#UCD Dublin | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

hb-reynolds · 6 months

Text

My first piece as the Arts & Literature editor at the University Observer. Issue one of the year is always a mad dash - it's typically made almost entirely in house, as you don't yet have a contributor list, so everyone is jumping from section to section, filling spaces for each other and writing 4,000 words after midnight the day before we go to print.

I'm a nerd at heart (always and forever) so of course my first piece when I got even a modicum of editorial control was about the difference in how the stories of Superman and Supergirl work as immigrant narratives.

The article was originally published in September 2017, and can be read at the link above, or in the read below.

The concept of Superman, at its core, is that of a god. He is a supernatural, infallible being who protects and serves humanity at a level that would be impossible for any other singular person. However, behind Superman, exists a man. Clark Kent, the humanity which motivates Superman, drives him to be the hero, has became such a cultural milestone. Due to this, Clark is where most of the internal conflict originates throughout the various iterations of the character, since his conception in 1938. A large portion of this conflict is derived from these conflicting personas. Clark, a humble, kind child of farmers from Kansas, and Kal-El, the superpowered ‘Last Son of Krypton’, battle for dominance in the life of Superman. His attempts to balance these two identities is what creates the majority of his internal struggle.

These identities represent the two worlds, the two origins, he has to balance. On the one hand, Superman is a farm boy from Smallville. The only son to his parents, he is a quiet reporter, an All-American father and loving husband. On the other, he is Kryptonian. He is one of two survivors of his home planet, and depending on the specific run, the sole owner to the knowledge of Krypton. He exists in an ever-present struggle between his lived history: the knowledge of where he has come from, and the knowledge that he will never truly experience the land which he is supposed to call ‘home’.

This struggle is one faced by many who immigrated at a young age, particularly those who were adopted into their new home, as Clark was. This has not gone unnoticed by writers either, many new recent issues depict Superman protecting and aligning himself with immigrants faced with violence or deportation to violent or unfamiliar lands. As well as this, fans and creators alike have taken to referring to Superman as a “DREAMer”, a young immigrant who is fully assimilated to American life by adulthood, who arrived to the United States without documentation, and followed the specific “DREAMer” path to gain citizenship.

Superman’s Kryptonian identity remains a background feature throughout his multiple iterations, creating internal drama surrounding his guilt for not engaging with it enough in his day to day life. Writers typically alternate between neglecting visits to the centre of Kryptonian history on Earth, and most recently, his internal debate over how much of his Kryptonian identity he wishes to pass on to his half-Kryptonian son, Jonathan. However, these underlying conflicts are ever present as moments for introspection in an otherwise action heavy comic. This conflict is seen far more clearly in one of Superman’s main companion comics, Supergirl. Supergirl, which tells the stories of Kara Zor-El, Clark’s elder cousin and the ‘last daughter of Krypton’, is typically depicted as arriving to Earth five to ten years after the emergence of Superman. Clark typically being in his mid-to-late twenties at the time of her arrival. She is in her late teens when we first encounter her, escaping Krypton upon its demise. Immediately, she struggles to find a place in this new and confusing world she finds herself in. She cannot speak the language, has no friends or support network, and her only existing family is twenty-five to thirty years older than she is. Her story is that of a struggle for assimilation, of the complexities of finding your way in a nation you have no idea how to navigate or how to communicate in.

Due to this, Kara struggles to find a place on Earth while still maintaining her heritage, an intrinsic part of herself. To her, to give up her heritage is to give up Krypton, a land to which she can never return. This struggle is absent from Clark’s story, as he grew up in the heartland of America, only discovering his heritage later in life.

Both narratives are easily discernible, as are the complexities of the aftermath of immigration, the settling and the settled, those who are detached from their heritage by circumstance and those who have to find a way to balance it with their new life. It serves to create internal tension for the work, to create a more rounded story than ‘Godlike Character Saves the Day #978’, by adding a level of political commentary that comics are seldom without. Without this, the stories would never have withstood the test of time and would likely have faded into obscurity, along with countless other superhero stories which lacked the internal conflict to make their tale eternal.

#article #ucd #university college dublin #university observer #superman #supergirl #DC comics

1 note · View note

ancestorsalive · 8 months

Video

youtube

Hilary Woods - Burial Rites (Official Video)

From the upcoming album Acts of Light, out on November 3, 2023 on Sacred Bones Records. Pre-save / pre-order here: https://lnk.to/ActsofLight

Music Video made by Hilary Woods.

