griffiti magazine - issue 64

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Issue 64

Featuring:21st Century DatingThe fastest laptop ever madeIn Depth: Ibrahim Halawa

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A Letter From The Editor

Hey everyone! First I want to thank you for picking up a copy of the 64th

issue of Griffiti, and my first issue as editor (wohoo!)

To our new students, welcome to Griffith, and to our returning students, good to see you all again; hope you had a good summer, and hope everyone’s doing well in college so far.

In this issue of the magazine, we take a look at what has been going on in the SU since college started, Ireland’s rugby world cup journey, 21st Century dating, and our Ents crew for the year. Also making a comeback is the Art

section in Griffiti for anyone with a passion for drawing or poetry; don’t be shy to share your talent with us less talented people.

This is my first issue of the year, and my aim is to continue Robbie’s success from last year and keep improving, and for that I will need help from all of you out there interested in getting published and improving your CV! If you would like to get involved with Griffiti, pop over to the SU and sign up, or simply email me at [email protected]

Hope you enjoy the issue! (don’t be too harsh on me guys)

Walaa

ContentsState of the Union 4

SU News 6

21st Century Dating 10

From Dublin to Milan 12

Ibrahim Halawa: The Story 14

In Focus 16

Party & Adventure People 18

Teeling Whiskey Distillery 24

Reviews 26

GCD Tech 28

Brain Food on A Budget 30

Sport 34

Contributors- Annelise Howarth- Barnett Gomez- Bronwyn Molony- Corinne Santucci- Diane O’Connor- Donal John- Drew Peacock- Erin Kennedy

- Fabiola Joseph Melchior- John Anderson - Kim Carroll- Larissa Chiovato- Marine Kersale- Noor Saleh- Paul Quigley

Advertising Enquiries: [email protected] / 01 4150463Printed by: Percision Print

Griffiti MagazineGriffith College Students’ UnionSouth Circular Road, Dublin8

Griffiti magazine is the Students’ Union publication at Griffith College. It was established in 2004. All contents copyright of Griffiti, reproduction of any part of the magazine without permission is prohibit-ed.The views expressed do not neccessarily reflect that of the college or the SU.

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Claire AstonAssistant Manager &

Entertainments Officer

Stephen DonneryVice President & Clubs &

Societies Officer

Hi All,

For those of you returning welcome back to another year of fun and study of course. To all the new students starting in Griffith College this year, I look forward to seeing you all at this year’s events.

So far it has been a great start to the year with so many people getting involved; I can tell it is going to be an amazing year. The year kicked off with Freshers’ Week at the end of September, which involved our 90’s Freshers’ party, a beer pong tournament, a trip to Johnnie fox’s and we finished off the week with B.Y.O.B. crazy golf. All of our events sold out so a big thank you to everyone for showing such enthusiasm.

Following on from Freshers’ Week, we had our first R.A.G (Raise and Give) day, throughout this college year we will be having 3 R.A.G. days with all money raised going to this year’s charity: Down Syndrome Ireland.

The fun didn’t stop there, we then had our Halloween Party on the 28th of October; it was great to see everyone dressed up, and can continue to go down as one of the best nights of the college social calendar.

Our first trip of the year has also taken place with our trip

to Delphi Adventure Centre in Connemara, Co. Galway. During this trip we took part in 3 activities: surfing, zip & tunnels and the bog challenge. It was great to see everyone getting down and dirty over the weekend, with some intense mud wrestling also taking place.

It has been an amazing start and there is so much still to come. Later this month we will be having our trip to Co. Clare and going to the Cliffs of Moher and taking a step back in history by going to a medieval banquet in Bunratty castle.

Next month we will be having our Christmas party on the 10th of December. After that we will finally give you all the chance to take a well-deserved break and get some study done before them exams come looming in January.

The tickets for the Griffith ball, taking place on the 22nd of April 2016, are now available in the SU. Tickets at the moment are €35 for the first hundred. This is always a sell-out event and tickets are limited so make sure to get yours early to avoid disappointment.

Looking forward to seeing you ALL at the Christmas Party.

defeated by 30 points in the end. Our Basketball Team were due

to kick off their first season in Division 1 against DIT last week but due to an unplayable court the game wasn’t played. We received a walkover, so we’re off to a winning start in Division 1. Despite the players and coaches being disappointed we hope they can still kick on and do themselves proud in the top division.

Finally, our football team has made an amazing start to their league campaign winning three games out of three and confirmed their place in the quarter-finals within the next two weeks. An away 5-4 win against DIT, a home 6-2 victory over UCD and finally a hard fought 4-2 win over RCSI saw us safely into the knockout stage where we host Waterford College of FE in the Quarter-Finals. They will also host Blackrock Future Education Institute in the first round of the cup at the Iveagh Grounds on the week commencing the 16th of November.

We wish all our Clubs and Societies the best of luck in the rest of their fixtures and hope everyone enjoys their time here in Dublin.

Hi guys,

Firstly, I’d like to say a massive welcome to all our new students to Griffith College this year. Whether it is for a semester, a year or three, we hope you enjoy your experience here in Dublin. Also, to our returning students, I’d like to wish you all a big welcome back.

