The Hype Issue 4

THE HYPE Deerhunter European tour

Bleach London 9

Body neutrality

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Modern Warfare 7

10

Illustrator Stephen Heffernan

Escape rooms rising in popularity

What’s on this week

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Crime & Confession Seminar Nov 14th

How reliable are statements given during a Garda interview? Why confess to something you haven’t done and what is the role of a lawyer? These questions will be answered by Dr Yvonne Daly, Dr Lorraine Boran and Laura McGrady in KA113

DCU SWAP SHOP! Nov 20th

A place to trade your unwanted (but still lovely) clothes with other peoples unwanted (but still lovelier) clothes! Located at The Street of the U and held by Sustainable Living Society & DCU every week

DCU Fotosoc Exhibition Nov 21st

Fotosocs annual Internal Exhibition is back! The Exhibition will be held in the HIVE on Glasnevin Campus on Thursday Nov 21st 6-8pm. This years theme is “Passion” so come on down. have a glass of wine and peruse through all the talented photographs they will be be displaying CREDITS

Editor-In-Chief Brendan Fernando Kelly Palenque Deputy Editor-In-Chief & Arts Editor Áine O’Boyle Deputy Arts Editor Aoibhín Meghen Deputy Arts Editor Peter O’Neill Lifestyle Editor Róisín Maguire Deputy Lifestyle Editor Niamh Quinlan Deputy Lifestyle Editor Kevin O’Meara Images Editor Sonja Tutty Deputy Images Editor Joy Nwagiriga Hype Production Editor Jonathon Lynam CV Production Editor Sally Dobie Pg 5 Aoife O’Brien Pg 7 & 8 Áine O’Boyle Pg 9 & 14 Roisin Maguire Pg 15 Sally Dobie Exposure Sonja Tutty

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new wave of young buskers have taken over the streets of Dublin.

Competing for peak times and areas could cause busking wars but they are a‌ ll part of a supportive community, says singer songwriter KK Lewis.

The nation’s capital has played a part in launching many an artists career. Singer/songwriter Paddy Casey, Academy Award winner Glen Hansard, Key West and Damien Rice have all performed on Grafton Street, perhaps the most famous Dublin busking spot, over the years.

As well as the typical one man (or woman) and a guitar setup, the city has many traditional Irish musicians, street performers and of course the occasional living statue.

Dublin’s rich and diverse busking scene really helps to define the city and shows both locals and tourists the extent of the talent and culture it has to offer.

KK Lewis who began busking last January talks about what encouraged her to start it up.

It was “meeting other buskers which made me realise music was possible,” she explains.

Lewis had been interested in music since she was a kid. However since leaving secondary school it has become her life. She takes to Dublin streets four days a week (weather permitting of course) as well as performing in venues like Workmans, Sin É and Smock Alley Theatre.

Busking allows her to meet people from all over the world and become part of a large community.

According to Lewis making friends isn’t too hard when you’re out in the city all day. “You just start chatting while you’re queuing for spots and we’re all very close,” she says.

Busking has launched many young musicians’ careers in the past and given them a platform to share their work without needing a record label backing. But now busker’s act as their own publicist and manager thanks to social media.

Due to Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and many Dublin in 1985 seems hesitant about the large amps other social media sites the busking landscape has and electric setups used by some modern buskers.

“Industrial-scale amps and industrial busking changed dramatically. with karaoke-like equipment has been drowning Buskers now have a huge online presence. out the acoustic, live, local music from the past.”

Just look at Allie Sherlock, a 13-year-old singer/ songwriter originally from Cork who has over two Ní Bheaglaoich, who plays the concertina, told District Magazine. million subscribers on YouTube.

Busking in Dublin is regulated by the Dublin Sherlock gained a massive online following after City Council. In 2015, they brought in revised a video of her performing on Grafton Street went busking bye-laws that have significantly changed viral.

As a result, the teenager appeared on The Ellen the busking scene.

The new regulations allowed for amplifiers to be DeGeneres Show in the US and has signed a five used in more areas across the city as well as new year contract with American record label Tedder rules surrounding permits. at the start of 2018.

However, a major change was that performers Sherlock of course is a rare case but many other young buskers in Dublin’s rich and could only stay on Grafton Street for one hour at a time.

Dublin have large social media diverse busking This has allowed a queuing followings that are growing by the system to develop which according scene really helps day, particularly on Instagram. to Lewis works very well. She Performer, Buzz Apollo Music to define the city explains that the performers are has over 3000 followers on his and shows both patient and accept that they must Instagram page. Another busker, Paul Jenkinson, has close to 8,000 locals and tourists wait for their turn.

Many of Dublin’s buskers are Instagram followers and Lewis the extent of the writing their own music as well herself has a following of over talent and culture it as performing covers. Busking is 4,000. not just a hobby but a real career These musicians share a lot of has to offer prospect. their street performances on their Thanks to her busking career social accounts, giving their music a much wider reach than buskers of the past. People and following the release of her first single Flowers can see them perform without even having to be over the summer, Lewis is now working on her EP. there and they can update their followers with any Her second single will also be released in the new year. upcoming gigs or new music.

Busking isn’t the easiest career path, particularly It is also clear from looking at all their accounts, in Ireland. There can be miserable days where the community and collaboration is key when busking rain just won’t clear so performers go home with in Dublin city in 2019.

These buskers will often share videos or photos their pockets a bus fare lighter.

But it is also a wonderful way to showcase of them performing with others. It’s a wonderful young Irish musicians. The cacophony of noise thing to see, as you see the friendship as well as the professionalism between young talented musicians. that fills Grafton street on a sunny summers day is But what about the more traditional buskers? wonderful to hear and it adds soul to even the most Máire Ní Bheaglaoich who began busking in commercial of Dublin’s streets.

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Music The backing track to Dublin city Aoibhín Meghen takes to the streets of Dublin to examine it’s rich busking scene

the college view The Hype |3

Music

Deerhunter kick off their European tour in Whelans Tadgh McNally talks about Atlanta based band Deerhunter following their Dublin gig

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A highlight of the show was during “Futurism”, when Cox had the band attempt to play the song left-handed instead of right-handed

helan’s was jammed as the Atlanta based rock band took over the place for two shows that kick started their 2019 European tour.

The show was opened by the band’s drummer, Moses Archuleta, who played some tracks from his solo project “Moon Diagrams”. While they started off ambient, it slowly became a more experimental set, with grimy synths and piercing samples that were surrounded by Archuleta’s own distorted singing.

Not long after the opener had finished, Deerhunter emerged from the darkness onto the stage and they were lit up with red and blue lights as front man Bradford Cox grabbed the mic and began to belt out the title track of their debut album, “Cryptograms”.

The action continued into the second song of the evening with “Death in Midsummer”, a new track off their latest album, “Why Hasn’t Everything Already Disappeared”. The bright ringing piano and Cox’s cheery vocal performance contrast with the dark lyrics about the death of blue collar work in America.

The crowd erupted into a frenzy of cheers as soon as “Helicopter” started. Soaring guitar chords string while echoing piano bubbles around it as Cox sings. Samples of bubbles bursting drop in intermittently, while soft drums play in the background. The hypnotic tune had the audience in a trance.

“Revival” sparked up the audience’s attention immediately after, with Cox crooning about his religious upbringing. “On the third day I felt his presence near me,” he cries out on the first verse.

The strong backing drums and plucky guitars

follow Cox’s vocals throughout the song.

The concert wasn’t without any breaks to catch your breath. A couple times throughout the show, Cox finished up and engaged with the audience, telling them about his appreciation for Fontaines DC and questioned why more bands don’t have women members.

He recalled Deerhunter’s past gigs at Whelan’s early in their career, and how the stage had been so much bigger when they were younger. He was disappointed that he didn’t have as much room on stage for what he called “my moves”, but still loved the place anyways.

A highlight of the show was during “Futurism”, when Cox had the band attempt to play the song left-handed instead of right-handed. He even made the keyboard player, Javier Morales, stand with his back to the crowd to play the keyboard the wrong way around. Needless to say, after two failed attempts they switched back and played the song normally.

To end the show they performed the much loved “He Would Have Laughed”, the closer of “Halcyon Digest”. Not content with the base version, they played an extended version that blew the roof off and encaptured the audience.

They did, however, return for an encore after a few minutes to play “Nothing Ever Happened”.

