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i-Ink April 2022
i-Ink | LCFE Newsletter April 2022 Issue 08
Almost There !
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i-INK Guest Editor Rachel Walsh
We just can’t believe it’s almost the end of the year here at LCFE. We have all worked so hard, so a big congrats to everyone for completing their work and let’s hope everyone gets their desired marks at the end of the year.
Fortunately, this year was a bit easier compared to the previous 2 years. We had more blended learning, a mix of online and in the classrooms. It is great to see our teachers and friends face to face, and to get the most out of our college experience but also, it is nice to do some classes from the comfort of our own homes. And remember, even though there are not that many restrictions these days we still need to be careful as covid is still out there.
This is our last i-INK issue of the year, and as you can see, it’s a bigger, bumper issue. Throughout March we did a call out in the college and asked students from all courses to submit their work from photography, short stories, achievements and more. It is so cool to see other students’ passions.
The topics in this issue are a mix of some serious and light-hearted topics. As our thoughts are with the people of Ukraine, we have 2 articles to help readers to try and understand what is happening.
As media is changing so much, we have articles on how it has evolved from print to online. Also, we have articles on the census and life after lockdown.
We hope you enjoy reading our final i-INK issue we had so much fun making this and all of our previous issues.
Have a great summer everyone!
The I-INK team promoting the Big Call Out!
Photo: Aine Flynn
April 3rd
You fill up my census
Liam Hickey
The Irish census fell on April 3rd this year. With this in mind, it is important to know what the census is and where it came from. I will also look through my own family census to see what I can find.
A census is a way of gathering information on the population of a country. Censuses can be about housing, agriculture, business, and a host of other topics. This can be used to see what services need to be improved and what the population of a country needs.
The first census was conducted 6000 years ago by the Babylonians. This census recorded the population, livestock and the amount of butter, honey, milk, wool, and vegetables.
In Rome the census was used to see how many men were fit for military service. The first census in Ireland was done in 1672, although it only recorded population. The first full census was done in 1821, only after a failed attempt in 1813. 1841 was the first “great” census. It introduced many new reforms and is the beginning of the census we know today. It separated each form by household also known as form A. Constables were used to gather the census. The modern census was introduced in 1926 after the war of independence.
Censuses in Ireland are taken every five years. This census was actually supposed to take place in 2021 but due to covid-19 it was postponed to this year. The census this year includes a lot of questions including a ‘time capsule’ or basically a box where you can write or draw anything you want so that people can see your message one hundred years from now. This can be a message to future ancestors or messages about the current events like the war in Ukraine. I think this is a very interesting concept and I think that it should be in the next census to see how peoples opinions change.
Unfortunately, the census returns in Ireland before 1901 were largely destroyed for many different reasons. The 1881 census and the 1891 censuses were scrapped to make paper because during the first world war there were shortages. The census’ from 1821 to 1851 were destroyed during the civil war during a fire. This is unfortunate as it would have been interesting to look through these records and see if I could find my own family. The censuses held from 1926 to 1946 are in the national archive but are not open to the public. The 1926 census will be open to the public in 2027. This is because after 100 years a census becomes public. I did, however, look through the 1911 census and the 1901 census using the national archives website.
Searching the census
It is important, however, to know the persons name and where they lived at the time. This is because there may be a lot of people that have the same last name in the same region.
I decided to look up the names of my mother’s family and the location of where they lived. The census form can be seen below. I found the site and that brought me to the household register (www.census.nationalarchives. ie). This register shows the names, age, gender, place in the family, religion, birthplace, occupation, literacy, marital status, language the number of children born and the number of children still living. I saw that 6 people lived in the household. They were farmers and all knew how to read and write. They also could speak Irish and English.
An interesting thing I saw is that my great grandparents had 8 children but only 4 survived. I looked through other censuses and found that there was a lot of variation in how many children people had and what their place was in the family
Most church of Ireland families had roman catholic servants and many of the church of Ireland families were senior couples. I also looked at Ennis, the town I’m nearest to see what life was like for people there. Places like bank place and Bindon Street were very wealthy areas, with many bankers and high-ranking members of the RIC. I tried looking for family on my father’s side, but I couldn’t find anything. It’s unfortunate that the census isn’t as accurate as it could be but the information that you can find out about your area and your family is very interesting. I would have liked to see earlier census’ like the 1851 census to see the effect the famine may have had on my ancestors.
