THE COLLEGE TRIBUNE

Tables and Chairs stand ready for students to sit exams Image: Th e Dalhousie Gazette

As exam season approaches, there are a range of supports

around campus for students who may be feeling the pressure at this time of the year. One of the fi rst places a student may turn to is UCD Students’ Union (UCDSU), who have been preparing to help students for the exams.

Dannii Curtis, UCDSU Un-dergraduate Education Offi cer, explained how they would be hosting a wide range of activities for students in the lead up to ex-ams. Last week, they ran clinics in the various faculties across the campus, where they provided students with “coff ee vouchers, fruit, study timetables and tips, folders and notebooks.” She said that they plan on continuing this in the coming weeks.

Also scheduled for the next few weeks are crash course study sessions, along with mindfulness and stress management talks.

Moreover, she said that she would be “posting about supports and tips and tricks for exams in the coming week for students online.”

At this time of year, the James Joyce Library oft en becomes a hub of activity, with students go-ing there for last minute study. Curtis confi rmed that UCDSU would have pop-up stands out-side it, where herself, Hazel Be-attie, UCDSU Graduate Educa-tion Offi ce, and Clare O’Connor, UCDSU Welfare Offi cer, would be on hand to off er students sup-port.

Opening hours in the librar-ies have been extended for the exam period. Th e full timetables are available on UCD Library website. From the 9th November to the 18th December, the James Joyce Library will be open until midnight, from Monday through Friday. It will close at 9pm on each Saturday and Sunday.

Th ere will be a slight change to the late night study area in Astra Hall, operated by UCDSU.

Previously, a 24 hour study space operated in the run up to exams. Th e statistics on its use last year have shown that attendance at it dropped off between 3-4am. Based on this, a decision has been taken to operate the space until 3am each morning, with excep-tions.

Th e late night study area will begin on study week and will continue until the exams end. Its fi rst night of operation will be on Monday, 30th November, going into the Tuesday morning itself. 24 hour access will be available on peak dates throughout the exams, such as Sunday, 6th December, the day before the exams begin. Th e full timetable for 24 hour ac-cess will be released soon. Curtis has said that she will “endeavour to be there for students studying late as much as time allows,” and that they will be there to off er “fruit, tea and coff ee and food on most nights to keep students go-ing through the long nights.”

Each year, a shuttle bus ser-

vice runs between UCD and the exam centre in the RDS. Curtis said that UCDSU was awaiting confi rmation from the university itself as to whether or not it would be running the service. She said that UCDSU would arrange one should UCD fail to do so. Details of it will be announced soon.

Students who miss out on exams can apply for extenuating circumstances, to take into ac-count the reason why they did not complete their coursework. UCD has defi ned extenuating cir-cumstances in its policy as: “Th e occurrence of unforeseen events which have prevented a student from attending a substantial number of classes, aff ected their ability to study or complete as-sessments (both continuous as-sessment and/or examinations), resulted in assessment deadlines being missed or adversely aff ect-ed performance in any assess-ments undertaken.”

Curtis said that the Union is hoping to release a student friendly guide on applying to extenuating circumstances. She wants to make it as “straight for-ward as possible for students in

need,” as the “process of applica-tion can provide another stress for students on top of the unfore-seen circumstances.”Applications for extenuating cir-cumstances must be submitted online through SISWEB. Indi-vidual Schools have drawn up their own policies on the matter. A student who wishes to make an application for extenuating cir-cumstances should consult the information online, and contact their relevant School for infor-mation.

Regarding exam tips for stu-dents, Curtis off ered the follow-ing advice: “My best advice is to make sure to look aft er yourself, take breaks when you need to. Don’t be afraid to reach out to lecturers and tutors if you are struggling with a particular topic as they are there to help. Most im-portantly, please reach out to us if you need help with anything to do with time management, cop-ing with exam stress or just need a sounding wall to talk to, we’re here for you.

For fi rst years, who are yet to experience UCD exams and the

Continued on Page 2

Keep Calm for the Exams

Volume 29, Issue 6 Tuesday, November 24th 2015 www.collegetribune.ieIndependent since 1989 University College Dublin

Cian CartonNews Editor

NewsPg.3

BusinessPg. 6

MusicPg. 7

FilmPg. 9Pg.3

Register of Electorsto close onWednesday

Business

Big days andbigger gamesfor Ireland’stop brands

Pg. 7Kevin O’Reillytalks toRaglans’Rhos Horan

Niamh Crosbie takesa look at some 90sChristmasClassics

Editors Arts Editor Features Editor Politics Editor Contributors Special Thanks Una Power Emma Costello Sinéad Slattery Jack Power Seán O’Reilly Clare Creegan Laur Ryan Business Editor Film & Entertainment Editor Sports Editor Ray Cunningham Sandra Higgins LG18 Adam Hetherington Niamh Crosbie Neil Ryan Ruth Slamon Sinead Williams Newman Building, Barry Monahan UCD Eagarthóir Gaeilge Music Editor Tech Editor Monty O’Reilly Belfield, Gearóid Óg Ó Greacháin Kevin O’Reilly Graham Harkness Joey PowerDublin 4. Fashion Editor News Editor Turbine Editor editor@collegetribune.ie Emer Slattery Cian Carton Hans Offerman

The COLLEGE TRIBUNE Team

NEWS IN BRIEF2

RDS, she had this to say:“For first years, my best advice

is not to be daunted by the loca-tion or size of the exam hall and to just focus on you, give yourself plenty of time to get there at your own pace. Bring a watch to the exam hall with you to keep time as you may not always be seated close enough to a clock, as well as that make sure and familiar-ise yourself with all of your exam structures and what you’re expect-ed to do within the allotted time. Most of all like all years, please reach out to us here in the SU if you have any issues.”

Dannii Curtis can be contact-ed on eduactaion@ucdsu.ie. For postgraduate students, they can contact Hazel Beattie on gradu-ate@ucdsu.ie. For welfare related issues, Clare O’Connor is available at welfare@ucdsu.ie.

Keep Calm for the Exams (continued)Cian Carton News Editor

A UCD graduate is at the core of a new organisation which

is set to enter the debate on the admissions policy of the primary school system in Ireland.

Education Equality has been formed to challenge religious discrimination in State-funded schools. It is opposed to section 7 (3) c of the Equal Status Act 2000, which permits a school belonging to a particular religious denomi-nation to discriminate on admis-sions on the basis of maintaining their school’s ethos. As the majori-ty of primary schools are Catholic, the group claims that it is unfair on children from other religious or non-religious backgrounds.