(Made with artist’s own 16mm and 8mm hand processed film footage together with images from The National Folklore Collection UCD and archive footage from RTE Archives)

Acts of Light is a fugue composed of nine slow hypnotic dirges. Vulnerability, majesty, and candour elicited with drone, synth, noise, vocals, viola, double bass, field recordings, cello and sacred choral chant, compose its private ritual. Born out of excavations and explorations in intuition and physicality through sound which culminated in her 2021 EP Feral Hymns, Acts of Light is a disquiet personal offering to wilderness, loss, absence, mystery and love supreme. Its resonant, rich and weighted lament is both subterranean and chasmal whilst simultaneously detailed and tender, awakening hidden forms that emerge from the shadows with each listen. Textural dust and speckled light move slowly and expansively through a deeply sonic and sensory rite of passage where Woods’ moving compositions confide in us feeling to be received with the entire body.

Written, recorded, mixed and produced over a span of two years between the west coast of Ireland and Dublin, Woods recorded the choristers of the Palestrina Choir in the Procathedral Dublin together with vocalists from the Galway City Chamber Choir. Strings were recorded by Jo Berger Myhre in Oslo, whilst field recordings were recorded nomadically throughout her time spent travelling through the north west of Spain.

Of the video Woods says: “The video is comprised of 16mm and 8mm hand processed film footage together with archive material and still photographs that portray private and collective rituals as acts of light to accompany Burial Rites, a sable droning lament inspired by the keening tradition.”

(Source: youtube.com)

#youtube #Ancestors Alive!#What is Remembered Lives #Hilary Woods #Burial Rites #Eire #heart and soul #past times #memory & spirit of place #The National Folklore Collection UCD #archive footage #RTE Archives #vintage photography #Act of Light #fugue #Ireland #Dublin #mystery #music loves

0 notes

fullyfundedschorlarships · 9 months

Text

Study in Ireland with University College Dublin Think Again scholarships.

We will cover everything about the how to study in Ireland with the University College Dublin Think again Scholarships. University College Dublin. Founded in 1854, the University College of Dublin is located in Dublin which is the capital of Ireland. It is a University which is a state funded research Institution. The University College Dublin is affiliated to the National University of…

View On WordPress

#Think Again scholarships #UCD think again scholarships #University College Dublin

0 notes

stephensheehan · 1 year

Text

13:37 on Friday the 9th of September, 2022.

#Joey #Holly #UCD #Summer #Graduation #Photography #Dublin #People #Bunny Rabbit

0 notes

oceancentury · 4 months

Text

UCD Digital Library: 20 Dominick Street Lower, Dublin, ceiling of stair-hall. Builder: Robert West, built circa 1758.

#interior #plasterwork #design #architecture #Georgian #Georgian era #oceancentury #Dublin

7 notes · View notes

umichenginabroad · 15 days

Text

Week 0: Ireland before the Program!

Hello, hello! It is Declan McGrath here checking in before my program officially starts at UCD in Dublin this Sunday. I am so incredibly excited to begin this program and meet all of the amazing people that are going to be in this program with me as well as other people from around the world and Ireland.

First, a little bit about myself. I am a first-year mechanical engineering undergraduate. I absolutely love to cook and try new foods, read, play videogames, take pictures on my Polaroid cameras (which I will most likely be sharing with you all throughout the program!), and just all around hang out! Up until this point, I have never actually left the United States so this trip is going to be an entirely new experience for me! From trying all the new and different foods to exploring a different culture to meeting new people it is all going to be brand new. The program I am a part of is the IPE: Big 10 STEM and Irish Studies in Dublin at University College Dublin. This program has me taking Physics 2 lecture and lab as well as a History of Modern Ireland course which both meet requirements for my major.

I actually arrived in Ireland two weeks before my program started and have been exploring Ireland a lot! My family has a lot of Irish roots and so when I got confirmation that I was accepted into the program my family almost immediately began planning a family trip there before the program started. We drove from Michigan across the border to Canada to catch a flight alllll the way to Dublin. We landed in Dublin at around 9 AM (incredibly jetlagged) but began to make the most of our time in Dublin by exploring the various pubs, restaurants, and stores throughout the city while also visiting some amazing national monuments and museums. We walked through the rain to the famous Temple Bar Pub in Dublin where I got some amazing Irish fish and chips! All of the food I have had in Dublin has been amazing actually. There are so many ice cream stores in every city and some even have something called “bubble waffle” which is essentially an extra sweet waffle with bubbles in it and coated in ice cream. And the soft serve ice cream they have here is absolutely amazing, probably better than the US’s (and that’s coming from a guy who used to work at a Dairy Queen!).

