan had competed at the Universities World Cup in Turkey in 2006.

Our team manager, Jimmy Jennings, has been involved in the iron game since the late 1960’s and to say that he’s seen and done it all would be an understatement of Herculean proportions. Bearded and bespectacled, with a near constant flow of cigar smoke coming from his mouth, he is the team’s manager and philosopher in chief.

Most spectators don’t realise the behind the scenes work that goes into coaching at a weightlifting competition; timing the warm-ups precisely so that the athlete is neither worn out nor under prepared when they step on the platform; keeping an eye on competitors who are vying for a similar position on the table; analysing whether your athlete is a little tired and you should drop their

starting weights, or do they look good for more than we had planned?

Competing at this level is far removed from attaining results in the gym and all of the Irish athletes coped well under some considerable pressure.

Bright lights, TV cameras, and an atmosphere you could cut with a knife all add to the tension. Between six and ten years of hard graft concentrated into just six attempts on the platform.

The standard at the competition was impressive. In total 34 countries were represented, with nearly 200 male and female athletes and, unsurprisingly, China proved to be the big country with big winners.

As a competition it was a very good one for Ireland. With five athletes in the men's section we came 11th of 29 countries overall, the best result by an Irish weightlifting team at any World Championships to date.

The second World University Weightlifting Championships will be held this year in Chinese Taipei. DCU now has its own weightlifting Club which trains Tuesday and Wednesday evenings and Friday afternoons in Albert College. For more information on Irish Weightlifting you can check out www.weightlifting.informe.com

WEIGHTLIFTING

What is weightlifting?

By Harry Leech Weightlifting is a sport that is beloved by a few and misunderstood by many. When we talk about ‘weightlifting’ we mean the sport that you’ll see about ten minutes of coverage on BBC at each Olympics, or occasionally on Eurosport when a World or European Championships is on.

We don’t mean powerlifting, we certainly don’t mean bodybuilding and no, weightlifters don’t benchpress. In competition the sport involves three attempts in the Snatch and three attempts in the Clean & Jerk.

In the Snatch the athlete takes the bar from the floor to arms length overhead in one fast movement, and in the Clean & Jerk the bar is ‘cleaned’ onto the shoulders and then ‘jerked’ overhead.

The athlete with the best combined Snatch and Clean & Jerk is the winner. The sport is divided into weight categories, as in boxing and there are eight weight classes for men and seven for women.

Weightlifters range from supersmall to super-big and everything in between. One of the many

misconceptions about weightlifting is that it makes you slow and muscle-bound, but nothing could be further from the truth.

The Snatch is the most powerful movement in Olympic competition, with sports scientists measuring it's velocity at two meters per second.

To put that in context, if Usain Bolt could manage that he could do the 200m in just ten seconds!

Weightlifting is a sport that requires speed, strength, flexibility and great willpower.

DCU now has its own dedicated weightlifting Club, so if you’re interested in getting stronger, faster, more flexible and getting an athletic physique you can join us n Tuesday and Wednesday evenings as well as Friday afternoons.

Two of the Level 1 coaches from the DCU Club helped out at the recent National Squad Training weekend in Dublin.

The national team is already preparing for the 2012 European Championships where Ireland hopes to secure a place at the London Olympics.

At the end of the day, in weightlifting it’s all about the Games.

THE COLLEGE VIEW

SPORTS 29

30 MARCH 2010

Defeat to Scotland well-needed Micil Glennon Over The Lateral

I

reland not only got exactly what they deserved but also exactly what they needed in the defeat to Scotland. For all the pre-match talk about how the statistics can lie based on wins against England and Wales with less ball possession, the Scottish game proves that stats can’t really lie, they sometimes tell a few fibs that some gullibles believe.

Coming out of the Six Nations with four wins out of five would have covered over a number of issues that have to be addressed before any talk of a serious World Cup assault begins. There were certainly a few positives to be taken from the tournament. Keith Earls has continued his upward spiral and shows signs that he has the potential to lessen the impact of Brian O’Driscoll’s retirement (when it happens).

Tommy Bowe showed hunger for the ball, great strength and excellent timing to establish himself as one of the best wingers in the game (he was voted Player of the Championship by fans).

Simon Geoghegan must shake his head when he sees how the Monaghan man is used by the team.