Education Equality formed from a group of people who began

UCD Staff and Students at Centre of New Education Equality OrganisationCian Carton News Editor

meeting during the summer, and now consists of over 80 members, which include those who “belong to various religions and various non-religious belief systems, as well as others who identify themselves of simply not having religion.” The organisation has stressed that it is “label free” and “not aligned with any religious or non-religious group or political party.”April Duff, a UCD law graduate, is the chairperson of the organ-isation, and is tasked with over-seeing the running of Education Equality. At the moment she is attempting to organise meetings with government officials, while planning for the official launch of the group on Saturday 12th December 2015 at 11a.m. in the

Alexander Hotel, Dublin 2. She also said that said that she was coordinating a legal team which is “looking into the legality of various aspects of the education system,” while a constitutional challenge is being considered.

Duff first became aware of the issue when she was researching the constitutionality of the cur-rent system for a law module, and credits her interest in human rights and constitutional law with first sparking her interest in the issue.

She said that the UCD School of Law had been very support-ive of the initiative, in particu-lar Suzanne Egan, who lectures in International and European Human Rights Law, who advised her “from [her] initial research

through to the founding of Ed-ucation Equality and its work since then.” Duff stated that “a number of UCD staff are also members of Education Equality and have been very supportive,” along with a number of UCD stu-dents have also joined.

The issue of religion and school admissions has proved to be contentious, and there is sup-port to keep the system the way it is; there is no sign that the debate will end in the near future. More information about the group is available on their Facebook and Twitter pages (@Edu_Equal). Interested students can also con-tact April directly at april@edu-cationequality.ie.

UCD Graduates Seek Assistance for Calais RefugeesSeán O’Reilly Editor

A number of UCD graduates are looking for assistance from

current students in order to support refugees living outside the chan-nel tunnel’s portal at Calais, France. Speaking to the College Tribune from Calais Sinead Williams, a graduate of Law with Politics, spoke of the need to support refugees beyond the emer-gency aid which is currently being provided. To this end, the Refugee

Info Network is being established to provide information on the asylum processes of EU member states to those who need it.

The Network aims to provide information on the formal legal mechanisms by which refugees can engage with the member states they find themselves in. Specifically, it is hoped that this information can be provided in plain English if not in the languages of the refugees themselves. Williams spoke of the need to pro-vide assistance to those who need it

beyond the emergency aid which is currently being provided, asserting that “the need for such a resource is clearer than ever. Empowering peo-ple to help themselves is the best way to get results.”

The camp at Calais has grown from a few hundred people to six thousand in the space of a year. With the majority of those there being housed in tents and winter rapidly approaching, Williams sees condi-tions becoming even worse. Having seen the camp first hand, Williams

says the conditions there have in-spired her to do more to help. “It’s horrible. People living in tents, com-pletely relying on small charities for food, clothing and shelter. No Red Cross or UN presence because the French government won’t officially declare it a refugee camp.”

Williams is asking that current students who feel they might be able to help offer their time for an hour or two a week. Specifically, she asks that students with a background in legal studies or with a knowledge of Ara-

bic, Kurdish, Farsi or any European languages volunteer their time. Addi-tionally, the group are seeking anyone with experience in web design to help them establish a website from which information can be disseminated.

If you feel you can assist the group, email editor@collegetribune.ie and the editors will place you in contact with Sinead and her team. An expanded version of this article will also be published on our website over the coming week. For more see collegetribune.ie

NEWS IN BRIEF3

November has proved to be a successful month for

NovaUCD, aft er several events and big announcements from the hub for ventures and entrepre-neurs at UCD.

NovaUCD recently held its 2015 Start-Up Award ceremo-ny, in which Phision Th erapeu-tics was crowded as the winner. Founded by Dr Breandán Kenne-dy, along with help from Dr Ali-son Reynolds at the UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science and the UCD Conway In-stitute, Phision Th erapeutics aims to treat vision loss through ageing and diabetes by developing drugs

to eff ectively treat the problem. Along with the trophy, the start-up received a cheque for €10,000, and a professional services pack-age worth €15,000.

Th e company was one of sev-eral which participated in UCD’s Venture Launch Accelerator Pro-gramme, a three month course which helps start-ups to develop through taught content and expert mentoring. It targets new ventures based on intellectual property from UCD.

Th e latest edition of the pro-gramme comes on the back of the success of UCD start-up Logen-tries, which was sold to Rapid7, an American IT security company, for $68 million in cash and stock options. Logentries had previous-

ly won the predecessor to Venture Launch back in 2010.

SiriusXT, another UCD spin-out which develops technology for its soft x-ray microscope, re-cently won €20,000 aft er placing fi rst in the Dublin regional fi nal of the 2015 InterTradeIreland All-Is-land Seedcorn Investor Readiness Competition.

Also this month, the technol-ogy transfer offi ce at NovaUCD created and launched an online licencing platform, for licencing technology developed in UCD. Th e system is designed to stream-line the process, and allows for the purchase of licences online, rath-er than having the team negotiate deals with interested parties.

Successful November for NovaUCDCian CartonNews Editor

Applications for inclusion on the main register of electors

are due to close at the end of the working day on Wednesday, No-vember 25th. Registry is required in order to be able to vote in the Republic of Ireland. Anyone in-tending to vote in the upcoming general election is advised to vis-it checktheregister.ie to fi nd out whether or not they are currently eligible to vote. If you are not eli-gible, you can fi ll out form RFA2 and send it by post to your local authority before the deadline. Al-though some authorities accept applications via email, however a

comprehensive list of those that do so is not available at the time of going to publication.

Students also have the option of applying for a postal vote. Any student studying full-time and living away from home as a result can claim their postal vote by fi ll-ing out form PV2 and sending it to their local authority alongside their RFA2 if they are not already registered.

While the main register clos-es this week, it is still possible to register up to 15 days ahead of the election for inclusion on the sup-plemental register of electors. Th e process for applying for inclusion on this register is the same as for the main register.

Register of Electors to Close on WednesdaySeán O’ReillyEditor

Features4

The fi rst public awareness cam-paign in Europe advocating a

vegan lifestyle was launched in Ire-land this month by Meath based Eden Farmed Animal Sanctuary (EFAS). Th e launch takes place in tandem with World Vegan Month, held annually each November. Th e campaign which sees advertise-ments encouraging individuals to make the switch to a vegan lifestyle is being run across public transport such as Iarnród Éireann’s DART ser-vices, Dublin Bus, Bus Eireann, on billboards, and in third level educa-tion institutions across the country.

Veganism was defi ned by Don-ald Watson in 1944 as “a philoso-phy and way of living which seeks to exclude - as far as is possible and practicable - all forms of exploitation of and cruelty to animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.”

Veganism theorises that exploita-tion of animals occurs when we use them as food, clothing, labour, in en-tertainment or for research. Th e ‘Go Vegan’ campaign aims to demon-strate that non-vegan lifestyle choic-

es are causing harm to animals, the environment and other humans un-beknownst to us.