The song was dedicated to the late Josh Fauver, who was a longtime member of the band who left in 2012. He passed away on November 2nd 2018, and they played it because Fauver wrote it while he was still a member.

The show was a phenomenal one, with a setlist absolutely stacked with some of Deerhunter’s best songs to date.

Jesus is King album review

Eamon Goonan looks at Kanye West’s latest album “Jesus is King”, proving a dramatic shift in music style for the rap artist

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anye’s irrefutable egoism impedes his artistic focus on his new gospelinspired album, “Jesus is King”.

Kanye delivers his highly ‌ anticipated ninth album, following an exceptionally prolific 2018.

Last year saw Kanye return to production, providing instrumentals for several successful hip-hop records, such as the widely celebrated “Daytona” by Pusha T. He also paired up with protégé Kid Cudi for one of the standout records of the year, “Kids See Ghosts”, and topped off the year with his eighth solo effort, “Ye”.

Despite each of these projects lasting approximately 20 minutes, in the holistic sense they constituted an impressive artistic marathon for one of modern music’s most inventive minds.

This musical streak proved quite astonishing, as it required Kanye to maintain artistic focus despite being perpetually scrutinised under the public eye.

Kanye’s bipolar disorder became apparent after a series of unhinged interviews, the surprising embrace of Trump and Candace Owens.

“Jesus is King”, like Kanye’s other recent efforts, maintains the feeling of being borne out of this chaos; however, it fails to leave a similarly satisfying imprint.

The release of “Jesus is King” came as a surprise, as it is the product of an abrupt change in artistic direction. Kanye scrapped his album conception 4| the college view The Hype

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This musical streak proved quite astonishing, as it required Kanye to maintain artistic focus despite being perpetually scrutinised under the public eye

“Yandhi” after months of promotion, deciding to make a more pious approach to his latest work.

Unfortunately, this hurried readjustment in artistic focus results in a cumbersome dichotomy of gospel and rap. With Kanye’s embrace of Christianity, as well as his famed weekly Sunday Service performances, one must ask: Why wasn’t this album the plan all along?

Despite the deeply religious tone of this album, the pious expressions of this album fail to maintain the narrative of religious adoration; instead proving to be a new lens for Kanye to communicate his personal faith through.

Although Kanye references Jesus a multitude of times on this LP, even going as far to avoid swearing altogether, I believe the subtext of this album speaks more on Kanye’s mental health than any religious topics. In an expedient fashion, Kanye seems to use his faith as an instrument to indulge in his persecution complex.

The track “Hands On” is proof of Kanye’s inability to stop his ego impeding discourse of the supposed topic at hand. While the track contains impressive sonic textures, such as heavily manipulated vocals and icy synth swells, the reductive lyrics seem to break the fourth wall as

Kanye refutes criticism of his artistic shift to gospel rap.

Kanye goes as far as to draw parallels between the public disapproval of his actions and the betrayal and mistreatment of Jesus Christ on the track “Salah”, which is subjectively one of the superior cuts on this LP. The track features chilling organs, harmonious choirs and climactic instrumentation.

The track “Use This Gospel” is also worthy of mention, featuring an unorthodox saxophone solo from Kenny G. The track also serves as a platform for the reunion of Clipse, a duo comprised of Pusha T and his brother.

Though the remainder of the album features many miscalculated lyrics (cough cough: “Closed on Sunday”) and lacking thematic structures, elements of certain songs shine through, such as the groove on “Follow God”, the shiny keyboards on “On God”, and Ty Dolla Signs vocal harmonies on “Everything we Need”.

“Jesus is King” proves to be a strange, pivotal creative crossroad for Kanye; does this album serve as a sluggish turn in the right direction for Kanye, or are we facing the demise of Kanye West’s career?

Music

Earl Sweatshirt leaves fans wanting more with latest album release Peter O’Neill on Earl Sweatshirt’s most recent album drop

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t’s difficult to pin down where Earl Sweatshirt belongs in 2019’s music scene.

His critically acclaimed album,”Some Rap Songs”, from last year was a departure from his earlier more mainstream efforts, featuring few hooks and more introspective streams of consciousness over abrasive production.

This year he returns with “Feet Of Clay”, a seven-track project that clocks in at a mere 15 minutes, which follows the recent trend of shorter albums in hip-hop. Like his last album, this release deals with themes of loss, addiction and isolation, rapping again about the death of his father, a theme which dominated his previous album.

Sweatshirt’s appeal is honesty and emotion delivered with energy over mind-bending production. It’s not hip-hop that will have top 10 singles like Travis Scott or Drake, or even Kendrick Lamar. It’s pure spoken word that leaves you emotionally exhausted in the best possible way.

It’s a long way from the thrilling yet juvenile early Odd Future releases. Much like his fellow Future alumni Tyler, The Creator, Sweatshirt has grown a lot from the days of Eminem inspired ‘horrorcore’.

This is likely down to the effects of maturity.

When his first mixtape ‘Earl’ was released in 2010, he had just turned 16 years old the month before. Hailing from Chicago with a South African background, the rapper is no longer a teenager, but a man in his mid-twenties trying to deal with substance abuse and the loss of his father in the

only way he knows; through his music.

The main criticism that stands out for this album is simply that it’s too short to make an impact. It’s barely even long enough to meet the criteria for what was considered an EP in the days of physical releases. The songs are delivered well, the lyrics have substance behind them, but when you release something that takes less time to play than an oven pizza takes to cook, your audience is bound to be left feeling a little unfulfilled.

However, as with any artist, what your fans think is slightly less important than how you feel about your own work. Essentially, creative satisfaction is the main objective, and I’m sure Sweatshirt is perfectly happy with his first release on Warner’s record label.

The standout song on this release is ‘East’, a track delivered over an eerie accordion sample that unnerves the listener, while Earl raps about sticking to his own path and leaving his history in Odd Future behind. Its two-minute running time actually adds to the song by allowing room for the message behind the words to be delivered without becoming pretentious.

Ultimately, it’s suspected that this will prove a mere taster for a much longer release next year by the rapper. A more fleshed out, fuller release would certainly be welcome considering how good this project already is.

Nirvana’s “MTV Unplugged” album stand the test of time Róisín Phelan looks back on the legacy of Nirvana 25 years after the MTV Unplugged album release

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irvana released their “MTV Unplugged in New York” live album 25-years-ago, and to this day it has remained a reminder of the legacy of the band.

The album was originally recorded at Sony Music Studios on November 18th, 1993 and aired as part of the television series MTV Unplugged.

When the band eventually released it a year later on November 4th, 1994 it debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. It was the first album released after the death of their guitarist and front man, Kurt Cobain, and struck a chord with fans of the American rock band.

The combination of MTV and Nirvana was one that raised eyebrows to begin with but the pairing went on to pleasantly surprise onlookers.

The album continued on to be certified platinum five times over in the US by 1997, and won a Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album the same year but accolades are not what makes it so memorable to fans.

The album was strikingly different to anything Nirvana had released. It was mostly acoustic and it included performances of lesser known songs and even covers of other artists’ music.

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The MTV Unplugged album is Nirvana in its absolute rawest form

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The main criticism that stands out for this album is simply that it’s too short to make an impact

According to band member Dave Grohl, this was a conscious decision made by Nirvana.

“We’d seen the other Unplugged’s and didn’t like many of them, because most bands would treat them like rock shows—play their hits like it was Madison Square Garden, except with acoustic guitars.”

This decision made for more of an intimate viewing and listening for fans.

Nirvana fan and final year multimedia student Hayden Guy Nguyen said the album was Nirvana’s best work.

“For me the MTV Unplugged album is Nirvana in its absolute rawest form. Nothing is lost from the change from electric to acoustic guitars and in fact something might actually be gained,” Nguyen said.

“It’s an album with distinct emotion and storytelling elements and you can feel the turmoil in Cobain’s voice as he sings. This is the Nirvana album that people who aren’t used to listening to Nirvana can listen to, and for the Nirvana fans, it’s something entirely different.”

This unplugged album seems to have stood the

test of time and continues to be enjoyed by fans to this day.

As Nguyen said, the album offers an easy method of listening for those who are new to the band’s music and offers an emotional journey and reminder to those who have been fans for longer.

In the footage of the recording of the album, a different side of Cobain is displayed.

