Free Spring Competition with stunning prizes

 

Its spring. The birds in the trees are chirpy (and horny). Flower buds are peeping out of the ground. There is so much to smell, see, hear and savour, and of course with every step you take you are strengthening your muscles, heart and lungs as well as releasing endorphins that lift your mood and help you cope with stress. But now, in addition to all these benefits, the simple pleasure of walking through the spring air can win you and your campus a treasure trove of stunning prizes (without all the bother of having to wrestle with fire breathing dragons).

 

The National Transport Authority has launched an initiative across Ireland called Marchathon 2014, asking students to get together in groups and pledge to walk thirty minutes a day for a week. It is that simple. There are daily spot prizes, a big draw and many other awards. Prizes include Tablets, ereaders and Marchathon goodies.

If you are interested check out Marchathon 2014

 

Related articles:

Active Travel in Galway - Walking & Cycling

Magic Medicine. It's free. And it really works…

Free download booklet on success and wellbeing for students.

Keep up to date by following this blog on twitter at: @RBizzness

 

 

Free download booklet on success and wellbeing for students - available now.

A new free booklet based on this ever popular blog riskybizzness.blogspot.ie is now available as a free download.

 Like the blog, the new booklet provides information on relationships, health, nutrition, budgeting and much more. There are facts, ideas, contact details and also plenty of online links to articles and video clips.

Feeling well within yourself has been proven to have a positive impact on grades and on a person’s ability to deal with the stresses of study, research and exams. Check it out here.

 Keep up to date by following this blog on twitter at: @RBizzness

Good news - Cancer can be prevented

One of the worry aspects about cancer is that it is becoming almost normalised, to the point where we think that Cancer is an inevitable part of life. This is not so.

 

“For many there is a sense that they have no control over their cancer risk,” says John McCormack, CEO of the Irish Cancer Society. “This is a myth. In fact, specific inherited genes only cause about 5-10% of all cancers.  For the vast majority of us, the risk of getting cancer can be reduced by changes in our lifestyle.”  

For more on what the Irish Cancer has to say on what you can do today to prevent cancer read Cancer Can Be Prevented

 

Luckily for students at NUI Galway riskybizzness has plenty of information on what you can do to help you keep cancer at bay. This advice could be summed up as live well and have fun. Here are some risky articles you may want to check out:

Active Travel in Galway - Walking & Cycling

Breast Cancer and Alcohol - bad news & good news
Handy Tips on Fighting Zombies
Myths about food, weight and body image
The Mediterranean Diet
Tips for Staying Healthy on campus

 Keep up to date by following this blog on twitter at: @RBizzness

 

 

Night of the Living Clown at An Taibhdhearc for 3 nights

Triko Cirkus Teatar (Best Independent Theatre Company in Croatia in 2012) will perform Night of the Living Clown at An Taibhdhearc for 3 nights to mark the end of an Irish/Croatian Red Nose Clown Exchange.

This clown cabaret, written and directed by Lee DeLong, features 5 theatre clowns who have been trained in the Jacques LeCoq style and 3 traditional Irish musicians who accompany the action throughout. The show was devised in Ireland and Croatia and was performed on Hallowe’en Night in Zagreb. The action is entirely visual, funny and touching as the Clowns try to frighten each other but end up frightening themselves.  

Clown is the search for what it is to be human. All the performers have trained with Lee DeLong, who says ‘Losing the fear of being ridiculous is a great step for an actor to take and his work is enriched by that step forever afterwards. The clown has no past and no future so he exists only in THE MOMENT, which is a basic principle of all good acting skills’.  

Night of the Living Clown features award-winning Croatian actor Drazen Sivak and also includes Nikolina Majdek, Iva Peter-Dragan and Domagoj Soic, who performed in Múscailt Festival 2013 in the hit show Nightingale. NUI Galway performers and musicians include Fionnuala Gallagher, Bríd Ní Mhaoileáin and Jack Talty.

Dates: 27 Feb, 28 Feb, 1 March

Place & Time: An Taibhdhearc, Galway, 8pm
Tickets €12/10 (Children 8 and over €8) Tel. 091-562024 www.antaibhdhearc.com

‘Decades of masturbation enthusiasm’ and much more...