Psychologist Sandra Higgins, founder and director of EFAS said of the campaign that it is her hope to connect us with the unknown indi-vidual animals who suff er the con-sequences of our lifestyles. Speaking to the College Tribune, she explained that “Most people believe it is wrong to unnecessarily harm others. Yet we live in ways that contradict that be-lief, hurting and killing innocent an-imals through our lifestyle choices.”

A survey undertaken in the UK in 2012 commissioned by Linking Environment and Farming (LEAF) found that more than a third of 16 to 23-year-olds (36%) do not know bacon is the fl esh of a sentient pig. 40% failed to link milk with an im-age of a dairy cow while almost two thirds (59%) were unaware that but-ter comes from the milk that was produced by mother cows for their calves. Higgins attributes this to the notion of speciesism which she says causes us to view animals as being “only of value, when they are of value to us, even though life is of most val-ue to the one whose life it is.” “Other animals are not food” she points out.

“Th ey are no more food or clothing than a human would be if we used them as our property, for our own ends, on the basis of some arbitrary factor that makes them appear dif-ferent to us or distant from us such as skin colour, or belief system, for example.”

Although statistics for vegans in the UK indicate that the number has stayed at a steady 1% for some time, the number of vegans in the USA has doubled since 2009. Th e fi gure also is said to be as high as 5% in countries such as Israel. Several studies have linked the consumption of animal foods to some forms of cancer, heart disease and Type II Diabetes, the most recent being the WHO report ascribing carcinogenic properties to meat.

Th e public need a clear explana-tion of the rationale for ethical veg-anism, and practical help for people to become vegan and stay vegan. Th at includes government supports for farmers to transition to veganic agriculture, a lifestyle that would be economically viable and much easier for farmers.” says Higgins.Higgins puts forward the idea that the decision to become vegan is an ethical one, stating that “We live un-

aware of the havoc we wreck with our choices. Few of us are aware, for example, that when we choose to eat eggs we pay for day old male chicks to be suff ocated or ground alive. We purchase dairy products with no consideration of the calves and their mothers separated at birth so that we can have their milk, even though attachment in mammals is not con-fi ned to humans. If we thought about their grief, or the bewilderment of a new born separated from their mother, most of us would choose vegan every time”

When asked about the diffi cul-ties in adopting a vegan lifestyle, Higgins dismissed concerns that cessation of animal use in our lives is overly challenging, saying that “Any change requires eff ort and initial in-convenience. However, being vegan is easy, healthy and enjoyable. When we go on holidays everything is un-familiar at fi rst, including the food, but before long weeks we adjust and become accustomed to the change. Th e initial inconvenience of lifestyle change for us means everything to other animals.”

Th e campaign comes just weeks aft er Diageo, parent company of Guinness, announced their intention to move to a vegan friendly brewing process. Th is is to be achieved by ceasing to use isinglass, a fi ning agent

produced from the swim bladders of fi sh. Isinglass is currently used to fi lter the beer ahead of distribution. It is understood that in addition to commercial concerns, the company intends to establish its product lines as accessible to a broader range of consumers, including vegans.

Th e removal of animal products from our lives can also be benefi cial to those living on a tighter budget such as students simply put making a go at a adopting a vegan lifestyle by removing meat from our diets is cheaper than the alternative.

Higgins, who specialises in the study of compassion in her pro-fession as a psychologist raised the point that veganism is a non-violent philosophy. In her opinion, the veg-an lifestyle is about justice and com-passion; it is about how we treat our-selves and how we treat other lives. She distinguishes between charity and compassion. “Veganism is not an act of charity”, she insists, “it is an act of justice”. She stated that “We all began life as children who would never dream of harming the animals we met through our books, or fi lms or in person. Veganism will bring you from that place of knowing that it is unacceptable to harm other lives, to living your life according to that value. Th e animals we use can feel. It is time to stop harming them. ”

World Vegan Month in Full SwingSeán O’ReillyEditor

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GAEILGE5

Tá Comórtas Scríbh-neoireachta eagraithe ag Cumann Gaelach an

Choláiste Ollscoile, Baile Átha Cliath leis an College Tribune do mhic léinn na hollscoile le suim acu sa ghearrscéalaíocht agus san fh ilíocht. Táthar ag lorg gearrscéalta Gaeilge le teorainn 2000 focal agus

dánta de leathnach amháin ar a mhéad. Ní cosc ar téa-ma ar bith; bígí cróga agus cruthaitheach le bhur n-iar-rataisí. Moltar daoibhse bhur gcuid saothair a sheoladh chuig cumann.gaelach@ucd.ie. Is é sprioclá an chomórtais ná an 24ú de mhí na Samh-na agus beimid ag fógairt na buaiteorí ar Dhéard-aoin an 26ú de Shamain. Beidh Bord na Gaeilge UCD

agus College Tribune ag tacú leis an gcomórtas agus beidh duaiseanna ann do na buait-eoirí. Beidh saothar na buait-eoirí á bhfoilsiú sa College Tribune. Ina theanta sin beidh dearbhán €50 don Siopa Leabhar Chonradh na Gaeilge don dán is fearr agus dearbhán eile €50 don ghearrscéal is fe-arr, dár le moltóirí an chomór-tais. Bígí ag scríobh, agus seo-laigí bhur saothair chugainn.

Gearóid Óg Ó GreacháinEagarthóir Gaeilge

Comórtas Scríbhneoireachta an Chumainn Ghaelaigh

An ndearna tú cúr-sa samhraidh sa Ghaeltacht riamh?

An raibh sé dúshlánach Gaeilge a labhairt ar feadh trí seachtain inti? An bh-fuil tú ag iarraidh dúshláin Ghaelaigh eile? Imeacht ó Bhaile Átha Cliath go dtí an Gaeltacht, gan Béarla, gan airgead. An bhféad-fá é a dhéanamh? Seo é an dúshlán atá romhaibh. I seimeastar a dó beidh dúshlán Gaelbreak ag tarlú. Ag tosú ar an 6ú Feabhra, is deis iontach í chun bualadh le gaeilgeoirí ar fud na tíre. Is casadh é seo

ar an imeacht ‘Jailbreak’ a bhí á rith le ceithre bhl-iain anuas. An uair seo ní hamháin gur gá imeacht gan airgeadh ach caithfear imeacht gan ach Gaeilge a úsáid. Beifear ag clárú na bhfoirne i rith thréimhse na scrúduithe , ón 16 - 17 Nollaig ó 4 - 6 in Ionad na Mac Léinn UCD. Beidh costas €50 ar foireann de bheirt chun clárú!

Gaelbreak ag teacht!Gearóid Óg Ó GreacháinEagarthóir Gaeilge

BUSINESS6

Sports sponsorship gives brands the exposure and positivity

that very few properties with-in the Irish market can achieve. Research from the recent Rugby World Cup 2015 has shown that 90% of the coveted 18-24 year old Irish consumers were aware that Heineken (a World Wide Part-ner of the Rugby World Cup) was associated with the tournament. Aer Lingus’ sponsorship, which was only agreed with the IRFU in April, resulted in a 54% of Irish consumers feeling more positively towards the brand – the most of any sponsor. Opportunities like these come few and far between, and clever brands have to create and activate an effective sponsor-ship strategy to stay ahead in the market.