Instead of seeing the hardcore, angry, rock icon, viewers see a soulful and pained lyricist.

This image of Cobain is one that transcends through to the audio recordings and it is fair to say that it is the point of difference that has allowed this album to remain so powerful and meaningful.

This footage released before Cobain’s death, separate to the album gave a sense of hope to many Nirvana fans, who at the time had worries about his health and well being.

In a recent Rolling Stones article David Browne wrote: “Whatever demons were circling him, Kurt Cobain was in total control on a night that showed what his future could have been.”

In its 25th anniversary, MTV Unplugged in New York is still held with prestige by critics and is respected as a cornerstone of the bands lifespan. the college view The Hype |5

Film &TV House of The Dragon, a Game of Thrones spin off Roisin Maguire looks ahead to the awaited Game of Thrones prequel

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f you are still suffering from post Game of Thrones blues, then fear no more.

Casey Bloys, the programming chief of HBO has announced that there will be a Game of Thrones prequel series called “House of the Dragon”. However, this will likely only hit our screens in 2021.

This comes after the “Thrones” prequel series was announced to not be moving forward on HBO. This series was intended to detail issues of power, race and introduce white walkers 1000 years before Game of Thrones.

This spin-off series will focus on House Targaryen 300 years before the actual events that we have all seen in Game of Thrones. This means that the Mad King who was constantly brought up in Game of Thrones may feature in the new prequel.

The series was written by Ryan Condal and will also be based on the book “Fire and Blood” by George R.R Martin. Condal is known for writing and producing Hercules, Colony and Rampage.

The series will have 10 episodes in total and will

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hat’s life like in the apocalypse?

According to “Daybreak”, it’s like a mash-up between Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Mad Max. Netflix’s latest teenage series, released on October 24th is a comedic post-apocalyptic story that combines a teen drama and a gory horror film.

The series is based on a series of graphic novels with the same name by Brian Ralph, who has had cartoons in the New York Times. Although, it appears that the TV show has little in common with its original novel beyond the basic plot line.

In this post-apocalyptic world, a biological weapon has wiped out all the adults. Any that were left behind have been turned into ghoulies.

Ghoulies are zombie-like creatures that eat human flesh and constantly repeat the last sentence they were thinking before the explosion.

“I should cancel my Facebook account. It’s too divisive.” and “Is it La Croy or is it La Croix” mumble some of the Ghoulies as they stumble around in search of someone to eat.

This has left all the children and teenagers under the age of 18 alone without anybody to guide them. All the rules that used to define their lives have gone out the window.

Josh Wheeler (Colin Ford) leads us around this post-apocalyptic world.

He lives in the town of Glendale in Los Angeles, depicted as arid, desert-like suburbia it gives the show a perfect Mad Max backdrop.

6| the college view The Hype

be directed by Miguel Sapochnik who directed many of the Games of Thrones episodes. Sapochnik received an Emmy award for his directing of the “Battle of the Bastards” episode in season six.

This new series will depict Daenary’s ancestors and how they fought through a civil war. According to The Verge, the reason why HBO wanted to push forward “House of the Dragon” was because the “established story [was] penned by Martin to serve as a backbone for the story”. The plan is to have this series act as a lead up to Martins “Dance of Dragons”.

However, everyone knows that Game of Thrones was rich in constant drama, so naturally some people may have their doubts about whether or not this spin-off was necessary or if it will live up to what viewers have already seen.

Casey Bloys said that the show will focus on the early years of Westeros so this isn’t much to go on in terms of action however fans can expect dragon battles unless they are flown into the path of Night King’s swords.

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This spin-off series will focus on House Targaryen 300 years before the actual events that we have all seen in Game of Thrones

Life in the apocalypse is just what you would expect in Netflix’s “Daybreak” Aoibhín Meghen devles into the apocalyptic world of “Daybreak” Josh is a self-proclaimed outsider, introducing himself to everyone he meets as “Just Josh”.

Unfortunately, this means that his character meets almost every trait of a stereotypical misunderstood, white male hero.

He is all alone in the apocalypse, unlike all the other teenagers who have divided into social clans such as, Jocks, Cheermazons and STEM Punks. Josh’s mission is to find Sam Dean (Sophie Simnett), the girl he is completely infatuated with.

On his journey, Josh reluctantly joins forces with 10-year-old child genius Angelica and jock turned Samurai pacifist Wesley.

The story although not particularly clever or original is a fun watch.

References to cult classics such as Ferris Beuller’s Day Off (the show even includes Matthew Broderick as Glendale’s school principal) and Star

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It seems as though somebody should have told the show’s creators that less is more

Martin also revealed that the prequel had been in development or the last six years and that he was disappointed that HBO didn’t proceed with the other spin-off series.

Since the announcement of “House of the Dragon”, George R. R Martin said that his main priority is to finish “The Winds of Winter” and has promised not to write scripts for the new prequel.

Martin told The Guardian that he wishes for “more hours in the day” to finish writing the book.

“A Dream of Spring” is also still yet to be written however he tried to stay ahead of the filming of the series to have an ending written for the Game of Thrones but it caused him a great deal of stress.

Martin also refuses to talk about certain things, such as the ending of the Game of Thrones and when “Winds of Winter” will be finished so it is safe to say that Martin has his doubts about the ending but hopefully he will be pleased with the new prequel.

Wars are scattered throughout.

Although at times it feels as though they are forced in to make the show appear clever.

This could also be said for the character of Sam Dean. She is the classic girl next door, the most liked person in Glendale. Sam even describes herself as “the human sorting hat” when she meets Josh on his first day in Glendale.

Her character is outspoken and opinionated. She is designed to challenge the damsel in distress label that Josh puts on her throughout the series in his mission to “save Sam”.

However her feminist musings, which are supposed to appear profound, about a patriarchal society where men treat women as objects for their admiration, completely miss the mark.

It seems as though somebody should have told the show’s creators (Brad Peyton and Aron Eli Coleite) that less is more.

Sam’s statements are blunt and cliche, Peyton and Coliete tell the audience about these unequal gender roles instead of showing them.

Perhaps Josh Wheeler and his quest to rescue a girl is not what this series should have focused on.

This is certainly clear when the episodes from Wesley and Angelica’s point of view prove to be more creative and a much more interesting watch.

The series does, however, do a few things very well. Despite its leading man, it is extremely inclusive, talking about issues relating to gender equality, race, sexuality, and disability.

It is not an incredibly intellectual piece but that’s not what it is supposed to be. It’s a story about teenagers, written for teenagers.

There is a lot of fun within the storyline, making it an easy watch. If you are looking for something lighthearted then this is certainly a series for you.

TV & Gaming

Watchmen mirrors the brutal reality of the US political landscape

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Lucien Waugh-Daly reviews HBO’s “Watchmen”

stensibly a remix rather than direct adaptation of Alan Moore’s iconic 1987 comic, HBO’s “Watchmen” offers a contemporary political perspective on one of the core texts of modern superhero fiction, introducing a largely new cast of characters into a universe that seems all too close to reality while humming with an air of the fantastical.

The series is only three episodes in at the time of writing, yet already it feels like the most sophisticated and surprising piece of comic-book filmmaking since Christopher Nolan’s “Dark Knight” movies.

Created by Damon Lindelof, the screenwriting riddler behind “Lost” and “The Leftovers” and one of the last truly imaginative storytellers working in mainstream Hollywood, “Watchmen” establishes an alternative present where nobody has a mobile phone or ever references the internet.

The show’s US President, Robert Redford, has introduced slave reparations for African-American descendants, police wear masks to remain anonymous but cannot access firearms except under special conditions, and an array of cartoonish vigilantes aid the authorities in crushing white supremacist terrorism.

Our entry point into this strange vision of America is Regina King’s Angela, a married mother in Tulsa, Oklahoma who operates under cover of darkness as violent vigilante Sister Night.

Angela is descended from victims of the 1921

“Black Wall Street Massacre” - a real Tulsa race riot that caused the murders of up to 300 black people and is one of the single darkest chapters in the history of American racial conflict.

The first episode of “Watchmen” opens on the day of that event, one of an assortment of historical elements Lindelof and his team of writers have drawn upon to build the rich tapestry of social context the show draws from.

