College Tribune Volume 29, Issue 7

The College Tribune Volume 29, Issue 7

Tuesday, February 2nd 2016

Independent News for UCD since 1989 collegetribune.ie

Rag Week Returns Seán O’Reilly Editor

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A Suicide “Epidemic” Cian Carton News Editor

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obody wants to talk of the fact that men are killing themselves in droves,” exclaimed Milo Yiannopoulos to the packed crowd in Theatre L of the Newman Building. These comments were as part of his talk, “Has Political Correctness Gone Too Far?” on Thursday, 28th January. Jointly hosted by the UCD Economics Society and Philosophy Society, his speech was overshadowed by the range of topics he covered in a lengthy a questions and answers session that shone a light on some of society’s tragic problems which hide in plain sight.

Yiannopoulos is a Technology Editor at Breitbart, a conservative American news organisation. He is also a regular guest with Kay Burley on Sky News,

Features

Pg.10 Slippery Situations: Sex Siopa’s Shawna Scott talks Lube

and is well known for his trolling on Twitter. As part of his talk on political correctness, he spoke of the backlash faced by those who dared to threaten the establishment. Noting how people can make arguments about spaces and wage gaps in the economy, he said that once you question PC culture itself, you get a disproportionate response, which he believes is “profoundly anti-intellectual”.

Yiannopoulos is well known for his flamboyant public persona, through which he plays the role of an agent provocateur. He spoke of how he attempts to utilise it by being a “troll for good” in order to help shift the Overton Window onto issues which the media does not address. A political term coined by Joseph P. Overton, it refers to the range of topics that the public is willing to discuss at a certain time.

Business Pg. 12

What’s it Oil About?

Photo: Seán O’Reilly

Raising views and ideas which fall outside the window of discourse can harm a person’s reputation and standing in society.

Yiannopoulos sees himself as part of the vanguard in shifting attention onto important issues.

This tactic was clearly on show on Thursday night. By starting off strongly with his more controversial views, the self-declared “most fabulous supervillain on the internet” gradually wound down to less provocative issues, ones which are not often discussed. While Yiannopoulos’ talk may have been lighted hearted, he raised a series of issues in the Q&A session on the current problems facing society.

His most salient point came at the end, and received a rapturous applause from the crowd.

In his typically blunt fashion, he called out the failure of western media to cover the plight of men. He said the “greatest and most unforgivable failing” of the media over the past 30 years has been its lack of coverage on male

suicide, which he believes is an “epidemic”.

In the UK, male suicide rates in 2013 have returned to 2001 levels, and have been steadily increasing over time. Suicide rates in Ireland have increased over the decades, while the act of committing suicide itself was only decriminalised in 1993.

Based on statistics from the Central Statistics Office (CSO), the Irish suicide rate is similar to international averages, with men around four times more likely to take their own life. CSO figures for 2012 list 507 suicides, comprising of 413 male and 94 female victims. Estimate figures for 2013 suggest the male to female suicide ratio may have exceeded 5:1.

Due to the large demand to see Yiannopouluos, the organisers were twice forced to switch venues. Originally scheduled to be hosted in the Fitzgerald Chamber in the New Student Centre, it was relocated to The-

Innovation

Pg. 15 Jack Power sits down with Dan Kirby to talk drug reform

Hogwarts in the Winter Snow

The Trib

We’ll do it live! Belfield FM to broadcast live for 24-hours as part of RAG week events.

CD’s Rag week has returned to campus after a near decade absence. The events of the week, which run from February 1st to 5th include those organised by UCDSU and the Societies’ Council with all funds raised going to Youth Suicide Prevention Ireland, the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, the Peter McVerry Trust and the Berkeley Fund.

Highlights are set to include the UCD Rag Ball on Monday, headlined by Mark McCabe of Maniac 2000 fame, Refreshers Day in the Astra Hall on Tuesday offering students a second go at joining societies, Mundy & Mickey Joe Harte on Wednesday, UCD’s Battle of the Bands winner supporting the Strypes and the Academic on Thursday and an Erasmus Cliché party on Friday.

Other events include a live 24hour charity broadcast by Belfield FM, Rag Week Radio. The station will broadcast continuously from 12 midday on Tuesday until 12 midday Wednesday from their studios in the Student Centre and other locations. Station manager Jonny Byrne is hopeful that the event will give a boost to much needed fundraising, telling the College Tribune that “Belfield FM will be plugging a text line throughout the broadcast and encourage all to donate as much as they can afford to four very worthy causes.”

Students wishing to make a donation to the four charities will be able to do so across campus or at any advertised events through the week.

Editorials

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Don’t give them your hatred. Give them your pity

Inside the Tribune

land is a broken country, as are many of our European neighbours. But as of yet we have not seen any particular swing towards the far right. The announcement of PEGIDA’s launch however, indicates that the seeds are sown.

Numbers are small and unlikely to reach critical mass as Ireland does not have a far right tradition as many countries on the continent do. But the movement remaining small may only serve to reinforce members’ ideas and amplify what’s already trapped in the echo chamber.

So, on Saturday, consider heading into town to meet these people.

Stand across from them in solidarity against the hatred in their ideals, shout at them, call them fucking racists if you feel the need to.

But don’t give them your hatred.

They don’t know any better. They have their ideas and they’re spiteful and they’re bitter and they’re rooted in hatred, but that’s not worth getting angry over. It’s just sad. Give them your pity instead.

4 - News in Focus: The future of IT’s and the Technological Universities Bill 5 - Careers Fair Media Fund 6 - Smurfit School SU Minutes

Seán O’Reilly Editor

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ast week it was announced that a group called PEGIDA (Patriotische Europäer gegen die Islamisierung des Abendlandes) will, with the assistance political party Identity Ireland, be launched this Saturday February 5th. The group is of German origin and its name translates as ‘Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the Occident’. If you find yourself in Germany, PEGIDA’s target market are ethnic Germans. In the UK, ethnic British. And in Ireland, ethnic Irish. That the organisation, which has always been loosely organised, has made it as far as this small island is impressive, only due to the convictions of the people bringing it here.

Those of you who have worked in a customer facing role such as in a shop or in customer service will have had the pleasure of dealing with a punter who is utterly in the wrong. Whether willfully or blissfully ignorant,

they stay comfortably in their seat on board the train of thought that they’re unaware will shortly be careering off a cliff.

Recently I gave one of these passengers a crash course in why they were wrong, explaining politely that no, they could not have any red sauvignon blanc because such a thing doesn’t exist. After assuring me that my five years’ experience was trumped by their Friday night, I pulled out my ace and explained that sauvignon comes from the French word for wild and blanc is the French word for white and that perhaps they were thinking of cabernet sauvignon. The effort was wasted, as they didn’t budge from their seat.

In a similar manner, many supporters of PEGIDA are wrong, though they may not be aware of this. The organisation has come under fire repeatedly for its links to the far right and neo-Nazism, something which supporters explain overtly as being due to shared concerns about the coming of migrants and refugees to Europe from the Middle East.

Ireland is somewhat unique in that it is so remote and so insignificant that it need not maintain an offensive, or arguably defensive, military. We have never been, and never will be a significant global power. Where some 1.1 million arrived in Germany in 2015, we received between ten and 30. Ireland is not on the map as far as the kinds of people arriving I Germany are concerned.

You and I are fortunate in that we are in the business of learning. At a university such as UCD, you are very likely to come across opinions that are in opposition to our own. This makes it easy to challenge preconceptions and open up to new ideas. This isn’t always simple because when we invest ourselves in an idea, it can become very difficult to part ways with it.

This is something that’s now easier than ever with the rise of identity politics and closed online communities. Despite our best efforts, we can sometimes become trapped in the echo-chamber.

This can be dangerous when the ideas are based in hatred. Ire-

Use it or lose it? We would if we could Una Power Editor

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n 2013 the Irish electorate voted to retain our upper house of parliament, the Seanad, despite the coalition government’s campaign to abolish it. The referendum sparked a deal of debate, with proponents to keep the Seanad arguing in favour of reforming the institution. To abolish the Seanad, without attempting some element of reform, was seen as a case of throwing the baby out with the bath water.

Since then several measures of reform have been proposed in the Oireachtas. December 2014 saw the establishment of the Seanad Working Group on Reform, which drafted a Bill allowing for electoral reform with-

The COLLEGE TRIBUNE Team are

in the bounds of the constitution.

Concurrent to this there was talk about reforming the NUI & Trinity panels. In early 2014 then Minister for the Environment, Phil Hogan, published for consultation the General Scheme of a Bill to reform these six seats.

This Bill would have allowed for the ratification of the 1979 Constitutional amendment, which would see the panels merged and the vote extended to graduates of all third level institutions. This would have seen an increase in the electorate from the current 150,000 to a possible 800,000 for these seats.

Neither the Bill nor the ratification have come to fruition.

The Bill, like the work for many Seanad Reform groups before it, seems to have disappeared into the ether. As for finally imple-

menting the 7th Constitutional Amendment, Taoiseach Enda Kenny said last October that he couldn’t see this happening in time for the next election.

And so the Seanad not only remains; it also remains untouched.

Recent (and not so recent) NUI graduates may now be considering claiming their right to vote and exert some fresh influence over the house. However if these graduates are not already on the electoral register it is most likely that they will not be able to vote.

Currently the Seanad electoral register is published every year on June 1st. In order to appear on this register you must have sent in your forms by the preceding 28th of February and, unlike the General Election, there is no sup-

plementary register for the NUI panel. As such anyone who has graduated since last February, or anyone who has forgotten register in previous years, is not eligible to vote.

Minister for the Environment, Alan Kelly, should now address this issue and ensure these people realise their right to vote.

As there is no constitutional or legislative obstacle to the existence of a supplemental register, it lays in the Minister’s power to call for the creation of one. It would be one small measure, by a government that has failed to implement any Seanad reforms during its tenure, to ensure maximum suffrage under current legislation.

News

Features 7 - Making a Murderer 8 - Paris Irish Water & Flint 9 - Settling in on Erasmus 10-Great Scott! Shawna updates us on Lube

Tech & Science 11 - 3D Printing: The New Future

Business 12 - EU cracking down on Tax loopholes 12 - Oil is now cheaper than the barrels you buy it in

Politics & Innovation

13 - UCDSU Commercial Services: A closed shop?

14 - Ag Lad Culture 14 - On the Rising 16 - Interview with SSDP’s Dan Kirby on drug reform

Gaeilge 16 - Agallamh le Cathaoirligh na bPáirtithe Polaitíochta

Sport 17 - A load of Klopptrap 17 - The future of the IRFU 18 - The College Tribune’s Handy Guide to the Superbowl 19 - Shamrock Rovers / UCD Match report 20 - UCDAFC announce new signings

Editors Arts Editor Features Editor Politics Editor Contributors Special Thanks Seán O’Reilly Emma Costello Sinéad Slattery Jack Power Una Power Anna O’Duffy Ally Murty Shawna Scott

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Adam Hetherington Niamh Crosbie Neil Ryan Caroline Flanagan Louis Walsh Eoghan Ó Donnchú Student Centre, Barry Monahan Sinead Keane UCD, Eagarthóir Gaeilge Music Editor Tech Editor Ruairí McCann Aoilean Kennedy Belfield, Gearóid Óg Ó Greacháin Kevin O’Reilly Graham Harkness Cillian Fearon Mélanie Brisard Dublin 4. Kate Weedy Tara Casey +353 1 716 8501

Fashion Editor News Editor Turbine Editor Conor Leaden editor@collegetribune.ie Emer Slattery Cian Carton Hans Offerman Charlotte McLaughlin

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News 4 Technological Universities Bill 2015 Cian Carton looks at the origins, plans and problems involved in merging Institutes of Technologies in Ireland.

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hird-level education in Ireland is set for a massive structural change with the Technological Universities Bill 2015. The Bill sets out the framework for allowing Institutes of Technology to merge together to form new Technological Universities, once they meet certain criteria. These changes could affect the futures of up to 10 of the 14 Institutes in Ireland.

This move has its origins in government cutbacks and predictions for the future of third-level education. One can look at how such a change has come about, how problems easily arise, and why it is proving to be a slow moving process.

The Background: Government Reports Finance has proved to be a main driving force behind the proposed mergers. The McCarthy Report, chaired by UCD Professor Colm McCarthy, was released in 2009.

Entitled “Report of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes”, it became known as An Bord Snip Nua. In “Volume II: Detailed Papers”, proposals are outlined to “rationalise” the education sector by recommending the merging of institutions. Specific recommendations included dissolving both Blanchardstown Institute of Technology and Tallaght Institute of Technology, and incorporating them into the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), in order to “reduce the risk of duplicate investments in research infrastructure and teaching staff.”

The report stated that amalgamations should also begin “including institutes of technology outside Dublin in favour of having fewer institutions, which would benefit from operating on a larger scale (ideally with a minimum of 1,000 students).” The Group called for the procedure to follow a “regional rather than a county approach.”

The “National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030” was released in January 2011. Known as the Hunt Report, after its chairman Colin Hunt, it advocated a cluster approach to managing third-level institutions. It stated that “consolidation should be promoted to create amalgamated institutes of technology that participate in regional clusters with partner universities of a similar scale in order to deliver on a range of national policy outcomes.”

It also argued that “stronger, consolidated institutes of technology, created through mergers, will perform better to their traditional missions and values, and also be better able to respond to changed economic

and social circumstances.”

These Reports are seen as having laid the foundations of future third-level policy by promoting the idea that Institutes of Technology can be operated more effectively and cheaply through mergers.

Differences between a University and a Technological University Irish universities are recognised under the Universities Act 1997. Section 9 sets out the procedure under which a new university can be recognised. The government can set up a body consisting of “international experts and national experts, including employees of universities to which this Act applies,” to advise the HEA whether, “having regard to the objects and functions of a university under sections 12 and 13, an educational institution should be established as a university.”

The idea of a Technological University was raised in the Hunt Report. As set out in the Bill, only a merged institute can apply to become a technological university. Two or more colleges can apply for a section 18 order to form a merged institute.

Interestingly, the functions of a university and a technological university appear to be different. The 1997 Act sets out a limited number of functions for a university.

In contrast, the section 22 of the Bill lists out a large range of functions and obligations on the institution. It is worth reading in ful the list of functions and obligations it must adhere to, and includes obligations like promoting businesses and collaborating with companies in the region, to fostering connections with local authorities. Given how some of these involve functions which are clearly subjective and open to change, like cultural and demographic factors, this could prove troublesome.

Provisions in the Bill The current Bill has 117 sections, accompanied by two schedules. Sections 7 and 8 of

the Bill allows for Blanchardstown IT and Tallaght IT to be fully dissolved, which will allow for the transfer of all of their functions to DIT. Similarly, sections 10 and 11 allow for the dissolution of Cork IT and Tralee IT and the transfer of their functions to a new merged institution. Although the Bill does not name the new institution, commentators and lectures refer to it as the Munster Technological University (MTU).

Union Unrest The Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI) want the Bill to be delayed for further debate. The fear they have over how the mergers can be funded, and their impact on staff, is the basis on which the TUI is calling for a delay.

Last December, 92% of lecturers from Institutes of Technology voted to hold a one day strike on Wednesday, 3rd February in opposition to these cuts. They find themselves operating in a situation where student numbers have risen as staff levels dropped. The TUI is claiming that students and institutions themselves will face the cost of financing the mergers.

Dr Tom O’Connor, a lecturer in the Cork Institute of Technology (CIT), explained the situation in a column in the Irish Examiner. “From 2008 to 2015, lecturers and students have borne the effect of a cut of 35% (€190 million) in institute of technology funding nationally, combined with a rise of 32% (21,411) in student numbers, alongside a fall in lecturer numbers by 9.5% over the period.”

O’Connor maintained that lecturers in CIT and Tralee IT are not opposed to the merger itself, but rather its educational impact. He argued that as the main basis for the merger is for cutting costs, set out in the Hunt Report and the An Bord Snip Nua report. As the reports want duplicate courses to be cut, lecturers fear that similar courses which are operated in both institutions may be dropped, leading to a scenario where a course once run both in Cork and Tralee

may now only be available in Tralee.

Dail Debates: Who said what?

While there is no general opposition to the Bill itself, opposition parties are seeking assurances over financing the mergers and the administration of the new institutions.

The Bill entered the Second Stage of the legislative process before Christmas, and was debated in the Dáil.

Speaking at the time, Jan O’Sullivan, Minister for Education and Skills, said the Bill “provides for new and modernised governance structures in the institutes of technology, as well as for other reforms to allow them to become more flexible and responsive to their environment.”

Charlie McConalogue, Fianna Fáil’s spokesperson on Education and Skills, hit out at the delays in the process and called out the funding issue, when he noted the “unsustainable position” currently facing several institutions. He said that these problems were not issues “which can be isolated from the policy development in regard to mergers and working towards technological university status.”

Possible threats to academic freedom through short-term staff contracts were highlighted by Jonathan O’Brien, Sinn Féin’s spokesperson Education and Skills.

He said he had “serious concerns that the academic councils will be exploited by business interests and that the framing of the Bill is complicit in allowing this to happen.”

O’Brien called on the government to protect Academic freedom by “means of secure tenured employment and by maintaining ministerial inquiry in cases of dismissal. The idea that can have true academic freedom without a secure system of employment is incredibly naive.”