The Republic of Ireland’s un-likely qualification to Euro 2016 has compounded and complicated the opportunities for brands next summer. The Rio Olympics, the All Ireland Championships finals, and the UEFA Euro 2016 finals will all take place within a 100-day period. Although this is will be an incredible period for Irish sport, having three high-profile sport-ing tournaments so close togeth-er means that tough investment decisions will have to be made by brands.

The GAA will remain a cen-

tral feature to the Irish summer sporting calendar next summer. Although viewing figures will likely take a hit due to clashes with the Euros and Olympics, the lon-gevity of the tournament allows for a broader activation strategy for brands. The All Ireland final, which will take place in Septem-ber next year, is scheduled during the Rio 2016 Paralympics. The Paralympics is arguably a more attractive property for sponsors than the Olympics, as there is a greater story to tell with each ath-lete. Although this might not im-pact the All-Ireland finals viewing figures hugely, it will likely have an effect on the activation budgets of sponsors during September 2016.

The Rio Olympics will bring new aspects to the games, with rugby and golf being included for the first time since 1924 and 1904 respectively. Although viewing figures and sponsorship fees are much more difficult to predict with individual sports people than teams, when Team Ireland stars such as Katie Taylor and Rory McIlroy are in action the nation will be watching.

However, the biggest oppor-tunity for brands next summer lies with the Irish football team in France. The geographic proximity of the Rugby World Cup 2015 in the UK lead to a massive increase in interest levels, especially with casual fans, compared to when the tournament was hosted in New

Zealand in 2011. 527k viewers watched the RWC 2015 final be-tween New Zealand and Australia, peaking at 701k viewers. This was a 22% increase in average viewers when compared to the 2011 final.

The Euros in France will only be 1 hour ahead of the Irish time zone, which is perfect for broad-cast advertising and evening view-ing. In contrast, Rio 2016 will be 4 hours behind Ireland, meaning some key moments could happen in the early morning or during working hours. This is bound to have an effect on TV viewership at least, though not necessarily dampening interest levels.

Added to this, fans who trav-elled to games during the Rugby World Cup 2015 had much high-er awareness and affiliation with brands who were sponsoring the tournament. With Euro 2016 be-ing held so close there is likely to be a large number of Irish fans travelling, and therefore a great opportunity for onsite activation.

The summer of 2016 will be an incredible 100 days for Irish sport, with goals, medals and glory all within the grasp of our nation’s leading sporting heroes. It will also be an incredible six months for brands within Ireland, with the opportunity to make a consid-erable difference to market share, awareness and sentiment. Next summer the battles off the field will be fought just as hard as they are on it.

Adam Hetherington Business Editor

Euros, Olympics, & All-Ireland – The Best Opportunities for Summer 2016

Image: Adam Hetherington

Jack O’Sullivan Business Writer

Square is a mobile payments company founded by Twitter

CEO Jack Dorsey six years ago. The San Francisco company is known for its recognisable small white card readers that plug into smartphones and tablets, allowing small traders to take payments by card.

In a closely watched IPO last Wednesday, Square debuted on the public markets at what was seen as a very disappointing 9$ per share. The sale put a value of less than $3 billion (€2.8 billion) on the company, compared to the $6 billion (€5.6 billion) price tag attached to the business when it last tapped venture capitalists for funding. The public offering raised $243 million (€227 million) for the firm.

The listing on Wall Street has been seen before as a litmus test for other high-priced ‘unicorns’ – privately held startups with val-uations of more than $1 billion – after the staggering sums pumped into so-far unprofitable compa-nies like Uber and Airbnb in re-cent years. The underwhelming sale price was a strong indicator that many investors did not buy into the promises of exponential growth and future profits from the highly touted new compa-

ny. This compounded with the fact that a number of tech IPOs have performed poorly over the past year, and prominent mutual fund investors including Fidelity Investments had been marking down the value of their private tech holdings.

However, on Thursday, in a turbulent first day of trading, the price jumped to more than $14 before settling at just below $13, a gain of roughly 45%. The bump has helped sooth anxiety over the future of tech investments, and Square’s strong start was followed by a positive debut by online dat-ing empire Match Group, whose shares finished the day up nearly 23%. Tom Donino, co-head of trading at FNY Capital Manage-ment, said ““The fact the stock is now this strong will probably quash [the bearish sentiment around private-company valua-tions]”.

Following this, Dorsey and co will be feeling confident in their competition with Visa and other credit card companies, as well as Apple, all of which are increas-ingly looking to dominate the expanding mobile payments busi-ness. Many will be familiar with Visa Contactless and Apple Pay, but don’t be surprised if you start seeing little white boxes in the hands of your local small traders.

Sqaure Rebound Reaf-firms Confidence in Tech

MUSIC

Album Review: John Scofield ‘Past Present’

Since his rise to the public sphere in the 1970s with Billy

Cobham’s band and having ex-tended his critical acclaim with Miles Davis in the early 80s, John Scofield has been widely consid-ered one of the best contemporary jazz guitarists on the planet. This new release sees a break away from the largely experimental projects with the likes of Martin, Medeski and Wood in favour of a return to his early 90’s quartet format and personnel. Lary Grenadier stands in for the late Dennis Irwin on double bass and with Joe Lovano on Saxophone and Bill Stewart on Drums, they really seem to relish in the reformation.

If there’s a contemporary match for Scofield, it is Lovano. His ability to structure legatto lines with enharmonic and fal-setto peaks works wonders for all nine tunes written by Scofield. ‘Mr Puffy’, a medium swing lament, shows sensitivity by all and sees Lovano taking us to places the listener can’t predict. ‘Enjoy the Future’ is pure bebop with lines being traded in an uptempo and angular fashion. Stewart’s exper-tise with brushes reminds us of the stellar quality of these masters. On ‘Season Creep’ Stewart never gets in the way and shines through the gaps with syncopated snare fills. This tune is an example of

the one thing that Scofield has re-tained from those Medeski years, a clean-shaven lack of reverb, un-like the earlier 90s quartet where his lines were drenched. The title track, another highlight sees all players casting the net very wide in terms of an ability to play out phrases while retaining a central melodic narrative that is rich and sweet.

Grenadier is noticeably more subtle throughout the album than the late Irwin. Weaving in and out of each chorus with nuanced support and a brighter tone. His listening skills are immense, to be expected from keeping the com-pany of Mehldau and Metheny for over ten years.On listening without the knowl-edge of who the leader was, you could be forgiven for picking any of the quartet as frontman, a sign of compositional and playing strength of all four members.