Where the original comics touched on the Vietnam war and the atomic age via the character of Dr. Manhattan, Lindelof’s Watchmen is more concerned with the reemergence of white supremacy that has dominated the news over the past few years and reached a horrific new level with the 2017 killing of Heather Heyer in Charlottesville.

A sense of underlying dread runs throughout the early episodes as the “Seventh Kavalry [sic]”, appropriating both KKK imagery and Watchmen’s iconic Rorschach mask, demonstrate a series of attacks and are hunted by Angela and her fellow enforcers.

It’s refreshing to see a creator apply such urgent modern tonality to the concept of the comic-book hero: for all of the endless superhero movies that come and go every year, few make an effort to grapple with what heroism and “the battle of good versus evil” really mean in an American era of rising police brutality and hate crimes.

“Watchmen” does exactly this, posing a number of compelling questions while simultaneously

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It’s refreshing to see a creator apply such urgent modern tonality to the concept of the comic-book hero

satisfying the enormous audience nostalgia for the original brand: easter eggs and allusions to old characters feature aplenty.

At a time when so much Hollywood IP regurgitation treats the audience as stupid, Lindelof is making a show that demands the viewer to put down their phone and pay close attention. “Watchmen”. Watch closely.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare brings revival of single-player mode to gaming

Sarah Barrett examines the latest launch in the Call of Duty game franchise

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all of Duty is a familiar title to avid fans of the gaming world.

Call of Duty first hit the gaming industry in 2003 when the first installment of the series was centrally themed around World War II. Since then, Infinity Ward have gone on to create 15 more games including the sub-series Modern Warfare, a first person shooter game.

The franchise has generated close to €16 billion in sales since it was introduced to the gaming market, with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 being the bestseller.

The newly released update of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare has been met with mixed reviews since it’s release on October 25th for Xbox, PC and Playstation. Users can now play across all platforms in online multiplayer mode.

Some users were angered on critic website Metacritic over the single player portrayal of the Russian military which is leaving many users annoyed over the depiction. Other players have accused the developers of being divisive and have claimed that they are attempting to rewrite history.

When designing the narrative and campaign of the game, developers Infinity Ward drew influence from the conflict in Syria and the terrorist attacks in London.

The game is in a modern and realistic setting

around the fictitious country Urzikstan. With missions in the game moving slowly while further enhancing the player experience with newly added weapons to inventory.

In this installment of the game, in a desperate mission, Captain Prince and the SAS partner alongside the CIA and Urzikstani Liberation Force attempt to retrieve stolen chemical weapons. With gameplay taking the fight to various locations including the Middle East and London.

Gaming critics have noted that the game is no match for its predecessors and has terrible maps.

With the longer a player plays the new release, the least satisfied they are with the maps in the game.

Multi-player experience is different to other releases in the franchise because of the addition of new maps. Gamers have noted online that for new players starting off with this Call of Duty, it provides a bit of background story for some characters. With multi-player mode being overall intensive and effective.

The single player mode in this one is the single player revival that seasoned game players have been waiting for. One gaming Youtuber even going as far as saying that “unlike Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 single player mode doesn’t work in comparison to the 2019 update.”

Modern Warfare does pay its dues to the original game. The visuals and in gaming

“ environment are realistic of war, although the narrative is fictitious. There are a variety of modes depending on users preferred choice or taste.

Infinity Ward have raised their standard. With the now additional bonus of gamers being able to play with friends across platforms. Having played one of the older Black Ops, the new release makes it feel rather old school now.

Compared to past installments and despite the controversy, Modern Warfare appears to be a promising play.

When designing the narrative and campaign of the game, developers Infinity Ward drew influence from the conflict in Syria and the terrorist attacks in London

the college view The Hype |7

Art

Art

Creating culture with illustrator, Stephen Heffernan

Áine O’Boyle interviews Stephen Heffernan on life as an artist in Dublin

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he Dublin-based designer, illustrator and creative that is bringing cultural Irish references and social issues to life through his work.

Stephen Heffernan, better known under the pseudonym of Hephee, can be easily found through his distinguishable Instagram page, adorned with simple but effective illustrations of everything from satirical jokes to Irish cultural references.

The illustrator originally studied multimedia in the Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT) with his love for drawing as a child creating a drive within him to learn how to produce art with technology.

Within this course a lot of the focus lay on the production of websites and upon graduation, Stephen realised that he wanted to avert his attention towards design processes.

“I realised towards the end of my time in college though that I was a lot more into the design side of things so I knew I wanted to jump into that headfirst when I graduated.” he said.

On producing illustrations, Stephen found that his greatest inspiration came from talking to people.

8| the college view The Hype

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Social media platforms are an incredible tool for artists to avail of, particularly if you are unable to attend an art college or haven’t grown up within artistic circles.

“Chatting to people, listening to podcasts or talks, even just overhearing conversations on the bus can lead to new ideas from nowhere.” he said.

According to Stephen, the heavy Irish influence on much of his work comes simply from living here and being ingrained in the culture itself.

“A lot of my work is satirical or based on little jokes but I like the idea of representing different aspects of Ireland in my work that’s outside of things you might find in places like Carroll’s,” he said.

With the majority of his illustrations being made available via Instagram, Stephen notes that social media platforms are an incredible tool for artists to avail of, particularly if you are unable to attend an art college or haven’t grown up within artistic circles.

“I’ve met so many other artists through Instagram from being able to instantly connect with them through their work.

“Earlier this year I was working with an agency from California because someone in the agency had randomly followed my work and thought I suited the job,” he said.

Stephen commenced his creative career in Dublin and notes that the city is “a bit of a weird one at the moment.”

According to the illustrator, at times it can feel as though Dublin is “a city that doesn’t love you back,” Despite Dublin’s “cultural drain” that has came to the forefront of the media and political landscapes, Stephen feels that within a small city like Dublin it’s easy to get in touch with people running exhibitions or collectives and to get involved.

Stephen himself is involved in a collective under

the name of “Peachy Dublin”. He stated that the collective began four or five years ago, originally intended to be a single weekend event but was so well received that they decided to keep it going.

Their first exhibition was carried out over three days in the Temple Bar Art Gallery and featured the work of around 45 artists.

“None of us had any idea what we were doing and literally so many friends and strangers from the creative community came out to help us put it together,” he said.

According to Stephen, the creative industry can be a tough one to break into but there is most definitely a place for everyone.

“In the interview for almost every job I’ve ever had they want to see what I’ve been working on in my own time.

“Having a personal interest in what you do is so important. Anyone can learn to mock up some work on a billboard but it’s a lot more exciting when somebody shows personality in their work,” he said.

Lifestyle

The benefits of turmeric

Roisín Maguire explains the health benefits of the Asian spice

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ike many Asian spices, turmeric is also known to have many health benefits and has been used as a form of traditional medicine.

Turmeric comes from a flowering plant in India and other parts of southeast Asia.

Turmeric is what gives curry its yellow colour and it can also be used as an anti-inflammatory.

Many cultures in Asia have been using turmeric in cooking, religion and for medicinal purposes such as treating cuts, improving circulation and some say that it can prevent Alzheimer and cancer.

Turmeric contains a compound called curcumin, which has anti-inflammatory properties, according to New York City-based dietitian Natalie Rizzo.

This could benefit a range of chronic inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, heart disease and depression which has been linked to inflammation in the brain.

A research team in Washington State University have conducted a study curcumin in turmeric can inhibit bone cancer cells while promoting the growth of healthy bones. This is because

inflammation in a factor in tumour progression therefore if you take away the inflammation, this slows down the growth of cancer.

This could lead to turmeric drugs being used to treat osteosarcoma in young children because it is one of the most common cancers in children.

However, one person may see great benefits of a certain drug and another may not notice any change as each person is different.

The Indian population has a lower rate of cancer which can be linked to the consumption of turmeric curcumin however these people consume turmeric everyday of their lives and therefore a person who only begins taking turmeric in their 30’s or 40’s will not reduce their risk of cancer as much. Taking turmeric in high doses does speed up the process wither and can have an even worse effect on your body.

There are only a number of small scale tests that have been conducted to test the effectiveness of turmeric and some test results have found that arthritis patients have little to no improvements and others have noticed a lot of improvements. Since

Bleach London review

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The Indian population has a lower rate of cancer which can be linked to the consumption of turmeric curcumin

Béibhinn Thorsch reviews the cruelty free and sustainable brand

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leach London is a cruelty free, vegan, sustainably aware, cool as hell hair (and now makeup) brand based in the UK and available online and in Boots here in Ireland. The brand’s image is edgy and cool but still safe and inviting for a newcomer to the hair-colouring world.

