TheCity

Tag: covid19

  • Love in the time of Corona

    Love in the time of Corona

    faceless young couple drinking takeaway coffee on terrace
    Photo by William Fortunato on Pexels.com

    Valentine’s Day can be a tough time for single people. Scrolling through photos of happy couples sometimes triggers that voice in your head that reminds you – you’re alone. 

    Add a global pandemic, isolation, and government-imposed celibacy to the mix, and it’s not a far reach to assume this year’s going to be a lot harder than usual. 

    In-person socialising has been put on hold and life is happening online. It is no surprise that the sense of loneliness this brings can have a massive impact on someone’s mental health.

    “Dating is, at its core, about hope and connecting with somebody”

    Roe McDermott

    Speaking to TheCity, Roe McDermott, Sex and Relationships Expert at The Irish Times, said she believes people are really underestimating the importance of physical contact and dating throughout the pandemic.

    “Dating is, at its core, about hope and it’s about connecting with somebody. Even a mediocre or bad date, it’s the hope that you’ll get an entertaining story to tell your friend. Losing that sense of hope and connection when we are so isolated is seriously psychologically damaging,” she says.

    Many people have turned to online dating as a means of coping with this. Match Group – who own popular dating platforms like Tinder and match.com – have reported a significant increase in users since the pandemic hit.

    Enda Collins, a 22-year-old musician from Dublin, has been taking part in online dating for the past year.

    “One guy sent me, let’s just say a very explicit picture, with the caption ‘Can you handle this?’ I was like oh my god. You’ve ruined it!”

    Enda, musician

    “I think it can be good, but I miss physical contact. You get to that point after a few days of chatting online where you want to meet up but it’s like… you just can’t,” he says.

    While he feels these conversations can be helpful to combat loneliness, some users only have one thing on their mind – and it’s not the R number.

    “You get people messaging you like ‘what do I have to do to get you to come out now?’

    “One guy, we were chatting for over an hour and really hitting it off. Next minute, he sends me, let’s just say a very explicit picture with the caption ‘Can you handle this?’ I was like oh my god. You’ve ruined it!”

    However, Frances Kelleher, a Killarney based dating coach, believes online dating can be a beneficial tool in helping you find the right person.

    “I believe online dating is great if you know how to use it correctly and know how to sell yourself,” she says.

    “You have to be strategic in the way you use it. I advise my clients to be online as you can throw your net so much wider in the pool of potential partners. The more you put yourself out there, the better chance you have of meeting the right person.”

    McDermott also believes online dating can be a great experience, but its potential benefits are relative to how you present yourself. Being clear about what you’re looking for is essential and can help you navigate the online world more easily, as well as counteract any time wasting or negative experiences.

    “The basic act of filling out your profile – which a lot of people don’t do – is about saying what you’re looking for and telling people what you have to offer. It takes [dating] to a different level of thoughtfulness and seriousness,” she explains.

    Your profile is in your hands, so why not put your best self out there, you might not meet the right person, but you might get a funny story or two and find a welcome respite to lockdown boredom.

    Online dating presents its own set of challenges, it is far from perfect, but it can be what you make of it, and for singles everywhere, now is the perfect time to give it a try.

    For those out there who are reluctant to dive into the world of online dating, Frances thinks it’s worth a shot.

    “For people who are reluctant, I would say just give it a try. There are different apps so try a few to see which one you prefer. You can always come off if you hate it.”

  • Working remotely doesn’t always mean working from home

    Working remotely doesn’t always mean working from home

    Co-working spaces were a growing phenomenon before the pandemic hit here in Ireland and now that more people are abandoning the office they could be the perfect place for people who want to draw a line of separation between their work and home lives. Megan O’Brien explores how they’ve fared throughout the crisis. 

  • More uncertainty after errors found in Calculated Grades

    More uncertainty after errors found in Calculated Grades

    As worrisome as the 2020 Leaving Certificate exams were, many of the students felt relieved after the decision was made to move to Calculated Grades instead. Little did they know that the autumn would bring more concerns. Laura Matjusaityte explored how the calculated grades affected students this year.