There’s a lot that you can find out about your family by looking through this census. I would strongly urge anyone who hasn’t looked at this census to have a look and see what you can find. There’s a lot that you can find out about your family that you might not know about.
Image from the census archive
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie
Dear Comrade Czar
An open letter to Vladimir Putin
Dirk de Klein
Dear Comrade Putin,
I would love it if you could just clarify that matter to a simpleton like me. When you say Nazi, are you referring to the Ukraine’s Jewish president whose grandfather barely survived the Holocaust?
You are telling the world that you have carried out this military mission in Ukraine, to protect its citizens, to rid it of Nazis. However, you have not fully explained to us what you consider to be Nazis.
Maybe it is the 2-year-old Shpak who was murdered during a shelling ordered by you. Was he that Nazi you were referring to? Is that the type of funerals you want to see more of in Ukraine to achieve your goals?
Dear Comrade Putin, if you cannot explain it to me may you can explain it to Oleh, Shpak’s Father? Because he asked “I do not know if there is a God. What is this all for? For what?”
Dear Comrade Putin, your actions look a lot like that of a nationalised German Austrian, he also said in the 1930’s that he wanted to liberate the people in the Sudeten land and Poland. But he was a Nazi, so are you perhaps a Nazi, Comrade Putin? If so, the only thing for you to do to rid Ukraine from Nazis is to withdraw your troops.
Perhaps that is not your goal. Perhaps you long to the Russia of the days of yore? Where it was still part of the USSR and maybe you want to rule like Czar Nicholas once did. Maybe you want to become the new USSczaR.
If you ask me that is what you want to be. But people will not remember you as a Czar. They will see you like cowards such as Joseph Stalin and Adolf Hitler. That is what your real legacy will be.
Is that what you really want? It is not too late yet; you can still change that.
Life after Lockdown
Reflecting and getting back to normal
Kemi Afolabi
Young people emerge from two years of lock down and are heading back to pubs again.
It may be hard to be around people again however as we’ve been in quarantine for the last two years and we rarely get to see any new faces. Lock down has already affected a lot of people, especially teenagers and young adults.
Getting to meet and to learn about new people is quite important as it helps you build confidence and increases your level of social skills.
Because we have been in quarantine for so long, our brains have been in isolation for too long and therefore some people will need time to readjust to being social again.
Young people and secondary students in general have missed out on many fun activities due to covid 19. As someone who graduated from Leaving Cert last year, I can tell you that it was quite a weird journey. Graduations were held differently because of social
distancing, and everyone had to wear masks and teens couldn’t even go out to discos and have fun. People have hosted online house parties in order to socialize more and catch up with whatever they missed out on. But let’s be honest, it’s not the same.
Isolation is a big factor when it comes to mental health. People might want to broaden their social life but are finding it quite difficult. The inward life has been more prevalent throughout lock down and isolation, not being interrupted, as it would have been by normal, everyday social interactions.
As a result, people may focus on themselves too much during social events and interactions and begin to feel self-conscious about everything.
This is your time now. The last 2 years, and how it might have affected you, are now all behind you. Summer is coming, restrictions are over. Look outwards, enjoy your friends and family and your freedom. The future is yours.
Photo: Christina Bennett
From print to online
The evolution of media
Rachel Walsh
Photo: Christina Bennett
The way we consume media has changed so much in the last decade. If you wanted to hear what was going on nationally or internationally, you go out to buy a newspaper or listen to the radio or a TV news broadcast but in the year 2022 things are so different.
Early Media
Benjamin Franklin may be remembered as one of the founding fathers of the USA, but he is also remembered as a newspaper publisher. His older brother James was one of the first to publish a newspaper, The New England Courant in 1721 and Benjamin worked with him from the age of 12. Benjamin published his own newspaper The Pennsylvania Gazette and grew to become known as a newspaper publisher. The popularity of news and media grew with radio and newspapers in the first half on the 20th century, before TV began to dominate our attention.
