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 A Note From the Editor
Hey Everyone,

well the semester is drawing to a close and

assignments are being finished off. It’s been
a busy and productive month but there was
still plenty time to party with the school disco,
International trip and the masquerade ball.
This month we have an issue jam packed
with articles, reviews, photos and the first of
what I hope will be many short stories. I
Cover by: Tom Morgan would like to thank Tom “Danbo” Morgan for
the fantastic cover which he designed espe-
Issue 41 cially for the magazine and to everyone one
December 2010 who contributed articles, photos and sugges-
tions. In this months magazine Alyssa Fleck
Editor: Oscar Finn
looks back at the international trip to Galway
Sub-Editor: Jonathan Keane
and the Cliffs of Moher, Ian Fleming inter-
views Nick Dooge about deciding to return
Design: Oscar Finn
to college to be better prepared for the jobs market, and we have all the usual
SU news, Genuine article, and film reviews inside. We have three more issues
Contributers:
due out in the next semester so if you want to get involved the Christmas break
is the perfect opportuinity to put together ideas for what you would like to see in
Adia Hammer
Griffiti. I hope you all have a happy and safe Christmas and wish you the best of
Alyssa Fleck
luck in your exams. Bye for now.
Oscar Finn - Editor
Brendan Beagon
Brian O’Donoghue
Clothilde Dumas
Gareth Barry
Ghino de Colle
Contents
Ian Donnegan
Ian Fleming
4 state of the union
Laura Mullett
Maiken Woll Eide 6 students union news
Martin Agbaso
Marc Dennehy
Matthew Jaffray 11 frustrations with Irish immigration
Shane Ronan-Duggan
Tom Morgan 12 party people
14 international Trip
Advertising Enquiries:
(01) 4150463 16 Are video games art?
Printed by:
Speciality Print 18 the road to success - interview
Griffiti Magazine
Griffith College Students’ Union
22 griffiti at the movies
South Circular Road
Dublin 8
Ireland
25 music reviews
Ph: (01) 4151463
Email: griffiti@gcd.ie 26 the genuine article
www.gcd.ie/griffiti

Griffiti Magazine is a publication of Griffith Col-

28 growing up with christmas
lege Students’ Union established in 2004.
30 a short story for christmas
All contents copyright of Griffiti, Reproduction of
any part of the magazine without permission
from the publisher is strictly prohibited.

The views expressed in Griffiti do not necessarily

reflect that of the college or the Students’ Union

3
 StATE OF THE UNION
i guys,
H
In the last month we’ve seen people who
attended the college over the past couple
of years graduate. It was a momentous
two days to see so many friends get their
degrees to which they all worked so hard
for. The two consecutive Graduation Balls
were both wonderful occasions and hope
we can build on this for students set to
graduate next year. Some of the other
events were had included the School
Disco on campus, the Poker tournament
which we converted upstairs in the SU for,
and the Masquerade Ball. The best of the
lot was however, the International Trip
which takes place in the first semester
every year. Last month saw us take to the
streets of Galway City and a visit to the
Cliffs of Moher, near Lisdoonvarna in Co.
Clare. You can read all about that in Pages
10 and 11.
Office Opening Hours:
Monday - Thursday: 09:30 - 19:30
Friday: 09:30 - 17:30
email: su.president@gcd.ie
Ph: (01) 415 0418
4
Upcoming, we have the end of
semester Christmas Party which
we hope to see everyone out for.
For many of the International stu-
dents, it will be their last chance
to party with all their new friends
they made while studying here in
the college. While it is sad to see
many leave, we hope all of you
that took part in the Study Abroad
program enjoyed it and return to
us again someday soon. Hope-
fully during the next Semester we
will see many new Study Abroad
erasmus students joining us and
willing to get involved in our
events.
Since the previous Issue, we
have had two Student Council
meetings and which the minutes
can be seen in this magazine. It’s
great to see more and more stu-
dents engaging with the SU and
the direction it takes. Some constructive
ideas are brought forward which we hope
to implement over the coming months. In
terms of working with USI, I attended East-
ern Area Council in University College
Dublin and National Council in the National
University of Ireland, Galway. Both of these
forums provided for useful training and de-
veloping how our own SU can work more
effectively for you. The insight into how
other Students’ Union around the country
function is something unique and hopefully
we’ll take some of their already functioning
practices and develop them to adapt to our
own Union. I found it particularly useful
being in the same room as all the other En-
tertainment Officers as the Ents Forum.
From every other college, the Officers
were bouncing ideas off each other provid-
ing useful advice and ideas going forward
that we all learned from.
One of the most exciting things we’ve itro-
duced this year so far has been the brand
new Students’ Union “Membership Card”.
In its introductory year, 2010/2011, it will
entitle you to cheaper entry to all SU or-
ganised events! It’s in the early stages at
the moment but eventually we’ll be rolling
out discounts to shops and stores you all
are interested in. Every poster for an event
we do will advertise a fee for holders of the
card which will be discounted, as well as
non-holder. It is free to obtain so you might
as well pick one up off us. Come by the SU
and we’ll hook you up!
To promote all our events from now also,
a new Ents Crew has been formulated to
push everything we do forward. I’d like to
welcome Eoin McKenna, Ciaran Verso and
Gabbi Steel on-board the team. This crew
will be hassling you all throughout the sec-
ond semester letting you know about
events and all other SU activity. If you’d
like to be part of the Ents Crew, publicising
and plugging the Students’ Union activi-
ties, let us know on su@gcd.ie
Until the next issue in February, we hope
you get some well deserved rest at home,
and we wish you all the best of luck in your
January exams. I hope to see you out at
the Christmas Party before the breakup of
the semester.
As always, even when it snows, we’re in
the Meagher Building if you need us for
anything.
Have a wonderful Merry Christmas and a
Happy New Year!
Your Students’ Union President,
Graham
Graham Butler
President
Students’ Union
 StATE OF THE UNION
i guys ,
H
Firstly, I would like to wish everyone a
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in
advance. This year has seen many
changes as I am working very hard to take
the clubs & societies to higher levels. I am
glad to announce the start up of 10 new
societies.
The Football Team perhaps the most suc-
cessful team in the college has had a long
stretch of success going almost unbeaten
in the league. With a walk over in the first
round of the Umbro Cup the team seems
set to go far in the competition In light of
this, the team has been recognised for its
success and as a result of this is now
being sponsored by D2 one of the largest
night clubs in Ireland located on Harcourt
Street.
This year has also seen the start up of a
female football team with two players, Mar-
tina Paterson and Johanna Bandgren cho-
sen to play for the Leinster team.
The basketball team this year has also
come along way with the introduction of
coach David Baker. Baker is a coach with
tremendous experience as he has
coached at national level. With his help the
men’s and women’s basketball team will
be shaped and turned in to a successful
team to rival such teams as DBS and
DCU.
It has been quite a rocky ride however the
rugby team has managed to compete in
the Sevens Tournament, though the team
has not been able to complete a full tour-
nament due to injuries, we are hoping to
change that from January.
This year though the clubs has had a pos-
itive start The societies however, have
been slow to start up this is going to
change from January as there are going to
be many changes made.
The first change to be made is going to be
Joseph Uzah
Clubs & Societies Officer
Students’ Union
the dance society. Mainly Hip-Hop
but also looking at Salsa, Tango,
Classic and other forms of dance.
There is also going to be an intro-
duction of many new societies and
an improvement on certain soci-
eties such as creative writing, box-
ing, shooting, equestrian and golf
society.
There is now a deal in place where
students can use the golf course at
the Iveagh Grounds for free. Golf
clubs can be collected at the Stu-
dents’ Union before going down.
Upcoming Events
NBA Streets: This tournament is
going to involve teams of 3s and 4s
competing in a basketball tourna-
ment strictly street ball rules (tricks,
jiving, swag the whole lot). would take trips once every month.
Boxing: The aim here is to get the boxing Surfing society: This society will be brand
society active and running before RAG new and quite possibly the most exciting
week so as to put on a show for the whole society to be created. It will involve trips to
college. It would be a tournament for all the like of Galway, Sligo etc. It will be a so-
weight classes, both for men and women. ciety which will welcome every one of dif-
ferent skill levels.
G-Football league: Due to the previous
success of the G-league I have decided to Concert: The next event I am hoping to
bring it back. The G league would involve have will be a joint concert performed by
teams of 5 playing a one day tournament both the choir and music society. Both so-
on the green. cieties have been growing and hopefully
will reach a stage where there can be reg-
G-Rugby League: This will also be played ular performances in Arthurs bar.
on the green except it will involve a team
of 7 with tag rugby rules and full Rugby Casino Royal night: With the start of the
rule tournament New Year I will be looking to launch a
casino night where there will be new
All tournaments will involve bigger and bet- games such as poker, black jack (all
ter prices than previous tournaments held themed nights i.e. Bond)
on the green.
Your Clubs and Societies Officer
Paint ball Society: Next year I would also Joe
seek to start up a paint ball society which
Office Opening Hours:
Monday - Thursday: 09:30 - 19:30
Friday: 09:30 - 17:30
email: su.sports@gcd.ie
Ph: (01) 415 0608
5
 Students’ Union News
Student Council
The Student Council met twice in recent
weeks, on November 16th and December
We are delighted to welcome on board
6th respectively. On November 16th, the
Ulster Bank as the new sponsor of Griffiti
council made the Election Supervisory
Magazine. We look forward to building a
Committee (ESC) official. Eoin McKenna,
relationship with Ulster Bank as both the
Bernard White, Zhan Sergejev and Ross
sponsor of our Students’ Union magazine
McKinley were elected. They will sit on the
but also the role they will play in support-
committee with the SU President and Man-
ing Griffith College students whether it be
ager to oversee any elections throughout
financial or advisory services.
the year. We here in The Students’ Union were very
If anybody would like to arrange an ap- sorry to hear about second year photogra-
This class rep gathering also marked the phy part time student Brian Flynn who
pointment with one of the members of Ul-
ratification of the new Griffith College Stu- passed away earlier this month. He is sur-
ster Bank, please contact the SU and we
dents’ Union constitution. The vote was vived by his wife and two daughters and
shall organise a meeting for you.
won unanimously, with no council member we would like, on behalf of the students
opposing it. This constitution applies only and staff of Griffith College, to take this
to Griffith College Dublin and does not ex- time to extend to them our sincerest con-
tend to the Cork or Limerick colleges. All dolences
students can request of the Constitution di-
rectly from the Students’ Union now for
free, either in physical or digital format.