After a couple days in the city we took a trip out into the Irish countryside to a small AirBnB in Terryglass. We picked up a rental car and I helped navigate my dad out of the city and into the countryside. It was so weird sitting on the left side of the car and not being the one driving and even weirder to see all the cars driving on the opposite side of the road. That is honestly the biggest thing that I do not think I will ever get used to while abroad, so it is probably a very good thing that I will not be driving at all on this trip. While out in Terryglass my family and I made a trip out to Cashel Rock to see the final resting place of Miler McGrath, an ancestor of mine with way too many great’s in front of grandpa for me to type out. It was very cool to see this amazing fort and also learn some things about my heritage. I could keep going on about all these things I did before the program even starts but I don’t want to spoil Ireland for y’all before the program even starts!

I am really, really excited for the program to start and I have been thinking a lot about all of the things I want to do during this program. So much so that I made a list!

Get to know the people on the trip with me! There are a whole bunch of people that I have never met before that are going on this same journey and I want to take the time and get to know all of them.

Travel! Travel between European countries is supposed to be really affordable and I want to take full advantage of the free time that this program has to offer by taking weekend trips with other program members.

Get some awesome photos with my Polaroids! I brought a lot of film with me on this trip and somehow managed to burn through almost all of it before the program began :’) so I want to buy some more film and continue to take photos of all the amazing sights Ireland has to offer.

Pass my classes! This trip is not just about having a blast in Europe, it is also an opportunity to learn a lot in subjects that I am genuinely interested in. I have always been interested in physics and (from what little I was able to glean from short museum trips) Irish history is fascinating.

I am slightly nervous about adapting to the fast-paced environment of Dublin. The city is always bustling with activity and it can be a little bit hectic but I am ready and excited to face it head on. Though I am also a little nervous about getting lost in the city. I have a habit of slightly getting sidetracked (especially when there are so many cool stores all around) while walking around but hopefully I can make some friends on the program that can help me get from A to B with as few side quests as possible.

Thank you all so much for taking the time to read my blog post! I am so excited for this program to begin, travel to new places, and meet new people. Until next time!

~Declan McGrath

#UmichEnginAbroad #IPEIreland #DeclanMcGrath #IPESummer24 #Ireland

5 notes · View notes

stairnaheireann · 2 years

Text

#OTD in 1896 – Birth of Kathleen Barry at 8 Fleet Street, in Dublin.

Kathleen Barry Moloney was the eldest of seven children. Her parents Thomas and Mary (née Dowling) and her aunt Judith ran a prosperous dairy that included an eighty-six acre holding at Tombeagh, Hacketstown, Co Carlow and a retail outlet below the family home in Fleet Street. When Thomas Barry died in 1908 the Barry family found themselves split between their homes in Dublin and at Tombeagh. The…

View On WordPress

#Anti-Treaty Dublin Brigade #Éamon De Valera #Cathal Brugha #Clann na Poblachta #Co Carlow #Cumin na mBan #Hacketstown #Hammam Hotel #IRA #Jim Moloney #Kathy Barry #Kevin Barry #Linda Kearns #Muriel MacSwiney #Oscar Traynor #Tombeagh #UCD Branch

7 notes · View notes

horacemann2024 · 1 month

Text

17 Direct Benefits to Study in Ireland for Indian Students

Do you know why a 1-year study in Ireland for Indian students is sought after heavily these days?

Many courses, MS in Computer Science, IT, Biotechnology, Pharmaceuticals, Management, and Business Analytics rank among the top 10 worldwide.

Most Indian students opt for a Master’s program for the benefits we have enlisted below. Graduating with these above MS degrees in Ireland guarantees high chances of employment in Ireland.

Also, universities in Ireland boast high research outputs, the hallmark of an excellent postgraduate study destination.

Award-winning journalist, John Kennedy, calls Ireland the AI island, highlighting the nation’s advancements in technological research.

Study in Ireland for Indian students: 17 Benefits

Ireland is the best destination for Indian students due to its top universities, affordable 1-year master’s programmes, and 2-year post-study work visas. These are just a few reasons out of many that Ireland has to offer you.