The decision to release this recording on the Impulse label and for Scofield to self produce could be seen as a sign of things to come by the artist. After all, this was the home of Coltrane for all those ground breaking records of the 1960s. While this release isn’t in that bracket, it’s still quite sim-ply Scofield’s best work in twenty years.

‘Past Present’ was released on 2nd of October.

Barry Monahan Music Writer

Kevin O’Reilly talks to Rhos Horan of Raglans about the easy-going band’s upward trajectory and success.

Image courtesy of Raglans

Kevin O’Reilly Music Editor

Having met through a collec-tion of different bands and

through school Ste, Conn, Rhos and Dan came together to make some “good music” and that’s certainly what they did. Drawing from various influences and try-ing out new concepts with each other they’ve developed an en-ergetic and raw sound that’s cul-minated in their debut self-titled album which was released early last year. Since then the lads have gone from strength-to-strength and are thankful for their crit-ically acclaimed album having taken them on tour all over the word. They’ve performed along-side some of the hottest names in the Irish and worldwide music

scene such as Haim, The Strypes, Delorentos and The Courteen-ers, who Rhos describes as; “just good sound people”. The down-to-earth attitude of the band is re-flected in their music which isn’t arty or complicated, they produce good honest tunes with a modern sound.

Their success seems to have come out of nowhere, just 6 weeks after getting together to bang out a few tracks the lads played their first gig in Whelan’s which was advertised through social media and word-of-mouth. After this it was only onwards and upwards for the Dublin lads and they knew they were on to something good. When asked about the biggest highlight so far, Rhos as-sured me he spoke for the whole band when he said that Austra-

lia was an incredible moment for them. Playing Soundwave, meeting with their rock idols and travelling the Gold Coast was an experience never to forget for them all. The Dublin quartet are about to kick off a European tour with stopovers in Germany and Holland, before returning to Ireland to play Cork, Galway and their Homecoming gig in Hangar on December 19th. Touring is always a high-point for the band and they enjoy the reception that they get abroad from crowds who are energetic and “Up for the Craic!”, and a long-awaited return to their home country will polish off their tour. It’s not all gigs and touring however Rhos informs me there is some new music to be announced very soon so watch this space.

One from the Crate: Halves ‘Boa Howl’

Seán O’Reilly Editor

A -Drumhunter, The Glass Wreckage, Drip Pools, Tanager PeakB - Best Summer, White Boa Howl, Bring Your Bad Luck, Hug The Blood C - Slow Drawl Moon (For Da-vid), Polynia, Let Them Come

This, I must say is a very strange record. The latest from Dublin

group Halves, it’s an eclectic mix of oddities and strings that real-ly manages to pull at your heart-strings as you listen through.

The sound that the group have managed to create is airy but fo-cussed with strings that form such a constant backing wave that they almost seem to drone. If you were to look back on your life in the form of a flashback, chances are the soundtrack would sound something like this.

This one was a total blind call. Having never heard of the band, and not having any idea how to find out any more than what the hand written label on the outside of the shrink wrap had told me, I took a shot in the dark. And for the

€15 odd I paid for it, I’m glad I did.‘Boa Howl’ is a genuine treat

for the ears, very relaxing with lit-tle in the way of vocals outside of some soaring choruses what does appear is soft and warm, music that really allows the listener to open up and embrace the noise.

Interspersed at seemingly ran-dom intervals are digital synths and big walls of noise that keep your attention and leave you pin-ing for the soft and subtle that came before. These moments leave the record seeming at times like a bit of a basket case, but on second listen they’re employed very effec-tively to keep your attention right the way through.

Standout tracks include ‘Drumhunter’, ‘Drip Pools’ & ‘Polynia’

7

Fashion

Once you finish your last exam, the party season has begun. Clare Creegan plans ahead with some in-spiration for the outfits to sustain you through the all those nights, right up to New Years Eve.

The classic option for the par-ty season is to seek out some

sparkle in the form of sequins and glitter. At this time of year as far as glitter is concerned it’s the more the merrier because if you can’t break it out now, when can you? If glitz is your thing, the famous Mo-tel Rocks Gabby dress (pictured) is a gorgeously festive choice. There are plenty of similar but more stu-dent friendly versions of this dress on the high street. You could also take a more subtle approach to the shimmery look by adding hints of glitter into your outfit on top or bottom: try a sparkly vest top with dark high-waisted denim or sequined shorts with a plain top. For added intrigue, try mixing textures by adding elements of velvet or lace to the outfit. Choos-ing sparkles in jewel tones brings some colour to your look and can be a great alternative to wearing the traditional arsenal of silver or

gold sequins.If you would prefer a more

subtle approach to party dressing then look to the edgy decadence of baroque or go down the Sev-enties route. After the hype of the Balmain X H&M collection an obsession with intricate, baroque embellishment has erupted. Me-tallics, studs, embroidery – rich, decadent detail is key to the Oliv-ier Rousteing way. Kudos to you if you bagged the real deal, but if not, Boohoo is offering pieces with a similarly luxe finish. For another Balmain-inspired look, try a tuxedo dress for a minimalist twist on the LBD. If you’re tired of ubiquitous party dresses, embrace the Seventies obsession by taking on a jumpsuit. They come in a range of flattering styles and tex-

tures to suit all shapes and sizes. If you’re feeling daring, the culotte jumpsuit is this year’s newest take, combining one of 2015’s hottest trends with a standard classic.

One way to really make an im-pact is by trying out some state-ment footwear. Over-the-knee boots- particularly those with lace-up detailing or peep-toes- have made the move not only into

being an acceptable eveningwear shoe, but the shoe of choice this season. Simplicity is crucial with a bold outfit-defining look shoe like this so keep the rest of your outfit minimalistic and let your shoes take centre stage. Statement shoes can rejuvenate a look you’ve worn

to parties in the past and make it look brand new.

A fantastic way to maximise your spending if you choose to hit the shops this party season is to buy yourself a set of co-ords consisting of a corresponding top and bottom. Crop tops and midi-skirts; bralets and shorts- there are loads of different options to choose from. Online retailers such as PrettyLittleThing, Miss-guided and Ark Clothing have good selections. The beauty of a pair of co-ords is that you can wear them as intended as a two-piece or you can use the separate pieces to style with clothes you al-ready own. Mixing and matching is a great way to freshen up your winter wardrobe without break-ing the bank. So there you have it! Whether you’re splurging or sav-ing, updating or experimenting, there is something for everyone this festive season.

Party Mode

The Christmas party season is upon us and nothing quite

says ‘party’ like a bit (or a lot, in my case) of glitter. I’ve put to-gether two easy, sparkly looks to get you in the festive spirit.