On December 6th Union Of Students Ire-

land (USI) president Gary Redmond and
Eastern Area Officer John Logue were at
the meeting to present their roles and rea-
sons for joining USI. At the first meeting of
the year, it was agreed by the council
agreed to pursue affiliation and again at
the second meeting to include it within the
Constitution.

They ran through the workings of the

Union and answered any questions. A
number of concerns were raised by reps
regarding whether or not the government
higher education maintenance grant cur-
rently unavailable to Griffith students could
be attained with USI’s support.
Also, several concerns were made about
the affiliation fee - €5 per student and how
this may affect the SU’s budget in the com-
ing years.

Head librarian Robert McKenna ad-

dressed concerns over the library. Ques-
tions were asked regarding the opening
hours at weekends. They have been cut
due to low numbers using the library at
such times. Concerns were also raised of
the books being misplaced and computers
being used for non-college work. These is-
sues will be looked into.
If you have any concerns or issues that
you would like to be raised, please contact
your class rep or the Executive Officers at
the Students’ Union.
6
THe ENTs crew
Let us introduce to you the latest additions If you want to know more about what is
coming up next year these are the first
to the Students’ Union, our new Ents Crew.
people along with the SU President to ask
Pictured above are Eoin McKenna (left),
so be sure to stop them and say 'Hey!'.
Gabbi Steel (centre), and Ciaran Verso
(right).
They will be on hand throughout the year
to help organise and promote Students’
There are loads of events coming up next
semester like SHAG Week, RAG Week, Union events. We here at the SU would
like to wish them the very best of luck with
International Trip 2, SU House parties, the
their new roles and look forward to working
annual and end of year spectical; the Grif-
closely with them.
fith Ball and much, much more, so there
will be plenty of things to keep them busy.
 Students’ Union News
New Look Jerseys
Check out soccer superstars Martin Ag-
baso and Aishling Clifford sporting the
brand new jerseys for the mens and
womens soccer teams. The new kits are
sponsored by d-two nightclub and we
look forward to seeing them being worn
with pride on the pitch.

Students’ Union
Membership Cards
No doubt that by now you have heard
about the Students' Union Membership
Cards which were launched earlier this
month. The card is free, available from
the SU, and is the best way to ensure
you get discount entry to all events run
and organised by the Students’ Union.

It also gives discounts to d-two nightclub

and Reads of Nassau Street. We are
busy working on getting new partners to
work with to provide you with the best
discounts around. Hopefully this new
iniative will develop over the semesters
and years into more wideranging areas
for the benefit of students.

If you have any ideas to develop the card

or places you would like us to try and get
discounts from, drop in to the SU and talk
to SU President, Graham. You can also
send us an email at su@gcd.ie

Pick up your 2010/2011 Membership

Card for free today!

7
 Students’ Union News
Share the Love
Sale Of work
Wednesday the 8th of December saw the
launch of the 'Share The Love Sale of
Work' organised by the SU to raise much
needed funds for the Pakistan flood relief
efforts. The sale went on over two days
and raised around €1200. On the Wednes-
day we were pleased to welcome Her Ex-
cellency Mrs Naghmana Hashmi, the
Pakistani Ambassador to Ireland (pictured
below). She told ‘Griffiti Magazine’ that she
was extremely grateful to Griffith College
Students’ Union for putting the event to-
gether. And she also thanked all the Pak-
istani Students and for everyone else for
taking the time to do something to help.
She also told Griffiti about the scale of
devastation after the floods and that it will
take between ten and fifteen years to re-
cover what was lost.

The SU would also like to say a special

thank you to Kelkin, Crowne Plaza Dublin
Northwood, Griffith Halls of Residence,
The Paskistan Embassy, Frank Scott-
Lennon, Khamer from Libaas, dTwo night-
club, Graffiti artist Maverick Ross and
everyone else who made a contribution to
the efforts.

8
 Students’ Union News
STUDENTS UNION
BUILDING
GETS TAGGED

To add diversity to the events we had
over the year, one of the most exciting
occurrences was having an amazing
graffiti artist called Maverick Ross taking
over one of the bare walls in the Stu-
dents’ Union and utilise it as his canvas.
This was a sight to behold, watching
Maverick Ross, aka ‘Dope’; transform this
empty space into a piece of slick art.
Graffiti, an art that has existed since an-
cient times is too often overlooked and
underappreciated, so we would welcome
all to drop by and have a look at this
newly installed piece of art, which al-
though is complete at this moment, will
develop further as the year goes by.
Watch this space......
http://www.flickr.com/photos/maverick-
rossart

Music Room in SU
starts rocking out
As Semester one has rolled out and is them on a weekly basis, and soon will Without a doubt, all students and mem-
nearly over, one of the most prominent perform with them in our own Conference bers of staff will get the opportunity to see
events that has happened during this pe- centre. some of the best perform over the next
riod is the development of the Music So- coming semester.
ciety and the new music room in the
Students’ Union building. With 40 mem-
bers in the club so far, we foresee that
this society will grow and develop greatly
over the next semester. We will soon be
introducing music workshops, recording
sessions and support acts for the stu-
dents in the upcoming semester. The
passion and drive that the students have
shown thus far has been one of the high-
lights of the year and we’re very excited
about the road ahead and what we know
can be achieved.

So far at least two bands have developed

from this club, and we’re also delighted to
see that two of the members have also
joined the Orchestra and practise with
9
 Below card-shark Brian O’Donoghue
displays his poker face. He started
strong but half way into the tournament
he was strapped for cash which re-
sulted in him getting bailed out more
times than an Irish bank.

Griffith College Poker Tournament

On the 16th of November the S.U held a
poker tournament upstairs in the Meagher
building, it was a major success. For €5
buy in you got plenty of chips and even
though there were four tables of over six
people everybody, except for those that
were first out, had a right laugh, thanks in
no small part to the allowance of bever-
ages at the converted pool tables.
Poker is a great way to get to know people
as you often have to try and read what a
total stranger is thinking, and naturally un-
less someone’s poker face is down to a tee
conversation is inevitable. By far it was the
French men on the night who stole the
show dominating on three of the four ta-
bles.
The night did go relatively quickly thanks
to the watchful time keeping and blind up-
ping. The S.U. deserve a pat on the back
for the poker tournament, a great idea, and
everyone who attended especially those
who won money, would all go again!

Griff fm
back on the air

Every year in the opening weeks of the

second semester, the 2nd year BA journal-
ism students are thrown in at the deep end
and asked to run a radion station for two
weeks. The station which is licensed as
GRIFF FM is one of the more practical as-
pects of the course.

The station will run on a temporary that will

be issued by the Broadcasting commision
of Ireland (BCI).

This year the station will broadcast for 10

days, launching on Friday January 28th
and winding up on Sunday January 6th.