As you know, most of our Clubs and Societies are already in full swing and some are still yet to kick off. Our Music, Beer Pong, Malaysian Soc and Zumba are now up and running. We hope to have all the rest of the Clubs and Societies up and running in the next couple of weeks.

Our Volleyball Team started of recently with the Men’s Team losing out to IT Tallaght and RCSI. They play their second game this Friday in UCD against UCD and IT Tallaght. Our Women’s Team also kick off their postponed first round match this Friday at Clogher Road Sports Centre. They will play RCSI and TCD.

It’s great that after a number of years without a Rugby Team that we are fit to field a team this year. Unfortunately however, we played the strongest team in the Division first, and despite being level at half time we were Claire Stephen

State of the Union

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The Ents Crew

The Ents Crew: a group of people who spend way too much time in the SU and not enough time in class. Presenting this year’s Entertainments

Crew.. or as Claire likes to call them: her minions.

Ankita Malkan Conor O’Toole Donal Byrne Fiachra Doyle

Megan Croke Mo Nader Noor Saleh Pierce Connolly

Age: 22Nationality: Indian3rd year Business

Studies

Age: 19Nationality: Irish1st year Business

Studies

Age: 21Nationality: Irish

2nd year Computer Science


2nd year Computer Science

Age: 19 Nationality: No 1 knows

2nd year Business Studies

Age: 20Nationality: Egyptian

1st year Interior Architecture

Age: 18Nationality: Egyptian2nd year Journalism


3rd year Journalism

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Weclome back to college everyone! I know this is coming a little bit late,

but better late than never, right?

Our Freshers’ Week took place between the 21st– 24th September, and it was crazier than ever. The first event was a 90’s themed party which took place on Monday the 21st of September in Cafe Arthur, which was one of our best freshers’ parties! The attendance was, as usual, great and everyone’s 90’s costumes were on point.

To follow on from our 90’s buzz, we had our first beer pong tournament of the year on the

Tuesday and it did not disappoint! We are the only college in Ireland with a beer pong society, and we see its continuous success with every tournament.

We barely had any time to recover as Freshers’ Week continued with a trip to Johnnie Fox’s pub in the Dublin mountains. We enjoyed a lovely 3 course meal with some traditional Irish music, and 2 brave students got up and did a little bit of Irish dancing! We finally wrapped up Freshers’ Week with a visit to the Rainforest Adventure Golf where we did some crazy golfin’ while enjoying a few drinks; a perfect way to end the first week of the academic year!

A Look Back on Freshers’ Week 2015

SU News

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GCD Football Team Going Strong

It’s not R.A.G Week!

The new academic year kicked off in late September 2015, and so did the competitions

for our sports clubs.

GCD’s football team looks stronger than ever this year as they started off the new season with 3 consecutive wins at home and away. The team’s first game of the season took place against DIT at the DIT Grangegorman grounds, which was a witness to an exciting game that ended with our boys bringing back the 3 points home following a 5-4 victory.

The second game of the season took place on Wednesday the 21st of October against DCU and was a

great win with the final score being 6-2 to our boys, sending them to the quarterfinals of the league – A great start to the season.

The team’s strong run didn’t stop there as they took on RCSI in their third match on the 5th of November and brought home a well-deserved

4-2 win which guaranteed them top position in their group.

The boys will be facing Waterford College in the quarter-finals in late November, and from all of us here in GCD we wish them the best of luck!

This year, we’re switching things up a little bit here in the SU (Thanks to our Boss,

Paul Walsh). Instead of our usual R.A.G (Raise and Give) & Welfare Weeks, we now have R.A.G & Welfare days. We will be having 3 R.A.G days and 3 Welfare days throughout the year, and we will be alternating them on the first Wednesday of every month.

Our first R.A.G day of the year took place on the 7th of October in which all the money raised went to our chosen charity for the year: Down Syndrome Ireland.

For the first R.A.G day, Claire organised a night out for the club members of Griffith College in D|Two to give everyone a chance to get to know each other a little bit better. We also had a 5-A-Side soccer tournament on the green outside the SU which was a great success and a lot of fun too.

The first Welfare day of the year also took place on the 4th of November. Welfare days are there to promote mental, physical, and sexual health, so make sure to get informed & invloved.

SU News

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Dog Petting Therapy Yet Again

Our first welfare day (not welfare week anymore) took place on Wednesday

the 4th of November, and we decided to start it off with our most popular event: Dog Petting Therapy.

If there is one thing almost all students in Griffith can agree on, is their love for dogs, which is why we decided to bring back Peata’s pet therapy service, especially following the big success we had last year in both times Peata paid us a visit.

After all, what could be better than playing with a bunch of happy dogs downstairs in the Students’ Union?

Welfare days are oragnised to

help promote mental, physical and sexual health. However, we try to make them as friendly and welcoming as possible. We know things can get a bit stressful at times, in college and outside, which is why we try to oraganise events to make your day better, so

don’t hesitate to ask for help, after all that’s what we are here for.

Our next Welfare day will take place on Wednesday, 2nd of February. Keep informed with the SU to see what we have planned!