Below are the benefits why an MS in Ireland or MBA in Ireland is lucrative and will be life-altering. Notably, as an Indian student, you get several advantages.

Some benefits grace you even before you start your journey!

1. You don’t require a GRE score…

You can still study at Irish universities such as Trinity and UCD. Irish universities, which are in the same league as the US universities, which accept Indian students even without a GRE score.

Isn’t this appealing enough to apply to study in Ireland as an Indian student?

Hence, to get into an Irish university, Indian students require an excellent academic record and scores on one of these tests – IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, and Duolingo.

GRE & GMAT is not required by almost all Irish universities (UCD & TCD may ask for GMAT scores for their MBA degrees).

2. English Language Proficiency Training

All English-speaking countries expect their international students to be well-versed in English, as does Ireland.

But aren’t your English proficiency test scores suitable enough to secure admission?

Not to worry. Irish universities offer Pre-sessional English language programs. These short-term courses are designed to help you gain the skills needed to prepare for exams like IELTS, TOEFL, DET, and PTE.

3. How much study gap is acceptable in Ireland?

The answer is…

Study gaps don’t matter for Irish universities!

As long as you can explain the gap between your last academic year and the time of application, you are as good as any other person without a study gap.

Various reasons, such as employment, vacation, health issues, and business ventures, can be used to explain your study gap. You can provide these reasons in your Statement of Purpose.

Sarem Education will help Indian students with their Statements Of Purpose to study in Ireland.

4. Cost of studying in Ireland is lower for Indian students

Compared to studying in the USA, UK, and Australia, an MS degree in Ireland costs less.

Cost of study in Ireland for Indian students:

Place of study EUROS INR

Universities 12,000 to 36,000 9,97,000 to 28,89,000

Institute of Technology 12,000 to 17,000 9,97,000 to 13,63,000

Colleges 13,000 to 15,000 10,80,000 to 12,00,000

Tuition fee is the most significant cost component, while other expenses like accommodation, student visa, medical insurance, and the like typically cost between €7,000 (5 to 9 lakhs) to €12,000 per year.

There are also independent colleges in Ireland where Indian students can study for lesser fees.

Provided you have the necessary work experience, colleges such as Dublin Business School, Griffith College Dublin, and National College of Ireland should be a sweet deal!

Consultancies do love adhering to “get rich overnight schemes” by giving Indian students the aforementioned options to study in Ireland. However, we do not do that here.

Here is some honest information. Freshers would find it daunting to land a job after graduation from these places. So, apply here at your own risk.

However, experienced candidates should be able to land a job thanks to their experience.

With a part-time job or a paid internship, you can further reduce your expenses to study at an Irish university. We advise that you search for the right one where you can balance your studies with your part-time work.

Just ensure you don’t do anything you will regret on your academic side.

5. Study in Ireland for Indian students: Scholarships

Here is a list of scholarships available for students looking to study in Ireland.

Government of Ireland International Education Scholarships Programme, sponsored by the Higher Education Authority (HEA)

The Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Programme

Scholarships by the Irish Research Council for Humanities and Social Sciences (IRCHSS)

About 60 students get this scholarship which pays them 10,000 euros per year. These Ireland scholarships make life extremely easy for Indian students.

6. The 3 benefits of studying 1-year masters in Ireland

Undoubtedly, Indian students are constantly under pressure to settle down quickly. Studying a 1-year Master’s program at an Irish university can help you alleviate this.

You can fast-forward your dreams of graduating with an MS degree and happily settle abroad sooner than your counterparts in other countries!

Let us enlist and explain the benefits below:

Return to the workforce with world-class skills sooner: Sometimes, students take a 1-year leave to finish their degree and resume work with their previous employer. This is possible if you do a Masters in Ireland. Moreover, a 1-year break for education will also be less harsh on your resume. You can also join the workforce sooner and ease off your loans.

Costs Less: Compared to a 2-year course, studying for a 1-year Masters in Ireland is cheaper. A shorter duration means you pay lesser rent, living expenses, etc.

Resume: In any Master’s course in Ireland, you must complete 90 credits within a year. Inevitably, you will be putting in tons of hard work throughout the year. Consequently, this can bode well for your resume.

7. 100% visa approval

Ireland and India faced the brunt and after-effects of British imperialism and colonization in the 1900s.

Now, both countries share cordial relations owing to which there is less than a 5% chance for your visa to get rejected for Indian students to study in Ireland.

Not impressed?

