The College View - Issue 10 - Vol XVIII

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Wednesday, 5 April, 2017 www.thecollegeview.com Vol. XVIII, Issue 10

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FOI reveals DCU students paid thousands in fines to the university’s library this year €50,000 figure is the largest in three years, however library officials say the fines are necessary and add to the upkeep of books and resources for students during a time when funding has been strained.

Rebecca Lumley News Editor @RebeccaLumley1

Fionnuala Walsh Sub Editor @thecollegeview

DCU students have paid over

€50,000 in fines to DCU library in 2016, the highest rate since 2013, according to a Freedom of Information request obtained by The College View.

Students paid €54,186.65 in library book fines last year, seeing a rise of €5,000 from the previous year 2015, in which students paid €49,045.41.

This is the highest rate since 2013 when fees paid by students amounted to €54,340.90.

In total over the last five years, the library has collected €268,732.90 from DCU students due to overdue books.

Fees are necessary

Shauna McDermott, Public Services Manager at DCU library said of the fees “we think they’re necessary” and adds that the low fees in DCU library have stayed static for a long time. The fees taken in from students go straight back into the upkeep of the books and obtaining new resources.

According to a previous FOI request, the library is owed €73,501.89 from students due to fines on late material.

This figure was the highest of all in three of Dublin’s universities, with the total of approximately €140,000. Trinity College students owed €58,503.05, while UCD students owed €11,363.29.

Despite the fact that DCU’s students owe their library the high-

National USI Congress sets agenda for next year and elects new officer board

Niall Behan was elected the incoming President of the DCU Students’ Union in an election which witnessed the highest voter turnout in SU history. Read more on Page 3 Image Credit: Darragh Culhane

est of the three universities, DCU has received the lowest amount in library fines from students in the last three years, with €157,572 received since 2014.

Resorces under strain Library funding and resources have been put under strain recently since the Incorporation. According to the library, they get 1.2 million visits per year between the O’Reilly Library on Glasnevin Campus and the Cregan library on St. Patrick’s Campus.

“Bear in mind that fines are used to ensure as much as possible that books are returned promptly for the benefit of other library users. This is especially important

at key times such as exams,” McDermott told the College View in February.

They do not think of fines as taking money from students, rather they are a reminder to return books for other students who need them, and all money received goes back into funding library services, according to McDermott.

Short loan is the most common fine Some of the most common fines that students are caught out on are on short loan books for 48 or 3 hours per loan. These charge 50c per hour they are overdue, compared to main lending books

News

Sport

Arts

DCU childcare services are up to €1000 a month 4

Patrick Lynch with DCU and Wexford hurling star Paudie Foley 20

Summer festival line-ups

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which fine 50c per day.

Borrowing restrictions are also imposed if there are fine charges over €10 on your account or where a fine of any amount has been on your account for over a month.

24 hour access to resorces Despite students owing the library over €73,000, the library recently announced 24-hour access to resources during exam period across both campuses, coming into effect from May the 2nd to the 19th.

McDermott recommends that students check the website for supports and queries about library fines, renewals and recalls.

EIGHT new officers were elected to the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) board last week at the annual USI Congress, who will spearhead policy and campaigns relating to students on a national level in the coming year.

The Congress took place in Ennis over the course of four days and saw delegates from every USI-affiliated Students’ Union in Ireland come together to share and debate ideas.

Michael Kerrigan, a GMIT graduate and the outgoing VP for the Border, Midlands and Western region, was elected uncontested as the incoming USI President with resounding support from the voting delegates. He will succeed Annie Hoey in the role.

Speaking to The College View, Kerrigan stated that the independence of individual Students’ Unions was at the centre of his plans for the year ahead.

“Working on the autonomy of our Students’ Unions has to be a priority because without autonomous Students Unions, we can’t do any work,” he said.

“Everything we’ve waited on, everything we’ve voted on this year and everything we will do goes down to having autonomous Students’ Unions. That has to be our priority, along with our fight for publicly funded higher education.”

Delegates voted to pass an amendment to the current USI constitution, which pledged to defend the autonomy of SUs and retain independence from all external authorities.

Outgoing President Annie Hoey affirmed the Union’s commitment to this aim, saying that the ability to self-govern through a democratic process is at the heart of the student movement.

Continued on page 3

Opinion

Features

Self-improvement: healthy or obsessive?

10

Are arts degrees a waste of time?

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Editorial INSIDE

AARON GALLAGHER

Lifestyle Drinking culture in Ireland Read more on page 6

Gaeilge Martin McGuinness; fear na dTrioblóidí agus fear na síochána Read more on page 11

News

Faculty reps given late notification for DCUSU election hustings Read more on page 3

Editorial Team Editor-in-Chief: Aaron Gallagher Deputy Editor: Aidan Geraghty

Video Editor: Leanne Hanafin Deputy Video Editor: Ciara Moran

Production & Layout Editor: Scout Mitchell Deputy Production & Layout Editor: Hannah Kelly Production Assistants: Stephen Keegan, Daniel Troy & Amy Lawlor

Illustrators: Laura Duffy, Zoe Ryan Chief Sub-Editor: Bríon Hoban

Sub Editors: Enda Coll, Kyle Ewald Elsa McEvoy, Conor O’ Doherty, Gavin Quinn, Fionnuala Walsh, News Editor: Hayley Halpin & Lauren Ennis, Lucy Mangan, Katie Rebecca Lumley Gallagher, Oisin McQueirns, Liam Deputy News Editors: Paul Dwyer, Ashton, Diana Elena Oprea, Zainab Brein McGinn & Kyle Ewald Boladale, Sadhbh Kennedy & Aoife Marnell Opinion Editor: Shirley Donlon Contacts Lifestyle Editor: Amy Lawlor Deputy Lifestyle Editor: Michelle editor@thecollegeview.com Martin news@thecollegeview.com Features Editor:Shauna Bowers Deputy Features Editor:Orla features@thecollegeview.com O’Driscoll opinion@thecollegeview.com Irish Editor:Cal Ó Donnabháin Deputy Irish Editor: Áine Marie gaeilge@thecollegeview.com Monk sports@thecollegeview.com Sports Editor: Aidan Geraghty Deputy Sports Editor: Patrick Lynch & Gavin Quinn Printed by Datascope, with the DCU Journalism Society Arts Editor: Stephen Keegan Deputy Arts Editor: Emer Handly Thanks to Sportsfile, SLC, Office of Student Life Images Editor: Daragh Culhane Deputy Images Editor: Laura Logo design by Lauren McConway Horan

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

I

t has been an untold privilege to take charge of The College View for the past year. It has given me the fortunate opportunity to work alongside some of the most brave, fearless, dedicated and brilliantly talented group of writers, designers, photographers, videographers illustrators, and editors I have ever witnessed.

We have broken some superb scoops this year.

From the recent undercover investigation ofthe living conditions in St. Patrick’s accommodation, to highlighting the negative consequences of the Incorporation Programme on students, to a CICE staff memberbecoming homeless because of the amalgamation, to the refusal of our university’spresident to acknowledge criticism of a controversial DCU-backed drinks campaign, we havebeen at the forefront time after time.

I recall my first weeks in DCU and the nervous first steps of becoming involved in this paper,my first assignment being to cover a DCU ladies football match on a freezing November night in St. Clare’s.

I remember the pity in the manager’s eyes giving me a post-match interview as my fingers shivered nervously in the winter cold asking the most nonsensical and irrelevant questions: “Were you happy that your team won the match”? — It was all a character building experience.

It was one of the proudest days of my life when Catherine Devine appointed me Editor of thisnewspaper, because I myself genuinely did not believe I was good enough for the job.

Clearly she saw something in me which I did not see in myself at the time, but deep down I knew that whatever journalistic talent that was lacking in me could be overruled by a daily dedication to the cause of hard work with the aid of a strong Editorial Team — I owed her that much for putting her faith in me and I can only hope at the end of this tenure that I haverepaid that faith to some degree.

Twelve months ago we promised a whole host of changes during our tenure at the paper. In that time we have established dedicated Video and Illustrations teams, produced a range of podcasts for which we were nominated for a National Student Media Award, redesigned our website thecollegeview.com, introduced both Instagram and Snapchat accounts andbolstered our social media presence significantly, while also getting our work published in national media titles regularly.

We also redesigned the layout of the print paper which you are holding now entirely,increased our circulation to accommodate the colleges of the Incorporation Programme and erected newspaper stands across campus to make it even easier to pick up a copy.

All of these accomplishments were made possible because of the entire Editorial Team listed on your left. It has been an honour to work alongside each and every one of them every week. It is no exaggeration to say they have made this newspaper what it is today through a consistent dedication to quality journalism, facilitated through their unique and individual talents.

This can be seen in the fact that 13 of our staff have been nominated for National Student Media Awards across 11 categories.

Many of the bylines inside this newspaper will go on to bigger and better things in the near future with many, I have no doubt, leading the major news organisations editorially into the future.

A special word of thanks must go to our Deputy Editor Aidan Geraghty who has also acted as the pa-

per’s Sports Editor for the past two years and who, because of this newspaper, I am now proud to call my friend.

He has brought the sports coverage of the paper to a new level entirely, in particular making it a consistent priority to give equal coverage to DCU’s womens’ sports teams each and every issue, something which the daily newspapers fail to do. They and many of the country’s top sports editors can learn a lot from Aidan’s unshakeable leadership.

Secondly, to our Production & Layout Editor Scout Mitchell. Though she would never admit it, she has single-handedly transformed the newspaper from where it was two years ago, making the work of our writers and editors shine brightly through an endless, thankless and utterly selfless work ethic combined with a unique artistic flair which I have no doubt will take her wherever it is in the world she wants to go.

News and good stories is what this business is all about and we have had the sheer luck to have in our midst two of the most fearless News Editors to grace journalistic practice.

Both Hayley Halpin and Rebecca Lumley, aided by their Deputies Paul, Brein and Kyle havebrought a new level of respect and credibility to The College View’s news coverage and proven the importance of reportage which is free of the bias and spin of those people who wish to prevent the function of a free and independent press.

Finally a word of thanks to those lecturers and DCU staff who have helped us immensely in any way small way throughout this year.

A special thanks to Steven Knowlton, Jane Suitor, Declan Fahey, John O’Sullivan and PaulMcNamara who have offered their expertise on repeated occasion, to Siobhan and Marie in Clubs and Societies who made our aspirations possible, and to Jim our ever-present delivery man, perhaps the kindest person I have ever had the pleasure of knowing, I offer my sincere gratitude.

I now hand this newspaper over to its new Editor-in- Chief, Shauna Bowers. Just 19-years-old, she acted as a Sub Editor in her first year before being appointed Features Editor of The College View this past year where she has been individually nominated for not one, but two National Student Media Awards for her outstanding writing.

With a relentless and burning passion for journalism I have not seen before, combined withnew ideas for The College View to reach its full potential, I have no doubt that she will lead this newspaper onto bigger and better things alongside her own Editorial Team than we could have ever possibly imagined.

The past three years has taught me that working in a student newspaper is a pitstop and atemporary existence. Like the morning sunrise it is eternally fleeting.

Being given the opportunity to work every week with some of the most talented and dedicated journalists, storytellers, reporters, photographers, writers and editors in order to report the news has been the immense privilege of a lifetime, which I am boundlessly thankful for.

To all of our friends, staff and readers who have come with us on this journey and supportedand read us each issue I offer my genuine thanks.

It has been an honour and the privilege of a lifetime to edit this newspaper.

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NEWS USI Congress sets year agenda and elects new officer board Rebecca Lumley News Editor @RebeccaLumley1

Niall Behan elected DCUSU President as election sees highest voter turnout in SU history

Continued from page 1

“The reason they (institutions) don’t want us to have strong Students’ Unions or a strong student movement is because they know when we work together, when we organise together, we are an incredibly powerful group of people,” she said.

“This has to be one of the things that we absolutely fight for.”

Also elected at Congress were the positions for VP Campaigns, VP Welfare, VP Academic Affairs, VP Equality and Citizenship, VP BMW, VP Southern Region and VP Irish Language.

DCU student, Sean Cassidy, ran for the role of VP Campaigns, but lost out to Amy Kelly, the current President of GMIT SU. Three cornerstones that made up the agenda for the Congress were the election of these roles, the debate of motions and the amendment of the current USI constitution.