In the past as a journalist or writer, if you wanted to get articles published you generally had to work in a newspaper, and have your article by a hard deadline, and then sent to a printing press for publication.
Unfortunately with the pandemic it is currently very hard to find work experience with a newspaper, and have the chance to see your work in print. As an aspiring journalist this would be my ambition. This is not possible at the moment as many journalists are not back in the office yet so they cannot train people. This is unfortunate.
Blogs & Podcasts
But I do not even have to get hired by a newspaper now as I can set up my own blog using my laptop. Blogs and Podcasts have become so popular and may even overtake traditional media. It’s a creative and wonderful way to get your name and voice out there.
On the other hand it can lead to the proliferation of citizen activists and self proclaimed journalists with bias or particular points of view. They may promote these perspectives through a lens that does not include fair framing, editing, and reporting. They do not have editors to insist on fact checks and their readers may believe everything they write. This is unfair to ethical journalism, and unfair to those who went to college study their trade and may find it hard to get jobs.
Problems for media
Newspapers are at risk of becoming a forgotten media. Audiences tend to, more and more, get their news online. It’s generally free, you do not have to go anywhere to get it. You can get recommended news specially for your interest and the current news stories come out faster as they are constantly updated online.
I like to still read traditional newspapers but I do consume news online as well. Studies show that print media is declining in the US, where newspapers reportedly lost half of their employees between 2008 and 2019. Journalists are reported to have lost 23% of their newspaper jobs. Journalists are now working in broadcast a lot more and it was reported in that same year that in the US that 17,000 journalists were now working in broadcast.
Instead of trusting reputable news sources like the Irish independent or RTE readers may prefer to go to social media for their news, to platforms like Facebook and Twitter on which anyone can share their opinion. In 2012, Pew Research Centre [for the people and the press] reported that 33% of young adults got their news from social media sites. Surprising as it was 2012 and I presumed that these was a more recent media shift. They also reported that 34% watched TV news and 13% read print or digital newspaper content.
You would think social media would hinder your job as a journalist, but some reports note 80% of journalists use social media to check for breaking news and recent developed stories. 73.1% specifically cited using social media to check in on what the competition is reporting on and many others use it for finding ideas for stories and staying in touch with their audience.
A danger with finding your news on social media is the potential for “Fake news” or False Information. This is news, stories, or hoaxes created to deliberately misinform or deceive others. Awareness of this became acutely prevalent in 2017 with the election of a certain president.
Types of Fake News to be aware of: Click-bait
Generally uses sensationalist headlines to grab attention. The article could be quite different to what the headline is telling you and not as dramatic as the headline suggests. They just care about luring people to their site regardless of if it is true or accurate.
Propaganda
Stories that are created to deliberately mislead audiences, promote a biased point of view or political cause or agenda.
Google and Facebook say they are trying to stop false information stories by having a reporting tool so you can report articles that you think are untrue which is potentially a positive sign. However many reported violations are ignored.
Avoiding fake news articles
Take a closer look at the website. Do you recognize it, have you seen articles from them before or have others talked about that website? If not check on the ‘about us’ section and do your own research.
Check the sources in the story to make sure they are reliable or even exist.
Be objective and check your own biases and your own views affecting your judgment on the article.
Journalistic advice
I spoke with journalist Lynne Kelleher about these matters and she agreed that “there is an awful lot of mis-information out there”. One of the problems is that “as a journalist you are liable if you make a mistake. But on Facebook or any of the big tech [platforms] they are not liable as a newspaper is”.
“People can put up stuff on Facebook that is entirely incorrect, and I have seen myself that they will not take it down. It is very hard even as a journalist, you really must dive down deep just to see if this is a trusted source and if that actual study has come from somewhere”.
Also, Lynne thinks that thinks “what will happen down the line is you won’t have daily papers you will have specialist Saturday and Sunday papers.” I personally agree and could see happen too.
Be careful where you get your news, donot trust just one source and do not justget your news on social media.
Media and the way we get our news has changed so much over the years, but the biggest thing is to be careful where you get your news, do more research into things do not trust just one source and do not just get your news on social media. And let’s wonder how different the media we consume will be in another 10 or 15 years?
