The Print2010 MARCH
The Print Volume 1 Issue 5
Executive 2010-11
•Pullout Poster •Murder of Crows •Recipes •Clubs and Socs •Interviews The Print master 1
What happened at the count? Find out on page 7 Why hasn’t Jessica Fletcher been arrested? and much, much more...
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NUI Awards 2010 NUI Post-Doctoral Fellowship in the Humanities This one-year Fellowship, valued at €40,000, is open to NUI graduates of doctoral status. The Fellowship is in Literature (including Theatre and Film Studies). Closing Date: 23 April 2010
NUI E J Phelan Fellowship in International Law This is one-year Fellowship, valued at €25,000, is open to NUI graduates of law or any appropriate discipline who wish to pursue research in any aspect of International Law. Closing Date: 16 April 2010
NUI Travelling Studentships The Studentships are designed to fund postgraduate studies at doctoral level. Each Studentship is valued at €42,000 over three years. At least FOUR Travelling Studentships in the Humanities and Social Sciences and TWO Travelling Studentships in the Sciences will be awarded. Closing Date: 26 March 2010 Full details and application procedures are available at www.nui.ie/awards
49 Cearnóg Mhuirfean, Baile Átha Cliath 2 / 49 Merrion Square, Dublin 2 Teileafón / Telephone: +353 1 439 2424 Facs / Fax: +3531 439 2466 Ríomhphost / Email: awards@nui.ie
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The Print
T h e Pr i n t Contents
March 2010
Union Your Union
What we’re doing
Features
Editorial Letters to Editor President’s Report Polling Day Roundup Student Services
p4 p5 p6 p7 p8
Useful stuff
Canteen Correspondent p9 The Jeff Word & Out Of Work Writer p11 The Life of Brian & An Eye On p12 Mantra, Baby Blue & Library p13 Recipes p14 Story p15 General Whimsy p19
Ents
Keith Farnan Interview Reviews & Previews
Features
Ents
p20 p22
Making the most of your time off
News News
What’s happening
C&S Clubs/Socs
Response to Free Speech On Trial Maroc and Roll Cap on PLC courses Interview with Emmet Stagg Interview with Aine Brady
News from Clubs and Societies
Things to do around campus Editor in Chief: Eoin Byrne Design: Eoin Byrne, Editor: Eoin Byrne
Contributors: Eoin Byrne, Susan Caldwell, Maria Carty-Mole, Darragh Corrigan, Leonie Delaney, Brian Dillon, Stephen Eamon Dune, James Joseph Emerald, Donal Fallon, Oisin Feeney, Jeff Greene, Graham Kay, Baz Kleijweg, Bonnie Leavey, Hassan Ould Moctar, Anthea Middleton, Brian Murphy, Jack Napier, Nirina Plunkett.
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Before I begin, I’d like to apologise for the continual mistakes in relation to the crossword in the past issues of The Print. These were as a result of formatting issues rather than through the hard work of Ms. Carty-Mole who has continually delivered high quality distractions from lectures over the past few months. So election time has come and passed. For me, this is the first time I haven’t ran in election since 2006 and I’ve discovered it’s just as nerve wrecking when you’re sitting on the sidelines. How will your friends do? Will the best candidate get the job? Is it weird that I’m not voting for myself for once? Of course not. That’s just arrogant of me. Still, as I sit here on a Thursday evening, waiting for the votes to come through my heart is in my throat. To think it was only a year ago that I was announced victorious and, with four months left in the job, my replacement has been found... Still, congratulations to all the winners. I have great faith in you all, but remember; the job isn’t always what you think it’ll be. I remember when I started here on the exec back in July 2007, I was bright eyed and bushy tailed, but the job wasn’t even close to how I envisioned it. Ents was a hard slog full of antisocial hours and sober Bar Exs preceeded by eight hours of selling tickets in an overly drafty Arts Block. Did that deter me or turn me off the Union in any way? What do you think? Here I am, three years on, still living for the Union and loving every minute of it. You’ll have to forgive my nostalgia, but knowing for the first time in a long time that I won’t be here next year is a bit of an eye opener. But enough about that. Onwards and upwards. The last few weeks have been hectic here with SHAG Week, the elections, the referendum (we’re in USI now. Who’d have thought that after our decade of absence) and of course, the upcoming Charity Week and The Gathering. I don’t know about you guys, but I’m psyched about The Magic Number and Duke Special. It’s going to be pretty pimp. But of course, theres more to look forward to than that; Seachtain na Gaeilge will be the last week of the month, We’ve a week off for St. Patrick’s Day and the Clubs and Socs Awards are drawing ever closer. There’s still a whole lot in the pipelines for the rest of the semester. Have a great Charity Week, enjoy The Gathering and make the most of your week off. I know I will. Eoin
L e t t e r s to the E d i t o r Correspondent Critique To whom it may concern, I was horrified to read the recent article by the Canteen Correspondant in last month’s issue of The Print. In the article, he berates individuals with ginger hair, stating that individuals cannot be attractive if their hair happens to be ginger-coloured. I find it quite comical then that the CC would make a statement as bold as this considering the fact that he is too embarrassed or self-conscious to print a photo of himself along with his article and stand by these claims. How then can he criticise others based on their looks? This leads me to believe that he must clearly be lacking in the looks department. Furthermore, the CC’s clear degradation of others based solely on the colour of their hair or their choice in clothing indicates he must also be lacking in the personality department. Not surprisingly he finds himself alone for Valentine’s Day and decides to dole out his cynicism on unsuspecting readers. Perhaps if the CC were to alter his bigoted attitude and shallow discrimination of others, he may find himself a partner for next year’s Valentine’s Day. I, however, will not be holding my breath for this miracle to occur. Regards, A P*ssed-off NUIM student Dear student. The wonderful thing about student media is that it gives people a chance to express their opinions, no matter how controversial, as is illustrated with the responses to Stephen Staines’ article from the last issue. If you think you can do a better job of assessing student life, drop in an article.; don’t criticise if you’re not willing to offer an alternative. A prime example of which is Bonnie Leavey’s article on page 13. As a ginger myself, I found the article to be fun and whimsical, but if you see things differently: show us. I think it’d be great to see a pro-ginger article in the next issue of The Print . I look forward to your contribution. Eoin Byrne (editor)
A Retort to Freedom of Speech To whom it may concern, In the previous issue of the Print’s Opinions column, Mr. Staines wrote about the trial of Geert Wilders. While I agree with his point that the media attention for the trial is wholly underwhelming, there are some prominent inaccuracies in his argument. Firstly, Wilders is not simply prosecuted for his movie Fitna, but for 38 statements he has made in a variety of media(Fitna among them) over the period of 2006 to 2008, some of which are far less tame than Fitna. Examples of these are “immigration from non-Western countries [to Holland] should be completely forbidden for the coming years”, propositions to abolish article 1 of the Dutch constitution(the equality principle) and slanderizing the mayor of Rotterdam, Ahmned Aboutaleb, for his Moroccan roots.
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The Print The second fallacy stems from the paradox clarity on where the line between free speech in arguing that ‘’anyone with the slighest and hate speech falls, before the immigration amount of common sense will know that you debate descends even further into the gutter. cannot make generalisations on the actions of a few’’ while this is precisely the logic that Bas Kleijweg inspires the examples mentioned above. A third point that needs a bit of elaboration is the faulty notion that the trial would somehow Hungry for Justice clash with the Netherlands being “the most liberal nation in the world”. The Dutch tradition of liberalism has always gone hand in hand Editor, with one of tolerance. In 1995, the far right politician Hans Janmaat was sentenced for What a hungry walk it is! Every Maynooth proclaiming that his party “would, as soon student, mostly, have felt the urge to go as we have the power and the possibility, for something to fill their alcohol-damaged do away with the multicultural society”. stomachs after a night of heavy dancing Since 2008, Wilders has gone on to make and drinking! Well tonight, no exception propositions for a ‘headrag tax’(terminology was made for the rule. After quiet drinks directly borrowed from white separatist on a Thursday at a local publican house, website Stormfront) for all women wearing me and a few friends decided to leave chadors, niqaabs and the like and has cunningly early. This would avoid the declared it unacceptable that by 2020 some queues and the hassle of end-of-night major cities in the country will have more non- business in many of Maynooth;s fast-food whites than whites in them(these statements hot-spots. At approximately 2AM me and fall beyond the scope of the current trial). a fellow post-graduate student asked for This renders the idea that this “silencing our meals politely (as would be our usual [of] free speech would set a dangerous tradition- post-graduate, part-time staff of precedent” moot, as the slippery slope has NUIM, behaved and grown-up!). The owner long since gone into the other direction. of the chipper decided that one of us was a Regardless of one’s opinion on the man, the homosexual and called us a ‘gay’, and then MM_NUI_part1_art.pdf 23/02/2010 10:07:33refused to serve us. After trying repeatedly trial is essentially a good thing, as it gives
Wanna win `250?
Like OMG I totally want to win that!
Hmmm let me think about that…
to get us to leave, based on no facts or reason, he repeated ‘No, you are a gay!’. Confused, bewildered, hungry and slightly angry, both me and my postgraduate friend (who, by all accounts, is a homosexual), decided to leave the anonymous chipper, with empty bellies and unsalted fingers. Who’d have known sexuality could come between us and a bag of undercooked chips. Remember, students, keep it cool in chippers or you might get pissed off! Anon.
if you have something you’d like to scream, rant or warn about: anything good, bad or political don’t hesitate to submit a letter to us here at The Print. theprint@nuimsu.com
Well go to the new Manor Mills Facebook page and enter their sweepstakes draw and you could win `250 and 3 bonus prizes for your friends…
YES!
Seriously what have I told you about talking like that – this is Maynooth not UCD!
…hint hint
Check out the new Student Zone on www.manormills.ie for great student deals and discounts and become a fan on Facebook to be the first to hear about offers, news and events.
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01/03/2010 16:20:02
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PRESIDENT’S REPORT [ ]
Your Students’ Union
from
Brian Murphy
SU President Brian Murphy lets you know what he’s been up to and keeps you up to date with all you should know about student life.