While the company of course has a wild range of hair colours and products to choose from, it would be misguided to not firstly mention the product which their name is representative of – bleach.

Bleach, or “lightener”, is available through three different kits by Bleach London. These are “Plex Bleach”, “Total Bleach”, and “No Bleach Bleach”.

The brand also sell their own coconut mixing bowls suitable to use with all their hair products.

They have ditched the throw-away plastic bowl usually provided in hair kits in a move to be more sustainable. Their kits contain the product as well as a hair mask to prevent as much damage as possible once your treatment is finished.

The “Total Bleach” and “No Bleach Bleach” kits cost less £8 on the Bleach London website, which is more affordable than the Boots website price of nearly €11. The “Plex Bleach” kit interestingly costs less (€10.50) than the other kits on the Boots website, but costs more (£11) than the others on the Bleach London website.

“Total Bleach” is a standard, strong box bleach, while the “No Bleach Bleach” is more of a gentle lightener for hair that doesn’t need to turn white for the desired result. The “Plex Bleach” kit contains added protection for the hair.

It’s not as strong as “Total Bleach” but this is, of course, because it is giving at least a little mercy to your hair in the process.

The “Total Bleach” is extremely effective, lightening hair by leaps and bounds in only half an hour. The addition of the after-care sachets in the kits is a nice touch – but will not do much for hair that is particularly thick or long.

You will also need to purchase multiple boxes of the stuff, just to be safe, if you have above-average hair thickness. Luckily the products are not on too high of a scale for their quality, and this isn’t unmanageable as an option.

Onto the hair colour range and quality.

Bleach London hair colours come in an unboxed black bottle with a label that shows the name of the colour (usually something witty or fun) and a true

these studies were so small (between 25 to 50 people) this weakens the strength of the evidence even if every person showed a small improvement.

For example, Professor Manohar Garg, director of the nutraceuticals research program at the University of Newcastle said: “It’s very powerful, the most powerful food I know of, for fighting inflammation in the body” However, there are some side effects to taking turmeric. Taking too much turmeric can result in diarrhoea and nausea. The average Indian diet can consume 2.5g of turmeric per day and some studies have found that a person with colon cancer can safely consume 3.6g per day.

It is safe to say that turmeric should not be thought of as a means of treating or preventing cancer just yet but it can still be enjoyed in everyday cooking.

A healthy diet and lifestyle is one of the biggest factors in cancer prevention.

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The brand also sell their own coconut mixing bowls suitable to use with all their hair products

version of the colour in its purest form.

The bottles contain the colour premixed, and it comes out reasonably well once shook.

Offering a wide variety of shades marketed directly at millenials, with plenty going for that “washed out” look, the colours are affordable as well as pigmented. The Bleach London website also offers bundle-deals.

You can get three colours as they are, for a discounted rate, or you can avail of one of their pre-packaged bundles for creating the hair of your dreams from the comfort of your own bathroom.

Their makeup follows the same mindset as the rest of the products – a mix and match style to fit the look you want instead of one curated for you. For the price, their makeup products have received high praise but have not risen above more popular and slightly more expensive products. Their at-home hair kits, however are unrivaled for ease, originality, and affordability.

the college view The Hype |9

Lifestyle

Razor brand “Billie’s” Movember campaign Róisín Phelan talks about the women who will be growing out their facial hair this November

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azor brand “Billie” announced a new campaign on October 29th in aid of Movember to show that women have facial hair.

Billie designs razors and shaving products aimed specifically at women.

Movember is an annual charitable event that takes place in November to raise awareness for male health issues including mental health, prostate and testicular cancer.

With their campaign Billie aim to support the cause of Movember by promoting it to its consumers and by setting up a donation on the Movember website where it promises to match all donations made, up to $50,000.

To launch the campaign the brand released a promotional video including women of all shapes and sizes. In the video the women announced that, “women have moustaches too.”

The video states that women go through a lot to hide their moustaches and depicts women waxing, shaving and treating their top lips.

The women state that they are done hiding say that this Movember, they will be growing out their moustaches alongside their male counterparts.

“Cause a stache is a stache and we shouldn’t let our perfectly good ones go to waste,” one woman says.

“Shaving companies have always been created for men which may explain why we’re still overpaying for women’s razors and referred to as goddesses for shaving,” Billie claims.

Billie says they aim to make shaving more affordable and enjoyable for women saying: “Women shouldn’t be an afterthought in the shaving category. We deserve to have a great shave and no; we’re not paying more for it.”

Billie’s razors currently cost nine American dollars.

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e live in a society where body positivity and self-love takes over our social media feeds every day. However, for some, accepting their bodies is simply not that easy, no matter how hard they try. While the term ‘Body Positivity’ blew up in recent years and has been loved by many, there was still something missing in the concept for others, so much so that they turned to ‘Body Neutrality’ instead.

Body neutrality- a term that came about in 2015, but what does it mean exactly? Well, let’s break it down a bit. Basically, the idea is to think less about what your body looks like, and more along the lines of what it is capable of. It allows you to focus on respecting your body for what it is, while not giving too much energy to negative or even positive thoughts towards your bodies appearance.

Confused yet? Is this not ‘Body Positivity’ you ask yourself. Let’s break it down a bit more.

Body positivity is the belief that we love and have a positive body image towards ourselves, regardless of societies beauty ideals. It is about completely embracing your body and loving every part of it. While this self-love movement has had a powerful impact on some, for others it wasn’t so simple. Those with disabilities, trans women and women of colour felt as though ‘Body Positivity’ was never really an option for them.

Body neutrality, on the other hand, allows you to not be completely in love with your body and acknowledges that that’s okay. For some, it is a stepping stone on the journey to self-love, for 10| the college view The Hype

The removal of women’s body hair is task that is normalised in western society.

A vast majority of women engage in it in some regard. According to a study done by Statista, 89 per cent of women in the UK reported removing their body hair during 2016.

However, the removal of facial hair, or even the acceptance that women have facial hair is not as accepted.

“Women can be incredibly embarrassed over facial hair. And it’s all relative to that person,” said owner of Waxperts, an Irish hair removal company, Ellen Kavanagh Jones.

Although all women have some degree of hair on their face, it varies widely depending on a variety of things. For example, the condition hirsutism can affect one to three Irish women in every twenty before menopause.

According to the HSE the condition causes excessive hair growth on areas including the upper lip and chin.

It is caused by, “an excess amount of androgens (male sex hormones), or an increased sensitivity to androgens. In most cases, this is caused by polycystic ovary syndrome (a condition that causes cysts in the ovaries and a number of other symptoms).

Data editor for the Guardian US Mona Chalabi wrote in one article, “The removal of facial hair is just as paradoxical – the pressure to do it is recognized by many women as a stupid social norm and yet they strictly follow it. Because these little whiskers represent the most basic rules of the patriarchy – to ignore them is to jeopardize your reputation, even your dignity.

Billie intends on continuing to highlight the importance of women being comfortable with their body and facial hair, whether that is by shaving, or growing out their moustaches.

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The brand also sell their own coconut mixing bowls suitable to use with all their hair products

Body neutrality is the new body positivity

Anja Zauers outlines how body positivity is out and body neutrality is in

others, it is quite simply their final destination.

While this concept has been around for quite some time, it has recently resurfaced thanks to certain celebrities such as actress Jameela Jamil advocating for the movement. In an interview with ‘Glamour’, she told them ‘Imagine just not thinking about your body. You’re not hating it. You’re not loving it. You’re just a floating head’.

Jameela also took to her Instagram account to promote the ‘I Weigh’ movement which she set up in March of last year. The movement focuses on ‘radical inclusivity’ and encourages women to combat self-hatred in order for them to see that their worth goes far beyond their body and what they weigh.

Singer Taylor Swift also showed her support for the movement in a recent interview with Apple Music Beats, where she praised Jameela for her ‘Body neutrality’ advocacy.

“We have amazing women out there like Jameela Jamil saying, ‘I’m not trying to spread body positivity. I’m trying to spread body neutrality where I can sit here and not think about what my body is looking like.’”