SU News

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Things got a little muddy in Delphi...

This year’s Delphi trip took place from the 5th - 9th of November, a night earlier

than originally planned but the SU and students took that in their stride and headed straight to the bar to kick off the weekend of all that can be explained as madness.

The 50 of us split up in to our groups and got ready for activities, taking part in surfing, zip & tunnels and the infamous bog challenge. To say we got down and dirty is an understatement.

Once we were finished with all of our crazy activities we headed out to Westport on Saturday night to celebrate surviving the height,

the tunnels, the waves and the mud. It was a great weekend as always and some amazing new experiences were had and friends were made. We can’t wait to head back and do it all again next year.

Delphi was only the beginning of the madness; we have three more trips coming up starting with our annual Bunratty trip in Co. Clare where we visit Cliffs of Moher and have a 15th Century themed dinner in Bunratty Castle.

In the second semester we have two trips ahead; The Discovery trip which takes place from the 19th – 21st of February, where we visit Kerry, Galway, and make a stop

in Cork; a great trip for everyone wanting to discover Ireland.

We will then finish off the academic year by going on a Surf trip in Co. Clare from the 18th - 20th of March; Surf’s up everyone!

SU News

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More often than not when dating,

we go to blame the other person

when it ends, but what if it isn’t always the other person but the

society we live in?

The 21st century is probably the worst and hardest time for dating out of any era

yet, sure every era before us says the same thing but they didn’t have technology. Long gone are the days of courtships and ‘going steady’. Arriving at the door with flowers has been swapped for a “here” message and for some reason we seem fine with that.

To be a contender in the dating game of today is kind of like being in the movie SAW, minus so much the blood and guts. It’s like you wake one day with voice in your head saying “Do you want to play

a game?”, but that’s a rhetorical question you have no choice in the matter; You have to play the dating game or ‘die’ trying.

There are no guidelines or rule books for dating and yet we all know what has to be done. You must play games, you’ve got to lie, you must be unavailable, and no matter how much you care you

can’t show it because caring is a turn off. You have to date multiple people because everything is ‘casual’. True romantics are weak; you’ve got to resist everything that comes so easily to you, all to be a part of a game you may not even want to play.

Not only are there all these rules you have to follow, you also find yourself monitoring everything the person you are interested in is doing. You know they went away to Spain in 2008 and left wondering who is that person they have their arm around in their profile picture from a few months ago.

The fear of rejection is at its highest, you go from Facebook to Whatsapp to other forms of communication and you can see they have been online so why haven’t they replied? 21st Century

By: Annelise Howarth

“I wouldn’t go on a dating app even if I was single for ten years”.

Don’t date the player, date the game

Features

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dating has turned us into creeps; we are now more self obsessed than ever. Not only do you have to worry how you look when you see them but you have to worry about how you look at all times on multiple different social media forums.

“Its all about image, how many likes your pictures get, its pretty depressing that we have to get validation for how good we look by people online, you think you post a great selfie and it only gets 10 likes, you start to question how your look. I’m just as bad as everyone else when it comes to it but I wish I didn’t have to admit I was that shallow”, comments 22 year old student Simon Blay.

Even if you do look good and venture out from behind a screen, you’ll need that Dutch courage.Whether it is to approach that person you have been making eyes at all night (heaven forbid you would have to have the first interaction sober), or going on first dates where “let’s just meet for drinks” seems like a perfectly good plan. I’m not saying that is a bad thing but it is definitely not a good thing either. Sadly alcohol seems to be fundamental to have the ability to show the best version of yourself.

One of the more difficult parts of dating is actually defining the word dating; everyone seems to have a different opinion of what actually classifies as dating. You can be facing non-date dates and non- relationship relationships.

A very common term used in the dating world these days is ‘Situationship’: Meaning anything from it looks like a relationship smells like a relationship but isn’t a relationship, to the Facebook status “its complicated”, not to mention the many stages to add to the confusion. It starts with social media stalking to messaging to going on dates to sex to maybe if you’re lucky you reach the relationship stage or you could be dumped over text.

You could be seeing someone exclusively for months and when you go to DTR (define the relationship) they can turn to you in absolute bewilderment and say something like “you knew this was casual”.

We all have that one friend who has no problem pulling on a night out and plays the game like it is an Olympic sport. I was talking

my friend Steven Pulmer who we always tease for being that guy. I originally thought he would be great to interview because he is always going on dates and leading girls on but he confessed he would love a relationship and something serious but people have a certain image of what he is and never take him seriously. He did a great job of describing how he felt about 21st century dating: “Tedious. Fake. Slutty”.

“It’s really annoying because I keep turning back to apps like “Tinder” which i found to work in the past, but now I’ve got over 200 matches and only a handful of dates out of it; it never seems to last and yet I keep going back in hope to be one of those success stories you hear about.”

Yes, there are people who have been unaffected by the woes of 21st Century dating, most of which are in long term committed relationships and the idea of “Tinder” is a foreign concept to them, which shows that dating doesn’t have to be as tricky as everyone is making it; “I wouldn’t go on a dating app even if I was single for ten years”.