He noted that there is a “casualisation of third level employment alongside the increasing neo-liberalisation of the sector. It used to be the case that cont Pg 5

News Cont from Pg 4. people complained about being on one-year contracts, but now nine-month contracts are being given to people and people are being put on hourly pay.” O’Brien claimed that “some in third level faculties, who should know better, are employing PhD graduates on the JobBridge scheme.”

In total, TDs have proposed 133 amendments to the Bill, with O’Brien, McConalogue and various Independent TDs responsible for the majority of them. Opposition parties have raised the possibility of introducing an amendment requiring unions at the institutions to approve of the merger, brought about by the planned TUI strike in February. Any such amendment, if given legislative effect, would effectively allow the unions to halt a proposed merger if the staff opposed it. The Minister outright rejected this on the basis that it would give one group a “veto” over the entire process.

Problems with Mergers: Carlow and Waterford Leaders at various institutions have been negotiating possible mergers for the last few years. The problems that have arisen in some instances serve as a warning of the difficulties that can arise. The history of the proposed merger between Carlow IT and Waterford IT (WIT) is the perfect example of everything that can go wrong. The differences between whether WIT could achieve university status by itself or if it needed to merge with Carlow IT to become a technological university, added to the problem.

The original idea behind the merger was that Waterford IT needed to absorb Carlow IT in order to succeed with an application for it to be recognised as a university. However, WIT pulled out of talks in October 2014. At the time a view was expressed that WIT was close to gaining university status, and that merging with Carlow IT could hinder it. Carlow IT said the decision came as a shock to them.

The Department of Education and Skills enlisted Michael Kelly, a former Chief Executive of the Higher Education Authority (HEA), to produce a report the situation and repair relations between the sides. His report, released in July 2015, stated there was “no real alternative” to a merger due the lack of other institutions in the south east.

Kelly noted there is a “widely-felt strong sense of entitlement to a university” in Waterford, based on the city’s size and the longterm ambition of WIT to be recognised as a university. The report took six months, during which time Kelly was unable to get both sides to meet with each other. It has taken at least six hired facilitators, tens of thousands of euro in public funds, and nearly a full year to get the two sides back to the negotiating table. This fiasco serves as a clear warning of the precarious situation mergers create.

The Future?

Originally planned to be enacted into law before the General Election, upcoming union action and the gravity of the measures proposed have ensured the debate over the status of Institutes of Technology will continue on into the future.

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Careers Fairs Set to Kick Off Cian Carton News Editor

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s semester 2 begins, a wide variety of careers fairs are set to be hosted on campus and beyond, designed for students thinking about starting a career or carrying on with further study.

For those assessing their options for the summer, the UCD Careers Development Centre will host its Internships & Volunteering Fair in Astra Hall, in the Old Student Centre, on Wednesday 4th February, from 1pm to 4 pm.

The fair is one of the Careers Development Centre’s biggest annual events, and is designed for students from all academic backgrounds. It will feature stands from a wide variety of organisations, from commercial firms offering their summer internship programmes, to charities promoting volunteering opportunities.

The Careers Development Centre’s information booklet for recruiters claims that over 1,000 students attend the fair each year.

Confirmed attendees include Accenture, A& L Goodbody, Enterprise Rent A Car, and Habitat for Humanity Ireland. A full list of attendees is available on www.ucd.ie/careers/events.

Soon to be graduates considering continuing on with further education will be able to assess their options at the upcoming postgradireland Further Study Fair on February 10th in the RDS. The annual fair is aimed at anyone considering continuing on or returning to education for postgraduate study. It will comprise of a series of seminars covering all aspects of undertaking a postgraduate course, such as making applications, student

finance, and the popularity of conversion courses. For those considering studying further afield, there are seminars planned for those interested in teacher training in the UK, Fulbright scholarships to the US, and masters programmes on the continent.

Postgradireland has claimed that 70 postgraduate course providers will be attending the fair, including Irish institutions from both sides of the border. Representatives from UCD along with the Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School will be present as well.

The fair will begin at 12:00pm and end at 4:30 pm in the Industries Hall. Further information is available on gradireland.com, where anyone can register to get a free ticket for the event.

Simon Cumbers Student Scheme Applications Open Aspiring student journalists are being encouraged to apply for the Simon Cumbers Media Fund Student Scheme, which gives three winners the chance to travel to a developing country and report on an issue.

Louise Archbold, Administrator of the Fund, said that the Student Scheme “offers students the chance to get a head-start in their journalism careers and gain an insight into global development issues.” Winners receive funding to cover the costs of carrying out their report abroad. Previous recipients of the award have travelled to countries like Malawi, Uganda and Ethiopia.

Each of the winners also gets the chance to receive one-on-one mentoring from three

leading Irish journalists. This year, the mentors available are Paddy Smyth, Foreign Policy Editor at The Irish Times; Susan Cahill, Producer at Newstalk; and Christine Bohan, Deputy Editor at the Journal.ie. The final reports will be published in one of these platforms.

The Simon Cumbers Media Fund was set up in 2005 in memory of Simon Cumbers, an Irish journalist and cameraman who was tragically killed by gunmen while covering a story for the BBC in Saudi Arabia in June, 2004. His wife and family created the Fund to honour his memory along with Irish Aid, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s programme which finances

overseas development.

The Fund has enabled Irish journalists to cover developmental issues abroad for the past decade. The Student Scheme began in 2011 in order to give young journalists a chance to develop their skills in this area.

The Fund is run by DHR Communications, on behalf of Irish Aid. The deadline for applications is Friday, 12th February. Entrants must provide an outline of their proposed topic they wish to report on, along with previous media related work samples. The online application form is available on simoncumbersmediafund.ie.

News

Council and Executive Meeting minutes not updated in almost 12 months

27th January 2016

Dear Economics Society, In response to hearing about the Economics Society’s upcoming event ‘Milo Yiannopoulos - Has Political Correctness Gone Too Far?’ UCD’s Feminist Book Club would like to discuss the event from another viewpoint with you. Obviously we realise the lengths you must have gone to book the speaker but we feel that this event will be extremely damaging to the UCD community. In the spirit of free speech we do not propose to prevent the event from taking place but instead ask for a couple of changes to be made.

Assuming you have done your research you may have heard a few of Milo Yiannopoulos’ quotes. Although he is out as gay he has simultaneously homophobic and sexist views. The following quote is just one example of his misogyny and homophobia: “I mean, look, I don’t mean to be rude, but most of the reason I went gay is so I didn’t have to deal with nutty broads”, implying that women are crazy and that being gay is a choice. He is also anti gay marriage and continually insults women, lesbians and believes transgender people do not exist. His racism can be illustrated in the following quote:

6

They have a word for this in America. Bratty young white girls who shack up with African Americans (preferably belonging to the criminal underclass) are

Seán O’Reilly Editor

known as coalburners. I’d previously lost my virginity in a fivesome with two boys and two girls. But that didn’t sufficiently scandalise my mother, so I decided to up my game. At the time, bringing home impoverished ethnic minorities felt like the ultimate desecration of my well-heeled, two-poniesand-a-pool Home Counties rearing.

He also runs a “charity” specifically for white men to go to college to give them an

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advantage over women and ethnic minorities.

We are aware that he is only here to talk about political correctness. However, his

The open letter sent by the UCD Feminist Book Club

belief that political correctness has gone ‘too far’ is because it occasionally makes

A ”Suicide Epedemic” continued from front page. atre O in the Newman Building. However, the talk had to be moved at the last minute, ending up in the large Theatre L. Conor McCabe, Auditor of the Economics Society, said that “very accommodating” about changing the venue at the last minute. He admitted it was “was certainly a bit stressful at the time but thankfully nothing went wrong and we were able to proceed with the event.”

Before the talk, a number of non-UCD students had expressed an interest in attending the event, which was supposed to be for students only. However, they were allowed in after it became apparent that the new venue could hold everyone.

As Yiannopoulos had previously been banned from speaking at some campuses in the UK and US, there remained the possibility that a disturbance could arise during his UCD talk. Planned appearances at universities in the US, including Ohio State University, have also been cancelled at the last minute due to issues regarding students organising against his speaking.

Ahead of the event, the UCD Feminist Book Club circulated an open letter addressed to the Economics Society among campus media outlets calling for the event to be shifted to a debate format, reasoning that Yiannopoulos “has already gained himself a huge platform to air his views from”.

They argue that Yiannopoulos’ views often go unchallenged in face to face settings, with him opt-

ing to rebut through social media channels However, McCabe said that “nothing of the sort took place” at the talk. He personally believed that Yiannopoulos “seemed to be very well received by the audience.”

The College Tribune asked both the UCD Economics Society and Philosophy Society a series of questions on the talk. McCabe’s answers represent his own opinions, not that of the Economics Society or its committee. The Philosophy Society declined to answer the questions. Its Auditor, Adam Cullen, stated that the society’s “ethos is to provide an impartial platform in relation to all issues social, political etc. I am afraid in keeping with that ethos the Society is unable to make an official statement relating to events so as not to appear to favour one side of an argument over another.” A scheduled interview with Milo Yiannopoulos was cancelled due to illness, which his assistant attributed to his heavy workload and travel schedule.

For students who may need assistance, they can contact organisations such as UCD Students’ Union (UCDSU) Welfare Officer Clare O’Connor (01 7163112 or email welfare@ucdsu.ie), the Samaritan’s Dublin Branch (01 8727700), or Pieta House. Youth Suicide Prevention Ireland (YSPI) is one of four charities UCDSU and several societies are raising money for during RAG Week 2016, from 1st -5th February.

Smurfit School Stays Steady in MBA Rankings Cian Carton News Editor

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he UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School has maintained its top 100 spot in the Financial Times Top 100 Global Full-time MBA Rankings. The 2016 rankings saw the School ranked at 79th place in the world, and 24th in Europe.

The scores are heavily based on alumni career progression, looking at how their earnings have increased over the three years since they completed their MBA. These are then factored in as both a weighted salary and a salary increase based on a different test. Other criteria measured include a value for money rank, a career progression rank, and the percentage of graduates who secure employment in less than three months after graduation.

As it is Ireland’s top business school for MBAs, the national press takes an interest in it. Most of the coverage welcomed the rankings as evidence of the School maintaining its position, and noted how

it is the only Irish business school in the top 100. However, the Irish Independent chose to frame it with reference to the fact it dropped six paces from 73rd spot in 2015.

Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh, Dean of Business at UCD, welcomed the rankings, but said there was more work to be done. Last month, the College of Business announced it had renewed its EFMD Quality Improvement System (EQUIS) accreditation with the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD). This ensures that part of its prized “triple accreditation” status will continue for another five years.

The rankings saw the Harvard Business School lose its first place position to Insead, which rose from fourth place in last year’s table. Branded as “The Business School for the World”, Insead originally opened in France, but now also has expanded into Asia.

Similarly, the London Business School dropped from second to third place.

he minutes of the meetings of UCDSU Union Council, the body which directs students’ union poli-cy as well as those of the meetings of the Union Executive, which oversees the day to day running of the union have not been updated on the students’ union’s website, ucdsu.ie, since March 2015 in the case of Exec minutes and April 2015 in the case of Council minutes.

UCDSU is accountable to its members through class reps who convene on a fortnightly basis during term time to direct the business of the union.

Exec meetings are held weekly.

Amidst decreasing engagement by the student body in union activities, increased transparency in the operations of the Union has been frequently mooted as a means of encouraging students to involve themselves.

To this end, the constitution of the UCDSU includes a clause (9.12) which states that “The Union secretary shall take minutes and publish same and the attendance list, of each meeting of the ex-ecutive once it has been approved for publication, not later than one month after the relevant meeting…”

While council meetings are not mandated to be recorded, it has become standard practice to do so. Speaking to the College Tribune last week, Union president Marcus O’Halloran said that he had no knowledge that the minutes had gone unpublished, stating that “they’ve all been approved and ready to go”.

The minites of both meetings, eight Exec and six council are to be uploaded to the Union website within one week.

Features

7

Shows To Watch Post-Making A Murderer (No Spoilers!)

Tara Casey Features Writer

I

t has been just over a month since Steven Avery and the Manitowoc County Sheriff ’s Department came into our lives through our Netflix accounts and no one has felt the same since. We screamed abuse whenever the slimy prosecutor Ken Kratz came on screen and shuddered every time he (in his unnervingly soft voice) uttered the name Teresa Halbach. We guiltily giggled every time poor Brendan Dassey changed his story and managed to have full conversations with his mother that only consisted of the word ‘yeah’.

And, of course, we swooned over the power couple defence team of Dean Strang and Jerry Buting, whose ‘lawyer-sex-symbol’ status surpasses even that of Harvey Specter. But now, as most of us are compulsive binge-watchers with nothing to do but complete the series over a weekend, we are

left with a Making A Murderer shaped hole in our lives. We need new, disturbing, gritty documentaries to try and fill that hole, because, in the words of a certain Dateline reporter -“murder is hot right now”. So here are a few true crime documentaries to obsess over in you post Making A Murderer state.

The Central Park Five:

Following the rape of a young woman out for a jog in Central Park in 1989, a group of young black and Latino men were arrested and spent between 9 and 13 years in prison before a serial rapist confessed to the heinous crime. This documentary highlights the huge injustice done to these young men due to the media-sparked fear in the City of New York in the crime’s immediate aftermath and the public outcry for someone to be held

responsible. Another look at the discriminatory and deeply flawed criminal justice system of America, this documentary is right there on Netflix ready to be watched.

The Trials of Darryl Hunt:

Similarly to the story of Steven Avery, Darryl Hunt spent nearly 20 years in prison for a rape and murder which he did not commit. In many ways an earlier version of Making A Murderer, this documentary highlights police corruption and racial bias in America’s Deep South (it’s not just snowy Wisconsin where the crooked cops hang out you know). Hunt’s story is all the more harrowing as the death sentence was hanging over his head and one can’t help but wonder where he would be now if the Innocence Project had not gotten involved and secured his

release from prison.

West of Memphis:

It is quite shocking how many wrongful conviction documentaries there are out there - but this one is regarded as one of the best. It follows the Memphis Three, a group of teenage boys wrongfully convicted for the murder of three eight year old boys. We again see ‘Brendan Dassey-like’ teens who were easily manipulated and coerced by law enforcement to confess, and a conviction which seemed based on the boys’ rebellious attitudes and love for heavy metal as much as anything else. This film follows the Paradise Lost trilogy which further highlights the injustice done in this case.

The Jinx:

Moving on from the wrongful-conviction theme, this HBO

miniseries investigates unsolved crimes which seem to surround Robert Durst, a Texan multi-millionaire, whose wife disappeared in 1982, and whose neighbour was brutally dismembered in 2001. The series spans 20 years and uses security footage and police interviews and even features telephone interviews with Durst himself, the recluse who previously wanted nothing to do with the press, but after seeing another film by the filmmaker, agreed to take part. The series is widely acclaimed, especially for its incredible finale which Esquire magazine called “one of the most jaw-dropping moments in television history”. With only 6 episodes, this is the perfect show to wean someone off of their Making A Murderer addiction.

Features

La Ville Lumière Anna O’Duffy Features Writer

A

udrey Hepburn once said ‘Paris is always a good idea’, and a recent trip to the French capital proved how right she was.

When flights were cheap last summer, a group of us decided to make full use of our fabulously long Christmas holidays and soak up some of that famous Parisian ambiance. Although a little apprehensive in light of the recent attacks in Paris, we were really looking forward to a Winter city break and we were not disappointed.

We were pleasantly surprised to find that Paris, being notoriously pricey, was quite student friendly.

We made full use of the two nights we spent there and could have done with a week longer, there is just so much to see in Paris. Here is some of what we packed into our short stay:

SANDEMAN Walking Tours

This company is a hidden gem that has recently become very popular. Essentially, the company provides free walking tours in all the major cities across Europe, and tour guides receive payment on a tip basis. At the beginning of the tour, the guide explains that when the two-hour tour ends, everyone gives what they felt the tour was worth: simple, and perfect for students! We had a fantastic guide whose enthusiasm and love for Paris was infectious. The best thing about these tours is that you don’t receive a generic spiel about Paris; instead you get the interesting stories, the fun facts and see the sights that guides love which makes it all the more enjoyable. This would be a great thing to do the

first day you arrive - to get a feel for the city and discover some of the places you might like to come back and visit in your own time.

The tour starts at Place St Michel, which is in the gorgeous Latin quarter of the city.

Louvre Museum

Obviously, due to a very famous painting of a certain lady, this is a must. With 12 Kilometres of gallery to see, you could quite literally spend the entire day here. Realistically, it’s probably best to set a time to finish in here because appreciating beautiful artwork can be a tiring affair. However, you don’t have to feel guilty about slipping out just having seen Mona because entry into the Louvre is free for all European Economic Area (which includes Ireland) citizens, between the ages of 18-26; all you need to do is to produce your passport et voilà.

Eiffel Tower

Another one that is definitely worth a visit. We visited it at night, which I would highly recommend. All lit up, it twinkles with flashing lights every hour for five minutes. Again there was a student price of €8.50, which gets you to the second level, sufficiently high if you’re not a fan of heights. Be warned, it can be absolutely freezing up there! There is a lovely crêpe van at foot of Eiffel Tower to warm up after if you’re feeling very French.