Sixty-three in ‘22
Inclusion, diversity & positivity
Pat Normoyle speaks to i-Ink
Behold, a new and exciting Artwork adorns the walls of LCFE. Located on the ground floor hall, just past the reception, this stunning piece is named Sixty-three in ‘22. Produced by the Advanced Art Level 6 course in LCFE, the title of the work stems from the sixty-three A5 Artworks that are incorporated in the final piece, which was produced in 2022.
The Artwork was made as part of the Advanced Art in-house Work Experience and overseen by Course Coordinator Pat Normoyle who tells us here how this exciting concept was developed into the work we now see:
Pat Normoyle:
The idea behind the work was to express the inclusion and diversity that exists within the college.
Also, to express the positivity we felt exiting the Covid pandemic, it was decided that the learners would work in more relaxed portrait styles.
After a few meetings and much debate, the format was decided. A series of portraits based on learners in the college was to be produced. The learners did not want the works behind glass or in frames as they wanted them to be ‘free’ to view without any props.
The portraits were created from photographs taken by the work experience class of other learners within LCFE, with proper written consent from participants of course. A variety of different techniques were used, Drawing, Painting and Printmaking as well as various materials, Pencil, Paint, Pastels, Ink etc. The learners spent a day working on each technique, so, a day on drawing portraits, a day on painting portraits and so on.
Each of the six AD4 learners taking part in the work experience created approximately ten works each.
The learners also took part in a framing workshop. This gave them an insight in to how artworks are properly displayed. Once the artworks were finished they were spray varnished, to protect them over time. The works were then mounted onto pre-cut blocks of wood using spray glues. The final step was to arrange the works on the wall and to create a balance within the work that was visually pleasing to the eye. After much debate and much movement of portraits within the piece, the works were finally hung in the college by myself, guided by the professional eye of (and big thanks to) Teacher Dan Kenny.
When viewing the works you may notice there are six works that protrude from the wall slightly more than the others, these are the six ‘self-portraits’ produced by the six ‘Artists’ in the group. Again this was carefully thought through so as not to interfere with the other portraits when viewed.
An awful lot of time and work has been put into this piece. The group worked really well as a Team when it was needed and they thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. This will serve them well as they progress onto their individual journeys, whatever path they may take.
The Advanced Art class hope that theLearners and Staff of LCFE enjoy the workand take the time to view each piece.It was created so you may smile and feelsomething a little more positive.
The Advanced Art team, from left to right: Pearse O’Shaughnessy, Mary Ahern, Faye Brereton, Pat Normoyle Course Coordinator, Cú Caulwell, Mirela Kalozi, Mary Manton
Photo: Sinead Cross
Blue and Yellow Hearts
The struggle for Ukraine
Marina Sanchez Diaz
To fully comprehend the complex and tragic events taking place in Ukraine for the last few weeks, we need to understand the history behind the country of Ukraine.
Over the centuries, Russia and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Poland and Lithuania had alternated control over the Ukrainian jurisdiction. In 1917 the country declared for the first time its independence, creating the Ukrainian Peoples Republic (UPR). Thousands of Ukrainians fought against the Bolshevik Red Army to establish the UPR. They continued to fight for their freedom until 1922, when they were defeated and forced to become the Ukrainian Soviet Republic of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.).
This control lasted until WWII when the Nazis invaded Ukraine to get to Russia. The oppressed people of Ukraine saw this as an opportunity to free themselves and become a country of their own once again.
An inaccurate perspective is now being promoted to excuse the war in Ukraine, particularly to the people in Russia. The 5-year-independence-period that the Ukrainian people so heartedly fought for between 1917 and 1922 is being denied, likewise the oppression that came shortly after.
Oppression of Ukraine
After demolishing the Ukrainian People´s Republic there were severe repercussions: genocide, suppression, and the Great Ukrainian Famine. The starvation and infliction of death claimed the lives of 3.9 million people, or 13% of the Ukrainian population in the early 1930s.