Features

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From Dublin to Milan

By: Corinne Santucci

I was born and raised in Milan, but about two months ago, I moved to the heart of the

Celtic Tiger ; Dublin. I will be spending five months here as i’m doing a semester abroad and I am sure, it will be the best time of my life.

Two Fascinating CitiesMilan: where fashion and

nightlife create a vivid urban area to live in, and Dublin: where every nationality vibrates, creating a perfect harmony.

So far i have noticed that Dublin has many things in common with Milan, but what i noticted most is how rich Dublin is with knowledge, and the high standards colleges and universities set for students, as well as the fact student life is very active ; the city is very much alive. Therefore, it makes sense why these two cities are the destination of many young people who decide to do a year or semester abroad.

Milan has become a lively city for the past few years now, with a lot of events, free access to museums and of course, an animated nightlife. The melting pots for anyone under 25 years old are the Colonne, Piazza Vetra and Arco della Pace, where you can enjoy a beer or a

drink contemplating the beauty of ancient buildings. You are guaranteed to have a crazy night out in Milano, but arriving to Dublin, i realised there is much more than just that.

You know the mix of feelings you get before flying towards a new experience? You are happy to be going on a new, exciting journey, but feeling scared at the same time. Well because of that, I joined a Facebook group called “Italians in Dublin”; I thought it could be useful, but i was wrong. The people in the group were arguing all the time, or complaining about minor issues.They were not helpful at all especially since i was in the midst of looking for accommodation.

Fortunately I was adviced to live on Griffith College campus, so the search for a place did not give me a heart attack, as i had heard it is nearly impossible to find a decent apartment that would not cost more than €700.

Student life in Dublin is really worth the experience; I have been here for about two months and every night I have a choice to either chill in a proper Irish pub while enjoying live music, or go crazy in a club! You have plenty of choices from techno music to traditional Irish music,

or some mainstream melodies.

Last but not least, I would like to mention something Milan does not have: the Comedy Crunch – one of the best experiences of my life. It is an underground stand-up comedy show (it actually is underground, since the stage is located under a pub); a small area where non-professional comedians perform on stage trying to bring people to laughter (such a tough job), and they actually succeed; i don’t rememer the last i laughed that much.

I am in love with both of these beautiful cities. Milan stole my heart since i was a child, while Dublin made me feel safe and welcomed the minute i landed; i have never felt home away from home as much as i do in Dublin.

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Features

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By: Noor Saleh

Ibrahim Halawa: An Inside Story

When asked what they

thought about the fact

they can’t go back to Egypt anymore, the answer was

shocking yet understandable:

“Ireland is now home”, and they

wanted nothing more than to

be reunited in peace even if it

meant they can’t go back. Ibrahim Halawa’s sisters Somaia and Fatima knew there was nothing

about Egypt that portrayed

freedom or justice anymore.

The sisters are doing the best

they can to bring back their

brother, and they won’t quit the fight for justice, not only for him, but for all the others who were

convicted simply for expressing

their opinions peacefully. “Ibrahim

is going to owe us so much when

he gets out, he’s not allowed to ask for anymore favors”, said Omaima

as she chuckled.

Him and his three sisters were

among those arrested while on

their usual vacation to Egypt

after taking refuge in a mosque

during protests in Cairo. There

was an exchange of fire between the security forces and the outer

areas of the mosque, in which

the security forces have alleged

the protestors were involved.

However, Amnesty International

researchers who were present at

the time said that there is no way

the protestors could have fired at

the security forces, as they were

all locked inside the inner part of

the mosque. Ibrahim was shot in

his hand when the security forces

stormed the building, but was not

given access to medical care for

his injury, and the only treatment

he received was from a cellmate

who “happened to be a doctor.”

His sisters say he still can’t open his hands properly.

Ibrahim is held in a prison in

Egypt solely for exercising his

right to freedom of expression

and assembly. His trial has been

repeatedly postponed. If convicted

he could face the death penalty: “

Ibrahim has been detained awaiting

trial, and facing a manifestly unfair

In Depth

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mass trial, for almost two years. It

is critical that Ireland continues to

make strong representation on his

case. It is also important that the

EU focus their attention on securing his immediate and unconditional

release without further delay,”

said Colm O’Gorman, executive director of Amnesty International

Ireland.

Outside Leinster House on

Budget day 2016, there were signs calling out for the release of Dublin teenager Ibrahim from the vile

and dishonoring the imprisonment

he’s been in for two years now. The signs were directed towards

Taoiseach Enda Kenny in hopes

that they would get more publicity

and support.

According to Doughty Street Chambers, the teenager’s case file contains no evidence to link him to

any of the crimes he is alleged to

have committed. He is said to be

refusing prison food, taking only

the meals that his mother, Amina,

queues for several hours to deliver.

Otherwise he takes “six or seven

dates with some milk”, Somaia

says.

The experience has taken a toll

on Amina, who has “gotten very

old” the last two years and now

struggles to walk without a stick,

according to his older sister.

“Sometimes when Khadija (one of the sisters) can’t bring things in, she gives it to Sean the councilor

(Sean Norton) to try and get them in because he’s a diplomat and

he should have more power, but

they were returned with him!”, said

Omaima feeling frustrated.