The Catacombs

These were really interesting if a little creepy. The catacombs are a network of undergrounds tunnels, approximately 186 miles long,which hold the remains (essentially, the bones) of around 6 million people. The visit takes around 40 minutes, it’s self guided but the 83 steps back up the surface level are a killer at the end! At a tenner in for students, it’s something a bit different to see in Paris!

Ladurée

The Queen of all macaroons is a Ladurée macaroon!

The experience is made so

much better when you purchase from the actual Ladurée shop on the Champs Elysées. If you’re a fan, you could try out the café also located at the shop.

Vintage Shopping

On our final day we ventured to Le Marais which, we were told, is the vintage goldmine of Paris. Although it took us a while to find the actual vintage shops, they were definitely worth it! The two we visited and loved were Free ‘P’ Star and Kilo Shop Kawaii. Some of the clothes were outrageous, others beautiful and some downright scary - the beady eyes on the animal furs were particularly terrifying! Nonetheless, a very cool experience, especially if you’re anyway interested in fashion, or if you just like to get your Halloween costume prepared well in advance.

Food

We lived off crêpes and the breakfast that was included at our hostel mainly, but the vegetarians in our group spotted a pretty cool vegan burger place while we were hunting down the vintage shops.

It was called Hank and even the meat lovers had to admit that the burgers were tasty!

Transport

We all agreed that the €24 we spent on the three-day Metro ticket was the best money spent of the entire trip. Once we had it, we didn’t have to worry about queuing at machines, where we saw many pickpockets, and we could hop on and off the most efficient transport system I’ve ever seen, wherever we liked. One thing we did find was that the ticket starts to act up if you keep it close to your phone or anything metal like keys so try and avoid that. That said, going through the turnstiles with somebody else if the ticket wouldn’t work, didn’t seem to be a problem!

If you get the opportunity to go to Paris, take it - it’s a fantastic place. As Rick says in Casablanca - “we’ll always have Paris.”

If you’ve been somewhere unreal and want to write about it, send your articles to features@ collegetribune.ie.

8 Water in Ireland Aoife Branco Features Writer

I

reland has a unique relationship with water. First and foremost, we are an island cozily settled between two often turbulent bodies of H2O. As a result, there is a relentless torrent of rain that cannot seem to find another country to occupy; especially on the one day out of the year you chance leaving your umbrella at home.

In recent years, however, this relationship with water has changed. No longer are complaints related to ruined outings, boots soaked-through, or the dreaded cycle home during a massive rain storm. No, instead the people of Ireland have turned their attention towards a new venture; one that takes on an organization that might just be saving their lives.

Over the past few months Ireland has seen the implementation of water charges by Irish Water.

The new charges will require people to begin paying for the amount of water their household uses.

With the confusion this abrupt change has created, it has caused a considerable amount of outrage among citizens.

Hundreds of thousands of people all around the country have participated in rallies and protests rejecting the implementation of these charges since they were first mooted in 2012.

Regardless of the sentiment, the charges arguably have a lot more to do with safety, sustainability, and the progress of the country than they do with the government wanting to dig its hands into the pockets of its citizens.

An Irish Water employee, who wishes to remain anonymous, “The current water services in Ireland are in a shocking

state and in desperate need of attention. The charges are linked to a 4 pillar scheme with the ultimate goal of ensuring clean, safe, sustainable water.”

These updates are considerably important when a horrific alternative is considered.

Imagine running your fingers through your hair only to have it coming out in clumps. Bald patches appearing out of nowhere and flaky, red, swollen, burning, skin irritations that somehow refuse to go away. No amount of lotion soothes the itch and in many cases makes your skin burn more. There is a deep, pounding, aching in your bones as they have become so brittle you fear they may break if placed under even the smallest amount of pressure.

Water comes through your taps, but it carries a strong odor and the color changes between yellow and brown depending on the day. Baths and showers leave behind a thick residue and you have had an ear infection for almost an entire year that has remained unaffected no matter how many times it has been treated.

Now imagine being told by state officials that despite everything your gut is telling you, the water is safe to drink and nothing would be done about it.

This has been the reality for nearly two years for roughly 100,000 people in the small town of Flint, Michigan in the United States of America.

Since 2014, the people of the city of Flint have been ingesting water which has been slowly poisoning them.

The city’s water has been heavily contaminated with lead

Features 9 & Flint, Michigan Settling into Life and Studies in a New Country which studies have shown is linked to irreversible health issues, especially in children. These problems include learning disabilities, intellectual disabilities, stunted growth, seizures, and even death.

In a deal meant to save the city time and money, Flint city officials decided on a quick fix and shifted the source of their drinking water to a highly corrosive river.

Worried about E. coli growing in the water, the city added chlorine to this water to kill the harmful bacteria. In proper water treatment plants, other salts known as phosphates would have been added to the water to create a protective barrier between the surface of the pipes and the chlorinated water.

This did not happen in Flint.

Instead, highly-corrosive water was allowed flow freely through the pipes of the city. Without the phosphates to coat the walls of the pipes, the salty water reacted with the chlorine in the water drawing out toxic levels of iron and lead.

This poisonous water eventually made its way into the homes of the citizens of Flint poisoning them for over a year before the city notified them of the danger.

In Ireland, there are still lead pipes that are connecting public and private water mains. The levels of lead in these pipes meet EPA standards and pose no threat to the wellbeing of citizens. However, Irish Water is working to modernize this infrastructure.

“There is a decade’s long history of underinvestment in water here in Ireland,” the anonymous employee of Irish Water said. “A lot of infrastructure goes back to Victorian times so these

pipes are at least 150 years old. The pipes are iron and lead and are corroding; meaning we are losing 50% or more of the water which has already gone through water treatment services.”

Irish Water is working to provide a sustainable and updated water system for the entire country.

This means creating infrastructure that will be safe and will last long into the future. “We want to be able to cater to the future demands for water in this country,” said the anonymous Irish Water employee.

“As it stands now, the system cannot and will not be able to handle the future demands and expected economic growth. People think that because it rains here, water should be less expensive or free.

But, if we want to have a sustainable and safe future, we have to do this.”

The situation in Flint poses a horrific example of malpractice by city officials and a lack of foresight into the safety of water treatment.

Although Ireland is in no danger of witnessing anything remotely close to the horrors the citizens of Flint endured, the proposed changes and updates to water services appears to be a step towards the modern kind of country Ireland is becoming.

“Well, there is no quick fix for this because the first part of the plan is 7 years,” said the anonymous Irish Water employee. “But it takes time and investment to prevent major problems [like Flint’s situation] in the future. In the short term, we are trying to take care of the areas that have boil warmings right away. But in the long run, we want to create a modern utility which is future fit”.

Mélanie Brisard Features Writer

I

remember exactly the sensation in my stomach this time last year when I gave in the signed papers that would allow me to move to Ireland to study. I remember the sudden lightness of my body, and that euphoric inner voice telling me horizons were broadening. Well, to be honest, at that time I was just happy to leave, no matter the destination.

I felt there was something abroad I couldn’t find in my country (an ideal job? different people? myself?), I had studied hard for two years and thought I deserved change of scenery. After a hundred messages sent on Daft.ie and Rent.ie, I eventually found a room near UCD in a house I would share with the Irish owner and two other international students. Then last September, I got on a flight to Dublin trying not to think too much about how cold it might be.

I spent the first weeks in Ireland with my camera, picking out little details that appeared new, original or atypical to me. Aside from the touristic predisposition to catch every mountain and beach I picked up on a lot of tropes, from Guinness adverts to Famine memorials. One of the most attractive features of being a tourist, or being new to somewhere, is the right to curiosity you have.

You can approach people

with a smile on your face and ask away without fear. I met a lot of people this way, shooting the

three socialising – and quite existential – questions: where do you come from? why are you here? where are you going to? This way I met a ghost-writer from Manchester, an American actor from New York, a Hungarian photographer… people I could write a book about.

As much as I enjoyed travelling around like this, there comes a point when you move beyond being a tourist and into that in-between not-quite-local phase. It’s at this point that you just wish to make long-term friends to hang out with. I started going to different kinds of events to strategically widen my local network, something which Dublin’s nightlife provides ample opportunity for. Discovering the concept of the craic, I found myself playing Ukulele at Stag’s Head, listening to spoken word and poetry at MVP, to Irish folk tales at Stag’s head again, to late night gigs at Whelan’s, trying a swing dance class at the Grand Social… I also signed up to half of UCD’s societies, spending a week’s worth of groceries in the process.

During this social quest, I started filling Dublin’s streets with memories and really made the jump into being a local.

Marcel Proust, a famous French writer, once wrote about the force of habit and how it metamorphoses our perceptions, how it allows us to eventually feel home somewhere, anywhere.

The trickiest part of the moving abroad experiment

is shifting your perceptions to lose what you were used to and open up to everything new. Then it’s all about observing what’s new and getting used to those things in your daily life.

Language is also a big part of the move. When I came here, I decided that I wanted to be completely apart from France and the French, with the diplomatic exception of my family of course. Understanding is easy, and I still notice improvements.

Expression however, remains a challenge. I miss the subtlety I have while speaking French, something which is obvious when attempting black humour or sarcasm unsuccessfully. I’ve also noticed that speaking in a second language, my voice changes a little. I have to think around the thing I want to say or get straight to the point (something we rarely do in France). It makes for a big change in my way of being and surprisingly – or not – makes my less shy.

After having been home for Christmas and proudly displayed photos and stories from my new home, I can really say; I’m living here. Officially until the end of the semester, but really until I settle in to wherever comes next which could be in a few months or years. Making a new life for yourself is a challenge, but doing it in a new country makes the whole experience more intense. Behind “intense” can be hidden the words “difficult”, “challenging” but also “creative”, “exciting”, “original”. I still turn into a tourist from time to time, because I’m addicted to this feeling of awe that Irish landscapes can bring. Although I don’t want to spend my life crossing that border between discovering a place and putting down roots into it, I definitely want to keep this curiosity and freedom I’ve discovered while travelling, that keeps thrilling me and give a more powerful feeling of living my life.

Features

10

Great Scott! - A Slippery Situation Shawna Scott Columnist

L

ube is one of those toiletries we kind of take for granted, but don’t really talk about.

I worked in a chemist for several years before Sex Siopa and would often be asked about the differences and comparisons between nearly every type of product - toothpastes, deodorants, razors - even more personal items like tampons and pregnancy tests, but the one product category that not one single person asked for a recommendation on, and that was lubricant.

It’s a rather odd stigma, because it’s not rooted in the fact that it’s a product for sex, but in the fear that there is something unusual about needing it in the first place. Despite the fact that the vast majority of people will need or want to use lube at some point in their lives - KY’s annual turnover for 2013 was over €100 million and they recently purchased Durex for an estimated €400 million - there’s a weird, unspoken assumption that arousal equals not needing lube. Like most social issues, this is largely due in part to a lack of media representation. Sex scenes in film and television have gotten significantly better about showing couples reaching for condoms on the bedside locker,

but not the slippery stuff. Sure they’re so enthralled by their passion, they’re immediately good to go. If it is mentioned it’s usually the butt of a joke, like the scene in Superbad where Jonah Hill’s character berates Michael Cera’s character for having spermicidal lube on hand.

This is not to say that lube isn’t funny. It totally is. The word sounds funny; lube itself sounds funny when you squeeze it out of the bottle. It’s a product that is ripe for comedic picking, but not having balanced representation leads to embarrassment and stigma amongst consumers that can have unintended consequences.

In her book, Come as You Are, Dr. Emily Nagoski explores the science of sexual desire and the studies that have been done on the topic over the past 25 years. What she has noticed is that traditional masculine desire - described in the book as a sudden or random metaphorical lightning bolt to the genitals that lets us know we want sex now is seen as the default, universal sexuality. It is only recently that people have started to recognise that the female sexual arousal cycle is much more complex and is often based on response to pleasure. However, because society views male desire as the default, it can cause many women to feel like there is something wrong with their bodies. This can also

have an effect on the partners of women, who may feel that if their female partner isn’t immediately wet that she isn’t turned on or that if she isn’t immediately turn on, that they’ve somehow failed as lovers.

This lack of understanding of female sexuality is mirrored in the absence of any detailed description in sexual education of how the vagina works: “The vagina is designed to clean itself with natural secretions and should not require a ‘detox’....It contains good bacteria, which are there to protect it. If these bacteria are disturbed it can lead to infection, such as bacterial vaginosis or thrush, and inflammation.”

This quote is from Dr. Vanessa Mackay of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, who was speaking in reponse to seeing a product called ‘Womb Detox Pearls’ from a company called Embrace Pangaea. Without proper sexual health education, companies can actually find a market for products like their Womb Detox Pearls, claiming that it’s various herbal ingredients play “key roles” in things like “strengthening the uterus, killing parasites…. tightening the vagina, regulating menstruation…. and improving fertility.”

Earlier this month Gynecologist Jen Gunter wrote a blog post about the womb pearls and since Mackay. Many people including Dr. Gunter are concerned about the risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome that may be associated with the detox. In response Embrace Pangaea published a blog post in their FAQ section stating that: “The recent propaganda claiming that our Herbal Womb

“

Detox Pearls can lead to Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) is a purely unfounded and baseless attack on another holistic product without merit.”

Despite this, Embrace Pangaea seem to have since added several warnings on their site encouraging customers to speak with their doctors and do their own research about holistic treatments. But while womb detoxes may sound like a rather niche product to be worried about, personal lubricant isn’t.

Just before the womb detox debacle kicked off, Dr. Gunt-

site to say that they do not sell to the United States.

So if not the US, then who is their target market? “Given that ‘Use To Believe’ promotes ProLube online – and in English – it is unclear what geographic areas they are actually targeting in addition to Asia, where they do claim to be selling ProLube,” says Dr. Polis. “The website and several Tweets also indicate that the company targets sex workers in particular.”

But this shouldn’t deter people from using lubricants that are healthy and don’t make unsubstantiated health claims. It’s an excellent tool to have in your sexual utility belt, as Dr Polis makes clear: “Lube can enhance sexual pleasure and can help to protect health by reducing friction, so it is great that many options available! However, people should be aware that certain substances can weaken the strength of certain types of condoms. For example, oilbased lubricants should not be used with latex condoms, as it will degrade the strength of the condom, making it more likely to break or slip.

Given that this can increase the risk of unintended pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections, people should be informed about what products are safe to use together.”

What we should take away from these two cases is that it’s absolutely imperative that we talk more openly about sex and sexual health in the public sphere and to demand evidence from companies who make medical claims about their products.

Remember if sounds too good to be true, it probably is. By asking questions, and holding companies accountable for their products, we can help contribute to the regulation of an industry that is too often ignored.

If it is mentioned it’s usually the butt of a joke, like the scene in Superbad where Jonah Hill’s character berates Michael Cera’s character for having spermicidal lube on hand. er - along with Bioethicist and author, Alice Dreger; Epidemiologist Dr. Chelsea Polis; and several sex bloggers - was also involved in a lesser publicised, but equally important event that happened on Twitter. This group called out a company, Use To Believe, for claiming that its product, ProLube, could prevent HIV. While Use To Believe have since updated their website to say that ProLube should be used in addition to condoms to prevent HIV, there are still heaps of dubious medical claims on there.

I reached out to Dr. Polis about what happened. She says “Dr. Alice Dreger alerted me and others on Twitter about the ProLube situation. I spoke with the company on Twitter, to see if they had evidence to support their claims, and to find out if they understood that their misleading advertising could endanger public health.” After getting a far from satisfactory response from Use to Believe, Dr. Polis wrote a blog post urging people to file complaints with the Federal Trade Commission. Use to Believe soon changed their web-

”

THE TRIB Inside: gigs, albums, buskers, bowie, vinyl, ilms, tours, catwalks, jeans, models, musicals, centeneries, events, buildings & more.

Arts & Culture Supplement // Issue 7 // 02.02.16

Gigs to Look Forward To

2-3 // Music & Listening

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// // Kevin O’Reilly, Music Editor

Review: Troye SivanBlue Neighbourhood /////// // Caroline Flanagan /////////////// // Music Writer

S

04.02 // UCD Battle of the Bands Final

ix of UCD’s finest bands will compete in the final of the UCD Battle of the Bands 2016 for the chance to perform in Opium Rooms for the Rag Week headline concert and the UCD ball. So far the talent of all the entrants is phenomenal and varied encompassing all genres from rock to folk and everything in between. The night kicks off in Whelans at 8-pm.

W

05.02 // Blossoms

ith black leather, skinny jeans and long hair in abundance low-key indie band Blossoms are a fast-rising band practising a tried and tested formula. Their songs are up-beat, catchy and neat but their sound is relatively generic and derivative. Notwithstanding this they have a certain energy and verve that should easily fill the Green Room at the Academy. If you want something trendy and different to do on Friday night then give these guys a go.

I

10.02 // Foals

ndie superstars Foals hit the 3Arena to showcase their relatively new album ‘What Went Down’. Foals have headlined some of the greatest festivals worldwide such as Reading and Leeds, Coachella and Longitude and have an extraordinary stage presence. They have a knack for maintaining a persistent sound throughout their albums, fans will be able to enjoy both the new tracks and Foal’s earlier hits equally. Not one to miss!