Current DCU Postgraduate Officer, Allan Stevenson, proposed a constitutional amendment that would see the creation of a VP for Postgraduate Affairs on the USI officer board.

While most voting delegates were in support of the creation of such a position, many argued that the USI did not have the funding to add an additional full time position this year.

This came after a vote to create a VP position to solely represent students in the Dublin region, as well as the decision to pay the incoming VP Irish Language, a position which was formerly voluntary.

Both incoming and outgoing USI Presidents pledged to revisit the issue at next year’s National Congress.

Students’ Unions could put forward motions in areas they felt needed to be addressed, which were then debated and either passed or defeated. Motions were discussed in the areas of Welfare, Academic Affairs, Union Organisation, National Affairs and Gaeilge.

In the area of Welfare, Congress voted to lobby the Government to reduce the age at which a woman can get a free smear test from 25 to 21, to aid in the early detection of cervical cancer.

Outgoing Humanities and Social Sciences faculty rep, Caoimhe Ní Mhaolagáin, spoke on the issue and urged Congress to pass the motion. It was subsequently passed.

Hayley Halpin News Editor @HayleyHalpin1

WITH the highest voter turnout in DCUSU history, the new DCU Students’ Union sabbatical team were announced in Nubar by Acting Returning Officer Andy Dunne, on March 23d.

Niall Behan was elected as

DCUSU President 2017/18. A total of 4,996 valid votes were counted for the position of president. After four rounds of counts, Behan received a final 2201 votes.

Eimear Maguire came a close second with 1814 votes.

James Rooney, Sarah Sweeney and Ricardo Valdes-Bango were knocked out before the final vote count.

Speaking to The College View just minutes after the results were announced, Behan said: “I genuinely thought I had lost there. Up until the time the voting closed, I really didn’t expect it to be that close. I either thought that one of the other candidates were going to be out in front. I genuinely, genuinely didn’t expect it to be that close.”

“What kept me motivated this was the fact that the other candi-

dates had been running such sublime campaigns. I never expected to come into a race and honestly feel that the DCU Students’ Union was going to be in such a good place next year,” he said.

Meanwhile, the sole candidate for the position of Academic Affairs, Brendan Power secured the position. With 1956 total valid votes for this position, Power won 1658 of the votes.

Padraig Henry was elected as VP for Welfare & Equality 2017/18. Jason Bolton came in second place, while Olivia Nwachukwu and Maria Lawlor were knocked out in the first and second rounds.

Speaking to The College View, Henry said: “I’m so happy with such a tight race. It pushed both of us to the edge. I genuinely didn’t think I had it.

“At the start, I thought it was

between just me and Jason but as the campaigns went on, I was absolutely sh*tting my boots because all four of us has something above the table.

“I feel so bad for the others because I know how I’d feel if it didn’t happen,” Henry said.

Siobhan McTague snatched up the position of VP for Engagement & Development for 2017/18.

“I ran a very good campaign but at the same time, you never think that you can do enough, you really, really don’t. I’m just so excited to be elected. I’m ready for the position and I can’t wait to do an amazing job next year,” McTague told The College View.

Finally, Mathew Davey was elected to the position of VP for Education & Placement for 2017/18. Davey was the sole candidate to run for this position.

Faculty reps given late notification for DCUSU election hustings Rebecca Lumley

Kyle Ewald Deputy News Editor @thecollegeview

STUDENTS running for Business

Faculty Representative were notified less than 24 hours before their hustings during this year’s Student Union elections.

Newly elected Business Faculty Representative Bryan Mulry explained that he was told he would be notified the day of his hustings on Sunday, March 19th. At about half five on Sunday, he received an email saying Business Faculty hustings would take place from two to half two on Monday the 20th, but there was not a room booked yet.

On Monday an email explaining voting and hustings times was sent to all members of Students’ Union.

In this email, the Business Faculty hustings were now listed at 3 pm.

“I met Brad who was chairing it and he told me the change of time, a couple of hours in advance,” said Mulry, “but Elena Didzbalyte, the person running against me, wasn’t campaigning in

the business building at that time, so she didn’t know and she ended up being late to her hustings.”

Science and Health hustings took place during the 2 pm time slot originally assigned to Business and took place in the Business building as opposed to the Nursing building, where it has taken place in previous years.

There was also some confusion in relation to the Science and Health Faculty elections. Newly-elected

Science and Faculty Rep Callaghan Commons said he was aware of the hustings date and time, but a room was not decided until the day of, causing confusion over if they were on and a delay in notice to the student body.

Despite this confusion, Commons said, “this year there was the highest voter outcome DCU has ever seen, so this shows students really did engage with the elections.”

As for sabbatical posi-

tions, hustings took place two weeks before voting began.

Electoral rules state that candidates cannot campaign before the official start of the campaign period, which began on Thursday, March 16th this year. Hustings for sabbatical positions took place on March 8 and 9.

Candidates received an email saying that the rule against campaigning before the official start of campaign week began would be temporarily waved. Candidates were allowed to campaign starting the moment their hustings began until midnight that night. Candidates could also set up a Facebook page and release their manifesto, but after midnight would have to wait until March 16th to continue their campaign.

“It made no sense to have the [sabbatical] hustings two weeks in advance, people forget,” said Mulry. “If it were held during the actual campaigning period, people would remember. People would look at it and go ok these are the people who are running for president, ok what do they have to say? They won’t do it two weeks before they can vote because they don’t care”

NEWS

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DCU student parents using on-campus childcare pay close to €1,000 per month Rachael Kellegher News Reporter @thecollegeview

STUDENT parents in DCU seeking on-campus childcare are faced with fees of up to €923 a month.

Despite a growing number of students with dependent children attending University in Ireland, affordable on-campus childcare and other supports are difficult to find, according to a recent Irish Times article.

While institutions, including Trinity College Dublin and Dublin Institute of Technology, offer funding programmes for childcare costs DCU offer a lone parent subsidy which is supplied

by Student Support and Development however the supplement can only be offered for two semesters, according to the DCU website.

Although there are no official figures available on the proportion of third-level students with dependent children, there are indications that the numbers are growing fast.

With a constant waiting list, DCU Magic Day’s Creche, which is privately run, is at its busiest and some parents already have their children’s names down for 2018.

Ciara Fitzgerald, Manager of DCU Creche said that they currently have 53 children enrolled thoughout all age group rooms with roughly 7 or 8 of these being children of students.

“The majority of children we have here are those of people working on campus. I keep specific places for students who may want to avail of our services however they just don’t look for it”.

When asked whether this could be an issue of expense, Ciara said she was unsure and reiterated that student’s simply

Credit: DCU creche

did not enquire about the services that the creche provide.

She was unaware of any student parenting networks in DCU that provide help to struggling parents however felt that such services would be largely beneficial.

Welfare and Equality Officer Cody Byrne was asked to comment on services available to student parents.

“I have spoken to numerous students including mature students who needed support over the past year however none explicitly related to children,” Byrne said.

The Student Assistant Fund is available in DCU to aid student parents with childcare fees however many are unaware of this option. After rent, utilities and transport, childcare was the fourth-largest category of expenditure for the Student Assistance Fund, an emergency source of funding available to colleges.

Strong Student Media Award nominee representation from The College View Credit: Smedias.jpg

Surf and Sail wins Miss DCU crown as part of Enactus Week Gabija Gataveckaite News Reporter @thecollegeview

THE DCU Enactus society hosted

Shirley Donlon Opinion Editor

@thecollegeview

OVER ten students from DCU have been nominated for this year’s National Student Media Awards (Smedias).

This year’s Smedia awards, which recognise student’s talent in media, marks the 17th edition of the annual event.

Last year, DCU took home a total of four awards including Journalist of the Year, Radio DJ of the Year, RSA Award for Journalism relating to Road Safety and Radio Production of the year in current affairs. This year a total of 12 different students from DCU have been nominated for awards.

Editor-in-chief of The College View, Aaron Gallagher, was nominated for both Editor of the Year, Journalist of the Year in National Press alongside Hayley Halpin and Sports Writer of the Year with Jack O’Toole.

Talking to The College View, about this year’s nominations, Aaron said, “We received a lot more [nominations] than we probably would’ve expected but it is great to see everyone on the team getting rewarded for their hard work.

“We’re nominated for newspaper of the year but also for radio and it is our first year doing podcasts so that is great”, he said.

Features Editor for The College View, Shauna Bowers, was nominated for Science Education Writer of the Year as well as Features Writer of the Year in News and Current

Affairs alongside Orla O’Driscoll.

Other nominees include Aodán MacOireachtaigh, who was nominated for Iriseoireacht Trí Ghaeilge (Journalism through Irish), Bríon Hoban who was nominated for Blog/Vlog of the Year and Hannah Kingston for short story of the year.

In the Radio Journalist of the Year category both Stephen Murphy and Daniel O’Connor were nominated and nominated for TV Production of the Year was a DCUtv News package made by Shirley Donlon, Ciara Moran and Aaron McElroy.

The College View was nominated for its Budget Special 2017 in Radio Production of the year as well as the category for Newspaper of the Year.

The awards will take place on Thursday April 6th at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.

Miss DCU during Enactus Week last Monday on the Glasnevin campus.

Nine finalists battled it out for the crown by performing tasks and showcasing their talents, with Miss Surf and Sail, Orla O’Leary taking the title. The event kicked off Enactus Week, an annual week hosted by the society.

“It was a fantastic success.

It’s probably one of the biggest events of the week, the events team were busy planning this one for weeks in advance,” said Aideen Foley, the CMO of the society.

On Tuesday, HeadstARTs took place in the Henry Grattan, where volunteers and society members took part in teaching drama, dance and art to adults and teenagers with intellectual disabilities.

“HeadstARTS takes place every Tuesday on the DCU Glasnevin campus and Thursday down in St. Pats and is actually the longest running Enactus DCU project. It was set

up over 5 years ago,” Aideen said.

“It has been so successful that it’s been franchised by Enactus NUIG,” she added.

On Wednesday, the CEO and founder of Tuk Tuk Cartel Alain Buffind gave a talk in The Mezz.

This was followed by ‘The Pitch’.

“The Pitch sees each project leader give a brief presentation on each project, with a discussion and brainstorming afterwards,” she added.

Thursday saw Enactus teaming up with DCU’s Fotosoc. Students got the opportunity to get their headshots professionally taken for only €2. “Last semester we ran a very successful ‘headshot’ event with Fotosoc DCU which we repeated again this semester. Students got their headshots taken professionally for just €2,” Aideen added.

The annual Enactus Week aims to encourage students to engage in the society and realise the potential it has to offer. The society launched ‘Well on the Way’ on March 22nd.

“The project aims to address the issue of water poverty, by just drinking water. As of last week, the Well on The Way water bottle went on sale in canteen in DCU. This is a huge step for the project as this stage last year, ‘Well on the Way’ was only in the growing stages,” she explained.

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NEWS

2017 DCUfm Intervarsity Broadcast cranks the noise for Barretstown DCU Water Institute team up with IBM to launch new research Ciara Moran Deputy Video Editor @thecollegeview

DCU Water Institute and computing giant IBM have teamed up on a pilot research project to look into ways to protect and conserve natural resources.

The project will use DCU’s sensors and IBM’s machine learning and ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT) technologies to tackle global issues, such as water quality. IoT is the concept of connecting any device with an on and off switch to the internet, such as lamps or headphones, by embedding them with computing devices.

The sensors being used can measure physical, chemical and biological changes to better understand the environment, at a

significantly lower cost than current commercial technologies.

These two technologies combined, along with advanced analytics, will be able to detect environmental changes which may eventually provide help with water management on a global scale.

IBM’s cognitive technologies have the ability to provide ‘deep learning capabilities’ for the sensors being used, ensuring all the data collected is reliable under the variety of environmental conditions being examined.

The project will be first piloted in Ireland and United States. The first of the sensors will be deployed on Lake George, New York State, in partnership with the ongoing Jefferson Project, which uses technology and science to preserve and protect the lake.

Harry Kolar, an engineer from IBM Research, commented on the project saying he believes IoT technologies “will play an important

role in helping protect the environment and natural resources,” and also that IBM Research “are excited to leverage IBM’s expertise in cognitive and IoT environmental monitoring and management with the DCU Water Institute to help advance the future of water management.”