They weren’t allowed letters because they had to be in Arabic,

and Ibrahim can’t read or write Arabic, as he never learned; not

even pictures were allowed as

means of communication or such.

Ibrahim is now 19, and his school friends are about to start

their third year of college. He has

told the family his bedroom better

be just as he left it, and jokes that

his accumulated monthly pocket

money must now amount to a

small fortune.

The trial was initially scheduled

to start on the 12th of August, but

was delayed after the judges

due to hear the case recused

themselves following conflict with the defendants’ lawyers. It has been subsequently postponed and

adjourned numerous times till the

15th of December later this year.

“Ibrahim is in prison for exercising his right to freedom of expression”.

In Depth

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By: Paul Quigley

By: Bronwyn Molony

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In Focus

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By: Paul Quigley

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In Focus

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Party People

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Adventures

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Party People

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Social Media’s Yellow Brick Road

By: Erin Kennedy

Am I Following It?

Social media has woven its way into the paths that we walk today; a shared

Yellow Brick Road that starts with the early Facebook days where budding tweens share a slang-filled post consisting of ‘d’s’, ‘n’s’ and alternating capital letters which will later be re-shared three years down the line in an attempt to embarrass the author, leading to a couple of years of hauntingly horrible photos that were taken

in your chubby stages at parties where you still hadn’t quite come to grips with the whole drinking idea, winding to the ‘responsible’ years in which you try to ‘clean-up’ your image and allow only perfectly angled images that exude happiness and success to be seen by your potential college admissions officers, when finally you reach the T-junction where the Yellow Brick Road splits in two directions and you have to choose whether you’d like to follow it or not: the College years.

Left or Right

The pressure to maintain a seemingly perfect image of ourselves comes into battle with the desire to simply walk away from social media completely. The start of College is a new beginning for all of us, yet the same old path that we walked in high school seems to follow close behind – how will we remain in touch with our far away friends and if we walk away, how will we be included in anything? Left or right, left or right

“It’s always best to start at the beginning. And all you have to do is follow the Yellow Brick Road” –

the Wizard of Oz


Features

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Social Media’s Yellow Brick Road “It’s always best to start at the beginning. And all you have to do is follow the Yellow Brick Road” –

the Wizard of Oz– which way do we turn?

It is hard to determine whether social media is the poisoned ivy that chokes us along our walk to adulthood, or is it the necessary Yellow Brick Road that we must follow in order to remain a part of our generation – the choice is ours.

Social media doesn’t have to be the poisoned ivy if we choose not to let it choke us – it can provide a powerful platform for many of us to share and grow as individuals

but the extent to which we follow this road has become clouded; it doesn’t seem right that self-worth has been founded on social media and public acknowledgement. For many, social media is the necessary Yellow Brick Road that must be followed in order to achieve any level of worth, but that’s when it becomes dangerous.

It’s Not What You ThinkThis laid-out path doesn’t need to be followed; in fact it can be hugely freeing to turn in the opposite

direction, but it doesn’t have to be a dangerous path. We can still maintain our sanity if we choose to remain on Facebook, but the trick is to be brave enough to turn away when it becomes too pressured. It isn’t a crime to be on social media, but it sure isn’t a crime to not be on it. At the end of the day it’s our choice and we have to be brave enough to make it – the Yellow Brick Road is still yellow in both directions.


Features

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By: Diane O’Connor

Teeling Whiskey Distillery: A story of 125 years

The story behind Teeling’s is one I found to be interesting. Two brothers, Jack and

Stephen Teeling, started the business and opened as Dublin’s only working whiskey distillery today. Back when Irish whiskey was at its height in the mid-19th Century, Dublin was originally the heart of Irish whiskey distilling, with several working distilleries. For this reason, Teeling’s chose Dublin as the home for their product, to bring back the glory, education and history of whiskey to Dublin.

The story behind Teeling’s, and

Irish whiskey in general, is what makes this something worth taking part in. The history behind Irish whiskey is actually very interesting, and the reason Teeling’s chose Dublin relates so much to Dublin’s whiskey history. The two brothers grew up with knowledge of Irish whiskey. Walter Teeling set up a craft distillery in Marrowbone Lane in Dublin in 1782. Jack and Stephen Teeling are now keeping up their family legacy.

The tour was fun and interesting. You basically learn the process of production at Teeling’s and get to taste samples. Their whiskey is

known for being smooth and some slightly sweet. The tour guide was knowledgeable, informative and engaging and made for a good and worthwhile experience.

If you’re sick of the cinema, eating out and shopping around Dublin’s busy streets this time of year then I would definitely recommend a visit to Teeling’s. It is something different; it’s fun and on top of it you’re learning the background to a great, successful product and a family business right around the corner from you.

Teeling Whiskey distillery opened on Newmarket Street in Dublin 8 this year. They are the first distillery in Dublin in over 125 years.

Features

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IFI’s Horrorthon

Presents: “The

Invitation”

The Irish Film Institute’s Horrorthon took place in late October with the opening

film being ‘The Invitation’.

