CIRCULARTHE Vol 3 Issue 3

April 2007

Inside: Marty Whelan’s holiday scandals

VOTING DEBATEPAGE 3

SUMMERFASHION PAGE 9

PREMIERSHIPPREVIEW PAGE 12

SHOW MME TTHE MMONEY!

How many of students have hadto get extra hours in work to paythe rent and how many have hadto get loans from banks to paytuition fees to be able to attend col-leges like Griffith to study for adream career?

The answer is a lot of people!There is an estimated 57,000 stu-dents in Ireland who receive main-tenance grants each year. In 2006,over 228 million euro was spentbetween the four student supportmaintenance grants.

Not one of cent of this went toa student attending a private col-lege.

The government has classedanyone who goes to private collegesuch as Griffith College cannot geta grant because they are in a fee-paying college.

But if you break it down what isthe difference between private andpublic colleges?

They both teach the same sub-jects; there is nothing differentabout the lectures and they do thesame job as lecturers in public col-leges. The degrees you achieve atthe end of your time at college areno different from any other col-lege.

Private colleges have an imageattached to them that everyonedrives around in expensive cars andlives the high life. But this percep-tion is a falacy.

Many people are here becausethey recieved loans from banks andwill be paying them off long afterthey finish college. Students go intodebt because they want to get their

dream job and will not let anythingstand in their way.

People ask why students don’tgo to colleges that don’t have largefees like DCU or UCD?

Well the answer is not everyonecan get the right points. If you missyour first choice by five points,does this mean that a student shoulgive up on his or her dream career?

That is where private collegescome in the picture. It is anotheroption to live your dream but at aprice and the government does notoffer private college students anyhelp.

The government says that theysee education a vital part ofIreland’s growth but fail to live upto thier word by refusing to assiststudents in finantial need.

If one applies for a grant fromthe government, it is based on theirfinancial situation within a familyand what college he or she attends.

The refusal of grants to privatecollege students is a topic rarelydiscussed because private collegeshave not made the issue a priorityuntil recently.

This year, the Students Unionof Griffith College campaigninedin favor of government support ofprivate college students.

Barry Stokes, StudentDevelopment Officer for GriffithCollege, stated that the issue willnot be solved in a day and that itwill take a few years before realprogress can be made.

On the upside, he believed thatthe discussion is now on the table

CONTINUED ON PG 5

Circular reporter investi-gates the debate overgrants for students in

private collegesBy Mark Kane

Surviving financially as a studentcan be hard. For a lot of people;the auld ones are pretty open-hand-ed with money, seeing as we’ll bemaking the big bucks in a few yearstime. How many unemployed jour-nalists in Ireland was that yousaid...?Others have a job and many

have weekend jobs. But studentshave many important expenses.

In order of importance: Anoverwhelming fondness for allthings alcohol. A ten or more a daysmoking habit maintained by manypeople, (one that leaves the GriffithCollege campus shop stripped ofMarlboro lights by Thursday!) Apenchant for educational televisionshows like Desperate Housewives,Lost and Skins, as well as a suffi-cient amount of premiership foot-ball, reality TV shows and everyimaginable soap: like Home andAway; which teaches us that stalk-ers are everywhere, Alf Stewart hashis own language and always keepaway from cliff edges.

You can’t learn that in college.Suffice to say; paying the NTL andESB bills is definitely worth it. Thebasic human need to eat tends tofactor in too. And last, but certain-ly not least, college expenses. Butover time you learn that there arethings you can do to budget.

As a fresher, well accustomed tomammy’s cooking on the tableeveryday, a person can usually startout spending a fortune every week,buying food in Spar instead ofTesco or Lidl and buying

all your drinks in some packed,over priced nightclub in town.After a while though, you becomemore shrewd

CONTINUED ON PG 5

By Linda Sherlock

Minister of Education and Science Mary Hanafin

Live it Up with Little CashTips on how tosave money andlive well without

spending a bundle

Circular03042007.qxd 03/04/2007 17:27 Page 1

THE CIRCULAR2 CONTENTS

Welcome to the Circular

Editor-in- cheif: Amelia Matier

Deputy Editor: Orlagh Ryan

Sub Editors: Amelia MatierOrlagh RyanDaire WalshTaylor Norvell

Design & Layout: Amelia MatierOrlagh Ryan

Photo Editors: Amelia MatierOrlagh Ryan

Contributors: Camilla TosattoPaddy MurphyRyan SheehanMark KaneYaning LiuTrine JensenTrudy McCarthyLinda SherlockDaire WalshPaddy McCormackOrlagh RyanAmelia Matier

The Circular is produced by the students of Griffith College Dublin, South Circular Road, Dublin 8. Tel.01 4150400 To contact email: griffnewspro@yahoo.ie

Contributors Editor’s NoteHello! Welcome to the Circular!

Our goal this term was to created a stu-dent oriented publication that would both informand entertain. We have some hard-hitting news,but the majority of this edition of The Circular isdedicated to having fun. So don’t expect to raiseyour I.Q. with this rag. Hell- you may even getdumber (only messing!)

On a more serious note, I am very proudof all the contributors for their unquie style anddedication to the paper. We were lucky to have awide range on opinions and ideas (including 3international students and one angry Welshman)this term which stengthend the outcome of thepaper.

I would like to say thank you to Alan Gilland Orlagh Ryan who put up with my incessantquestions and perfectionism. As well as all thecontributors and friends who made this issuepossible. A special thanks to my roommateTaylor, who copy edited the entire publicationwithout even being in the class- you are truly alegend. Finally, to my class- sorry for all thenagging and yelling- but at least we got it done!-Mia

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THE CIRCULAR 3OPINION

To Vote or Not to Vote...In the western world voter apathy is at the highest level

it has ever been at, voter turnout is at its lowest levels ever.Why? Probably because people have simply stopped car-ing. Who is the minister for transport in Ireland? Ok

maybe a few of the self righteous journalism students know this, but do any of you law,music or business students know? More importantly do any of you give a fiddlers? Probablynot.

There’s an important election coming soon, and the place is going to be awash with cheesyposters plastered with slogans and promises that probably won’t be kept. Also there’s a pop-ularity contest between Fianna Fáil and Fianna Gael and Labour, the winner gets to play withthe P.Ds, the Greens and the Shinners. Will any of these voting contests make any differenceto your lives? Unless one of the candidates knocks on your door or if you are actually can-vassing then no, probably not.

Now, not that I’m a complete smarmy stain on this beautiful democratic utopian societyof ours, but I do know what some of you are thinking…… but people died to give us thefreedom to vote, yes you are right there, but would it be that big of a difference if the Queenof England was our head of state, last time I looked, both Australia and Canada were doingfine…also if everybody thought like I did then nobody would vote, oh God shock horrorwhat would we do then? I don’t know but it might make for a few fun days wouldn’t it. Maybethat’s what we should do, let’s everybody not vote and see what happens, also on the sameday let’s everybody go to their respected bank branch and withdraw all of they’re money,what would the banks do? I don’t know, I don’t care, but I’d sit outside Leinster House witha six pack of Becks and watch the fireworks. I’d find a nice high lamppost and shout with allmy soul “Goodbye Celtic Tiger, I’d like to personally welcome Ireland back to the dog-eat-dog world of capitalism, raise your glasses with me, for who knows if we can sink or swim,but let’s enjoy the ride”

The major problem here is that people don’t mind who is the ruling party is so long as itdoesn’t hit their pockets, that’s the main thing here, I know, I know, I just said that in a dif-ferent way but it does need reiterating. Money makes the world go around and when peoplefinally realise they are being ripped then they will make their voices heard. Look at thatannoying leprechaun with the vioce of a castrated mule from Cork, everybody loved hisshow, all it was doing was telling people what they should already know. Maybe that’s whatthis country needs, somebody to stand up and tell the public what the government is doing,a political interpreter, if you will, who can explain in proper everyday language what is hap-pening. What we need is a return to the old-skool of politics when it started in this country,Big Jim Larkin, Collins, Griffith, Dev, these were ordinary people trying to do things for thegreater good of the country, not a bunch of overweight, middle-aged gobshites earning farmore than their woth.