Poor auld Simon used to have to arrange his passes by registered letter weeks in advance, and even that was no guarantee that it would come his way.

The D’Arcy and O’Driscoll partnership continues to cause plenty of angst in the opposition and it was noticeable that they were both injured as Scotland gained the upper hand towards the end of the last game.

Jonathan Sexton will have learned a lot. The playing time will stand him when it comes to the World Cup and

Ireland's Jamie Heaslip wins the lineout against Scotland at the recent Six Nations match up Brendan Moran / Sportsfile Declan Kidney played his cards right in this case. His kicking will improve, as will his temperament but for the moment Ronan O’Gara’s level head keeps him in the driving seat.

Geordan Murphy slotted in seamlessly and while Rob Kearney is nowhere near his Lions form, full-back is up for grabs. With Tomás O’Leary making the scrum-half breaks that we rarely saw over the last 10 years and Luke Fitzgerald still to return, things look good from 9 upwards. Have you noticed a pattern

yet?

It has all the makings of a great 7s team but we’ll be in big trouble heading to New Zealand if the forwards don’t up their collective game. Ireland lost seven lineouts against Scotland and gave away seven penalties. You can predict that there are more penalties to come if the back row don’t get to grips with not gripping the ball-carrier in that manner – that’s confusing to me too!

Did Paul O’Connell get excited about winning the Triple Crown?

Very doubtful but he and some of his mates weren’t focused.

10 missed tackles, I repeat 10 missed tackles. This along with 14 miscellaneous errors points to a lack of concentration - a bad sign for a team with designs on a decent World Cup. John Hayes has been a great stalwart but Kidney has a duty to rear an alternative i.e. someone who doesn’t concede so many penalties at scrum time. There might not be one there but the next 12 months is

the time to find out if Tony Buckley or Tom Court can do a steady job.

Special Mention: We may venerate our back row players over here but, excellent as they are, they do not operate at the same level as Imanol Harinordoquy. The Basque number 8 had a phenomenal championship and was my pick of the bunch.

That’s all for now, I’m off down to Limerick to celebrate Our Lord giving himself up for our sins, and to get pished.

Trinity college cruise to victory over DCU rivals

By IAFA Reporter Sunday March 15 saw a three-year plan come into it’s final phase, as Trinity College made it’s full debut in the IAFL. The previous year, TCD had dominated the DV-8’s format, and many speculated as to how they would perform in the IAFL. Their opponents, DCU Saints, have been a regular visitor to the playoffs in recent years. If the collegiate rivalry wasnt enough to build the hype, the fact that Trinity Head Coach Darrin O’Toole (A former coach at DCU) and DCU Head Coach Dave Rothwell were both former teammates as part of the famous Rebels team who dominated the first half of the decade meant all eyes were fixed on this as the game to watch on this sunny opening weekend.

The game started badly for the debutants, with bad field position resulting from the opening kickoff.

TCD went 3 and out and a bad punt had DCU sniffing blood on their first possession.After a short drive, RB Dave McMahon kicked one to the endzone to bring the score to 7-0 DCU. Trinity came out on their second drive firing, and two plays into it RB Rob McDowell exploded for a 50 yard TD.A missed PAT left the game close at 6-7. After trading blows on ensuing drives TCD took the game by the neck,on the back of an INT by LB Steve Fallon in the 2nd quarter.

An excellent catch by WR David Corcoran saw QB Spottiswoode bring TCD into touching distance of DCU’s endzone.Niall Clarke made a crucial 2nd down catch to bring the ball to the 2 yard line,and on 3rd down FB Connor Logue ran untouched behind C Matt McGrath,LG David “Sugar” Kane and LT Justin Stover into the endzone.

All round specialist James Marron kicked the PAT to give TCD a 13-7

DCU Saints lost out to TCD after a closely fought contest IAFA lead going into the half. The 3rd Quarter saw a refreshed Saints team come out firing on all cylinders. TE Flood made some big catches to drive down the field, and Dave McMahon continued to cause problems for the rookie defense. Holding firm on

defense, TCD got the ball back thanks to a Lorcan Smullen interception.

A few plays later RB McDowell blasted through the Saints to score a stunning 40 yard TD,bringing the score to 20-7 to the new boys.