LOOK 1: Classic with a Glitter Twist

Our first look is a twist on the classic red lip. We are taking an alternative approach to the pin-up-style black winged eyeliner that traditionally accompanies a red lip by using glitter liner to help you (literally) shine on your night out.1. For your liner you can use liq-uid or a gel. Start with the edge of the flick, coming from the outer edge of your eye, up to-wards your temple. Then drag it back in towards your nose and fill it in. Alternatively you could use a pencil liner, and smoke it out if you’re not a fan of such a sharp look.2. Add mascara (and lashes if that’s your thing) and a warm brown on the lower lash line to even things out.3. Get your favourite glittery eyeshadow/glitter liner and line over the black liner.4. As for the lips: use a liner close to the shade of your lipstick or take a lip brush and use the lip-stick itself to line the lips. Fill in your lips with the lipstick and voilà!

LOOK 2: Glitter Smokey EyeNext we have a glittery, smokey eye.1. Start with a dark base shadow and blend out. Layer if needed.2. Then blend out with a light/medium toned brown. Precisely blend in the crease with a dark

brown- you want a nice gradient.3. Using eyelash glue, a setting spray or eyeshadow primer as a base for the glitter to stick, dab on your glitter or glittery eyeshad-ow of choice. Alternatively, you could also use a glitter liner here. Finish with lashings of mascara- and false lashes if you really want to take it up a notch.4. Pair with a ‘nude’ lip.

Alternatively, you could go all out with the drama and combine the glitter smokey eye with the red lip- but it’s not a look for the faint hearted!

Glitter on Her Lids, a Twinkle in Her EyesRay CunninghamBeauty Writer

8

Film & Entertainment

One of Dublin’s most icon-ic venues was taken over

by colour and excitement on the weekend of the 13th to the 15th of November. Eirtakon - Ireland’s largest anime convention - ran for the eleventh year after its in-ception by Dublin City Univer-sity students Doyle and Duggan back in 2004. This year’s event took place in Croke Park, span-ning several levels and conference rooms of the venue. The name of the convention comes from the term “Eirtaku”, which means an “Irish otaku”. Otaku is a term used to describe somebody whose pas-sion for a particular hobby (for example, anime) impacts their life and social skills. Around 4,000 “Eirtakus” of all ages flocked to Croke Park.

The Artists’ Alley and Trade Hall at Eirtakon were pretty much what any seasoned conven-tion-goer would come to expect – a decent mixture of traditional Japanese iconography and pop-ular anime merchandise, as well as a wealth of independent artists for whom the convention was an opportunity to display and sell their work. However, Eirtakon also places particular evidence on promoting the actual media from which these works of art and piec-es of merchandise arise – manga and anime. A self-professed con-vention for anime, Eirtakon had a large selection of anime box sets for sale, and even hosted a dedicated “Manga Library”, sepa-rate from the trade hall itself. At-tendees of Eirtakon also display a much greater enthusiasm and interest for cosplay, when com-

pared to those at comic-centred conventions such as those which took place in the summer of 2015. Outfits ranged from subtle to extravagant, with attendees as young as eight or nine arriving in fully-fledged costumes of anime characters.

The convention also presented a series of anime screenings; the Sunday screening of Denpa Kyo-ushi (“He Is an Ultimate Teach-er”) had a pretty low attendance, but this is to be expected at a con-vention which offers such a wide variety of activities to its visitors. However, the screenings present anime fans with opportunities to engage with material that they might not otherwise encounter. The highlight of my visit was the “Cosplay Skits” performance, which took place in the conven-tion’s main event hall. The show consisted of attendees in cosplay showcasing their various talents, including a comedian dressed as Luigi from Super Mario Bros, who named his act “Project Luigi”, who claimed that he was possessed by three spirits at once – those of Sean Connery, Michael Jackson, and John Cena. The other acts in-cluded a dancer cosplaying popu-lar Pokemon Pikachu, and a danc-ing duo dressed as Thor and Loki from the Marvel Universe.

While perhaps not as exciting as any of the Comic Conventions of the summer, Eirtakon is well worth a visit for cosplayers and anime fans. Expected to have at-tracted over 4,000 visitors over the three days, Eirtakon and its pop-ularity are evidence that the “Eir-taku” spirit is truly alive in Dublin.

Review: Eirtakon 2015Niamh Crosbie reviews Eirtakon, which took place over the weekend of November 13th 2015.

Image via eirtakon.com

Christmas Movies of the 1990s

90s kids assemble! This list will not only take you on a walk

down memory lane (the scene when little Macaulay Culkin slaps aftershave on his face, right?), but the majority of us will also feel in-credibly old when we realise that

The Grinch is fifteen years old this year…. At least one purely holiday-themed film was released each year from 1990-2ooo – from the classic to the creepy.

Niamh Crosbie Film & Entertainment Editor

2000: Jim Carrey stars as the Grinch, a bitter and spiteful crea-ture who despises Christmas – that is, until he meets the young, cheerful Cindy Lou Who.

1993: This is the year that Jack Skellington first hits our screens, as the Pumpkin King of Hallow-een Town discovers Christmas. Based on a poem written by Tim Burton in the 1980s.

1995: Sandra Bullock stars as a woman who rescues a man from an oncoming train; however, he falls into a coma. She is swept up with spending the holidays with his quirky, lovable family.

1994: When Santa Claus falls from his roof on Christmas Eve, divorced dad Scott must take his place.

1999: Patrick Stewart appears as everybody’s favourite miser in this powerful adaptation of the classic tale.

1998: Starring Michael Keaton in, perhaps, a more pleasant and family-friendly take on the myth-ical figure. A year after his father’s tragic death, Charlie inadvertent-ly resurrects him in the body of a snowman.

1996: A satirical holiday comedy in which Arnold Schwartzeneg-ger and Sinbad battle it out as two desperate fathers, each seeking the same coveted Christmas toy, “Tur-bo Man”.

1990: The iconic kid-vs-criminal comedy is released this year, star-ring Macaulay Culkin at the age of ten. Hilarious and heart-warming, the Christmas season just wouldn’t be complete without this movie.

1992: Everybody’s favourite pup-pets re-enact the classic Dickensi-an tale, in a rendition that defined a generation.

9

Arts & Culture

Light Painting in Theatre L Image courtesy of UCD Drawsoc

In UCD for many years, it was difficult for those interested in

the arts to find something for them. Many people would walk up to the ArtsSoc stand during Freshers Week asking about the arts, to be told that UCD didn’t have anything for visual arts enthusiasts. Fortu-nately, back in 2012, DrawSoc was created. Gaining official recogni-tion from UCD Societies Council in April 2013, the society is now in its third official year. Arts Edi-tor Emma Costello sat down with this year’s auditor, Laur Ryan to ask about what DrawSoc is all about.