O

11.12 // Róisín Murphy

ne of Ireland’s most understated, talented and inventive artists in recent years Róisín Murphy’s minimalistic sound is as entrancing as it is unique. Even if you don’t know the former Moloko singer you’ve definitely heard some of her compositions such as ‘Let Me Know’. I’m not exactly sure what happens at a Róisín Murphy gig or how one is supposed to behave but it’s well worth popping down to the intimate setting of the Olympia to find out.

T

14.12 // Ennio Morricone

he veteran composer of the Spaghetti Western is cruising 87 and still going strong. He’s recently teamed up with legendary director Quentin Tarantino to compose the Hateful Eight soundtrack. His music is some of the most iconic in history having been used and reused endlessly in pop culture.

Even if you’re not a fan of classical music this living legend will be sure to blow you away. The price range of tickets however is well out of range of most students unfortunately, but if someone does happen to offer you one, do take it and get down to the 3Arena for a real treat!

D

ecember 4th marked the release of the highly anticipated debut studio album by Australian artist (and YouTube sensation) Troye Sivan. This album marks a follow up from his acclaimed EP, WILD, which garnered Sivan many positive reviews.

The album features 16 full length tracks, each containing an eclectic mixture of themes and feelings. Title track ‘Wild’, which Troye wrote with fellow Australian artist Alex Hope, is the perfect opening track while “Never knew loving could hurt this good, and it drives me wild” perfectly captures concepts of youthfulness and love which continue throughout the album.

The first single from the album ‘Youth’ with its lyrics “What if we run away...what if we said goodbye to safe and sound“ aims to provide a snapshot into Troye’s life growing up in the suburbs of Australia, a song which truly embodies the energetic tone of the rest of the album.

Despite multiple opportunities to work with many major producers while developing this album, Troye decided instead to work with lesser known names and close friends.

These include fellow Australian artist Betty Who, with whom he collaborated with to produce the track ‘Heaven’, exploring sexuality and the search for identity.

With each of the songs having a distinctive feel from one another, sensations of both happiness and sadness are clearly captured throughout. All of the songs on the album deal with overlapping emotions of fear and excitement, and both youthfulness and life.

With his first headline show in Sydney last year having sold out in record time, tickets for an April date at the Olympia in Dublin were also snapped up quickly. He is now embarking on an Australian, American and European Tour.

From One Weird Ginger to Another: A Tribute to David Bowie

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////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// // Aoileann Kennedy, Music Writer

Dublin's Buskers: O Alex Walsh and Colm Gavin

//////// // Photography & Words: Kevin O’Reilly, Music Editor

T

he sound of The Waterboys echoing about St. Stephen’s Green drew me down to the Gaiety Theatre where I found Colm Gavin and Alex Walsh.

The two Clondalkin boys were starting early on a quiet weekday morning and explained that they prefer when it’s not so busy. It suits their acoustic setup better when the atmosphere is relaxed and calm. Colm has been busking in town since he was fifteen and Alex started last year. At first it was about making a bit of pocket-money.

Nowadays however, they still perform but for completely different reasons. It’s no longer about making money but for the joy of a free rehearsal and for the fun of it when they have a free morning. Alex and Gavin are signed with Beo Records and Colm has just released his debut Album ‘A Voice for the Urban Darlings’ which made it to number 2 in the Irish Charts.

The two lads are individual artists but they love collaborating together because they both enjoy the same kind of music.

The sound of their two guitars intertwining and reverberating

around King Street South creates the perfect soundtrack for a slow morning in the city. They draw on all kinds of folk music influences which shine through in their performances, artists such as Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, and of course Bowie having a huge impact on their sound.

The lads enjoy busking in town because it’s no longer about making a living and they aren’t bothered so much by annoyances on the street or people being nasty. In Alex’s opinion; “for every plus there’s a minus but the pluses outweigh the minuses”. Their quiet and unamplified performance doesn’t attract too much unwanted attention and only doing it for the love of it seems to make them all the happier to sit and play away. They don’t busk regularly so chances are you won’t catch them live, but if you’re lucky and they do make an appearance, it would be at their regular haunt at the Gaiety. Otherwise you can catch videos of their performances online and Colm’s album is available on Spotify and iTunes.

In 1968, Bowie was a gay, ginger, bonk-eyed, snaggletoothed freak walking around south London in a dress, being shouted at by thugs. Four years later, he was still exactly that -- but everyone else wanted to be like him, too. If David Bowie can make being David Bowie cool, you can make you cool. PLUS, unlike David Bowie, you get to listen to David Bowie for inspiration. So you’re one up on him, really. You’re already one ahead of David Bowie.

”

From Caitlin Moran’s ‘10 Things Every Girl Should Know’

ver the last few weeks, the music world has lost some of its brightest stars. Lemmy and Glenn Frey were enormous talents, and their loss broke the hearts of so many music fans. Personally, the loss of David Bowie shook me more than any other. Although he may have been at his peak long before I was born, he had such a profound influence on me, especially as a teenager. Bowie got me through two Leaving Certs and countless angst filled evenings locked in my room. My favourite thing about David Bowie wasn’t

his music, it was his absolute fearlessness in being different. It’s so rare to see someone be unapologetic in being themselves. Bowie never apologised for being weird. He revelled in his own strangeness.

It’s been said countless times in countless obituaries, but he made it cool to be different.

Bowie was a shining example of how being unique is never a bad thing. He encouraged us all, through his constant re-invention, through the idea that you don’t have to be like everyone else, or even yourself. I find great comfort in that. He has always inspired me to be that bit differ-

ent and to be fearless. Bowie was the enemy of stagnation, the master of re-invention and creativity. He was cool, he was clever, he was never boring, and always a little bit weird.

We could all do with being a little bit more like David Bowie.

My Bowie Ten: Space Oddity, Heroes, Moonage Daydream, Under Pressure (with Queen), Starmanm, Rebel Rebel, Ashes to Ashes, The Man Who Sold the World, Golden Years, Kooks.

One From The Crate: Halves - 'Boa Howl' //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// // Seán O’Reilly, Editor A - Drumhunter, The Glass Wreckage, Drip Pools, Tanager Peak B - Best Summer, White Boa Howl, Bring Your Bad Luck, Hug the Blood C - Slow Drawl Moon (For David), Polynia, Let Them Come Boa Howl is an immensely interesting album that draws on a huge amount of concepts, instrumentation and musical style to create an eerie, almost spacy sound with a clear poop edge thrown in for good measure. Opening with ‘Drumhunter’ and all its horns and choruses, the album quickly segues into a much

heavier sound with ‘Glass Wreckage’ before bringing you back down. Much of the record is sparse instrumentation occasionally overdubbed by swooping choruses and flanged vocals. Some of the tracks are real earworms, relying on solid chord progressions and beautifully orchestrated jumps up and down

scales to achieve a sound that sweeps right through the mind. ‘Tanager Peak’ is exemplary of this. A digital download is included on a card that goes above and beyond what’s expected. Interestingly, despite coming on two discs in a gatefold package; there’s no D side.

Something which admittedly left me scratching my head at first. Buy if you like rich instrumental stuff with a dash of pop. A-side is key.

4-5 // Film & Television

Film Européens:

Lou lou

In the latest of The Trib’s series on foreign language and international film, Barry Monahan reviews Loulou, directed by French realist director Maurice Pialat in 1980.

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f you’re looking at this feature in search of an original narrative, keep going. It’s the characters, and by extension the actors, that make this drama work. Directed and co-written

by Pialat and claiming to be semi-autobiographical, there’s no shying away from our preconceptions of what Parisians are or are not, something that proves immensely rewarding.

The plot begins as Nelly (Isabelle Huppert) falls for for Loulou (Gérard Depardieu) after meeting him in a nightclub.

An ordinary girl with a mysterious side, she finds herself infatuated at first sight. A whirlwind affair begins but before long Nelly’s husband Andre (Guy Marchand) discovers her infidelities and attempts to win her back. This takes a dark turn as he begins to beat her, his own frustrations and dissatisfaction becoming increasingly obvious. Despite his actions, we are tempted to sympathise with the husband.

Meanwhile, Nelly begins to wonder why Loulou cannot find a job. Depardieu portrays a brutish schmoozer who drifts easily from place to place, trading on his masochistic sexuality. Nelly’s husband helps her find work in an advertising agency, appealing to her independent streak in an attempt to recapture her attention. Meanwhile that affair continues with Loulou funding it in its entirety, hotel rooms and all, through Nelly’s newfound income. It’s not until Nelly falls

pregnant that their incompatibility and his modus operandi become obvious to her.

Piliat illustrates the contradictions and complexities of adult life with ease and the frequent use of handheld cameras draws the viewer into scenes very effectively. Although sometimes appearing haphazard, the sense of realism and confrontation presented to the viewer through dropins and close ups cement the viewer into the plot.

This was Pialat’s sixth feature in a career that took both the director and lead actors to enormous heights both on screen and behind the camera. While the story can be called out for its shortcomings, superbly emotional performances and excellent direction make right the wrongs; the end result being a sensitive exploration of the search for true love which well-earned a nomination for the Palme d’Or in 1980.

The Good Dinosaur Ruairi McCann reviews Pixar’s The Good Dinosaur, which arrived hot on the heels of the critically acclaimed Inside Out….

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ith only a matter of months since the last Pixar release, Inside Out, it may seem that The Good Dinosaur is coming on a little strong. In reality it has been a long time coming, having faced six years of ‘development hell’ which included numerous rewrites and directorial changes. Finally, though, the dinosaur epic promised

by Pixar is here; and showing some of the scars of its long and troubled maturation.

Set on an alternative Earth which never saw the meteorite impact which spelled the end of the dinosaurs, instead we find that they have evolved to become the planet’s mot intelligent creatures. Our protagonist is Arlo (voiced by Raymond Ochoa), the runt of his agrarian family of sauropods.

In his determination to prove his worth to his parents, he becomes lost, and must go on a journey to return home aided by a feral human child.

The Good Dinosaur deserves a lot of praise, its humour often hits the

mark and the landscapes and scenery on display are some of the most beautiful pieces of animation I’ve seen in theatres. Unfortunately, this isn’t enough to cover for the film’s unevenness; with the many rewrites leaving the whole affair somewhat disjointed. The narrative is particularly weak and seems unsure of exactly what form it intends to take.

The plot can be described as an uncomfortable and clichéd collection of elements lifted from such films as The Lion King, Ice Age and even the western genre.

The shifts in tone which take place over the film’s 100 minutes are also problematic. Comedic relief is haphazardly hammered in alongside emotionally charged scenes leaving them empty and never quite earning a payoff. Visually, the beautiful hyper-realistic backgrounds jar with the more cartoonish and frankly goofy dinosaur designs in the foreground. Pixar are a giant of the film industry, and rightly so, but following in the footsteps of Inside Out, this latest release feels underdone.

Warner Brothers’ Studio Tour, London Review by Niamh Crosbie, Film and Entertainment Editor.

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t isn’t often that an opportunity comes along to explore the hidden magic behind one of the biggest movie franchises of all time, and the Warner Bros.

Studio Tour presents exactly that. If you’ve ever wondered what went on behind the scenes of the iconic Harry Potter films, look no further – the Studio Tour delves into every aspect of movie magic that went into bringing the fantastical world of ‘The Boy Who Lived’ to the screen.

Located some distance away from centre of London, the Warner Bros.

Studio Tour is a pricey day out, but worth every penny. Even if you’re not a die-hard fan who read and re-read the books, flies into a rage every time the movies leave out precious plot points, or cries every time a character dies on page or screen (no names, or this will get too emotional), you would need to be a very difficult muggle to impress if you make it through the Studio Tour without enjoying yourself.

However, this attraction is more than a stone’s throw away, so it’s best to have an idea of whether this tour is something that will interest you or not before you fork out money for flights, accommodation, and of course the cost of the tickets themselves.

The most surprising aspect of the studio tour was the amount of immersive virtual tour-guiding performed by members of the Harry Potter cast. My favourite was Warwick Davis and his humourous explanations of the various moulds and animatronics used in the portrayal of Hagrid, Buckbeak, and other lovable and terrifying creatures.

Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson themselves are also among those who digitally guide visitors through the different rooms impres s ing the importance of the work w h i c h happens

off-camera, which becomes evident as the real magic behind Hogwarts, the Ministry of Magic, Platform 9¾ and Diagon Alley.

I don’t wish to spoil the penultimate feature of the tour for those of you planning a visit, but the final section of the attraction brought me close to tears, and blew my expectations of the tour out of the water. I would recommend a visit to just about anybody with an interest in Harry Potter, or the filmmaking process in general, as the tour offers a decent mix of fangirl-pleasing memorabilia and fascinating cinematic wizardry.

My visit occurred during the Studio Tour’s winter-themed Hogwarts in the Snow, which included a few snowy additions to the regular tour. If your visit doesn’t happen in winter, you will not miss much, but if you find that a sprinkling of snow here and there adds just a little extra magic to your surroundings, Hogwarts in the Snow is worthwhile.

If I were to give you advice before your trip, I would suggest taking a fully-charged camera with a clear memory (I foolishly ran out of memory space halfway through the tour), as it is impossible to resist the opportunity to be photographed with some of the scenes and props from the magical world we all know so well. I would also advise taking a set amount of spending money to the attraction, as food, drink and the souvenir shop are far from cheap (and in all honesty, will you be able to resist trying the famous Butter Beer or a Chocolate Frog, or picking up a House scarf or the official wand of your favourite HP character?).

Finally, make sure you schedule enough time to make your way through the tour and enjoy everything thoroughly – you don’t want to end up running through Platform 9¾ like Harry and Ron in The Chamber of Secrets!

German Classic: Downfall 2004, Directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel Sinead Keane reviews one of German cinema’s masterpieces, Downfall. Released in 2004, the film follows the emotionally complex course of Adolf Hitler’s final days.

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he main action takes place in the Führerbunker in which, buried deep beneath the rapidly falling streets of Berlin, we see the Nazi leadership make the final decisions of the Second World War. In between we are also given glimpses of Berlin as the Nazi defence of the city is falling apart and ordinary German’s are desperately running for their lives not knowing when or where the next Allied bomb will fall.

In the bunker, Hitler; phenomenally played by the wonderful Bruno Ganz, is slowly being abandoned by his once loyal cronies. The unexpected highlight of the film is the performance of Ganz who seems to pour his every being into the role. It was this portrayal that was most controversial upon the film’s release in Germany, with some voicing concern that Ganz portrayed Hitler as too human. His depiction of Hitler as a deeply flawed man makes the film in its entirety all the more chilling by showing how easily any of us can become degenerate, hate filled, and evil.

The film is a dramatic adaptation of the memoirs of Hitler’s secretary Traudl Junge and opens with a clip from the 2002 Austrian documentary ‘Blind Spot’. Junge was present during the final days of the government of the Third Reich and typed Hitler’s last will and testament. In the clip, as we see later throughout the film, she discusses her blind loyalty and devotion to Hitler, forgoing the chance to escape as the Allies close in on the city and later accepting a vial of cyanide poison from him.

In a pow-

erful moment Junge, who filmed the documentary shortly before her death, concedes that she should have known more about the crimes of the Hitler regime but she was in awe of the power that Nazi officials held.

The film provokes a sense of claustrophobia in the viewer due to its airless, confined setting. However high tension and lashings of intrigue, particularly from a pathetic Eva Braun, breaks this and allows us to come up for air. To celebrate Hitler’s birthday, she emerges from the bunker in an elegant evening dress with her hangers-on to have a party with champagne corks popping and music and dancing.

When the room that they are celebrating in is bombed, she dances on in the ruins. Later, when her brother in law tells her to leave Berlin; she chooses not to, despite knowing full well the consequences of this decision. The performance of Juliane Köhler in the role garners sympathy from the viewer.

The most shocking scenes in the film are reserved for Magda Goebbels (Corinna Harfouch) and her six children. Magda does not want to live in a world without National Socialism so she does the unthinkable and murders her own children with cyanide poison, lying to them by telling them they are taking sleeping pills. The scene in which eldest daughter Helga sees her mother’s lies and desperately tries to fight her off is genuinely appalling; if it fails to bring even a tear to your eye you’re a stronger person then me.

Downfall is a hugely important film, not only for showing just how awful Hitler and the leadership of Nazi Germany were but for opening up conversation on the such a difficult topic and reminding us how easily racism, xenophobia and hatred can rise up when we least expect. A fitting lesson in the modern age.

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6-7 // Fashion & Style

The catwalk is calling

Photo by Jonny Baxter

Keep an eye out for news and ticket sale announcements in the coming weeks for the upcoming annual UCD Fashion Show!

Girlfriend Jeans ////////////////// // Emer Slattery, Fashion Editor

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he rails of the high street of late have been heavy with a new style of jean: the girlfriend. These jeans are somewhat of a hybrid between the infamous boyfriend cut and the mom jean. Where boyfriends are low-slung and baggy, the girlfriend jean carries a similar laidback look but with a higher waist and a slimmer leg.

The girlfriend jean shape has been gaining traction for being flattering on a wide range of body types. This style is extremely wearable as part of an everyday wardrobe and is

well-suited for college wear if you want to mix comfort with style for lectures. After all, they’re just a pair of jeans: add your usual t-shirt or jumper and you’re set. They work well with any type of flat shoes, from runners to brogues. A versatile jean shape, the girlfriend can be dressed up for a night out by pairing with a crop top or, alternatively, you can add a blazer and heels for a more sophisticated evening look.