President Brian Murphy Office Hours: 9.30-5.00 Monday-Friday 01-7086436 president@nuimsu.com
Registration Fee
VP/Education and Welfare Liz Murray Office Hours: 9:30-5.00 Monday-Friday 01-7086808 vicepresident@nuimsu.com VP/Communications and Development Eoin Byrne Office Hours: 9.30-5.00 Monday-Friday 01-7086249
communications@nuimsu.com
Entertainment Officer Jeff Greene Office Hours: 12.00-2.00 Monday 01-7083946 ents@nuimsu.com Finance Officer Brian Dillon Office Hours: 3.00-5.00 Monday 01-7083946 finance@nuimsu.com Cultural Affairs & Irish Language Officer Joe Byrne Office Hours: 10:00-12:00 Monday 01-7083946 culture@nuimsu.com Keep up to date with all that’s happening in your union nuimsu.com
bebo.com/nuimsu
facebook.com/nuimsu twitter.com/nuimsu
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As you are well aware, we all pay a registration fee of 1500 euro at the start of each year which was increased by 600 euro from last year. Due to the HEA core grant cuts, the registration fee which is supposed to be used for student services is now being used to pay the deficit, somewhere in the region of 700 euro of it. We and Students ’ Unions across the country are deeply annoyed with this as effectively we are paying back door fees and it is important that we make a stand against. I will be working very closely with other Students’ Unions and now USI to fight this.
academic year so make sure you have your say.
Union of Students in Ireland
March 2nd opens nominations for the annual Clubs and Societies Awards. This year the awards evening will be taking place in the Glenroyal Hotel on March 30th. Close of nominations is March 23rd so remember to include the best and brightest of your Club or Society’s talent to be rewarded at this evening. Tickets will be available from the SU Reception soon. Make sure you get yours quickly as there are limited numbers and this event is always a highpoint of the year.
A referendum was passed on 24th of February to re affiliate with USI, The Union of Students in Ireland. The Referendum was passed with roughly ¾ of the electorate voting in favour of rejoining. I intend to be very much involved with USI for the remainder of my term and I will be bringing next years Sabbats along to the meetings in order to ensure a good crossover for next year when we will be able to vote in their decisions. I intend to keep you up to date with what USI are getting up to throughout the rest of the year.
Elections With the electorate coming out in record numbers, we here in the Union (as well as the candidates you voted for) are delighted to see that everyone is taking a more active view of politics. Every vote is an opportunity for you to have your voice heard so if you’d like to be vocal a little more often, become a class rep by emailing returningofficer@ nuimsu.com. Also, now that we’ve reaffiliated with USI, your voice will be heard at a national level by the next
Seachtain na Gaeilge Seachtain na Gaeilge will take place from 29th March-1st April agus beidh an craic again! Various clubs and societies will be organising events, a céilí, table quiz, speed dating (trí ghaeilge!) and lots of other stuff. If you want to get involved, contact Joe Byrne, our Cultural affairs and Irish language officer. The Cultural Revolution is coming…
Clubs and Socs Awards
Open Door Policy Don’t forget that we here in the Union have an open door policy so if you have any problems or issues with any aspect of student life, remember that we’re here to help. You’ll find our office hours and contact number on these pages so don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.
Keep up to date with Brian at www.twitter.com/ nuimsupresident
01/03/2010 16:20:06
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Polling Day Round-up February 24th saw the annual election of Students’ Union Officers. This year though had a twist, though, as we also held a referendum to see if we would re-affiliate with the Union of Students in Ireland. The polls closed this year at 6pm in the Arts Block and rather than the usual one hour break followed swiftly by a counting binge, the ballot boxes were put away so that both candidates and counters could get a good night’s rest before the stressful day ahead of them. The count began after a short delay due to a meeting of the Guardianship and the day commenced with the count of the referendum as to whether we should re-affiliate with USI (Union of Students in Ireland) after a ten year absence. Following the sorting of the votes it came to be pretty obvious that we were destined to return to their ranks with a whopping 74% of votes in favour. The second option on the ballot cards was also voted through with a huge majority, meaning that we will be joining USI for a minimum of three years.. As a result of this, €5 will be added to your registration fee next year and we will be represented by a single united organisation on a national level. Shortly after this, the count moved onto candidates; as is the case, they began with the St Pats Rep. As Micheál Hughes was running unopposed, it was a very short time before he was announced victorious. As Cultural Affairs & Irish Language officer had the second lowest number of candidates, it was next on the agenda. Within the hour, Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin was elected. Next up was Ents, the most contested part time position with four candidates striving to be to orgainiser of your events next year. Once the count was whittled down to two candidates, Pat Byrne took the lead and the coveted position. Finance was contested for the first time in as long as anyone can remember with three candidates fighting for the position. After the votes were tallied it became clear as day that Declan Meenagh was the man for the job.
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After a relatively short counting session, Rob Munnelly was elected as your new VP/Comms & Dev Officer. VP/ Ed & Wel would always be a heated battle as five candidates fought for every vote. In the end, though it was Liz Murray who took the position. At last, the big guns: the President. After each candidate running a sterling campaign, by the end of Thursday night one person was victorious: Aengus Ó Maoláin with 991 votes after the first count. Good luck Aengus and to your strong Executive team.
Executive Officers 2010-2011 President: Aengus ó Maoláin Vice-President/Education & Welfare Officer: Liz Murray Vice-President/ Communications & Development: Rob Munnelly Finance Officer: Declan Meenagh Entertainment Officer: Pat Byrne Cultural Affairs & Irish Language Officer: Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin
Clubs Officer Donal Spring Office Hours: 2.00-4.00 Tuesday 01-7086436 clubs@nuimsu.com Societies Officer Lydia Farrell Office Hours: 2:00-4:00 Tuesday 01-7083946 societies@nuimsu.com St. Pat’s Representative Sean Dench Office Hours: 1:00-3:00 Thursday 01-7083946 stpatsrep@nuimsu.com
First Year Representative Louise Feahany Office Hours: TBC 01-7083946 firstyear@nuimsu.com
Post Grad Representative
Donnacha Gayer Office Hours: 1.00-3.00 Wednesday 01-7083946 postgrad@nuimsu.com
To make an appointment with any member of the Executive, get the cheapest photocopying on campus or to pick up your student travel card, call into Mary MacCourt in the Students’ Union front office
We at Maynooth Students’ Union would like to congratulate all those who were elected and we look forward to seeing all the good work you’ll achieve in the next academic year.
St Pat’s Rep: Micheál Hughes
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News from Student Services Lenten Reflection ‘Come aside and rest a while’ Because ‘The Gathering’ Charity Event is on March 3rd – Lenten Reflection is deferred to Mar. 10th 2pm – 6pm. Please pass the word along! You’ll find us in an Tobar, Student Services Bldg. Music, Meditation, Movement To book contact Sr. Margaret 086 8248160 or email chaplaincy@nuim.ie
Word of Life Word of Life (Focolari) will resume its meetings in the Quiet Room on Tues. 16th Feb. 5 – 6pm and continue every second Tues. for this semester. All Staff and Students Welcome!
Maths Support Centre Reopens Monday the 8th Feb. until Thursday the 11th from 46pm in Classhall E. It r eturns to normal hours on Monday the 15th, so Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 2-6pm, Wednesday 4-8pm and Friday 10am-12 noon.
Daily Mass St. Mary’s Daily Mass (Mon – Fri) at 12.05 in St. Mary’s Oratory during term-time.
Sunday Evening Mass 9pm Sunday evening Mass in St. Catherine’s (beside Hume Building) at 9pm during termtime.
Pioneers for You If interested drop into Chaplaincy office in Arts Building or ring Seán 086 165 1219
Iona Institute
Invitation to Lecture: ‘Reducing teenage pregnancy and sexual activity: What works and what doesn’t’ A talk by Prof. David Paton In Davenport Hotel, Dublin 2 Thursday March 25th 8pm Admission Free
Your summer in service of the poor? Maynooth Mission Outreach (MMO) sends students to work in the developing world during the summer months. A limited number of places are available this summer in Peru, Tanzania and India. Phone Colum on 086 3161532 or e-mail chaplaincy@nuim.ie
Quiet Room Take time out to drop into the Quiet Room in the Arts Building any time for peaceful reflection. When you enter the Arts Building from Hume, take a left and the Quiet Room is down at the end of the corridor.
Old but decent runners I am travelling to Kolomo, Zambia this summer and require the following for community projects which we are setting up; laptops, sewing machines and adult runners (in fairly good condition). If you could help with my collection please drop your donation to Mary in the SU office. Many thanks for your generosity. Joanne Barry (Alumni)
Kildare Volunteer Centre Outreach Office. If you would like to find out more about volunteering opportunities our office is located in the Students’ Union. Open three days per week: 9a.m.-5.p.m. Closed for lunch. Contact: Doreen 01-7084712/086-8740709 doreen@volunteerkildare.ie or visit our website at www. volunteerkildare.ie
The Student Services Building is located behind the John Hume Building and is home to many of the facilities for students on campus
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Canteen Correspondent He’s opinionated, he knows better than you and you’re going to listen to him whether you like it or not: it can only be the Canteen Correspondent I don’t know about the rest of you, but I hate this time of year more than any other. The only thing worse than having to deal with the unwashed masses is haing them hand you pieces of paper with their friends faces on them. Year in and year out we’re promised a commuter-specific room, we’re promised more plugs in the library, we’re promised presidents who care about the people they haven’t met yet and we’re promised more bands for less money. I’m surprised people haven’t just photocopied the manifestos from last year and replaced the names. Personally, I’m tired of it. I’m tired of the tshirts. I’m tired of the banners. I’m tired of the microsoft paint posters. I’m tired of the badges. This year, though, we have a new addition: I’m tired of chalkings. Last week I tried to enjoy a peaceful hour in the Fish Bowl when out of nowhere came the horrific sound of feedback as a barrage MM_NUI_part2_art.pdf 23/02/2010 10:11:00 of muck savages passed a microphone
from one to the other, preaching how they know better than the present Union and how if they were in charge, the world will be a better place. The Union would be bigger with better bands and quieter with more student support. It boggles the mind. Personally, I’ve sat through these tirades too many times over the past few years so I left before the third candidate told me how the other two were wrong. The campus has been awash with blues and yellows, reds and whites as home made t-shirts were branded and worn with pride. The usual “wildcard” of free tea bags were handed out amid a tooth-rottingly large amount of sweets, all of which I declined. It’s sad to think that whoever hands out the best swag is normally the one to be elected, but that’s Maynooth: No representation without compensation. Surely when politics students are allowed to roam freely in this town there should be some inkling of political awareness, of someone reading a manifesto (that’s the little book with the pictures of the candidates on them).
Regardless of this, a new group will be elected, offices will be re-arranged, the faces in the magazine will be replaced, some changes will be made, some won’t, but at the end of the day, only one big question has yet to be answered: will your humble Correspondent have his regular column next year? You bet your ass he will.
Want to let him know how you feel? Facebook.com/ canteencorrespondent
I reckon it will take more than that, but you’ll be popular with me if you give me one of the bonus friend prizes…
So did you enter the Manor Mills Facebook sweepstakes? Yeap, it was easy, and I’m going to be so popular with the ladies when I win `250!
