 Hello and welcome to DCU TV News' first live broadcast. I'm Rachel Kelleher. DCU's fourth annual Beg Barrensdale charity event took place on the 3rd and 4th of February, in aid of Movember Ireland for the third year running. The fundraiser saw more than 100 students race across Europe to reach Rome, relying solely on the kindness of strangers. Emily Crowley and Lee Mashen were at the launch of the event. Walking, taxis, plumbing lifts, airplanes and other forms of transport are what over 50 teams of DCU students will be searching for this Thursday and Friday, but there's only one problem. They can't pay for any of it. DCU's Beg Barrensdale is taking place this year on the 2nd and 3rd of February. Each team was trying to get to Rome by 5pm on Friday, with the first team there being crowned the winners. However, this year was the first year that Beg Barrensdale went from being a society-run event to an SU-run event. So Beg Barrensdale was, it was an event that I set up, it was always my concept and something that I wanted to grow and see where we could go with it. Obviously in the first year we started off going to Cork, but I always had the idea and vision of going across Europe and I just wanted to take that with me and next year we'll see where we go as well. It's a transition that will be going on for a few years, but I've given a lot to ESOC over the years. Many events that they've run have come from me, so it's, yeah, so that's why it's kind of my personal thing that Beg Barrensdale is, but Beg Barrensdale or ESOC will survive, whatever, they should be able to anyway. There's a lot of other events on throughout the year, so they should be able to keep themselves occupied. Many of the students taking part have similar emotions about how the task will go. Probably scared about getting no money, where people might just not give us money. They've been stuck in an airport, not being able to go out of this. The checkpoints aren't at the airport. It's like to go to Big Ben, not to London, just to get from the airport to Big Ben, back to the airport, train station or whatever, to get on, like, collecting money. Then obviously just the whole trail of it's going to be class. Getting stranded somewhere with nothing, our batteries running dead, having no money, having nowhere to go, only God to help us. The next couple of hours I'm most scared of not actually making it or not, like, getting anyone to help us out, but the thing that I'm most excited about is the fact that we don't know where we're going and we don't know what's going to happen. Like, I couldn't know if anywhere, you know, so I'm excited. I'd have fairly dodgy breakfast, so I'm a bit scared of going on a long journey without a battery when you know what's going to happen, but I'm just buzzing to get there early. I hope we get there. Over 50 teams of two will leave DCU's new bar this morning, in the hopes of being in Rome tomorrow evening. Each team has raised at least 250 euro from November, and it has been DCU's most successful year with the bag borrow seal. The people with the most amount of money will get a 15, 10 or 5 minute head start depending on how much they raised. Well, we had about 1,600 raised when we got the head start, but now we have over 2,000 raised. So we're continuing as we go along. Like, even today, like, we know people are going to, like, donate more money, so as we go along, there's going to be more donations, hopefully, as the fundraiser continues. As they were saying, as they were saying, like, it's how we use the five minutes, so if we use it wisely, then hopefully it'll benefit us then in the long run. It'll just, like, leave less panic than 200 people scrambling off at the same time. You know, like, it'll be easy to get out there quicker and on our own. Emily Crowdy, DCTV News. Following the event, our reporters Shauna Cole and Colleen Brady spoke to the winners as well as Student Union President Dylan Kehoe. This year's bag borrow seal saw 122 students race from DCU to Rome and aid of the Irish Cancer Society. The winners were Oren Duffy and Liam McAweeney of Team Lemon, who reached the final destination in less than 24 hours. I suppose we were, we were ruthless. Like, we didn't, we didn't have time to go to the toilet, like, we didn't have time to go to the pool. Yeah, we didn't eat for, like, what, like 12 hours more? No, what was more than that? Oh, wait, no, I don't know. A long time. A long time, yeah, yeah. Like, we didn't, we knew we were going to sacrifice, like, the crack, because we were just running around. I suppose the high point, obviously, was landing there, trying to think there was, there was nobody there. We were like, oh my God. Did we just do it? Or whatever. That was savage. And then just, I think the bus was the worst thing, wasn't it? Yeah, the bus was the worst. Because we didn't even know we were winning. Like, we were on this bus for, like, seven hours. And it was hot. It felt like it was in the worst hangover ever. Yeah. We couldn't go to sleep. And the smell of us as well. Oh, the smell of us. And, yeah, that was probably the worst, but we won it. So it was alright. It didn't really matter. It was a savage crack. Yeah, it was. On a regular weekend, class weekend. Good atmosphere, good buzz. The event broke the 100,000 euro mark in total fundraising over the past three years. Big Bar Steel, which was previously run by ESOC, was run by the SU for the first time this year. Big Bar Steel was always something that was my own event. And I just ran it wherever I may be. So over the last few years being in ESOC, that was where I started and grew it. But it was a natural transition then to the SU with myself. And obviously it's a bigger platform. So we were able to get more teams involved, get more sponsors involved. So the plan next year was to hopefully do it in multiple universities. Obviously one being DCU, but over in the UK as well, there's a lot of universities