Man of the Moment: Who is Lucky Blue?

With the most social media followers of all male models, Lucky Blue Smith is the undisputed man of the moment in the modelling world. At just seventeen years old he has walked for an impressive list of designers including Versace, Fendi, and DSquared2 as well as being the current face of Tom Ford, among other big names. 2016 looks set to be a massive year for the lanky 6 ft 2.5” American teenager.

Style Resolutions for the New Year A re you happy with your style at the minute? If yes, you’re sorted! Keep doing you. If no, take action.

Allocate some time to evaluating your wardrobe. Do your clothes embody how it is that you want to present yourself to the world? In what ways are you happy and unhappy with what you see hanging/folded up in front of you? After you’ve put some thought into the state of your wardrobe it’s time to begin moving towards change.

Dedicate some time to having a proper clear-out and ruthlessly follow the usual advice; that if you haven’t worn it in the last twelve months then it’s got to go. Donate your unwanted pieces to charity shops (and maybe pick up a few new items while you’re there!).

With your wardrobe cleared out, you can move on to the task of re-building it the way you want. Try and figure out what you want your personal style to be and start developing it. Research which direction you’d like your look to go down: ask yourself, for example, if you envisage yourself being more edgy, more chic, less plain, brighter, more neutral, or some combination of anything and everything. Plough through tumblr, Instagram and Pinterest and draw inspiration from different elements of different looks.

When you have an idea of what your style goals may be, think about creating a vision board of looks. If possible, print out images you like and physically display them somewhere rather than saving screenshots to

your phone. This way you can combine images from the internet with newspaper and magazine cut-outs and will have a tangible reminder of your style project in one place. Include words or phrases that evoke ideas of the look you’re after.

When you think you’ve figured out which route you want your style to go down, don’t rush out to hit the shops.

As with any new relationship, it’s best to take it slow and get comfortable with your new look. You’re not going to create the wardrobe of your dreams based on one

/////////////////////////////// // Emer Slattery, Fashion Editor shopping trip to town! Pick up some pieces that subtly ease you towards the desired result and build your wardrobe back up over time. Once you’re on track, resolve to try not to buy into fads and to instead spend your money on clothes you know you’ll re-wear.

Finally, be sure to treat your clothes well to increase their longevity: hang them up, handwash when necessary and avoid the tumble dryer. With a wardrobe that’s well-managed and reflective of your true personal style, dressing will become a joy again.

Make Up Resolutions: While you’re overhauling your wardrobe, you may want to consider paying some mind to your make-up bag too. After all, once you get into the cleaning mindset you may as well get as much milage out of it as you can, chances are it’ll be a while before it comes along again!

Get rid of anything that exceeds their expiry dates - considering you’re using these products on your face, the dates are not to be messed with. Most products will have a 3, 6, 12 or 18 month life-span. and this is for a reason. Also, ensure you regularly wash your make-up brushes. If it’s something you haven’t kept up with, you will notice the difference in the health of your skin once you keep your make-up bag fresh.

The Rise and Rise of Musical Theatre /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// // Emma Costello, Arts Editor

8-9 // Arts & Culture

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hen I first heard that the Mary Poppins musical was coming to Dublin, I rolled my eyes, unimpressed. I found Mary Poppins to be one of the most boring Disney movies of my childhood.

So the moment my mother told me she had bought tickets for us and my sister, I was hatching plans to come down with a mysterious flu. But fortunately, I never managed to make myself sick enough.

On the night, I sat down in my seat, prepared to start counting the tiles in the ceiling. By the interval, though, I was completely engrossed.

So many aspects of the musical wowed me; from the stage production to the dancers to singing, it was spectacular. Along with the physical attributes, the musical didn’t focus on the Disney 1964 musical for inspiration, but instead stuck closer to the PL Travers’ book. This was a huge win, as it included some forgotten moments in the book that the film never included, such as the “holy terror” of nanny, Mrs Andrews. Leaving the show, the audience was buzzing. There was a hum of happy chatter despite the rain crashing down onto our heads.

As I made my way home, I wondered “What is it that makes musicals so incredibly popular ? ”

“

These days, anything can be made into a musical. For instance, Let It Be being made around The Beatles’ catalogue, as was Mamma Mia! around Abba’s and American Idiot around Green Day’s. There is a demand for these jukebox mu-

where it went.”

This process has changed dramatically thanks in part to the influence of social media and online booking. Easy access to reviews that go beyond just what established critics write has also played a big part

that allow the productions to be more than just the quality of the cast. The props and dramatics used in musicals now transport the audience to an entirely new reality. I could even comment on how a modern musical’s production is similar to that of a magicians show; tricks of the eye and subtle techniques fool audience members by using crafty costumes and hidden wires.

Thanks to these investments, ticket prices are coming in far cheaper now than ever before The cost of production in shows today is between ten and fifteen times more than in the 70s, yet ticket prices have increased to roughly eight times their Disco-era prices.

Overall though, it’s not just the finances and advances in technology that keep people going to musicals; it’s the joy we experience show after show. From Grease on a small school stage to extravagant productions in some of the best theatres in the world, we leave every show humming a song or clicking our fingers. The number one reason why musicals are popular are thanks to a strong cult of followers, one which appears to be only growing!

Fancy going to a show yourself? UCD Musical Society’s Legally Blonde – The Musical will be on from the 15th to 20th of February in O’Reilly Hall!

Tickets on sale from their website www.ucdmusicalsociety.com

...the route to a hit musical was pretty straightforward: write it at home in a few weeks, pausing only to walk the dog and play snooker, record it, release an album, get a number-one hit and turn up to the opening night. I rather approve of that process and wonder where it went. sicals, as they’ve proven to be a reliable money-spinner in taking songs people already know and love and getting that bit more mileage from them. Broadway in New York and the West End in London are renowned for hosting hit musical shows which need to be booked at 12 months in advance. Tickets for the West End shows can range from as “little” £90 per ticket to well over £600. These prices are staggering when you take a look at how early musicals came to be, as Tim Rice wrote for The Telegraph in 2014. “…the route to a hit musical was pretty straightforward: write it at home in a few weeks, pausing only to walk the dog and play snooker, record it, release an album, get a number-one hit and turn u p to the opening night. I rathe r approve o f that process and wonder

in making it far easier for word about upcoming shows to get out. Rather than waiting patiently for an opening night’s review, audiences can now check the production’s Instagram for behind the scenes photos, or the its YouTube channel for scene previews. Little teasers such as this get musical fans excited in a way which was impossible before the internet age while offering the added bonus of reaching a wider group of people, many of whom would never have dreamed of attending a theatre. Productions which have been on various stages for years such as The Phantom of the Opera and Wicked can not only maintain their reputation among existing fans with teasers shared through Facebook and Twitter but catch the attention of others also.

Alongside this, there are far more investments in shows

”

BiggerBetterBiggerBetter ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// // Louis Walsh ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// // Architecture Writer

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here’s been a bit of commotion lately.

Dublin City Council has decided they’re reducing the standard size of apartments and our citizens just aren’t having it. We’d be mad to take a step backwards and make our apartments worse, this is just more money into the hands of those greedy good-for-nothing developers. First they have their way with our economy and now they want to give us lower quality apartments.

It would seem however that we’re suffering something of a collective misconception here. We’re making an immediate assumption; bigger is better, and more is good.

Bigger does not mean better.

There’s an obsession on this island with owning land and the bigger the piece of pie one can get, the more they shall satisfy their hunger. This addiction is very unique to Ireland with the exception, perhaps, of our neighbours in Britain. We really, really like the idea of having that spare bedroom for when the guests stay over, or that nice little back garden we don’t use. It may have something to do with our consumerist culture or it may be a relic of Irish history.

Maybe it’s a hangover from the former slums of Dublin City, cleared throughout

the twentieth century and replaced with that green and healthy suburban dream.

These clearances were a good thing; the standard of living in the north inner city was appalling before this. A problem was solved but not in the most effective way. Anyone alive in the 80s would remember the state of the inner city then. It was empty, and neglected, it’s no wonder everyone left. The problem now is that mentality remains. The city is bad, the suburbs are good. It’s ok to live somewhere small for a little bit but eventually I want four beds in the suburbs.

This isn’t a feasible option. Dublin in 2016 is the epitome of urban sprawl. The population of the Greater Dublin Area stands at around 1.8 million and some of us still commute for over an hour. That’s nuts. The reason smaller apartments are good is because we can fit more people into Dublin City, which, by the way, ends at the canals. It would be much better for our society if we lived in a smaller area, we could have more services provided, less commute times, a higher tax income for the city, and therefore better services for everyone inside of it.

We should be celebrating this rare act of positive planning in our city. This is the reversing of a terrible trend that has led our city’s population, between the canals, lower than that before 1916.

So what are these new regulations all about then?

A one bedroom apartment used be a minimum of 55 square metres and now will be 45, two beds were 90, and now 73, three beds have also been reduced to 90 from 100.

Spread your arms out and spin in a circle. If you’re quite tall, let’s say six foot, then you’ll take up about 3.2 square metres. You and your partner will have plenty of space in a 45sqm unit. The Japanese have been nailing this for a while. Look up ‘House in Nada’ by Fujiwaramuro Architects to see how it’s done.

Small houses are great for street life too. Anyone who’s been to Phnom Penh or Hanoi will tell you these cities are alive. There’s an incredible energy because people spend their time outside. I’m not saying we need to cram ten of us into an apartment but smaller units will mean we spend our time in the city and with each other.

Doing so will make the city will become a much more interesting place.

University College Dublin

President’s Awards University College Dublin for Excellence in Student Activities President’s Awards You are invited to make a nomination for the President’s Awards for Excellence in Student Activities. The award scheme aims to provide recognition by the University for those students who excel in extracurricular activities of a kind which make UCD a more exciting, interesting and humane place to live and to work.

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Monday April 24th, 1916 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////// // Cillian Fearon

1/5

10-11 // Odds & Ents

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he sun glistened brightly against the murky canal. Margaret pulled her new green overcoat around her, fastening its brass buttons against the cold. She looked up Great Brunswick street towards Boland’s Mill. It was busy for Easter Monday. Busier than it had any right to be. She casually strolled towards the group of men arguing outside the building. A tall, angular-faced man barked orders at the soldiers gathered around.

“Quick! Get those ammunitions inside. Reilly, take a squad and take positions down at MountStreet Bridge!” He growled at the young men.

Margaret watched them curiously. The Volunteers were prone to running drills in the streets but usually it was confined to doing silly walks and playing with hurleys. A column of men were marching up the road towards them. They stood to attention in front of the tall man and saluted.

“Very good men!” the Officer barked, “Begin clearing the street of civilians and setting up road blocks.” The men began to disperse around the street, one approached Margaret.

“Miss, you’d better take that coat off and get home. You don’t want to be mistaken for one of us,” he said with a light chuckle.

Margaret scowled at the man and turned on her heel, grumbling to herself as she wandered home. She was supposed to be meeting a friend in St. Stephen’s Green. There were other ways across the canal but they would take her well out of her way, particularly if she couldn’t get across Mount Street Bridge. She continued to wander and it wasn’t long before she found herself outside her home. Reluctantly she went inside. Her Mam was sitting at the table with her Da and Mr Conway from down the bottle works.

“Margaret!” her mother exclaimed, “I thought you were going to the Green for the day?”

“There’s Volunteers up by Boland’s Mill, they’re blocking the road,” Margaret said in a huff.

Mr Conway exchanged a worried look with her Da. “Do you think they did it Jack?”

Her Da turned to her. “Margaret were they armed?”

“Aye, they had rifles and pistols, all done up in their green uniforms,” Margaret replied taking off her own green coat.

“Jack, you don’t think they’ve gone ahead with it?” Mr Conway asked Margaret’s father, his face going white.

Jack grimaced, he slowly tapped his pipe out onto a saucer on the table, “MacNeill gave the order to stand down. He wouldn’t have done it without a good reason.”

“Here, we best get to the bottle works. Buckley’ll do his nut when he finds out,” Mr Conway said hopping quickly to his feet.

Jack rose slowly and plucked his hat from its perch and his cane from beside the door, “Beth, make sure James doesn’t head out. You know what he’s like, if he hears the soldiers are out he’ll get curious. Margaret, you’ll have to go to the Green another day.” He gave his wife a lingering look before leaving. For a split second Margaret thought she saw fear on his face.

Margaret slumped into a seat at the table and sighed while her mother placed the kettle on the stove.

“Ah there’ll be other days dear,” her mother said soothingly.

“Couldn’t I just head further down the canal? I’ll just stay away from the Mill and go straight to Stephen’s Green,” Margaret insisted.

“It’s not safe, not with the Volunteers messing about out there. Your father doesn’t want you mixed up in it, and that’s final. Now do you want a cup of tea?”

Margaret sighed, “No,” she went upstairs to the small bedroom she had shared with her older sister, Mary. She had been training to be a nurse when the war broke out. She left months ago.

Margaret didn’t know exactly where she was, just that it was somewhere in France. She dug out her sister’s letters and began pouring over them again. She took out the last letter that her sister had sent. It was stained with mud, and where it wasn’t, it had been heavily redacted. She lay on the bed reading over her sister’s words for what seemed like hours.

The front door slammed. The sun had begun to set. She lay there for a moment with the letters scattered around the bed. She was straining to hear the hushed voices talking in the kitchen beneath her. She crept slowly out of her room to the top of the staircase.

“They’ve done it, the bloody fools!” she heard her Da saying angrily.

“Hush Jack, or the children will hear. What is it?”

“They’ve taken the GPO, Boland’s Mill, and Jacob’s Factory, and god knows where else. The foreman’s closed the works, said it was too dangerous to keep it open. I found a group of Volunteers near the Mill but they started to get nervous with me asking so many questions.”

“So it is the Volunteers?”

“Some of them, not all though. The Citizen Army is out as well. Bloody Fools!”

“Hush!”

“Sorry dear, I almost didn’t make it back. Some British opened fire on them while we were talking. Then I nearly ran into a group of soldiers on my way back. Probably from Beggars Bush.”

“What will happen next?” her mother asked.

“Depends on how the Brits respond. It’ll get worse before it gets better.” The kitchen went quiet.

Margaret crept back up to her room. She went to her window and opened it. In the distance she heard faint cracks and snaps sounding out over the dark houses. The war had come home.

Cover Image:

A Portrait of a Kerryman as a Young UCD Student /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// // Seán Hurley writes “I wanted real adventures to happen to myself. But real adventures, I reflected, do not happen to people who remain at home: they must be sought abroad.”

“Nobody likes you when you’re 23” Seán O’Reilly

I took her out. It was a Friday night I wore cologne to get the feeling right We started making out, and she took off my pants But then I turned on the TV And that’s about the time she walked away from me Nobody likes you when you’re 23 And are still more amused by TV shows What the hell is ADD? My friends say I should act my age What’s my age again?

What’s my age again?

Then later on, on the drive home I called her mom from a pay phone I said I was the cops, and your husband’s in jail This state looks down on sodomy And that’s about the time that bitch hung up on me Nobody likes you when you’re 23 And are still more amused by prank phone calls What the hell is Call ID? My friends say I should act my age What’s my age again?

What’s my age again?

And that’s about the time she walked away from me Nobody likes you when you’re 23 And you still act like you’re in freshman year What the hell is wrong with me?

My friends say I should act my age What’s my age again?

What’s my age again?

That’s about the time that she broke up with me No one should take themselves so seriously With many years ahead to fall in line Why would you wish that on me?

I never wanna act my age What’s my age again?

What’s my age again?

What’s my age again?

James Joyce, Dubliners

I

’m often asked the vexing question “how in all places did a Tralee man such as yourself manage to end up in UCD?” The answer is at times quite difficult to conjure. Ostensibly most of my friends seem to have a lot more common sense than me. They took the wise option by deciding to remain in Munster. This is a smart decision on many counts. First and foremost of which, you’re always within sniffing distance of your mother’s cooking. If you’re studying in UL or UCC all you have to do is hop on a shuttle bus say “Bon Appetit” and in the flash of an eye you suddenly have a nice Sunday roast in front of you. Better still if you’re studying from home all you have to do is clap your feet together and you can have a roast any day of the week! I can’t say I wasn’t warned. My mother, a proud former UCC alumna, warned me of the perils of life in a big bad city such as Dublin. But she needn’t have bothered. The wafting aromas and scents from the stove that filled my nostrils throughout childhood were the most compelling advocate!

So, as you begin to salivate at the mouth, the question you must be burning to ask is why exactly did I decide to leave the Kingdom and move to UCD? The answer can be found in Joyce’s above quote; I wanted a real adventure. I wasn’t to be swayed. Gandalf had spoken. Like Bilbo Baggins, I knew destiny had come calling. It was time to leave the Shire!

My adventure began on an unseemly note as I woke up for the first time in my apartment in UCD, to find my new laptop was malfunctioning after the Windows 10 update. Like any other doe eyed fresher student in my situation, I was absolutely petrified at the thought of not having my laptop in tip top shape for the upcoming lectures. Eternally the optimist, I hopped on my bike and made for PC world at Jervis shopping centre, thinking it would be a great opportunity to explore the city. I was happy out, enjoying my newfound freedom, as I weaved between the buses and the taxis on my way in. One of the things that mys-

tified me were the evanescent cycle lanes which appeared and disappeared, seemingly at will, and left a few buses far too close for comfort. It didn’t faze me however, as I gazed in awe at my new surroundings. All was going well until I crossed the Liffey and arrived at Jervis. There I met two Gardaí to whom I enquired to about the safety of locking my bike to a pole in the vicinity. “Don’t you worry young man, Dublin has a bad rep but that’s completely over exaggerated! Your bike will be as safe as houses here!”