How did DrawSoc Start?It started with two students, Sean McIver and Sophia Ellis. They no-ticed there was a lack of visual art societies in UCD during Freshers’ Week in their first year. So, they decided what they wanted to do was start up a society! They put the word out and spread it around. Slowly, after a few weeks, peo-ple started catching on and then DrawSoc got its first committee. We spent a year trying to make the society official and did all sorts of crazy things to get there. It’s a long process to go through but it’s really rewarding when you finally get up and running. We were really lucky to have support from the Art Histo-ry and Cultural Policy Department in UCD, who we still work with to-day. They’ve really been our back-bone since we started. Before we were official, they were letting us use the Art History classrooms, of which they only had one to spare in the evenings for us to do our class-es. That’s how it all began, and now we’re here!

Are you still using the Art History

classroom?We’re not! We’ve spread into cam-pus now that we can book rooms ourselves. We’re trying to change things up, as there’s no one place in UCD that’s perfect for the dif-ferent types of classes we hold. For instance, we need water for paints brushes, we might need more space for some of our bigger drawing classes, things like that. So we’ve been changing it up, which is great because using the different rooms allows people to get to see the cam-pus, especially as so many interna-tional students are interested in the society. We’ve used rooms in New-man and pretty much all of the Stu-dent Centre. We’ve gone anywhere that makes sense for the type of class that’s being held!

What kinds of arts do you have with-in the society?Even though the name says Draw-soc, we go far beyond just drawing! This semester alone, we’ve hosted various classes such as watercolour, mark making, collage, colouring therapy, and more! We also hold photography classes every second week. It’s something that grew from a small group. We used to hold a photography class every three weeks! It’s kind of slowly building up and we’re starting to get into video art as well.

Do you ever use UCD as a canvas?We do, especially with our photog-raphy classes. We’ll go out and do photography walks and such. One photography class that gets the most attention is our lightpainting class [long exposure photography]. You basically paint with torches directed at the camera. We would use the campus for that, but have

to wait until winter when it’s darker out. UCD is beautiful for things like that!

You do a lot within the arts, I’ve also noticed that your society has to be one of the most inclusive societies I’ve ever seen. You have people of all genders, race, religion, and sexuality. Was that an original aim of Draw-soc’s?I think it’s something that seems to come with the arts, but it’s always been something that we’ve been very aware of, something we’ve wanted to make a big part of the society. We welcome anyone of any creed, colour, sexuality, and of any level of artistic experience! The idea is that we never have a member that feels uncomfortable being there for any reason. So that whether they’re drawing stick men or can do hy-per-realistic paintings, that doesn’t matter. Everyone is welcome to come to the classes, and that’s what makes art so accessible. If we weren’t accessible, people wouldn’t be able to enjoy art in UCD.

You’ve mentioned working with the Art History department. Do you work with other societies or groups in UCD?This semester, we’ve worked with SVP, LGBTQ+, Arts, Dance, and English Literary societies. We also occasionally help with graphic de-sign, in return for donations to our charity partner, Helium Arts [heli-um.ie]. They do fantastic work for children and teenagers in hospi-tals across Ireland. We’ve also had the incredible opportunity to work with UCD’s Parity Studios and the University’s Artists in Residence. This means doing workshops with the artists, visiting their studios for

Culture Night, and getting to ex-perience some of their arts output as well. We’re honoured to get to work with them from time to time! We’re all about encouraging visual art creation and appreciation on campus, but also around Dublin too. We also recently visited IADT, we do gallery tours, and we hosted an art class with NCAD graduate, Eimear Murphy.

Since DrawSocs first official year, how have the numbers changed?In terms of membership, we’ve had the same pull every year. We’ve al-ways been a small society, and I can’t see us getting to a large soci-ety scale. The only number you can really put on it is that our first art exhibition had 17 entries, and our exhibition last year had 35. That’s only in the space of a year!In relation to that, so, how has rec-ognition for the society changed?We’ve been very proactive in trying to make ourselves more visible, es-pecially this year. What we find is that half a semester would go by and people would only realise we existed then. So this year, we start-ed off in Orientation Week, where we did a chalk display outside the James Joyce Library. That’s how we let Freshers know that we were there. We did it when the tours were on, so that people would walk past and see us. This allowed them to stop and talk to us to learn more about art in UCD. It worked really well for us, because when you go into the Freshers tent and there’s so many people around, you miss half the societies that are there. It’s just the way it goes! You’d have to go back every day to learn about everything. Recognition is some-thing we try really hard to do, so

we’ve been putting out some videos so people can get a feel of what the society is like before they even go to one of our classes. We put up photos of our classes every week as well.

Where would you be able to find these photos and videos?You can find them on our Face-book page (www.facebook.com/UCDDrawSoc) and our Instagram [ucddrawsoc], Twitter [@ucddraw-soc], and Tumblr [drawsoc.tumblr.com].

You’re on tumblr?!We pretty much started out on tumblr! We’ve always had a tumblr. It’s really great for our art exhibi-tions and things like that. It’s where we started! When we started doing our classes, we’d put up short tuto-rials on it, we’d re-blog things like tips on how to draw faces and such. Everything from day one is still there!

How can people contact the society and get involved?We’re always available on our social media, particularly on Facebook. We’ve had people message us on tumblr and commenting on Ins-tagram asking to come to a class! Generally, you can find someone walking around campus in a Draw-Soc hoody. We’ve had people stop us asking about DrawSoc and how to join. We hold classes every Tues-day from 5pm to 7pm - only the room changes. You can find out about what classes are on, and in what rooms, on our Facebook page!

Be sure to check out their Facebook to keep updated about all their classes and events.

Light on Concrete: Drawsoc Go from Strength to Strength

10

POLITICS11

US Race Relations Campus Protests Show Up Lack of Irish Student MobilisationRuth Slamon Politics Writer

The United States has been wit-ness to an outbreak of student

protests across college campuses over the charged issue of race re-lations. Student activism is not a recent phenomenon in the US; protests, boycotts, and student movements have been part of stu-dent life for decades. This partic-ular string of anti-racism protests seems to have stemmed from the popular Black Lives Matter move-ment. Looking at the passionate mobilisation of US students it rais-es the question of why exactly the Irish student body is so apathetic.

The Irish university campuses have been relatively quiet for the past number of years, despite the fact they have been hit with ris-ing registration fees, accommo-dation shortages, cuts to funding, and sliding rankings. It would be wrong to try and equate an in-crease of the university registra-tion fee with systemic racism, but

universities and colleges on both sides of the Atlantic are being faced with their own difficulties. It is clear to see there is a big differ-ence in the mentality and action of students in Belfield, Dublin and New Haven, Connecticut.