Until that happens, I won’t be voting in either of the forth-coming popularity contests,good luck to the participants but I couldn’t care less. So let me leave you with the words ofthe late great Clint Eastwood, “Opinions are like asshole, everybody has one.”

Why vote? Well, why not? As part of a democracy,one that strives to make political headway to equal ourEuropean and International counterparts, we not onlyhave the right but the freedom to do so. Consider your-self in the position of a South Korea man or woman marooned in a country that knowsno social equality, no independence and more significantly, no democratic freedom.Millions the world over have no say in who governs them or how they are governed.

Those that argue that voting is pointless are quite frankly pathetic. Equally are those that“just didn’t get around to it”. One has to accept that by living in a democracy (which trans-lates to ‘majority rule’), there will be times when the majority does not endorse your viewand just because you are part of the minority doesn’t qualify you to wallow in your own selfpity. If anything, it should stimulate your fighting instincts to be pro-active, or at leastbecome more committed to your beliefs and principles. A blatant profligacy of powerplaced directly in your hands is inexcusable.

Perhaps some feel that their vote won’t have an impact on the overall result of the elec-tion. In the 2000 US Presidential Election, George W. Bush’s victory was determined by amere 1% of the electoral vote. And what’s more galling is the fact that his opposition, AlGore won the popular vote by the same statistic. In raw figures, a measly 537 electoral votessealed the deal for the now infamous Mr. Bush.

It can be argued that Ireland’s political parties do not do enough to lure the voting pub-lic to the polls; a lack of diverstiy, confusion over policies or a disregard for the minorityare all common complaints. There is, though, the common belief held by most young peo-ple, students in particular, is that politics is uninteresting, inaccessible and for the most partintimidating. Wading through the endless campaign leaflets that are posted through our let-terboxes in an attempt to establish what the party in question’s views on health are justdoesn’t appeal to the majority of young people.

However, an ignorant voter is more detrimental to society than a non-voter. A substan-tial decrease in the number of Irish citizens going to the polls has been noted for as longback as the 1970’s. Nowadays, with the political climate so dynamic, the significance on vot-ing is stronger than ever. Here, there seems to be an unmistakable trend of adopting thesame political beliefs as our parents. The same trend can also be attributed to where youcome from. Political preferences appear to be inherited. There are alternatives out there,although it seems that Irish voters, and non-voters, are too lazy to seek them out and makean informed decision. Instead of voter apathy, they are demonstrating an indifference tothe diversity of opinions, failing to learn the principles and beliefs of those parties who arenot apart of the mainstream.

The right to vote is ones ticket into a democracy; one that has been fought for long andhard. To waste a vote equates to placing a hand over your mouth and silencing your opin-ions from the public forum. Don’t be that person, get interested and get involved. Thelooming General Election will be the real test of our apparent voter lethargy. With the pres-ent coalition coming under increasing pressure, will this affect voter turnout? Let’s hopeso.

NO YESBy Orlagh RyanBy Paddy Murphy

Circular03042007.qxd 03/04/2007 17:32 Page 3

Howard Marks has been manythings in his life - Oxford student,drug dealer, convict - and mostrecently pop hero to Dublin’syoung hipsters.

Marks is one of the biggestconvicted marijuana smugglers ofall time. During the 1980s he had43 aliases, 89 phone lines and 25companies used for launderingmoney. At the height of his opera-tion he was transporting up to 30tonnes per shipment, and wasaffiliated with MI6 and membersof the IRA, CIA and Mafia.

Marks was born August 1945, ina small Welsh town called KenfigHill. He went on to study atOxford University, where heexperimented heavily with LSDand began selling pot to friends.

A few years later he was ship-ping in tonnes of the best qualitymarijuana from Afghanistan,Pakistan, Lebanon, Thailand andColumbia.

Shipments destined for the UKwere often sent through ShannonAirport. This was done with thehelp of Jim McCann, who claimedto be a member of the IRA.

During this period Marks renteda house near Newmarket-on-Fergus, in Co. Clare, and wouldoften use the back roads to trans-port car loads of grass.

As Marks has served sevenyears in an American FederalPenitentiary for his crimes, he isable to talk openly about his crimi-nal activities.

When he was released in 1995,and went “straight,” he decided towrite an autobiography. The resultwas the bestselling Mr Nice. Hefirst promoted the book by doingshows in book shops and pubs.Soon he was selling out theatresand doing tours.

Marks later wrote a secondbook entitled The Howard Marksbook of dope stories. This was anumber of peoples doping experi-ences, told by Marks.

His recently released third book,Senor Nice: Straight life from Wales toSouth America, accounts for whathe has been up to since the releaseof his autobiography.

Last November, Marks came toDublin to do a number of liveshows and promote the new book.

He held speaking engagementsat Trinity College, UCD and Spirit

on the 8th, 9th and 10th respec-tively.

He was due on stage at 8pmfor his talk at UCD but was run-ning late. Roughly 250 peoplewere in attendance. There wereRoss O’Carroll-Kelly accentseverywhere- the place was pickedwith rich kids.

“This is gonna be great. He’s aF--kin’ legend,” said a guy in theaudience as each of his friendsarrived.

At about 8.10pm, the soundtechnician came from the back-stage area with Howard’s glass ofwine, bottle of beer and pint ofGuinness.

The second he opened thedoor, to his bemusement, thecrowd started clapping and cheer-ing. He placed the drinks on thestage and started messing with themicrophone. Still they clapped.

One fan - sporting a Howard

Marks haiárdo - elbowed hisfriends in excitement and saying,“Legend! Legend!” as the applausecontinued.

Eventually, much to everyonesembarrassment, he put up hishands and shouted “I’m not himby the way!”

For one second time stood stilas the entire entire auditoriumseemed to look down at the floorin shame.Finally, Marks appeared.

He opened by talking a little bitabout jail and the emotional peaksand troughs he had experiencedand went on to explain why he

had written his autobiography,before he began talking aboutcannabis.

Marks is, obviously, for thelegalisation of cannabis. He evenran for parliament in four districtsof the UK with ‘The LegaliseCannabis Party’. It is also notewor-thy that he never dealt anythingother than the various forms ofmarijuana.

“I only dealt the best. No Sh-teWhat are you smoking now?Soapbar? F--king sh-t. I wouldn’ttouch it.”

Many may believe Marks makesa fair point. The argument runsthat if cannabis were legal, thegovernment could eradicate theuse of this harmful, low gradehash, whilst simultaneously moni-toring the strength of the marijua-na it made available for purchase.Provided they picked a suitablestrain of plant, and sold it at a rea-sonable price, it would also stopcannabis user’s enduring the seedyprocess of meeting dealers whooffer other drugs.

Next, Marks addressed some ofthe topics covered in ‘Senor Nice’.He spoke about his return toWales, meeting old friends,researching Welsh ancestry andtravelling to South America andJamaica (where he smoked a jointat Bob Marleys grave). Most of allhe spoke about his time inSwitzerland.

During his period in Americanprison, Marks studied and passed adegree in Law. After the promo-tion of Mr. Nice was complete he

had to decide what to do next. Hestill wanted to be involved withcannabis, so he began looking intothe laws of various countries inEurope. He discovered thatalthough it was illegal to sellcannabis in Switzerland, it was notillegal to grow it.

He began immediately. Heshowed pictures of the acres andacres of land that he filled withtop quality marijuana plants to theaudience. He used the plants tocreate seeds which are now forsale under the name ‘Mr. NiceSeedbank’. He also began sellingcannabis oil to NSA Body Shop inAmerica. In one order alone theyrequested 5litres with the THC(the bit that gets you stoned)removed. This took 25 tonnes ofgrass to create!

“I can’t remember what we didwith the THC,” he said laughing.Although Marks did not smoke hisusual joint of grass on stage, hesaid he had been smoking beforecoming on.

“I wouldn’t insult a Dublin audi-ence by coming out straight. I’mtotally wankered,” he said as he saton his stool to begin the questionsand answers segment of the show.