Content on Griff Fm includes a magazine
style breakfast show with news, music and
competitions, comedy shows, light music
programs, sports shows and foreign lan-
guage programming produced for interna-
tional students.
10
While live programming will occupy the air-
waves from 8am until midnight, repeats of
earlier programs will be run through the
early morning hours.
Griff FM anticipates a talk/music ratio of
at least 60% - 40%. The Griff FM studios
can be found in the Richmond Buildings
adjacent to the SU building.
For more information stay tuned to Moodle
and Facebook for GRIFF FM updates
Frustrations with Irish Immigration
International student Adia Hammer takes a look at the difficulties in volved with getting an extended Visa and
how the Irish economy is missing out due to an inefficient system
eing an American southerner in
B Dublin is an adventure of its own,
from the many Irish dialects that dis-
tinctly differ from the slow, southern drawl,
to the depressing weather of overcast days
that is the complete opposite of South Car-
olina, that is enough to get used to by itself,
so forgive me if I don’t appreciate the slow
and inadequate immigration process that
this beautiful country has in place.
Getting my extended visa so that I could
study here for 90 days was an experience
I’d much rather not have to go through
again. Picture if you will, a crowded room
of African women with crying babies in
strollers and Iranian men with small chil-
dren. There were long hard benches for
people to sit on, but the crowdedness
made it impossible for a person to scoot
past someone else without putting some
part of their body in a stranger’s face. To
top it all off there was just the one bath-
room at the very back of the room, and it
looked like a 1970s disco hangover. The
bulbs had this awkward blue light as if to
check people's DNA as they were coming
out of the stalls.
Astonishingly, when I got there at eight on
a Thursday evening, the room was filled
with agitated immigrants who had been
waiting since the early hours that morning.
When I approached several staff members
to ask for our contact, they acted as if they
had no idea who I was talking about and I
was pretty much told take a number and sit
down. Later, I was told that our contact
was their manager. So I’ll just attribute their
ignorance of who their manager was to a
long day of making immigrants feel less
human.
Needless to say, I didn’t get my visa that
night and was told by our liaison at the
GCD International Office that everything
would be taken care of on Friday morning.
At this point no real concern set in, despite
the fact that my green card would expire
on that same Friday and that I had to fly
back to the States the following Wednes-
day.
The next morning I went to the interna-
tional office only to find out that our INIS
contact, was gone for the weekend and
wouldn’t be back until Monday. Now I was
stuck waiting for a vacationing immigration
personnel to talk about my expired green
card with an approaching deadline. Mon-
day finally arrives, and I return to the GCD
International Office to be met with excite-
ment and happily be told that the Ameri-
cans had an appointment with the INIS on
the coming Thursday.
After taking a moment to collect my
thoughts I managed to remind the Interna-
tional Office for the umpteenth time that I
had to leave Wednesday morning, so I
couldn’t wait until Thursday. Fortunately,
he was able to arrange an appointment for
me for Tuesday morning with the manager
from the INIS office, yet again. I was able
to skip the queue (which I sort of felt guilty
about) and get another plastic card with my
face on it. As grateful as I am that my story
had some resolution, I’m still compelled to
mention the lack of organisation, profes-
sionalism, and courtesy that the INIS dis-
played.
“the Department of Educa-
tion and Skills wants to in-
crease the number of
international students from
a €900 million to €1.2 bil-
lion sector for economic
profit by 2015”
I later read that the Department of Educa-
tion and Skills wants to increase the num-
ber of international students from a €900
million to €1.2 billion sector for economic
profit by 2015, according to a press re-
lease from late September. It amazes me
how the government desires to make
money off of international students when
they can’t seem to efficiently process them
in order for them to remain in the country.
I asked other international students who
needed to extend their visas to see how
their experiences were. I met Jeng Min
Kang, a Korean exchange student who’s
taking classes at DIT. She said her experi-
ence with the INIS was tough. The wonder-
ful officials at immigration kept sending her
back and forth to her college because of a
simple discrepancy in her paperwork. The
error that her papers possessed was that
the letter of admission from DIT was ad-
dressed to her and not the immigration of-
fice. That could’ve been quickly rectified if
someone had told her that the first time.
She also said she had to wait in the cold
around seven in the morning for the doors
to open before they would begin the queue
which took hours.
Grace Nam had the same experience with
the long queue. Grace is a Korean-Ameri-
can studying at Trinity College who had to
endure the INIS office. Grace said she
stood in the queue all morning and into the
late afternoon to get her visa. She said her
biggest complaint was,
“It seems like a very inefficient way to see
everybody, especially making people wait
in line in the wee cold hours of the morning
for so long.”
In my opinion, the long line is only half of
the problem with immigration.
Fianna Fáil is a party here that supports
the social welfare of all its citizens, suppos-
edly. I emailed the Minister of Justice and
Law Reform, Micheál Martin, to see if the
party was aware of the conditions citizens
face at the INIS office. The response I re-
ceived from Aiden Cronin, the Minister’s
private secretary, was very informative and
diplomatic to say the least. My favorite part
reads,
“Regrettably, the issuing and managing of
student visas is a complex area in many
countries. Here in Ireland, it is hoped that
any complications which exist in the cur-
rent system might be addressed through
the mechanisms to be put in place in re-
sponse to the Report of the High-Level
Group on International Education to the
Tánaiste and Minister for Education and
Skills aka Ireland's International Education
Strategy 2010-15.”
Then Mr. Cronin included a link in his email
that referred me to the Education Ireland
website that had their Global Report for In-
ternational Students in Higher Education.
Apparently, I am supposed to read this
long and formal document about Ireland’s
international education strategy and that
would explain exactly why the Irish Natu-
ralisation and Immigration Service lacked
professionalism, promptness, and organi-
sation, not to mention its sheer lack of con-
cern for people. Well, at least he bothered
to return my email.
Both students I spoke with regarding their
encounter with the INIS agreed that they
would like for the office to be more accom-
modating. Having people wait out in the
cold before they are given a number and
forced to stand in a queue for hours
doesn’t appear very welcoming. My prac-
tical advice is to organise a day where spe-
cific colleges have their students register
separately from the general public to make
things run smoother. Or they could simply
allot a week when the semester starts for
all immigrating students to register.
After all, I’m sure the Department of Edu-
cation and Skills doesn’t want a bad repu-
tation for having incompetent immigration
procedures to stop them from making a
cash cow out of students coming to Ireland
in pursuit of higher education.
Adia Hamer
11
 eering out the window of a long,
P white tour bus as we drove through
the small village of Lisdoonvarna on
one of the colder evenings of November, a
very long, overdue feeling of peace came
upon me. I felt, for the first time in three
months of being on this island, that I was
truly seeing Ireland and everything I had
ever imagined it to be. Surrounded by what
seemed to be endless, slightly–frosted
hills, narrow dirt roads and herds of ani-
mals tending to their business, I took a
deep breath and allowed a sense of
melancholy to come over me. The realiza-
tion that I had only three more weeks left
in this beautiful country became a very
fast, and very true, reality.
That sadness quickly disappeared, how-
ever, as I became more aware of my sur-
roundings. 35 eager Griffith College Dublin
students, all peering out the same win-
dows, enjoying the same views, sat
amongst me as the sound of laughter and
quiet chatter filled the bus. We had just fin-
ished spending a sun-kissed day in the
City of Galway and were looking forward
to where the rest of our weekend-long ad-
venture would take us.
The Student’s Union International Trip
began on a Friday afternoon with students
gathering at the gates of the college and
smiling for a group photo that would mark
the beginning of what would prove to be a
fun-filled weekend.
Soon enough the live
music started to play,
the drinks continued to
be poured and the pub
began to fill up as we sat