It was my first time in the IFI, so as for first impressions the place was definitely different to your ordinary Cineworld. You walk in to people drinking beer and a complete mixture of age groups. As for the theatre room, I first walked in and noticed the smell, an old musky kind of smell; however, this could be due to the fact that you’re able to bring your beer into film, which is pretty cool after all.

Two of the organisers of the Horrorthon festival introduced this year’s festival, which he informed has been going on for around 18 years. The Horrorthon

festival shows new work, Irish and international, to be shown throughout the festival, which runs this year from the 22nd - 27th October.

The festival’s opening film, ‘The Invitation’ was a slow starting one. Considering we know it’s a horror, we know something is going to happen. The film is based around a dinner party between friends, hosted by a couple living in a fancy LA home. We soon learn that something is off about this dinner party, and there’s some past issue that is behind the awkwardness of the characters interactions. We soon learn the hosts are a part of some bizarre cult that finds beauty in death. I can’t say much more without giving the whole film away to be honest.

But as I said, you’re waiting, and too long to hold my interest, for something to happen, for one of the characters to snap. Only in the last half hour of the film does the film start to be classified as a horror.

I love horror films, and I’m well aware that you get some bad and some good. I always stay positive that the next horror film I see will be the one that justifies my love for their thrill and nail biting intensity.

The IFI horrorthon has been a success in its previous years, so I expected a worthwhile visit, and despite its opening film’s disappointment, it did not disappoint. If you’re a horror buff then this is your cup of tea - back-to-back horror films.

By: Diane O’Connor

Reviews

27

SicarioThe Last Witch HunterStarring Vin Diesel, Michael Caine and Elijah Wood, lacks plot and character development throughout.

In this Sci-Fi adventure, Vin Diesel stars as Kaulder, a witch hunter who’s been keeping the witch and warlock population isolated for the last 800 years.

Cursed with immortality by the Queen Witch he killed, Kaulder has made a reputation as an immortal badass that most supernatural beings would like to stay away from. His missions are overseen by the priestly Dolan 36th (Michael Caine) who is quickly murdered and replaced by the younger Dolan 37th (Elijah Wood).

The term “exactly what it said on tin” is used a lot these days, but there cannot be any truer term for The Last Witch Hunter. The plot lacks development and detail, with the trailer and synopsis being as much as you need to know about the film’s story line.

Vin Diesel, fresh off his viral “dad bod” photos, is almost hard to watch on screen. His performance of Kaulder, like the plot, lacks development; he doesn’t have the emotional depth to play a character who has been alone for 800 years, and losing everyone he has ever loved and cared about.

He is found out very early when he shares the screen with Oscar winner and seasoned actor Michael Caine, who even pulls off an average performance for a role he came out of retirement for.

Elijah Wood, who has been roaming the depths of Mordor ever since the Lord of The Rings franchise ended, proves once again why he should probably have just stayed there and accept he will forever be Frodo Baggins from the Shire. His character, Dolan 37th, suffers from a lack of development from the writers, and also reaps the punishment of an equally terrible delivery by Elijah Wood.

Overall, The Last Witch Hunter lacks creativity, development and detail in all fronts.

Starring Emily Blunt, Benico Del Toro and Josh Brolin, a powerful piece of film that challenges the audience’s views on war on drugs.

Sicario tells the story of Kate Macy (Emily Blunt), an FBI agent who has been selected to be a part of a special task force to combat a Mexican

drug cartel. In this task force she meets her eccentric commanding leader Matt, and Alejandro (Benico del Toro) a mysterious and private man known simply as a consultant.

Sicario puts the audience in the shoes of Kate Macy (Emily Blunt), straight from the beginning we don’t know what we are seeing and why it is happening. As the events from the opening scene progress, Kate meets Alejandro, who tells her “When we are finished here, you will understand”.

Sicario is filmed in a powerful and simplistic way, almost shadowing and following Kate Macy around the events she is witnessing. Emily Blunt delivers a powerful performance as an innocent and upstanding FBI agent, who is not completely grasping the world she has been brought into. Throughout she acts as a vessel, a communicator between the audience and the movie’s character, asking the same questions we want answered from the movie’s characters.

Josh Brolin, delivers an eccentric and almost sadistic performance as Matt, the head of the task force. He is a character that leaves a very uneasy feeling in your seat; you don’t know what he is thinking, all you know, is that he is enjoying what he is doing, a bit too much.

Benico Del Toro, plays the mysterious and cold Alejandro. Del Toro delivers a performance of few words and even fewer facial expressions, but still, his performance is powerful, and intimidating, always leaving you with a tense feeling in your seat.

Overall, Sicario is a powerful story, with equally powerful performances and filming techniques. The film leaves you on edge, and has you soaking up every shot so you can understand what is going on, and when the credits roll, you can almost hear Alejandro telling you: “Now you understand”. By: John Anderson

Reviews

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By: Donal Byrne

In early October, hundreds of people were left cheering as Panos Panay announced

Microsoft’s vision of the ultimate laptop; the Surface Book.