Professor Fiona Regan, the director of the DCU Water Institute said: “The technologies developed during this important collaboration will aim to disrupt the current norms of costly sensors limiting their distribution at IoT scale to provide really valuable information which supports better decision-making about our valuable water resource.”

As part of the programme, IBM has joined the DCU Water Institute Industry Advisory Council which will work to tackle future environmental challenges together.

Brein McGinn Deputy News Editor @tBMCGINN123

THE 2017 DCUfm Intervarsity

Broadcast in aid of Barretstown was a sound success after nearly tripling last year’s donation figure.

Six colleges turned up to the DCUfm studio in The Hub on March 23 and produced content for 12 hours in the aim of fundraising for a set target of €500 for the camp who help bring fun to children with serious illnesses.

However, it was confirmed last week that the final total smashed the initial goal, tallying up to €711.44.

DCUfm Station Manager Simon Doyle said himself and Deputy Station Manager Jaz Keane were chuffed with the result and called it a huge success.

He said, ”Myself and Jaz are proud because we more or less tripled what we got last year and that was virtually down to increasing the amount of hours, increasing the amount of colleges involved, making sure our PR and social media were steady on the day in order to raise awareness for it.”

This was the second year DCUfm

decided to raise money for the chosen recipients and although Doyle said it wouldn’t have been a wrong move to support another worthy body, seeing first hand the good work Barretstown do inspired him and his team to keep the relationship going.

He said, “From working on last year’s broadcast, I know the good work that Barretstown do for children with serious illnesses and the team thought it would be a good idea to try and send as many children as we could to their campus.

“That was always the drive to support, because we were so supportive of that charity, we felt it was a good idea to continue with them.”

Calling it his “best day ever” as Station Manager, Doyle said he was enlightened to see top-of-the-range radio production standards which isn’t always associated with student radio and felt on the day his organising team personified what DCUfm is all about.

“I was really impressed with everyone’s commitment in making sure there was stuff to go out and I think it was the best opportunity for everyone to get involved and get a taste of what the radio industry is really like on a day-to-day basis,” said Doyle.

Queens University wins intervarsity poetry slam in NCAD Credit: Bernard O Rourke

Catherine Gallagher News Reporter @thecollegeview

A Queen’s University Belfast stu- provide a platform for the slam dent was crowned winner of the Intervarsity Poetry Slam competition held in the National College of Art and Design, on March 29th.

Phoebe Brigginshaw won the overall competition in the event’s third consecutive year running.

She was one of 18 third-level students from all around Ireland to battle it out for the top prize which went towards someone from Northern Ireland for the first time.

Intervarsity Poetry Slam, in cooperation with Poetry Ireland, aims to create a spoken-word community between universities. It is free to attend to make it as accessible as possible to those who may be interested.

Founder of the event, Lewis Kenny, said why he chose to

poetry community: “I used to go to IADT and I set up the poetry society there. I wanted to create connections between poets in different parts of the country and grow a pool of Irish poets.”

He said that there are also opportunities for those involved to get their work featured further afield.

Former participants, Stephen James Smith and Felicia Olusanya (Felispeaks), have all gone on to “achieve incredible things”, including headlining St. Patrick’s Day festival’s ‘Young Blood: The Beats and Voices of Our Generation’ show in the National Concert Hall.

DCU was represented this year by Zainab Boladale and Mel Kavanagh.

Speaking of her decision to partake in the competition, Boladale said that it was during her first year of university that she knew she wanted to put her name forward for the following year.

“Intervarsity was my first ever live poetry slam and I remember being so moved by some of the poems that I knew I had to compete the following year”, Boladale said.

“The first time I remember writing a poem was after reading Roald Dahl’s funny poetry collection and I remember looking it up online and somehow ended up watching spoken word poetry videos by ‘Sulibreaks’ about the education system. It was a few years after that I specifically started writing for spoken word,” she added.

NEWS

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DIT drops Garda vetting reLack of regulation found quirement for mature students in au pair industry in “second chance” programme Racheal Kellegher News Reporter @thecollegeview

A lack of regulation in the au pair

industry has stirs concerns abroad according to a recent article in the Daily Telegraph.

University of Technology Sydney researchers are interviewing the 10,000 au pairs currently working in Australia with the aim of recommending a “best practice” model for the growing sector.

With spending a summer abroad as an au pair fast becoming as popular for Irish students as a J1 visa, there is no such equivalent to the endless structures in place to control the J1 process.

In Ireland, commonly used websites such as aupairworld.com do exist in which families can source an au pair. However, most are hired on a handshake arrangement involving board, food and an allowance in return for childcare and light housekeeping duties making regulation of the industry incredibly difficult and arguably impossible Rebecca Wynne-Walsh, a student from Trinity College Dublin spent two months working as an au pair in Northern Spain in 2015 and described how she met her family

through “a friend of a friend” “It was a really great experience, I was lucky to find a family that I got along with from the start.”

Wynne-Walsh, who established her agreement through messaging site Whatsapp, felt that regulating would be of no benefit.

“I think regulations would be incredibly hard to implement because there are already official avenues such as aupairworld that exist, yet, I became an au pair through a friend of a friend who was looking for an aupair and actually had a better experience than some of those I met who had gone through the official website,” said Wynne-Walsh. “I don’t know how you can regulate it because there is only so much you can do to know how the au pair will get on with the family.”

In contrast, DCU student Fionnuala Walsh went through the aupairworld website and said she was able to review family applications before committing. She felt that the organisation was a good idea but it depended on each individual.

“An organisation would be a good idea if you were worried about safety or maybe if it was your first time working abroad. If they had a proper vetting service it would make au pairs feel more secure.”

Clara Hickey News Reporter @thecollegeview

DIT have discarded the requirement of Garda vetting for mature students when applying to its ‘second chance education’ programme after controversial public opinion.

The third level institution wanted to bring in the vetting for its Access Foundation Scheme as most follow-on courses from the programme in DIT include work placement deal with children and vulnerable adults.

Critics of the proposed requirement included students, staff and politicians including Dublin City Councillor Gary Gannon and Independent Senator Lynn Ruane.

DIT Admissions Officer Frank Costello announced the decision to not include the vetting as a requirement application stage to the oneyear programme after “taking on board feedback, in particular from former students on the programme but also from its wider constituency.”

Senator Ruane, a past pupil of DIT’s access course, expressed her delight at DIT’s backtracking of their decision.

“Obviously, that was the outcome we were looking for so we’re very happy. I think DIT acted on it quick enough that it might not have caused any long term stigmas around the stu-

dents that are looking to access the programme,” said Ruane.

The Access Foundation Scheme is open to young adults and mature students from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds to prepare for third level education. A large proportion of students who complete the programme are guaranteed a place in a DIT CAO course, a unique aspect to the programme.

Before the reversal of the decision, a spokesperson from DIT said that “It was felt this [not having vetting for the Access programme] would prevent a student being accepted onto the programme and subsequently finding themselves disbarred from participating in activities, being

Credit: Cloud Lighting

DCU researchers receive €4.6m grant towards cloud computing project Emily Crowley News Reporter @thecollegeview

A team of researchers in DCU have been granted €4.6 million as part of a project that will help support ‘The Internet of Everything’.

The project is EU-funded and the team at the Irish Centre for Cloud Computing and Commerce (IC4) in the DCU Business School will be working in conjunction with eight other partners across Europe.

Other partners include Ulm University (Germany), Umea University (Sweden), IMDEA Networks Institute (Spain), Tieto (Sweden), SATEC (Spain), Intel (Ireland), Linknovate (Spain), and British Telecom (United Kingdom).

“Cloud computing historically focused

providing shared access to virtualised hardware, platforms and software applications on demand,” explained Theo Lynn, a RECAP principal investigator at IC4.

“Here, the cloud was largely accessed through your computer or smartphone. The Internet of Things moves beyond this use case and focuses on the cyber-physical. “ “We are all familiar with connect health apps like ‘Fitbit’, but already we have a whole range of consumer and industrial Internet of Things offerings being used in everything from cars to thermostats to refrigerators.”

“All these connected devices generates a huge amount of data and this data puts a strain on the infrastructure underlying the cloud. This impacts scalability and ultimately customer experience. RECAP, as a project, sets out to make the existing cloud infrastructure more efficient and scalable,” he outlined.

The €4.6 million will be divided among

Credit: DIT

restricted from placements and possibly not complete their programme.”

DIT did not offer any explanation behind their decision to reverse their plans for the vetting of students applying to the programme, however Ruane believes it may have just been a “blind decision by someone who hadn’t really thought of the effect it could have and when it was pointed out that it was actually a negative move.”

Close to 30 per cent of DIT courses require Garda vetting due to work placement with children and vulnerable adults. Similarly, specific UCD and TCD courses require Garda vetting, yet it is not required in the application process.

the different partners depending on their management, research and development and dissemination and exploitation of tasks.

Lynn also expects that the project will benefit DCU, both directly and indirectly.

“The funding allows us employ and retain postgraduate and post-doctoral researchers and thus building the research capacity of the university and

develop their careers,” he explained.

The research is also one of a very competitive field and winning the funding is a major boost to the reputation of the university. Research publications and journals will also boost DCU’s international reputation.

New discoveries made during the research will be integrated into the student curricula, which should benefit the students, as well as attracting new ones in the future.

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8

Credit:Darragh Culhane

TV licence set to be introduced for tablets, computers and laptops Paul Dwyer Deputy News Editor @thecollegeview

TV licences are set to be introduced for tablets, laptops and computers as the current law in Ireland is to be changed by the Minister of Communications, Dennis Naughten.

Proposals being finalised say that the €160 annual charge would be applied to electronic devices with screen sizes 11 inches or above.

The Broadcasting Act 2009 currently gives a broad definition of a ‘television set’ as “any electronic apparatus capable of receiving and exhibiting television broadcasting services broadcast for general reception.”

This would mean that mobile phones and standard tablets would

be exempt from the proposed TV licence but PC’s, laptops and large tablets would be targeted. Every household would only have to purchase one licence regardless of the number of devices owned.

The move comes by RTE as they are being forced to sell eight acres of property in Dublin 4 and are being forced cut up to 200 jobs and this new TV licence requirement for other devices could generate a possible €5 million annually, alleviating their financial crisis.

TV licence evasion is already extremely high with over €40 million not collected every year.

Nearly one in ten households no longer has a traditional television set, but many are streaming content over the internet.

RTE’s general director, Dee Forbes, proposed that the cost of TV licences in Ireland should be

doubled in order to help the station continue its current level of output. However, this was opposed by Minister Naughten.

The law currently states that “non-portable television sets capable of exhibiting television broadcasting services distributed by means of the publicly available internet” are exempt from paying the TV licence.

Minister Naughten is now seeking to change the definition to include such portable electronic devices with the effect that internet usage will be accounted for and a large number of devices will be brought into the TV licence net.

Minister Naughten intends to write to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications in the following weeks to seek its views on which type of devices should remain exempt.

USI launch awareness campaign in response to rise of synthetic drugs Arthur Velker News Reporter @thecollegeview

THE Union of Students in Ireland

(USI) launched the second of its drug awareness campaigns on Monday, 20th March, addressing the widespread use of synthetic drugs and its prominent status among young adults.

The campaign, sponsored by Drugs.ie and the HSE, launched its second phase, focusing on synthetic cannabinoids and mephedrone – both classified as New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) – and aims to promote harm reduction among users by spreading information about the drugs.

USI’s campaign comes in response to the rapid rise of NPS on the drugs market, most of which are becoming obtained

through the services of the internet.

The 2015 National Student Drug Survey has found that over 18% of respondents who used illegal drugs have reported buying online, and despite the ‘deep web’ being a prominent marketplace for illegal substances, a lot of NPSs are available on the public – or surface – web.

“It’s as easy as buying anything online,” said an undergraduate student from a Dublin university. “My friends didn’t want their family to notice what they were getting, and my family’s a bit more chill with that sort of stuff, so I had a big cardboard box delivered to my house full of all these random drugs.”

“I’ve had a few kind-of hybrid things. I took one that I’m very, very sure had speed in it – but I wasn’t aware at the time,” he said.

NPS are hard to monitor due to their transient nature; most substances don’t stay on the market for long and manufacturers often

change quantities and chemicals in each batch depending on the substance’s popularity among users.