Ultimately, the aim of ‘Body neutrality’ is to allow people to recognise that we are more than our bodies and by encouraging people to spend less time thinking about their bodies they are freeing up their mental headspace for more important things.

Sounds as though to me that ‘Body neutrality ‘has become the new ‘Body positivity’ and I’m all for it.

Lifestyle

VSCO girls are the latest trend taking over Instagram Beth Molloy explains the new social media trend that has replaced UGG Boots and pumpkin spice.

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one are the days of the Basic White Girl strutting around in her UGG boots sipping nonchalantly on her Starbucks pumpkin spiced latte. You probably remember her, in fact you might have even been her. Well she’s old news now. In her place is the VSCO Girl with a scrunchy in her hair, her Birkenstocks on her feet and a Hydro Flask in hand for the world to see.

Trying to identify one? Well she’s probably sporting an over sized t-shirt and layers of bracelets on her arms, and don’t forget the pukka-shell necklace on her neck. She carries her Fjallraven backpack on her back with her metal straw, and her disposable camera is always at the ready to snap that perfect sunset pic.

A VSCO-girl is typically a young white woman who is social media obsessed and more than likely relatively rich. The VSCO-girl lifestyle doesn’t come cheap, according to Fox Business it costs in the region of $229.89 (that’s €205.40) to secure just the basics of the VSCO-girl lifestyle.

Launched in 2011, VSCO (pronounced visco) is a photo editing app that allows its users to share to other apps, including Instagram. The app features “powerful presents and editing tools” that allow the user to enhance their photos and videos.

VSCO boasts about 20 million weekly active users, most of whom are under the age of 25.

Originally the term VSCO Girl started out as a way to describe a young woman who used the photo app. However, it soon became a term used for girls who are considered to be a conformist to the standards set on social media, making them ‘basic’.

The term emerged for one of the first times in a video published on YouTube in January by Greer Jones. In this video Jones documents her mock ‘transition’ to a VSCO-girl.

She sarcastically introduced the video by saying “Today I’m going to be trying to become a VSCOgirl, because that’s my life goal, you know, I’m not focusing on college, not focusing on my grades, because that’s irrelevant.”

Ever hear someone “sksksk” or “I oop” before and wonder what does that mean? Well these terms are synonymous with the VSCO-girl. Urban Dictionary defines “sksksk” as a “phrase a basic white girl makes when she drops her Hyrdo Flask.”

“I oop” on the other hand, is used to acknowledge a mistake.

This vernacular adopted by the VSCO-girl however has its origins in the black community on Twitter. Drag queen Jasmine Masters is credited with coining the phrase “I oop”.

Being a VSCO-girl is all about the ~aesthetic~ and a quick search of “VSCO girl” on Youtube will bring you to a rabbit hole of VSCO-girl inspired room makeovers and tips and tricks on how to perfect the art of becoming a true VSCO-girl.

There’s even VSCO-girl inspired dates.

Interested in trying the trend? Check out Hannah Meloche on VSCO and Instagram for some guidance. With over 1.7 million followers on Instagram, she’s a good place to start to get some inspiration.

On her accounts you’ll find all the traits of an

authentic VSCO- girl. Pictures of her oat milk coffee, over sized t-shirts, Mario Badescu facial sprays and scrunchies every colour of the rainbow.

She’s got it all.

But you better act quick. Like all things on social media the VSCO-girl’s days are undoubtedly numbered. It’s only a matter of time before someone younger, cooler and more social media savvy replaces them. Then they’ll join the basic white girl in the pile of all the other social media lifestyle trends left for dust.

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Ever hear someone “sksksk” or “I oop” before and wonder what does that mean?

Religion and young people in a modern world Róisín Cullen explores the complex role of religion in young people’s lives

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anye West has recently switched his attention from the red hat wearing leader of the “Free” World to a different kind of controversial figurehead, God. “If I talk about God my record won’t get played.” Kanye’s lyrics in his 2004 hit “Jesus Walks” have since proven to be far from the truth. “Jesus is King” currently tops the Gospel charts and holds steady as the number 1 Top Christian album.

Kanye follows peers Elvis Presley and Calvin Broadus Jr. (Snoop Dog) in his brave journey from the popular charts towards the spiritual side of music.

As a member of perhaps the most influential family of the Instagram era, the self-proclaimed “number one human being in music” has the ability to hold the public’s attention and perhaps to be the modern day Messiah he feels he was born to be. He boasts far more power than the disciples of old.

“The Bible had 20, 30, 40, 50 characters in it. You don’t think that I would be one of the characters of today’s modern bible?” said Kanye.

The popularity of “Jesus is King” presents us with the age old question- Is there a place for religion in a modern day world?

A quiet baptism in an ancient Armenian church does of course have the power to gain millions of likes. However many young people have found alternative solutions to the religions they were christened into.

Now a lot of people choose modern spirituality, mindfulness or have simply navigated their own way to meaning in what can often feel like a meaningless world.

However, others choose to return to the traditional way of doing things, in a time when religion can often be more shocking than atheism.

Perhaps the difference between this new generation of Catholics and the regular mass going generation before them is their exposure to other

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The popularity of “Jesus is King” presents us with the age old questionIs there a place for religion in a modern day world?

world religions and their ability to research and question rather than adhere to a belief because of societal pressure.

Emma Byrne, age 21, stressed the importance of research and working on one’s own personal relationship with God. “I’ve believed in God for most of my life, but didn’t actively pursue a relationship with him until I turned 16. I realised that if I’m calling myself a ‘Catholic’, I should probably look into Catholicism and see what it actually entails.

I looked into other faiths too, and examined different belief systems.

Kanye considers his religious faith his most valuable asset during times of trouble- most publicly naming Jesus as his escape route from a life tainted by a sex addiction.

For many religion has always been seen as a comforting constant in times of personal grief and turmoil. Eoin Walsh, 21, feels that every young person can benefit from simply “talking to God” and taking a moment of silence in a noisy world. “[It] allows me to connect with people who I have lost in the past like my father and my grandparents and this I find has really helped me through times when it is difficult… It is one of the very few things that you can rely on to be there 24/7.”

Walsh explained that there can often be many misconceptions about life as a religious young person. “Even though I am a gay man in 21st century Ireland- I always feel welcome and able to become involved in my parish.”

20-year-old, Stephen Meehan echoes this need young people have for a constant. “I think that it’s very important for young people to have some sort of belief system in their lives, whether that be spiritual or religious, it’s the perfect way to find solace and purpose in life the college view The Hype |11

Lifestyle

Escape rooms rising in popularity

Sally Dobie gives us the down low on escape rooms which are increasing in popularity especially for large groups

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scape rooms are a relatively new concept that only rose to prominence in that last five years, but now in Ireland, there are over 20 escape rooms on offer, with at least six in Dublin alone.

The general idea is you and your friends get locked in a room, and have 60 minutes to – you guessed it – escape. Usually, the teams can be between two and six people, but this can vary depending on where you book. Most places offer a range of difficulty levels from beginner to advanced.

Most rooms have a theme, and the possibilities in Dublin include Sherlock Holmes, Witchcraft and Wizardry (rooms operated by Escape Dublin), The Cabin in the Woods (Incognito Escape Room) and Alice in Wonderland (Clockwork Door).

Escape rooms are not for everyone. You have to enjoy solving puzzles, be brave enough to be locked in and cope well under time pressure. Also, some themes will be scarier than others, so you have to pick a room bearing in mind everyone coming along with you.

Another turn-off might be the price: due to the props and preparation that goes into some escape

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hoosing the perfect first date location is more often than not a very tricky business.

There are a number of elements to consider that can make or break a date, from cost, to distance and things as seemingly insignificant as noise levels.

As students, many of us are on tight budgets that don’t allow for dates consisting of three-course meals in Michelin Star restaurants, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t strive to find the perfect location that coincides with both your budget and how much you are willing to impress.

When going on a first date, the most important thing to think about is whether or not you are going to be able to have a decent conversation with the person and actually get to know them.

For the cultured among us, the National Gallery of Dublin is an ideal date location. Situated in the heart of the city centre this hub of artistic activity is the perfect place to bring a date that you are trying to impress.

What more could one want than to stroll through the stunning galleries, examining various exhibitions and discussing the various works of art before you.

A little bit of knowledge about the subjects you are viewing goes a long way when it comes to impressing a date, so it would be recommended to do your homework beforehand and learn who Caravaggio is before going to view his worldfamous painting.