DCU rallied well, completing

some nice passes and moving the chains.RB McMahon broke out to the sideline and took another score to bring the 3rd quarter to an end,with it all to play for, 20-15 Trinity.

In the fourth quarter DCU tried to air the ball out with limited success.

TCD’s Defensive Line caused huge pressure, with Wahab,Logue and OLB Carton getting sacks. Trading blows, Trinity DB Sam Whelan came up with a huge sack to prevent DCU scoring in the Red Zone. On DCU’s next possession Connor Logue sacked QB Ecklof and took the ball away.

A play later, RB McDowell broke again through the heart of DCU’s defense to make the game 2615. Trinity went for 2 pts and FB Logue powered the ball home for a convincing Trinity win. Trinity finished the game with zero sacks allowed and zero interceptions, 2 interceptions on defense and 7 sacks.

DCU play the Rebels April 11.

THE COLLEGE VIEW

30 SPORTS

30 MARCH 2010

Givens the situation, who will be the new boss?

Niall Farrell Load of Balls

A

fter ten years in the job and no successes of note, Don Givens is no longer the Irish under-21

manager.

More famed for fighting with star players than winning with them, those left in Givens' trail of destruction include Stephen Ireland, Chris McCann and Keith Fahey.

Now that one of the last great Delaney loyalists is gone, can we see some progress with the under-21 squad?

For a nation that not-so-long-ago won European Championships at under-17 and under-18 level, Ireland has been embarassingly poor at under-21. Winning became a rarity, even against some of the lesser lights of world under-21 football.

Losing to Armenia was just the latest in a long line of embarassments for the under-21s under Givens. Who will get the job?

Will the FAI opt for a high profile candidate like Dave O'Leary (not unless Denis O'Brien can throw them a few bob again) or 'promote' a domestic manager like Pat Fenlon (is it really a promotion?)

Alternatively, they could look at an out-of-work manager (exampled by the appointment of Paul Doolin as under-23 boss).

Maybe Johnny McDonnell, once of St.Pat's and Newry City, could be an option, as he is now unemployed.

There is no doubt in the dearth of quality managers now plying their trade in the LOI. Another option could well be Damien Richardson, formerly of Shels and Cork City and now of RTE. Rico has the tactical nous and experience, but question marks remain over whether he would actually want the job.

Pat Fenlon is a frontrunner, but Paul Cook, Liam Buckley and Alan Matthews all deserve praise for achievements at their respective clubs. Perhaps the most underrated manager in the LOI is Pete Mahon at St. Pat's.

Fenlon, strongly linked with the managerial role at Dundee United

“ There is no doubt in the dearth of quality managers now plying their trade in the LOI

Niall Farrell

a few months ago, is a proven manager. He took charge of the Irish under-23 squad last season and led an entirely-domestic based team into international competition.

Fenlon has success on the domestic front with both Shelbourne and Bohemians.

Under his tutelage, both Shels and Bohs got to the penultimate stages of qualifying for European competition.

Cook and Matthews are both examples of managers who cope well with finite resources (something that may come in handy under the FAI).

Paul Cook has transformed Sligo Rovers into genuine contenders for the Premier Division title and attracted players like Joseph Ndo to the Showgrounds. Matthews, on

Above, Ireland's under-21s in action against Armenia earlier this year FAI Left, Don Givens who's recently stepped down as the under-21s Irish manager FAI

the other hand, performed a nearmiracle with Drogheda United by avoiding relegation last season with a budget a fraction of the size of any other Premier Division club.

Matthews also steered Longford Town to the Premier Division, winning several FAI and League cups in hi time there, again under a shoestring budget. Mahon has turned the Saints from a spent force languishing at the foot of the table to a side that look like a certainty for at least a European spot.

This comes after his time at UCD, where he kept the students in the top flight and developed one of the best youth systems in Ireland. Mahon would be my choice for under-21 manager, but then again, I amn't John Delaney.

Speaking of which, isn't Steve

Mixed season for DCU's women's rugby team

By Dwayne Leavy Deputy Sports Editor Women’s rugby in DCU is growing in popularity every year and this year was no exception as they competed in Division 1 following a successful campaign last season which resulted in promotion.

DCU faced a very difficult challenge as there was a significant turnover of players from the successful promotion team of last year.