One interesting question washow he felt the legalisation ofmarijuana would affect drink salesand the economy.

“They enhance each other. Idon’t see anything wrong with it,except the whitey possibility! I liketo mix the two I don’t know aboutthe economy. I’d imagine it wouldhelp.”

Another question was what thegeneral public can do to help pro-mote the legalisation of cannabisin Ireland.

“Your generation will legalise itanyway. So be careful. It doesn’tmatter a f--k if I go to Mountjoythis weekend. It would for you Isuppose the best thing to do isregister and vote for the most lib-eral party that has drug policies.”

One of the last questions,which he had already answeredduring the talk, was whether hewas high whilst talking to us.

“Yeah, I’m high pretty much allthe time Am I suffering from thedrought? Ha. Not a cats chance.”Senor Nice (Harvill Secker) is nowavailable in all good book stores.For more information on Howardgo to www.howardmarks.co.uk

.

THE CIRCULAR4 NEWS

High Times with Howard Marks

By Ryan Sheehan

Howard Marks who visited Dublin to speak on his life involving marijuana

“Yeah, I’mhigh pretty

much all thetime. Am Isufferingfrom the

drought? Ha.Not a cat’schance.” POT LAWS IN

IRELAND

Circular Reporter meets withthe notorious internationaldrug smuggler to discussthe possibility of marijuanalegalisation in Ireland

In Ireland, cannabis is stillconsidered a schedule 1 drugunder the Misuse of DrugsActs, 1977 & 1984. Possessionof cannabis is dealt with dif-ferently to harder drugs. Irishlegislation states that posses-sion for personal use is pun-ishable by a fine of up to 300

euro from the District Courtor up to 500 euro from theCircuit Court. However, on athird offence, a fine and/orthree year prison term will beimposed.

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THE CIRCULAR 5NEWS

Italy: AGovernment in

CrisisWhen and why it happened andhow it was overcome

By Camilla Tosatto

Governments fall and then they are rebuilt, this is what allows socialchanges to take places in our society.

But what is the mechanism that permits one coalition to remain inpower? And how important is the contribution of a citizens’ vote?

The causes that led the Italian Government crisis concern two issues:the sending of more troops in Afghanistan to support the legal war sus-tained by the UN and the expansion of the USA military base in Vicenza(Northern Italy).

Prime Minister Mr Romano Prodi’s argument, failed to influence twodissenting senators from his coalition, whose ballots were essential for themajority in power to pass the proposal.

As the proposal was made, an issue of confidence and divergence ofopinion in the same coalition took place. As a result; the Government cri-sis was caused by Prodi who decided to consult President of the RepublicMr Giorgio Napolitano.

Napolitano opted out for a re election, instead of a popular election(that would have been won by the right wing, considering recent malcon-tents polls) in the hope of obtaining renewed and with a bit of luck, moresincere promises of loyalty.

At the re election, Prodi’s proposal won 159 votes against 156 in theSenate.

The Government collapse has stiffened the determination of even thoseof the far left, like Rifondazione Comunista to stick with Prodi, fearing aright wing return into power.

In the 12 point programme presented by Prodi to the Parliament nomentions were made of the proposed law on civil unions, which has alien-ated the ever-powerful Catholic Church, this would allow Prodi to dragChristian Democrats into the coalition.

The most important thing in politics is being able to mediate…It is clear, from this picture that the distance between the policies of the

two poles (centre and far left) are rapidly shrinking to keep the coalitiontogether. The promises, projects and ideologies of each party for which thevoters have expressed their preferences, are to be sacrificed for compre-hensive reasons.

It is also for logical reasons that the distance between the rulers andrules is increasingly threatening democracy and leading to desperation.

To cite an example, all of the Italian left and 80% of the population areopposed to the Afghanistan war while almost 70% of Italians and partlythe left wing coalition are in favour of the introduction of gay marriage.

With this system, and with this government coalition, the public opin-ion will always be ignored.

According to a the quote by Mr Prodi:’“The doctor gives the patient not the medicine he wants but the medi-

cine he needs”.Well, Mr Prodi, are we really sick for knowing what we want?Do the representative majority count more than the real one?Personally, I still have faith in what the voting citizens could do.Isn’t it but few people ballots that Prodi won last years election getting

rid of a worst Philo American foreign policy?

Romano Prodi - the incumbant Prime Minister of Italy

“SHOW ME THEMONEY” CONTINUEDFROM PAGE 1

and that private colleges arefinally “getting the ball rolling.”

Unfortunatly, there is not organ-ization in place for private collegesto deal with situations of this kind.Students in private colleges do nothave a substantial voice whichresults in very little political pullwhen dealing with the govern-ment.

However, there is an organisa-tion called USI (Union Studentsof Ireland). They represent thecolleges that join them in mattersthat concern students.

Each term, which lasts fiveyears, USI has a congress wheremember colleges decide on whatthe USI should deal with toimprove situations for students.

When it comes to grants forstudents they do a lot of work.Bernadette Farrell, a spokesper-son from USI, told The Circularthat when it comes to govern-ment grants for third level stu-dents, USI pushes the govern-ment to centralise the grants sys-tem to make it more fair.

The USI are also lobbying for anew bill to be pushed throughbefore the next General Election.

The Students Support Bill aimsto regulate the different grantsthrough one group.

Currently three of the fourgovernment grants go through

the VEC and the other one is runthrough the Dublin City Council.This bill will put them all underthe VEC which should improvethe efficiency of the grants.

Problem is- the bill doesn notinclude students in private col-leges, but it seems unlikely that thebill will be pushed through before

the government is dissolved nextmonth.

The Department of Education’sview on the argument is straightforward. They believe that if thestudent does not meet the full cri-teria required then they cannotreceive a grant.

This one-line answer provesthat no one is listening to privatecollege students.

The Labour Party commentedon the situation regarding privatestudents, stating that no studentshould be neglected no matterwhat college they go to.

No private colleges are joinedwith USI which is a mistake.

If private college students wantthe government to listen to them,they need the USI’s help. Thereshould be no difference what col-lege we go to if we want to realizeour ambitions which means weneed all the help we can get.

The solution is simple: All theyneed to do is have the grants basedsolely on financial circumstancesand not what form of educationyou are receiving. It sounds simpleand it’s ridiculous to think thatprogress has not been made.

“No privatecolleges arejoined with

USI which is amistake."

“HOW TO...” CONTIN-UED FROM FRONT PAGE 1

and crafty in the fine art ofbudgeting.

Recently, my aim was to see justhow low I could go money wise ina week of college. This was toinclude eating dinner every night(preferably a healthy one) andgoing out on a Wednesday night.

One thing I learned during thatweek was that I have definitely notmastered that fine art of budget-ing, I couldn’t survive on 50 euro aweek (what girl could?) but I didn’tdo too badly.

Probably the most valuable les-son I have learned in my time as astudent is that robbing food fromyour parent’s house is like studentlaw and is an excellent way of fill-ing your tummy while still keepingthe pennies in your pocket.

As decided, dinner was eatenevery night and turned out to bethe most inexpensive meal whencompared to lunch which I wouldnormally buy on campus.

With dinner though, you canbuy bulk items and use them again,this always works out cheaper. Forexample, making a curry is inex-pensive and can be the healthyoption too; whatever vegetablesand/or meat you like, a jar ofsauce and brown rice.

A meal like this will definitelywork out at less than a tenner -especially if you pilfer some veg-etables from your house at theweekend! Risotto, pasta bakes, stirfries and lasagne: these all containcheap, non-perishable ingredientswhich can be adapted for a health-ier diet by using wholegrain alter-natives.

These types of meals also freezevery well and the majority of themcan even be made in the oven-lessGriffith Halls of Residence!

I also found that those cobwebladen cans of spaghetti hoops andTesco value cornflakes that you

find at the back of a cupboard,usually turn out to be a god send atsome point or another, so try andkeep stocked up on relatively non-perishable items.

Ok, that’s food covered, some-thing we would rank below alcoholbecause that is just an awful stu-dent stereotype.