amongst our friends and
sang along to the
entertainment.
Charlotte Depoorter, an Erasmus student
from France, said she decided to go on the
trip because she and her friends wanted
to, “discover another piece of the country
and meet other students.”
Similarly, Antje Schurmans, an Erasmus
student from Belgium, and Malte Finnern,
of Germany, both said they attended the
trip because they hadn’t seen the West
Coast yet and heard how beautiful it was.
“I didn’t want to miss out,” Schurmans said.
Four hours after piling onto our bus, we ar-
rived at our destination – a lovely hostel in
the City of Galway that would ultimately
become nothing more than a place to
close our eyes for the few hours we al-
lowed ourselves to sleep that night. Once
settling in and preparing ourselves for the
night’s festivities, the group enjoyed a few
rounds of cocktails at The Porter House, a
quaint, yet entertaining, pub near the city
centre.
Soon enough the live music started to play,
the drinks continued to be poured and the
pub began to fill up as we sat amongst our
friends and sang along to the entertain-
ment. Schurmans considered the time at
the pub to be one of the two best things
she did on the trip, referring to the “nice
glasses” the cocktail specials were served
in and the great, although somewhat shy,
singer, who sometimes needed the audi-
ence’s help to get the songs going.
After a few hours of singing along with the
musician, enjoying an array of beers,
wines and cocktails and playing games to
pass the time, the group moved on to a
club to dance the rest of the night away.
The not-too-early wake-up call for a com-
plimentary breakfast the next day, which
was much-appreciated by many, would
prepare us for our next adventure. Strap-
ping on our skates, attempting to find a bal-
ance and gliding out onto the ice, the
group spent Saturday morning ice skating
in Galway. Laughing along at each other’s
clumsiness and striking poses as our lack
of skill was photographed, many students
said this was a highlight of the trip.
Depoorter said ice skating was the funniest
part of the weekend and Sarah Cools, an
Erasmus student from Belgium, agreed,
saying it was one of the best parts of her
trip.
Before heading to Co. Claire, where we
would spend Saturday night, the group
was given the opportunity to walk around
Galway for the remainder of Saturday af-
ternoon. Strolling through the Christmas
Market, enjoying a pint of Guinness and
window shopping as we explored the city,
much of Galway was soaked up before it
was time to move on.
Arriving in Lisdoonvarna Saturday
evening, the group was thrilled to find out
we would have the hostel to ourselves for
the night. With jokes being passed around
about reliving a Stephen King novel, stu-
dents were set off to pick a room, explore
the hostel and come up with creative ways
to keep themselves warm as we were
quickly informed that the heat was not
working.
Taking in the beauty of
the West Coast and sip-
ping hot chocolate in an
underground café, the
most mesmerizing part
of the trip was certainly
saved for last.
The lack of warmth, however, would not
keep people from having fun, as the group
gathered at a pub in the village that
evening and sat around tables socializing
and enjoying the “craic.” Many students
would continue the party back at the hos-
tel, as they sat back in the antique furni-
ture, drank some beers and continued to
have a good time.
Finnern said the night in the hostel was his
favourite part of the trip. “Drinking beer in
an ice cold, old hotel in the common room,
hearing the piano … (I) never (did) that be-
fore and it was an awesome mix between
‘The Shining’ and drinking.”
The next day the group would head to the
Cliffs of Moher for one last adventure be-
fore the trip came to a close. Despite the
cold, Depoorter said this was also one of
her favourite parts of the trip. Taking in the
beauty of the West Coast and sipping hot
chocolate in an underground café, the
most mesmerizing part of the trip was cer-
tainly saved for last.
Ready to climb back on the bus to warm
our fingers and toes, the trip would not
have been complete without ending it the
same way it began. The group gathered
atop a hill near the cliffs and smiled at the
camera for one last photo to document the
memorable weekend.
With the well-organized planning, the inex-
pensive price and the endless fun, De-
poorter, Schurmans, Finnern and Cools all
agreed the trip was worth it and would sug-
gest students join the SU in the future.
“(It was) better than I expected,” Finnern
said. “I had (a) really good time.”
Alyssa Fleck
Are
Video games
Art?
ccording to Merriam-Webster, the
A word “art” can be defined as “the
conscious use of skill and creative
imagination, especially in the production
of aesthetic objects”. The Oxford Diction-
ary says art is “the expression or applica-
tion of creative skill and imagination,
typically in visual form such as painting or
sculpture, producing works to be appreci-
ated primarily for their beauty or emo-
tional power”.
So why do so many critics, most notably
Roger Ebert, still assert that video
games, the best of which rank among
today's most visually arresting and touch-
ing experiences, don't fit these defini-
tions? Arguments run the gamut from
games' interactive nature to their goal-dri-
ven mentality, commercial aspirations and
ability to be definitively won, or ended, at
certain key points in the plot.
The logic goes something like this: When
you read a poem, listen to a symphony or
view a painting or a sculpture, you're en-
joying an experience that's inspired by an
artist's vision and prompts limitless reflec-
tion in the viewer.
Sure, the swirls of Van Gogh's “Starry
Night” or the magnificence of Michelan-
gelo's statue of David can prompt awe
and contemplation in onlookers. But
should we think any less of sprawling vir-
tual worlds that marry music, literature
and graphics into a layered aesthetic ex-
perience filled with countless scenes,
scenarios and choices open for individual
interpretation?
each video game is
arguably its own self-
contained symphony
of programming and
graphics
From pioneering efforts such as Another
World and Myst to cult classics like
BioShock and Ico, games have long used
eye-catching imagery and compelling
narratives to evoke passion and senti-
ment in viewers. Other titles, including
Flower and Braid, also provide perspec-
tive-changing experiences with ample op-
portunity for introspection.
Touched by the hands of dozens or even
hundreds of talented individuals working
in concert toward a larger creative vision,
each video game is arguably its own self-
contained symphony of programming and
graphics. From the haunting, shadowed
realms of Limbo to the swirling sands
you'll wander in the upcoming Journey,
these games further reflect the larger cre-
ative vision of the designers and directors
who personally oversee these projects.
Nonetheless, some critics still maintain
that controlling the wind's passage as it
blows through the hills or contemplating
one's own mortality while surveying the
tattered remains of a fictional civilization
are experiences cheapened by their
hands-on nature. What these arguments
appear to miss is that the journey can be
just as transformative as the endpoint.
Whether or not you “beat” seamy pot-
boiler Heavy Rain matters less than the
choices made in pursuit of its serial killer,
as each decision can have serious or
even fatal outcomes for the lifelike heroes
you command.
Despite all this criticism video gaming has
one big proponent of their own, director
Guillermo del Toro, who recently gave an
impassioned defence of the medium as a
whole, via gaming news website
1up.com. According to del Toro
“videogames are the comic books of our
time. It's a medium that gains no respect
among the intelligentsia. They say ‘oh,
videogames’ and most people that com-
plain about videogames have never fuck-
ing played them”. He continued by saying
that videogames “are an art form and
anyone saying differently is a little out of
touch because they are a narrative art
form”.
He also listed a few of his favourite
games, professing to be “an absolutely
devoted fan” of Halo, while also citing the
Halo-predecessor Marathon, and calling
Ico and Shadow of the Colossus “master-
pieces”.
people that complain
about videogames
have never fucking
played them
Detractors can rightly argue that not
every game technically fits the definition
of art, or aspires to such lofty goals.
Plenty of titles exist purely as profit-gen-
erating vehicles designed to cash in on
TV shows, films and mindless pop culture
artefacts. But by letting us assume a vari-
ety of different roles, experience the world
through new eyes and soak up scenarios
from a fuller range of perspectives, many
of the best games provide room for per-
sonal growth and individual interpretation.
Capable of great import and splendour, at
their best, video games can marry the
aesthetic grace of painting, music and
sculpture with the depth and gravity of
film, literature and stagecraft.
For all the joy and sorrow these titles can
bring, it seems a crime to dismiss them
because we're free to experience and in-
terpret them in our living rooms, not some
musty gallery.
Gareth Barry