This date idea is a win-win in terms of cost and setting. The majority of the exhibitions in

12| the college view The Hype

rooms, they can get pricey. Incognito Escape Room, one of the highest-rated companies in Dublin (five stars from 569 reviews on Tripadvisor), has prices starting from €28 per person for a team of two. Most companies decrease the price per head the more people you take, but with a bigger team, you’ll probably finish the room faster.

Although I’ve never done any escape rooms in Dublin, I do have two under my belt. I went to ClueHQ in Leicester and Seoul Escape Room in South Korea. The two experiences were very different, not only because in one I couldn’t speak the language (I’ll let you guess which one), but also the set-up, the sophistication and the support differed greatly.

My first experience with an escape room was a 2/5 difficulty room called A-I-9 in ClueHQ, Leicester. It was a last-minute booking when my partner, my father and I had some spare time in the city. There were a variety of puzzles including different kinds of padlocks, number puzzles and matching challenges. For the locks, we received a demonstration beforehand on how to use each one.

We were also told if we need help, there will be a staff member watching our progress on the security

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Another turn-off might be the price: due to the props and preparation that goes into some escape rooms, they can get pricey

First dates Dublin: best places to visit to break the ice Aine O’Boyle gives us some great first date ideas in Dublin

camera so hints will be sent to us if need be.

In both rooms, we were told to leave our belongings in a secure box outside and were blindfolded before entering so we weren’t able to figure anything out until the time started. Funnily enough, both times we were given extra time to try and complete the room.

In Seoul Escape Room, it was just me and my partner in a Sherlock Holmes-themed room meant for up to six people. As my Korean isn’t perfect, we were already at a disadvantage. The puzzles in our room were a bit more advanced: aside from the traditional riddles and number games, there were also puzzles that used electric currents, heat and invisible ink. Also, halfway through the game, the wall opened up and there was an extra room.

Granted, this room cost a little bit extra because the group was smaller, but in my opinion, it was definitely worth it.

So there are a lot of factors to take into account when deciding if escape rooms are something you want to try, but even if you only try them once, it will be an experience you never forget.

the National Gallery are free to the public and the general rule of thumb within galleries is that people speak quietly, so you won’t have to worry about noise levels and whether or not you’ll actually be able to hear your date speak.

Once you have seen all that the gallery has to offer, why not take your date to one of the many amazing coffee shops across the city. From the adorable cappuccino art in Beanhive to the delicious flat whites in Dublin Barista School, there are plenty of perfect locations to sit down with your date and chat over a cup of coffee.

Other affordable date ideas include a stroll through the Botanic Gardens located in Glasnevin, simply a stones throw away for all DCU students.

On those chilly autumnal afternoons, why not wrap up nice and cosy and go for a walk through the gardens, examining all of the exotic plant life and putting the problems of the world to rest.

A visit to the Botanic Gardens can also coincide with a trip to Glasnevin cemetery, a location rich in history with many political figures from Michael Collins to Eamon DeValera being buried there.

Following an afternoon of walking around in the cold, why not sit down in the Gravediggers Pub and enjoy a world-renowned pint of Guinness by the warm heat of a toasty fire to end the date.

With many dates consisting of a typical evening at a restaurant or the cinema, why not take your date somewhere completely different and create a lasting impression.

Lifestyle

Instagram removing cosmetic filters

Kinga Piotrowska discusses Instagram’s new move to remove cosmetic filters in an attempt to promote body positivity

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t was all fun and games with dog ear filters, rainbows and love hearts, until cosmetic surgery filters crept in. Instagram has decided to get rid of all their augmented reality filters that can promote cosmetic surgery, as they fear it can impact negatively on people’s mental health.

Some of these filters include effects that make you look like you have had a facelift, lip injections or a nose job. People often mess around with them, not knowing the consequences, but in a lot of cases you end up saying to yourself, “I wish I actually looked like that”. With Photoshop being widely used on models in magazines, online and billboards, we are already bombarded with unrealistic images of what the “perfect” person should look like. All those images we see every day might not seem so bad, until they start to add up and cause our mental health to suffer.

A Facebook post by Spark AR, a platform that makes filters for Instagram, mentioned that it will no longer have any filter that is associated with cosmetic surgery as, “We want Spark AR effects to be a positive experience and are re-evaluating our existing policies as they relate to well-being.”

Since October 23rd, 2019, the platform banned the filters from appearing on Instagram to help decrease the amount of young people availing of cosmetic surgery. This ban comes soon after Instagram’s decision to ban sponsored diet content.

The Irish Mirror published figures from a Freedom

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Since October 23rd, 2019, the platform banned the filters from appearing on Instagram to help decrease the amount of young people availing of cosmetic surgery

of Information Act, that revealed in 2017, 904 patients availed of some of cosmetic surgery, compared to 870 in 2015. Instagram filters might not be the sole reason for the ever-increasing number, but they do contribute.

Instagram making baby steps to help stop harmful filters appearing on their platform is causing some bit of good, differently to their competitors Snapchat, who have done nothing about the issue.

Snapchat still has some filters similar to Instagram, but not to the same realistic extent. It airbrushes your face and makes your eyes appear bigger and nose smaller, which still negatively affects young people.

Instagram however, is a more popular platform having 1 billion users every month, compared to 310.7 million on Snapchat. Both have a responsibility to look out for the well being of young people, as those are the ones who would be easily persuaded to get cosmetic surgery. A psychological study by authors Candice E. Walker and Eva G. Krumhuber, finds that girls and women are more likely to want cosmetic surgery after spending time on social media.

Women who already have low-self-esteem are also more willing to undergo surgery. This evidence suggests that having things like filters can seem so insignificant for some people, but for those already struggling, it can be a major factor.

Filters of that kind have become enormously popular and more realistic in the last couple of

years. Such popular platforms can easily make plastic surgery a trend, especially with influencers and celebrities who already admitted having surgery using them. Small steps matter. We can only hope that Instagram’s decision will be eye opening to other platforms and put the ones that continue to use such filters to shame.

Wanderlust: Amsterdam

Shauna Power walks us through the attractions in Amsterdam, Netherlands

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nown as the ‘Venice of the North’ Amsterdam is famous for its canals, beautiful architecture, ‘coffee’ shops and the Red Light District, but there ‌is a lot more to this city than most visitors realise.

Canals are an integral part of many dutch cities and the canals in Amsterdam leave an iconic impression that the Netherlands are keen to maintain. They are still used for transport and one of the best things to do whilst in ‘The Dam’ is to hop on a canal cruise or even get on a pedal boat and make your way around the maze of canals.

Amsterdam has an abundance of museums to visit. The Van Gogh Museum, Rijksmuseum and Stedelijk Museum all host world-class artwork whilst the Anne Frank House provides an insight into the life of Jews during the second World War. There’s also more casual museums which include the Amsterdam Dungeons, Torture Museum, Sex Museum, the Hemp Museum, A’Dam lookout and the Heineken Experience, which provide a deeper insight into the history and culture of the city.

There are many places in Amsterdam to get your retail fix with different areas offering different experiences. The Nine Streets is a shoppers paradise with an array of styles, trends and prices available, along with great restaurants and cafes.

The museum district has the cities most luxurious shops with brands like Chanel, Ralph Lauren and Louis Vuitton. Dam square also hosts a collection

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The coffee shops, which are better known for selling cannabis than coffee, are scattered throughout the city

of shops.

Amsterdam is renowned for it’s liberal status on drugs and sex. The Coffee shops, which are better known for selling cannabis than coffee, are scattered throughout the city. It is worth heading into one, just for the experience if nothing else.

We couldn’t speak about Amsterdam and not mention the notorious Red Light District. Window prostitution is the most visible and typical kind of sex work in Amsterdam and the Red light district is where this comes to life. The brothel industry in Amsterdam generates about €650 million annually according to the Central Bureau of Statistics.

There are also numerous bars, coffee shops, strip shows and museums which make this part of town one of the busiest. However if you do wander around the area, it is important to watch out for pickpockets as the city is littered with them.

As well as the many bars and rowdy pubs you would expect, The city also has many wonderful places to eat and relax. From fast food, including the local specialities of frites (chips in a cone),

pancakes and FEBO (outlets dispensing deepfried snacks in windows) to Zeedijk in the heart of Chinatown, to the pub grub on over in every district, Amsterdam has something to suit everyone. The city also has many places selling sweet treats such as Oliebollen and stroopwafel.