Indeed many of the panel were taking up the sport for the first time but showed terrific enthusiasm and

skill as DCU turned in a series of admirable performances against strong opposition.

Under the guidance of Niall Neville and Jack Hanratty, the squad improved with every passing game.

Facing rugby strongholds such as UL and UCC, the squad knew they would face difficult games.

However, after a slow start the team began to up their level and acquitted themselves admirably in Division 1.

Following the loss of influential players from last year, this year was about gaining valuable experience for the players and laying the

foundations for successful rugby teams in the future.

With a high standard of rugby in Division 1 it is hoped that this team will continue to improve so they can compete for league honours in the top Division in the near future.

DCU may not have figured near the top end of the league but their competitive nature and boundless enthusiasm proved that they are not out of their league at this depth of competition.

The season opened with consecutive defeats to powerhouses UL and UUC. Defeat also followed against NUIG but only after a spirited

showing from DCU. With promising performances from players such as Jade Nolan and Laura Scully, this team proved they were capable of competing at the highest level.

The team resumed training after Christmas twice a week on with renewed intensity and this was shown in improved performances.

Challenge games against strong club sides such as Malahide gave a chance to give a good opportunity to try out new players ahead of the upcoming intervarsity in Limerick on the weekend of April 17 and 18.

Here DCU will again be facing

powerful opposition like UL and UUC. However, the team will be confident of improving on their previous performances in the season.

After only one season in the top Division this competition is about preparing this very young team for the future.

The competition consists of UUC, UL, DCU and NUIG all playing each other once with the top two advancing to the final.

With development officer Jack Hanratty and Niall Neville at the helm, this group will be confident of springing a few surprises and emerging triumphant.

THE COLLEGE VIEW

SPORTS 31

30 MARCH 2010

O'CONNOR CUP: SECOND DCU VICTORY IN A ROW

College View Sudoku No.4

4 6

1 8

2

5 3

5

4

8

9

2 3

7 4

6

9 5

1

2

7

4

8

5 1

6 1

7 3

7

9

3

1

9

8 3

College View Crossword No.3

DCU captain Shannon Quinn lifts the O'Connor Cup in triumph, having led her team to victory over the University of Ulster Jordanstown. This is the second time that DCU has won the prestigious cup Brian Lawless / Sportsfile

SOCCER LSL SAT PREMIER 1 P

TEAMS

W

20 19 17 18 15 11 11 18 14 15 14 12

St.Itas FC Vintage Docklands Farm United Peamount United DCU FC Knocklyon United Blackrock College DAA FC Parkvale FC Manortown United Earl Celtic Shielton Athletic

D

13 12 12 12 8 7 5 4 3 3 3 1

4 2 1 0 0 1 2 1 2 2 1 2

IAFL CENTRAL DIVISION L 3 5 4 6 7 3 4 13 9 10 10 9

A

F 70 49 57 42 31 32 21 26 28 26 26 19

RUGBY CUSAI WOMEN'S DIVISON 1 TEAMS UL UCC NUIG DCU

P 5 6 5 6

W 5 4 2 0

D 0 0 0 0

L 0 2 3 6

PF 195 85 49 35

PA 10 53 104 197

TEAMS

Pts

28 37 27 36 30 24 21 42 33 52 48 49

43 38 37 36 24 22 17 13 11 11 10 5

W

Dublin Rebels TCD DCU Saints Rhinos

1 1 0 0

L

T

0 0 1 1

0 0 0 0

Pts 2 2 0 0

VOLLEYBALL CUSAI MEN'S GROUP 1 Pts 25 17 10 3

TEAMS DCU TCD ITC Dun IT

P 5 4 3 3

W 4 1 2 1

D 0 0 0 0

L 1 3 1 2

SF 10 6 5 2

SA 3 6 4 7

Pts 15 10 8 5

1) In which town did Jesus grow up?

13) Which English King was killed by an arrow at the

2) What was the name of the ship on which Charles

battle of Hastings?

Darwin began developing his theory of evolution?

14) What nationality was the inventor Thomas Edison?

3) Which American President once famously pro-

15) Which American president gave the order to

claimed `Ich bin ein Berliner`? (Surname)

withdraw from the Vietnam War? (Surname)

4) What method of transport was invented by Karl D.

16) How many of Henry VIII`s wives were called

Sauerbronn in 1816?