A human-made famine was the Soviet’s idea to punish those who fought for the UPR. They also imposed a strong Russification campaign, that consisted of prosecuting Ukrainian’s cultural elite and elevating the Russian language and culture above all others.
Ukraine and the holocaust
It was mostly western-Ukrainians that fought against the Soviet Army together with the Nazis. Not to be under a German order, but rather, to escape the Soviets. In this process, they also engaged in the Holocaust. This has given Putin and his army the chance to draw Ukraine as a Nazi nation, and the Russian president affirms that this invasion was for the “demilitarization and de-Nazification of Ukraine”.
But the reality is, they are assuming the people of Ukraine are Nazis because of what happened 80 years ago, and innocents are being murdered every day. If we use this de-w theory, we might as well expect the Russian invasion in many other countries across Europe, but I highly doubt that Russia will dip its feet in such a deep hole knowing the possible outcome. So then what could be the real reasons? The richness of the country in minerals and metals? Add the fact that they are not a NATO nation, and therefore unlikely that there will be repercussions (sadly).
The fact of the matter is, Ukrainian people have been suffering the consequences of the war for over a month now, and more than 4 million refugees have been evacuated to other countries. As I write, over 1,150 civilians have been reported dead, and 1,824 injured.
As sad as it is, it seems like this war could go on for many more weeks and the attention from the media is slowly starting to decrease. We will continue to hear about Putin and the war, but we need to address Ukraine and its pain.
Helping Ukraine
What can be done? There are boxes at the entrance of LCFE where you can donate anything to help. There are also many businesses across Ireland like Centra or SuperValu who support the Irish Red Cross and are willing to send money and resources to Ukraine. 94% of the money donated is guaranteed to get to Ukrainians, and they are only asking for as little as two euros (or as much as you can and want).
Many countries, including Ireland are working together to supply food, blankets, hygiene essentials and accommodation, and are taking in refugees. Poland has received more refugees than all other countries combined: over 2 million. Many others in need are traveling to Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, or Moldova. Ireland, like many other EU countries, has a plan to take over up to 800,000 refugees and some have already started to arrive.
These events have shocked the world and we are spectators of a tragedy. All that is left for us to do is help as much as we can and hope for a better future for the people of Ukraine: let´s not forget this has happened many times in history and we could all be victims of a war. To those suffering, we are thinking of you and we pray for better times.
i-Ink SupplementLearner Showcase
April 2022
The Vegetarian Zombie
An amusing short undead tale
by Dirk de Klein
It’s just no fun being a vegetarian zombie, sure it’s alright for Mike being a zombie, he always loved meat anyway, rare steaks were his favourites. As for Frank he was a nutcase anyway, even before he became a living dead.
But me, I just didn’t like meat in any shape or form. How was I going to survive this apocalypse?
There was nothing in the supermarkets for zombies like me, even normal vegetarians still had a choice of Quorn Chicken Fillets or Quorn Chicken Nuggets and even a soya burger or 2.
But every time I show up in the local supermarket, panic ensues. Screaming mothers picking up their toddlers out of the trolley, running for their lives. At one stage one mother fell just in front of me and when I wanted to help her up she screamed. “I am not that bad” I said “I am just not that dead”
Anyway I suppose life will go on, well actually it won’t, I just have to make the best of it.
It’s just that all the other zombies are bullying me. They go like “Aghg,grrrr,grrh,aahhh” and point to people and making those biting gestures, and I keep telling them “I am a vegetarian”.
Image: The Vegetarian Zombie
Javi Ramos, sourced online
At one stage I thought I had the solution, in a market stall I saw a basket of Flesh Tomatoes, “Hey, hey” I thought, so I picked up the basket and when I wanted to pay for them, I noticed the guy behind the stall had ran away. I suppose there are some benefits in being a zombie.
I was so looking forward to these tomatoes, my luck though it turned out I was allergic to them. And when I say allergic I mean allergic. Having the runs as a human being is bad, but as a zombie it is multiplied by a factor of 1000.