Top 5 videogames for Christmas

1. Little Big Planet 2
If this turns to be half as good as
the original LBP I reckon I can kiss
getting any work done in semester
2 goodbye.

2. Call of Duty: Black Ops

COD:BO is this years Modern
Warfare. it’s all about going online
with your buddies and going on the
rampage in distant warzones and
getting yelled at by American
teenagers with anger management
issues

3. Gran Turismo 5
The ultimate driving simulator is
back with graphics so smooth the
real world will look pixelated.

4. Xbox Kinect
Just like my dad watching the
rugby, now I have a reason to jump
around the telly shouting like a de-
ranged eejit. Kinect uses a camera
mounted on your tv to track your
movements allowing to control the
actions on the screen.

5. LA NOIRE
LAN is a detective thriller set in
1940’s LA where you must solve a
series of murders. Published by
Rockstar Games this could very
well be the must have game of
2011.
Oscar Finn
 The road to success
Ian Fleming talks to Nick Dooge about his decision to return to college to see if people can create their own
light to find a way out of this seemingly bleak economic tunnel?
ccording to this man yes we can.
A This is Nick Dooge, originally from
Cork but now lives in Dublin. Nick
currently attends Smurfit Business Col-
lege. In 2009, the Toyota dealership com-
pany Nick worked for was looking to cut
costs due to the recession. Nick was of-
fered voluntary redundancy and quite
happy to take it. Nick is one of many peo-
ple across the country who are after being
left go or asked to leave their jobs because
of the recession that has hit Ireland. The
four options that face people following re-
dundancy are to join the dole queue, find
another job in another sector, emigrate or
as many have done, go back to eduction.
Nick has joined this migrating herd of peo-
ple that are returning to third level educa-
tion to re-invent themselves academically.
He is determined to come out the other
end and make his mark within a company
when he finishes his masters in Business
in Smurfit College.
I asked Nick about what made him tick and
why he went back to education and what
he intends to do in the future. I hoped this
style of questioning may help me to come
to a conclusion. Whether this immediate fi-
nancial recession is pushing people to
their limit or could there be other possibili-
ties? Can people create their own light to
find a way out of this seemingly bleak eco-
nomic tunnel.
Tell me a little about yourself?
My name is Nick Dooge and I am 29 years
old. I am from Cork and I studied Transport
Management in Cork Institute of Technol-
ogy for four years.
18
Have you any hobbies/interests?
I enjoy anything to do with computers and
I always worked on cars. It is probably the
reason I did my first course in C.I.T. My car
is the only thing I spend money on other
than college, food and bills.
What course are you doing now and
what does it involve?
I am studying a Masters in Management in
Smurfit College. It is for people from non-
business backgrounds to learn business
and management skills. I have about 50
hrs a week in college and they recommend
we do more then 10 hours of reading in our
own time. The course is broken down into
Time Management, Economics, Account-
ing, Organisational Behaviour and Market-
ing.
“during the boom, peo-
ple were more book-
wise than streetwise.
They seemed to have no
cop-on and did not save
money for a rainy day”
Were there any other defining elements
which helped in your decision to return
to college?
My decision to go back to college was
based both on a tactical and educational
basis. I wanted to educate myself further
and also I am using this opportunity to get
out of the motor industry and move into an-
other industry. To be honest I did not see a
promotion in sight for me in the job I held
and I could not see the future in car main-
tenance going back to the way it was in the
boom time.
How you feel to be going back to col-
lege again or is there a difference?
I have enjoyed going back but I found a big
difference in the structure of the college
term as it is now semester-ised. The work
you do is down to you, your attitude affects
your work directly. If you just do the mini-
mum required you will pass. You are in
with other intellectuals and are in the top
bracket of the educated, essentially you
are in competition and you need to stand
out from the rest.
Why Smurfit college in particular?
Smurfit is considered to be the best in the
country to attend for business. It is listed in
the Financial Times Top 100 list of busi-
ness colleges to go to. It will push me to
go as high as I can get. The college gives
a realistic view of the working environment
and what I need to jump into a job after I
leave. It is the starting point in my plan for
the future.
What are your feelings on the reces-
sion?
I feel that during the boom, people were
more book-wise than streetwise. They
seemed to have no cop-on and did not
save money for a rainy day. They were not
aware of the price of money. For example
when I was working people were changing
their cars nearly every 2 years just be-
cause they thought they could always pay
it off later. In January 2007, 250 new cars
were bought and then in 2009 only about
40 cars were bought new. The recession
brought people who had lost their way,
their sense of value and who had duped
themselves into a false society, back to re-
ality. Here is a quote which sums it up for
me 'A cynic knows the price of everything,
but the value of nothing'.
Have you had to adjust your spending
or lifestyle because of the recession?
Well I was always a person who stayed in
on weekends, I tended not to follow the
trend of going out every weekend and that
has not changed. This was a policy I
brought to work with me in the car dealer-
ship; I did not try to force sales on people
who did not necessarily need what we had
on offer just to boost my sales record. I am
careful about money and I am not too
thrifty with my spending, my biggest indul-
gence would be my car. I would rarely buy
something just because I wanted it there
and then. I am reserved when it comes to
spending and I found this is down to my
upbringing.
What circumstances led to your deci-
sion to leave your job?
Pre-recession you could have easily have
had 2-3 people all doing or working on the
same job. The atmosphere was relaxed.
The staff enjoyed their bit of banter and
everybody got along. When the recession
hit, the job changed an awful lot. For in-
stance 2-3 people all worked on the same
work load, which got it done quickly, effi-
ciently and maintained customer satisfac-
tion. Then with the recession those
elements had to be obtained by just one
person doing the same work done by three
people previously. The banter changed to
backstabbing, work colleagues trying to
get the better of each other and huge com-
petition erupted. I found it appalling and I
became disheartened and angry as a re-
sult, stressed going into work. On top of
that the general public were now tightening
their purse strings and looking for more
deals, which they were entitled to do. This
put added pressure on my role as I had to
try to give the customer more value for
their money without giving too much away
for free. I was happy to be working to a
point. There was the constant pressure to
perform the same job with less incentive
and the dog-eat-dog atmosphere became
too much. Within this environment I did not
see myself getting a promotion I was
hoping to get. When the staff were asked
who wished for voluntary redundancy I
took it with both hands. I saw it as an op-
portunity. Even though I was closing one
door, I was at the same time opening a
new door for myself, by making a decision
to leave the job to go back to college.
The banter changed to
backstabbing, work col-
leagues trying to get the
better of each other and
huge competition
erupted.
What do you hope to achieve from re-
turning to college?
I want to build skills in order to work in a
company dealing with customer service,
conflict resolution and work delegations is-
sues. I want to be the public face of a com-
pany. My immediate aim after leaving
college is work in an established consult-
ing company and gain some experience.
If you can not get the working experi-
ence in Ireland, would you consider em-
igrating to another country?
The short answer is yes. London and Eu-
rope are far better places for work oppor-
tunities.
What are you looking for in a job after
college?
Smurfit College is just a starting point for
me to begin. Our lecturers predict with the
skills we learn from our time at Smurfit we
can expect to earn above the average
mark of €25,000 per year. I aim to be
higher than this and earn average of
€60,000 per year. On saying that though,
my primary aim is to attain a job where I
can enjoy my job and as a result work hard
and earn a good wage. If I can not achieve
this, I will take any job within my chosen in-
dustry to earn a good wage.
What do see in your future and do you
see light at the end of this recession
tunnel?
I aim to work hard, earn a good living and
enjoy the fruits of my labour – a nice
house, a new car outside and a family of
my own to share this with. For the future I
am cautiously optimistic but would see the
glass as being half full.
Ian Fleming
19

Turkish Court
Impose Ban On
Youtube Across
Country
s of the 5th of November 2010, a
A governmentally imposed ban on all
Youtube services throughout
Turkey was introduced. The ban was in-
stalled following the publication of
footage exposing Deniz Baykal, the
leader of the Opposition Republican Peo-
ples Party (CHP) to be involved in sexual
activities with his secretary. The news re-
flects a change in policies regarding inter-
net censorship following the lifting of this
exact ban in a court in Ankara only three
days earlier.
In May 2008, a similar ban was installed
after video footage insulting Mustafa
Kemal Ataturk, the founder of Turkey, was
uploaded onto Youtube by Greek football
fans after the two nations played against
each other for the World Cup qualifiers.
Insulting Ataturk is seen as an illegal of-
fense within the Turkish judicial system
and the matter subsequently led to the
shut down of the services as Google re-
fused to remove the video from their in-
ternational portals.
The new ban created political controversy
and subsequently, Deniz Baykal, political
oppositional leader and man in the pub-
lished footage resigned from his post.
“The new law creates a lot of tension, es-
pecially amongst the younger generation.
Dying To Be Thin
hey call her ‘Ana’. She is a role
T model to some, a goddess to others
— the subject of drawings, prayers
and even a creed. She tells them what to
eat and mocks them when they don't lose
weight. And yet, while she is a very real
presence in the lives of many of her follow-
ers, she exists only in their minds.
Ana is short for anorexia, and — to the
alarm of experts — many who suffer from
the potentially fatal eating disorder are part
of an underground movement that pro-
motes self-starvation and, in some cases,
has an almost cult-like appeal.
When confronted about her views on girls,
not only in the modelling industry, but all
over the world, aspiring to be very thin, or
‘thinspired’ as it is known, supermodel
20
Given the circumstances and timing of
events it certainly raises a lot of ques-
tions of why the ban was re-introduced
again,” says Ceyhun Aslan, journalist
working for International Press Associa-
tion in Istanbul.
The ban follows in the path of a recent al-
teration in the Constitution that now en-
ables the Government more access to
citizen’s private information.
Can Surmeli: A Turkish student living in
Ankara, Turkey, declares that: “The new
law does not resemble the economic
growth of Turkey and additionally sets us
back digitally. Our youth should not grow
up living under censorship laws imposed
by our Government, this law gives a clear
message to the rest of the world, it is un-
necessary and humiliating.”
On Monday the 4th of November, the
Turkish officials and the administration of
Google stated that due to differences
over the publication of certain videos the
ban was introduced again.
Current Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Er-
dogan and the Justice and Development
Party (AKP), the current political party in
power introduced minor forms of internet
censorship in 2006 in order to contain po-
litical debate via the internet. The censor-
ship laws have since proceeded to
various educational websites including
Google Earth and Google Maps, as well
as a list of over 5,000 websites, mostly
relating to pornography.
Can Surmeli mentions, “The images pub-
lished were never actually proven to be
Baykal himself, he never denied the
claims. However his stepping down as
Kate Moss expressed that one of her mot-
tos was ‘nothing tastes as good as skinny
feels’, the fallout was instant, vitriolic and
damning.
The media is not the cause of eating prob-
lems but is a significant socio-cultural de-
terminant of why so many people express
their personal distress through the lan-
guage of food and weight.
One of the most important aspects of pre-
vention of eating disorders is teaching chil-
dren media literacy so that they do not fully
“internalise” thin ideal images. In other
words, they question the importance or
possibility of looking the same as models
and pop stars. Some of this literacy starts
in the home. Although anorexia means
“loss of appetite”, the sufferer does in fact
have an appetite, however the fear of gain-
ing weight creates a need to control the
appetite to the point of eating very little,
and in some cases nothing. Some binge
and purge but maintain a low body weight.
Some hide food, take laxatives or slimming
pills in a bid to reduce the “perceived”
weight. 200,000 people in Ireland suffer
from an eating disorder. Like anorexia suf-
ferers, bulimic sufferers are obsessed with
Party leader enabled the wave of laws to
be introduced without opposed political
pressure, which resemble a change of
structure in Turkish Politics.”
“The Turkish Government are on one
hand publicly trying to join the European
Union, on the other hand receiving
money from Arabic investors and subse-
quently restoring a more traditionalist
Turkey rather than a modern Turkey,
which is what the opposition are saying…
internet censorship only supports this
claim,” says Ceyhun Aslan.
A temporary internet censorship act was
introduced in 2007 which became perma-
nent in 2008, revoked in November 2010,
only to be introduced again as a result of
political dispute.
Although Youtube and certain internet
portals are censored, social networking
sites such as Facebook or Twitter are un-
censored, enabling the public to be in-
formed about international happenings.
By allowing such controlled, yet lenient
censorship laws Turkey furthermore dis-
tance themselves from membership of
the European Union.
Ceyhun Aslan declares, “This new law on
Youtube is only a synonym, a symbol of
political oppression towards freedom of
speech within this country.”
The newly confirmed law is not expected
to be revoked in the near future as no ap-
peal or new Court dates were an-
nounced.
Ghino de Colle
food and weight. Bulimics often binge eat
and then purge themselves to avoid gain-
ing weight. Many eat large amounts of
food, very rapidly, and with little self con-
trol. Purging may involve vomiting, laxa-
tives, or excessive exercise.
It is troubling to recognise that someone
you care about may be suffering from an
eating disorder. The decision to approach
the individual can provoke much anxiety
since it is difficult to know what to say and
what to expect from the situation. Perhaps
you have broached the subject and got an
angry response.
It is important to understand that they
might not welcome your expression of con-
cern, either because they are ashamed to
admit their behaviour, or they feel “in con-
trol” and don’t want anyone to “make them
fat again.” It will, therefore, be important for
you to be as well educated as possible
about eating disorders. Part of this knowl-
edge is being able to understand the many
reasons why people are reluctant to get
help. Perhaps they feel they “should” be
able to do it by themselves.
Laura Mullett
 Share in the end of Semester Festive Cheer with the Final
Year Students on the BA in Photographic Media. The ex-
hibition will be held in room AF203 in the Conference
Building in Griffith College Dublin on December 16th for
one night only. There will be some light refreshments, do
come along early. You might just find the perfect Christ-
mas gift in the form of a photographic print. It'll be a great
night to round off the semester in style.