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Give me one too!!
OK! OK! I’ll share AWESOME!!
Stop it!!!
Check out the new Student Zone on www.manormills.ie for great student deals and discounts and become a fan on Facebook to be the first to hear about offers, news and events.
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01/03/2010 16:20:13
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The Jeff Word Jeff Greene takes it upon himself to tell it like it is You know what I love? What pleases me more than anything else in my admittedly joy filled life? What makes me forget my vicious acid hatred of Hollywood and its celebrities? It’s obviously when they get arrested. When normal people like you or me (or normies as our Hollywood superiors call us) get arrested , its always fairly straight forward, drink driving, murder ,white collar crime, its all quite dull. When a celebrity gets arrested its for driving down Hollywood boulevard at 3am going 150 mph in a top down, cherry red convertible with a passenger seat full of cocaine and heroin while holding a cocked loaded handgun, buck naked much like our good friend Mr. Robert Downey Jr. When celebrities go on a night out to maraud around seeking mischief they really go to town. You see none of you run of the mill grievous bodily harm, you get Mark Wahlberg beating a man so bad he was blinded in one eye during a drug fuelled pharmacist robbery. There is a reason these people are famous. It’s because everything they do is so over the top, they live their lives in graphic detail. You can’t watch the life of a celebrity without first flashing some i.d. People say our culture is obsessed with celebrity but I see little harm when you consider people like Woody Harrelson who knocked out a reporter because, and I think he can be forgiven here; he thought the wretched man was a zombie. Bravo Mr. Harrelson I will never be in a bad mood again thanks to you. I really mean it; this delusional star has truly become an idol, if I could blame any of my misdeeds on ‘being in character’ than I can honestly say I would be knocking out ‘zombies’ left right and centre. We cannot blame these famous people, not the telephone throwing Russell Crowes, not even the hooker loving Hugh Grants, we need to learn from these criminals. From now on whenever you find yourself breaking the law, pause and think ‘what would Robert Downey Jr do? And then do it naked.
Out Of Work Writer Not a Nuisance To Local Police I’ve taken to watching Murder She Wrote. It’s on Alibi at 11am. I don’t really have classes in the morning (if I did, they’d conflict with Murder She Wrote so I probably wouldn’t go) but when I wake up, I’m hungry. So I have to get up and watch TV while I eat. Specifically, I watch Murder She Wrote. Aging writer woman interferes with police investigations. I don’t really understand though. I realise things are different in America, but I’m pretty sure if I went to the Garda station, presented them with a bag of clues and demanded they phone people I’ve decided are suspects, I’d be asked to leave. Why do they humour this old woman? A particularly epic episode on Wednesday last. Jessica’s editor committed suicide. Or did he? Well without giving too much of the plot away, Jessica broke into his psychiatrist’s office and looked at all his patient files on his computer. Isn’t that a felony? The police didn’t even bat an eyelid. How seriously do the police really take it when an old woman goes up to them and says, “I discovered this Mars bar wrapper at the scene of the crime. If I remember correctly, Paul the janitor eats Mars bars”? She’s probably wrongly convicted hundreds of people. Then Jessica gathers everyone together at the end to tell them who the culprit was. Why isn’t the detective doing this? What authority does she have to do this? Another qualm I have, is why do so many of her friends get murdered? With regular detective shows, it’s unsurprising that the detective frequently finds himself surrounded by murder cases. His job is
to investigate murder cases. But wouldn’t you be a bit suspicious if you had some aunt who’s acquaintances kept dropping dead? What’s to say Jessica isn’t actually murdering all these people? She has cold eyes. And another thing. If she isn’t murdering all these people, why isn’t she an absolute emotional wreck? If a friend of mine died every week I don’t think I’d look so damn cheery all the time. And that smug smile. Smugness is an absolutely intolerable characteristic. Do you ever play computer games against anyone really smug? And when they win they don’t gloat, they just sit there radiating smugness? And you want to throw the controller at their stupid smug head? And they’re called Edmond Mitchell? Well. If you played Street Fighter against Jessica you can be sure she’d have that smug smile when she won (I imagine her to be some sort of Street Fighter virtuoso). She just smiles and nods her head. It’s like if you’re in a conversation with someone boring and you’re not really listening, you smile and nod. She does it on TV though. She’s having fictional conversations. Surely for the purpose of the story you’re meant to look interested? You don’t make TV shows that feature predominantly pointless space-filler boring conversations. So if you’re an actor in the show you shouldn’t look like you’re feigning interest. All in all, stop going into college before 12. Forget Glee. This is a timeless show that must be watched.
Anthea Middleton
The Little Way Cancer Support Centre, Clane
NUIMSU’s Charity 2009-10
10
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01/03/2010 16:20:15
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An Eye On... Each issue we’ll be casting an eye on a specific club or society on campus. This issue we’ll be covering the winners of last year’s Best New Club: The Yoga Club “I don’t like Mondays” is a song we as students are all to familiar with these days. After partying relatively hard from the Wednesday or Thursday night of the week before, Monday is usually the day it hits us all that we actually have to meet our college deadlines during the week. Whether its assignments or exams, the reality always seems to set in on a stressful Monday morning. Yet, for a small group of students, Mondays are not thought of as completely harrowing, for there is light at the end of the tunnel. If anyone was to look into rooms 3 & 4, the sight of 12 - 15 students twisted and contorted in shapes un-humanlike would lead to thoughts of pain and disgust, when instead, quite the opposite is happening. The NUIM Yoga Society is the solution to stressful days. Each Monday and Wednesday at 7, we all meet over Jucie Lucies, have a chat and a laugh with new friends, and do a bit of Yoga with our brilliant instructor John. When I began classes at the start of the year, my thoughts of Yoga was a lot of chanting while holding myself in impossibly awkward positions, trying to convince myself that this was fun and good for me. The reality was quite different. After my first yoga class, which I found simply to be a few pain-free, yet innovative, stretches while thinking about my breathing, I felt AMAZING! I could only compare it to the jelly giggly feeling you get when you come out of soaking in a hot bath for an hour. Not only did I felt like I could deal with any exam or essay, but for the hour and a half that I was in the class, I pretty much
forgot everything except what I was doing, which I must admit, demands a good bit of concentration. Without concentration, the result is unavoidable. You will no doubt, as I have done a few times before, loose your balance and end up on your ass, feeling slightly embarrassed, but still giggly none the less. Besides the actual act of sinking into your space and twisting yourself into chrakas (yoga term for the act of stretching muscles you didn’t even know you had), you find something else in the yoga class that helps relieve stress; a heap of new friends. Even if you’re the shyest of people, you at least cannot avoid befriending our permanentlysmiling president Stephen, who has a ‘hello’ for everyone, or our incredibly organised and bubbly secretary Kellie. Both of them run the society to perfection, and there are at least one colourful email a week in the inbox of the Yogis and Yoginis of the society, informing us about meetings they have had or prices on hoodies they have kindly ordered (at pretty incredible prices might I add). Speaking of Stephen and Kellie, they have organised a yoga weekend away which will not only be completely relaxing, but a brilliant laugh and a chance to really get to know new people. It is open to anyone, whether you are a Yogini or not. All the information can be attained by simply emailing the society yoga@nuimsu.com . Overall the yoga society not only gives a lil’ slice of peace in a pretty busy student life, but offers a group of pretty amazing people to party with from the Wednesday to Monday. What more could anyone want.
Stephen Eamon Dunne
If you want your Club or Society to feature in “An Eye On” next issue, drop us an email at features@nuimsu.com
The Life of Brian People of Maynooth, we need your help! Some people tend to spend a measurable percentage of their lives texting. However, I’m not ecstatic about it. Some people tend to wear Uggs. Not me though. Generosity is a quality which is generally equated with giving, i.e. giving your hard earned cash to Meteor, Vodafone or the Ugg Company, whatever the fuck they’re actually called. I prefer to give generously to more worthy charities. For instance, only yesterday I sponsored a young man in the Dominican Republic who suffers from a most debilitating condition. Erectile dysfunction. A new condition has been discovered in the Caribbean which is preventing men from completing the arduous task of reproduction. This technical name for this condition is hypochlematitis, but the more common name for it is ignorant baby fat. Obviously it is at your discretion whether you support this most deserving of causes but I implore you who are blessed with a sweet disposition, like myself, to do all you can to help out. Picture this; you come from a background of incredibly virile, energetic Caribbean fire fighters, but you have a problem. You are a disappointment, a frigid, almost untouched young man who cannot continue the beautiful Poochwa-James lineage. You need help. Who can you turn to, what possible charitable group could provide the generous dexterity to give you the, metaphorical and literal, support you need? The ‘Brian Dillon and Family Foundation for the Prevention of Erectile Dysfunction in the Central American States’ (B.D.F.F.P.E.D.C.A.S.) can help you and provide you with the tools you need (mainly Viagra) to get your reproductive organs back on track and on that frabjous day when your baby is born you will be overjoyed with the help we have given you. So, good people of Maynooth, I ask of you, no, I beg of you, don’t let these people go un-horny. Help me to help them correct their flaccidity problems. All money can you be sent in cash form care of Finance Officer, NUIMSU, NUIM. Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland. Your generosity will not go unnoticed.
Tune in again next month to find out what random nonsense Brian will pour onto this page
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True Blue Baby Blue Training hit campus and Leonie Delaney was there to report This year Baby Blue Training was held in NUI Maynooth. It is the second year that we have hosted the event in Maynooth. Baby Blue was originally set up as a means for non USI affiliated colleges to meet and discuss issues face by and pertaining to the LGBT community at large. This year we hosted delegates from NCAD, Trinity College, and GIT as well as a big turn out
from Maynooth of past and present students. The very first talk of the weekend was Trans 101 which was given by Cat McIlroy from TENI, the Transgender Equality Network Ireland. Trans issues are ones that tend to get somewhat sidelined, not just in society at large, but also within the LGBT community. Leslie Sherlock also from TENI held a workshop on heteronormativity. We are one of the first groups to have been involved in the workshop. The basic concept was that whether we like it or not we put labels in people. One of the things that we also do is assume that everyone is heterosexual. In the workshop we were asked to label ourselves as we think other people see us, and to discuss what it meant for us to be labelled in this way. As well as exploring Trans issues, Sinéad Wright, our former Co-President gave us a talk on bi-phobia. This is a relatively new area of research and Sinéad is one of the most prominent researchers. She also very kindly facilitated some Coming Out Workshops for us. These workshops are designed for LGBT people to explore issues or feelings that were tied to the process of coming out.