Many do so to exploit legal loopholes which allow sellers to distribute the product before it becomes categorised by authorities as an ‘illegal substance’.

The UN World Drug Report states that 75 new substances were reported to the UN Office of Drugs and Crime in 2015 for the first time, compared to a complete total of 66 in 2014.

The report also found an 18 per cent rise in global synthetic NPS seizures since 2014 amounting to 34 tons – over three times the amount of ecstasy seized.

The substances are called synthetic because they tend to mimic the effects of classic drugs like cocaine and cannabis, but because their ingredients are chemical rather than natural they do not require specific growing conditions and can be manufactured anywhere.

NI students may face increased fees after Brexit Shauna Coen News Reporter @thecollegeview

NINE months after Britain voted to leave the EU, Prime Minister Theresa May triggered Article 50 on Wednesday and formally served divorce papers on the European Union, a decision that would severely impact many areas including education.

Students from Northern Ireland studying in the Republic face the prospect of having to pay three to five times more in college fees as they will be categorised as nonEU students in two years time.

Responding to the current concerns, NUS-USI President Fergal McFerran said: “It is important that measures are put in place to ensure that opportunities for students are not negatively impacted upon, and to ensure that issues like the possibility of increased fees are addressed and averted.”

McFerran said it is incumbent on all those involved in the Brexit negotiations over the course of the months ahead to “ensure that the freedom of movement of students, staff and citizens in general across the island of Ireland is maintained and defended in the strongest possible terms.”

In DCU, despite good relations and the current common travel area between North and South, students from Northern Ireland are concerned for the future of their education in the Republic.

Matthew Gault, a student from

Fermanagh said: “A raise in fees for Northern Irish students would be a disgrace. It’s already hard enough for Northern Irish and British students to get into university in Ireland due to the points conversion from A - Levels to CAO.” Gault had the choice between Nottingham Trent and DCU and chose the former because of the lower cost.

“I’m only in first year here in DCU and would already consider continuing my studies further here. But if these proposed changes go through, then sadly I’d have to leave and move onto somewhere else” he added.

The majority of voters in the North elected to remain as part of the EU and final year student Caoimhe Cassidy from County Down said that Northern Ireland shouldn’t be put at a disadvantage because of “a decision that England made.”

“We should have the same rights and regulations as students that grew up in the South” she said.

President of DCU, Brian MacCraith said DCU have set up a working group chaired by Deputy President Professor Daire Keogh and will be looking at all possible worst case scenarios of a very hard Brexit including the prospect of Northern Ireland students being treated as International students.

“We are deliberately highlighting now it so it will be included in negotiations that there should be a prospect of a special deal, dealing with the island of Ireland and the EastWest relationship between Ireland and Great Britain,” said MacCraith.

Credit:Enda Coll

9

OPINION

Does social media substitute students’ engagement with politics?

Aoife Marnell argues that our generation’s involvement in politics on social media may have more outcomes than just a ‘like’ or ‘retweet’ of somebody else’s opinion.

The idea that everybody loves to be a part of something isn’t exactly a new trend.

For years, humans have followed one another by habit. Your best friend says she loves Lana Del Ray? By next week you’ve probably downloaded her album.

It’s human nature to play a bit of follow the leader but with the new age of social media taking over, this influence has become more powerful than ever.

With a simple click of the button, be it a ‘retweet’ or a ‘like’, someone can announce or support both controversial and concerning statements.

Politically, this power and simplicity to just follow the crowd through social media is becoming somewhat concerning and skewing our public’s political beliefs.

Due to the easy and undemanding route social media has created for people, I am beginning to think that the passion and strength of political beliefs have been lost.

‘Likes’ and ‘retweets’ have become meaningless and the idea that everybody is doing something has resulted in an era of copycats and people jumping on the bandwagon.

This makes politics and campaigns incredibly hard to predict and follow as people who may be active on social media might not actually do anything to support the political views in real life.

The idea of hiding behind the screen, with

30% of young Irish people not even registered to vote, allows people to support certain opinions that they may not necessarily stand up for in front a people in their everyday lives.

Many people have commented on media videos emerging from Ireland’s Repeal the 8th March, ‘Strike4Repeal’, last week. A large number of people seemed to struggle to give passionate educated answers to reporters’ questions. They drew attention to the opinion that they were simply just getting involved with the march for the sake of being involved.

This mind-set obviously completely defeats the purpose of well-organised marches like this for such topical and important issues. People like this are turning them into more of a social scene or Instagram opportunity and degrading the fact that their consequences could be life-changing.

With just over half of young people in Ireland between age 18 to 25 casting a vote in last year’s general election, we can’t help wonder if repeal might have the same result.

I myself began to question the idea that people were supporting the powerful movement in their lovely ‘REPEAL’ jumper as it was trendy more than anything, and were perhaps failing to see the greater issue at hand.

We are lucky if we have the opportunity to have a voice and shout for our beliefs in today’s world. We should not take for granted what for some would be a luxury.

With power, comes responsibility and the public need to respect this and really think about what they are doing the next time they jump on latest campaign for all the wrong reasons.

It cannot be denied that social media has done wonders for political movements. The engagement it creates and the publicity it allows for is something that should not be forgotten.

The positive outcome of the samesex marriage referendum encouraged this participant attitude by proving to young people the power of their vote.

“

With just over half of young people in Ireland between the ages of 18 and 25 casting a vote in last year’s General Election, we cannot help but wonder if Repeal might have the same result.

A speaker from the National Youth Council of Ireland said, “So many people are registered from the marriage equality referendum and now people feel as though they can actually make a difference”. However it is down to the individual themselves to educate themselves on their political beliefs.

We can’t forget the impact the click of a button may have and the difference are small actions can make. So although it is important to be involved, it is equally as important to be educated.

Credit: Laura Duffy

Endless options for life after university Rachel Farrell takes a look into some options available for students following graduation from university.

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ast year, the year-long graduate visa programme was extended for another three years.

In 2015 alone, almost 1,400 citizens chose the 12-month visa after graduation.

While Trump originally vowed to abolish the J1 summer visa, 2,600 extra visas were allocated this year, proving that the American dream lives on for many of Ireland’s youth.

With so many options, it can be hard to decide what to do after graduating. From travelling abroad to diving straight into a career, every student’s choice of path is different.

The graduate visa, a year-long program that allows students to find an internship in their field of study in the States, remains a popular option.

After being in full time education for most of our childhood and young adult years, it’s easy to see why taking a gap year or two is attractive to graduates.

Claire Peterson, a past DCU student with a masters in digital marketing, decided she wanted to return to the States after doing a J1

in Ocean City, Maryland.

“For some reason, I just thought New York would be an incredible place to live - probably mostly from seeing it in films, to be honest. I knew I’d have to work for a year to save funds to move, so that’s what I did,” she said.

After working for a year and saving up the funds, Claire took the big leap and moved to New York.

While the experience has been enjoyable, she mentioned how tough it is to ‘make it’ there- “You’ve got to get your hustle on big-time. I think that’s the biggest benefit I’ll get from living here, learning how to get my hustle on”.

While thousands opt for a laid-back gap year or a graduate visa like Claire, many graduates can’t wait to escape college life and jump straight into work.

Siobhán Mulvey graduated from NUI Galway with a BA in English and History at the tender age of 20; the younger end of the graduate age spectrum.

“I felt fully aware that I was leaving college and entering the workforce at a

premature age. However, I am extremely glad that I did so, rather than opting for a graduate visa, or indeed a masters programme. “ “There is a tremendous amount of negativity thrown towards young students, particularly at Arts students, in that we expect to be unemployed or lacking opportunities when we graduated. In my experience this isn’t true,” she said.

While her career counsellor said she would be unemployed with an Arts degree, Siobhán proved them wrong and landed her dream job in the European Parliament in Brussels.

“I am very lucky in that I am developing skills in my chosen work sector. Entering the workforce does not equate a life that lacks in either adventure or travel, rather you will have extra pocket money for spontaneous weekend flights”.

Either way, there’s no right or wrong way of life after graduation; we’re lucky to have plenty of time and plenty of options to choose from.

“ In 2015 alone, almost 1,400 citizens chose the 12-month visa after graduation

10

OPINION

Building a non-sectarian generation

Following the death of former Deputy First Minister for Northern Ireland Martin McGuinness earlier this month, Bríon Hoban discusses possibilities for the generations to come.

BRION HOBAN CHIEF SUB EDITOR

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he passing of Martin McGuinness marks the beginning of a new era of politics in Northern Ireland.

THE leaders of the North’s major parties are no longer any of the chief actors from The Troubles.

McGuinness remains a controversial figure,

even in death. He was praised by many for his efforts in ensuring peace since the Good Friday Agreement, and condemned by many others for his past as a senior figure in the IRA. Sinn Féin has long been maligned by its association with radical nationalism. One wonders if the loss of McGuinness will begin to dissipate this association.

As the horrors of The Troubles slip slowly from the consciousness of a generation who did not suffer through them, the decades of violence may no longer be major motivators come polling day.

It is not necessarily sectarianism that results in young people choosing a side of the political divide. It is often other issues, social and economic, that influence the newest generation of the politically conscious.

The Irish Times ran a piece in January of last year where they interviewed a group of politically minded northern residents about to turn eighteen.

One unifier is the disconnect all felt from the reality of The Troubles. Another was the desire for equality in all its forms being a strong motivator for the majority of them.

Sinn Féin now align themselves with progressive policies favoured by young voters, such as marriage equality and transgender rights.

Young people seeking to bring about these social changes are thus more likely to be inclined to support those seeking a united island.

Unionism faces struggles due to unpopular

causes supported by its proponents. The DUP’s support of Brexit, for example, has damaged its standing among young people.

This new divide is illustrated further by the two parties leaders. As neither played pivotal roles in The Troubles, it is their policies by which they are ultimately judged.

DUP leader Arlene Foster is famous for her involvement in the ‘Cash for Ash’ scandal. Sinn Féin’s northern leader Michelle O’Neill, by contrast, ended the lifetime ban on gay blood donors during her tenure as Minister of Health.

The result of the most recent election showed that the political tides are shifting. The DUP held onto their majority by the slimmest of margins.

The combined seats won by the nationalist parties Sinn Féin and SDLP are slightly more than those won by the unionist parties DUP and UUP. Nationalism in Northern Ireland is no longer a minority opinion.

The Good Friday Agreement is almost twenty years old. Perhaps it is no wonder that such a long stretch of peace would cause a disconnect from the violent past. Yet the road ahead remains contentious. The breakdown in power-sharing talks threw Northern Ireland into renewed uncertainty.

The future may well be a difficult and uncertain road. The only guarantee is that the next generation of nationalists and unionists will be the one’s leading the way, rather than the old leaders of the past.

“

The result of the most recent election showed that the political tides are shifting

Self improvement: the fine line between healthy and obsessive Bronwyn O’Neill discusses the fine line between healthy eating and becoming obsessive about food and fitness arguing that, although it is important to stay fit and healthy, we often aspire to unrealistic goals.

S

crolling through Instagram coming up to the summer months is a collection of flat tummies, gym selfies and influencers pushing “Flat Tummy Tea” on their followers.

Although body positivity movements are becoming more and more into the mainstream, there is still an overwhelming amount of people who are developing eating disorders.

Due to the nature of eating disorders it is impossible to give an exact number of how many people are affected by eating disorders.

However, according to the Department of Health & Children, there are up to 200,000 people in Ireland may be affected by eating disorders.

An estimated 400 new cases emerge each year, representing 80 deaths annually.

As the power of the social media influencers increases could negative body image persist in their young followers?

Orthorexia nervosa is a relatively new eating disorder, although it is not currently recognized as a clinical diagnosis, it is classified as a “unhealthy obsession” with healthy eating.

Orthorexia nervosa translates literally to “fixation on righteous eating.”

Obsession with healthy eating is just as dangerous as any other eating disorder, as those who are carefully choosing what they eat might actually be losing out on valuable nutrients their body needs.

People who suffer from anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa obsess about calories and weight while those suffering from orthorexia obsess about healthy eating, not about being

Jen Thull

thin and losing weight.

So if there is a whole eating disorder based around healthy eating where do the lines blur?