All Welcome

Emma Loughran Tom Morgan Oscar Finn

Jose Perez Rory O’Neil

 Griffiti At the Movies
Title: Predators
Cert: 15A
Running Time: 107 minutes
Release Date: Out Now on
DVD
A
s a big fan of the Pred-
ator movies I was de-
lighted to hear the
latest movie would take the
series back to its roots.
Predators is the true
successor to Predator 2,
which was released in 1990
and featured our tooled up
anti-hero hunting down its
prey in downtown L.A. The
script was written by producer
Robert Rodriguez back in
1994 but it was not given the
green light until 2009. Fortu-
nately, it has been worth the
wait. Predators has more in
common with the original
Predator film, with the alien
planet where the action takes
place reminiscent of the jun-
gle setting from the first
movie.
The movie follows a
group of people who all have
questionable backgrounds ex-
cept for a doctor (brilliantly
played by Topher Grace).
These include a mercenary
(Adrien Brody) and an es-
caped death row inmate.
These people fall from the sky
onto a strange planet where
they have become the prey
and are being hunted. It be-
comes apparent that they are
all worthy enough to be
hunted, with the doctor thrown
in to spice things up.
The movie is a great
twist on the formula perfected
in the first two Predator films,
22
with the action taking place on
the Predator’s turf instead of
Earth. This allows the film to
shine by introducing more
strange creatures and eerie
settings which fans of the
franchise will find intriguing.
The development of
the Predators as characters is
also very interesting and the
film throws up quite a few mo-
ments which give an insight
into how these killing ma-
chines work. I won’t give away
too much but let’s just say
there are now different kinds
of Predator and there is some
kind of war going on between
them.
The only thing that
holds the movie back from
greatness is the absence of a
genuine star in the vein of
Arnold Schwarzenegger or
Danny Glover who excelled in
their respective leading roles
in the first two movies. While
Adrien Brody does a good job
as the mercenary who takes
on the Predators, he is not tai-
lor-made for the role like the
original duo that outfought
and outsmarted their hunter in
the admittedly superior origi-
nal films.
Despite this, the movie is still
a blast and fans of action
movies will be more than sat-
isfied. Fans of the Predator
franchise will love this and
everyone else can enjoy it as
the film is accessible to new-
comers as well as hardcore
fan base.
Marc Dennehy
Title: The American but when something does
Cert: 15a happen, it's very skilfully exe-
Running Time: 104 minutes cuted. It's unpredictable, and
Release Date: Out Now beautifully shot. Clooney is
very closed off in the film, very
ight from the begin- intense. He reminds me of
R ning, after a shocking
opening, you know this
film is means business. Made
Carey Grant, or maybe Clint
Eastwood's The Man with No
Name in A Fistful of Dollars, in
by Anton Corbijn, a man more that he's a lone gun slinger,
well known for making music who says little, but speaks
videos than movies, it was volumes.
quite hard to gauge whether
this film would be any good. It Unlike a lot of films made
puts any doubts you might these days, it doesn't explain
have had to bed straight absolutely everything. It ex-
away. pects the audience to have
some intelligence, and that's
George Clooney, in a dark yet another aspect that makes
and subdued turn, stars as this film great.
the main character, Jack, a
custom arms maker and as- It does have some fairly pre-
sassin. He decides to do one tentious existential dialogue in
last job before retiring, al- some scenes though, but if
though his exit proves more you ignore that, it's a brilliant
difficult than he anticipates. film, one of the best of the
While this basic premise year.
hardly seems original, the di-
rector manages to make it Brendan Beagon
shine, and seem original and
new.
It's pace is glacial, as so
many reviewers rightly put it,
but it is also realistic, and
more of a character study,
than the action film the trailers
portray it to be. It's been said
that it's more like the Euro-
pean mystery films of the 70's
than a modern thriller, and
while I'm not too familiar with
them, it does have a different
quality to a lot of recent films.
The film is mostly atmos-
phere, sparse and muted, with
very little dialogue and action,
 Griffiti At the Movies

Title: Monsters acter development ensues,
Cert: 12a along with a ridiculous plot that
Running Time: 94 minutes forces them to go through the
Release Date: Out Now infected zone to get to the
States.
Title: Somewhere (2010)
Cert: 12A
Running Time: 98 minutes
Release Date: 22 December
f you are going on a cin-
do, it happens, in fairness to
director Sofia Coppola, the
way those experiences would
happen in real life.
Chris Pontius features in this

A
n independent film, made
on location and with a
shoestring budget of 500
grand, Monsters has been
hailed as the next Cloverfield or
District 9. Well, it's in the gen-
eral ball park, but it's also quite
different in a lot of ways. It does-
n't pretend to be a documentary
for one thing, and it isn't a found
footage movie either.
The basic premise of the film is
that six years ago, a NASA
probe on it's way back from
somewhere in the solar system,
with samples of possible alien
life, broke up during re-entry
over Mexico. Soon after, new
life forms began to appear, and
a lot of the country was then
sealed off and designated as an
infected zone.
The two main characters, a
photojournalist (Andrew) and
his boss's daughter (Saman-
tha), are played by relative un-
knowns, so this adds a lot of
realism to the story. Andrew has
been ordered to escort the
daughter back to the US, so
various awkwardly done char-
It gets better from here on, as
the duo trek through mountains
filled with the giant aliens, with
some close encounters along
the way. The soundtrack is
tense, and really adds to the at-
mosphere of the film. There are
large sections of the film where
the actors don't actually talk that
much, and it's all for the better,
as they have absolutely no
chemistry, which is odd consid-
ering they're married in real life.
While the acting is rubbish and
the plot are hiccups irritating, it
really doesn't take away from
the overall film too much. It's still
a very original take on an alien
invasion story, and for that rea-
son, you aren't really able to
predict what's going to happen.
It does turn out a bit preachy to-
wards the end, but it's still a de-
cent movie with an interesting
story, and is definitely worth a
watch if you are a fan of the
genre.
Brendan Beagon
I ema date and your only
plan is to get yourself some
“smoochin” go to see this film.
film, “Party Boy” in Jackass
anyone? Perhaps Chris
should have stuck to Jackass
It won’t blow you away, and but you can be the judge of
unless your kissing partner is that when you go to see this
remarkably bad this film won’t run of the mill film.
even catch your attention.
The best part of the film is the
It’s the same old “famous per- very realistic way the Pa-
son is missing something, parazzi are shown, and the
needs life changing experi- ending. After saying all of that
ence, oh look he actually has it’s not the worst film I have
a daughter”, and so on and so ever seen and if I had the flu
forth. and wasn’t in college and
found myself watching day-
It takes a long time to get time movies it is one I could
going, Johnny Marco, played stomach
ably by Stephen Dorff sud-
denly needs to look after his Brian O’Donoghue
eleven year old daughter, Elle
Fanning, who plays the part of
Cleo.
The two do have a good on
screen chemistry but they are
forced to vomit out slow
painful dialogue and you can
see just about everything that
is coming. You will be sitting
there waiting for the life
changing experience but it
doesn’t happen in the usual
way that these types of film