No, life is no fun for a vegetarian zombie, note spare a thought for Julie though, she is a vegan zombie and to top it off she likes Justin Bieber, thank God I am not like her.
by Dirk de Klein
April 2022 Learner Showcase
Young Narcissus
Digital painting, Cú Caulwell, March 2022
Young Narcissus
Digital painting, Cú Caulwell, March 2022
A learner in the AD4 Advanced Art course, Cú Caulwell has also been self-taught in digital art for several years. This digital painting study, created in Clip Studio Paint and titled “Young Narcissus”, was inspired by the vain but beautiful young man of Greek mythology. Cú is continuously inspired by myths, folklore and fairy tales, and is particularly drawn to explorations of gender and sexuality in art.”
Patches and Midnight
by Faye Casey Brereton
Patches and Midnight
by Faye Casey Brereton
My name is Casey and I am a Level 6 Advanced Art student in Limerick College of Further Education. These area pair of ceramic pieces I have created throughout this last year. They are made from a plaster mould taken of myface, fired, and glazed. The face cast on the left is called “Patches”.
Normally with moulds in ceramics, clay is put into it in one piece or slab, where it can pick up the detail of the mould and leave no seam behind. I wanted to experiment with that and pieced the clay into the mould in smaller slabs, or patches. It created a look that reminded me of Frankenstein’s Monster, which I leaned into with the cool tones for the glazing. While waiting for it to dry, the clay sagged and made the jaw much squarer than intended. I ended up liking the way the square jaw complimented the rest of the piece.
The face cast on the right is called “Midnight”. The nose intentionally wasn’t included in the piece. It was the third piece to come from the face mould I made, and as such the mould is less accurate and more warped. The clay was more dry than wet when placed into the piece and as such cracked along the chin, mouth, and nose. I wanted to highlight the rough edge left along the top of the piece, and ended up using a red underglaze to paint along the edge and occasionally drip along the piece.
My Storytelling Hat
by Mirela Kalozi
My Storytelling Hat
by Mirela Kalozi
That is my Storytelling hat. With that hat I traveled around and settled in Limerick to make art.
Shoe with Pearls
by Mary Ahern:
Shoe with Pearls
by Mary Ahern:
Assorted Logos & Characters
Kyle O’Rourke
Assorted Logos & Characters
Kyle O’Rourke
Kyle O’Rourke is a learner at AD2. He balances his college studieswith freelance graphic design work, pro wrestling training and 3D modelingfor independent video games.
Nicole Pugachenko
He creates art in many different mediums, and draws inspiration from a wide variety of media bothmundane and unorthodox; everything from Y2K computer graphics to Japanese death match wrestlingto rubber hose era cartoons.
Food & Pastry Drawings
Food & Pastry Drawings
Nicole Pugachenko
by Ciara Sheridan
Hello, my name is Nicole. I currently study in The Art, Graphic and Design course and I truly enjoy the illustration and drawing classes. I’m fond of traditional drawing and working on this project was one of the best things to do in college :) Honestly speaking, I didn’t know what to draw at the very beginning of the brief, therefore I randomly picked this topic. My ability to draw food and pastry weren’t that good either, however after a while... a little practice helped me learn how to draw food like never before. Initially I was expecting a black pen side to look nicer as it’s a medium I’ve been working with for a few years now and have more skill than with gouache. To my surprise the gouache drawing came out pretty realistic! Don’t afraid to experiment in drawing, look for new techniques and materials to commit. In time, you will find yourself and you’ll see how much you are actually capable of!
Materials I used for my art piece: black pen, gouache, pencil.
Untitled Photograph
Untitled Photograph
by Ciara Sheridan
My name is Ciara Sheridan. I started in the fashion industry, having worked in NYC after I completed my degree in 2012. I returned to limerick and decided to do the photography course as a hobby since I was out from work over the pandemic. I am now in PH2 and it’s become less of a hobby but rather a potential career. Creative portraits and fashion photography are my favourite things to shoot but I also love fine art photography. The photo I have submitted is from a shoot where I explored movement. I also used orange gels as a contrasting colour to the blue fabric. My amazing model is Monta Simonte who features a lot in my work.
Untitled Photograph
by Kate Harty
Untitled Photograph
by Kate Harty
My name is Kate Harty and I’m a first-year photography student.I took this image of Limerick City for one of my assignments.