Whither Mantra? Greeted with a wall of sweat that successfully nullifies the hour of hair and make-up preparation which prefaced my evening, I step further into Mantra. Downstairs is packed to the rafters with fellow students out to start their learning week in style. An oaf with what I believe to be a larger than average pint, crashes into me at a velocity that would rival Juggernaut, spilling the contents of his glass in the process. Bulmers; I hate Bulmers. He proceeds to offer to lick it off. Charming. As he guffaws to himself I muster my angriest glare then, make my way to the bathroom to assess the damage. After queuing for ten minutes, I eventually enter the bathroom, where girls are scrambling for a square inch of mirror space to apply their fourteenth layer of make-up. It would appear that my favourite jacket suffered most in the collision earlier, thankfully sparing my dress, mostly. Somehow, beyond explanation, my dress emerges unscathed; the same can not be said about my bra. I queue for another fifteen minutes for a stall. What do these girls do in there? All I need is some tissue to avoid a messy, sticky situation. Finally it’s my turn, a door opens and a blond stumbles out, cackling like a ludicrously drunk witch, she is closely followed by her equally wasted minion-friend. I approach the stall, it looks more like a swamp. Soggy tissue is strewn everywhere, the toilet seat has vacated the disaster area and hanging from the convenient
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We also had the wonderful Bille from the Red Ribbon Project do a workshop on Sexual Esteem and Sexual Empowerment. These workshops were designed for people to discuss any issues they had with their self and or sexuality and how this impacted on their sexual esteem. Sexual empowerment is designed to hive suggestions on how to build up sexual esteem and become empowered. We let our hair down on the Saturday night, with a trip into town. We waited until we were inside to let our hair down, it was snowing after all! On the Sunday morning we tried to keep it light and ended the weekend with a talk from Conor Behan on Gay Representation in Popular Culture. We wrapped up by asking everyone what their favourite moment was from the weekend. As is customary Billie’s workshop proved to be one of the highlights of the weekend. Billie commented that, she usually does her workshops and leaves, but felt compelled to stay for our talks and enjoyed the safe, relaxed atmosphere, and the general feeling of warmth in the group. Needless to say the organisers felt very pleased with themselves altogether with all the positive feedback.
by Bonnie Leavey
drink holder is a pair of panties. Classy. I decide it’s time for some fresh air. I squeeze past the couple dry humping in the corridor next to the men’s room. I shed a tear for the future. I muscle my way to the bar (it’s no easy feat, there are casualties) and manage to procure my first drink of the evening. I also happen to find my friends who begin to berate me for my habitual tardiness. An exasperated look and a quick sniff of my jacket tells them all they need to know. A rocky start to the night but it begins to look up; the music is good, the company’s great and the beer, though expensive, is flowing relatively freely. We decide to brave the dance floor. Huge mistake. All is going well until a whippet of a first year with adamantium elbows, wearing a pair of heels that I would class as lethal weapons decides that the space I occupy on the dance floor is the only place she wants to be. With bruised ribs and severed toes, I concede defeat, grab my jacket and leave. At home, having bandaged my feet and sponging my jacket in vain, I wonder why Mantra is the place to be this year? I reminisce about the S.U and The Roost in their heyday. I’ll admit that no matter where you go drunken louts are drunken louts, there will be queues in the girl’s bathroom and the odds of being skewered by dagger heels are always high. However, I don’t ever remember leaving the S.U early with such a bitter taste in my mouth, or stinking so much of Bulmers.
Say No To Noise Congratulations to Ryan Cody, the winner of the recent Library/Student Committee Noise poster competition. Runner up was Ann Kelly, 3rd Year Science. All entrants were included in a raffle for a €50 book token and this was won by Tony Leneghan, 3rd Year Arts. The winning design will be displayed around the library building, to remind people of how important it is to respect everyone’s right to study in a quiet environment. The judging committee would like to thank everyone who took the time to submit a poster.
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Hungry?
The Print
For decorative nonsense, go buy a Delia Smith book. For recpies that are useful to the students who pay for this magazine, look no further for meals that are cheap, fast, healthy and sexy. Veggie: Students make up the highest percentage of vegetarians. Only fair.
Fast: These meals are simple and made in no time.
Healthy: Grow a little with the following recipies. These meals are junk-free.
The theme of this issue’s dishes is Recipe #1: “desserts” so we’re going to start off a pretty simple dish that involves Chocolate Mug Cake with minimum effort and washing up
Sexy: Hide your incompetence from your girlfriend that little bit longer with one of these.
You will need: 4 tablespoons flour 2 tablespoons sugar
1. Add all the dry ingredients to the mug, and mixthem together.
1 tablespoons cocoa
2. Crack the egg and add it to the mug. Mix it in well, making sure that the flour is thoroughly mixed. Pour in the milk and melted butter and mix well.
3 tablespoons milk
1 egg
3. Add the vanilla essence and mix in. 4. Put the mug into a microwave and cook on full power or until the cake stops rising. and sets. 5. Run a knife around the edge of the cup and tip the cake onto a saucer.
3 tablespoons melted butter 1/4 teaspoon vanilla essence 1 tablespoon choc chips (optional) 1 large mug
Words by Jack Napier
You will need:
Recipe #2: Raspberry Jam Coconut Slice
A delicious alternative to a chocolate dessert. Feel free to substitute your favourite jam if you’re not a raspberry fan
2 cups plain flour 1 cup caster sugar
1. Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line a baking dish.
15 to 20 minutes, or until light golden. Spread jam over warm base.
3/4 cup raspberry jam
2. Knead the flour butter and sugar into something resembling breadcrumbs. Add 1 egg and vanilla essence. Knead into dough.
2 cups desiccated coconut
3. Press dough into base of tray. Bake for
4. Whisk remaining eggs and remaining 1/2 cup sugar together. Stir in coconut. Spread over jam. Bake for 25 more minutes, or until golden. Leave to cool completely in the tray.
125g butter, chilled, cubed 3 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
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The Print Stay tuned for how this story continues next issue in The Print
The M u r der o f C r ows
by James Joseph Emerald
“The Murder of Crows” is a serialised story about a murder in the John Hume Building, with a new installment in every issue of The Print. The Print accepts no liability for anyone that mistakes it for a true story and calls the Gardai. Max called the paramedics and told them where to find Sam. He regretted leaving her side, but he knew she wouldn’t want him to lose their suspect. Rufus was crossing St. Mary’s Square, a small, pleasant garden in the centre of the seminary. Max called after him, but was ignored. Eventually Max caught up to him at the far side of the garden; as Rufus attempted to open a door, Max kicked it closed. “W-What did you do to my friend? Stop walking away from me, you bastard!” Rufus tried to open the door, again, and Max slammed it shut, again. “Some friend,” the boy said. “What?” “Show up late, let her fall, don’t even try to save her.” His tone was coldly neutral. “Barely hesitated before you left her as food for the crows.” White hot, blinding rage. Max grabbed him, shoving a gun in his face. Max hadn’t even realised he was carrying a gun: he’d picked up Sam’s pistol earlier without even thinking about it. Rufus was unimpressed. “They never catch on,” he muttered, “in time.” Max had never held a gun in his life. It felt cold and heavy. Rufus was staring at it, his greyish eyes half-closed, eyelids drooping, as if the sight of it made him drowsy. “You’re coming with me,” Max said, trying to keep his voice steady. “No, I’m not.” Max pulled back the hammer -- something he’d always seen done in the movies -- and pressed the barrel into the boy’s chest. “I said, you’re--” “I said, I’m not,” Rufus interrupted. “The moment you decide to pull that trigger, your heart will stop.” Max could hear the girl from the mist, echoing in his memory: “He’ll grab your heart with his cold hands, and squeeze until you’re dead.” None of it made sense, like a vivid nightmare. Rufus
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took advantage of Max’s absentmindedness, slipping through the door and leaving the garden. Max followed him down the corridor. “What about Lenore? Did you kill her too?” Rufus stopped, turning on his heel. “I cared about that girl!” he shouted, and it echoed around them. It was the first bit of emotion that Max had witnessed from the boy. Then he collected himself and continued at a brisk pace. “So who are you?” Max asked. He was silent, except for the clacking of his shoes on the floor, then said, “Griswold.” “Who?” Max was struggling to keep up. “Rufus Griswold, named after my father. And his father before him, and so on. My great-grandfather knew Edgar Allen Poe -- the great literary master. In fact, they were rivals. They competed at everything: literature, money, even women.” Where was this going? What was he talking about? They turned a corner. “Eventually, Griswold had Poe poisoned. Then he ran a smear campaign, before Poe was even cold in the ground. So Poe took revenge.” Rufus threw open the doors to the cathedral, rather melodramatically. “A curse upon our family: Every year, on Poe’s birthday, the eldest of the family must travel to his grave, and toast him as Griswold’s superior. Anyone who interferes with this, dies.” Rufus was insane, Max decided. But maybe, if he went along with the boy’s delusions, he could figure out the truth. Build a complete case against him.
She was a sweet girl. But foolish. Wanted to save me with incense and white witchcraft she learned over the internet. I forbade her, but she did it anyway. And it ended justlikeitalwaysdoes.Herwitchfriendsperformedsome sort of ritual on her corpse. Suppose that was what got your attention.” “You talk about it all so emotionlessly.” “Don’t you understand? I have to be emotionless. I never wanted this. It was forced on me.” “So let it go,” Max said. “Turn yourself in.” Rufus looked him in the eye, for the first time, and Max realised how sad and lonely the boy was. The icy numb facade had cracked, and beneath it was pure desperation. “Why should I risk ending my life? My bloodline?” “Your lifeisentrenchedindeath,”Maxsaid,“yourfamily’sname shamed annually.” “But what choice do I have?” Max was sensing he had the upper hand. “You have the choice to be free, Rufus. Come with me, and I’ll help you.” Rufus was silent, watching him, and so Max continued, “I can take away your curse. Clear your mind of darkness. It doesn’t have to--” “You’re right.” The boy snatched the pistol out of Max’s hand. “What are you doing!” Rufus put the gun to his head. “Choosing freedom,” he said, and pulled the trigger.