Previously, Microsoft has shied away from the hardware market with the exception of its Surface line of tablet devices. Although very powerful and providing all the functionality of Windows 8, these tablets could not compare to a machine like the MacBook Pro. Not only are Microsoft now stepping up to compete against Apple’s flagship machine, but Panay boasts that the new Surface Book is twice as fast as the MacBook Pro and is “Ounce for ounce the fastest 13” laptop ever made”.

This is a bold claim but one that Microsoft is able to back up.

This type of innovation is sorely needed in the PC market. As of the end of the second quarter of 2015, there has been the largest decline in PC sales in the last 2 years. What exactly makes this the “Ultimate laptop”?

The first thing that sets the Surface Book apart is of course that it is a 2-in-1 hybrid. As well as providing its user with the traditional experience of a laptop, the Surface Book detaches from the base keyboard and can function as a stand alone tablet. The tablet can then be connected to the keyboard in reverse and

used like “a clipboard device”. This is optimal for tasks such as drawing, writing, reading and watching movies.

The standard Surface Book comes with a 6th gen i5/i7 processor, between 128GB and a full TB of SSD storage and 8GB or 16GB of RAM.

What I find most impressive about the laptops specs is the undisclosed GPU or graphics card. This is a stand-alone component that allows the laptop to take on graphic heavy tasks. This GPU is located within the base of the Surface Book and will not be used while the device is in tablet mode. However when connected to the

Microsoft Introduce: “The Fastest 13”

Laptop Ever Made”

GCD Tech

29

base, the Surface Book is capable of things like CAD 3D development, video rendering and running AAA games like Microsoft’s highly anticipated “Gears of War” sequel.

Panay says: “By adding the discrete GPU, two extra processors, it fundamentally makes Surface Book two times faster than the MacBook Pro “. The laptop comes with two USB 3.0 ports, an SD card reader and has a 13.5”, 267 pixels per inch display with 3K resolution.

Due to the fact that components such as the GPU and ports are located in the base, the display/tablet of the Surface Book is very thin and lightweight. The laptop has up to 12 hours of battery life while docked and 3 hours while

in tablet mode, this of course depends on how it is used.

With these specs it’s hard not to be impressed with Microsoft’s innovative debut laptop, but is it really the “Mac beating” machine that Microsoft claim?

While comparing both machines at full spec, the simple answer is yes. One of these full spec Surface Books will set you back about €2819. However if we compare the laptops at their base specs, they more or less provide the same performance. The one major difference is that a base model of the surface is €1300 while the Mac Book Pro is only €1145.

Regardless of the on going war of Mac vs. PC, it is undeniable that Microsoft has begun to make

big changes in the laptop market, receiving reactions that previously have been reserved for the likes of Apple. The Surface Book was released on October 26th, however, the laptop had already sold out before then as customers were expecting to wait up to 8 weeks to receive their Surface Book.

GCD Tech

30

By: Kim Carroll

Students can tend to fall into an unfortunate stereotype: taking the cheapest and

easiest option they can find, living on pasta and sub-price chicken rolls from a chain convenience store. The truth however, can be far from conventional though. It is true that as students we need to keep track of our finances, and that sometimes we live “hand to mouth” as the saying goes. This doesn’t mean that we don’t appreciate the flavour of good food or that we are careless regarding our nutrition and health.

Read on to obtain some good food tips and with some basic equipment, you should be able to produce a tasty, healthy, and

inexpensive meal with no need to rely on takeaways or ready meals – at least most of the time!

• Invest in a slow cooker. You can buy one for less than €50 and it will yield budget meals for you and up to 3 other housemates. Before you leave for class in the morning, just toss in your ingredients. Dinner will be ready to eat as soon as you walk in the door that evening. Check online for a multitude of recipes if you are unsure, slow cookers are so versatile that you can produce meals to suit virtually any taste.

• Plan ahead and never go shopping when you’re hungry. This way, you will be less likely to buy unhealthy foods. Pre-planned

lunches will keep you going during the day so that you’re focused on your work and less likely to give in to fat and sugar cravings. Make sure to always check the use-buy date on the produce and purchase the freshest there is.

• Dedicate one night a week to prepare your food. Convenience items like pre-cut cheese, prepared vegetables and microwave meals are far more expensive to purchase because you are paying for the labour involved.

• Obviously supermarkets will have special offers but take the time to look for cut-price items like “wonky veg”. These are vegetables that are usually unsellable solely because of their unusual shape.

Eating habits that will make you healthy and happy without blowing your budget.

Brain Food on A Budget

Flavours

31

Often you can purchase other bargain items if you visit the supermarket in the evenings when the stock is about to go out of date.

• Buy your fruit and vegetables when they are in season. They will be cheaper than those which aren’t in season and you can give yourself a pat on the back for helping out the environment. Local markets to Griffith College like the Green Door Market are especially good for this.

• Buy non-perishable items like rice, pasta and cereal in bulk. Larger packets of these work out far cheaper than smaller ones in the long run. However try to buy wholegrain versions of carbohydrates – these will keep you fuller for longer, protect your digestive system and extend your energy levels.

• Use up leftovers if at all possible. Once cooked, chicken will be edible for approximately 3 days and can be turned into a

lunchbox salad. Be imaginative with unfinished meals and it can save you a lot of money and effort!