It seems that healthy eating is always being pushed nowadays, from heathy eating and fitness programmes easily available to new cooks with quick, healthy meals.

For those who want to change their diet to lose weight, they have a lot of negative role models to look up to.

The infamous Kate Moss quote “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels”, is a mantra that encourages dangerous dieting and eating disorders.

Celebrities, like Kim Kardashian and Blac Chyna, are leading the way in the obsession with losing baby weight, with some even going so far as getting cosmetic surgery to change their post-pregnancy body.

As our bodies don’t naturally slim down so quickly after pregnancy nor do many mothers have time to go to the gym for rigorous workouts, this gives an unrealistic view on how women’s bodies should work.

What kind of message is this sending out to those who are already unhappy with the way their bodies look?

Of course, healthy eating is important, as is exercising. However, we need to find the balance between healthy eating, over indulging and starving ourselves.

It takes time to lose weight and look a certain If you have gained weight use older pictures els and bloggers who seem to have a perfect way. Rather than looking at Instagram models of yourself to motivate you to get back into your life, but their body type may not be realistic for or social media influencers who heavily edit ideal fitness. you to achieve. their social media image, follow realistic fitness It is hard not to idolise these stunning modpages.

11

GAEILGE

Martin McGuinness; fear na dTrioblóidí agus fear na síochána Sracfhéachann Conor O’Shea ar shaol Martin McGuinness agus scéal an fhir trí Nua-Stair na hÉireann

Conor O’Shea Scríbhneoir @thecollegeview

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aoch sceimhlitheoir, tírghráthóir, saighdiúir, agus polaiteoir. Seo cuid de na hainmneacha a cuireadh, agus a chuirtear fós ar, Martin McGuinness. Níl amhras ar bith ann gurbh fhear conspóideach é a nochtaigh go leor díospóireachta i mbéal an phobail agus a nochtóidh sna blianta atá ag síneadh amach romhainn.

Bhí sé mar cheannaire ar an IRA le linn tréimhse na dTrioblóidí i dTuaisceart Éireann (na 1960idí ar aghaidh go dtí Comhaontú Aoine an Chéasta 1998) agus deirtear gur ordaigh sé dúnmharuithe iliomad daoine Sasanacha; timpeall 1,800 acu, saighdiúirí agus sibhialtaigh araon, ach, d’fhéadfaí a rá freisin gur fear a bhí ann a bhí tiomanta i dtreo na síochána.

Ghlac sé ballraíocht san IRA i dTuaisceart Éireann sa bhliain 1969 i ndiaidh d’airm na Breataine teacht i dtír chun déileáil leis an aighneas agus an foréigean a bhí ag eascairt as smacht idir na Caitlicigh agus na Protastúnaigh. Tar éis tamall áfach, ba léir dó go raibh an t-arm ar thaobh na bProtastúnach. Shíl sé go raibh sé ag cosaint a thír ó fhórsaí eachtracha agus bhí sé dubhdóite faoi cheannas na Breataine.

Ghlac sé páirt i gcíréibeacha agus in eachtraí foréigneacha eile le linn na dTrioblóidí ach dar leis go ndearna sé seo ar mhaithe lena thír a chosaint agus cuireann sé seo a thírghrá agus a chrógacht in iúl dúinn.

Gan dabht is uafásach í an chogaíocht agus tarlaíonn rudaí uafásacha lena linn agus bhain eachtraí millteanacha leis an dá thaobh; na hAontachtaithe agus an IRA. Ar an 30 Eanáir 1972 mharaigh airm na Breataine 14 sibhialtach a bhí i mbun agóide síochánta ar mhaithe le cearta sibhialta a fháil i gCathair Dhoire, rud a chur go mór le daoine áitiúla ag glacadh páirte i ngníomhaíochtaí de chuid an IRA. Ar an lámh eile, ceann de na heachtraí ba mhó le linn na tréimhse dhainséaracha seo ná buamáil Brighton ar 12 Deireadh Fómhair 1984 nuair a rinne an IRA buamáil ar The Grand Hotel in iarracht Príomh-Aire na Breataine ag an am, Margaret Thatcher, agus a comhaireacht a mharú. Níor éirigh leo ach maraíodh cúigear duine. Freisin gortaíodh 34 duine ann; bean chéile Lord Tebitt ina measc. Maítear gur

ordaigh McGuinness, an t-ionsaí seo.

Ní raibh aon iontas ann mar sin nuair a dúirt Tebitt inné, le gliondar croí sa ghuth’s aige go raibh sé sásta gur cailleadh Martin McGuinness.

‘Is áit níos fear é an domhain inniu. Ba chladhaire ann nár íoc as a chuid coireanna. Mhaígh sé gur Chaitliceach a bhí ann, mar sin, tá súil agam go bhfuil fírinne le fáil ina chuid creidimh agus go mbeidh sé suite i gcúinne te in Ifreann go dtí deireadh ama.’

Is fada siar a théann iarsma an drochbhirt, ach, é sin ráite ní mar a shíltear a bhítear agus b’fhíor é seo i gcás Martin McGuinness. Cé go raibh baint aige le ré na dTrioblóidí agus na heachtraí foréigneacha a tháinig in éineacht leo d’éirigh leis é féin a thiontú isteach ina pholaiteoir agus ina thaidhleoir den scoth; rud a léirigh a chuid solúbthachta mar dhuine.

Bhí sé ina phríomh-idirbheartaí do Shinn Féin le linn na gcainteanna síochána sa Tuaisceart ag labhairt le ceannairí móra polaitíochta a bhí i gcoinne an IRA agus Sinn Féin; Ian Paisley (DUP) agus Tony Blair (Príomh-Aire na Breataine ag an am) ina measc. D’ordaigh sé an IRA deireadh a chur leis an troid sa bhliain 1994 agus bhí ról lárnach aige i gComhaontú Aoine an Chéasta i 1998.

Chomh maith leis seo bhí sé mar cheannaire Shinn Féin sa bhliain 2007 nuair a tháinig siad i gcumhacht leis an DUP, rud atá íorónta toisc gurbh iad an DUP agus Ian Paisley, a bhí mar Chéad Aire na tíre sa rialtas sin, príomh-naimhde an pháirtí sna blianta roimh ‘Ré na Síochána’. Bhí McGuinness ina Leas-Chéad Aire ón am sin go dtí mí Eanáir na bliana seo. Chuir sé an stair go hiomlán taobh thiar dó mar ba mhinic go nglaoití ‘The Chuckle Brothers’ sna meán ar McGuinness agus a chara faoin am seo, Ian Paisley.

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Ghlac sé ballraíocht san IRA i dTuaisceart Éireann sa bhliain 1969 i ndiaidh d’airm na Breataine teacht i dtír chun déileáil leis an aighneas agus an foréigean a bhí ag eascairt as smacht idir na Caitlicigh agus na Protastúnaigh

Dúirt Ian Paisley Jr, mac le hIan Paisley faoi McGuinness: ‘Sílim go gcreideann na Críostaithe go bhfuil tábhacht faoi leith ag baint le conas a thosaíonn duine amach ar an saol, ach is tábhachtaí é conas a chríochnaíonn sé.’Is ráiteas é seo a ritheann go smior i bhfágáil McGuinness, cé go bhfuil síocháin ann sa Tuaisceart tá stoirm pholaitíochta ag druidim ina treo ; ba é an t-acht deireanach polaitíochta de chuid an Leas-Chéad Aire ná éirí as óna phost mar agóid i gcoinne scéim athnuachan fhuinnimh de chuid an ‘Chéad Aire’, Arlene Foster (DUP).

Chruthaigh seo teannas polaitíochta arís sa Tuaisceart mar chuir sé seo tús le holltoghchán; d’éirigh leis an DUP an chumhacht a fháil thar Shinn Féin le suíochán amháin sa bhreis acu thar a comhraic pholaitíochta ach fós níl aon réiteach ar rialtas ann go fóill, rud a bhfuil géarghá leis le Breatimeacht (Brexit) ag bogadh i dtreo na hEorpa agus an mí-chinnteacht polaitíochta agus eacnamaíochta a thiocfaidh leis. Aireoidh Tuaisceart Éireann taithí agus scil polaitiúla Martin McGuinness uathu sa chás seo.

Martin McGuinness, fear na síochána agus fear na troda. An polaiteoir agus an paraimíleatach. Fear a mhúsclaíonn go leor díospóireachta, ach fear a fhágann a oidhreacht go slán taobh thiar dó.

Credit: Irish Examiner

Focail na seachtaine Sluafhoinsiú - Crowdsourcing Síochán - Peace Uirlis - Instrument/ Device Ag druidim - Approaching Aistriúchán - Translation Círéib - Riot

GAEILGE

Sluafhoinsiú: Coincheap Nua-Aimseartha

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Leis an idirlíon ag fás agus ag fás, clúdaíonn Áine Monk sluafhoinsiú, coincheap nua-aimseartha idirlín trína roinneann daoine eolas lena chéile ó áiteanna difriúla trasna an domhain Aine Monk Leas-eagarthóir gaeilge @thecollegeview

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aineann an tábhacht le sluafhoinsiú do thaighdeoirí timpeall na cruinne agus tá roinnt taighdeoirí na Gaeilge ag iarraidh cabhair ón bpobal do thionscadal éagsúla.

An chiall atá le sluafhoinsiú ná cabhair nó tacaíocht a lorg ó ghrúpa mór ar líne go hiondúil. Baineann costas mór le tionscadal taighde, agus is féidir na costais a laghdú le cabhair ón bpobal. Is sampla rathúil de shluafhoinsiú suíomh idirlín Wikipedia.

Is féidir le duine ar bith a bheith ina eagarthóir air agus is féidir rud ar bith a athrú agus a scríobh.

Tá cabhair de dhíth ag saineolaithe na hÉireann maidir leis an Ghaeilge faoi láthair. Is féidir le lucht labhartha na Gaeilge a ndícheall a dhéanamh chun tionscadal atá ar bun ag Fiontar in Ollscoil Chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath a chríochnú.

Deir an Dr. Gearóid Ó Cleircín, léachtóir agus téarmeolaí Fiontar go bhfuil baint ag an sluafhoinsiú sna tionscadail a bhíonn ar bun acu: “Tá dhá thionscadal idir lámha againn in Fiontar faoi láthair a bhfuil baint acu leis an sluafhoinsiú: Logainm - bunachar logainmneacha na hÉireann - agus Dúchas - tionscadal digitithe Chnuasach Bhéaloideas Éireann. Is comhthionscadail iad ar aon.

Tá Logainm á fhorbairt i gcomhar leis an mBrainse Logainmneacha agus is páirtnéireacht é Dúchas le Cnuasach Bhéaloideas Éireann in UCD. Tá cosúlachtaí idir an dá thionscadal ó thaobh na sprice de freisin, is é sin ábhar luachmhar oidhreachta a dhigitiú agus a chur ar fáil ar líne don phobal. Tá an dá thionscadal á mhaoiniú ag an Roinn Ealaíon, Oidhreachta, Gnóthaí Réigiúnacha, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta.”

Maidir le Dúchas.ie, is é an trasscríobh atá sluafhoinsithe. Tá foireann Fiontar ag iarraidh ar an bpobal téacs na scéalta béaloidis atá le feiceáil in íomhánna ar an suíomh a tras-scríobh: “Go dtí seo tá beagnach 34,000 leathanach tras-scríofa curtha ar fáil ag ár gcuid úsáideoirí in imeacht bliain go leith. Tá breis eolais ag http:// www.duchas.ie/ga/meitheal/ agus is féidir clárú ansin agus triail a bhaint as an tras-scríobh thú féin.”

Tá an sluafhoinsiú mar pháirt lárnach de thionscadal taighde atá ar bun ag taighdeoirí in The Adapt Centre for Digital Content Technology in Ollscoil Chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath.

Tá ceann de na foirne ann ag

“ Deirtear nach raibh tuairimí Credit: elegantthemes.com

tabhairt faoi thionscadal maidir le hanailís a dhéanamh ar mheon agus tuairimíocht tweetanna faoin olltoghchán 2016.

Deir an Dr. Teresa Lynn: “Bhí uirlis darb ainm SentiWordTweet cúrtha ar fáil ag taighdeoirí anseo i rith tréimhse na holltoghcháin i mbliana chun anailís a dhéanamh ar tweetanna #GE16 scríofa i mBéarla amháin. Faraor, níorbh fhéidir linn anailís a dhéanamh ar tweetanna seolta ag Gaeilgeoirí agus ní raibh a gcuid tuairimí feicthe ag na meáin nó an pobal.”