Here’s the latest Q & As from Go Ask Alice. Topics covered include ‘Decades of masturbation enthusiasm’, ‘Intimate ways to ask partner to make love’, ‘What to do about flat feet’ and much more. Click on the links below to read more about subjects that interest you. And remember if you find the articles useful feel free to tell your friends or retweet this blog.

 

Theme of the Week: My Many Loves

Loving confusion — is it okay to love same sex friends... and say so?

Self-confidence

Decades of masturbation enthusiasm

Long distance relationships — giving it a go!

I want a husband AND a wife (polyamory)

 

Other health and wellbeing topics

GMOs — okay for consumption?
Intimate ways to ask partner to make love
Liver tenderness from a one-night bender?
What to do about flat feet
Eternally hard
 

All Go Ask Alice articles are written by Columba University.

Copyright (C) 2014 Columbia University All rights reserved.

 

The latest Go Ask Alice book is available in the Wellness Centre at the back of The Hub http://www.nuigalway.ie/campus-map/?id=202&go=1 - drop in any time for a read.

             

Remember, if you have problems or worries you feel you would like to talk about confidentially, contact Cindy Dring, Health Promotion Officer for NUI Galway at 091-492048. Alternatively e-mail her at cindy.dring@nuigalway.ie or just drop in to Aras Ni Eimhigh.

 

For more on how to look good, feel good and be in charge of your life as a student at NUI Galway check out Student's Services Health Promotion

 

Keep up to date by following this blog on twitter at: @RBizzness

Theatre of Dissent – this week's must see shows

Valentine’s week sees the performance in Galway of work by two gay writers and left wing thinkers, both of whom suffered savage punishment because of their sexuality.

Oscar Wilde was sentenced in 1895 to two years hard labour for being homosexual. The prison regime broke him physically and played a direct part in his death in 1900.

Federico Garcia Lorca was executed by fascists in 1936. One of his executioners declared later  that he had “fired two bullets into his ass for being a queer.”  

Here is the details of the two productions:

Múscailt Arts Festival presents:

The Ballad of Reading Gaol

By Oscar Wilde

Directed and performed by Rab Fulton  and SandraCoffey 

When: Thursday 13^th February at 8pm.

Where: BOI theatre.  

Tickets: 5 euro (can be bought at show or booked in advance from Socs Box at 091 492852 or socsbox@socs.nuigalway.ie ) 

'The Ballad of Reading Gaol' is a moving and heart breaking insight into Oscar Wilde’s time in Reading Prison. It is also the last work Wilde wrote just months after his release from prison after serving two years of hard labour for being homosexual. Beset by wicked sprites and tolling bells Oscar and his fellow inmates endured the madness and cruel absurdity of a Victorian prison regime - and all the while waiting for the judicial killing of a fellow prisoner.

For more see The Ballad ofReading Gaol and Múscailt Arts Festival 

***

The Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance, NUI Galway and Core Theatre College present
Yerma
by Federico Garcia Lorca
Where: Mick Lally Theatre, Druid Lane, Galway 
When: February 13th – 15th at 8 pm.

Tkts 10/8 euro from Socsbox Socs Box at 091 492852 or socsbox@socs.nuigalway.ie ) 

Translation by Peter Luke. Directed by Max Hafler

Yerma is a woman living in a small village, who feels like she has done everything right. Yet she cannot have what she wants, a baby, with her husband. Her desire alienates her from friends, and her small world. The villagers are not cruel but she feels excluded. She knows a family is what God and the society expect. Her isolation takes her on a terrible journey. Yerma is about the hunger to conform and the dangers of obsession. The play is full of passion, humour, music and rhythm. It is both poetic and brutally realistic. 

For more see: Yerma  

Found this article useful, you might want to check out 
(Gay?) Love and Marriage
Jailed for Loving Peace

To keep up to date follow Risky Bizzness on @RBizzness

Jailed for Loving Peace

As Valentine’s Day draws near, Galway writer and peace activist Margaretta D’Arcy will be completing her first month in jail.