Catherine?

5) Which of Henry VIII`s wives was mother to King

17) What was the first animal to be sent into space?

Edward VI? (Surname)

18) How many funnels did Titanic have?

6) Which country`s president post did Albert Einstein

19) How many wives did Henry VIII divorce?

decline?

20) Who did Jimmy Carter succeed as President of

7) Which country has the world`s oldest flag?

the United States? (Surname)

8) Who invented the telephone? (Surname)

21) Which country suffered over six million deaths in

9) Which British Prime Minister resigned because of

World War II, equivalent to over 17% of it`s population?

the Suez crisis? (Surname)

22) Who shot Martin Luther King? (Surname)

10) In which British city was Guy Fawkes born and

23) Which American President was in office when

Dick Turpin killed?

America declared war on Germany in World War I?

11) How many UK monarchs were there in the 20th

(Surname)

century?

24) Who invented the safety lamp in 1815? (Surname)

12) What was the surname of Zachary, the President

25) Who shot and killed Lee Harvey Oswald?

of the USA between 1849 and 1850?

(Surname)

Send your completed entries to The College View, Clubs & Socs Office, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, D9. The first correct entry will win a special prize.

Sports

www.thecollegeview.com

30 March 2010

Vol. XI Issue IX

DCU WEIGHTLIFTING G

LEAGUE OF IRELAND

Champion Harry Leech and a personal

Eamon Zayed sspeaks frankly about his

account of his time with the sport Page 28

time in the IOL, DCU, and racism Page 27

Ladies bring DCU's second ever O'Connor Cup home

The DCU ladies celebrate winning their second O'Connor Cup Brian Lawless / Sportsfile

DCU 2 - 12

By Niall Farrell Sports Editor DCU’s Ladies Football team retained the O’Connor Cup with a 2-12 to 0-12 victory over University of Ulster, Jordanstown (UUJ) in St. Claire's, DCU last Sunday.

The ladies were made to work, however, as only a late surge won the match for the home side.

Featuring several intercounty stars, DCU went into half-time 1-4 to 0-7 up after Monaghan’s Ciara McAnespie scored an early goal.

0-12 UCC Both sides took turns in pegging each other back in the second half, knocking points over with style.

At full-time, DCU and UUJ were level at 1-8 to 0-11, forcing the match into extra time.

UUJ star Aileen Pyers, also of Down, scored twice in extra time but her points were equalled by DCU’s Amy McGuiness, who appeared in last year’s All-Ireland final for Dublin, but was unfortunate to lose out.

DCU then began to dominate, scoring a goal and three points in the remaining minutes to win their

second-ever O’Connor Cup. Despite this, the aforementioned Pyers finished top scorer for UUJ with eight points, but Dublin star Lyndsey Davey scored the winner for DCU late in extra time to seal a dramatic victory.

Monaghan's Ellie McCarron finished as DCU's top scorer with six points, including five from play, but the player of the match award went to Cavan defender Donna English.

After a relatively dissapointing league campaign, the ladies will be delighted to have won a shock second trophy.

On their way to the final, UUJ beat UL 1-19 to 1-6 while DCU

impressively dismissed the challenge of rivals UCD to reach the decider, 3-14 to 1-11 the final score.

DCU’s second ladies’ football team added to the O’Connor Cup success by reaching the final of the Lynch Cup through a semi-final win over Robert Gordon University Aberdeen last Friday.

Sadly, DCU’s reserve team couldn’t replicate the first team’s victory in the curtain-raiser to the O’Connor Cup final and were comprehensively defeated by Mary Immaculate College Limerick (who featured former Cork captain and five-time All-Ireland medallist Juliet Murphy) in the final in St. Claire's last

Sunday, 4-8 to 0-4.

In the Giles Cup camogie final, also held last Sunday, Cork Institute of Technology were victorious over Waterford Institute of Technology, a 3-2 penalty win securing the victory for the Leesiders after the came was level at 5-13 each after normal time.

In the O’Connor Shield, NUI Galway hammered Queen’s University Belfast 6-9 to 2-6.

This is only the second ever O’Connor Cup success for DCU and adds to an already great year for DCU GAA, in which the trophies won have featured a Sigerson Cup for the mens’ footballers and a league title for the hurlers.