Deirtear nach raibh tuairimí na nGaeilgeoirí cloiste go náisiúnta agus an aidhm atá leis an taighde seo ná anailís a dhéanamh ar mheon úsáideoirí Twitter atá ag seoladh tweetanna i nGaeilge.

“Ní rud nua an cineál teicneolaíochta seo, tá uirlisí ann chun anailís a dhéanamh ar sentiment agus tuairimíocht tráchtais i dteangacha eile, na mórtheangacha go háirithe, ach níl an bogearra céanna le fáil do na mionteangacha ar fad.”

Tá cabhair de dhíth acu faoi láthair chun corpas tweetanna a aistriú.

“I dtaobh an taighde atá ar bun againn, tá sé fíorthábhachtach úsáid a bhaint as sluafhoinsiú chun obair

a dhéanamh ar chorpas. Grúpa beag taighdeoirí atá againn anseo. Bhaineamar triail as sluafhoinsiú cúpla bliain ó shin nuair a bhí an Corn Domhanda ar siúl sa Bhrasaíl, Braziliator an t-ainm a chuirtear ar an uirlis. Aistriúcháin ar tweetanna faoin chomórtas a bhí ann.”

Tugadh faoi deara go raibh an éifeacht ag an mbealach seo chun obair a dhéanamh ar tionscadal ollmhór aistriúcháin agus cuireadh an rud céanna ar fáil d’aon duine ar spéis leo teachtaireacht na dtweetanna a aistriú ó Bhéarla go Gaeilge nó a mhalairt de.

“Tá an sluafhoinsiú tábhachtach sa chás seo agus i gcásanna tionscadail taighde eile maidir leis an Ghaeilge. Tá straitéis nua ‘Phlean Dhigiteach don Ghaeilge’ le seoladh ag an Rialtas roimh dheireadh na bliana agus iad ag moladh úsáid an sluafhoinsiú chomh minic agus is féidir. Tá an t-ádh dearg linn in Éirinn go bhfuil lucht labhartha na Gaeilge bródúil as an teanga agus go bhfuil suim acu cabhair a thabhairt dúinn.”

Má’s maith leat triail a bhaint as tweetanna a aistriú ó Ghaeilge go Béarla nó ó Bhéarla go Gaeilge, téigh go www.itranslateirish.adaptcentre. ie.

na nGaeilgeoirí cloiste go náisiúnta agus an aidhm atá leis an taighde seo ná anailís a dhéanamh ar mheon úsáideoirí Twitter atá ag seoladh tweetanna i nGaeilge

FEATURES

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FEATURES

Lifting the limits for the ladies in law

Hon. Ms. Justice Mary Laffoy praises the progress the legal profession has made in the recent past in regards to gender equality question

SHAUNA BOWERS FEATURES EDITOR

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s you opened the large wooden doors into lecture room CG86 in the Henry Grattan building on Monday March 6th, you were met with a deluge of students. It was 6pm and classes were completed for the day, as the sky began to darken outside.

Animated chatter and girly giggles reverberated throughout the room as friends discussed the number of words needed for the law essays they still had yet to complete despite

the looming deadlines.

It was a collection of about 50 law students who filled the room; they were attending a talk by the Honorary Ms. Justice Mary Laffoy.

It is a rare sight to witness students sitting patiently and attentively even after lectures have concluded for the day. What was even more atypical than that was the fact that the majority of students in attendance were female.

The legal profession has always traditionally been a male dominated profession but we have made some excellent progress in the very recent past, according to Ms. Justice Mary Laffoy who spoke at the event run

by DCU Law Society.

Ms. Honorary Justice Mary Laffoy is currently chairing The

Citizens’ Assembly and she was appointed a judge of the Supreme Court in 2013. She described the evolution of the legal profession throughout the years that she has been practicing law and she is very excited for the continued progress that she is certain will ensue.

By the end of 2014, it was announced that Ireland had more female solicitors at 4,623 than male solicitors at 4,609. This was exactly 92 years after the first female solicitor was admitted to the profession and a first for any legal profession in the entire world.

However, in the higher ranks of the legal profession, it is still very much dominated by men. Some 33.2 per cent of the judicial system are female judges. Sitting in our

Hon. Ms. Justice Mary Laffoy with the chairperson of DCU law society, Eva McQuaid at the women in law talk in DCU on March 6th Credit: Shauna Bowers

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By the end of 2014, it was announced that Ireland had more female solicitors than male solicitors, a first for any legal profession in the entire world Supreme Court, there are only 2 female justices currently.

When she was studying law in UCD, there were only 2 females in her class. In January 2017, it is almost 50 percent women and 50 percent men who are enrolled in first year in law schools in America, according to research conducted by the American bar.

Ms. Justice Laffoy does not believe that there is anything we can do to help further the gender balance, she believes that this is merely something that will occur over time, as has occurred in the last number of years.

Holding a high position in the legal profession requires a lot of commitment, and it is your main priority when you have that position which means you need to have certain level of dedication in order to work your way up the career ladder.

This is one of the reasons why many women choose not to go into the judiciary, according to a statement from Baroness Hale of Richmond, who is the sole female judge sitting on The Supreme Court in the UK, in a BBC programme in 2012.

When asked about balancing a family life and a senior position in law, Laffoy said: “You need to be committed. I couldn’t do it. I have the highest admiration for them [women who have a family and work in the legal profession]. I really do.”

“It is difficult when you are self-employed and, bear in mind that barristers are self-employed, it is difficult to raise a family. You just can’t work in the same way as

people in the profession who don’t have a family. With the bar, you’re either committed to it or you’re not, there’s no in between,” she said.

This is one of the main obstacles that women face when choosing to have higher positions in the legal profession. It means that women are forced to choose between their natural inclination to bear children or to further their career.

In relation to the increasingly equal gender balance, Eva McQuaid the chairperson of the DCU law society said: “The increased gender balance in the legal profession is obviously a welcomed step and a major landmark, however, this balance does not necessarily indicate equality and equal opportunities for both genders within the profession.

“Even though there are more female than male solicitors, we can still see a male dominance of the higher ranks or tiers within top law firms (Partners). This is an issue which I believe should not be tackled with anything akin to gender quotas. I believe it will resolve itself due to the high numbers of females entering the position now, who will inevitably reach these higher ranks in the coming years.”

Hon. Ms. Justice Laffoy looked out at the collection of students as her talk began to come to a conclusion. She acknowledged the number of female legal students in the university and in that particular room, remarking the vast improvements that the progress throughout the years have caused. She said: “We’re not there yet but we’ve had an incredible journey so far.”

FEATURES

Postcards from abroad

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Deputy Features Editor Orla O Driscoll looks at the Ibrahim Halawa case and questions the reasoning behind his lack of liberty

extraction.

Ibrahim lived, schooled, played Gaelic, and became a young man here. He does not have pasty skin or skinny knees, and so far, this young man who was jailed at 17 years of age does not have a voice or a door out of the hell he languishes in.

In the intervening years 2013 to 2017, world events with a pointedly religious connotation have grabbed headlines. The Brussels attack March 22nd 2016; 35 dead hundreds injured. Cairo December 11th, 2016: ORLA O DRISCOLL 27 dead, up to 25 injured. The Paris attacks November 13th 2015; 130 DEPUTY FEATURES dead hundreds wounded. The Nice attacks Bastille day 2016: deaths of EDITOR 86 people, 434 injured. Westminster attack March 2017, 5 dead, 40 injured.

Ibrahim has had 20 deferred trial he world is indeed full of dates, over 1320 days’ loss of liberty. peril, and in it there are many The internet is not the farmers’ dark places; but still there is gate of years gone by where a story much that is fair.” So says stood on its merit; instead many the great author JRR Tolkien. As across internet forums decree IbraIbrahim Halawa spends yet another him a representative of an extremist day and night in a prison cell in Cai- Muslim creed which supports Sharia ro, unseen by the world, relinquished law and hopes in time, to radicalize by his home, it is hard to equate that the world, and impose a global Islathere is still much that is fair. mist empire under the Muslim brothThe name Halawa, while not erhood. The Muslim Brotherhood is perhaps as recognizable as the an extremist organization founded Murphy or O’Connor moniker to in Egypt in 1928 and is viewed as a linguistically suggest Irishness, does Anti-sematic social movement. belong to an Irish citizen of Egyptian Ibrahim was a frequent visitor,

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with his sisters to Egypt to visit his family, and there is no denial that his sisters up to the time of the 2013 trip had used active voices in support of the Muslim Brotherhood. Plenty of placards have been held aloft in conflicts the world over without the result being a desire for carnage.

However, the strongest shadow of doubt on Ibrahim, seems to fall from his father Imam Hussein Halawa, religious leader of Clonskeagh Mosque and also General Secretary of the European Council for Fatwa and Research (ECFR), which is based at the Islamic Cultural centre of Ireland (ICCI).

Many suggest Hussein Halawa is the uppermost representative of the Muslim Brotherhood in Ireland, and his ties to the ECFR means he is, at least in a professional capacity, familiar with Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, the Muslim Brotherhoods religious leader. Al-Qaradawi is not allowed entry to Ireland, France, the UK or the USA due to his extremist’s views.

Brid Smith TD, feels the position held by Ibrahim’s father is largely irrelevant to Ibrahim’s plight: “There are hundreds awaiting the same mass trial, not all of whom necessarily have relations in academic circles or any connections even to the Muslim Brotherhood. Regardless of who his father was, Ibrahim cannot receive just treatment or a fair trial. Let us be

“

The world is indeed full of peril, perhaps none more so than the folly of youth clear, this was a bloody coup, there was and has been massive violations of human rights by this regime and it is largely being ignored by the West and indeed by our own government.

We seem more concerned by our beef trade with this regime than with these abuses and the continued unjust imprisonment of this young man.

Smith notes that if Ibrahim were called Sean and was not from an Islamic background: “This Government would have made more efforts or adopted a stronger position when dealing with the Egyptian state.

Footage purporting to show Ibrahim and his sisters speaking to a huge crowd during protests, suggest his involvement was pre-ordained, that alone does not make him guilty of a wrongdoing. This is indeed

reminiscent of the internment in the north of Ireland in the 1970s Ireland.

Roderic O Gorman Green Party councillor and lecturer of Law in DCU says: “Ibrahim’s ongoing detention is disgraceful, and the risk he remains under in a trial scheduled with 100s of other detainees calls into question his ability to get justice from the Egyptian legal system” O Gorman further points out that Egyptian authorities have for three years been unable to hold a trial, even though they claim that they are ready to go to trial. There are legal implications also to consider regarding how he is being treated while he is in prison.

“Despite a verbal commitment from the Egyptian authorities that Ibrahim will be released to Ireland following his trial, there is nothing legally binding to make this happen.”

Ibrahim, according to those who know him, was a character, larger than life full of energy and ready to embrace the world, a 17-yearold on the crest of a life filled with possibilities.

The world is indeed full of peril, perhaps none more so than the folly of youth or the perception of the sins of the father.

Despite a request on Free Ibrahim Halawa social media sites, no replies were forthcoming at the time of article going to press.

FEATURES

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Hiking: the hazardous hobby

Being out on the hills can be an enjoyable pastime but it warrants caution amid the treacherous paths and unpredictable weather conditions Zoe Ryan

Arthur Velker Contributor @thecollegeview

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ast month, the High Court overruled a decision for the National Parks and Wildlife Service to pay out €40,000 of damages to hillwalker Teresa Wall after she injured herself on a wooden boardwalk on the Wicklow Way. Albeit unsuccessful, Ms Wall is one of many whom pursued negligence claims against the State last year – claims that, according to figures from the State Claims Agency, accumulated to €221.7 million of the government’s funds in 2015, an over 50 per cent increase from the prior year.

Because it is now commonplace for people to pursue lucrative personal injury claims in the event of a mishap, we’re often oblivious to the real message it promotes. Taking the state’s recreational institutions to

court doesn’t only impede the development of outdoor facilities, but it encourages landowners to revoke access to the sacred soil we all walk on.