Margaretta was jailed for loving peace so much that she refused to sign an order to stop protesting at the use of the civilian airport at Shannon for US wars. Margaretta has dedicated her life to the cause of peace and to highlighting that the most devastating impact of war is on women and our children, both directly from the bombs that rain down on us, and by paying with our poverty for the horrendous weapons of massive destruction that surround us all. A vigil will take place this saturday at 1pm at The Spire, O'Connell St., Dublin.

For more on Margaretta D’arcy and the campaign to free her see http://www.globalwomenstrike.net/ or join the campaign online at https://www.facebook.com/FreeShannon?fref=ts

‘Laugh, Nourish, Love’ at Múscailt Arts Festival 2014

This theme of this year’s Múscailt Arts Festival is ‘Laugh, Nourish, Love’ and features artists at play all over NUI Galway (and beyond).

On Tuesday 11 Feb, A Victorian Funfair will be in situ in the Mechanical Soils lab, a Victorian Building, from 12pm to 5pm, allowing you to enjoy a walk back in time to learn more about the Amazing Victorians, their art, science, literature and pastimes, all recreated with fun and games by the popular new Victorian Society at NUI Galway. Wipe your feet, come on in and have a cup of tea, pies and sumptuous delicacies. NUI Galway knitting and Crochet group have even created an enormous doily named Doily-icious that will hang in Áras na Mac Léinn alongside a group show of staff and student artists entitled ‘Wonder’.

Are you brave enough to have your portrait painted? Well, think how scary it is for the painter? You may not like the portrait, it may not be a likeness, or a monster may emerge. Joe McCaul loves to paint portraits. Throughout the week of the Múscailt Festival, in the midst of students, staff and public, in the atrium of Aras na Mac Léinn, Joe McCaul and his palette knife, paint and easel will paint anyone who will sit for half an hour (twice). This is a chance for Joe to be free, to be an artist at play. He just needs you the public to take part. No pressure. No fee. All the new portraits that he paints during Múscailt will be added to the walls and be on show until 1^st. March.

Once again, the Mechanical Soils Lab next to the BOI Theatre, will act as a magnificent Exhibition Space. Here, the works of 3 artists will be on view. NUI Galway is honoured to have, on loan, five large paintings by the late Sharon O’Malley. a singular, internationally established artist with close links to Galway who held a life-long interest in classical mythology. Additionally, Susanne Keane will present ‘Where Sea meets Sky’, an exhibition of atmospheric, abstract, sea-scapes, painted with swathes of bright colours. And Joe McCaul will show a selection of his new and recent portraits and sculptures. Exhibitions will run until 1^st. March.

Múscailt will host two special, illustrated, visual art lectures on Wednesday 12^th. February 11am-1pm.  Joe McCaul,artist, will deliver an illustrated lecture on portraiture entitled ‘Getting A Head’ and Conor Newman, Chair of The Heritage Council and lecturer in Archaeology at NUI Galway will give a presentation on Insular Art (early Medieval), entitled ‘Portraiture through Possessions’. Also Ancient Music Ireland aka Simon O’Dwyer and Maria Cullen O’Dwyer will present and demonstrate a musical exploration through pre-historic instruments up to 700AD on Tuesday 11^th. At 8pm in The Cube.. All welcome.

Gums, Galway University Musical Society, will perform the musical, The Drowsy Chaperone, at the Black Box Theatre from 11-15 February. This colourful comedy takes place in the glitz and glamour of the 1920s with frantic preparations for a wedding. Sit back and enjoy great music, with fun surprises and laughs guaranteed. The Witless Band Competition Final takes place in the Student Union Bar with judges AND public vote, while Arts in Action features the remarkable young musician Padraic Keane on uileann pipes, accompanied by his sisters Maisie-Kate and siobhán on fiddles.  DJ Society will play at the opening launch on Monday lunchtime and Dansoc will showcase hot off the planet new choreography on Monday evening in a variety of styles, hip-hop, ballet, modern, salsa and Irish Dancing.

Another special event will be Hello, Delia Murphy, a show on iconic Irish ballad singer Delia Murphy, written by her niece Carmen Cullen. Sit back and soak up the atmosphere of the 19402 through songs like If I were a Blackbird, The Spinning Wheel and Lovely Lassies. Hello, Delia Murphy takes place in the BOI Theatre and includes a dramatized reading and family photographs among the songs performed by Carmen Cullen and Máirín ó’Donovan with accompaniament by musician Gerry Anderson. Also in the BOI, in its fifth year, the Solo Show: Múscailt Monologues, presents new writings and performances from NUI Galway’s students and staff and visitors. 

