Dublin Zoo

 Bright and early, we ventured forth across the Liffey to the Phoenix Park. After about an hour, we reached Dublin Zoo.

 Until mid-day, we could do what we wanted. So, without further ado, we headed straight for the penguins. From there we ventured around the African plains where we saw hippos, giraffes, orang-outangs and gorillas. Next, it was straight to the reptile house - which provided warmth, and shelter from the rain. The small but deadly inhabitants were camouflaged by their green surroundings. But admiring these discrete creatures was for me, probably the highlight of the trip .

 At twelve sharp, we arrived at the 'Education Centre'. Huddling under a tree, escaping the cold rain, we were introduced to our tour guide. In spite of the horrible weather, we continued to the 'South American House' where we saw monkeys, sloths and tortoises. Our tour guide explained the significance of each animal. After the rain had gone, we headed to the Elephant House. There, we were told about the daily habits of each animal - how they ate for 18 hours a day, and how many elephants preferred sleeping outside to inside. Our tour guide then told us about the steps we could take to encourage animal conservation.

 It was back to the 'Meerkat Cafe' for lunch, while we watched the playful creatures mess and fight. After taking numerous pictures, we went across to the lions, tigers and wild cats. There, we got up-close and personal with these vicious animals. Members of our group even managed to disturb the tiger so much so that it growled at them in disgust! - But there wasn't time to apologise, as we hopped on to the buses to go back.





In most households, going to the zoo is an annual occurrence. But I wasn't brought-up that way. In fact, I had only visited Dublin Zoo about three times in my life before today! - But I think this was what made the zoo so enjoyable for me. As the Irish proverb goes; "what's seldom is brilliant".

Eagle's Flight Workshop

 On Friday, I attended the Eagle's flight workshop. This was a 3 hour session in which we improved our teamwork skills.

 We played a game called 'Gold of the Desert Kings'. The objective was to cross a desert, get as much gold as possible from the other side, and get back home within 25 days. Sounds easy?! - Not at all. We had limited resources (ie. food, water, shelter). These were necessary to stay alive during the trip. But you could only access these resources in certain parts of the desert. The game took about 1 hour and 15 minutes to complete. Luckily, we managed to survive our desert-crossing, but we came in third place overall.

 After playing the game, we reviewed our every move. Soon enough, we realised that we had jumped to many conclusions, assumed different things and had not fully understood the objective of the game. So, all together, it was a huge learning curve. We were able to apply sections of the game to real-life situations. This made it a very tangible exercise.

 Big thanks to Ger who did an excellent job of explaining the game to us, and moderating the workshop!

I would highly recommend the workshop to other students and to workplaces.

Here's a short promo video about 'Gold of the Desert Kings' (albeit slightly hyperbolic - it is only a board game):

Kairos

 So, off we went to Maynooth bright & early! We had a rough idea of what we were trying to achieve - a sort of Sky Sports-esque program. Roisin who was our teacher for the day, gave us some helpful advice which gave us a clear idea for the program. Eventually it was decided that we would do a magazine program with numerous guests and up-to-date sports commentary.






  Roles were given out, and I was tasked with being the producer. My main role was to assist in pre-production and help the actors/presenters decide on their segments. I assisted them in scripting and produced a running order. We had various contributors to the show including a very convincing Roy Keane (Tony Cullen), an obnoxious horse-rider (Kirsti Connole) and a dopey celebrity (Harry Cameron). We did two rehearsals before recording the program. During these I stood in the gallery area, taking notes about how to improve the presenting and giving Joshua Cameron (our director) cues. After each rehearsal I would brief the actors on what they needed to work on and improve.

 At 2:15pm we went on-air. The final take was recorded in about a quarter of an hour. It was excellent. Everyone from the cameramen to the news readers, from the sound engineers to the director, did an outstanding job. Well done everybody!

I thoroughly enjoyed the day and would like to thank our Head of Year for organising the activity. Also, thanks to Ms. Roy and Jason who patiently sat through hours of takes, edits and adjustments!

Where in the World?

This is what we're working on in Geography. It's a project about the holidays of TY students. Bear in mind that it is a work in progress!

Student Council

I've got some great news! I've been elected secretary of the Student Council; basically that involves me typing up the minutes, printing them out and presenting them to Mr. Geraghty (quite a daunting task). A wise man once said 'a committee takes minutes and wastes hours' - I hope that isn't the case with us!

Tefl Teaching

 You are probably as confused about the title as I was when I first heard about it. TEFL is an acronym for 'Teaching English as a Foreign Language'. David Hopper of Grasshopper Learning Centre told us about the degree and its benefits. He was able to travel the world while making money as a TEFL teacher. And it is this lucrative business that has kept him busy for the past fifteen years!

 He said he is considering running courses for young people, introducing them to TEFL teaching, from his language college in Portmarnock. It is a pathway that I am currently considering, as I too would love to travel in my twenties.

Donal Walsh

On Thursday we had a talk from Elma Walsh, mother of Donal Walsh. You might recognise his name after his appearance on 'The Saturday Night Show' with Brendan O'Connor in 2013. He was on a mission to encourage teenagers to get the most out of their lives. He told Irish teens how much they had to live for. Donal, who was terminally ill at the time, advised those who were contemplating suicide to talk to someone. A sport fanatic, Donal had a lot to live for. He enjoyed playing football and rugby. Determined to not back down to cancer, his positive attitude and strong faith helped him to prosper in his final months. Nearly 18 months after his death, Donal's inspirational message still lives on. A charity in his name was founded by his parents since his passing. Over the past year, they have raised over €120,000 for cancer research and suicide prevention charities.

His story really struck a chord with me. I was touched by his hard work and perseverance. He was always positive, always cheerful. I feel that there is a lot I can learn from Donal's message. He must have got his positive attitude from his mother, who was able to deliver an emotional, yet joyful speech about her son's life. She has stayed strong through these tough times and worked hard to promote Donal's uplifting message

The student council are already discussing about ways in which we can fundraise for his charity.