23
 Griffiti At the Movies
Matthew Jaffray takes a look ahead at the films we can look forward
to over the Christmas holidays
he Christmas period is always jam
T packed with big budget films looking
to capitalise on the festive season,
mixed in with more serious fare looking for
Oscar glory in February. It’s typically a
fairly jammed release schedule so it’s
about time the upcoming films were broken
down to see what we can expect.
The 9th of December see the release of
the third Narnia film, Voyage of the Dawn
Treader. It’s hard to know what to expect
given the large void that exists between
the first two movies. The Lion , the Witch
and the Wardrobe, grossed 750 million dol-
lars worldwide as was received well by crit-
ics, the second film grossed just over half
that amount and divided critics and fans
alike. This film could see the franchise sink
or swim.
The next day see the release of The
Tourist. Johnny Depp and Angelina star,
giving this film serious marquee value. It is
a remake of French film Anthony Zimmer,
which was a box office bomb in its home
country. The story is familiar mistaken
identity stuff, so the draw here is clearly to
see the chemistry between the two leads.
The following week sees the release of
Tron Legacy. It’s been almost thirty years
since the release of the first movie and it
seems unlikely source material for a mod-
ern blockbuster. Jeff Bridges returns in his
dual role as Kevin Flynn, and Flynn’s cre-
ation, the computer program Klu. The in-
ternet is buzzing with negative feedback
after the release of the trailer. This is aimed
at the seemingly dodgy use of CGI to
make Klu look like Bridges did when he
first played the part. In the film, Flynn has
been stuck in the computer world for
twenty years and follows his son, Sam, as
he attempts to find him and return home.
The 22nd sees Little Fockers unleashed
on the world. While the first two were
barmy fun, the trailer for this makes the for-
mula look very tired indeed. I would say
this one is only for diehard fans of the se-
ries, if any exist.
The 26th of December sees the tradition of
dumb but fun family films being released.
This year it’s a big budget retelling of
Jonathon Swifts classic Gulliver's Trav-
els. Jack Black stars as Lemuel Gulliver, a
travel writer who finds himself among a civ-
ilization of tiny people after a trip to
Bermuda triangle.
For those looking for something with a little
more meat on its bones, the 26th also see
the release of Truman Show director Peter
Weir’s epic The Way Back. The story cen-
tres on a group of prisoners who escape a
Russian gulag in Siberia during world war
two, and the 4,000 mile walk they must
make to freedom. It stars Jim Sturgess, Ed
Harris, and Colin Farrell. No early word on
this yet but there’s no denying the pedigree
in front and behind the camera. It wouldn’t
be a bad bet to expect an Oscar nod for
Weir while Colin Farrell might snatch his
first nomination in the catagory of best sup-
porting actor.
127 Hours Danny Boyle’s follow up to
Slumdog Millionaire is out on the 7th of
January. Already making controversial
headlines, this one is apparently not for the
faint of heart, leaving a trail of people pass-
ing out and walking out of theatres during
its run on the festival circuit. It follows the
true story of Aron Rolstan, who became
trapped by a boulder while climbing and
had to endure the elements for five days
before cutting off his arm to escape. James
Franco is being hotly tipped for best actor
as the trapped climber.
Arguably the most anticipated release is
the Coen Brothers interpretation of the
classic western novel True Grit. Adapted
before as a vehicle for John Wayne, it was
the film that finally bagged him an Oscar.
The new film however promises to be quite
a different animal, sticking far closer to the
Charles Portis book. This should prove to
work well for the Coen brothers as the
novel is laced with wry black humour and
is seen through the eyes of a 14 year old
girl who hires ageing US marshal Rooster
Cogburn(Jeff Bridges).
It sounds like a match made in heaven for
them. The impressive supporting cast in-
cludes Matt Damon as Cogburn's would be
partner, Josh Brolin as the fugitive mur-
derer, and what promises to be a breakout
performance by Hailee Steinfeld as re-
venge fuelled 14 year old Mattie Ross.
There’s already serious Oscar buzz
around so if you want to know what all the
fuss is about, check it out when it’s re-
leased on the 14th of January.
Matthew Jaffray
 music Reviews
butterfly explosion
Butterfly Explosion
Academy 2, 25/11/10
he Academy 2 is void of much activ-
T ity initially, so it means support act
Overhead, The Albatross are playing
to only a handful of people that braved the
shitstorm outside to be in early. It’s unfor-
tunate but they make the best of it.
Equipped with three guitars their sound is
an expansive one of affecting peaks and
troughs. The instrumental passages range
from hypnotic ambience to towering and
whirring clamours. Supposedly releasing
an EP in the coming weeks, it should be
something more than worthy of your atten-
tion
By the time Butterfly Explosion arrive on
stage the crowd has thickened greatly.
Even though, they play for just around an
hour it’s an hour of density, airing much of
the Lost Trails album, their debut released
in March. After a year of heady touring in
support of the record, the whole cycle has
come to a head here. It’s their year end
show, encompassing much of the Lost
Trails material as well as other bits and
pieces.
They play in near darkness save for hazy
lighting that accentuate the spectral and
atmospheric vibe that’s so palpable
throughout their shoegaze and post-every-
thing imbued output.
Butterfly Explosion weave in and out of
brooding melancholia and extroverted riffs
and walls of sound, all done so with an oth-
erworldly efficiency and apparent ease. It’s
that aspect that made Lost Trails such a
beguiling listen and live it translates so
well. Each nuance, from the sleek guitar
tones to the layered keys is audible and
heightened in a live setting.
The restful and ambling milieu of Closer or
Sophia’s scaling cadence lay testament to
that. The execution of the evening is a
stark reminder of how vast they can sound
and continues to beg the question of why
aren’t they so much bigger. It’s furthered
by closer Automatic, which is accompanied
by some dizzying strobes which in the con-
fines of Academy 2 are almost apocalyp-
tic.
2011 should see Butterfly Explosion begin
to capitalise on the momentum garnered
from Lost Trails as a new record looms.
Jonathan Keane
25

THE
GENUINE
ARTICLE
MOODLE
HACKED
BY
WIKILEAKS
By Daniel James
here is nowhere to run and
T nowhere to hide folks,
moodle has been hacked.
The once most impenetrable of
forces has been, well, pene-
trated.
News first broke when every sin-
gle student in a first year class
of Journalism handed in assign-
ments containing such obscure
information that RTÉ, TV3, SKY
News, and even Griffiti did not
know about.
The Supermen in I.T have been
working around the clock, stop-
ping only to watch Stargate At
26
Pigeon
Army
Invades
Students
Union Building
Poo Everywhere
lantis and The Matrix, naturally,
to find out how this happened
and to put a stop to it. They just
can’t believe that such a thing
could happen to their wonderful
Moodle.
Wikileaks has amazingly re-
vealed that S.U president Gra-
ham Butler is in fact a terrorist.
Plans to ram his VW Golf into
the Spire on O’Connell Street on
Christmas Day have been well
and truly foiled. Butler is cur-
rently on the run but when peo-
ple see him he acts totally
normal, which is to say suspi
ciously, so beware.
As for the rest of the college one
panicked journalism student
had this to say “I really
thought I’d have to get off my
ass and go looking for stories, I
can now launch my entire career
from my bedroom” which is
where we journalists get most of
our inspiration anyway
.
Griffiti welcomes the Hack, we
think Moodle should be re-
named Woodle or Widdle,
maybe we can vote on it, let’s
get on to the terrorist.

Norway defeat the Irish soccer team, nobody
cares
Unconfirmed reports suggest Hell has frozen
over
The budget confirms we are actually F***ED
Fire Alarm goes off in Arthurs, Nobody moves
As a result of VAT increases Santa will include
an invoice with all presents this year
Norwegian students mock Ireland for its inabil-
ity to deal with “a light dusting of snow”
Under the Spotlight
Name: Barry Finnegan
Occupation: Lecturer / Freedom fighter
Hobbies: Golf, shopping at IKEA
Likes: Techno, Unicycle Hockey
Dislikes: Bankers & The LisbonTreaty
Interesting fact: Barry once did the voice of Meg
in Family Guy
The contents of this section are satirical and may offend. The views expressed do not represent the views of the SU
McCORMACK
LAUNCHES
FASHION
LABEL
By Jim Sok
t was announced last week that entrepre-
I
neur and business tycoon Paul McCor-
mack has moved into the world of fashion
with the launching of his ‘MrScarf.com’
clothing range.
You may remember Students’ Union man-
ager Paul Mccormack got spotted for juven-
tus during freshers week at the football
tournament but due to his commitment to
the Students’ Union he had to decline the
offer rumoured to be in the tens of millions,
He has however branched out in to fashion
design.
“I’ve allways liked a good scarf, but I always
thought that they could be
something...more. I want to be at the fore-
front of scarf design so that is why I set up
MrScarf.com” said the Dublin design guru.
We hear at the Genuine article are also quite
fond of the scarf and we do enjoy perusing
the website for the latest styles and innova-
tions in scarf technology.
We can also unveil plans for a companion
website ‘justcaps.ie’ to be launched early in
the new year.
27
 Growing up with Christmas
Shane Ronan-Duggan looks back at how Christmas changes as you get older from the rush of
opening presents to simply spending time with friends and family
hristmas is looming, we are now
C bombarded with TV ads for the
best toys of the year, food compa-
nies who provide your Christmas dinner
for you and of course all the happy
cheery songs begin on the radio.
But as we grow up does Christmas loose
its magic? Does it just become another
holiday, a time when stress in our lives
grows as we all struggle to gather money
together to pay for presents?
When Christmas comes knocking on my
door I am often filled with an overwhelm-
ing sense of nostalgia – distant memories
of struggling to sleep with the excitement,
and anticipation for the jolly fat man in the
red suit to appear. Nowadays, I realise
that jolly fat man in the red suit was none
other than the jolly fat man in his work
suit, my dad, and that the mysterious dis-
appearance of the mince pies and brandy
was simply a free meal for him also.
I will admit that I do still get a certain
amount of excitement on Christmas Eve
night. But it’s no longer for the jolly old
man with his presents galore and his bag
of tricks. It has become much simpler
than that; it is simply the joy of meeting
all my friends in the local pub for our new
28
tradition of Christmas Eve pints.
I will also admit that I do still struggle to
sleep Christmas Eve with the excitement
of opening the presents the next morning,
but my sleep is eased with the three or
four festive pints of Guinness I enjoyed
earlier in the night. I do also tend to be
the first one to wake up on Christmas day
to storm down to the tree and shred open
my presents.
Christmas for me now, is a time for nos-
talgia, where stories of tricks our parents
played on us, to convince us old Saint
Nick had been to visit, echo in our memo-
ries. Life as a child then was simpler too.
The best form of entertainment for an
eight year old is as simple as running
around your house until you pass out. If I
was to attempt to run around my house
now I would probably need an ambulance
on standby with a defibrillator on hand.
If I was to attempt to run
around my house now I
would probably need an
ambulance on standby
with a defibrillator on
hand
The worst part of Christmas back then
was being shipped off to your family’s
houses where you were questioned for
hours by relatives about “how you’ve
been?” and “how’s school going?” like
some detainee at Guantanamo bay,
when all you wanted to do was play with
your awesome new toys.
Nicole Rogers, a 20 year old student de-
scribed Christmas Day for her – “I used
to hate the way I wasn’t allowed to get up
until seven in the morning to open my
presents. I would have been up for at
least two hours before that making do
with a selection box for breakfast.” She
then went on to talk about what she
hated about Christmas as a kid. “I hated
the fact that as soon as I got done with
opening my presents I was whisked off to
see the rest of my family, the worst part
about that was having to have Christmas
dinner late.”
The last thing any child wants on Christ-
mas Day is to be distracted from their
new toys. The big thing for Christmas
when I was a kid was Pokémon playing
cards and Scalextric racing tracks. Not a
lot has changed in the last ten years on
the toy front. Pokémon still holds a place
 in the market with its games and toys.
But one thing that brought upon a huge
sense of nostalgia was the release of the
new Toy Story film and the re-emergence
of the toy line.
I was nine when the first film was re-
leased in 1995. When the new film was
released early this year I became I a child
again in the cinema watching these char-
acters that I grew up with appearing once
again on the big screen.
The Christmas of 1995 I got the Buzz
Lightyear doll that simply did nothing but
induce some kind of fantastical coma
over me as my imagination would leap
into overdrive when it was in my hands.
Now with the release of Toy Story 3 in
3D, saw also the release of a new line of
toys. The simple basic Buzz Lightyear I
had as a child has gone through some
major upgrades. It now comes with the
ability to talk and of course shoot flames
from his jet pack. No more imagination in-
duced comas for our kids, as the doll now
does not require any imagination.
“I do still get a
certain amount of
excitement on
Christmas Eve
night.”
This look back in time was all brought
upon when six 20 something year olds
ventured to the cinema to see the final
adventure of my childhood heroes.
Children brought along by their parents
who were being introduced to these char-
acters for the first time and sat in the mid-
dle of them all were six grown men
almost reduced to blubbering messes
with the final scenes of the film, as we all
finally said goodbye to our youth.
But despite all this jealously of new
amazing toys and being nearly reduced
to tears by animated characters, has
Christmas lost its magic to us ever age-
ing students? I personally do not think so.
I think it has simply shifted from waiting
for the big man with the presents (not my
dad, Santa that is) to the excitement of
meeting up with your friends as they all
return from their places of study for a fes-
tive pint.
Being shipped off to your family no longer
annoys you as many of us now have a
new found appreciation for family, that,
and we no longer have toys to be playing
with. We also get to watch the younger
ones in our family lose themselves in a
world of imagination with their vastly su-
perior toys and we all have to fight the
urge to fall to the floor with the kids and
play with their toys.
As we students get older, I think we begin
to appreciate things more. Plus after that
food induced sleep on the couch we can
wake up and watch as the first Toy Story
is shown on TV and re-capture that youth
for at least two hours.
Shane Ronan-Duggan