DAVID FLOOD, Director, India, and South Asia, Enterprise Ireland, shares an impressive stat. The Irish visa approval rate for Indian students has grown by over 95% in the last 5 years.

So what happens to Indian students after they come to study in Ireland?

8. Globally Ranking Universities

Did you know securing admission to Irish universities would allow you to study at one of the top-ranked universities globally? Five universities in Ireland rank within the top 500 globally, and three are within the top 1000.

Trinity College, University College Dublin, University College Cork, University of Galway, University of Limerick, Dublin City University, Maynooth University, and Technological University Dublin are the universities on the list.

9. Highly quality education

The International Graduate Insight Group (i-graduate) found that students pursuing an MS degree in Ireland reported high student satisfaction with their academic experience.

Of course! Why wouldn’t they?

All MS degrees in Ireland are one year in duration. You will be prepared to enter the workforce within one year.

Irish universities and institutions are globally renowned for their programs in Science, Technology, Maths, Teaching, Medicine, Business, and Finance, accredited and recognized worldwide.

Most importantly, the tuition fee is way cheaper to study in Ireland for Indian students than in other top destinations.

Also, Irish universities are ranked among the best in the world regarding gender equality and climate action as per Times Higher Education’s (THE) university impact rankings.

10. Part-time opportunities in Ireland while studying

During their study in Ireland, Indian students can work for up to 20 hours a week.

According to labour statistics, Ireland has more than 400,000 people employed part-time. As regional investment grows and new businesses pop up, part-time jobs shall also grow steadily.

Irish universities also offer teaching assistant positions where students can assist professors with their academic commitments and get paid for them.

Indian students studying in Ireland will be allowed to work 40 hours per week only from June to September & from 15th December to 15th January inclusive. At all other times, students will be allowed to work 20 hours per week while they study.

11. Hub for global corporations

Ireland’s technological ambience is nothing to be scoffed at.

Ireland houses more than 1000 multinational companies, mainly because of Ireland‘s liberal FDI policies and ease of doing business. This opens doors for talent across the world.

Many of these MNCs seek MS degree holders from Irish universities in areas like Artificial Intelligence, ICT, telecom and life sciences.

Several companies – like Google, Facebook, Airbnb, Roche, Abbott, and others – have their European headquarters in Ireland. There are several hundreds of internships for fresher Indian students studying in Ireland.

Down the road, this ups their chances of securing full-time employment.

12. Safe, friendly, party and quality of lifestyle

Consumed by excitement while applying for a Masters, one would leave caution to the wind and fail to read about the destination’s attitude towards international students.

And while Ireland’s windy climate

is often chided for being unfriendly, the locals are super sweet. Indian students in Ireland feel very safe and peaceful, and their study period is a heavenly experience.

Still, undecided to study in Ireland as an Indian student? Contact us so that we can help you connect with alumni.

13. Rich Culture and Heritage

You can earn a 360-degree, fulfilling experience from your education abroad only if you read and imbibe academic papers and the culture around you.

If you are a bookworm, a history buff, or a culture enthusiast, don’t look further into the West than Ireland.

The best part about studying in a European country is that every country is different from the others; in terms of architecture, history, race, music, etc.

Ireland is not just well known for its education but also for reasons like these as well.

Dublin, the capital of the Emerald Isle, is a popular tourist destination filled with parks, museums, and statues paying homage to literary laureates such as Oscar Wilde, Joyce Meyer, etc. Pubs that are about a 1000-year-old grace the ever-alive city centre.

Festivals such as Halloween and St. Patrick’s Day originated in Ireland.

Studying in Ireland for Indian students will be thrilling for those who like to travel to various places and capture the green garlands of nature with their photography skills.

Also, are you familiar with these famous movies- Harry Potter, Star Wars, P.S. I Love You, and Game of Thrones?

All of these films had scenes filmed in Ireland. Ireland’s landscapes breathe life into the dormant desi travel bug in you.

Ireland’s West Coast throngs with breathtaking sceneries, docks, rocky coastlines, and castles. Be sure to check out these places while pursuing your M.S. degree in Ireland.

14. A growing, dynamic Indian community in Ireland

In 2011, The Irish Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD, aimed at attracting the 100,000 Indian students moving abroad for their higher studies every year into Ireland’s workforce.

Consequently, between 2013-2017, Ireland saw a 45% increase in international students entering Ireland.