Satisfied with this, I proceeded to lock one lock around the frame and another lock around the wheel. I’m sure you know where this is going.

Needless to say when I came out of Jervis twenty minutes later the bike had vanished-locks and all. Not only that, but there was no sign of the Gardaí either. My first reaction was to run manically around for a few minutes, double checking I didn’t leave it at some other pole and once I was sure I didn’t, I was utterly disconsolate as the rain began to pour down on my shoulders.

I didn’t know how to get back to UCD because I didn’t know any of the bus routes. Thoroughly humbled, I eventually decided to make the dreaded walk of shame to the Discover Ireland office like some defeated tourist. Of all the staff there, I was directed home by an Eastern European man (you know that country, Eastern Europe, the big one) who had recently moved to Ireland and thankfully knew Dublin better than I did.

At this point some of my friends in Munster will be shaking their heads, saying that my adventure is no different from their sojourns to UCC and UL. The bike theft epidemic has spread to those parts too, they hasten to tell me. Besides, I’ve failed Joyce’s main criteria about adventures - “they must be sought abroad” and convention dictates that Dublin in relation to Kerry is not abroad.

I fundamentally disagree with that assertion on two counts.

My Corkonian cousins may dispute this point, but I’m all out of luck.

The first of which is that the might of the Kingdom far

transcends that of Dublin. The Dubs will argue that the gap has been bridged due to their recent All-Ireland win. That belies the fact however, that Kerry still have won twelve more All-Irelands than Dublin. Whilst Kerry people generally maintain our county is on a different level to Dublin, other folk such as Hollywood directors are gradually beginning to cop on.

The fact that Kerry is lightyears away from Dublin is attested to by the jaw dropping depiction of our very own Sceilig Michíll in the record breaking film Star Wars the Force Awakens.

The second count I have against my friends is that you can’t seriously say you have embarked on an adventure, if you’re able to bring your laundry home every weekend to be done. I’d wager most college students do this! The truth is the epic of college life in UCD never truly begins until you have to make the hazardous journey to the laundrette on Saturday mornings. “Bent double, like old beggars under sacks, Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge”. I’m not sure if it’s what Wilfred Owen had in mind when he wrote his famous poem “Dulce et Decorum Est” but it certainly resonates with me whenever I have to make the gruelling walk from the “Forgotten Square” of Merville Residences to the laundrette situated in Glenomena on UCD campus. This is conducted with two bin bags draped over my shoulders, overflowing with dirty laundry Again the line “Gas! Gas! Quick, boys!-An ecstasy of fumbling” is almost prophetic as I’m hit with fumes on entering the laundrette and as I fumble in my attempts to get the right proportion of fabric softener and washing powder into the drawer of the washing machine. College life is not only an adventure, it’s outright war!

Editor’s note: Those of you whom Seán has inspired to visit the Kingdom would do well to remember to put their watch back, as Kerry occupies its own time-zone. In two steps: first 40 minutes, then 40 years. /s

Go Forth and

Do Stuff //////////////// // Una Power ///////////////////// // Editor

I

t’s RAG week at UCD and as such there is a spate of activity around campus.

Amongst all the bustle there are several music gigs. It’s an alliterative Monday with Mark McCabe in the Palace nightclub, while Wednesday sees Wexford Night, with Mundy and Mickey Joe Harte playing at DTwo. (Fun fact: Mickey Joe Harte won a TV singing contest that existed pre-X Factor). Thursday night sees The Strypes and The Academic take to the stage in the Opium Rooms, alongside the winner of the Battle of the Bands.

There are plenty of things to do on campus too. UCD Film Soc are holding several Star Wars screenings over the course of the week. Lit Soc are presenting a Poetry Slam on Tuesday in the Student Centre Atrium and on Thursday Belfield FM are teaming up with the Fashion Society to run a live Blind Date in the Student Bar. I literally have no idea what that entails but I am sure there will be good old fashioned cringey fun!

Ag Soc will be shaving and dying people’s hair in the Clubhouse on Wednesday, something which is always weirdly enjoyable to witness.

If you like a more verbal form of entertainment check out L&H’s Intersoc Debate that same day in the Fitzgerald Chamber.

Finally there is an event entitled “Netflix and Chill” happening on Friday in a venue listed as TBC. Presumably this is not an orgy taking place in some random Belgrove apartment. I am very curious to know what this is, so please, someone, go along and check it out for me!

These events, and many, many more, are in aid of four charities: Youth Suicide Prevention Ireland, Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, the Peter McVerry Trust & funding for survivors of the Berkeley tragedy. Check out UCD SU’s Facebook page for full listings and times. So get in some early semester fun and help these worthy causes!

UCDSU’s 2016 Girls I’d shift FREE if I was tipsy Charity Calendar

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UCD SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT & WIZARDRY?????

• Big Changes Ahead as Merger Talks Reach Advanced Stage • Serious Concerns over State of Scotish Campus Following Civil War • Academics Refuse to Recognise ‘Divination’, Pushback on Potions Reform •Will the St. Pat’s Model Work??

Read More on Page 7

BELFIELD CAMPUS IN LOCKDOWN

Provisional Results Threaten Students Hans Offerman News Wrangler

T

he Belfield campus was shut Thursday last as a paramilitary organisation styling itself as the ‘Provisional Results’ issued threats against the safety of UCD students. The group issued threats through the university’s own computer systems, sending a list of demands to individual students. The College Turbine spoke to Dr Ian Robert Andrews, lecturer in the UCD School of Politics and International Relations to find out more. What he told us is not only shocking, but also deeply disturbing.

Dr Andrews told us that “The group almost certainly has links to militant republicanism” but that a new era has dawned, with terror likely to be doled out indiscriminately and not in a directed manner.

“What we know about militant republicanism is that groups will often maintain separate armed and political wings.

This seems to have gone out the window after almost a century without measurable results having been achieved.”

The doctor was hesitant to say it in our interview but colleagues, speaking on condition of anonymity, informed the Turbine that what we’re facing is a kind of garden hose of terrorism.

Not the stream setting that security ser-

vices are used to dealing with, but rather the sprinkler setting that you would use to water the grass – or spread terror.

In a film released online by the group a member explains their motivations stating that they “intend to further the cause of a 32 county socialist republic by encouraging all the peoples of Ireland, particularly its youth in whom the future lies, to further their education and training – by any means.”

Signing off with “hodie enim venit.”

The precise nature of the group’s threats is uncertain, but what is known is that an average of seven individual threats were issued to each student. These are combined and

through a complex process of averaging, the student’s “terror level” can be determined.

A second year Arts student, who asked not to be named told the Turbine that he’s “scared absolutely shitless” and that what’s most upsetting is that the group “don’t take into account that not all of us can fully devote ourselves to our education between supporting ourselves and other obligations.”

University President Andrew Deaks, could not be reached for comment, sources close to the president believe he is still in recovery mode following Australia Day celebrations on January 26th.

Tech & Science

11

The New Future with 3D Printing Ros Cleere Tech Writer

3

D printing has been used by the construction industry and architects for quite a few years, the process which allows them to construct three dimensional objects with layers of material built up to create almost any structure imaginable. However only recently has 3D printing become commercially available to the general public, and with this a vast array of ideas and dreams that once were thought to be only possible in the realm of science fiction are beginning to quickly take form. In one sense this allows consumers to experience on a more intimate level the rapid changes of technology as well as be the pivotal themselves in deciding what the next creation known worldwide will be.

An English organisation known as OpenBionics has taken this initiative and are now developing hand prosthetics for amputees. What makes OpenBionics’ prosthetics so special is that they are the most advanced and affordable for amputees across the globe. OpenBionics’ prosthetics are like none which have come before thanks to the novel use of muscle movement allowing the user to control the functionality of the replacement body part. This allows the user not only to relieve cosmetic concerns but to regain much of the function they may have lost. OpenBionics’ prosthetic moves and functions as a normal human hand does, drawing some comparisons to a ‘Terminator’ like effect. What is particularly innovative about the company’s approach is the use of 3D printing to construct the bulk of the structure of the device. The process can be undertaken in approximately one hour allowing demand to be met far more quickly, and eventually

“

cheaply, than ever before. Commercially this allows OpenBionics to reach a much larger consumer base with plans to offer their prosthetics worldwide this year.

Another advancement in the world of medicine aided by 3D printing is that a toddler from Northern Ireland has received the first 3D printed kidney transplant.

The surgery was undertaken by surgeons from London’s Guy and St Thomas’ and Great Ormond Street Hospital who performed the transplant. To conduct the kidney transplant, the child’s father donated his kidney from which the hospital was able to perform a scan and create a three dimensional replica of the organ in order for

and staff. Now in its second year of operation, the lab hosts events and training sessions for those interested the emerging technology.

A perhaps more bizarre application of the technology is the 3D print a model of your baby while it’s still in the womb. Parents are getting scans in a 360 degree format of their unborn child in the womb and are having it printed in the form of an eight inch replica.

It’s interesting to see that technology has evolved this far allowing people to do these sorts of things and as a way of allowing parents to possess a keepsake of that time in their lives.

Finally, the latest creation from scientists at Harvard marks a new chapter in biology-inspired engineering. Two teams of scientists worked together to advance 3D micro scale printing capabilities with a product that is responsive to time. Scientists at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, and the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, have taken their 3D printing technology up a level – to the fourth dimension. Their biology-inspired creation attempts to mimic natural structures that are able to change form in response to their environment. As a test the scientists created a flower which opens when near water. This opens a realm of new possibilities for 4D printing in the fields of soft textiles, tissue engineering and biomedical devices. Even in this article alone technology is advancing at a rapid rate with 3D printing only released commercially not that long ago there are already discoveries in the realm of 4D printing and its possibilities which in turn opens another door to the ‘world of tomorrow’ that many of us think about.

UCD has jumped on the wave of 3D printing with its own lab based on the Newstead building...

”

to conduct the transplant. According to Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust it is the first time that 3D printing has been used to aid a transplant surgery involving an adult donor and a child recipient. Not only does this convey to us how far technology is advancing in the world around us every day, it also shows us that 3D printing is not limited to flights of hobbyist fancy. The technology can be applied to complicated processes such as kidney transplants allowing surgeons to operate with greater precision, allowing complicated and life threatening surgeries to be performed with minimised risk.

UCD itself has joined the 3D printing revolution with its own lab. U3D is located in the Newstead Engineering and Landscape Architecture building located towards the northern end of the campus and is open to all students

A novel example of what 3D printers can produce.

Image courtesy of U3D

Business

12

What’s It Oil About?

Conor Leaden Business Writer

M

uch discussion and column inches have been devoted to the recent slump in oil prices without much clarity being offered to the three most important questions: why the price is dropping, who is causing it and who the big winners and losers will be.

Why?

EU Take Aggressive Stance on Corporate Tax Kate Weedy Business Writer

T

his week the EU have issued a clampdown on aggressive corporate tax planning by announcing a suite of measures to prevent multinational companies from reducing their tax bills.

The European Commission aim to tackle the practice whereby companies move their profits to lowertax jurisdictions to reduce their tax bill.

The proposals will also curb the amount of interest repayments on loans companies can claim. This is an attempt to stop the practice where companies set up a subsidiary which provides a loan back to the parent company, so that the company can take advantage of tax-deductible interest payments.

This is a result of significant public disquiet across Europe about the low level of taxes paid by corporates, particularly multinationals, and represents an important step towards harmonisation of EU tax rules while also not impinging on national corporate tax rates.

When the OECD made proposals towards Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS), they were not proposed as potential legislation, whereas the EU’s new approach towards corporate tax planning will be legislative, meaning they will be legally binding on EU member states.

Ireland’s tax system has come under recent scrutiny when Google reached a £130 million tax settlement with the British tax authorities. Google have long been shifting the profit deriving from UK sales to Ireland for tax purposes. This has also been an important political issue as it has been heavily featured in the US presidential campaign this week, with Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton describing the arrangement whereby American companies buy Irishbased companies in order benefit from Ireland’s low corporate tax regime as “out-

rageous” and an obvious “tax inversion.”

EU economics commissioner also stated on 28 January that the current corporate tax practices are “unacceptable” and that “billions of tax euros are lost every year to tax avoidance – money that could be used for public services like schools and hospitals or to boost jobs and growth...Europeans and businesses that play fair end up paying higher taxes as a result.”

In total two EU directives were proposed but this package must be approved by the Council of EU member states, a process which will take month, if not years, though EU finance ministers are due to give their first response to the new proposals as the next ecofin meeting of EU finance ministers in Brussels in February 12th. Ireland, along with a number of countries, is likely to oppose any measures that go beyond the standards enshrined in the OECD Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) rules agreed last November. Brian Keegan from Chartered Accountants’ Ireland said that while the move to improve better exchange of information would be welcomed, any moves that may change the tax rules in EU member states have traditionally been difficult to implement.

However, according to some tax experts this planned crackdown on tax avoidance by multinationals in EU countries could work to Ireland’s advantage. KPMG said the proposed measures could enhance the attractiveness of Ireland’s 12.5 per cent corporation tax regime, and said the country was already “highly compliant” with many of the proposals, including increased transparency, patent boxes – special tax measures to encourage research.

Only time will tell if the EU’s recent proposals will have any significant impact on Ireland’s tax regime.

There is currently a glut of supply in the oil market, which in turn is naturally driving down the price. The impetus was initiated by Saudi Arabia who refused to cut supply in the face of oversupply and falling prices, partly accounted for by the expectations of a falloff in economic growth in China. The position was exacerbated further in July when Iran brokered a deal with six major world powers in regards to lifting sanctions on their production and exporting of oil in exchange for limitations being put in place on Iran’s nuclear testing program. The sanctions were officially lifted on 16 January 2016 and since then Iran has introduced just under 4 million extra barrels per day into the global market. This is a global market which is already oversupplied on a daily basis by around 1 to 1.5 million barrels. This has seen the price of barrel of crude oil plummet from a peak of around €100 dollars to its current level of around €30.

Who?

Saudi Arabia are the driving force behind the current oversupply, with the main theory being that they are trying to force the United States fracking oil and gas operations out of business. The Organ-

isation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), of which Saudi Arabia is the de facto leader, accounts for 73% of the oil reserves in the world so they can afford to account for a decrease in margin due to their sheer volume of production. Russia has thus far refused to come to the table to negotiate and without their support for striking a deal to reduce the supply of oil from OPEC and NonOPEC countries, the oil market is likely to remain depressed with very low prices. The low prices certainly do not suit Iran which was hoping for large inflows of cash following the lifting of the sanctions against them Winners & Losers Business and customers the world over would seem to be a position to benefit from lower oil prices while producers large and small scale will suffer if we enter a prolonged period of low oil prices.

There may be indirect effects on many other organisations as well. The Irish government use taxes on fuel as a major component to supplement their struggling returns during the recession. While the tax base has broadened somewhat since, this could leave a hole in exchequer receipts which may eventually end up being passed back to individual customers in Ireland again one way or another through tax increases in other areas. The longer term strategy of the Saudi’s is believed to be to weather the present low price period, despite the economic difficulties this is creating within their own borders, until the marketplace becomes less competitive. l Either way interesting times lay ahead for oil producers, consumers and just about everyone else.

Politics

13

UCDSU Commercial Services Limited, a closed shop?

Image: Seán O’Reilly

Students Within Union Circles Have “Advantage” in Knowledge of SU Campus Shop Vacancies Jack Power Politics & Innovation Editor

T

he SU Shops employ over 30 students part-time throughout the college term, alongside full time staff members across the three shops on campus. The student positions work flexibly around each employee’s college timetable, and are sought after as a rare job on campus.

However the advertising of vacancies and openings for work in the SU Shops is perceived to be a contained closed circle by many students. One student working in an SU shop role spoke to the College Tribune about how they feel those actively involved in college life and Union politics have an advantage in knowing when and where the SU

Shops are hiring. The source, who wished to remain anonymous for reasons pertaining to the security of their employment explained how they felt those engaged in the Student Union could have an advantage over those who were outside student politics. “What I have noticed is that anyone who has been a past SU rep or part of a campaign is that they tend to know the current members of the SU, or people in the SU in general, but that’s just who you know and you can’t really avoid that. I do know some members of the staff who have been SU reps before.”

They continued to say, “If you do know somebody you absolutely do get a better chance of getting in. So they know you’re decent at working, or trustworthy, or responsible. There is a pro and con to it.”

There appears from the outside a strong link between those involved with the SU and those employed by the SU Shops. While the hiring process may be impartial, the flow of information regarding vacancies is heavily circulated within circles of the SU. Amy Fox, a former Sabbat officer works in the SU, as does the current Union Secretary. Other links include Welfare officer Clare O’Connor’s campaign manager Keelan Conway, who now works in the Library SU Shop and current Education Officer was also a previous member of staff. Many students could perceive these connections as a tendency towards an insider circle of knowledge.