    Photo taken by Sinéad Cochrane. Sourced from Flickr.

    It all started on April 10th when the decision was made to postpone Leaving Certificate exams due to the dangers posed by Covid-19. 

    As the usual order of things was jeopardised by the pandemic, a further decision was taken and the Leaving Certificate examinations were replaced by a system of Calculated Grades.  

    In order to forecast students’ grades the system took the estimated marks, decided by teachers and reviewed by other authorities, and predicted the grades that students would have received if examinations would have taken place. 

    Many students interviewed by TheCity.ie reporters back in March believed that Calculated Grades would be the best option in such circumstances. 

    When the results came out on the 7th of September a wave of errors followed. 

    Oisin Tiernan from Wexford shared his experience saying that he was “delighted with the grades” that he got and was able to secure the CAO place that he wanted. 

    “For the most part, I think 95 per cent of people I’ve talked to have been happy with their grades”, Oisin said, acknowledging that in his opinion, Calculated Grades were “a good decision”. 

    “I got grades that I was very happy with, that I felt reflected my work perfectly”, Oisin added. 

    Oisin secured his first choice CAO place in UCD studying Politics and International Relations. 

    The Department of Education and Skills acknowledged on September 30th that two errors occurred in Calculated Grades, according to independent experts’ from the Education Testing Service (ETS). 

    To calculate the grades, students’ scores from Irish, English and Maths as well as scores from two subjects with the highest marks were meant to be used. Instead, the system calculating the grades added two subjects with the weakest marks. This led to some students receiving lower grades than what their scores would have actually been. 

    The second error occurred on how algorithms regarded students’ grades on the extreme ends of the scale, i.e students who score from 99 percent to 100 percent and zero percent to one percent.

    According to the ETS statement, the second error would not have had a “magnificent impact on results”. 

    Another student named Kate McAuliffe secured her first choice in Law in UCC. She said she was “happy enough” with her results, even though she felt she got “downgraded in some of the subjects”. 

    “I only know one person who didn’t get their first choice in CAO and they were in a grind school,” Kate said.

    “Overall in my own experience and looking at my own friends group, I think a lot of people were quite happy,” she added. 

    Kate has rejected the UCC offer as she accepted a place in University of London instead. She is studying online at the moment and waiting impatiently until she will be able to move to London. 

    The Department of Education and Skills issued a statement last week acknowledging that nearly 7,000 grades will be increased after the errors will be fixed, which will affect over 6,000 students. 

    It was noted that no student will receive lower grades due to the process. 

    This means that many students who will receive higher grades will be eligible for their first CAO choices. 

    CAO released a statement declaring that all students with upgraded results will be included in the Round 4 offers. 

    It is still unknown if all 6,100 students affected by the errors in Calculated Grades will be facilitated to commence to the courses which they otherwise would have been offered in the first place.

    It is estimated that there will be another 450 new applications to Technological University Dublin after the fourth round, according to TUD spokesperson Melda Slattery. “We believe that approximately 20 percent, around 85 students, will be entitled to receive an offer from TU Dublin”, she added. 

    As the new academic year already started a few weeks ago, many students joining through Round 4 will have to catch up with their peers. 

    Ms Slattery acknowledged that the university will do “everything possible” to facilitate new applicants. 

    By the time of the publication the Higher Education Authority and CAO did not respond to questions on how they are planning to facilitate all students with upgraded results in courses of their choice. 

  • NXT Takeover 31 Review: Solid show capped by excellent main event

    NXT Takeover 31 Review: Solid show capped by excellent main event

    As WWE continues producing shows in their Covid-friendly arenas, Takeover 31 was just as impressive. Conn McGillion reviewed all the matches from Takeover 31 for The City.

    Photo taken by Miguel Discart. Sourced from Flickr.

    The first show to run from the Capital Wrestling Center (CWC)- the state of the art arena designed to house fans via live video feed from their own homes. The CWC is NXTs equivalent of Raw and Smackdowns ‘Thunderdome’. This show was not solely dominated by its main event- top to bottom, the show had plenty to offer. 