over there that want to launch it. And then currently in talks in November, Los Angeles at the minute. Colin Brady, DCU TV News. Last week DCU hosted Give It a Go Week, which gave students the chance to try out new clubs and societies in semester two before joining. The initiative was set up by clubs and SOCs Officer Saif Kandan, who confirmed it as a huge success. Reporters Lee Masion and Shirley Donnell went along to check things out. Give It a Go Week took place this week, giving students the opportunity to attend clubs and SOCs events before joining. Clubs Officer Saif Kandan explains. Okay, so Give It A Go Week take two is just a session where beginners can go. So it's stress-free, relaxed environment with clubs and societies. So some societies might give a get-to-know session and then clubs will give a training session just for beginners and they can try it out before signing up to Reflections Weekend this week. So with clubs and training sessions, we mainly focus on taking the pace down, really focus on bringing them in, showing them the equipment, showing them their training areas, and then giving them basic skills and then the same with being a society. So they tell them a little bit about the society, dance with you when you're dancing. So they'll do the same thing, they'll call you to dance, and then take the slower pace. Photo Soccer One Society to take part, giving students the chance to meet new people as well as develop photography skills. So for Give It A Go Week, we decided to do a workshop that would require kind of a bit of knowledge of how to use a camera, but that's exactly what we were showing people. And as well, food is something that kind of brings people together, and when there's free food, loads of people will come and it's in the centre to come, so that was the idea. Circus Exoc also opened their doors to potential new members. I've explained by committee member Steve Flynn. Usually when they show up, we get down for a while, see as my previous experience doing circus stuff, maybe we've had a drug before, did poi before. If not, we tend to bring them to the cage, and it's a cage of equipment, not an actual cage, and showing all sorts that we have, and that it looks really cool. We then pick it up and show them how to do some basic tricks with it. But I've never done all things like juggling, but maybe try it. That's kind of cool. And you think that the Give It A Go Week has helped, so you think that people are very welcoming? Yes, yes, I think. It depends on the clubs, but because I'm a foreigner, so it's a bit weird, but it's cool to meet new Irish people, because we come and meet them away from the clubs. Maybe it's kind of cool. This is Liam Ashton for DCU TV News. DCU has become the first Irish university designated as a University of Sanctuary due to its commitment to welcoming asylum seekers and refugees. Shirley Donlan and Emily Crowley report. Dublin City University got off to a bright start this year after being designated as Ireland's first University of Sanctuary. The college was awarded the title by the City of Sanctuary, an organisation that welcomes asylum seekers and refugees into the country and also creates a welcoming environment for those seeking refuge. DCU has also offered 15 scholarships to refugees and asylum seekers. Each faculty in the university is offering one scholarship, with the remaining scholarships being offered by the online platform DCU Connected. DCU SU President Dylan Keough feels that the scholarship scheme is a huge boost to the status of the university. For me, it shows that DCU is saying that we're here for everyone and we support everyone and we accept everyone. I think it's a great move and symbolically it just looks really good on behalf of the university and I think it sheds a really good light on the people here in DCU. We were actually before the University of Sanctuary came along we were actually working with the Red Cross and stuff in terms of the refugee crisis so we're doing a few things. Cody in particular has a couple of campaigns organised around welcoming refugees and setting up refugee packs so when they do arrive we'll be there to welcome them in the airport with items like refreshments, toiletries, guides about Ireland and how to settle in and how to become integrated in Irish society. Irish culture and society and people seem to like it and get on with it so there shouldn't be an issue but it's just an opportunity for us to get out there face to face with them and just show them that friendly DCU atmosphere that we know so well that it is there for others to be a part of. So there's some little things we'll be doing over the coming weeks and Cody's very excited to launch that and tell everyone more about that. The students selected for the scholarships will begin their studies in September 2017. DCU President Bray McRoss said that the title is not a destination but rather the marker on the beginning of a journey. Shirley Donlon, DCU TV News. DCU's StyleSoc held the semi-final of the Project Young Designer competition in the Helix last week. I went backstage alongside Amy Lawler to talk to some of the judges and designers. One of DCU's Style Society's most established event took place on February 7th in Helix shining a light on the talent of young Irish designers. Project Young Designer saw contemporary and creative forces highlight this year's theme, the Evolution of Style. A judging panel consisting of Stylist Justine King, fashion editor, Chanel O'Reilly and owner of Carrie's Closet, Lisa W. Kavanaugh choose their favourite pieces to go forward, final. With strong competition, the judges struggled to choose five finalists. To be honest, I was just saying that the judges couldn't agree. There was one we could all agree on. The judges chosen their five and they were all different which shows how high the standard was. For me, I'd say there was about three I definitely want to see go through