Yeah right.Living in an expensive city like

Dublin, a person who likes toindulge in a little tipple every nowand again needs to understand athing or two.

And we students do like toindulge.

The price of alcohol can varybut one thing is for sure, a bottleof vodka for your own personaldrinks cabinet is a hell of a lotcheaper than any bar or nightclub,particularly if you’re not pickyabout the brand. Or quality.

For most lads out there (andsome ladies) six cans of Dutchgold, royal Dutch or Holland’sfinest Bavaria beer for seven eurois considered ritual before hittingthe town.

Having a few drinks withfriends before you go out meansthat you don’t have to break thebank in a night club later on.

Now I’m not condoning bingedrinking but merely saying if uhave the willpower to put away abottle of vodka after you’ve dranksome of it then this is for you. Ifyou’re the type who’s going todrink whatever you have despitethe amount then maybe you coulddo your liver a favour and acceptthat this option isn’t for everybody.

The simple solution to thesealcohol related money problems isto drink less, but who wants tohear such a profane idea?

During my ìbudgetingî week Iwent to Tripod on Harcourt St.,which was ten euro in but twovodkas and a red bull were only 8euro to my delight.

A few ociable ones in my apart-ment before we went out meantthat I didn’t have to break the bankand ended up spending around 40euro , taking into account that Ihad to get taxis, this isn’t too bad,especially if you know you’re goingout in advance and aim to savesome money for it.

In this case though, my flat-mates and I didn’t even haveenough money for the all impor-tant trip to Abrakebabra to roundthe night off to its preferred end.

Tomorrow morning? Vomiting?Pah. Kebab please!) But a trip tothe 24hour garage to buy crispswith our bottom-of-handbag-pen-nies seemed to cheer us right up.

The way I see it though, westudents have such a tough timeanyway, what with those two hourlectures, time consuming assign-ments, gruelling exams and evenworse -repeats, we deserve a littleR and R. Except on Tuesdays.Tuesday is Desperate Housewivesday. Now where are those crisps?And pass me a can of Dutch willyou?

“The price ofalcohol can varybut one thing isfor sure, a bottle

of vodka foryour own per-sonal drinks

cabinet is a hellof a lot cheaperthan any bar or

nightclub”

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THE CIRCULAR6 ENTERTAINMENT

93% OF MALE LAWSTUDENTS EXPOSED

AS VIRGINS

Surely the most shocking statis-tic of all in the sex survey con-ducted by Griffiti was the fact that93% of male law students havenever even had sex? Not onlydoes this raise severe questionsabout their social lives, it produceseven more serious issues aboutthe future state of our criminaldefence.

Are we really supposed toexpect these people to divert usfrom a possible jail sentence? I’m

not being funny but how couldyou trust a guy to convince ajudge and jury that you were inno-cent (especially if you did it) if hehadn’t even once persuaded a girlto let him engage in a bit of theold in-out?

Still there’s a lesson to belearned: Broke the law? Get afemale lawyer.

93% of maleLaw studentshave never

even had sex

JOURNALISTS HAVEPRIVATE PROBLEMSWhile the nether regions of

our virgin Law students remain

disease free (if somewhat self-

abused), the same cannot be said

for us journalists. The same

Griffiti poll sensationally

revealed that over half of our

journalism students have had

genital warts- despite an average

age of just 21.5 years.

After hearing this shocking

news, I went deep undercover to

seek the truth by examining any

female student who would par-

take in my ‘studies’. I soon

decided that this matter deserved

a longer period of ‘research’ and

the next few weeks were spent

drunkenly examining the geni-

talia of every free minded jour-

nalism student I could bribe (not

all of which were women I’m

afraid).

Now, The Circular can exclu-

sively reveal that it’s quite possi-

ble none of those examined had

genital warts at the time of being

tested.

Thinking of sleeping with a

Journalism student? Use a con-

dom (maybe two).

1) The Bleeding Horse24 Camden Street UpperDublin 2This double-decker pub is designed with beautifuldark wood and the best smoking area in town. It isgood craic on any night but best on Saturday andWednesday when the bar hosts an entertaining quiznight.

2) Whelan’s of Wexford St.25 Wexford Street, Dublin 2.Completely refurbished and restored. This bar andvenue is a great place for live music and space todance without an admission fee.

3) Dakota Bar9 South William Street Dublin 2Nice relaxed atmosphere; a great place to go afterwork with one of the widest selections of cocktailson offer.

4) The Headline56 Clanbrassil StreetDublin 8Only a short walk from the Griffith College cam-pus with good food, good people and good times.

5) Flannery’s6 Lower Camden StDublin 2Looking to lose your head? This Camden St water-ing hole is always a wild time! Known for it’s friend-ly and efficient staff you’ll be sure to have a pint

ready and waiting for you upon arrival.6) BamizuPowerscourt Shopping Centre,Dublin 1.The perfect spot for a romantic date in the PowersCourt Centre. Very lovely atmosphere with greatseating in a central location location.

7) Hogan’s Bar35 South Great Georges StreetDublin 2On the 19 bus route, this swanky spot is perfect forthe twenty-something crowd which accommodatesfor the night owl with a late bar until 2.30am onweekends.

8) Arthur’s BarGriffith College DublinWith the hottest bar tender in Dublin it is the idealspot for a bit of madness on a Monday night!

9) The Temple Bar48 Temple BarDublin 2For the real city centre experience head to this infa-mous spot for a traditional Irish coffee.

10) The International BarWicklow Street,Dublin 2.This intimate bar off Grafton St has the finest com-edy on tap as it plays host to Dublin’s longest run-ning comedy club, Comedy Cellar. Comedian DesBishop might even make an appearance!

Best Pubs in Dublin

By Mia Matier and Orlagh Ryan

“Over half ofour journal-ism studentshave genital

warts”

Circular03042007.qxd 03/04/2007 17:32 Page 6

THE CIRCULAR 7ENTERTAINMENT

How ToSurvive aHangover

THE JUDGE- STATE YOUR CASE!CASE 1

Your Honour,I’m a law student, 23, who would like to remainanonymous. I am at my wits end and don’tknow what to do. I told a lie in order to seemcool but now I’m worried that I’ll be exposedas a fraud.It all started a month or two ago when I lied ona student poll. I said that I’ve had sex beforebut I clearly haven’t. I’ve never even felt, orseen, a womans bare breast. The results arenow out and they’ve exposed the fact thatevery other male in my faculty is a virgin.The problem is that, unfortunately, one of theboys saw what I wrote at the time. I think hemust have told some people because suddenlyI’m the most popular person in the class. Girlsare rubbing up against me and asking for mymobile number. Yesterday, one even suggestedwe go see a film sometime.What shall I do? Not only have I bad breathand no clue how to perform in bedroom, I’malso a sad, boring git. Besides, having a girl-friend would really cut in on the time I normal-ly spend hanging around the library.

You hhave pproblems bbut tthis aain’t oone oofthem, ppal. GGive tthat bbird tthe eelbow ffor hherown ssake. TThe llast tthing sshe nneeds iis aa nnotchlike tthat oon hher bbedpost aand tthe llast tthingyou nneed iis rregular ssex wwhen yyou ccould bbehanging aabout iin tthe llibrary oor wwatching XX-Factor wwith yyour mmum oon aa SSaturday nnight.Case cclosed

CASE 2

Your Honour I am very worried about my relationship. Mygirlfriend and I, both 20, have been together

for almost three years now. I’m doingJournalism here and she’s doing Physiotherapyin UCD.We were both virgins when we got together, sofor the first eighteen months the sex wasunimaginative, with very little foreplay. I alwaysfinished, and let’s face it that’s all that reallymattersHowever, since we’ve moved here she’s been

getting gradually better and better in bed.Suddenly it’s tricks, positions, orders, oppres-sion, suppression, screams, toys, books, food,the list goes on.“These are all good things,” I hear you cry.“Beats a sack of spuds,” Says you. And yes, Iagree these are all bloody enjoyable things.The problem is that I’m a lazy lover, with verylittle imagination, so where’s she been learningall this stuff ? Because I can assure you it was-n’t from me! I’m almost positive she’s sleeping with some-one else but seeing as she continues to sleepwith me, I wonder if I mean more to her?What should I do?