    NXT Championship- Finn Balor © defeats Kyle O’Reilly at 28:29- With high expectations for this match already, it is safe to say those expectations were exceeded. O’Reilly- known for his tag team work with Bobby Fish and the Undisputed Era- was thrown into the singles deep end when he earned a title shot against new champion, ‘Prince’ Balor. From the get go, the match was extremely physical- the two men exchanged holds and strikes, battling for control. O’Reilly showed fire early with a series of brutal looking suplexes. However, Balor quickly cut off the challenger with a single spin kick to the stomach. That kick became the focal point of the match- O’Reilly was winded, and couldn’t shake it off enough to mount a considerable offence. Balor worked over O’Reilly with more vicious kicks and scored a few near falls with some tenacious moves, but O’Reilly didn’t stay down. O’Reilly finally came back by targeting Balors leg- and almost defeating the champion when he caught Balor in a kneebar out of nowhere. However, Balors experience eventually came to be O’Reilly’s undoing. A double stomp, and the Coup de Grace eventually finished O’Reilly off. 

    This was a coming out party for O’Reilly. Balor is an established main eventer, but O’Reilly absolutely shone in his first singles title opportunity. And, these two men beat each other senseless. The chemistry they had was unbelievable, and this match is a must see.

    NXT Womens Championship Io Shirai © def Candice LeRae at 16:45-  This match was fast paced and aggressive from the get go. Shirais control segments were fantastic, and LeRae’s underhanded antics added even more tension to the match. Eventually, the antics were LeRae’s undoing- as Gargano showed up, and distracted the ref- Shirai put LeRae away with her moonsault. 

    This match was a brilliant showcase for both women. These two women are perhaps the best in the division at the moment, and they showed that in this classic. 

    Kushida def Velveteen Dream at 13:00- The story of this match was Dreams constant mocking of the Japanese superstar. The flamboyant Dream enters dressed as Doc Brown- a clear mockery of Kushida’s love for Back of the Future. The first portion of the match follows Kushidas uncontrolled fury. Far more aggressive and intense than usual, Kushida relentlessly targets Dreams arm. Dream eventually regains control by dumping Kushida to the outside, and works over Kushida. 

    Dream almost gets caught in Kushidas Hoverboard lock early, but he quickly scrambles to the rope. A powerbomb by Dream leads to another nearfall and another Purple Rainmaker connects- but, Dreams arm is too damaged to capitalise. Eventually, the arm becomes Dreams undoing- as Dream scales the top rope, Kushida runs up after him and locks in the Hoverboard lock again. Dream can’t break the hold- even as they drop to the mat, and Dream tries his signature Death Valley Driver. Eventually, Dream taps out- giving Kushida his first marquee win. After the match, Kushida continues to target Dream’s arm, until several refs drag him away.

    This was a solid match. The story of it was clear- Kushida wanted to break Dream’s arm. Dreams played his part very well, and Kushida’s aggression is exactly what he needed. Ever since he came to NXT, he had been floating in the midcard- but, finally showing his aggressive streak was what he needed. A huge win over Velveteen Dream could prime Kushida for a title shot soon- perhaps for the Cruiserweight, or North American title. 

    NXT North American Championship- Damien Priest © def Johnny Gargano at 18:43- I wasn’t a huge fan of this. Priests power and explosiveness is great, but it felt too fast paced considering Priests size. The psychology of Gargano as the villain was a little off-  matching Priest in both power and speed. The right man won however, Priest’s North American title reign continues with a huge notch under his belt in Gargano.  

    NXT Cruiserweight Title- Santos Escobar © def Isiah Scott at 15:19- This match again, was an athletic and flippy spectacle. While not my cup of tea, the two mens talent cannot be denied- Scott is full of charisma and a pleasure to watch, and the back and forth here was smooth and quick paced. Escobar retaining comes as no surprise- he is the biggest villain in the cruiserweight division, and there is no reason for him to lose the title yet. 

    Overall, this is a show worth seeking out if you enjoy physical wrestling and storytelling. The main event is a must see, and the post match angles certainly add intrigue for what is to come for Kyle O’Reilly and the Undisputed Era.