As of 2015, about 26,000 Indians reside in Ireland, of whom about 9,000 are second-generation Indians. They occupy roles in healthcare (doctors and nurses), IT, engineering, and senior management positions.

According to DBEI (Department of Business, Enterprise, and Innovation), the majority of work permits were obtained by Indian students than any other nationality in various fields such as IT, ICT, Finance, Medical, and Business in 2022.

You can see several local businesses in Dublin with Indian owners and managers, which may get you part-time jobs if you can get their patronage. “Muqqabla” and “Urvashi” are some music tracks that rock the corridors of these local businesses. So there is no need to forget the rice, dal, and curry after you leave India.

15. Employment rates are at an all-time high!

It is undoubtedly heartening for us to announce (with proof) that employment rates are at an all-time high. Employment figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) confidently state that Ireland is fully employed.

Lifeline for graduates in Pharmaceuticals, Finance & IT, Pharma and biotech industry in Ireland picked up after companies took advantage of the government lowering tax rates for corporates.

19 of the world’s top 20 pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies are in Ireland. They constantly attract graduates with MS degrees from Irish universities. Indian students considering where to go after a UG degree in biotech, pharma, biomedical, and instrumentation can seek Ireland for higher studies.

Accountancy and Finance are lucrative for Indian students who study in Ireland. Due to the demand level and a squeeze in supply, companies are increasing compensation packages for both attraction and retention purposes. [Source: Morgan Mckinley]

Several tech-centred Irish institutions offer MS degrees in information technology, data analytics, cloud computing, and business analytics.

The courses are tailored to tackle real-time challenges in the tech-savvy industries in the IT hub of Europe. This is one supporting point for young and ambitious Indian students to study in Ireland for their Master’s.

16. Ireland’s post-study work visa benefits make you go WOW!

So here is the answer to the much-awaited question, “How to work in Ireland post-graduation”.

The Irish government offers a 2-year post-study work visa for Indian students in Ireland to seek employment after their graduation.

Ireland has two types of work visas – General Work Permit and Critical Skills Employment Permit.

The Critical Skills Employment Permit is acquired by people in the sectors included on the Critical Skills Occupations List, such as ICT professionals, professional engineers, and technologists. This visa targets highly skilled people, encouraging them to reside permanently in Ireland.

In 2022, 63% of the 10,171 critical skill visas issued were grabbed by Indian students studying in Ireland.

A General Employment Permit allows the holder to work in various occupations. Unlike the Critical Skills visa, this permit recognizes that all professions are eligible unless excluded from the Ineligible List of Occupations for Employment Permits.

17. Easy Pathway to PR

Did you know Ireland has one of the most effortless PR processes globally?

A list of countries with the smoothest PR processes would include Ireland in the top five.

A Critical skill visa allows you to apply for a PR in two years, and a General work permit will enable you to apply for a PR in five years.

Conclusion:

A 1-year study in Ireland for Indian students is flawlessly beneficial.

It is undoubtedly your gateway to finding a job in Ireland and getting a PR soon in Ireland using the 2 years of critical skills work permit.

We can connect you with Indian students in Ireland to enquire about your course and confirm all of the benefits we have mentioned above to studying in Ireland for Indian students.

#abroad education #study #study abroad #study in ireland #ireland education #ireland universities #education

2 notes · View notes

ssolson · 2 months

Text

Criollo cattle: Could an old breed be the beef industry's answer to climate change?

Article for the beefeaters . Still likely preferable for the environment to move toward a more vegan diet.

2 notes · View notes

visualist-in-making · 1 year

Text

Why am I fangirling over the fact that a fictional character attended my alma mater ie UCD !?

Now I’m imagining Rand wondering along the streets of Dublin and maybe going to that secret lake 😂 or trying to study in the different books of the buildings.

#i love yoo #webtoon #rand hirahara #chapter 224 #quimchee #iloveyoo #nol hirahara #yeongi #shin ae yoo

14 notes · View notes

hb-reynolds · 6 months

Text

This was my last article as a Staff Writer at the University Observer, and was also my first piece of data journalism. Unfortunately, the webpage where I found the lists of previous Student Union sabbatical officers has since been wiped due to a lack of sourcing (as has the University Observer wiki, which contained lists of all previous editors and the standout pieces from their tenure), but it was all accurate at time of reporting (April 2017). Since then, I'm happy to say that the year to year gender breakdown has gotten a bit less male dominated, and with more openly trans officers to boot.