“So, is that how Lenore died?” Rufus was staring up at the roof of the chapel. “Yes.
http://www.facebook.com/people/ James-Joseph-Emerald/
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The Print
General Whimsy CROSSWORD
courtesy of Maria Carty-Mole
ACROSS
DOWN
1 A groom’s greatest male (4,3) 1Concisely, soft French cheese attracts 2 Spice is hot but without Spain it’s winged insect (7) 4 Lads drink 9 down with the heads of the freezing cold (3) 3 This Maynooth club has a buzz (4) Royal Society (5) 7 Sounds like South leg joints explode from 4 This male singer is born a tie (8) 5 Destroy? Create…from vowel, arm the nose? (6) 8 Type of ship whose namesake jumps on or leg, in consumed (9) 6 From Sweden and the vegetable a sofa (6) 10 Feel the loss of an unmarried woman’s patch (5) 9 Exist as a flying insect (3) title (4) 12 Boyzone clone opposite east death (8) 11 Boat and frame are in excellent 14 Accomplished perfectly! And fastened order (9) 13 Re-turfed the exams when failed (8) with a little metal rod (6) 16 Bosses who shouldn’t keep taking 15Crazy and mixed up as nine (6) 18 Sounds like little Deidre dispatches for good crosswords and disordering them :p (7) moves down (8) 19 Little delicatessen and almost big Indian 17 Count a little advertisement D (3) 18 The arm ad is upset and is acting city (4) 21 Confused as a wit and expects to meet from it (5) 20 One couple sounds like one pale (6) 22 Messed up I hoard an arranged coiffure fruit (4) 23 Operate and sprint (3) (6) 24 Correct faults by prayer’s end and fourth letter (5) 25 We hear that 20 down and little mass brown insects together have kids (7)
Crossword solution issue 4. Across: get lost, tests, thomas, module, jest, one sided, bradys, snails, athletes, mega, palace, trojan, aesop, snowman. Down: get a job, two thousand and ten, oral, ta, sound bite, steed, seashells, ryder cup, shannon, alpha, ergo, jam, is
SUDOKU The first correctly completed crossword to be returned to the VP Comms office will win two free tickets to the next Bar Ex
Congratulations to Neil Kelly who returned the first correct crossword from our last edition. For those of you who spent your February pondering over the answers, you can find them below this issue’s crossword
Seachtain na Gaeilge 29ú Márta - 2ú Aibreán 19
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Keith K
eith Farnan refuses to accept comedy as a true art form, instead he describes it as “Somewhere between cabaret and theatre”, but to refer to him as a mere funny-man is to miss the essence of his comedy completely. He has been described as “Spellbinding” and “the closest you will get to a pre-Black Books Dylan Moran”, but what sets Farnan apart is the topics he addresses in his shows. Recently NUIM’s Amnesty society hosted his Cruel and Unusual show, based on Farnan’s own experiences as a legal intern in the USA, where he worked with the Innocence Project and as a public defender in Georgia. Although this is his first full-length solo show since leaving his former career as a solicitor, Farnan is no stranger to comedy with a message, having covered racism in No Blacks, No Jews, No Dogs, No Irish All Welcome. He was once quoted as saying that “One of the hardest things to do in the world is make people laugh and think at the same time”, but he is no Bono, comedy is what this man is about! You’ve been in comedy for a couple of years now, I suppose the first thing to ask is how did you get into it? It was in college actually, I was hosting an art show on a college radio station in Cork and it was unbelievably boring every week to just have directors and actors going on about old plays. I remember we had visual artists on explaining art installations, which seemed a bit obtuse since we couldn’t show anything on radio! So I tried to convince the station that comedy was a sort of an art form and they kind of said “Well it’s not really but we see where you’re going.” I started doing interviews with comedians, a lot of guys like Daire O’Briain, Jason Byrne and Des Bishop. They were still able to give their time to college stations and there were a lot of gigs on around the place, so I ended up going to a lot of gigs in college just because I was working in the radio station. You gig in the International Comedy Club and host the Laughter Lounge regularly, how do you find the underground Irish comedy scene?
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It’s kind of funny when you say the ‘underground scene’, there are some people out there who will have a microphone in a bar with two people and say “We’re the
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Farnan
The Print
Interview by Darragh Corrigan
underground” and then there’ll be someone else upstairs in a room saying they’re the underground really, and then there’ll be a guy on his own in a bathroom with a microphone going “I am the underground of Irish comedy!”, there’s no real definition of the underground. I think it’s great that there are a lot of smaller clubs springing up around the place. There was a gap after the bigger comedians coming through, like Tommy Tiernan, Dylan Moran and Ardal O’Hanlon, where it was very hard for them to keep the momentum going. There were a lot of great small clubs that survived before on their reputation, but now if you don’t have a TV name it’s hard to keep a club going.
Ireland is known for music and literature, do you think that comedy is viewed as a lower art form here? I think it’s dangerous to even call it an art form, it’s somewhere between cabaret and you know, theatre. Considering the English speaking comedy world is Ireland, England, Canada, Australia, America and New Zealand, I think Ireland has done incredibly well. I mean not many have broken the American circuit but hey, who needs that! The English and Australian festivals, and of course the Montreal festival, all have showcases of Irish comedy. I don’t think it will ever be as recognised here, and I don’t think it needs to be really, it’s more of a guerilla cultural art form, if you could even call it that.
so it’s not a bad thing to be over there. You mentioned earlier that you started off doing open mic nights in comedy clubs, do you remember your first club gig? I remember my first three gigs. The first gig was probably the best gig I did for a long time. The second gig was probably the worst gig I’ve ever done in my life to this day, it was a horror show! The MC was an asshole, he basically introduced me like I was his three year old nephew who was here to tell a few jokes and it was the worst thing in my life! The third gig was a tricky gig in the Sugar Club, it was with Neil Delamere and it was interesting to see him and how he operates as a stand up. Everyone starts as an open spot, every TV comedian you see. Dylan Moran started as an open spot in the International for God’s sake! Having gigged in England, Ireland and the US, How do you find your comedy relates to international crowds? I think the difference between Irish, English and American audiences is pacing. In Ireland we’re sort of used to the storytelling, so an audience will stay with you for the half hour it takes to get to the joke, an English audience will demand a punch line very quickly, and an American audience will demand not just a punch line but also that you stop, so they know when to clap or laugh!
Do you think that might be partly due to comedians like Daire O’Briain who seem to emigrate to England as soon as they hit it big?
This is your first full length solo show, that’s a big jump, leaving your job as a solicitor to become a full time comedian.
Well you’ve got to remember that Tommy Tiernan went to England first, he was doing the BBC standup show and that’s how he got recognised over there, and then he was brought back here. Dara O’Briain was one of those rare things where he cultivated something in RTE and then went to England, that doesn’t happen very often! There’s just more of a culture over there, with the likes of BBC radio. The comedy scene has been over there for over forty years, whereas it’s only been in Ireland twenty, if even! So I think it’s not a surprise and really any comedian worth his salt should be over in England, because that’s where the best comedians from around the world are trying to work,
Yes, I think if you’re in any sort of job where you get to eat food and drink water, and survive generally, and you leave it for comedy, where that mightn’t happen every week, it’s a difficult transition. And with a topic like this it could be an absolute disaster. But I decided I had had enough of the club circuit, I’d had enough of writing, I was willing to work hard at this show. I think it worked for me because I went to London, where I did six gigs a week and got absolutely murdered every night. These were the most horrific kind of gigs you can imagine, pool halls with a microphone! It really hardens you and it makes you appreciate the good gigs, and work even harder for those, but it
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also puts you in a situation where you can handle any gig, any sort of room whatsoever. You’re taking the show to America soon. As it deals with the death penalty in America, do you worry about how it will be received? In the northern states, where they are more liberal, I feel it will probably be received better and people will be more open to what I’m talking about. In the southern states though there could be an element of “Who are you to come here and tell us what to do!” But I suppose when the topic is controversial you will always have those sort of reactions. You said before that “One of the hardest things to do in the world is to make people laugh and think at the same time”, do you feel that comedy with a message is important to you? You’ve got to make them laugh first, if they think after that it’s great, but if they only think and don’t laugh it’s not a comedy show! The message shouldn’t be the be all and end all, it’s just another type of comedy, it’s a third tier kind of comedy. It’s not just a knob gag or a joke, it’s something where you have a good laugh, but two or three days later you spot something and it makes you think. My second show was about racism and immigration, my next show is about feminism, it’s about tying all these things together in a comedic way, to make people engage. And after that for the future?
have
you
any
plans
Well Edinburgh anyway, I’m writing for the Barry Murphy Panel Show, it’s like Have I Got News For You, we’re just trying to make it funnier! And of course bigger tours here and in the UK, and TV and selling out! So the last question to ask is who is your favourite comedian? Who is you real inspiration? I think growing up it was Dermot Morgan, who had Father Ted and Scrap Saturday, he was amazingly funny and clever. He was the first comedian I ever saw on stage, with my dad. Also George Carlin, who was an American so people wouldn’t know him, but definitely Dermot Morgan.
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Book: Sara’s Face by Melvin Burgess Cosmetic surgery is something that’s rather popular among women. And men too, as the book reveals. But for Sara Carter whose only seventeen years old, it shouldn’t be something she wants. It should be something she stays away from, especially when the culprit behind it is Jonathon Heat, whose face has collapsed from all his years of surgery. From the ‘Godfather of Young Adult fiction’, Melvin Burgess unfolds a story, told in third-person narrative by a journalist reporter, about a young girl and her desires to become famous and how she wants cosmetic surgery to do just that. Jonathon Heat takes her into his secluded home, more like his mansion estate, where he pampers her and promises her dreams will come true. Right after all that surgery is complete. 17-year old Sara Carter is whisked away into thinking she is right on the road to stardom; with shopping trips out of this world, partying with the rich and famous, and anything she wants really. But then there’s her small, red triangular scar, and that is the only reason why Heat can really get away with what he does. The scenes played out in the book really get your imagination spinning, with descriptive surroundings and
the ghost encounters shown through Sara and her video-diary. Burgess manages to keep you wanting more and more throughout the entire story. The narrator makes many hints of what has happened to Sara in the very end, but without revealing exactly what has happened. But this can get a tad too much when the narrator refers to reports we are supposed to know of, but of course we don’t. In a way this is how Burgess keeps us on our toes when reading. The story involves a selection of main characters; two teenagers, separated but in love, the two culprits behind the knives and the caring nurse whose sent away when she’s needed most. These characters are all portrayed very well. The two teens, Sara and Mark are your typical loved-up couple who argue, beak up and make up. But in the end, Mark can’t help her anymore. The culprits, Heat and Dr. Kaye, are as dark and deceiving as a book can described. AndBernadette is as caring as any nurse is, and fights for Sara’s absent voice. Everything that happens with the characters is well planned out, and also rather unpredictable. Sara’s character is definitely the most unpredictable, a great personalty for your main character.
There are many reasons why one should read this book. It is quite entertaining, and creates great visual imagery for the reader. It has an eerie continuity that really does keep you reading til the very end.