Giselle Han Malone, financial manager of UCDSU Commercial Services ltd refuted the claim that there could be any bias favouring of

those involved in SU politics in the applications process. “All SU shop staff are recruited through standard procedure. All CVs received are reviewed by our Commercial Manager David Collins and all candidates are interviewed by David and one of our SU Shop managers. None of our sabbatical officers are involved in anyway with the recruitment procedure for our commercial services.”

On the advertising of positions and promotion of vacancies for SU Shop jobs Giselle maintained that “these jobs are advertised through our social media and our TV screens on campus.”

Any advantage afforded to those within the circles of the SU for Giselle could only be in the sense that they were more clued in to when vacancies were open in the

shops. She stated, “People involved with the Students’ Union tend to follow our social media closely for updates on openings with our commercial services. People working for our commercial services tend to look for an opening to get involved with the Union. This seems fairly natural.” “All job candidates are interviewed via standard procedure and are hired based on their experience and availability”.

The Tribune’s source working in the SU Shops however questioned how open these advertisements for staff were, “There’s been very little advertisement that I’ve seen.” Their opinion was that, “it’s more kept in the inner circles of the SU … I haven’t seen the jobs being advertised anyway in my time. If there was a more open process I’d say that would be very good, very helpful.”

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Politics

14

A Republic of Equals and the Legacy of the 1916 Rising

UCD Facebook Chat Rating and Sharing Photos of Girls they have Slept with Highlights ‘Toxic’ Lad Culture Jack Power Politics & Innovation Editor

I

t is believed a private Facebook groupchat with as many as 200 members is active among male students in UCD, in which members share and rate stories and pictures of girls they have slept with. The revelation is the most recent example of the continued prevalence of a harmful and derogatory ‘lad culture’ amongst the student body in UCD. The group is understood to be made up of predominately Agricultural Science students, in what is now the second controversy involving members of the course in a year.

Last March a private Facebook page titled ‘Girls I’d shift if I was tipsy’ was exposed. The group was seen by most to be objectifying and degrading to women, it too was made up of Ag Science students; including the current SU President Marcus O’Halloran.

This latest controversy surrounding some elements of the male students studying Ag Science caused a heated debate on social media. The popular app Yik Yak

bore witness to a vicious storm between those disgusted with the alleged groups behaviour and those defending the reputation of Ag Science students.

First year student, Sarah (who requested her surname be withheld) outlined her understanding of the group chat as operating “with around 200 Ag Science lads involved, all from different years, where they shared stories about girls they had sex with, shared the girls’ nudes, and then posted the girls’ facebook pages where they’d all rate them out of 10.”

Another online poster proportioning to be a student involved in the group chat defended the members, ‘as an Ag lad who’s in most of the groups, I have to say we’re not all the same… Most of the guys on the group don’t even partake in what’s happening! I personally have only sent 3 photos & a story or 2.”

Those who attacked this insidious and potentially illegal behavior were subjected to a backlash from others studying Agricultural Science, who claimed they were being unfairly tarnished for the actions of

a minority. One commenter stated “Yeah but were not all sickos like those lads. Yeah it is a big number but at the end of the day like how unfair is it to say that a CAO choice somehow defines you like that”. The actions of the group are an example of behavior that is by no means exclusive or exhaustive or Ag Science students, as another poster pointed out. “Trying to brand all the ags with a bad name when they’re really the same as every other single lads group chat…”

Sarah’s own criticism of the group chat’s actions were met with responses such as “Fuck off you pleb” and “you can go fuck yourself you presumptuous bitch”. The anonymity of platforms like Yik Yak unfortunately enables this unchecked degree of such online abuse.

Sarah spoke out against this rush to defend Ag Science student’s reputation ahead of concerns for the victimised girls privacy and welfare. “What’s even worse about this whole thing though is how people are more concerned about how it was ‘not all Ags’ and saving their own reputations above the girls who were humiliated and shamed by the people who were involved.” She also believed the perceived growth of lad culture in UCD is something “toxic”. She stated, “This controversy along with the last one are two huge examples of the damage it’s capable of. Many people just brush it off as ‘lads being lads’ as well, when these are legal adults we’re talking about who should be held accountable for their bad behaviour just like anyone else.”

Marcus O’Halloran came out strongly last spring after revelations of his own participation in the group ‘Girls I’d shift if I was tipsy’ and claimed that he would tackle lad culture in UCD as SU President.

When asked if he had any prior knowledge of this current controversial group existing he stated, “I have no knowledge of their existence. If I had any evidence, I would forward it to the relevant college authorities … and An Garda Síochána

if such reports and sources implicated UCD students in ‘revenge porn’”.

O’Halloran alongside Union Vice President Hazel Beattie have tried to champion a campus wide conversation and campaign addressing sexual consent. “Our largest campaign this year over at UCD Students’ Union is on sexual consent - the #NotAskingForIt campaign. #NotAskingForIt is about combating any sense of male entitlement to the female body and combating the idea that you can assume consent.” He also committed to continue the effort into the coming semester, “we’re further looking to open focus groups on sexual consent in conjunction with researchers from Rape Crisis Network Ireland and NUIG provide an anonymous platform to students whereby they’ll be able to discuss stories where consent was assumed rather than asked.

We’re also looking to lobby university for increased resources for support services for survivors of sexual consent on the basis of data collected from a student sample survey”.

The effectiveness of their campaign however to reach those objectifying and degrading women is brought into question by this latest controversy. Consent workshops or campaigns can often be constituted by those who are already informed and understanding of issues like consent, and can alienate the ‘lads’ they are targeted at. It remains to be seen how well O’Halloran and the SU will be in properly tackling ‘lad culture’ in UCD, as controversies like this latest chat group highlight how there is much work to be done.

The College Tribune has been unable to gain access into the Facebook messenger chat in question, but would strongly recommend those involved consider the implications, and the serious illegality of sharing explicit images of a person without their consent.

Charlotte McLaughlin Politics Writer

“Wherever green is worn, are changed, changed utterly: A terrible beauty is born.”

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hese are not just the words of a W.B. Yeats poem ‘1916’ that I was forced to dissect for the Leaving Cert. They are statement of the legacy we have inherited from 1916.

For the good and the bad, the Rising created an idea that freedom should not be something for the few but for the many, proclaiming the principle of universal suffrage that only a handful of countries practiced at the time.

Nonetheless it produced a state that allowed women to be locked up for the rest of their lives in laundries, run by cruel and unforgiving nuns. Our particular strain of virulent Catholicism is still something that haunts the abortion debate to this day. Women still are underrepresented in our society and only 15% of TD’s in the Dáil are women, which is less then in Afghanistan.

The Easter Rising roused the nation to vote for Sinn Féin and proclaim Dáil Éireann. It was fought by men and women who believed in the ideal of a republic, and were willing to sacrifice

Innovation themselves and others for that dream. Ideas are something worth fighting for but they should not require violence to make a reality.

We should also remember that Easter 1916 killed 485 people, many of whom were civilians, when we celebrate the centenary. The use of violence at any cost has brought much trouble to our little island and this bloody inheritance should teach us that reconciliation is not the path of surrender but something that creates greater liberty for all.

Our proclaimation declared that ‘equal rights and equal opportunities’ are for all but this has not manifested as a reality. Income inequality has never been higher, one in five people own 75% of all the wealth in Ireland and our public services are in a shambles. What would those who fought in 1916 think of the ‘Republic’ of Ireland in 2016?

Having all of our political parties sprout from Sinn Féin has, according to political scientists created a party system where all our parties aim to get elected on local ideas, so called pot-hole politics rules the day. Labour’s ambivalence during the founding of the republic and its decision not to enter politics in 1918 made it a small and only occasionally significant party. Consequentially the civil war politics of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael dominated our party system until the turn of this century.

However this is beginning to change, new parties are now entering the political arena and independents are even more prominent than ever. Irish politics is changing. We should not forgot that 1916 brought us new hope and new ideas; 2016 can do the same.

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‘Students for Sensible Drug Policy’ Drive Initiative of Decriminalisation and Hard Reduction Jack Power Politics & Innovation Editor

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reland’s current approach to drug policy is to deal with the issue within the criminal justice system, but Students For Sensible Drug Policy are calling for a shift and reform in how Ireland approaches drugs. They have called for a move towards decriminalisation and to handle problems of usage and addiction within the healthcare system, prioritizing harm reduction rather than prohibition. One of the leading members of the SSDP in DCU in Dan Kirby spoke to the College Tribune about his involvement in the movement and what they hope to help achieve.

“I study physics in university and one of the most important traits to have in that field is a strong sense of logic and problem solving. I saw drug use of some description in my social circles pretty much constantly from the age of 17 until now, ten years later.

However, when looking at the entire world of drug use, abuse, dealing, production, law enforcement and treatment, it was painfully obvious to me that the current system of prohibition is doing far more harm than good.”

Students for Sensible Drug Policy according to Kirby “neither condone nor condemn drug use.”

He continued, “We want a sensible drug policy that does the most good for society. From all of the evidence we have seen, that approach must be health based, not criminal justice based.” Decriminalisation as a policy would mean not prosecuting people for possession of a quantity of drugs for personal use, but instead dealing with their case through the health

system via counseling. The war on drugs and the almost global effort at prohibition for Dan has been “an abject failure”. “It has created a massive multi-billion dollar black market that has resulted in mass suffering, imprisonment and stigmatisation. It has also wasted unfathomable amounts of resources and money to try and achieve an unachievable goal.” The reality is that many people, particularly younger people will engage in experimentation with drugs and substances.

Ireland’s current blanket vilification of drug use has resulted in a stigma in talking honestly about the subject for many. Dan and SSDP would see an open, honest and informed conversation on drug use as essential to reducing the potential for harm such as an overdose or other complications to those who will engage in that activity. SSDP for example have called for ‘testing centers’ in clubs or festivals where people can test their substances under an amnesty to find out what exactly they are about to take. The danger of allowing drug dealers and criminals to monopolize an unregulated black market has lead to many tragedies, where people are mistaken in what they are consuming and subsequently overdose. Dan stated, “pill testing needs to be implemented in Ireland, like it has been in many other countries; it saves lives.”

The traditional argument against moves to decriminalize or even legalise certain drug use like cannabis has been that it will inevitably increase people taking it. Dan recognised that “legalisation most probably will lead to a slight increase in people experimenting with some drugs.” However he weighed up this negative as a minor consequence relative

to the positive outcomes such a step would have. “Decriminalisation will save money and court and Garda time by not dragging people through the courts for minor drug possessions. This money and resources can be redirected to areas where they are actually sorely needed. Legalisation can only be implemented in tandem with strict regulation of each drug depending on its average user profile, associated risks and benefits, medicinal values and propensity for addiction. Currently we have an entirely unregulated black market for drugs. Thus drugs are of unknown purity and strength and are available in almost any corner of Ireland. If we regulate the drugs market then we can actually put some control over it.”

The political winds have been changing direction over Ireland’s drug policy in recent years. Labour Minister Aodhán Ó Ríordáin is in charge of the National Drugs Strategy and has been inclined to support considering decriminalization and injection centers. Dan Kirby represented SSDP before the Oireachtas Joint Justice Commission on Drugs Review. “I’ve actually been presently surprised by the political system so far. We have gotten a lot more attention than I would have thought possible in the short time I’ve been involved in SSDP. We’re so happy to be included as part of the argument and to be taken seriously.

I can see that the political establishment is starting to notice that there is something fundamentally broken in our current approach to drugs. I’ve found the Oireachtas commission and Aodhán O’ Riórdáin to be very open minded and willing to try something new and I commend them for that.”

The benefits of decriminal-

ization and legalisation in terms of harm reduction are complemented by economic and social dividends. Economically a policy of legalization for Dan takes the revenue stream from criminals and redirects it to the state. “Money and resources that were being used to find drug dealers, search for smuggled drugs, prosecute drug users etc. will instead be freed up for use in more productive areas. Also, tax revenue from drug use will go directly to the government, not to drug dealers and organised crime.” In a social context similarly Kirby outlines some of the potential benefits to legalization. “People who grow up in underprivileged neighbourhoods or with difficult childhoods will not see the same lure of drug dealing as a very effective way to make money. Also, the current tie between drug use and criminality will be broken. This will do untold good for communities and drug users both”.

The campaign to reform Ireland’s drug laws on evidence-based policy and a path of least harm has gained ground. Politicians are seriously considering alternatives like decriminalization and harm reduction, and societal views on discussing drug use are opening up.

Dan concluded, “I am very hopeful. There has been a huge surge in momentum for this issue in Ireland recently. And much like with the great success of the marriage equality referendum, I think by being open and honest about your views with friends and family you can genuinely dispel myths and superstition surrounding this issue and in turn benefit all aspects of society”.

Gaeilge

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Agallamh le Cathaoirligh na bPáirtithe Polaitíochta Gearóid Óg Ó Greacháin Eagarthóir Gaeilge

Le holltoghán ag druidim, cuirtear Cathaoirleach Ógra Fhine Ghael (Paula Ní Chathmhaoil) agus Cathaoirleach Shinn Féin (Eoghan Ó Donnchú) faoi agallamh. Ord na n-ainmneacha, agus na bhfreagraí thíos, cóirithe de réir aibítre.

1. Cad a mheall tú chun na polaitaíochta i dtosach?

polaitíochta agus spreagann sé mé fós.

Ní Chathmhaoil: Bhí suim agam inti nuair a bhí mé níos óige.

Bhí mé i mo bhall den fhoireann díospóireachta i mo scoil agus bhain mé sult as cúrsaí reatha a phlé. Ansin, nuair a thosaigh mé i gCOBÁC, d’iarr duine éigin orm sa Freshers Tent a bheith páirteach in Ógra! Chuir an smaoineamh déistin orm! Buíochas le Dia, tháinig cathaoirleach YFG agus “Ná bac leo ach an bhfuil suim agat i bhFine Gael?” a dúirt sé liom!

2. An gceapann tú go raibh rath ar an rialtas reatha? Cén fáth?

Ó Donnchú: Bhí an tsuim agam i gconaí sa pholaitíocht agus i gcursaí reatha. Agus mé ag fás aníos bhíodh a lán plé ann faoi chúrsaí nuacht an lae. Thart ar sheacht mbliana ó shin chuir mé spéis i bpolaitaíocht na Meiriceá, ach go háirithe san Uachtarántacht agus an stair a bhain leis (faoi thionchar ‘The West Wing’). Thart ar an am sin bhí an cúlú eacnamaíochta ag titim amach in Éirinn. Chun iarracht a dhéanamh tuiscint a fháil ar an ngéarchéim thosaigh mé ag léamh faoi eacnamaíocht, stair, agus polaitíocht na hÉireann.

Mheall sé seo ar fad mé chun na

Ní Chathmhaoil: I mo thuairimse, bhí an rialtas an-rathúil. Bhí sainordú ag an rialtais ó na Éireannaigh tar éis praiseach Fhianna Fáil chun téarnamh geilleagrach a sheachadadh agus tá sé déanta acu. Tháinig an tír i bhfad le 5 bliana anuas i dtaca le comhionannas, fostaíocht agus an geilleagar. Ó Donnchú: Is cinnte go bhfuil rudaí dearfacha curtha i gcríoch ag an rialtas, tá dul chun cinn eacnamaíochta déanta acu i gcomparáid le 2011. Tá borradh ag teacht ar chúrsaí fostaíochta ach é sin ráite, siad na daoine is leochailí, na daoine a fhulaing i rith an Tíogair Cheiltigh atá fós ag fulaingt agus níl aon fhianaise ann go n-athróidh sé seo sa todhchaí. Rinne siad jab réasúnta maith i gcomparáid leis an rialtas a d’imigh rompu, ach, bheadh sé maslach do na daoine atá imithe ar imirce, agus na daoine atá ag fulaingt, a rá go raibh rath ar an rialtas.

3. Anuraidh bhí idirghníomhaíocht idir an aos óg agus an pholaitaíocht sa Reifreann Chomhionannas Pósta. Cén t-ábhar a théann i bhfeidhm ar mhic léinn ag dul i dtreo an olltoghcháin?

Ní Chathmhaoil: Ceapaim go bhfuil lóistín tábhachtach. Le rialacha níos déine ar mhorgáistí, tá níos mó daoine ag fáil lóistín ar cíos agus tá níos lú ag ceannach. Mar sin, táimid anois i gcás ina bhfuil mic léinn in iomaíocht le daoine a bhí ag ceannach tithe deich mbliana ó shin. Ó Donnchú: Dár ndóigh gan an tacaíocht ón aos óg sa reifreann ní bheadh an toradh iontach sin bainte amach againn. Go pearsanta tá imní orm nach mbraitheann an t-aos óg gur bealach éifeachtach í an pholaitíocht chun fadhbanna ina saolta a athrú. Braithim gur iad na rudaí is tabhachtaí i saol daoine óga ná costais oideachais, costais maireachtála, postanna fiúntacha do scileanna éagsúla, agus cursaí tithíochta agus cíosa. Tá imní ar dhaoine óga faoin éadóchas agus éiginnteacht ina maireann a muintir agus a bpobal go ginearálta. Tá

Paula Ní Chathmhaoil Cathaoirleach UCD Young Fine Gael

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dearcadh níos liobrálaí de dhíth orainn sa tír seo.

4. Cén fáth gur cheart vóta a chaitheamh ar son do pháirtí?

Ní Chathmhaoil: Tá sé an-simplí - Cobhsaíocht eacnamaíoch.

