Greetings and salutations to the latest updates from the Student Hub! This issue includes: a contextualisation of Simon Harris’ ascension to power by Jennifer Bray; a blossoming contention around the expenses of the Irish reunification; Taylor Swift’s journey to creating a billion-dollar empire; a praiseworthy performance by Andrew Scott in Ripley; the peculiar obsession of the Irish with the chicken fillet roll, now attracting fans in London; Patrick Freyne’s top choice TV shows of 2024; Frank McNally’s insights on a Franco-Irish dispute; and a take on Lizzo’s “I quit” statement seen on her Instagram, which she clarifies was about negativity and did not mean abandoning her music production or performances.
Simon Harris’s trajectory to the position of taoiseach, from promising dramatist to TikTok taoiseach, has involved threading the needle in numerous political challenges to eventually become the leader of Fine Gael.
The debate about the financial implications of the Irish reunification has erupted after ticking away in academic circles for several years.
Taylor Swift’s development of her billion-dollar music empire has landed her on the Forbes list of the world’s wealthiest individuals. The question now is whether this achievement will convince critics of her entrepreneurial prowess, comparing her to renowned business tycoons, Steve Jobs and Richard Branson.
Netflix’s eight-part adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s 1955 novel, Ripley, showcases Andrew Scott’s brilliance as he plays the enigmatic anti-hero in the intriguing psychological drama.
Meme stocks have become quite a phenomenon recently, and Trump’s Truth Social being backed by retirement funds to amass riches beyond imagination brings another angle to the trend.
While it’s commendable to follow food waste reduction tips, the real impact will come from voting in this year’s elections, where the major peril is a possible conservative swing neglecting environmental concerns.
The peculiar affection of the Irish for the chicken fillet roll goes beyond the palate. It’s seen as a narrative as much as it is street food, particularly at the Emerald Eats food stall, popular among Irish-Londoners during their lunch hours.
Frank McNally recently highlighted the controversy brewing amongst certain French citizens, who are protesting a postal reform. This change will endow remote rural roads, previously unnamed, with new designations and unnumbered houses will now be allocated digits.
In a separate development, Lizzo, the artist, recently made clear that her earlier statement threatening to withdraw from the entertainment world was directed at the ‘negative energy’ she faced in the industry and not her music career itself.
Meanwhile, the question on whether Simon Harris possesses the competence to resuscitate Irish political conservatism looms. While suggesting he may not be suitable isn’t meant as an insult, it’s recognised that this task may be too formidable a challenge for anyone, let alone Harris. There are five significant obstacles that Fine Gael or any Irish centre-right party would have to overcome that currently appear insurmountable.