That’s qquite tthe ddilemma yyou’re iin ttheir ssir.It wwould aappear tthat yyou hhave just twooptions. The ffirst iis tto rrisk llosing hher bbysaying iit ooutright iin tthe sslim hhope tthat sshepicks yyour ssubstandard ssexual pperformanceover tthe cclearly iingenious llover sshe’s sseeingbehind yyour bback. TThe ssecond ooption iis ttopretend yyou kknow nnothing aand ccontinue ggoingalong ffor ‘‘the rride’. LLet’s fface iit aa ggirl llikethat ddoesn’t ddrop oon yyour ddoorstep ttoo ooften,and yyou mmay hhave tto ggo mmonths wwithout ssexif yyou ssplit uup.Quite ffrankly, ooption ttwo iis tthe ssensiblemans cchoice. LLet’s fface iit; tthis bbitch iis ddefocheating oon yyou. PProbably wwith mmore tthanone gguy iif wwe’re hhonest. IIn ffact, iif iit’s FFayefrom 22nd yyear PPhysio ((and II’m ppretty ssure iitis) tthen ssorry bbro bbut she’s bbeen ppassedaround tthat ccampus llike aa ggiant ddubey.Even II’ve hhad aa ggo aand II’m aa ffat, ssmelly ooldtw-t.But yyou hhave tto llook oon tthe bbright sside, yyeahshe’s aa ssl-g, bbut sshe’s nnot ggoing tto lleave yyoubecause nno oone eelse iis ggoing tto ggo oout wwith aagirl tthat hhas aa rreputation llikes hhers. CCaseclosed.

We see her every day-slaving away pouringdrinks or making coffee.But how much does any-one know about the prettyface behind the bar?Here are ten random factsabout Griffith Collegestudent and Arthur’s Barmaid, Stacey, O’Leary.

1) Loves pussy... cats thatis....

2) Once played in anaccordion orchestra andmarching band.

3) Is a clean freak- likes toput on the Marigolds andget down and dirty!

4) Has the best boobs atGriffith- 34DD and grew‘em herself !

5) Traveled to the HolyLand and got locked withsome priests after mass.

6) Has a tattoo in anunnamed place.

7) Owns a pair of thighhigh boots.

8) Has a fear of nipples.

9) Has a cocktail namedafter her called the DirtySanchez.

10) Unamiously votedhottest female at GriffithCollege by all 9 Americanexchange students- seriouslythe boys LOVE HER.

THE TRUTHABOUTDIRTY

SANCHEZ

Bar None: Stacey O’ Leary

“The sex wasunimaginative, withvery little foreplay.I always finished--

let’s face it that’s allthat really matters”

Tips from Griffith’s biggest alcos onhow to keep your head after a night

on the town1) ALWAYS DRINK TWO PINTS OF WATER BEFORE GOING TO BED.2) NEVER SHARE A SINGLE BED WITH ANYONE. TWO WORDS- BACK PROBLEMS

3) AVOID THINKING ABOUT WHAT YOU RAMBLED ON ABOUT OR WHO YOU SCORED THE NIGHT BEFORE. SOME THINGS

ARE BETTER LEFT IN THE PAST.4) ICE YOUR BRUISES.5) LADIES, SPLASH SOME WATER ON YOUR FACE BEFORE HITTING THE SAC- DON’T WANT TO WAKE UP WITH MASCARA

ALL OVER YOUR PILLOW.6) DON’T SHOWER UNLESS YOU HAVE TO LEAVE THE HOUSE (GOING TO THE SHOP DOESN’T COUNT). STEW IN YOUR

OWN FILTH.7) AVOID SLEEPING ON THE GRIFFITH COLLEGE ACCOMMODATION COUCHES AT ALL COST.8) D.D.D.- DVD’S, DOMINO’S AND DUVETS.9) SWEATPANTS ANYONE?

Circular03042007.qxd 03/04/2007 17:32 Page 7

THE CIRCULAR8 TRAVELIt’s nearly that time of the year again, when, after months of winter

and rain and cold and exams and all things dreary, all of a sudden, sum-mer is lurking right around the corner, and it’s decision time again-where to go, what to do and who to go with!

1. Kuala LumpurWhile backpackers and charter tourists alike have flocked to

Thailand for the last decade, raving about its beaches, food and hospi-tality, not quite as many has discovered Malaysia.

2. MykonosIt is one of the Aegean islands off the Greek coast, is the hippest

place to party it up, Med style, this summer. The word on the scene isthat it is now rivaling Ibiza as the party capital de jour, albeit a moreup-market, sophisticated version.

3. IstanbulIn the last few years, the Turkish capital has emerged as one of the

most vibrant party- and shopping cities in Europe, with boutiquehotels and designer stores opening by the day.

4. Koh LantaKoh Lanta on the western coast of Thailand is the perfect place to

escape with that special someone. Much quieter than Phuket and KohSamui.

5. Playa del CarmenThis beautiful Mexican beach town just 30 miles from Cancun is

perfect for the young traveler. With a fantastic night life that is easy onthe pockets- a traveler will fall in love with its jungle setting. Try snor-keling and the fantastic sea food.

6. MiamiThis popular Florida city is known for its big beaches and wild par-

ties. It’s the home of JLo and almost every Cuban in America you aresure to get swept away in the Latin- American club scene.

7. SicilyThe little island off Italy has more than just mobsters. With beau-

tiful beaches and lovely small towns, the relaxed Sicilian atmospherewill give anyone the some much needed R&R. Check out the resorttown Taormina for a great week away from the cold.

The Circular’s travel experts Trine Jensen andMia Matier are here with the low down on the

best warm destinations of 2007

Quick Effective Guide on how to meet George ClooneyMeeting the number one mostcharming American actor couldbe easier than we all think: allyou need to do is going on holi-day…

The Lake of Como!

Situated 40 kilometres North ofMilan, wealthy city slickers havebeen treating it like a bolthole forcenturies.

Lake of Como is the thirdlargest in the north of Italy, and byfar the deepest in Europe. It lies ina crooked Y shape with the town ofComo at the foot of the westernarm and picturesque Bellagio at thefork. Many poets and novelistshave been inspired by its beautyincluded Manzoni, Parini, Shelleyand Henry Longfellow…

Over the past three years in Mayand June, George Clooney hasresulted to spend a good part of hissummer holiday in his new 8 mil-lion Euro luxurious summer resi-dence ‘Villa Oleandra’ in the village

of Laglio.Clooney’s presence is always per-

ceived by the few inhabitants, aslunch (when the actor is at home) isannounced everyday at 1 pm by thebell of the Villa Oleandra. This tra-dition was introduced by the previ-ous owner of the Villa, theAmerican Clifford Heinz.

One of Clooney’s main open airactivities on the Lake of Como isdriving his sporty black motorbikealong the narrow streets of Laglio,Moltrasio, Cadenabbia and othervillages that sneak along the lake,enjoying the panorama and thebeautiful summer weather.

In the evening time, instead, theactor likes dining in the mostsophisticated lake-view restaurantsin Cernobbio: the hotel VillaD’Este’s Veranda restaurant, IlGiardino and Villa Flori’s restau-

Top 7 in 2007

rant.Clooney’s favourite restaurant,

however, is for certain ‘Il GattoNero’, where, according the latestindiscretions, he likes to eat withfriends the speciality of the place:risotto al Barbera with fillets.

But do not worry: you do notneed to spend money on fancyrestaurant in the hope of meetinghim:

The city of Como, less charmingbut more developed with its streetslined up of Prada , Gucci, Cavalli,Christian Dior shops and pleasantilluminated cafes, attracts thefamous actor for long promenades.

What is more, the latest gossipregards the popular actor’s newestpurchase of another beautiful villain the Lake of Como: VillaMargherita, which the actor seemsto have bought only to accommo-date his holiday guests…But thereis more!