Review by Nirina Plunkett
Films: Most anticipated film for March Alice in Wonderland
19-year-old Alice returns to the magical world from her childhood adventure, where she reunites with her old friends and learns of her true destiny: to end the Red Queen’s reign of terror. Tim Burton’s interpretation of Lewis Carrol’s famous childrens’s tale comes to the cinema March 5th in both 2 and 3D.
Director: Tim Butron Writers: Linda Woolverton (screenplay) Lewis Carroll (books)
With an all-star cast including Burton favourites (Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter as the Mad Hatter and Queen of Hearts respectively) as well as some new talent in the form
of Mia Wasikowska who’ll be playing Alice, the film looks like it may well be one of the big cinematic hits of the year. This casting seems quite fitting for the most part with Stephen Fry voicing the Cheshire Cat, Alan Rickman voicing the Caterpillar and Christopher Lee as the Jabberwock. The film is shot in a typically gothic Burton style and looks like it may be the most visually appealing film of the year, particularly if you get the chance to see it in 3D.
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Album: There Is Love In You by Four tet a term at all really” Maybe. Who really wants to be the one that says ‘folktronica’ in a conversation, no matter how hip your friends seem? It’s often light. Circling, by far my personal favourite track on this album, will take you away. It’s the ‘8:23A.M on the 66’ song here, a beautifully chilled out piece of music that just floats by. This is beautiful, Four Tet, now there’s an artist with sample based electronic music. Not whom you’d associate the word a vocal track anywhere, just the hype. There Is Love In You, the beauty in the simplicity of sound. latest effort from Kieran Hebden, loops, but never has been generating waves of Repeated repetitive. I’ve looked at that line for the stuff since being released a good two minutes now, wondering at the tail end of January. I hear you, and you’re asking: why? if it even makes sense. The fact is however that across its 47 minutes, Well, firstly it is necessary to this album doesn’t once find itself state just what Four Tet does. To caught in a loop (Or at least, caught call this electronic music would in a loop that shouldn’t be there) be a gross-simplification. Kieran Hebden has, under the Four Tet It’s gentle, it’s ambient (The old dear moniker, remixed everyone from of the house even said “That’s lovely” Beth Orton to Bloc Party, Madvillan at one stage) but it’s danceable to bloody Radiohead. Little at times too. To just label this boxes won’t do when it comes to ‘commuting music’ would be a great describing his sound or influences. disservice to the record. Indeed, Love Cry, the second track here, What separates Four Tet from boasts some of the best drums I can a lot of electronic artists is the recall hearing on a record to date. range of sounds used in his music. Clocking in at 9:01, not once have As ridiculous as the ‘folktronica’ I called this one to an end this one moniker some music critics applied early. This song in particular is far earlier in his career sounds, when more club orientated than anything you remember he does incorporate Four Tet has produced to date, instruments like the piano and and a quick look around shows that acoustic guitar into his music you Joy Orbision (remember that word, think “maybe it’s not that stupid hype?) has had a go at remixing this
The Print
The blogs, the blogs. They shape it all now really. Everyone from Little Boots to Animal Collective owes a great deal of their success last year to the “right click- save as” function, with the word ‘hype’ never meaning more than now, where music is just a never ending world of Megauploads and embedded audio.
one too. It just feels, well, good. The use of vocal-sounds on this record is sporadic, this is primarily a beautifully minimalist instrumental record. The drums, the samples, the keys- they all speak for themselves. A friend told me recently he thought it was the kind of album “You’d hear in the back of some hipsters documentary on trains, or New York, or a park somewhere”. Maybe it is. Still, to not check something out, purely out of a fear of the hype and those who obey it, would be a sin. Sometimes, they get it right. The beautiful double vinyl includes a full download for an MP3 version of this album. Whether watching it spin, or spending ‘8:23 A.M on the 66’, I’m still finding new things in this beautiful, atmospheric record.Ignore Public Enemy, sometimes you could do worse than to Believe the Hype.
Review by Donal Fallon
Love films, tv shows or music? Found an album that’s changed your life? Recently watched a film that’s made you want to rip out your eyes? We want to hear about it. Drop us a line at reviewsprint@nuimsu.com 23
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01/03/2010 16:20:35
NEWS: OPINIONS The Print
Response to: “Free Speech on Trial?”
Studet’s response to Stephen Staines’ article featured in the last issue An article written by Stephen Staines appeared in last month’s edition of the Print entitled “Free Speech on Trial?” It claimed that the trial of far-right politician Geert Wilders in the Netherlands was an attack on freedom of speech because he is being placed on trial simply for airing his views on Islam publicly, controversial although they may be. The article claims that this trial sets a dangerous precedent since the Netherlands, probably the most liberal nation in the world, has taken active steps toward silencing freedom of speech. It also makes the bold claim that Islam is an inherently violent religion and that violent extremists are not merely ideologues at the peripheries of the religion, but are in fact practising true Islam as intended by the Qu’ran. Upon reading this article I felt compelled to write a response because many of the assertions in it are misleading and potentially serve as justifications for thinly veiled racism, particularly when espoused by people such as Geert Wilders. Firstly, Islam is not inherently violent. With 1.2 billion followers worldwide, it should be safe to say that the true nature of Islam is whatever the vast majority of these people practise it as, and not what it has been labelled as by men such as Geert Wilders. Of course there are violent verses in the Qu’ran, just as there are in the Bible and the Torah, and there are fundamentalist sects of Islam, Christianity and Judaism who claim to be practising the true nature of their religion, and yet express it in violent and unusual ways. To say that terrorists are practising true Islam is no different than saying that the true nature of Christianity can be seen in the torture practises of the Spanish Inquisition, or the Crusades, or the Ku Klux Klan. However the fact does remain that Islamic extremism is a real phenomenon which poses significant problems in relations between the Islamic and Western worlds today. It should also be uncontroversial to state that American policy toward the Middle-East has greatly exacerbated these tensions. Global terrorism has increased exponentially since
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the invasion of Iraq. Between 1980 and 2003 there were 315 suicide bombings worldwide. Since 2003 there have been well over 400 in Iraq alone. This indicates that the main movitation for Islamic terrorists is not the Qu’ran itself, but the deliberate attempts to keep parts of the Islamic world subordinate to Western interests, which inevitably breed hostility towards the West. Surely it’s not too difficult to see the paradox in attempting to eradicate extremism by implementing policies and maintaining the conditions which nurture it in the first place? So within this global context, what productive purpose has Geert Wilders served? By playing on people’s heightened fears and paranoia, he creates unnecessary animosity which works in no one’s interests; not those of the people he supposedly represents, nor those of Muslims seeking a peaceful life in Europe. To claim this trial to be an attack on freedom of speech is ludicrous and acts as an attempt to justify incitement to hatred. For instance, no one is disputing Stephen Staine’s right to air his views about Islam publicly; he is simply exercising his right to freedom of speech. However if he were to propose that all Muslims be thrown out of NUI Maynooth, then it would hardly be disputable that this would be an issue which needs to be addressed. Well this is why Geert Wilders is now facing prosecution. Consider the following quote; “I call them colonists. Muslim colonists. They haven’t come here to integrate, but to take over, to subjugate us.” It is quite ironic that Geert Wilders cites the tool of freedom of speech as a justification for his stance; a freedom he didn’t seem to have any time for when he was proposing to have the Qu’ran banned from the Netherlands. Is there only freedom of speech for those who agree with him? Is he not aware that a common definition of this value which he claims to cherish so highly is the tolerance specifically of views which one disagrees with? He claims that free speech and the very fabric of Western liberalism are being placed in danger because of this trial, while he seems blissfully unaware that his own hate speech has posed a far greater threat to the values he supposedly seeks to uphold. Hassan Ould Moctar
After three difficult weeks of exams NUIM Surf club decided against spending their gap week like most students. Instead of heading home, sticking on the kettle and watching Corrie we decided to go on a surfing trip to Morocco! I think all can agree it was a week worth remembering…or not depending on how much alcohol was drank. Arriving in the Agadir airport in Morocco around 8 or 9 pm members were shocked and delighted upon hearing that smoking in the airport was completely acceptable… and so began a week of drinking, smoking and surfing! There were 39 of us in total and we were split into two separate surfing camps, Dynamic Loisirs and Surf Maroc When we woke up the next morning it was a beautiful sunny day without a cloud in the sky and after a quick breakfast we were off to the beach to begin the surfing. Salt water has a great way of curing a hangover. The waves throughout the week were small enough, ideal for beginners, but a bit small for experienced surfers. The craic, however, more than made up for the lack of huge waves. But nothing could compare to lying on the beach and soaking in the sun. Freezing cold Ireland was far from our minds. There were vendors coming and going selling us food, blankets, jewellery and even camel rides! What they loved to do though was light these things on fire to prove they were real. Lighting shoes on fire to prove real leather, lighting stones on fire to prove real…stones. You name it; they light it on fire to prove that it’s real. One of the days our guides brought us to a
01/03/2010 16:20:36
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and Roll
‘Cap’ on courses keeps thousands out of college THOUSANDS of students are being denied access to Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) courses because of where they live. And the most deprived of all live in Taoiseach Brian Cowen’s native Co Offaly, which has only 50 PLC places compared with 1,216 in Co Cavan, which has a smaller population.
place known as ‘Paradise Valley’. It certainly lived up to its name; a freshwater lagoon halfway up a mountain where we spent most of our day. It was a beautiful place to swim and just lay out in the sun. There was also a high cliff jump which, thanks to ‘Dutch courage’, a few crazy people jumped off. The following day we went to one of the biggest markets in Europe which sold everything you could think of, except counterfeit. For instance instead of Vans shoes there were VanZ. As well as shoe shops there were plenty of spice stalls selling Viagra insisting it would be useful for the ‘jiggy jiggy tonight’. As if the week could not get any better, on the second last night the guys over at Dynamic brought a toga party over to Surf Maroc! The night was spent playing table tennis, singing and dancing all while sporting very snazzy bed sheets/togas. The last night everyone went out to see the local nightclub. The place was full of locals, as well as prostitutes. A coke cost about €7 and the prostitutes cost about €20. It is amazing what one can afford for the price of three cokes! All in all it was an amazing week with two hospital visits, windows smashed, chessboards destroyed (Nice one Conor), mattresses thrown off balconies, drunken hook ups, drinking, surfing and 39 beautiful people. El Presidente Brian Connnon organised a splendid trip and let’s hope he does so again same time next year!