It wouldn’t be the Netherlands if there wasn’t an emphasis on cheese. The city is crawling with cheese shops and markets and you can stop by the Cheese Museum to get an insight into the making of the dutch legacy.

The city is famed for it’s cyclists and the vast amount of bikes makes it one of a kind. You can hop on a bike and experience the cities scenery as a local would. Amsterdam thrives on tourism so the people there are extremely tolerant and most have a grasp on English so it is easy to hold a conversation with them.

Although a contender for one of Europe’s most expensive cities, a trip to Amsterdam is a trip of a lifetime. the college view The Hype |13

Lifestyle

Life after the end of a long relationship

Isabella Finn talks about recovering after a long relationship

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reak ups are never easy and dealing with a break up after a long-term relationship, let’s say a year plus, can be a tedious, hurtful and lonely process but here is a quick walk through the whole ordeal.

So now you’re single and depending on how comfortable you were in your relationship you might feel lost and confused as what to do next.

You are torturing yourself if you are scrolling through your ex’s social media pages. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that keeping them as a friend on Facebook is the ‘mature’ thing to do. No. Even though your first instinct is to try to reconnect with your ex, you really should be giving yourself some space. If you don’t want to block or unfriend your ex’s social media pages, you can use internet algorithms to limit what you see of your ex’s content. When you remove your ‘relationship status’ on Facebook, the site actually offers to censor your former partners page from you, you can decline this of course but at least Facebook also understands that you need space.

When a long-term relationship ends people flock from the skies to make sure that you are okay.

This is where you need to be careful. Some people don’t actually care for your wellbeing during this testing time but indulge in others misery to make

themselves feel better. Some people instantly recognise the white ink tattoo of “REBOUND” inscribed on your forehead. These people are more dangerous than the misery seekers.

Rebounders, let’s call them that, will disguise themselves as platonic friends that want to be your shoulder to cry on. They will say all of the right things and they might even help you feel a bit better, that’s because you think they genuinely care about you. But when you least expect it, they will confess that they have ‘feelings’ for you, and you a fragile being, will melt like butter at their words.

When the rebounder has accomplished their task of earning your trust and giving you romantic hope, they will leave. You can bet that this might disturb your healing process.

The people that you can trust are those that instantly let you dry your eyes in their clothes and stain their shoulders in mascara and foundation.

They will assemble themselves as a break up army and come to your house for a movie marathon because they don’t want you to feel alone.

You don’t even have to know these people for too long but you more than appreciate their presence.

When you’re ready, they will help you re-apply your mascara and foundation and most importantly will let you whine on for hours about your ex.

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When you remove your ‘relationship status’ on Facebook, the site actually offers to censor your former partners page from you

Now that you know who your good friends are you can let time take the wheel. Day by day the break up stings a little less, except for when your ex and his new partner decide that your place of work is the perfect location to go on a date. The pain of that is indescribable and could you set you back a month or two. But then you start thinking ‘if he’s dating again, why aren’t I?’ Break ups change people. Depending on the wear and tear of the experience your expectations and preferences in a partner change. This all contributes to when you’re ready to start dating again. You’re ready when you meet someone and the risk of the reward outweighs the fear of getting hurt.

Recognising manipulation and abuse in relationships

Roisin Maguire outlines the issues surrounding domestic abuse underreporting and recognising

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n 2017, the Central Statistics Office found that there was an under-reporting of sexual abuse offences within domestic violence.

Only five per cent of allegations are being reported properly as having a domestic violence motive. In the analysis of 200 cases, 41 indicated domestic abuse, but just 19 recorded domestic abuse being the motivation behind the attack Minister Charlie Flanagan noted on the CSO’s crime statistics for 2019 that there has been a 10 per cent increase in the number of recorded sexual crimes which means this does not include those who have not come forward about experiencing a sexual crime. This comes to an increase of 55 per cent in the last four years.

However, sexual violence is only one example of the many forms of domestic abuse. According to Women’s Aid, one in five women have experienced abuse of any form by a partner.

It is very easy to miss the signs of emotional abuse and manipulation however some signs include gaslighting, being humiliated and financial control.

One person, who wished to remain anonymous, experienced gaslighting in her relationship with her ex-husband who also subjected this form of abuse onto their children.

Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation in which a person seeks to sow seeds of doubt in a person making them question their own memory, perception, and sanity.

She said he was “such a master at gaslighting that it took (her) years to fully comprehend the extent of his abuse” and that “nothing was out of bounds as

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far as he’s concerned”.

She gave the example of how he used manipulation on her young daughter who was 20 into believing that the hair clips that she found in his apartment were hers and not his new girlfriend who was 26 years younger than him. This is an example of how gaslighting works to make a person believe something that is untrue.

However, domestic violence is not just a problem that women encounter as another source who wished to remain anonymous has experienced.

He said that it started out with his ex-girlfriend making “harmless jokes” that she was only using him for the benefit of her popular Instagram account however he didn’t take notice to these early signs as they had a “pretty savage” relationship in the early days.

As the relationship progressed, she found out that he was previously engaged and that he didn’t like to discuss it with her as his ex-fiance had passed away however she continued to ask uncomfortable questions about her.

He said that one day she got so frustrated at the fact he would not discuss her that she “threw a cup of boiling coffee on (his) crotch” which caused a crash. Once they broke up, she began to emotionally manipulate him and threaten to kill herself if he did not get back together with him.

This came to an end when the police issued a notice to her that she can no longer discuss him on her social media.

Speaking to Di Riddel, the author of “Beyond Abuse: A Recovery Guide for Men and Women

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Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation in which a person seeks to sow seeds of doubt in a person

in an Era of Me, and all of us too”, she said that control and upbringing are huge factors into why people abuse others in relationships. “I believe it is all about power and control and the joy perpetrators get from that control. The fear they create feeds their low self esteem” She also mentions that if a person who is brought up with abuse parents, they are more likely to tolerate abuse in relationships because this is all they have known. She talks about how being brought up with an violent alcoholic father made her believe that she had “no conception of boundaries... or rights”.

Across 3. French Christian girl who led an army 4. German anti-war Marxist killed in 1919 6. Wrote the ninety-five theses against indulgences 7. Father of Irish republicanism 9. Montgomery bus boycott protester 10. American abolitionist who held rescue missions to free enslaved people 11. Killed by Stalin while in exile in Mexico 12. Spent 27 years in prison until his release in 1990 13. Author of The Motorcycle Diaries 15. First woman to be elected as an MP in the UK 16. First US President 17. Communist who overthrew Batista 18. Founder of the Irish Socialist Republican Party 20. Pacifist who led the salt march Down 1. Venezuelan who liberated much of the Americas from the Spanish empire 2. Leader of the Haitian revolution 5. British suffragette who established the Women’s Franchise League 8. Started the now international school strikes 14. Pakistani activist shot by the Taliban 19. Black civil rights leader who left the Nation of Islam

Across:3.JoanofArc4.RosaLuxemburg6.MartinLuther7.WolfeTone9.RosaParks10.HarrietTubman11.LeonTrotsky12.NelsonMandela13.CheGuevara15.ConstanceMarkievicz16.GeorgeWashington17.FidelCastro18.JamesConnolly20.MahatmaGhandiDown:1.SimónBolívar2.ToussaintLouverture5.EmmelinePankhurst8.GretaThunberg14.MalalaYousafzai19.

MalcolmX

the college view The Hype |15

EXPOSURE HALLOWEEN

Isabella Finn

Sonja Tutty

Jonathon Lynam

Sonja Tutty

CREDITS

COVER: Isabella Finn ARTS Page 3: Sonja Tutty Page 4: Emily Whyte, Kanye West Album Cover Page 5: Earl Sweatshirt Album Cover, Flickr Page 6: HBO, Netflix Page 7: HBO, Activision Page 8: Stephen Hefferman LIFESTYLE Page 9: Roisin Maguire, Sathishaa Mohan Page 10: Sonja Tutty, Sonja Tutty Page 11: Good Free Photos, Atef Khaled Page 12: PxHere, Mohamad Hassan Page 13: Shauna Power Page 14: Isabella Finn, PxHere