In May 2006 George Clooneythrough his company OrcalsonLtd, had asked to acquire 48 squaremetre of St Marina beach that hisVilla Margherita overviews. Afteran intensive law battle with thelocal Council and numerous com-plains from the inhabitants,Clooney obtained only the buildingof a tunnel that would allow him

and his guests to reach the publicbeach without having to cross thestreet.

Only this time, Clooney had to

renounce to his new property plan.He will have to share the little

beach ‘St. Marina’ in Laglio with allof us!

Good Luck with your hunt!

George Clooney on the set of Ocean’s 11

By Camilla Tosetto

Circular03042007.qxd 03/04/2007 17:32 Page 8

THE CIRCULAR 9FASHION

Body Beautiful Spring is finally in the air, and soonit will be time to pack away thosedreary winter woollies and flashsome flesh again, but are your bodyand your wardrobe ready for it? Letthe expert style panel of the Circularhelp you put some zest back intoyour summer- style.

De-fuzzMake sure you’re smooth all over,because, frankly, there’s no excuse toskimp on your waxing routine whensummer is just around the corner.

Buff ‘‘n’GrindExfoliation is the best way to get ridof dry skin, especially those trickyareas like elbows and knees. Youcould get this done at a salon, but agood budget option is to lock thebathroom door and have yourselfan afternoon of complete girlyheaven. Alternatively, invite yourgirlfriends around for a pamper-party, fill the bathtub with ice andyour drinks of choice (margaritasare always a safe bet!) and get gor-geous!

Hit TThe BBottleThe self-tan bottle that is. A greattan is the perfect way to get readyfor summer, but we all know howbad those sun-bed rays are for youskin, so make sure you stick to theliquid kind. If you have tried, butfailed, to get an even colored result,a good bet is to try some of thebody- lotions with a hint of tan inthem. These are much easier toapply and look natural.

Gloss IItYou’re almost there now, smoothand brown and nearly ready to bareit all at the beach, all that’s missing isthe icing on the ever more fabulouslooking cake! So, time to tacklethose nails. If you are going tosplurge on one beauty treatment thisspring, make it a spa-pedicure. Yourneglected feet will thank you for it!Get your nails painted in one of thisseason’s glossy fruity colors. Butremember to never, ever, matchyour toe- nails to you fingernails, abig beauty faux- pas, and also com-mon trait of the over 50s.

Beautylicious!You are all beach-babe now, glowingand ready for those lazy summerdays and steamy summer nights. Butremember that less is definitelymore, especially when it comes tomake-up, in the hotter months. Letyour sun-kissed body and speak foritself this season, and don’t hide itunder layers of heavy make up.Summer is all about bare-skinnedbeauty with just a hint of bronzerand water-proof mascara. But what-ever you do, don’t forget the sun-screen!

Get Set for SummerSizzling tips from Griffith’s hottest fashionista Trine Jensen on how to stay hip this summer

7 Summer EssentialsNow that you’ve got the sizzling summer-body, here are the seven essential wardrobe must-haves that, with some great combination know-how, will see you through the next few months,and maybe prevent you from making some very expensive fashion mistakes.

The DDressThis summer it’s all about the dress. The catwalks of New York, London, Milan and Paris wereall crammed with dresses in all shapes, forms and colors, and the high-street is quick to followsuit. From flirty to sexy, maxi to micro-mini, or nano as it is now called, it is all there for you towear, just make sure you pick one that flatters your figure, as getting it wrong can ruin the mostvital staple of your summer wardrobe.If you are tall and fairly flat-chested, go for some of the fantastic ruffled Gucci-like tropicalcoloured dresses from Zara, or if you want to show some leg, Warehouse has amazing silk-printtunic dresses.Chloe is every fashion conscious girl’s dream, but as we know, comes with a fairly hefty price tag.So if your budget doesn’t quite stretch to ready-to-wear Chloe, then head down to your nearestH&M or Zara store, as the two high-street giants both have great versions of this season’s dress-es.

Feet FFirstSummer-time is all about sandals, and showing off your newly pedicured toes, so make sure youpick the best of the bunch when it comes to this season’s fancy footwear. First of all, if you areheading off on holidays, the most essential part of you footwear collection will more than likelybe a pair of flip-flops, and nothing, but nothing, beats Brazilian label Havaianas when it comesto classic rubber flip flops. Incredibly soft and comfortable, and with a collection that comes in adizzying array of color and design, Havaianas are one of Brazil’s biggest exports; a staggering400 000 pairs are manufactured every single day, and sold all over the world. Get your pair inOffice or Urban Outfitters. Top Tip: Get two pairs, you will wear them to death.

The BBig TTThis may seem mundane and not worth mentioning, but it is an all important piece. Everysummer, make sure that you buy one really good white cotton t-shirt. If you are flat chested,get a round or crew-neck, if you have boobs, go for a v-shaped neck. This is the kind of life-saver that you will wear all through the season, with almost every other piece of clothing inyour wardrobe. It will go with denim skirts and any kind of trousers, it can go under a wrap-dress for a more casual look, or it can be worn as easily with jeans as with a pair of city-shorts. Just make sure that you buy a good quality one that will not go grey when it iswashed, and that will keep its shape.

Shady LLadyEverybody knows the rule when it comes to sunglasses i.e. the bigger, the better. Get your-self a pair of fabulous shades, they will add style to any outfit, and they are great for hidingall kinds of up-to-late,-too-many-strawberry-daquiries,-jetlagged-I-had-a-fight-with-my-ass-hole-boyfriend-and-I’m-all-cried-outî kinda sins!

Get SShortyLast year the shorts, officially, came back into fashion again. Some celebrated them, somecried and took violently against those fashion forces that makes these decisions, but, like it ornot, the shorts are still very much in the picture. But, do make sure you buy a pair that suitsyou, length, style and color-wise. Because, getting this one wrong, frankly, can get nasty.However, it is not worth spending too much money on a pair of shorts, as, more than likely,you will wear them this season only, and next summer, they will be as out as Ugg boots.Again, head down to Zara for the best selection, as they have styles that will suit mostshapes, and their prices are very purse-friendly.

Color CCodeThe catwalk shows S/S 07 were brimming with color, from brilliant whites to the most fantastic fruity shades, with citrusy colors dominating. Wesaw some 80’s flashback with strong neon-vibes, and some very futuristicmetallic creation, especially from Balenciaga and Stella McCartney. The bestthing to do, is to get yourself down to your local high-street and pick up orborrow inspiration from the ready-to-wear shows; Be brave, though, and trysome of this season’s fruity shades, they will add an instant summer feel.

AccessorizedNow that you have your basic staples, it is time to turn your attention to thefew little pieces that will pull your whole summer- wardrobe together and addthat certain something; the art of accessorising. First of all, get yourself a fewdifferent belts, some skinny, some wider. The waist-chincer-look is still doingthe rounds, and it will look great with your dress, or just over your white t-shirt.An important tip is the carry-it-all-in-the-big-beach-bag. It will carry all youressentials, works great as an in-flight bag, and looks fab, so get one. JuicyCouture has a good selection, and is moderately priced.Summer jewellery should be all about adding that bit of fun and flirtyness toyour outfit, so the possibilities again are endless. Bangles; you can get themeverywhere and in all colors imaginable, are very much in vogue, and longernecklaces, looks great if layered.

Circular03042007.qxd 03/04/2007 17:36 Page 9

THE CIRCULAR10 GRIFFITH NEWS

Sporting Chances

As Ireland’s largest independentcollege, GCD has been growingfast. Facilities and buildings oncampus appear to be keeping pace.New buildings such as the GriffithHalls of Residence, the auditoriumbuilding, the new restaurant andbar are all impressive signs of thisgrowth. The diversity of its studentbody has grown at a similar speedwith students from all over theworld enrolled in the various differ-ent courses on offer. A pity, then,that GCD’s clubs and societieshave not managed to keep up. As aGCD student for the last two yearsI have waited eagerly for sports like

Karate or Tae Kwon Do, or anactivity like Yoga, to start up. I amstill waiting. Along with many oth-ers, I have no doubt, with similartastes.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m notsaying GCD does not have soci-eties and clubs that are not great.We do. Soccer, football, rugby, bas-ketball, chess, pool, and darts clubsare all there – and fair play to them!What we lack, though, is choice andvariety. With well over 1000 stu-dents here day and night, it’s timefor GCD to start catering for awider range of tastes. We may haveless students than the older andlarger universities in Dublin, butthe diversity of the student body in

GCD is equal to, if not more than,any such establishment.