This article, on a more personal note, is also one of my earliest memories of the UO office. Myself and Nathan Young (another Staff Writer at the time, who has gone on to be one of my longest collaborators and dearest friends) sat opposite each other at a tiny desk working on last minute articles for the opinion section, which was due for print in under five hours time. For better or for worse, this became a habit of ours until he left the UO in 2022.

The article can be read at the link above, or in the read below.

With just one female candidate elected to UCDSU this year, Heather Reynolds examines the struggle in getting women into politics.

Student Union election season has ended, with only one of six female candidates elected to a sabbatical position. This, being no surprise to anyone, was not commented on besides a few unpopular tweets, expressing mild resignation.

UCD students, used to the all-male sabbatical team from the 17/18 session, see the lone elected female candidate as either a step in the right direction or a non-issue, which, on one level, it is. Going from a male dominated sabbatical team to a team which contains a singular woman is, on paper, an improvement. However, when compared to the year previous which had a team consisting of two women and three men, and the year before that, which had three women, it shows that overall, the election of women to sabbatical positions is on a downturn.

This downturn is not for lack of engagement, as there are women running. All but one seat in the sabbatical elections were contested by a female candidate, all of whom has relevant experience, interesting ideas, or both. In fact, almost half of the candidates who ran were women, all of whom were qualified and charismatic in their campaigns. So why did none of them win? The preferable answer is that the other candidates ran on better policies, or had more active campaign teams, however the campaign is only half the battle with elections. Personal experience with candidates, or internal bias, can change how a well fought campaign is perceived, and so misogyny is not something that can be easily discounted when discussing this issue.

It is worth examining why the first three eliminated candidates for the presidential race were all of the women who ran

If public engagement was the decider between candidates, how did Murphy beat McFadden in Richview, where only she and Aljohmani had canvassers for the entire voting period? If it was policy used to decide, how did O’Brien get more first round votes than McFadden or Aljohmani, when both were more confident in their manifesto points at hustings? While it may seem reductive to assume lack of votes for female candidates is down to sexism, it is worth examining why the first three eliminated candidates for the presidential race were all of the women who ran. The same can be said in the race for Education Officer, where the candidates ran on virtually identical campaigns, had uncannily similar experience, and yet Crosby won by almost 10% of the vote.

Since 1975, only forty-three women have held a sabbatical position within the union. That is one woman for every year the union has been in session. Considering that the union has never had less than four sabbatical officers, and that the percentage of female students at third level is typically slightly higher than male students, less than a quarter of those who have held a position being women speaks to a larger issue that has echoed across student unions in Ireland. This year, Trinity students' union had thirteen candidates for election, two of which were women, one of which was running for a position that was not actually part of the union, that of the University Times editor. Both female candidates won, however both were running virtually uncontested for the positions, as O’Mahony, now editor of the University Times, was running against a joke candidate who was also running for president. She won 58.5% of the vote. Aimee Connolly, TCSU’s incoming Education Officer, ran entirely unopposed.

Since 1975, only forty-three women have held a sabbatical position within the union. That is one woman for every year the union has been in session

The view on this may be that student politics is a nonsense aspect of student life that holds no bearing, and who cares who gets in because they never change anything anyway, they only sap funds from clubs and societies. This may or may not be true, however student politics provides a valuable role to those who wish to pursue politics in their later careers. Paschal Donohoe, current Minister for Finance & Public Expenditure and Reform, started out in the Trinity College branch of Young Fine Gael and was actively involved in student politics throughout his time in university. Without this background, he may never have gotten anywhere in national politics as it provided him with experience and contacts uninvolved students would never encounter.

It is notable that the number of women holding seats in the Dáil currently stands at 22%, less than a quarter of the seats available, in line with both Trinity and UCD’s most recent elections, where one out of five officers are women.

Student politics are a lot of people's first foray into politics as a whole. In UCD it provides a lot of students with their first experience voting down the ballot, engaging with election material, and making an informed decision regarding who they want in a democratically-elected position of authority. We are pushing women to get more involved with politics on a national level, yet male prevalence in student unions is going unexamined. Real world politics informs student politics, and student politics provides an introduction to real world politics, and so these pushes should be unified, as one cannot exist to the best of its potential without the other.

#article #ucd #university college dublin #university observer #gender #misogyny #politics #student politics #UCDSU #the writing on this one #not as good #not very proud of it #written on a crunch #hardly an excuse but still

0 notes