Oisin Feaney
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The uneven distribution of places was disclosed at an Oireachtas Education Committee meeting yesterday which heard calls to lift the ‘cap’ on PLC numbers to cope with rising demand. At present there is official sanction from theDepartment of Education and Science for 31,688 places nationally but a number of counties are not getting their fair share. This is mainly because the cap was imposed a number of years ago before some areas developed their programmes and built up their student numbers. The ‘Stand Up for Education’ group said PLCs provided students with specific vocational skills which improved their chances of work or progress to further studies. The best-known courses are in the Ballyfermot College of Further Education where graduates of its animation course have been nominated for Oscar success. The group’s spokeswoman Jackie O’Callaghan said the current restriction on places made no economic, social or educational sense.
of the current academic year there were, on average, two applicants for every PLC place. General secretary Peter MacMenamin said the trends were the same in every province and in every town and city. Figures given by Education Committee member Mary Wallaceshowed huge variations from county to county. She said that Co Meath, with a population of 162,831 people, had only 328 places, while Co Louth, with a population of 111,267 had 1,100 places. Co Donegal, with a population of 147,264 had only 205 places. Co Waterford with a population of 107,961 had approval for 1,023 places, whereas Co Wexford, with a bigger population of 131,749, had 904 in all. Yesterday’s meeting also supported the group’s campaign for a targeted investment of 7pc of GDP for education by 2016 and it called for an easing of the moratorium on filling middle management positions in schools. Fine Gael education spokesman Brian Hayes challenged the TUI over its decision to ban all duties undertaken by assistant principals and special needs teachers who are not replaced. And Labour’s education spokesman Ruairi Quinn called for the transfer of much of the FAStraining budget to the Department of Education in the forthcoming shake-up of departments.
Resources In economic terms, the cost of the extra resources necessary to take on new students would be greatly offset by savings otherwise payable in the form of Jobseeker’s Allowance, she said. Research carried out by the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) found that at the start
John Walshe Education Editor Irish Independent - February 26 2010
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NEWS: INTERVIEWS estate, and Carton house would have fallen down.”
NUIM Labour Youth has risen from the ashes this year to become one of the most active groups on campus. Society President Aengus Ó Maoláin talks to local Labour T.D. Emmet Stagg Emmet Stagg was born in Co. Mayo in 1944 and trained as a medical technologist in Kevin Street College of Technology (now DIT). When he first moved to Dublin, in 1962, he was immediately drawn to politics and eventually joined the Communist Party of Ireland in 1967, before joining the Labour Party in the early seventies. In 1979 he was elected to Kildare County Council for the Celbridge area, which includes Maynooth, and, against a flow of support away from Labour nationally, he was elected to Dáil Éireann in 1987, signalling what many commentators saw as a resurgence of the Left within Labour. Despite having served on the front bench in both opposition and government, Stagg is best known for two unfortunate events in his political life. The first in 1994, involving a gay man and a certain area of the phoenix park is well known, but it was the then minister’s demeanour and quiet respectability that saved his career. That same demeanour is on show in full force when he steps in the back door of Caulfield’s for our interview. He wears a knee-length brown coat and a neat brown trilby which accentuates his thick glasses and a smile that hints at a wily rascal waiting to be released. His second headline grab was Gogarty-gate, when Deputy Paul Gogarty of the Green Party launched a spectacular display of unparliamentary language at Stagg during a debate on Social Welfare cuts late last year. “I was shocked he had actually said it, but I do believe that he decided that day he was going to tell someone to fuck off. It was mainly Róisín [Shortall] and Kathleen [Lynch] who were going after him, but he couldn’t tell them to fuck off, that would be totally disastrous. So anyway, I said something about him being insincere and he went at me.” Stagg was not offended as he himself is well known for his off the cuff, and off the record interjections on the floor.
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He told me, with mischief in his eye, about his own contribution to the unparliamentary book: the word ‘arse.’ During a debate on exempting farm labourers from income tax he compared this action to “rubbing a fat pig’s arse with lard,” and when reprimanded by the ceann comhairle, managed to say the word thirty-seven times in the next five minutes before withdrawing the offending word in favour of ‘posterior’ which is what can be found on the record now. We spoke for just over an hour, and while I had prepared several questions we frequently fell off-topic into much more interesting territory. Stagg is an engaging speaker and often I failed to notice how far we had strayed. The issues I raised with him were of a local concern. On the subject of crime, he was unequivocal. Kildare has “the highest growth rate of serious crime in the country outside of Dublin, we have the highest number of such crimes, and we have the lowest detection rate of such crimes anywhere in the country. The police would need about another three-hundred police to be back up to the national average. Maynooth is particularly badly affected because of senior police retiring and not being replaced. The station in Maynooth is grossly undermanned for the task they have to do.” The ramification of this is that anti-social behaviour is ignored or undertargeted. “This is not exclusively a student problem, but it lowers the quality of life for ordinary people.” Stagg spoke at length on this issue, it is obviously close to his heart. I asked him about the failed planning application for the new business campus on the grounds of Carton Estate which Labour objected to. “It was very well planned, but it shouldn’t have been there.” Stagg insists that the project is a very good one, but he is familiar with developers and insists that if a single residence was built on the estate, eventually “it would be one huge housing
On the great student issue of fees, Stagg was acerbic about “the stupid encouragement of the Presidents of all the Universities that they should have fees. But they don’t seem to realise that every pound they get from fees merely replaces a pound they get from the Government. They will gain nothing at all from that. They will have fewer students and a different [more upper class] cohort of students.” What can student’s do though? “If you just keep saying ‘I want more money. For me.’ you wont be listened to. In the 60s students were organised and effective, and they were listened to... they were a radical force in society, not just about student issues... and they joined the political parties, influenced the political parties by their numbers and they all voted.” Next in the firing line was the apathy of the current student: “if they think now that politics doesn’t affect them and they shouldn’t be bothered about politics, I’m not sure they should be qualified to be third level students.” Finally we came to the dissolution of the NUI. “That’s a brand, a valuable brand. The only group that will benefit from this is UCD, and for some reason they have convinced the other mini-presidents that this is a good idea. These little tin empire builders in Maynooth and other places don’t seem to care about the status their degrees will have.” When I asked if the minister’s motion on this matter was a repeat of the big freeze days off debacle, according to Stagg it is not just a kite, but a “lead balloon. It may never happen.” At the end of my list of questions Deputy Stagg asked me the time, and when I answered he said his PA “will kill me for staying this long with you.” Stagg may be Labour’s second oldest TD but he appears as full of life as any member of the Oireachtas as I have met, and has lost none of his love of meeting people, solving and talking about issues. He is eager to have young people involved in politics and seems to be actively looking for the next generation to take over. As we shared a cigarette at the door and said our good-byes we discussed local Labour matters, and shared a few jokes. All this serious talk had exhausted me, and made him anxious to stop working and get home, but his generosity of time and spirit impressed me deeply. This was not the first time we had met, but my opinion of Emmet Stagg is higher now than before the interview. His final thought for students was unequivocal: “Get involved in politics.”
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S Labour & Fianna Fail Fianna Fail have been in government since 1997, teaming up with the likes of the Progressive Domocrats and the Green Party. In these times of economic hardship, we look to our local Fianna Fail T.D to see how the government plan to bring us back to the glory days of the last decade. Staying close to home, Maynooth resident Aine Brady T.D. answers questions from student Donal Fallon. Politics. Who we put in the Dail, who we don’t, if we vote, if we don’t, what our Mothers Father thought of the Anglo-Irish Treaty, it’s all politics. We do ‘politics’ all the time in Ireland, a people eager to discuss, debate (normally in narrow rooms featuring highstools) and engage. Still, with rare exception, Irish politics can sometimes seem to pass students by almost completely. I recently asked Áine Brady T.D (Fianna Fail) a few questions on herself, her political career and her party. Áine was appointed to a Junior Minister position during reshuffles under Taoiseach Brian Cowen and represents Kildare North in the Dáil. If you agree or disagree with the politics of any of the local T.Ds interviewed in the paper, write about it. Send it in. The discussion is welcome. The answers of politicians will always be, of course, ‘politicians answers’. Your opinions and views on the job they do, the political system itself and the political affairs of the town, county or state should come out for debate and discussion. Don’t keep your political engagement to those prior mentioned narrow rooms featuring high stools. Kildare has traditionally been very kind to Fianna Fail, and from following your own Press Releases on maynooth.org it’s obvious for you politics is mainly ‘local’ thing. Still, in Dublin- times haven’t been so kind to the party. What do you attribute this to? Representing people is a balancing act. You have to ensure that you carry out your Ministerial and Dail duties, as well as dealing with local issues. I often find that dealing with local issues, and constituent concerns, gives you a rounded understanding of the challenges people face
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in their lives. Many local constituents also use their contact with their Local TD to impart information or ideas on how Government Policy can be refined or improved. Traditionally, Fianna Fail was always a real grassroots party. In fact local empowerment of rank and file membership probably contributed more to the success of the party than any other factor. Would you agree with this? Fianna Fail is the only party in Ireland, if not in western Europe, that has an organisation in every community. Our membership is varied and is representative of society at large. We do have active engagement with our local organisation and every Fianna Fail TD is keenly aware of the importance of our organisation in getting ideas for policy, giving us feedback on our Party’s Performance and also getting the party message to the voters. The economic collapse ensured that along with bankers like Sean Fitzpatrick and Micky Fingleton, some in government circles would find themselves come under severe criticism. In retrospect, how do you think your Party will view the ‘Bertie years’ down the line? I think that people will look back on the years from 1997 and 2007 as a period when our economy grew, people standards of living grew and we increased the productive capacity of the economy. No doubt as we look back, with the obvious benefit of hindsight, the Government might have handled some things differently- most notably our Banking System. However, if you compare the country now, even after 18 months of recession, we are still better placed to deal with a Global upturn than we would have been in 1997. Our Road Network, our Public Transport, Broadband, Sports and Community Facilities and indeed our Health Services, in particular;
Cardiovascular and Cancer Care, Social Benefits and Enterprise policies; all are significantly better than they were in 1997. We are not alone in these economic challenges, most European Countries have significant economic challenges Outside Fianna Fail, who from other parties have you find most interesting and likeable? There is a great tradition in Irish politics of the political and the personal being known to remain far apart on occasion! I have to say that I get on reasonably well with members of the Opposition. I, in particular, hold Olwyn Enright and Jan O’Sullivan in high regard. Olwyn and Jan represent their party in policy areas relating to older people, and I have found them very professional and easy to get on with. So, where do you see the Party ten years from now? I feel that Fianna Fail will still be an influential party in our political system. The decisions that the Government has to make now, while deeply unpopular at the moment, but necessary; and is having a significant negative effect on our popularity; will be the basis for future economic growth. The Irish people in time) will give recognition to a party that makes the right decisions for the long term. And finally, what has been your proudest moment politically to date, on a personal level? I would have to say that it was the day that the Taoiseach called me and asked me to be a Minister of State in the Department of Health.