Though a highly exhilarating sport, hiking carries a certain risk factor that lies in its immanent unpredictability. With the appropriate equipment and attire, you’re somewhat 80 percent to ensuring an invulnerable, carefree journey.

The other unaccountable 20 is the volatile weather conditions and change in terrain, which, in most instances, make the experience highly gratifying, but requires the participant to exercise their inherent sense of awareness, as well as, God forbid, common sense.

“You do have to accept that when you go out on the hill there are certain hazards you need to be aware of,” says James Byrne, hiker and Managing Director of Hillwalk Tours. “It’s up to the walker to prepare well – not go off alone into the mountains by themselves and to be properly equipped when they’re out on the hills.”

Last year, a Czech couple lost their way on a hiking trail in Fiordland National Park, New Zealand, and one of the hikers, Ondrej Petr, died after slipping and falling from a

steep slope. His partner Pavlina Pižova broke into a nearby cabin and was isolated for over a month as the harsh winter conditions made it impossible to walk back to the trailhead.

Like the elevated walkway where Ms Wall sustained her injuries, the hut that sheltered Pižova is a state-developed facility designed to accommodate hikers and tourists on their walks. In Pižova’s case, it turned out to be a lifesaving commodity without which her survival would have been highly unlikely. Put simply, whether it’s a boardwalk that allows easy access over treacherous boglands or a mountain hut packed with winter emergency supplies, the need for outdoor facilities cannot be overstated. The ill intents of few should not trump the benefit of many; and responsibility should prevail over negligence.

In a case closely observed by Irish farmers, landowners and a litany of hiking associations, the judge’s decision to override the Circuit Court award to damages to Ms Wall was greeted with much optimism.

For now, the High Court ruling will likely deter those looking to undermine the state’s legal infrastructure and rain on the pastimes of ardent adventurers. But only for now.

Are arts degrees a waste of time?

Following news this month that UCD was planning to overhaul its arts courses open to students, Micheal O Scannail questions the realistic relevance of arts degrees.

Michael O Scannail Contributor @thecollegeview

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s University College Dublin (UCD) announce a huge overhaul of all of their arts courses, in an effort to make their graduates more employable, the question is posed whether this improvement is enough.

The reform, which, from 2018, will see UCD arts courses upgraded from a BA degree to a joint honours degree, will also see the courses begin to offer an internship for its students and an additional, optional year in an overseas partner University of UCD. The improvement to these courses was flagged as an opportunity to stop the ongoing gradual decrease in points for UCD arts, caused by a deteriorating interest in the courses by CAO applicants.

It will make UCD arts courses more like those of DCU whose graduates already receive a joint honour degree.

Is this new structure of arts degree enough to ensure the good employability of its graduates?

A recent study from H&R Block finds that the “unemployment level for recent graduate is highest among those who have studied

arts.”

The Higher Education Authority’s annual survey of graduate prospects shows that just 39 percent of graduates of arts and humanities were in employment. The problem with arts is that, for the majority of cases, another degree must be achieved before receiving employment.

One of the major career aspirations among arts students is education, however, to be employed in the education sector arts graduates must first obtain professional masters in education.

Arts graduate Shane Boyle said, “I did arts because I didn’t get great points (in the leaving cert) and I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, there’s not a whole lot I can do with my degree so I might head back and get another qualification”.

The starting salaries of graduates was also lowest among arts and humanities students, according to

the HEA survey, with 29 percent of these graduates earning less than 13,000 yearly.

According to this survey, 49 percent of arts and humanities Zoe Ryan graduates admit that their degree had no relevance to their future employment.

Art degrees don’t offer the qualification for their graduates to do the majority of high grade jobs.

They can however act as a stepping stone to a degree which without doing arts might not have been achievable for the student.

T o n y Donohue, head of education and social policy at employers’ group Ibec says that arts degrees are desirable for some employers and that the degree instils certain skills that make its graduates suitable for senior positions in big companies.

“ 39 percent

of graduates of arts and humanities were in employment

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Panu Hogland on his love for the Irish Language Finnish native Panu Hoglund discusses why he believes Irish is far too important to become a dead language

Hikipedia

Cal Ó Donnobháin Irish Editor @thecollegeview

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he sun setting over the Lake District of Varkaus, an industrial town in Eastern Finland, Panu Höglund ponders the state of the Irish language, how he could improve other’s experiences of learning it. Beside him is a copy of a book he had purchased, written in Russian, tempting him from sitting down to an evening’s internet browsing and corresponding with other Irish fanatics. He waits for my message, greeting him and commencing the interview we had organised the week before.

Having read a selection of his material in secondary school, I was familiar with the works of the Finnish enigma that is Panu Höglund, an Irish-language writer whom very rarely visits the Emerald Isle despite his commitment to the land’s native tongue, his imperious command over it compelling me to interview him and to unearth his story. Throughout the years, hearing that ‘An Ghaeilge’ was a ‘dead language’ and that soon it would be extinct, I felt obliged to investigate the doubts people had on its behalf, and to see its importance in the lives of non-Irish nationals.

Höglund, being an esteemed author, seemed to be the perfect candidate for this interview.

With that, a chat box popped up

on Panu’s screen, focusing his wandering mind and allowing him to tell his life’s story.

In the Southern Finnish municipality of Hämeenlinna, Höglund was born into a life in which he would go on to commit to enhancing his own and others’ understanding of languages, Irish being a particular favourite of his despite there not being a drop of Celtic blood in his Scandinavian frame. In his fiftieth year, Höglund boasts about having become highly proficient at reading, writing and speaking Swedish, Russian, Polish and English, as well as being a native speaker of the Finnish language. However, he has only published his work ‘as Gaeilge’, it being the most obscure language in his impressive lingual repertoire.

Returning to his days as a child, Panu recalls living in the relatively small area of Kalvola in which he occupied his knowledge-thirsty self by watching documentaries and reading books he had purchased second hand. It was, in fact, one of the many documentaries he used to watch through which the author and linguist became captivated by the Irish language and the culture surrounding it. After coming across a copy of “Learning Irish” by Micheál Ó Siadhail whilst in his late teens, Höglund set about mastering the tongue, so alien to him, and through friends he had made from Ireland he received copies of Irish-language classic novels, such as ‘Peig’ by Peig Sayers and ‘Rotha Mór an tSaoil’, a biography telling the life story of a travelling Irishman named Micí Mac Gabhann.

Through nothing other than his own perseverance and a keen interest in foreign cultures, Panu Höglund went from being a man living 3,000km from Ireland to being one of its most reputable Irish-language authors.

Looking to delve further into the connection the ‘Fionlannach’ had with the language, I asked how important it was in his life and how much of an impact it had had on his everyday routine. In a playful manner, he responds saying that it was through his understanding and love for Irish and its culture that he met his wife, an understanding helped by a year spent on an Irish scholarship at NUI Galway in 1998. “She had to love me”, he jests, “for I was the man with the information on Ireland”, their mutual passion drawing them together, ‘an Ghaeilge’ forming the foundation of their relationship.

Höglund was convinced that the Irish language wasn’t dead and thought it to be absurd that it took a ‘foreigner’ to see this. A man so driven to preserve something alien to his land, I was taken aback by his responses to my questions, in particular when I asked if he believed its doubters. He responds saying that ‘the language could die, that the human race could even vanish’ but as long as there is any trace of the language still in existence, he will be doing his ‘very best to save it’ and to ‘inspire others to do the very same thing’.

The love of the ‘Fionlannach’ for ‘An Ghaeilge’ being undoubtedly strong, I felt obliged to ask if he felt the Catholic Church’s had too strong

an impression on the language.

‘I don’t believe so, in the slightest’, he says. ‘I’ve written and published erotica and the Church didn’t mind’. still in existence, he will be doing his ‘very best to save it’ and to ‘inspire others to do the very same thing’.

The love of the ‘Fionlannach’ for ‘An Ghaeilge’ being undoubtedly strong, I felt obliged to ask if he felt the Catholic Church’s had too strong an impression on the language.

‘I don’t believe so, in the slightest’, he says. ‘I’ve written and published erotica and the Church didn’t mind’. still in existence, he will be doing his ‘very best to save it’ and

to ‘inspire others to do the very same thing’.

The love of the ‘Fionlannach’ for ‘An Ghaeilge’ being undoubtedly strong, I felt obliged to ask if he felt the Catholic Church’s had too strong till in existence, he will be doing his ‘very best to save it’ and to ‘inspire others to do the very same thing’.

The love of the ‘Fionlannach’ for ‘An Ghaeilge’ being undoubtedly strong, I felt obliged to ask if he felt the Catholic Church’s had too strong an impression on the language.

‘I don’t believe so, in the slightest’, he says. ‘I’ve written and published erotica and the Church didn’t mind’.

“

A man so driven to preserve something alien to his land

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SPORT

SPORT

Maxwell reflects on a successful season for DCU Ladies’ Gaelic football DCU Ladies’ Gaelic football manager Stephen MaxwellImage credit: Sportsfile

The 2016/17 season ended in the same place as the previous one for the DCU Senior Ladies’ Gaelic football team - a semi-final defeat to UL. Manager Stephen Maxwell spoke to Deputy Sports Editor Gavin Quinn about his perceived injustice in that game.

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CU manager Stephen Maxwell has reflected on a largely positive year for Ladies’ Gaelic football in the university.

The senior ladies reached the O’Connor Cup semi-final while the college also enjoyed other successes, with triumphs in the Giles Cup while the freshers’ team enjoyed great success.

The current Westmeath Ladies manager and Sports Development lecturer was delighted at how the university competed at all levels and spoke of how proud he was of his players.

“It’s great for all of DCU because this was the first year we ever had four ladies Gaelic teams and they were all very competitive,” he said.

Pride

Last year, Maxwell enjoyed a successful first year in charge and he is proud of how well his team performed as they tried to replicate and better the success of the previous year.

“Last year we won the league and then had a disappointing semi-final against UL (University of Limerick) in the O’Connor Cup,” he recalls.

“So this year we aimed training to hit peak time come march, (we had) a disappointing loss to UL in the League semi-final but we peaked at the right time and our best game of football came against UL in the semi-final.”

Rivals

Old rivals UL seem to be Maxwell’s only downfall in what has been an outstanding two years with the DCU Ladies. A 1-15 to 2-08 loss in the semi-final in Castlebar in

served. I think that’s four trophies in three years for that management team so it’s an absolutely fantastic result,” Maxwell says.

Maxwell also revealed that DCU would lose five players from their senior side due to graduation. Their goalkeeper Aisling Tarpey, defenders such as Leah Caffrey, Aisling McAuliffe, Kate Fitzgibbon and of course their captain Siobhán Woods.

He is however adamant that this will Controversy “A very disappointing finish to the game not necessarily affect their aspirations for in very controversial circumstances as well the coming year due to the high quality of young players at DCU. which did not help,” he claimed.

“We were up by six points with ten minutes to go and then two controversial deciFreshers sions, Lauren Magee getting sin binned for “Obviously we hope that the reputation being vocal. She got yellow carded, then of DCU will bring in some new freshers,” they got a free kick.” he said.

“Aisling Tarpey caught the ball on the “This year we had four freshers in the line and she basically got ploughed into the team, the year before we had two, so it is back of the net by the full forward and the going in the right direction. referee gave a free out but was overruled “If we had five or six freshers coming by the two umpires, who very stupidly gave into that team, it would drive them on,” he the goal which kind of cost us and then we added. were chasing the game with 14 players.”

With the continued success, increased The result aside, James Costello’s Giles participation in the game in DCU and of Cup side tasted success on the same week- course the quality of incoming players, is end, defeating a relentless Athlone IT side Maxwell happy with the progress made and in an epic encounter at MacHale Park. DCU what is to come? early March this year leaves something of a “Most definitely. Overall there have been triumphed on a scoreline of 3-07 to 0-14. bittersweet taste for Maxwell. massive strides taken,” he concludes.

“We were outstanding, we could not have played any better to be honest,” Maxwell Delight spoke of his pride he has of the perfor“(I am) absolutely delighted for Jammy, mance of his players.

Nicky and all the players, (it was) well de-

“ Aisling Tarpey caught

the ball on the line and she basically got ploughed into the back of the net by the full forward and the referee gave a free out but was overruled by the two umpires, who very stupidly gave the goal

“Aishling Sheridan was outstanding on the day, Sarah Rowe got a few good scores, Gráinne Loughlin was fantastic in the backline as was Lauren Magee in midfield and Karen McDermott.”