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 A short Story for Christmas
A short story by Clothilde Dumas about a young boy and the king
of the forest and the adventure they have
nce upon a time, in a green and
O mysterious country, populated by
legends and wonderful stories,
lived Andrew. He was only 9 years old but
already knew how to play music perfectly.
He was smart and knew how to cope. His
parents were poor but always gave him all
the best they could. They had died the pre-
vious winter, a disease had taken them.
From that time on, Andrew’s only friends
were his two instruments: a fiddle and a
whistle. His dad was telling him since he
was young that he had magical powers
and was able to do extraordinary things.
But Andrew didn't understand what his dad
wanted to say, all that he knew was he was
feeling better, less lonely when he was
playing.
One day, after a long day at school where
the other children were laughing at him,
Andrew took his instruments and went
walking in the forest near the village. The
venerable sage used to tell stories about
this forest. According to him, it was the
kingdom of Dillon, the mythical lion with
eagle wings which liked to devour children.
Andrew wasn't afraid by his stories, for him
it was just fairy tales to scare children with
the aim they don't go alone in the forest.
He didn't listen to him; the forest was his
playground, his secret stash. He liked to
play his music and hear the birds singing.
So far, he never went beyond the river, but
on this day, attracted by a melody he went
further than the limit he knew. This melody
30
was like a melancholic song, the voice was
strong, savage but still sad. Andrew fol-
lowed the notes to a clearing. It was beau-
tiful, clear, and full of grass and flowers,
butterflies were flying all around the clear-
ing one flower to another. And here, just in
front of him, proudly standing on a stone
was a singing majestic lion. It was not a
normal lion like you see in images in
school and story books, this one was shin-
ing like water under the sun, his coat was
similar to gold, the most significant detail
which made this lion so special were two
magnificent white eagle wings.
His dad was telling him
since he was young that
he had magical powers
and was able to do ex-
traordinary things.
Andrew, as surprising as it may seem,
wasn't scared. He was just curious to know
why this beautiful lion, which he was sure
was Dillon, the King of the forest whom the
venerable sage spoke about, appeared to
him. He decided not to interrupt the song
by his voice and let the lion finish it. After
few minutes, Andrew decided to join the
lion singing with his instruments. The
melody was sweet in perfect harmony with
the lion's voice. When the song ended, Dil-
lon looked at the kid and said:
-“Hello Andrew, I was waiting for your visit.”
-“Really? Me? Why? I don't even know
you, how did you know I would come to
you?”
The lion explained to him that for several
years now, he has been observing him. He
knew that Andrew was often alone, and
played beautiful melodies. Andrew was
more and more surprised, how could this
lion know so many things about him? He
finished by asking:
-“Dillon, is it because I am an orphan, and
always alone too that you came to me?
You wanted to devour me and no one
would have noticed that I disappeared.”
-“Ha Ha Ha!!! How funny you are! I won't
eat you, I never ate any child.”
-“But... the legend says ...”
-“Legends are not always true Andrew.
They are based on true facts but distorted
by the human imagination. I am Dillon,
King of the forest. It is true: I can fly and I
have magical powers.”
Andrew imagined what he could do with a
magic lion as friend: terrified the naughty
boys that laughed at him, but also he could
find a new family. Dillon told him he was
here to help him. He knew how Andrew
was lonely from the death of his parents.
He told him that if he listened to him care-
fully and does what he tells him to do he
would never be alone again. Andrew,
happy, fixed the lion with eyes full of hope,
he was anxious to hear what the lion would
say.
Dillon told him to go back to his home to
prepare a bag with some clothes and food
for two days. Then he said to Andrew to go
into the forest and to follow the path of his
heart. If he was lost, he had to play music
and birds will help him find the right way.
When he hears the melancholic lion's
melody again he will have arrived.
-“Arrived? But arrive where?”
-“When you arrive you must play the most
beautiful songs you know. That's the only
way you can find your way back to happi-
ness.”
After this last advice the lion disappeared.
Andrew, still shocked by this strange en-
counter, thought it was just a dream. He
went back home and decided to not think
about it any more. The day after, Andrew
was awoken by a melody, the same
melody as the day before. He realised that
it wasn't a dream, the lion was real. He
started to pack a few things in a bag and
followed the instructions. The little boy
walked through the forest for a long, long
time, and finished his day, exhausted, at
the foot of a tree. He lit a fire to warm up
and ate a light dinner.
Nearby, a little girl, who was picking flow-
ers for her mum, heard the music. At-
If he was lost, he had to tracted by this beautiful sound she ran to
play music and birds will the young boy and stopped. Her parents
help him find the right scared of seeing their daughter running
away all alone, followed her. Nobody dared
way to speak and interrupt him. When Andrew
stopped playing, the parents and the little
The next day, he awoke in the middle of
girl didn't say a word. So he decided to tell
the forest, he started to panic. However, he
them his story, how lonely he was from his
remembered what the lion said to him and
parent's death, how he met the lion in the
played music. A few minutes were enough;
forest and how he arrived here. Charmed
he felt better, ate fruits and berries for
by the melodies, the couple listened to him
breakfast and continued his walk. During
till the end and decided to take the young
the afternoon, he noticed the forest was
boy with them to their home. They took
becoming clearer and clearer, until he ar-
care of Andrew for many years and finally
rived at a huge flower fields. It was won-
adopted him. Happy again, Andrew
derful, beautiful; no words could describe
thought of his dad and said:
what Andrew saw! He closed his eyes and
concentrated on his ears, he wanted to
“You were right Dad, my instruments were
hear the melody because he was sure that
magic, able do to extraordinary things,
this place was the arrival of his trip. After
they brought me a new family”
seconds, which seemed like hours to him,
Andrew heard the lion's song and started
And Andrew grew up in his new family with
to cry. Remembering what Dillon told him,
his little sister, whose name was Sarah,
he took his instruments and played. He
and new parents who was love him as their
played like he never did before; it was
son. He lived happily ever after.
sweet and melancholic – every type of
music, one after one.
Clothilde Dumas
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