and I think those three are in the final five so that's great. There were a few disagreements. For the most part we got about three the same but there were a few that I wouldn't like to input. Just the way it goes. The five finalists will get to showcase their designs at this year's DCU fashion show on the 1st of March 2017. The lucky winner will also get their piece We spoke to one finalist, Rita Sakhar about exactly what went into creating her unique design. The potter making probably took me about 30 hours and then because it was very detailed especially the skirt part so it took actually lots of thinking out it actually took longer than to actually then make it. And the actual sewing part I made it in three weeks but if I want to squeeze it the making hours it would take about I'd say about a hundred hours. Tickets for the fashion show are on sale until March 1st for a price of just 12 euro and are available to purchase across all campuses. This is Rachel Kelleher for DCU TV News. US President Donald Trump shocked the world with his controversial travel ban of people from predominantly Islamic countries earlier this month. At the Muslim travel ban reporter Lucy Mangan spoke to a representative from DCU Islam Society to see how this policy may affect us here in Ireland. The executive order that was signed in by Trump on the 27th of January has caused controversy since it was first enacted. Protesters have turned out in their thousands inside numerous airports to fight the ban. The ban specifically targets seven Muslim dominated countries excluding countries that Trump does business with. We spoke to a member of the mosque here in Dublin for Muslims in Ireland towards the ban. I wouldn't say there's a media difference but it definitely will have its knock on effect. Everything that happens worldwide will have an effect in other countries in a sense that I think again it's going to just create a larger stigma for Muslims in Ireland it's going to make them again create that and them divide and unfortunately people don't want to talk about it therefore misconceptions aren't removed and people aren't getting the right information and they just believe what they hear and see Muslims feel kind of vulnerable and victimized in the sense that it's mainly being said and being called the Muslim ban instead of the several country ban etc. And again for like your average Irish person who might not have come in contact with Muslims who might not live in a community or in a county with a large Muslim population they wouldn't know what's going on and might even justify the ban itself. I feel like throughout his entire campaign and probably through his presidency he will continue to target different groups different races and different religions he isn't the nicest person out there but I mean a lot of people are on the same trade and wouldn't say it but just think it hopefully he'll calm down we have to stop acting like Muslims are the problem and stop labelling it as all Muslims and be very clear when we're saying oh we're doing this because of X, Y and Z and kind of stop defining everything and blaming all the Muslims not every Muslim needs to be banned not every Muslim needs to be tagged or regulated or carry an ID card it's not fair and what happens what example are we setting for the young children what happens when they come to school what happens in colleges then will there be only Muslim only colleges or that kind of way so we have to stop acting like Muslims are the problem and target the real problem which are terrorists and extremists who need to be completely dissociated allowing thousands to enter the country while the future is still unclear many Americans are still fighting the ban to allow refugees into their country this is Lucy Mangan for DCU TV News and now for sport DCU's Kamoghi team were up against rivals UCD last Tuesday in the quarterfinal of the Ashburn Cup the match took place in DCU sports ground and was covered by Lee Maschen and Clara Hickey rivals UCD beat DCU in the quarterfinal of the Ashburn Cup in DCU sports grounds on Tuesday with a score of 114 to 25 with the scores tied at 17 to 24 it was UCD who pulled away in the second half to make their first semi-final in four years alright so first of all there's obviously a big rivalry playing against DCU so what does the win mean it means everything like we've worked so hard like since we've been training since about October and we had a few bad matches against UL and WIT and we just came out here and we just said we give it everything we didn't have anything to lose so just gave everything it means we're so happy watching the biggest difference was in the end then I think we just wanted it more like it means everything to the girls there's a few of them there and we haven't made it to Ashburn semi-finals for I think four years or something like that and we've been in the shields and stuff so we just said we give it everything and we're just delighted to be there now on Saturday DCU's Kira Egan described what she thought the difference was where probably their touch was much better they were probably ahead of the ball a lot more than we were and I think after the first half once they started getting a few scores our heads just kind of dropped and then that was it they took it from there and you think you had the early lead at the start of the first half so what was the team thinking out of that state I don't know maybe UCD just got more focused then and then they knew how to deal with going behind more than we did and then we thought we were more ahead than we actually were and then we just rocked our heads after an early goal for DCU it was UCD who came fighting back in the second half to win convincingly DCU will now finish their season with a defence of the shield on Saturday this is Liam Ashton for DCU TV News and that's it from me tuning in again in two weeks time for the next DCU TV News live broadcast