Of course it was not to be for his side as they endured a turbulent last quarter to the tie that ultimately ended in defeat.

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Irish international Boyle tries to balance rugby and university DCU student Paul Boyle braces for a hit against France’s Cameron Woki Image credit: Sportsfile

DCU student and Irish underage flanker Paul Boyle speaks to The College View’s Mícheál Ó Scanaill about how to improve rugby at the university.

D

CU student Paul Boyle has been picked in the team of the tournament for the recent Under 20 Six Nations Championship.

Boyle, who was on-field captain for parts of Ireland’s campaign, was picked as the open side flanker for the tournament that ran in February and March.

The Lansdowne, Leinster and Ireland back row was honoured with his selection in the team of the tournament by Opta, a sports analytics company.

Opta say that after every match they complete a ‘video analysis of every touch of the ball.

Each action in the match is awarded a points value depending on the relative importance of the action. The player is then given a score for the match by adding up all his actions while he was on the field’.

When all of this information was culminated, they found that Boyle had the most points and played the biggest role of any number seven in the tournament. He was one of only three Irish players to receive this honour, along with Jordan Larmour and Oisín Dowling.

Although Ireland had a disappointing campaign in terms of where they finished, fourth

position of the six teams, they were unlucky in both the games that they lost, to Wales and to England.

When England came to Donnybrook in search of a grand slam, they had beaten every other team by at least 16 points and secured winning bonus points for scoring four or more tries in every game, but Ireland were denied a victory only when, in the last minute they were held up over the opposition’s line.

Speaking about his achievement Boyle said, “It’s obviously a massive honour to be named in the team (of the tournament) but I’m still a bit disappointed about how the tournament went.

“I’d much prefer not to be picked in team of the tournament and for the team to have gotten on the other side of those two fairly unlucky losses.”

Balance One of the toughest challenges amid this relative rugby glory for Boyle has been balancing university, where he studies Law and Society, with his rugby career. The weeks leading up to and during the Six Nations Boyle had training every day, most of which was outside of Dublin.

Most of Boyle’s teammates from other colleges, who are in the same situation of trying to balance the two, were offered allowances with their courses, to spread the course out over an extra year or to carry some modules forward.

When Boyle approached DCU however, he was told that they “recommend he puts his education first”, and was given no help in keep-

ing up with his course while he was at training camps. He has found himself behind in several modules as a result.

“DCU has some really good rugby players, a lot of representatives, most of them won’t play for the university though. I think that if they were treated like players are in most other colleges, then they would. It is not down to arrogance or anything, it’s just that our workload is huge and it is not really taken into consideration,” Boyle alleges.

The DCU rugby team, known as the Force, has enjoyed relative success of late, winning the Boyle shield, but Boyle feels he and other interprovincial and international representatives of his calibre in the university should be encouraged by all means to play rugby with the DCU Force.

The next few months for Boyle will go a long way in determining how far he will advance in his career with provincial academy drafts looming. Being selected for one of the provinces academies would mean that for Boyle, professional rugby would be clearly in sight.

Boyle will be keen to impress in the remainder of his matches for Lansdowne senior rugby team who are guaranteed a spot in the All-Ireland League with several games remaining in the season. Having started at number eight for the club so far this season he has the opportunity to win a coveted AIL title in his first year of senior rugby.

Coming off a personally successful Six Nations campaign, he also will be expected to start in the Junior World Championship, the Under

20 equivalent of the World Cup, which will be held in Georgia in June.

“I have a really exciting couple of months ahead of me,” Boyle said.

“It’s going to be a great experience to play in a world cup, I won’t get ahead of myself I’m just going to keep working hard and try to continue to enjoy it.”

Whether Boyle’s dream of playing professional rugby will transpire is yet to be seen.

He is, however, on the right path and with an exciting couple of months ahead he has a great opportunity to achieve his goal.

“

It is not down to arrogance or anything, it’s just that our workload is huge and it is not really taken into consideration...

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Harding Cup champions: A review of the 2016/17 football season DCU players celebrate their Harding Cup triumph Credit:Third Level Football

AIDAN GERAGHTY DEPUTY EDITOR

A

t the end of the 2016/17 season, the football programme in DCU is undoubtedly on an upward trend. The freshers’ team brought home the Harding Cup for the first time in the university’s history, while the senior team were semi-finalists in the CUFL Premier Division and Collingwood Cup with an 8-0 victory on the way. In an interview with The College View in March, senior manager Declan Roche described the club’s achievements this season as ‘magnificent’.

The league season started for the senior team

with a 2-1 victory at Oriel Park over Dundalk Institute of Technology. A brace from DCU’s ever-reliable striker Alan O’Sullivan on either side of half-time was enough to take the three points back down the M1.

This was despite DKIT spending much of the second half on the front foot. Ciarán Cluskey-Kelly levelled the scores just before the interval and the County Louth side’s direct style of play caused some problems for the visitors.

The Dubliners’ back four dealt well with the pressure, though, and O’Sullivan’s goal just ten minutes after the restart was the only cushion DCU required.

The Northsiders couldn’t replicate this disciplined performance a week later when they welcomed Maynooth University to St. Clare’s.

They improved their own tally in the goals scored column, netting three times, but conceded six in a game that coach Pat Cregg said “was over at half time” Goals conceded were a persisting problem for DCU all season. In the Premier Division quarter-final in February, DCU and IT Carlow shared seven goals between them, but this time DCU found themselves on the right end of a high-scoring thriller. They claimed a 4-3 victory to take into the semi-final against University College Cork, which they lost 1-0.

Roche insisted fatigue was a major factor in the narrow defeat.

“It was a very hard game for us,” he claimed.

“We had won the Harding Cup the previous Sunday and nine of those players had to be involved in the semi-final of the Premier League on Wednesday.”

The manager took the opportunity to praise his players though, suggesting that a one-goal defeat against the eventual Collingwood Cup winners was nothing to be ashamed of, especially three days after a 120-minute cup final.

“We faced a very good Cork side and it was unfortunate that we couldn’t progress to the final.

“We’re very proud of the players, though.

We’ve had a tremendous season so far and to make it to the semi-final was a magnificent achievement.

Three days earlier, Roche took DCU’s freshers’ football team into the Harding Cup final for the first time ever, when they also faced UCC. The conditions, which bordered on unplayable, spoiled the game as a contest and neutralised DCU’s usually potent attack. 90 minutes couldn’t separate the sides, but the Dubliners’ quality shone through in the extra half-hour.

Young striker Jack O’Connor gave his side the lead in the opening stages of extra-time, only for the Leesiders to equalise before the teams switched ends. As penalties loomed, centre-half Conor McKenna put his team back in the lead and it remained as such for the few seconds that remained.

There was no break in Glasnevin, however.

Declan Roche and his charges headed for Maynooth just five days after the Premier Division semi-final defeat for the Collingwood Cup. A shock 1-0 defeat against Trinity College brought an abrupt end to DCU’s season at the first hurdle in 2016, so a statement victory was required in the opening round match against the Royal College of Surgeons and it was duly de-

livered.

A free-flowing, attacking performance saw DCU put eight past RCSI without reply.

In the quarter-final, Western opposition was swept aside but not without a struggle. A 90th minute equaliser for NUI Galway meant extra-time would be played for the second time in just over a week. This time, DCU fell behind, but found a second wind in the final few minutes to score twice and take a 3-2 victory into the semi-final.

There, the Northside outfit faced their perennial scourge. Having eliminated the Dubliners from the league only a week earlier, UCC again stood in the way of DCU and a senior cup final.

Rory Feely gave a glimmer of hope when he gave DCU the lead in the second half, but they couldn’t hold on. A late Daniel Pender brace broke Dublin hearts and sent the Corkonians into their third cup final in ten days, and they would go on to claim the trophy for the 12th time.

“It was a great achievement for us to win the Harding Cup, play five games in twelve days and then reach the semi-final of the Collingwood Cup,” Roche said.

“For us to match them all the way on two separate occasions is a huge achievement for us and it’s something we’ll look to as we try to improve.”

As league and cup champions, UCC are a natural yardstick for Roche and his team. They’ll be encouraged by two odd-goal defeats against the double winners as this young team matures next year and improves with the influx of talent from the new freshers’ team.

SPORT

INSIDE Ladies’ manager Stephen Maxwell speaks to The College View

Great things lie ahead for DCU hurlers, claims Wexford star PATRICK LYNCH DEPUTY SPORTS EDITOR

DCU Dóchas Éireann star Paudie Foley hooks on Tom Devine of UCC

Image Credit: Sportsfile

T

he first thing one notices about Paudie Foley when he steps into a room is his massive physical presence. Standing at well over six feet, the rangy half-back is blessed with a huge strike and an exceptional ability to read the play.

Taking into account his aerial ability, he is one of the most promising young defenders in the country and the launchpad for DCU’s attack.

2017 proved to be an historic year for DCU’s hurlers as they reached their first ever Fitzgibbon Cup quarter-final, but Foley was reluctant to call the season an outright success.

“It was a step forward. I wouldn’t really call it an achievement yet. We have the potential to go further, with this year’s freshers’ team winning the All-Ireland.

“We should have beaten UCC (in the quarter-final) and we’re not losing many lads next year with the exception of Mick Heeney, Tony French and a few others, so we’re aiming to reach the Fitzgibbon final’s weekend next year.”

Nonetheless, Foley was delighted by the manner of his side’s 1-14 to 0-10 group stage victory over a confident Waterford IT. “They came up thinking they were going to walk through us but we were quietly confident and we performed well on the night.

“Even in the defeats to LIT and UCC there were spells where we played unbelievably on the day but unfortunately came just short.”

Along with Foley, Waterford’s Patrick Curran is undoubtedly the DCU hurler with the biggest reputation, however the Crossabeg/Ballymurn star was quick to single out fellow Slaneysider Gavin Bailey, praising his work-rate and resilience.

“I always love watching Gavin Bailey play.

He’s such a hard worker and does a lot of the dog work.

“As well, he’s not that long recovered from cruciate ligament and cartilage injuries. By the end of every game he’s out on his feet, which is all you can ask for.”

Having established his place on the Wexford senior hurling team in 2015, Foley has opted to take a year out from the rigours of inter-county hurling. This summer he will swap the purple and yellow of Wexford, for the blue and gold of Tipperary San Francisco.

“I’m looking forward to America but taking a year out was a difficult decision. I’m glad I’ve made the decision though so as not to be leaving half-way through.”

The prospect of working under current Wexford manager Davy Fitzgerald in the near future is one that excites Foley, who was delighted to see his inter-county colleagues gain promotion to Division 1A of the National Hurling League.

“There’s such effort being put in this year and

I’m delighted for the lads that they’re being rewarded. I’d say it’s been upped by 30% from what it was last year with Davy there now.

“He has his set up the way he wants it, there’s no half measures. I talked to him at the start of the season and he was very understanding.

Davy is a players’ man so hopefully I’ll be able to get back in there next year.”

Indeed, Wexford hurling has been on somewhat of a high for the past five years, winning three consecutive Leinster underage titles between 2013 and 2015, with Foley playing a major role in the success of the latter two.

“That was what really kick-started my Wexford career. Losing two All-Ireland finals was

obviously very disappointing but it was special to be involved with that team.

“There’s proper structures in place now in Wexford hurling and we’re much better equipped to challenge the likes of Kilkenny now.

“It will be interesting to see the two of them in the National League quarter-final this weekend but we’re definitely in a much better position than previous years to take them on.”

Aside from his hectic hurling schedule, Foley is studying PE and Biology with the aim of becoming a secondary school teacher.

“Taking the year out has been greatly beneficial in terms of the amount of time I can

dedicate to studying. If I was heading home for training that would be both Tuesday and Thursday evening gone, as well as being tired the next day, so the break is great in that sense.

“I’d love to get a job in a school where I can help to develop things. Even in terms of extra-curricular activities and GAA, I’d love to be able help bring things on a step to the next level.”

Whether he’s in the classroom or on the pitch, Foley approaches everything with eyes wide open, full of vision. You can be certain that he will be back sooner rather than later manning the defence for Davy Fitzgerald’s Wexford charges.