Even a cursory comparison withthe sports clubs of other collegesin Dublin, though, reveals thatGCD sports clubs are laggingbehind when it comes to the choiceof sports available. Dublin Instituteof Technology (DIT), Dublin CityUniversity (DCU), and UniversityCollege Dublin (UCD), for exam-ple, have more than fifty sportssocieties and clubs at present. Youcan choose from a range of out-door sports, indoor sports, watersports, and martial arts clubs. Thebreadth of choice in some collegesis more than impressive - DIT, forinstance, has an aerobics club, bad-

minton, judo, volleyball, and yogaclubs among others. Students payonly Ä2 per academic year to joinany club they like. There are noother charges. In DCU, they pay Ä4for a year. I know the clubs that wehave in GCD are free, but whatgood is a free deal if the deal youare getting is not something youparticularly want?

Of course, size matters. Largeruniversities, subsidized by the Stateand with more students, haveaccess to better infrastructure.Some of these campuses even haveswimming pools and footballgrounds of their own. We aresmaller in comparison, and haveless such facilities. But that doesn’t

mean we are shut out of the gamealtogether – we just have to bemore resourceful - we can formassociations and alliances withother colleges to use their facilitiesfor our own clubs. For instance wecan make a deal with DIT and usetheir pool for a swimming club ofour own; in return, we could offer aplace for a Yoga club for other col-leges.

We may be small, but we can beinventive – you know what theysay; it’s not the size that matters, it’swhat you do with it. For a small col-lege, our academic excellence hasbeen notable. It’s time to find moreways to relax those aching brains-give variety a sporting chance!

Photo of the DIT karate clubBy Yaning Liu

Circularreporter

investigatesthe availabili-ty of diversestudent clubson campusand how

Griffith meas-ures up com-

pared toother Irishcolleges

No Parking on the GrassAs the schoolyear comes toa close many

studentswonder-- Willwe ever get touse the Griffith

lawn?

With the Summer on it’s way,bringing with it the sunshine andheat so missed by all, students allover the country are already men-tally preparing. It is a fact that oncethe weather heats up they will all beheading for greener pastures with afew cans in tow. These “greener

pastures” are well known and havebecome the watering hole for stu-dents everywhere in the build up tothe end of the college year. Theyare, as you may have guessed, theareas within the college set asidefor students to lounge about casu-ally missing important lectures orhave a kick about, whatever themood calls for really.

Take for example one which isprobably the best known in Dublin,The Pav. Some may look downupon this as snooty, with the“Trinners is for Winners!” air aboutit. However this is hardly the casewith its expansive green and lowdrink prices it has become some-what of a haven for the poor stu-dent clientele. It is a popular spotthroughout the summer as well asthe college year. This is not the onlyone of its kind, UCD and DCUhave similar layouts for their stu-dents. As do many of the campus-es outside Dublin, namely the sta-bles in UL in Limerick and UCC in

Cork. Can anyone sense a patternhere? Each of these colleges havewhat Griffth college is lacking. Theresturant itself, it must be said issuperb. Looks wise it is far superiorto others, however it lacks the stu-dent pricing found in others. Andso is it fair to have to this referredto as the student bar? Hardly. nordoes Griffith have a green forsports or any other activities.

For those students who haveonly arrived in Griffith college thisyear the little patch of grass sur-rounded by rent a fence probablymeans very little. For the rest how-ever this is not the case. There maybe the occasional twinge of nost-salgia for what once was, a greenwhere students would congregateafter the end of exams or merelyfor the sake of it. It is not just nos-talgia that has students looking onin distain. There is also the fact thatit is an eyesore also, the green in thecentre of campus and so onewould think it should be regarded

as attractive. There is the commonthought that if it’s not a buildingsite it’s inneccessary fencing! Allthat is wanted is both somewherefor the students to go and an attrac-tive campus.

According to one source this

green area was meant to have beenunleashed to us months ago, how-ever with the on going concern forthe “new grass” and it’s growth thisdid not happen. It is not likely tohappen before the end of thissemester either.

Student playing frisbee on a college lawnBy Trudy McCarthy

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THE CIRCULAR 11SPORTS

Thank you Joe!A report on the departure of

wrestling Ring of Honorsbiggest star

When most pro-wrestling fanstoday are asked “Who is the bestwrestler in the business today?”one name constantly comes upfrom fans of all ages and back-grounds, Samoa Joe. Joe hasimpressed the wrestling world forthe past 5 years with his hard-hit-ting style of wrestling and ability tomove around the ring like a light-heavyweight, despite weighing 280lb.

He was involved in the firstmatch in seven years on Americansoil to receive a 5 star review fromrespected wrestling journalist DaveMeltzer. With this match, manyfans say, he saved the company hecalled home, Ring of Honor, fromdestruction, as they where trying torecover from public scandal involv-ing the companies owner. He offi-cial cemented his name as one ofthe world’s best when he wasinvolved in what Meltzer claims tobe one of the best matches of thepast 10 years against KentaKobashi in 2005.

Joe was present on almost everysingle Ring of Honor show eversince his first match, despite alsoworking for America’s second

largest wrestling company TNAsince June 2005. Joe had earned thenickname ‘The ROH Legend’ andboth helped each other achieve thelevels of success they have enjoyedso far. It was for these reasons, thatan announcement made on theROH website by Joe in January ofthis year shocked every ROH fanacross the globe.

ROH had made manyannouncements during December2006 and January, including thehuge news that the company wasgoing to do its first ever shows inJapan, and return to Liverpool,England for a second UK tour,something which no one ever sawthe company doing 5 years ago.Samoa Joe was being pushed into alarge angle, challenging many topclass Japanese wrestlers includingTakeshi Morishima, KENTA andJun Akiyama. Then, after all theseannouncements where made, Joemade one of his own.

“Due to circumstances beyondmy control, my match in March inLiverpool shall be my last as a reg-ular in Ring of Honor “

Many questioned why Joe had tobe almost forced to leave. Many

pointed the blame at TNA, believ-ing they wanted to give Joe anNWA World Title run in 2007 andif he kept working for ROH itwould put too but pressure on hisbody, as ROH matches are a lotrougher than TNA’s. Fans alsowondered if ROH could survivewithout Joe, and who would fill hisshoes.

But most fans decided to paytribute to Joe, and thank him foreverything he had done for Ring ofHonor. I was lucky enough to befront-row for Joe’s final 2 matcheswith the company, and got to havea quick word with him before thesematches about leaving the companyhe called home.

“I made my name here, and it ishard to say goodbye to the compa-ny” He stated, “I think the compa-ny shall keep growing, and it shallget more respect for bringing backthe sport of professional wrestling,rather than promoting ‘sportsentertainment’

“I believe that Nigel McGuinesswill be the future of this company,and will hold the ROH World Titlesooner rather than later”

At the event, fans discussed withme their reactions to Joe’s leaving.“It’s tough, the guy established the

company as one of the best in theworld, never mind the States. Imean, how many other independ-ent companies have managed to gettours in The UK and Japan? If Joehadn’t of been in the company, Idoubt this would have happened”one fan told me. “As sad as it is tosee him go, I’m happy for him atthe same time. He is easily thehottest thing in the game right now,and with him working in TNA fulltime he is gonna become a house-hold name on par with The Rockor even Hulk Hogan. I wish him allthe best.”

“He never held back, he alwaysput his body on the line for us, andI’m very thankful for it. There are alot of guys out there with big paychecks who are not half as good awrestler as most of the guys on theindependent scene in companiessuch as ROH, and to see one ofour own become as big as them andhave the talent to back it up also isfantastic.”