The recession, and ensuing austerity that hit Ireland, has had a serious effect on students and uni-versities. The so called ‘Free Fees’ have increased year on year; 3rd level funding has been cut along with student grants; and we are facing an out of control accom-modation crisis in the capital. For the most part, excluding a large protest in 2010, Irish students have not mobilized in a way simi-lar to our US counterparts, or even our neighbours in the EU. Many would blame the ‘Irish psyche’ for this; a history of oppression and the domination of the Catholic Church have meant that we do not always air our grievances - we have somewhat adopted the British stiff upper lip mentality. Others would argue that the way our unive-

rsity system is designed hinders student activism on campus, for example college is a much more community binding experience in the US. Your choice between the Huskies or the Bears defines you much more than choosing between UCD and NUIG. Most people live on campus in the US, and most would not travel home on the weekend, which is com-mon practice in the Emerald Isle. The fact that students may have

a stronger community bond to their college is definitely a factor that helps explain the difference of action between the two student bodies.

It would be unfair to suggest that Irish students are lazier or less involved than their American counterparts, they just engage dif-ferently. The student vote was seen as the driving factor in the pass-ing of the marriage referendum and students are involved in the

current Repeal the 8th Campaign, so it is clear that Irish students play their part. The comparison between the student lobby’s pow-ers and influence will be seen in the presidential election in the US and the General Election in Ire-land. We must look at how these different types of student bodies engage in the political process, and ultimately if this engagement works in their favour or has any effect at all.

INNOVATION12

Phision Therapeutics was an-nounced last week as the

winner of the VentureLaunch Accelerator Programme in UCD, an award with a history of recog-nising upcoming success stories. The VentureLaunch Accelerator Programme hosts five competing start-ups in the UCD Nova Centre over the course of three months. The start-up hopefuls undergo a series of intensive training work-shops and expert consultation on marketing, customer validation and finance. Phision Therapeutics was a competitor from the School of Biomolecular Science in UCD. It was set up by Dr. Breandán Kennedy and its aim is to improve treatment for preventable retinal disease causing vision loss later in life. Their product is a novel mo-lecular drug that targets factors

within the eye that could develop into conditions causing the loss of vision, and their solution offers an alternative to the invasive treat-ments relied upon currently in the industry.

Michael Whelan, Communi-cations Manager at Nova UCD spoke to the Tribune about the VentureLaunch Award. “This is the third Accelerator programme that we have run. So we have five new early stage ventures, there’s a 25,000 prize at stake and the award. It’s quite interesting to note that Logentries - a UCD spin out company that was acquired earlier this year for 68 million - won this equivalent programme in 2010. So companies that have been on this programme have gone on to great global success. So we’re hoping that some of the contestants this year will have similar success in the years to come”

Orla Feely, UCD Vice-Pres-

ident for Research and Innova-tion gave a short address at the VentureLaunch award ceremony. “We have a great track record of delivering success out of UCD. We’re getting good now at getting great start-ups out of Irish uni-versities.” Feely outlined the role of NovaUCD and the Innovation Hub in acting as a catalyst to that success, and its purpose “to sup-port the creation of sustainable and profitable ventures.”

The four runner-up compa-nies included Glyconostics, iBam Tech, MMP Tech, and ProCara. Gyconstics is an animal diagnostic

venture seeking to predict health outcomes and potentials for ear-ly detection and intervention in disease prevention and detecting infertility in livestock. iBam Tech-nologies is a company set up to tackle early onset of degenerative diseases like Parkinson’s by accu-rately measuring and more effec-tively targeting drug dosage and treatment optimisation. MMP Technologies (Microwave Plasma Processing) is a start-up that has developed a process of fabricating grinding wheels used in medical devices that have been tested to provide superior wear and dura-

bility. ProCara is a food character-isation system that uses bio-infor-matics analysis to enable a more functional insight and identifica-tion process for the food industry. The net result of the system will enable the industry to isolate in-gredients and better meet safety and quality standards.

The VentureLaunch winner Phision Therapeutics will use the prize money and consulting sup-port structures within NovaUCD to take its idea forward to clinical trials with the hope of actualising and commercialising its product.

UCD will for the third year in a row host a TEDx Talk on

the 4th of December, and the nine speakers for the locally organ-ised event were finalised and an-nounced earlier this month. The expert speakers were drawn from within UCD’s network of current lecturers and alumni, and out-side it. Attendance at the event is limited to 100 tickets, which were snapped up within just five min-utes of being available online. The much-anticipated showcase will cover big themes from the envi-ronment and education, to spe-cific talks on HIV and the Magda-lene laundries.

Dr Cara Augustenborg will give a talk on the future of a ‘Fossil Free Ireland’. Augustenborg has a wealth of experience in the field of environmental science and is currently a lecturer on climate change within UCD’s World Her-

itage Management and Conser-vation programme. Having com-pleted her post doctorate at UCD’s School of Biology and Environ-mental Science, her current work is examining the possibilities of harnessing Irish grasslands to pro-duce bioenergy. She was select-ed as Ireland’s Climate Leader in 2013 by Al Gore and has served on the Board of Friends of the Earth Ireland since 2008; she is also the current Green Party spokesperson for climate change.

Dr Marcus Collier, a Research Fellow of the UCD School of Ar-chitecture, Planning and Environ-mental Policy will give a compli-mentary talk to Augustenborg for those interested in climate change. Collier works as a sustainabili-ty scientist, examining solutions to complex ecological problems through collaboration with wider society; his talk will be on ‘Novel Ecosystems’.

The motif of education will

be explored through two expert speakers, with Dr Steven Duggan addressing the issue of illiteracy, having worked for thirty years in promoting education in underser-viced areas. In a similar field Dr Charlotte Blease will give the Ted Talk, ‘Philosophy is a right’, which will focus on the possibilities and advantages of including philoso-phy on the early education curric-ulum.

‘HIV cure: what lies beneath?’ will be a talk by Dr Virginie Gautier of the UCD Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases. Gautier will talk about the path-ways opening up to treating HIV through the pioneering molecular and cellular research which is cur-rently ongoing. Another emotive talk will be given by Maeve O’Ro-urke, a human rights lawyer who played a crucial role in the Irish ‘Justice for Magdalenes’ campaign in 2013, and was awarded the in-augural UCD Alumni Award in

Law for her work as a result. Her expectedly poignant talk is titled – ‘Why apologise today for ‘historic’ abuse?’

Other speakers include a lec-turer from the UCD School of Computer Science, Dr Fred Cum-mins, who will explore the topic of joint-speech and coordination among people through language and speech. Duncan Lennox the founder of Qstream, a predictive analytics company will speak on ‘The misunderstood brain’. Dr

Brendan Rooney will give a talk on the effect of movies and virtual reality in controlling and shaping human emotions. His research as an undergraduate, postgraduate and lecturer at UCD has pertained to the effect of media, the arts and film on influencing cognitive frames and social reality.

The Ted Talks will also be streamed and released online in the weeks after the event for stu-dents who missed out of securing a ticket.

Line-up of Speakers Announced for December TEDxUCD TalkJack PowerInnovation Editor

Dr Breandán Kennedy, founder, Phision Therapeutics.

Phision Therapeutics Wins UCD Annual VentureLaunch Accelerator AwardJack PowerInnovation Editor