• Use beans and pulses instead of meat. They are inexpensive whilst being high in protein and can add bulk to meals, keeping you healthy and full. You can buy them tinned or dried, just follow the instructions on the packet or checkout the recipe below for a simple, tasty lunch.

Easy Spicy Tomato and Red Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 red onions

• 1 small fresh red chilli

• 1 can plum tomatoes

• 250g red lentils

• 1 vegetable stock cube

Method:

Fry the chopped red onions in a teaspoon of oil for about 6 minutes

on a medium heat, then add the chopped fresh chilli for about 1 minute.

Add the lentils, give it a quick stir, and then add the tomatoes. Fill the empty tomato can with water and add that too.

Put the stock cube in and give it all a quick stir before covering.

Blend using a hand blender (available from Tesco for about €10) before adding salt and pepper to taste.

Leave the soup uncovered until cool and then store in plastic containers in the fridge until you’re ready to use. I often pop mine in the microwave for about 3-4 minutes in the morning and bring it to college with me in a flask.

It boosts Vitamin C levels, can stave off sickness and is a great warmup on a cold day, costing approximately 50c per portion. A handy recipe for the winter ahead!

Flavours

32

The Genuine Article

First Rugby team in years, things are

looking good

Everyone at Griffith College was extremely happy when it was announced the college

will finally have a rugby team. See, the Students’ Union’s sports officers have been

trying to get a rugby team up and running for a few good years now, but it just never came through because there were never enough numbers to form a team. This year however, Stephen Donnery

accomplished the almost impossible; he got the numbers, which meant Griffith will finally have a rugby team! What everyone did not see coming was …

So, you know how GCD hasn’t had a rugby team in years? Well, I’m starting to think it should’ve stayed that way. Let me tell you why…

By: Drew Peacock

33

5 minutes into the first training session, one of the team’s “more experienced” players gets his finger turned into… well, that (i’m not being sarcastic here, but i mean, how does that even happen?)

The news was especially hard on Stephen Donnery who has been trying to start a rugby team since last year, and when he finally succeeds, this happens.

I don’t know about Stephen, but if it was me, I would consider that bad luck.

After a finger breaking first training, GCD’s rugby team is looking forward to a great year.

• Noor Saleh still on the hunt for her perfect basketball scholar.

• Students can’t cope with the fact Robbie is no longer SU president.

• After 3 tries, the Griffith Ball poster finally has a date on it.

• SU staff wins battle against pigeons for Students’ Union.

• SU FINALLY buys new table tennis rackets – PlayStation controllers stop working.

• Students started replying to Claire’s emails on time (haha not really).

• Stephen Donnery sets record for scoring in 4 matches in a row (if own goals count)

News In Brief

Under The Spotlight

Conor O’Toole

Occupation: Underwear Model

Greatest Ambition: To have Kim Kardashian’s butt

Hobbies: Squatting

Likes: Red, “manly” short shorts

Dislikes: people who don’t like the Kardashians

Interesting Fact: He was once a girl

34

Rugby World Cup 2015: An Overview

The dream to win the world cup was gone for the Irish team on the 18th of

September in Cardiff. Ireland lost against Argentina with a score of 20-43. The Irish had however started well in the competition. They triumphed against the Canadian, the Romanian, the Italian teams - even against the French team. Unfortunately, Ireland never reached the semi-finals. However, Argentina clearly took their revenge against Ireland as they had experienced a heavy defeat against Ireland in 2012 (46-24). The last Four Nations proved that the Argentine rugby has a very bright future.

The weight of the legacy of the golden generation, third in the 2007 World cup seems erased, like the problems behind the scenes of recent years, including the resignation of Santiago Phelan in October 2013. The strength of the 2007 Pumas; they were charismatic leaders, an iron defence.

The last Four Nations showed that the new Argentina are walking in their footsteps but under the leadership of their new coach Daniel Hourcade. Argentine rugby has evolved into a more open game, more “southern”, with Juan Martin Hernandez in top form at fly-half, in centre, and as

a full back, and Juan Imhoff as a winger, it is currently working very well.

Not all teams were as fortunate as Argentina ; one only needs to look at the quarter-final between Scotland and Australia to understand that. During the game, the South African referee Craig Joubert was suspected of calling a game-changing error. At the 78th minute of the match, he decided that passes in front of a Scottish player had been made in an offside position, which led him to give Australia a penalty to taken by fly-half Bernard Foley who successfully scored the penalty and sent his team to the semi-finals; a game-changing error as Scotland would have qualified otherwise.

The other teams that qualified for the semi-final are New Zealand and South Africa. The defeat of South Africa against Japan had surprised many at the beginning of the competition, but it didn’t stop the team from getting this far.

As for the final, New Zealand took home the championship title after defeating runner-ups Australia in an exciting game.

And for our Irish team, we wish them an even stronger return for the Six Nations tournament.

By: Marine Kersale

Sports

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Rugby World Cup 2015: An Overview

Everyone has a passion for something, whether it’s drawing, writing poems or music lyrics, or some other hidden talent. Well this is your chance to share your

talent with us, Presenting: Griffiti Art Section.

Griffiti Art

griffiti magazine - issue 64

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