The Ballad of Reading Gaol by Oscar Wilde, featuring a powerful performance by Rab Swannock and directed by Sandra Coffey,is back by popular demand after a successful début in the inaugural Oscar Wilde festival last October. This dark and lyrical show takes place on thursday 13th Feb. For more see The Ballad of Reading Gaol

Dramsoc will perform the show Overcast Teacups and Colours Street Theatre will début a new show -The Seat, written and performed by James Fleming.  

Múscailt is proud to launch the book, Jumbo Wants to be a Hippo, a children’s story by Lionel Gallagher and illustrated by Marina Wild. Rab Swannock Fulton will read from his sci-fi blog-novel Marcus Marcus & the Hurting Heart.

President James J. Browne extends an open invitation to the public to attend the closing event of Múscailt, ‘The Galway Music Residency-NUI Galway Sponsor’s Concert’, at 1pm on Friday 14^th.  February in the Bailey Allen Hall. The specially chosen programme for Valentine’s Day –‘Viennese Classics’ includes works by Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven and Schubert, performed by ConTempo Quartet.

Special Guests, Triko Cirkus Teatar, from Croatia, who starred in Múscailt 2013 present a new Clown Cabaret- with performers and traditional musicians from NUI Galway featuring alongside Triko clowns in Night of the Living Clown, written and directed by Lee DeLong to a live musical score. The Cabaret, specially prepared for Múscailt will be performed for 3 nights in An Taibhdhearc, under the banner Múscailt-Clown Cabaret, on the later dates of 27, 28 Feb and 1^st March, two weeks after the festival. The show is suitable for all ages.

Commenting on this year's line up, Fionnuala Gallagher, NUI Galway Arts Officer says, “Our theme this year, ‘Laugh, Nourish, Love’ allows us to look within us, have a laugh and  highlight our strengths in all of the art-forms. Everyone is welcome to participate”

All exhibitions are open Monday – Saturday until 1^st. March. For up-to-date and further information see www.muscailt.nuigalway.ie. For a copy of the programme contact the Arts Office at 493766 or 495098. Tickets for events and info on Society events will be available from the Socsbox at 091 492852 or socsbox@socs.nuigalway.ie.  The Drowsy Chaperone tickets are also available from Town Hall Theatre www.tht.ie or 569777. Múscailt-Clown Cabaret tickets are available from An Taibhdhearc www.antaibhdhearc.com or 562024.

Free Workshop on 'Cooking a Valentine's Meal (Without Breaking the Bank)'

One of the best ways to impress the love of your life is to cook a meal. It’s a lot cheaper and more intimate than going out for the night.

Cooking a Valentine's Meal (Without Breaking the Bank) is a free workshop with Cooking and entertaining tips whether it's for a large group of friends or a special meal for two.

Featuring Isadora Kennedy, chef & Galway event planner

The event will take place on Wednesday 12 February at 7.30 pmin Ros Geal Residence (19 University Rd, next to Tesco Express).

This event is free and open to all students. Interested students should email:rosgeal@gmail.com to book a place. 

(Gay?) Love and Marriage

This is not the first time that tradition has been used to debase marriage. Down the decades, and even to this day, there have been those who advocate that in a traditional marriage a husband should be able to physically punish his wife; that a husband should control his wife’s property; that a husband can use as he sees fit.  And whilst there have been those who would have it that all these thing are perfectly normal and proper and traditional, any right thinking person would describe such behaviour as brutality, theft and rape.  

So what about those who oppose gay marriage? The problem with their view point is it defines marriage as a negative, as an act whose primary function is to deny and exclude the humanity and love of others. But worse, far worse, is that the act of lessening another person’s right to love and how to express that love is in fact an act of questioning whether that person is fully human.  Our blood and tears soaked history has shown us precisely what results when a group of people are defined as lesser ‘Others’.

But what is particularly toxic about the recent debate over marriage is that gay people, the very people who traditionalist would seek to exclude and diminish, can no longer use the word that any right thinking person would use and that word is ‘Homophobia’.  