One fan informed me, who wenton to think that Joe’s major push inTNA could become a blessing indisguise for ROH, “ A lot of peo-ple are gonna want to see more ofJoe’s matches, and they’ll look ashis past and see the 5 star matches

he had with CM Punk and KentaKobashi. They’ll get the DVD’sand then become more interestedin the ROH product, creating evenmore fans.”

Joe received a standing ovationfrom the fans both nights, withmany streamers thrown into thering when his name was called andthe constant ‘Thank you Joe’ chantsheard before, during and after hismatches. Joe went on to beat NigelMcGuiness on the Saturday night,and afterwards told the crowd thatNigel was the future of the compa-ny. On the Sunday night, Joe beatone of his best friends in the com-pany, Homicide, in a final match hecould look back at and be veryproud of. Joe gave a farewell speechat the end of the night, with thewhole ROH locker-room standingby the entrance, joining the fans inshowing their respect for the man.Joe left the company with thesewords:

“At the moment, they call me‘The Samoan SubmissionMachine’, however before that, Iwasn’t tied under a gimmick, I wasprofessional wrestling, and I leaveyou with these words. I am SamoaJoe; I love pro wrestling; and I'llleave it all here, in Ring of Honor."

Samoa Joe in the ring

Samoa Joe crushing his opponent in a match

By Sean Reid

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THE CIRCULAR12 SPORTS

United and Chelsea prepared to slug it outto the endBy Daire Walsh

As we reach the closing weeks of the Barclays English Premiership, Manchester United holds a 6 point cush-ion at the top of the table. Yet, it is by no means a done deal and Chelsea are still very much in the hunt for hon-ours. To date, Chelsea have struggled with injuries, in particular goalkeeper Petr Cech and talismanic skipper JohnTerry. It will be vital that they remain fit for the closing games of the season, as they are still in with a shout ofadding more trophies to the Carling Cup they won against Arsenal at the start of March. From a very early stageit was clear that there were only ever two teams in the race for the title. Liverpool’s shaky form at the beginningof the season means they will have to wait at least another season to challenge for the title. Arsenal have playedsome superb football throughout the season but may need another couple of years to mature from the young sidethey are now to the championship winning side Arsene Wenger hopes they will become.

United’s performances have become somewhat shaky of late, yet the results have gone their way, so you can seewhy they are favourites to win their ninth Premiership title. However, they still have to travel to Stamford Bridgeand this could be an extremely tricky assignment as Chelsea haven’t lost there in the league since Jose Mourinhotook over in the summer of 2004. Of course, there may be a few twists and turns before they meet, but certain-ly this match could go a long way to determining who the 2006/07 Premiership Champions

At the reverse end of the table it appears Watford are, despite a good cup run, resigned to life in theChampionship next season. Just above them, West Ham and Charlton find themselves in difficult positions, yetmay still have a fighting chance if Manchester City continue to play as poorly as they are at the moment, andWigan, so promising last season, are by no means safe either.

In terms of pushing for Uefa Cup spots, it would seem that there are a number of clubs in with a chance.Bolton, currently lying in fifth place, have a great chance and currently find themselves in the best position possi-ble. Everton and Portsmouth are also in with a shout, as are this year’s surprise package, Reading. Other clubs likeTottenham Hotspur and Blackburn Rovers are further down the table, yet still have a good chance of making upthe ground required.

Whatever transfixes should prove to be extremely interesting and there should be plenty of excitement as thePremiership draws to a close and it will become clearer how certain clubs and managers stand as regards the future.

TOP 5 BOTTOM 5(AS OF APRIL 1ST) (AS OF APRIL 1ST)

GP PT GP PT1 MAN UNITED 31 78 16 SHEFF UTD 31 312 CHELSEA 31 72 17 MAN CITY 30 363 LIVERPOOL 31 57 18 CHARLTON 31 304 ARSENAL 30 55 19 WEST HAM 31 265 BOLTON 31 50 20 WATFORD 31 20

Man United during a match with Sevilla

April SportsDiary

By Paddy McCormack

Gaelic Games1- NFL (rd 6, 3.30), Division One A - Fermanagh v Cork; Mayo

v Dublin; Limerick v Donegal; Division One B - Down v Derry; Louth vGalway; Westmeath v Kildare; Division Two A - Monaghan v Offaly;Roscommon v Leitrim; Clare v London; Carlow v Longford; DivisionTwo B - Sligo v Antrim; Cavan v Wexford; Tipperary v Wicklow; NHL(rd 5, 3.30) - Division One A - Waterford v Offaly; Clare v Cork;Wexford v Down; Division One B - Limerick v Antrim; Kilkenny vGalway; Tipperary v Dublin; Division Two A - Wicklow v Derry; Carlowv Laois; Meath v Armagh; Division Two B - Kildare v Kerry; London vWestmeath; Division Three A - Sligo v Donegal; Louth v Monaghan;Division Three B - Fermanagh v Roscommon; Longford v Tyrone 7- NFL (rd 7, 7.30), Division One A - Donegal v Fermanagh; Dublin vKerry; Tyrone v Mayo; Cork v Limerick 8- NFL (rd 7, 3.30), Division One B - Galway v Down; Kildare v Laois;Derry v Louth; Armagh v Westmeath; Division Two A - London vCarlow; Longford v Clare; Leitrim v Monaghan; Offaly v Roscommon;Division Two B - Waterford v Cavan; Wexford v Meath; Wicklow v Sligo;Antrim v Tipperary; NHL quarter-finals 15- NFL semi-finals; NHL semi-finals; All-Ireland Vocational Schools’Senior Hurling Championship and Senior football Championship finals 21-22- All-Ireland U21 football semi-finals, Connacht v Munster; Leinsterv Ulster; All-Ireland Colleges finals; Women: NFL (Division One, Two)semi-finals22- NFL finals 29- NHL finals

Horse Racing7-9- Cork Easter Festival

8-10- Fairyhouse Easter Festival 9- Irish Grand National 12-14- Aintree Festival 14- Grand National Aintree 24-27- Punchestown Festival 24- Champion Chase, Punchestown 25- Gold Cup, Punchestown 26- Champion 4-Y-O Hurdle, Punchestown 27- Champion Hurdle, Punchest

Rugby6- Celtic League, Connacht v Cardiff, Sportsground; Glasgow v

Leinster; Ospreys v Munster, Liberty Stadium 5-21- U19 World Championships, Belfast 5- U19 World Championship, Australia v Ireland, Ravenhill,7- All Ireland League 9- U19 World Championship,Scotland v Ireland, Ravenhill, 7.30;

13- Celtic League, Borders v Ulster, Netherdale; Connacht v Glasgow,Sportsground; Munster v Llanelli, Musgrave Park; Newport v Leinster,Rodney Parade;

U19 World Cup Championship - South Africa v Ireland, Ravenhill,7.30;17- Cetlic League, Cardiff v Newport, Arms Park; Llanelli v Ospreys,Stradey Park;

U19 World Cup Championship round four, Belfast 20-22- European Cup semi-finals 21- U19 World Cup Championship Final, Ravenhill; All-Ireland League;Division Two/Three semi-finals 27- Celtic League, Munster v Newport, Musgrave Park; Ospreys vLeinster, Liberty Stadium; Ulster v Glasgow, Ravenhill 28- All-Ireland League Division One semi-finals

Soccer2-Setanta Cup, Group One, Derry City v Glentoran; Linfield v

Drogheda United; Group Two, Shelbourne v Cork City; Dungannon vPortadown 3- Champions League quarter-finals, 1st leg 5- UEFA Cup quarter-finals, 1st leg 11- Champions League quarter-finals, 2nd leg 12- UEFA Cup quarter-finals, 2nd leg 14- FA Cup semi-finals 14/15- Scottish Cup semi-finals 16- Setanta Cup, Group Two, Cork City v Dungannon; Portadown vShelbourne 17- Setanta Cup, Group One, Drogheda United v Derry City; Glentoranv Linfield 23- Setanta Cup semi-final, winner 2 v Runner-up 1 24- Champions League semi-finals, 1st leg 26- UEFA Cup semi-final, 1st leg 30- Setanta Cup semi-final, winner 1 v runner-up 2

Title goes downto the wire

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