Chruthaigh Fine Gael go bhfuil siad in ann an geilleagar a bainistiú , gur páirtí ionraic iad agus gur foireann comh-aireachta iad. Mura bhféidir an geilleagar a bhainistiú i gceart, ní féidir tabhairt faoi aon bheartais eile i gceart. Níl ceannairí láidre iolracha iad na húrlabhraí rannóg ag aon cheann de na páirtithe eile. Ní mór dúinn na ceannairí láidre a choimeád - Leo i sláinte, Frances i gceartas agus Simon sa talmhaíocht mar shampla. Ó Donnchú: Ní chuirim brú ar aon duine vótáil bealach ar leith.

An fáth go mbeidh mise ag vótáil do Shinn Féin ná go gcreidim ina mór-fheidhmeanna: Éire a athaontú, poblacht uile Éireann a bhunú, saoirse shibhialta agus saoirse creidimh a threisiú, agus comhchearta agus comhdheiseanna a thabhairt chun chríche do gach éinne, mar a deir sé i bhForógra 1916. Tá géarghá leis an gcóras po-

Eoghan Ó Donnchú

Cathaoirleach Shinn Féin UCD

laitíocht a athstructúrú agus tá sé thar am don chóras breith suas air.

Is é lá vótála an t-aon lá go mbíonn gach éinne ar chomhchéim, molaim do gach éinne an deis a thapú agus vóta a chaitheamh.

5. An bhfuil sé ar intinn agat a bheith páirteach go gníomhach sa pholaitaíocht tar éis na hollcoile?

Ní Chathmhaoil: Cinnte. Tá an suim agam i bpolaitíocht idirnáisiúnta, go háirithe gnóthaí na hEorpa. Tá Fine Gael ina bhall den ghrúpa polaitiúil is mó i bParlaimint na hEorpa, Páirtí an Phobail Eorpaigh. Bheadh sé iontach a bheith ag obair leo ag am éigin. Ó Donnchú: Ah yeah, amach anseo lá éigin. Is é an phríomhfheidhm atá agam faoi láthair ná céim a bhaint amach. Tá aislingí agam dhom féin agus do mo thír, ach mar a dhéarfadh Dumbledore, ‘Is miste duit gan a bheith gafa i mbringlóidí, ag déanamh dearmaid ar mhaireachtáil’ (It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live).

Sport

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What a load of Klopptrap!

Ally Murty Sports Writer While Liverpool are faring no better in the league table since Rodger’s dismissal at the start of October, Klopp, in his three and a half months in charge has already managed to achieve something which in his three and a half years at the helm, Rodgers could not; he’s steered them to a cup final. In addition, it is important to note that the German has inherited an incohesive group of players from Dalglish and Rodgers and the notorious transfer committee which has since been beset by a seemingly never ending plague of hamstring injuries. Klopp has combated their injury woes and Benteke’s incompatibility by deploying €29 million man, Roberto Firmino (who until recently had greatly underperformed) as a striker in a front three with Adam Lallana and compatriot Phillipe Coutinho to great effect. This was showcased perhaps most notably in the Reds’ 4-1 humbling of Manchester City at Eastland’s. Coutinho has since also been sidelined. But another floundering hot prospect’s form has been restored; Jordan Ibe who offers Liverpool a thrusting threat down the left hand side.

Klopp has been vocal about Liverpool’s defeatism when falling behind and has set about reclaiming the Red’s ruthless streak that epitomised them so well during the title charge in 13/14. Since Klopp’s much revered salute to the K o p fol-

lowing Divock Origi’s injury time equaliser against West Brom, Liverpool have earned seven points in the last half an hour of matches, most remarkably against Arsenal and the rollercoaster against Norwich. While their defensive inadequacies clearly remain, particularly at set pieces, it must be encouraging for Reds’ supporters to find their team finding the back of the net more frequently again. Points have come from the most unlikely places like Joe Allen and Adam Lallana who are two men who quite clearly have benefited from Klopp’s terrific man management. The animated German has made players genuinely want to play for him while also re-establishing a feel good factor around the ground at Anfield.

Furthermore, Klopp seems to have stamped his authority in the club’s transfer dealings, reports suggesting this week that they’re in for Schalke defender, Joel Matip and Shaktar Donetsk attacker, Alex Teixeira. This can only be good for a side in desperate need of a restoration of cohesion and defensive leadership and discipline. Despite their high points, Liverpool have too often been vulnerable at the back. They were completely outplayed by the strength and power of Ighalo and Deeney at Watford and simply should not have allowed Wayne Rooney to find space to score the winner at Anfield. Klopp has held talks with the defenders and Mahmadou Sakho looks to be returning to his best after a spell out. But it remains to be seen whether the Reds can keep the opposition from scoring so often as we approach the final third of the season. While their hopes of forcing their way into the top four seem to have dwindled, they still remain in all three cup competitions. Attention must be turned to these avenues. Overall, Klopp has begun his tenure well. He seems to have resurrected a team, partially at least, prior to his arrival completely devoid of self-belief or ambition. From now until the rest of the season, he must look to continue to eradicate their inconsistencies and find composure at the back. If he does this, the future will be bright for the Merseysiders.

Questions are arising over just who will feature in future lineouts.

Image via IrishPost.co.uk

Irish Rugby must take heart in the face of Anglo-French financial muscle Conor Lynott Sports Writer

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he reaction to the losses of such prominent Irish internationals as Ian Madigan and Marty Moore has been understandably negative. Many will see this as a sign of the increasing inability of IRFU Performance Director, David Nucifora, to persuade Irish players that love for their province should take preference over the chequebooks of the Aviva Premiership and the Top 14.

Assertions that departures like this will be the norm, rather than the exception have no credibility based on current evidence.

There are few players who would take a pay cut to come home from Paris. Additionally, the retention of Keith Earls and Sean O’ Brien demonstrates that, for the most part, the desire to play for Ireland, as well as the world renowned player welfare system and the limitless support of Irish rugby fans will be too attractive to ignore.

It is unlikely, too, that the departures of players like these will destroy their Ireland prospects, as much of the rugby community fear. Let us return to October 2015 when Joe Schmidt and his coaching ticket were forced to send a brave, but inexperienced side to face a skilful and battle hardened Argentinian side. The shortcomings were there for all to see as Ireland were outmatched at the breakdown and got the attack-defence balance all wrong, with the Argentinian wide runners ruthlessly exploiting a slow moving defence. The inability to cope without such iconic leaders as Paul O’Connell, Jared Payne, Tommy Bowe and Peter O’Mahony has been well-documented at this point. However, it should provide ample evidence that Ireland is not blessed with an in-depth squad, un-

like what many fans had come to believe throughout the Schmidt era. The loss of one of these leaders would weaken severely much of the departments for Ireland, with the possible exception of the Irish backline, a sentiment shared by bookmakers who have England and Wales as favourites to win the 2016 RBS Six Nations. Therefore, to ignore these players simply because they have not signed an IRFU central contract would be a foolhardy move, as this is a luxury that is arguably only possessed by mighty New Zealand.

If an increase of player departures is to happen, slight as it may be, then perhaps the best course of action is to lift the quota on the purchase of foreign players, at least in part. It is true the €8.7m surplus reported by the IRFU last August was largely borne out of the success of the National team in Six Nations. However, if the likelihood seems to be that Ireland does not have a sufficient talent base to ignore non-provincial players, then an argument could be to allow more purchases. The success of Ireland is important, but striking a balance between the aspirations of club and\ countries should also be a priority, along with improving the outputs of the four provincial academies. A combination of all these factors should ensure that Irish men’s rugby remains competitive at all levels of the game.

Given all of this, it is plausible to argue that, for the most part, resources are in place to maintain Ireland’s competiveness at international and club level. With a few tweaks to the foreign player regulations, Ireland may only have to bide their time until the financial wealth of Anglo-French power to dwindle. In recent weeks, Toulon have not looked the invincible team they once were.

So take heart, all is not lost.

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American warplanes overfly Super Bowl XLIII at the 75,000 seat Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

Image via Wikimedia Commons

The College Tribune’s Superbowl Survival Guide Neil Ryan Sports Editor

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adies and gentlemen the evening is upon us. The amazing Sunday that everybody decides that American Football is suddenly incredibly important. We at The College Tribune fully support this blatant bandwagoning and have thusly created a helpful guide to get you through the three hours of potential tedium in between beautifully bizarre and expensive advertisements, or if you have a TV and go down the BBC route a usually amazing compilation of the seasons highlights.

Where to watch

For beginners the only place to go is the BBC. Mark C h a m p m a n’s team will fill the inordi-

nate number of gaps for advertisements with insightful analysis on the game that usually manages to cradle the gap between basic explanation and proper insight. The commentary team is unfortunately not the best but as there is only the one broadcaster you’re stuck with that either way. A perusal through the usual streaming site will help you find a good one.

The Teams

The Carolina Panthers are undoubtedly the most exciting team to watch in the NFL at the moment led by their incredibly talented quarterback Cam Newton. The Panthers finished their regular season with a 15-1 record (won every game bar one) surprising everyone not least themselves. Newton, an incredibly likeable individual, has been touted as a star since his college days but he has taken his game up several notches. He

runs and passes the ball incredibly well and this will be incredibly important against the Denver defence that would be considered one of the best in the league.

Supporting Newton are some of the fastest receivers in the country and an impressive offensive line protecting him. The clear faith that they have in each other after such an impressive season will stand too them if they need to mount a comeback. Fans of Sandra Bullock might also recognise the name Michael Oher in the Panther’s offence. The offensive tackle was the basis of the movie the blind side.

The Carolina defence has rightfully taken a back seat to a star offence but they were an incredibly important part of their successful season. The only real wobble that they faced came in the post season against Seattle who nearly came back to tie a game after being more than 20 points down in the first half. They will be looking for players like Luke Kuechly to halt Manning’s offence.

A difficult chance for sure.

The Denver Broncos In Peyton Manning the Broncos have one of the true greats of American Football. Manning, nearly 40, has the NFL record for touchdown passes and has the experience of 18 NFL seasons and has been to 14 pro bowls.

His career is only marred by his Super Bowl record winning only once in his four attempts. The last Superbowl Manning played in the Broncos were absolutely terrible and he will be desperate to make amends for that. The years have not been kind to him unfortunately when it comes to injuries so don’t expect to see him play many 40 yard passes The offence surrounding Manning took a long time to get started this year with his aforementioned injuries causing him several issues. Now however his team looks to have picked up a gear being incredibly impressive against the New England Patriots in the championship game. Mann i n g

will have to play incredibly quickly and he knows this.

The Broncos defence on the other hand will be going into this game incredibly confident. They completely shut down the New England offence in Denver and will look to do the same here.

They are strong in the tackles and possess incredibly quick safeties with a great ability to catch the ball.

Prediction

All told both teams are incredibly balanced and fun to watch. The run of form that the Panthers are on and Manning’s history with the final would suggest that they are a good bet to win the trophy and confuse many racist Americans about whether they should applaud the obvious talents of a black quarter back. The game will come down to whose defence does the best job of getting the ball back into their quarterback’s hands. At the very least the game is bound to be exciting. And really who has anything important on Monday morning anyway.

Sport

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Rovers Roll Over Underperforming UCD Neil Ryan Sports Editor

0 - UCD 2 - Shamrock Rovers

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eagerness to win the ball back.

With ex Ireland international Stephen McPhail though Rovers’ defenders were always able to find a free man and bypass the press.

Collie O’Neill will need to think hard in the coming weeks about the implementation of this press, in this game the gap between the UCD midfield and the pressing forwards was far too great for it to be effective.

As the first half wore on Rovers began to see much more of the ball in dangerous positions with their attacking play putting pressure on Corbet’s goal.

CDAFC took on Shamrock Rovers in the UCD Bowl on Friday night in a preseason friendly. College, losers in last year’s playoff game to Finn Harps are looking to go one better this year and gain automatic promotion.

College, without last year’s captain Robbie Benson, lacked fluency in midfield throughout the game as form and fitness slowly creep back in after the season break. UCD started the match well looking to press Rovers high up the pitch with Swan in particular impressing with his

An interest free loan for academics

Brennan and Miele interchanged beautifully and their composure on the ball was far greater than their college opponents. The pace of Drennan also told as he easily outpaced the central defenders to win his side a corner kick. The delivery was perfect and, after some confusion in the box, was stroked into the back of the net by Blanchard.

UCD needed a response but non came with the College finding it very difficult to create anything in the Rovers area. Brady caused some danger on the wing but his final ball was poor showing more of a lack of understanding with his new teammates than anything else.

In the second half both teams began ringing out the changes with UCD’s fluency definitely suffering for it. Space began to develop between the lines and Miele continued to find himself in space around the UCD area.

His finishing was often wayward but as the season progresses it is bound to somewhat improve.

UCD struggled to hold onto the ball for any length of time and failed to involve Swan at all in the play.

On the 29th minute things got worse for UCD with Josh Collins heading the ball into his own net while backtracking to defend a cross. Again the response from UCD was not there with the once

more failing to control the ball in midfield. The chances for Rovers began to get more and more clearer with the Rovers substitutes clearly thinking that this was an opportunity to get their names into the starting line-up for the new season.

As the game came to an end UCD came under more and more pressure as Rovers pumped the ball into their box. The best chance of the game fell to ex Aston Villa youngster Michael Drennan controlling a cross with his chest alone in the box, taking it down before volleying it past the advancing keeper and onto the post.

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Jason Byrne, Cathal Brady, and Brian Shorthall at the UCD Bowl.

Image courtesy of UCDAFC Press Office

UCDAFC Announce Signings Ahead of New Season Neil Ryan Sports Editor

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CD AFC announced three new signings ahead of the new season, with Jason Byrne, Brian Shorthall and Cathal Brady all joining the club. Georgie Kelly has also signed for the first team having joined our under 19 side in August from Derry City, while Josh Collins has also made the step up from our under 19s. Collie O’Neill has also revealed that Gary O’Neill will be his new captain ahead of the new season.

Having missed out on promotion last season in the playoffs against Finn Harps, Collie O’Neill has managed to retain the majority of his young squad from last season, particularly with Ryan Swan and Dylan Watts both signing new two year deals last July, while also looking to add some more experience to it. With negotiations still on-going with some new and existing players, Collie is hoping to add further to his squad over the coming days.

“I’m really excited with the new signings, for the coming sea-

son we’ll have a good blend of youth and experience” League of Ireland legend Jason Byrne joins the club from Bohemian FC, and he has set his sights on breaking the League of Ireland goal scoring record as well as helping the club back to the Premier Division. Speaking after joining the club, Jason is looking forward to the season ahead and hoping it can be successful season for the club and on a personal front.

“That’s the objective (breaking the record), but if I can get the goals and we can get promoted back to the Premier Division then that would be fantastic.”

Collie O’Neill is delighted with his new signing and is hoping that he will be able to strike a great partnership with Ryan Swan.

“Jason impressed me when I met him before Christmas, the whole conversation was about football, he just loves his football and loves to score goals. We almost signed him during the summer transfer last season but for one reason or another we just couldn’t complete the transfer. He has great presence in the dressing

room, he’s a top quality pro and I’m drooling with the thoughts with maybe seeing a sorcerer and the apprentice partnership in Byrne and Swan.”

Cathal Brady has joined Collie’s squad for the new season and Collie is delighted to finally get his man after trying to sign him for the last 10 years.

“In all of the previous clubs I’ve been with we’ve tried to sign Cathal so after 10 years of trying to sign him I’m delighted to finally have him on board, because of his great attacking qualities he is one of those players that would always occupy some of my pre match talks when he was playing against us.”

Speaking after completing his move to the club, Cathal is delighted to have joined the club and is looking forward to working with Collie.

“I’m delighted to have joined the club, and delighted to be working with Collie. I’ve known him for a few years now, so when I got the call from him it was an easy decision to make.”

Brian Shorthall has also signed for

the club for a second spell after spending last season with Athlone Town. In his previous spell with the club, he played a massive part in winning the First Division in 2009 when he named in the PFAI First Division Team of the Year, and will be hoping for more of the same for the coming season. Speaking after completing his move he is delighted to be back at the club and has great memories of his previous spell.

“It’s great to be back, people will never understand the facilities here and how good it actually is. All throughout my years even after leaving I’ve been praising it to the highest and telling anyone who has the chance to come here, to take advantage of it. It’s a great chance to improve playing, it’s a brilliant surface and then with the strength and conditioning side of it too, it’s a proper professional set up.”

Collie is delighted to have Brian back at the club and is hoping he will help to improve an already impressive defence which conceded only twenty-seven goals last

season.

“We had the second best defensive record in the division last year but I still think there is room for more improvement. In Brian we have signed an experienced no-nonsense accomplished defender, he has been with the club before, and he understands how the club operates and has some qualities which the club has missed over the last few years.”

Speaking at the unveiling of our new signings, new captain Gary O’Neill can’t wait to start working with them and is hoping they will help bring success to the club come the end of the season.

“The three lads all bring a new dimension to us along with a wealth of experience and knowledge, which will be beneficial for everyone at the football club and help us to achieve our goals for the season. After the defeat in the playoffs last season everyone is hungrier than ever to go one further this season. We will all pull together and work hard from day one to achieve what we deserve.”

UCDAFC press service. (ed)

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