Donal Fallon
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Clubs and Socs News
Keeping you up to date with all our clubs and socs on campus. Don’t forget that your Clubs and Socs Officers can be found to answer your questions on Tuesdays from 2-4pm in the C&S Room upstairs in the Students’ Union
Mature Students’ Society
Bio-Soc Hello to you All. We are The BioSoc a.k.a The Biology Society. In the last year The BioSoc has held various events in the college including regular “House Nights” where we all got together to watch the critically acclaimed series, House and eat Pizza. We also held numerous talks from guest speakers on topics like Evolutionary Development and Bioethics. We organised a trip to London where 10 members ventured to The Natural History Museum and enjoyed 5 days in the city. We organised a Malaria Awareness Week and had an epic game of “Malaria Tag” where great prizes were won. We were also nominated for Most Improved Society at the Clubs and Socs Awards and with your help; we are looking to claim back the title of Best Society at the next award ceremony. We have a calendar packed year for you, full of old and new events and we would love you all to come sign up with the Biology Society and take part in what will be the Best year for our Society.
Young Fianna Fail
Mature Students Society will be holding the second Inter-Collegiate Ball in the Russell Court Hotel in Dublin on the Friday the 16th of April 2010. More information will be available online soon.
Spotlight Society Want an opportunity to wear your Debs dress again? Well
now
you’ve
got
the
chance!
NUIM Spotlight are hosting Maynooth’s very first Prom night. Prom, as many of you will know, is traditionally an American Style high school event, but this year, we’re bringing the event to Maynooth and we’re going to make it an event to remember!
On the 11th of February, the Seán Lemass Cumann welcomed Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Mary Hanafin TD, to campus. She was one of the founders of our cumann, and is a past graduate of Maynooth College. We asked her about the Student Support Bill and the Dissolution of the NUI. On the student support bill, she explained that it is currently in the second stage of the Dáil and is also to be amended. She also stated that it was completely unacceptable that some students are still waiting on their 1st instalment cheques and said that she is currently working on standardising the application process which will mean that all Higher Education Grant applications will be processed by the local VEC and not by the County Council as is the current set up. When asked about the dissolution of the NUI, she said that it is not something that she did during her time as Minister for Education and has also felt that smaller colleges, such as Maynooth, have benefited from being a part of it. As such, we will be launching a campaign against this in the coming weeks. As well as that we are also organising the inaugural Politics week with the other political parties on campus, but more on that later, and we’re also organising a trip to the European Parliament during easter break! So if any members want to come, email us at fiannafail@nuimsu.com
The event itself, will occur on the 23rd of March, in the fabulous Glenroyal Hotel. Tickets go on sale from the 8th of March, in the Arts Block at the affordable price of €36. This includes a deluxe 3 course meal along with a chance to get an official Prom Photo with your date, just like The Debs. We will have two live bands performing along with a late night extension in Fizz nightclub afterwards. Surely a night not to be missed! But that’s not all! NUIM Spotlight will also crown Maynooth’s Very First Prom Queen and King! Further information regarding the event can be obtained from our facebook page: w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / n u i m s p o t l i g h t
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Return Of Christianity Week From the 30th of March to the 1st of April, the Christian Union will be having our first Christianity Week on campus with the theme “Back to Reality”.
leader at All Saints Church Belfast and author of “Truth with Love: The Apologetics of Francis Schaeffer” to speak on “What is truth and where can I find it?”.
On March 30th at 7pm in JHL2 in the John Hume Building we will be having a debate in conjunction with Maynooth LnD on the motion “This house believes that one cannot be truly moral without God”. Our invited speakers for the debate are Dr. John Murray lecturer of Moral Theology at the Mater Dei Institute and one of the directors of the IONA Institute for Religion and Society, and Michael Nugent the current chairperson of the advocacy group Atheist Ireland. In addition to this 2 Christian Union members and 2 LnD members will also be debating.
And finally, on April 1st at 7pm in Hall F in the Arts Block we will be having James Crookes elder at Crescent Church Belfast and chaplain at Queens University speaking on “Life in the Emergency Room? - Finding hope in the midst of suffering”.
On March 31st at 7pm in the Student Common Room behind the Arts Block, we will be having Dr. Bryan Follis church
Alt Music Society
We are really looking forward to have this take place, and we hope that it will be an interesting week for all as we explore morality, truth, and suffering three of the big questions of life together! If you have any questions about what we are doing or what we are about as a Christian Union, feel free to e-mail us at christianunion@nuimsu.com or visit our website at www.maynoothcu. org. You can also find us on Facebook.
Drama Society Following the huge success of Hamlet, Drama Soc keeps the ball rolling as one of the most active societies on campus.
The Alternative Music Society is a community of musicians and musiclovers, which allows its participants to be epic winners. We have a Noticeboard Thingy where you can find people of a like-mind who will harness your ideas with you and together you shall reap what you sow and create something wonderful, magical and awe-inspiring.... A NEW SONG! And all shall look upon it with adoration and wonder and say, ‘that’s a nice song’ or ‘I quite like that one’ and then others shall say, ‘its ok I suppose’ and we in the Alternative Music Society shall disembowel people whose criticism is not constructive, for they deserve to be purged from the world. We also have the Classroom Sessions every Thursday in Classhall F in the Arts Block, where we encourage all to perform in whatever manner suits them; singing, rapping, beatbox, poetry. Groin-Grabbingly Good Times! For details contact: altmusic@nuimsu.com or facebook
We’re sending “Fear and Misery of the Third Reich” to the ISDA (Irish Student Drama Association) Festival on the week of March 8th. So if you fancy regaining some sense of class after the debauchery of Charity Wekk, drop us an email and we’ll give you all the Festival’s details. Speaking of ISDA, we’re once again sending our intrepid improv-ers to the second ISDA Improv Weekend of the year, this time in Cork. Let’s see if they can keep the title they won in November or suffer the humiliation of returning home empty handed. The next big Aula show of the year is Aaron Sorkin’s “A Few Good Men” which is going to stage April 27th. If you’ve seen the film, you’ll love the play so keep your eye on our noticeboard for all the details. Of course, before the last big show of the year, we can’t forget about the annual Black Box Fesstival; a favourite of theatre patrons. We’ve three incredible shows: Bash, Don’t Dress for Dinner and Rashamon showcasing the best of the society’s talent in the form of a rom-com, a one woman show and a quest for the truth (You can’t handle the truth! See, continuity) Check out The Venue March 30th-April 1st to catch these shos. Finally, “The Vagina Monologues” are hitting the stage on March 23rd as part of our second annual V-DAY event. If you’d like to get involved in this, or any of our events, hit us up at drama@nuimsu.com where you’ll get a pleasant, and quite often suacy, reply. Drama: it’s life, only better
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01/03/2010 16:20:47
The Print
So What Does A Clubs Officer Do? Hello! My name is Donal Spring and I am your Clubs Officer for the year! So what does that mean I hear you asking? Well to be perfectly honest, not an awful lot. It means that I am responsible for chairing C&S Council along with my partner in crime Lydia (Societies Officer). Together we deal with the queries of the Clubs and Societies and help to manage the overall needs of the numerous groups on campus. I also sit on the Capitation Committee. This is the group that meets weekly to discuss the finances of the Students’ Union and it is this committee that decides how much money to give each Club or Soc! So what have I done so far this year? Well I have been involved in setting up both Clubs and Societies Days at which most of you would have seen displays from the Jugglers to the Trampoliners! I also helped organise the Talent Show at which Eimer from Gospel Choir won €200! Bling bling! As an officer of the Students’ Union it is also my duty to help out in the organisation of the many Bar Ex’s. For this, I have spent countless hours running around with fliers an posters and generally screaming at people to go to our night outs! Well that’s a bit about me, I’m sure you’ll hear from me again, an if you have any Clubs or Society related issues then don’t hesitate to email me clubs@nuimsu.com or pop into my lovely office and try sitting on our warm cosy couch!
Dance Soc Just want to congratulate everyone that took part in DCU’s ALL IRELAND Dance Experiment show in the Helix on Feb 18th, was an amazing show presented by Brian Ormond and showcased many talented acts, Maynooth Dance Soc were proud to be part of and had a great time! We are coming close to the highlight of the year, the Intervarsities dance competition. The competition is held on 11th March in Carlow IT. We are entering dances in four categories: irish dancing, hiphop, mixed and overall mixed. This year we have over 50 dancers going so it will definately be a big event. All the dancers are busy getting the routines perfect since it’s less than 3 weeks away. We hope to bring back a lot of trophies! We have a new class starting up this semester - Street Jazz with Yasmina . The class covers core work out (great for toning up your body), stretching, technique and a simple jazz routines, which we are going to perform as part of Overall Mixed routine in Intervarsities. So if you did jazz before or just simply want to try something new, come along - every tuesday 2-3pm in Small Sports Hall.
Remember:
the deadline for the next issue of The Print will be March 15th
Galway Cycle
Registration is open until 28th February (THIS SUNDAY). Due to clothing orders and accommodation bookings, we do not want to extend this deadline!!! Register now on-line at http://www.galwaycycle. ie/registration-page. For anybody that clicked on the register now and pay later option, Kevin Sweeney and his beautiful assistant Therese will be collecting the deposit of €40 in the Arts Block on 1st March (Monday @ 1-2pm) and 3rd March (Wednesday @ 12-1pm). Sponsorship cards can be picked up here also. Likewise we can collect this deposit and distribute sponsorship cards at the training cycles this weekend. Additionally, sponsorship cards can be obtained from the Student Union, North Campus, NUIM or by emailing president@galwaycycle.ie. Tractor Run: This weekend 28th February (THIS SUNDAY). See http://www. galwaycycle.ie/galway-cycle-tractor-run2010 for more details. There are over 60 tractors already registered to attend. There will be bia agus deoch, ceol agus craic down in St. Kevins GAA, Staplestown, Donadea afterwards so all are welcome and with cars leaving from Maynooth in the morning, no-one will be left behind. If you would like to get involved or know people that would like to enter a vehicle, please contact Paul Mullaly, Ph: 087674-2015 or myself, Ph: 086-409-4963.
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01/03/2010 16:20:52
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Speakeasy CafĂŠ NUIMSU Bar For the cheapest, most student friendly food on campus The Print master 31
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01/03/2010 16:20:54
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Seachtain na Gaeilge Bí Linn! 32
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01/03/2010 16:20:56