On the plus side there is another marriage tradition that has no place for brutality, theft, rape or homophobia. It is a tradition that defines marriage as a primarily positive act – the selfless meeting and conjoining of two hearts. It is a tradition that many people strive to adhere to, including those who do not go through a formal marriage.  It is a tradition that believes that love begets love and that is all – it should never be used to justify the lessening, the degrading and dehumanising of anyone else.

Anyway, that’s enough from me. Here’s what Panti Bliss so powerfully had to say about homophobia…

You might also want to check out this article:

Free advice on when and when not to use the word gay....

For more on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender young people inIreland check out Belong To and GIGSOC

To keep up to date follow Risky Bizzness on @RBizzness

How to put on a condom

Here’s a very good explanation on how to use a condom. It was commissioned by Student Services Health Promotion and put together by  aidswest.ie

Free condoms are available from the Wellness Centre and Student Union.

For more info check out thinkcontraception.ie & www.b4udecide.ie

Free! All the fun of the fair. This wednesday

Roll up, roll up.  All the fun of the fair - sex, drugs, alcohol and weird and wonderful demonstrations! Yes its Health Fair time again, this Wednesday 5^th February in the Bailey Allen Hall . 

I’ll be there to chat about the risky bizzness  blog as well as my other work . You can get your i-pods and personal sound systems checked for free and find out how to get ahead in bed (or where ever!)

There will be demonstrations, workshops and lots of stalls to check out. Here’s all the details…

Workshops

Time        Workshop

1-2	"Sex, Drugs and Alcohol…Frisky and Risky "  A workshop on risks that people may take in their lives. A no-holds-barred session covers such topics as sexual activity, binge drinking & drug use,  given by Lorraine O Connell and Neil Wilson, Educators with AIDS West.  Light lunch provided.
4-5	"How to get Ahead in bed " A workshop covering everything you need to know about sex in order to be a good lover, given by Dr Siobhan O’ Higgins, Educator   NUIG /AIDS West . Snacks provided

Demonstrations

Time       Demonstration

11.30-12	Tai Chi – Zhen Yang
12-1	Cookery – Kate Wright
1-2	Cheerleading
2-3	Grow your own herbs – Laura O’Connor
3.30-4	Tai Chi – Zhen Yang

Stalls to check out include…

Health Awareness

Croi: Preventative measures against heart disease and stroke

Epilepsy Ireland: Awareness regarding epilepsy and its service

Deaf Hear: Awareness regarding music and hearing loss

Diabetes Ireland: Information regarding diabetes, healthy eating and portion sizes

Act for Meningitis: Raising meningitis awareness

Daffodil Centre: Raising awareness related to cancer

Chinese Medicine: Health & wellbeing from traditional Chinese medicine

Alzheimer Society Ireland: Developing Galway city as a dementia friendly city

NUIG BioMedical Society: Awareness re organ donation & Irish Kidney Association

Sexual Health, Pregnancy and Parenting

Rape Crisis Centre:  Counselling and support services to survivors of sexual violence and abuse.

Cura: Crisis pregnancy information and support

AIDS West: Sexual health and risk taking

La Leche League of Ireland: Breastfeeding information and support

Cuidiú: Support for parenthood

Mental Health

See Change: Mental Health Awareness

Pieta House: One to one counselling to those in suicidal crisis or engaging in self-harm

ALIVE: Benefits of volunteering on both personal and community level

GROW: Mental health promotion

Wellbeing

Reflexology: Way of relaxation through reflexology

Knit & Crochet Group: Hand craft as a form of relaxation

Cuidiu: Parenting information and techniques

DJ Society: Music for Mind, Body & Soul

Physical Health

NUIG Sports Unit: Information and support regarding physical activity

NUIG Cheerleading Society: Demonstration of stunts

Tai Chi: Demonstration

NUIG Table Tennis Club: Watch the players, or join in!

Student Services

Participate: A programme for students who have difficulties with social anxiety and public speaking.

Health Promotion Service: Alcohol awareness and standard drinks

Health Promotion Service: Smoking Cessation

Student Counselling: Promotion of the student counselling service

To keep up to date follow Risky Bizzness on @RBizzness